Professional photographer and writer based in Southern California, Lori Carey can usually be found roaming around the Mojave Desert in her Jeep.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Reticulating Splines
Every time I configure a backup set with Mozy I see a message that says "reticulating splines." It kept nagging on something way back in the dusty and cobwebbed recesses of my mind, and finally I just had to google it.
Hehe, someone at Mozy has a good sense of humor - Sim City, of course, whenever it was generating new terrain. Sim City didn't really reticulate splines, and neither does Mozy. Guess it's just a little geek humor.
What does this have to do with the photo above?
Absolutely nothing other than the fact that, like "reticulating splines" it is semi-nonsense. It was the result of an experiment, a "what if I were to...?", and I love the combination of light, motion, color and lines. My adoring husband looks at it and says "but it isn't a photo of anything". It's not always easy to explain when a photo captures something I felt, rather than something I saw.
Well it certainly is of something, I just leave it to your imagination to decide what that is. That's the whole point. I guess some people like to have all of the answers up front, and some prefer to use their imagination and contemplate alternatives. Me, I can get lost just staring at the subtle gradations of color. I guess the big question is, does it have meaning only to me?
If anyone wants to take guess at what it really is, I'd be happy to confirm or deny. The only hint I'll give is that it was taken at twilight on the beach in San Clemente, California. If you're not familiar with the area that won't help you at all, and if you are familiar with the area it may completely throw you off track.
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I've been to San Clemente once, almost 18 years ago, and what I remember most is that I had a near drowning experience due to an unguarded beach and rip currents near my campground in a state park. You are so right - this doesn't help at all with identifying what it is that I am looking at in this photograph, yet I am oddly intrigued by its dynamics and colors. Is it a train?
ReplyDeleteLove the title too, as anything wavering between mysterious to absurd will grab my attention! "Reticulating Splines" - gotta love it!
We have a winner! That was a great guess saltydog - it is the train that runs along the beach. Some day I'm going to take a ride on that train just for the heck of it.
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