Upper Winds by Steven Dengler
Staying at Disney World, I got up at 4am with the family to drive to see the launch of STS-131. The shuttle lifted off the pad right before dawn, and and as the sun rose, it created a gorgeous, scrolling backdrop of deep gradated colour upon which it illuminated the clouds of alumina compounds left by the solid rocket boosters. These clouds drifted and shifted and twisted in a kind of divine cursive script hanging in the sky, lasting for over an hour, in which ghostly letters and signs and sigils could just barely be discerned. The clouds were much more impressive than the launch, and I found it highly symbolic of modern attitudes that the brief roar of the shuttle was seen by millions, while the long, quiet glory of the clouds was all but ignored.
*****
Aamora welcomes Steve as our guest. We asked him to tell us about himself:
“In the words of Ralph Wiggum, I “like stuff”. I am a classic dilettante, interested in pretty much everything I come across. It has only recently dawned on me that I may not live long enough to do all the things I want.
Artistically, I have found it particularly satisfying to express and communicate with photography and writing. My goal with photography is to find situations in the physical world that have a unique voice, and then and attempt to drag them across the semiotic chasm to share with others. My goal with writing in much the same, but I draw from my imagination instead.
I live in Woodbridge, Ontario. I am a dual Canadian/Italian citizen, and I love to explore the areas where those two cultures overlap — and where they don’t. In my day jobs, I am the co-founder of both XE.com Inc. and Wifarer Inc.
I am also a pilot, and have been particularly interested in flight since childhood. I’m excited about the possibilities of mixing flying and photography.
And in my mind’s eye, I am always sixteen, bounding down the stairs to rush out into the world to explore, to invent, and — always — to learn.”
(Steve didn’t tell you, but we happen to know, that he was a torch bearer for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.)
Wonder…full.
Sah-weet! Second from the bottom is my fav.
great idea to take these clouds of colour and I especially like your first image of the small child concentrating so hard!
These images are truly wonderful, full of beauty and whimsy and a sense of the transience of things with marvel rather than sadness.
It was worth the short wait, Steve! I love the remnants of that launch! I’ve seen a shuttle landing but afraid I’ll never see a launch. Good catch!
Steve great shots. Thanks for guest hosting a blog post. I really like the shot of the clouds formed by the solid rocket boosters – almost looks like an abstract of one of those Chinese Dragons that you see in parades & festivals.