Fountain in downtown New Bern

Since the wonderful city of Jacksonville is so great, and I would rather not have people flock there when I reveal its beauty, I decided to stop in downtown New Bern on my way home. I remembered a pretty cool clock on one of the roads so I immediately went in that direction. Getting out of my car, in my teaching attire (looking dapper as ever) and with my dslr, I took one of the alleys to get to the clock. Don’t worry; New Bern’s alleys are riddled with clean brick, trimmed shrubs and the occasional “No Poop Zone” signs. Making my way over to the clock I realized I forgot another cool subject, the fountain. I don’t know what it is about fountains but we as a people find them somewhat powerful. I mean, we throw our money into them hoping to get something in return, as if the dripping of the water causes a dimensional rift and opens a gateway to a better place where these good thoughts are plucked and then magically occur in our world. I don’t really hold onto that mentality, but what else are we gonna do with our pennies? It’s better than wasting 50 cents to smash them into a smeared image of some historical figure or landmark.

Anyway, the fountain got my attention and I decided to take a few pictures. Mind you I get out of work when it’s dark and I only had the street lamp and my flash to work with. The fountain itself is a dark gray, and the angle I would have to take the shot didn’t allow for a flattering picture. I turned up my shutter speed and headed down to the source of the action. It is kind of fun to look at the drops, in whole form, stuck in time on their descent down to meet their brethren. And thanks to the many hopeful people, the flash picked up the copper color underneath the water’s surface. You could go on and on talking about the symbolism here with time. The ripples the drops cause on the glassy surface of the water. The explosive charges the drops make as they helplessly climb upward, only to be dragged down by a power force. All and all, I enjoy this picture and the magic it inspires. Even this cynical bastard can appreciate the majesty created by two things so natural on this earth: water and gravity.

I know this is a shorter post than most, but I had a late start. Hopefully tomorrow I will get out a little earlier, have some day light and find another interesting photo. Enjoy your evenings.

Until tomorrow.