These photos were taken by shooting into the colored light emanating from prisms.  Such a viewpoint occasionally shows up briefly in film, but only in passing, and I think a 30-plus year habit of applying this method is unique.  It represents a point of view that grew on me when I was about 14, (way back in the 1970s).   As a  high school student I would sit at my desk and admire the drops of dew on the lawn outside.  We lived in Southern California, so the weather was usually clear, and the dew drops would shimmer in the sunlight.   I enjoyed looking at the beautiful colors that arose from some of the drops.  Come to think of it, the ladies in our class were also quite beautiful.  How did we ever get any school work done?  Anyway, at about that time my mom gave me an old desk prism that she got from her dad.  That prism let me play with the sun.  To make a long story short, I experimented with taking photos into the direction of the colored light as it emerged from the prism---- "prism photos".  For several years I had only an Instamatic, so I would have to see where the color hit the camera, because looking through the eyepiece did not reliably show when color would hit the lens. The photo at Bee Canyon Park is an example of that process, from the first roll of film used for this approach. 

     Despite being busy with the pursuit of medical know-how, there have been opportunities to explore this technique now and then.  Sample photos are shown below; (click on photo title to see large view).  I hope you enjoy them-- and maybe become inspired to try this method yourself.  One caution though--- the light, though colored, is very bright as it comes off a prism that is in sunlight.  So wear eye protection, or, if you've got one, use a digital SLR camera with a viewing screen so you don't look directly at the bright light.  If you have suggestions, or if you'd like to learn from my trial and error over the years, just let me know.  And if you are from a prestigious gallery in some place like Taos or New York, please call immediately:    Tel: USA 707.462.3300  email: docwirth@sbcglobal.net

    Wanna see more prism photos?  Check out my site just for that:  http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steven-wirth.html

 

           

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                    Bee Canyon Park                               Clayton at Newton Hall                                      Peter at SF MOMA                                              Lake Tahoe

          Granada Hills, CA  circa 1975               Pacific Union College, 1978                                    

                                                                                                                            

 

                                                             

                             Ukiah Valley Medical Center                          Sharon & Friends at Lake Mendocino                                    Montgomery Woods