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Jay Maisel

Optical Play and Suns I
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Optical Play and Suns I


Over the years I have found many optical images. I call them optical because they play with your eye and demand close attention. In some instances here I have paired them off to make the point more clearly. 

Suns is a collection of suns I shot with lenses ranging from 50mm to 2000mm.

Optical Play No 1
Optical Play No 1

Stone balustrade. Photos Nos. 1-5 show the use and importance of negative space—the shape or shapes around solid forms (figure-ground relationship).

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Optical Play No 2
Optical Play No 2

Wine bottles on red (figure-ground relationship).

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Optical Play No 3
Optical Play No 3

Space between buildings, not a rifle (figure-ground relationship).

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Optical Play No 4
Optical Play No 4

Metal sculpture (figure-ground relationship).

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Optical Play No 5
Optical Play No 5

Sky, bird and buildings.

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Optical Play No 6
Optical Play No 6

Here the background fights you...

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Optical Play No 7
Optical Play No 7

Background works with you.

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Optical Play No 8
Optical Play No 8

Negative space in FedEx logo usually overlooked.

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Optical Play No 9
Optical Play No 9

Arrow in FedEx logo.

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Optical Play No 10
Optical Play No 10

This is a photo taken by a student of mine, Gordon Myere, that shows visual ambiguity. It can be seen as looking out through a series of arches, or a picket fence, which it is (figure-ground relationship).

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Optical Play No 11
Optical Play No 11

The brick wall is in the background, but its brightness and warm color makes it come to the foreground.

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Optical Play No 12
Optical Play No 12

This photo appears to be a series of mounds, but if turned upside down...

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Optical Play No 13
Optical Play No 13

...it instead looks like concavities of earth.

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Optical Play No 14
Optical Play No 14

When I got this back from the processing lab I knew this wasn't the shot of tire tracks I had shot...

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Optical Play No 15
Optical Play No 15

...until I rotated the slide 180 degrees.

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Optical Play No 16
Optical Play No 16

The direct sun here show the drama of light and dark.

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Optical Play No 17
Optical Play No 17

While soft, indirect light reveals color.

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Optical Play No 18
Optical Play No 18

Where you stand is important. This photo and the next (No. 19) are the same subject shot from different positions.

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Optical Play No 19
Optical Play No 19

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 18.

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Optical Play No 20
Optical Play No 20

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 21.

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Optical Play No 21
Optical Play No 21

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 20.

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Optical Play No 22
Optical Play No 22

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 23.

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Optical Play No 23
Optical Play No 23

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 22.

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Optical Play No 24
Optical Play No 24

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 25.

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Optical Play No 25
Optical Play No 25

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 24.

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Optical Play No 26
Optical Play No 26

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 27.

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Optical Play No 27
Optical Play No 27

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 26.

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Optical Play No 28
Optical Play No 28

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 29.

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Optical Play No 29
Optical Play No 29

Position counts. Companion of previous image, No. 28.

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Optical Play No 30
Optical Play No 30

Position counts. Shot with light behind me.

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Optical Play No 31
Optical Play No 31

Position counts. Same as previous, No 30, but shot into light.

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Optical Play No 32
Optical Play No 32

Position counts. Companion of next image, No. 33.

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Optical Play No 33
Optical Play No 33

Companion of previous image, No. 32. Shot from other side.

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Optical Play No 34
Optical Play No 34

This is a image illustrating how adjacent colors influence each other.

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Optical Play No 35
Optical Play No 35

Close-up of windows in previous photo. Would you believe me if I told you the blue of sky in all the windows is actually the same color and tone/lightness, just affected by the surrounding light and dark frames?

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Optical Play No 36
Optical Play No 36

This is the same image as previous photo, No 35, but with the building masked out. Surprised? This phenomenon is called simultaneous contrast.

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Optical Play No 37
Optical Play No 37

Utensils and napkin on textured surface.

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Optical Play No 38
Optical Play No 38

Close-up of textured tabletop. Are the shapes concave or convex? Look away and then back and it might flip on you.

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Optical Play No 39
Optical Play No 39

Shifting planes and shapes.

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Optical Play No 40
Optical Play No 40

You've probably been taught that yellow is a primary color. But with light, red and green make yellow, as you can see in the small inset of bigger image. In this instance, size matters.

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End of Part I_optical-play-and-sun027Optical8Play8No841
End of Part I_optical-play-and-sun027Optical8Play8No841
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