The Ron Taylor Project

Completed

2011-01-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Week 48

2010-09-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

Managed to get this picture right on time and posted in a timely manner as well.

Week 47

2010-09-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Raining in this picture and overcast. Fall is rapidly approaching.

Week 46

2010-09-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

This day was a little more overcast than previous summer pictures.

Week 45

2010-09-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Week 44

2010-08-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Same heat with some relief in the evenings but still strangely dry. Here is this weeks image:

Pretty contrasty which is typical of summer. Below is the new door which has been installed although work around it both inside and outside has continued:

Later on I will post a better image of the outside. But, there is where I stand to take these pictures on the third step from the bottom next to the metal handrail.

Week 43

2010-08-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Fall faculty conference today then puttered around making copies and all that jazz. The campus is changing in big ways with the new workout facility, the new entrance which I have mentioned before, and the work that will be starting soon on 9th street which will last well into and maybe a bit beyond this semester. Nothing stays the same. Every time I step foot on campus I step foot on a new campus and over time you can see that. I wonder how long it would take before those changes would show up in these pictures? So far all the remodeling and new construction is to the north or west and this south view remains relatively unchanged except for the rhythm of the year.

So it goes.

Week 42

2010-08-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Next week starts a round of campus events that are a precursor to the semester beginning. The front entrance is still boarded up at the circle drive so I am still taking these pictures off of the steps and on the sidewalk.

Looks like there is some flair in the middle of the picture. I couldn't tell since I was wearing my sunglasses and they are polarized - obscuring many images including the one from the Canon pocket camera I am using for this project.

Week 41

2010-08-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am learning a lot about the seasons and how the changes are not only subtle but more abrupt than you might think. To appreciate this you have to go back and look at the earlier pictures and it is fascinating to see how the changes just sort of appear, and then how seasons seem "sticky" before suddenly dissolving into the next season. Here is the picture for week 42.

Week 40

2010-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Summer rolls on. Very hot weather followed by thunderstorms for a day or two cooling things down, and then the heat and humidity are right back at it.

Week 39

2010-08-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

I have not taken any new pictures of it but construction on the entry way is still ongoing and visibly there is not that much progress.

Week 38

2010-08-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Summer rolls on.

Week 37

2010-07-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

The entrance to St. Clair is undergoing renovation and I have included a picture of it here:

Normally I stand on the third step, on the left side as we face the entrance, and take the picture. Since it was blocked off I took the picture for this week, and will have to do the same for next week, in front of the reversed bench they are using to block the entryway off. Here is the picture for week 37:

Week 36

2010-07-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Picture for Week 36:

Week 35

2010-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Post for week 36:

Week 34

2010-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Photo for week 34:

Week 33

2010-07-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Photo for week 33:

Week 32

2010-05-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

This week the campus has been deserted of students and the weather has been warm. Much different than the deluge of rain we had last week.

Week 31

2010-05-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Finally I am caught up after being three weeks behind. Finals and graduation are behind me and we are putting the finishing touches on moving. Still,... lots of rain. Unbelievable weather - just like fall rather than spring including the temperature.

Week 30

2010-05-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Lots of rain but it stopped awhile for this picture. See my comments from week 29.

Week 29

2010-05-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

School rapidly came to a close and during all that hubbub we moved. So, I took the pictures but did not have the opportunity to post them. We are still moving although we should be done this week. It has been a MAJOR undertaking.

Oddly enough this is the second picture with a vehicle in it in this whole series and it is my own van. I was in a hurry and parked right in the frame. I always stand on the third step and try to approximate the same angle every time. Whatever is in the frame goes into the picture.

Week 28

2010-05-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

The last full week of classes for this semester. Next week is finals week, then graduation, and then summer begins for real. Where did the tulips go!

Week 27

2010-04-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

This week, surprisingly, for the first time there was a vehicle in the front drive. The fire marshal likes to sweep in and ticket cars parked there. It is a popular place to park while people run in to do something. If you do that it is best to keep someone in the car. Then it is "standing" rather than "parked." Also, there were some people out working in the front lawn. One more week of classes, one week of finals then graduation. Everyone is ready. The great thing about college is the distinct beginnings and endings. Love it.

Week 26

2010-04-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

Since there are 52 weeks in a year this is the halfway point. A pretty big milestone. I have been doing this now for six months having started in October of 2009.

The first week with the new Camera. I am using a Canon SX 120 which is my backup pocket camera. It is for when I do not want to carry the Nikon DSLRs. So far it is a a great camera. I like the intermediate size but wish it had a range finder and not just the back display. Camera manufacturers are getting lazy. Or maybe just cheap?

Here is the picture of the week.

Week 25

2010-04-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

The camera I have been using for this project is going to have to be replaced. The lens covering is not opening regularly, and sometimes has to be "helped." The problem is getting worse. So, I am going to have to replace it. Luckily, when I purchased this camera I also purchased the insurance so replacement is a pretty easy process. Unfortunately, the camera I want is only available online so I am going to have to send this current one in and then wait for the replacement from WalMart. So it goes.

It still takes good pictures. Another beautiful spring day for Week 25. What is interesting is the progression you see in the grass over the past four to five weeks from that dull winter stunted look to the lush green we have today. Again, I am astonished at how the scenery does not change gradually but rather in dramatic short periods of three to four weeks. What will happen as the weather warms and the rain slows down?

Week 24

2010-04-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

Spring break at last, and it is starting to show in the pictures. The grass is VERY green. We have had so much rain, but despite that the days have mostly been pleasant.

Week 23

2010-03-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

If you look carefully you can see how the grass has become progressively greener over the last month.

Last weekend was not only brutal but freakish. Over four inches of snow with periods of sleet and very cold weather. Oddly enough the ground had been warmed enough that everything pretty much melted when it hit although there at the end slush began to form. That was how spring started. Then, starting on Monday, a reprieve bringing tolerable weather with some sunshine.

Students are just as weary and ready for spring break as I am although what they will be doing during their respective breaks shows the fractured fault lines of our socio-economic classes.

Week 22

2010-03-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Spring arrives this weekend as well as an anticipated blast of cold with lots of snow and sleet. Hard to believe. The weather this week has been pretty good.

Week 21

2010-03-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Not much to say. Spring is something we are all waiting for.

Sun is shining but still chilly.

Week 20

2010-02-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

Again I was able to take the picture on the right day at the right time.

Just down the street, less than a block south of where I stand to take these pictures, is the old Columbia Photo building. A building which has recently been sold and remodeled. Columbia College purchased the building and Columbia Photo moved into a new facility on 9th street. It was hard to get to because downtown parking is so congested but I did go there more often than I did the old store. Which is odd since I worked so close. Anyway, last time I went I purchased a pretty nice padded back pack for my Nikon digital SLRs. Well, it did not help as much as I would have hoped and Columbia Photo is going out of business. Another landmark gone, and another local business disappearing taking jobs with it. Somehow I do not think that is progress. The bad economy, the new internet marketplace, shifting consumer interest, the global marketplace, and shifting whole industries away from our shores continues to shape the way we live.

I am not sure that cheaper tires, clothing, and shoes is worth it. So, this picture is dedicated to Columbia Photo which had valiantly sailed through the treacherous waters of a stormy market place from film, to the first auto focus cameras, computers, video, and finally the digital revolution in photography that allows any idiot with enough money to take technically correct but aesthetically lacking photographs with utter impunity. You will be missed. The irony that this picture was taken with the very technology that eventually caused the demise of that once proud flagship of local entrepreneurship has not gone unnoticed.

You do not appreciate what you had until it is gone. That is a sad truism about human nature.

Week 19

2010-02-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

Last night I started thinking about how I am going to deal with the monotony of the weather which is often an issue in Missouri. When I started this project it was during a dramatic seasonal change but that is the exception rather than the rule with the weather here. After awhile even I get tired of my own complaining. So, with that in mind I will focus on the positive side of things in future postings while keeping the option open for the occasional kvetching.

We live in a wonderful world full of wonderful things. Out of all the things that we, humans, have contributed there are two things that stand out in my mind: institutions of higher learning and libraries. Those two innovations make up for a lot of sins and mischief that we have otherwise perpetrated on ourself as well as the earth. So, it is a double privilege to be involved intimately with an institution of higher learning on a professional level, and to be able to experience the campus where I work in all kinds of weather. Visiting a college campus always infuses me with a sense of hope if only I remember to notice! Sometimes I forget to pay attention to that.

This past week while attending a funeral the snow was coming down. In that utterly sad occasion the snow provided a poetic backdrop as the falling flakes forced me to look up into heaven. In a word it was beautiful despite the sadness of the occasion. The change and variation we have in weather here is a blessing. Lets count it as such.

Here is the picture for this week:

Week 18

2010-02-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Weird weather. Lots of snow flurries, even continuing up until today, for about a week. I do not recall ever having that kind of continuous light snow for so many consecutive days. This week we had some snow and briefly some VERY slick driving conditions.

Students are weary of winter and it is good that we have about two weeks left until March.

I managed to take this picture on time and on the right day. This time I used a bit of a different angle and you can see the flags which are blowing in an easterly direction. That seems to be the prevailing wind for most days since I started this project. Will it shift as we move through spring, then summer, and then fall which is when I started this project? I am looking forward to finding out.

I like this picture. It is a bit haunting with those well defined shadows and for some reason the word that comes to mind when viewing this picture of the front campus is "stately."

Week 17

2010-02-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

First of all this picture is a day late and an hour early - I took it on Thursday at 2 p.m. I was not able to locate the camera on time Wednesday morning and had to go out the door without it.

The picture for this week has two unique features. People and the flag! Usually the Columbia College flag is at the left side of the picture, just out of sight, and the wind is blowing in a direction so that we cannot see it. This week the wind was blowing the flag so that it is visible in the picture. I did not notice it until after I got home and prepared to upload it. If you look at the other pictures you can see the base of the flag pole in the lower left hand corner, but never the flag itself. I will have to consult the prevailing wind for Columbia but no doubt it is not ordinarily one that is in a westerly direction. Also there are people in the shot! For the first time in 17 weeks there are people outside involved in some kind of science activity. So that is another pleasant change. Two firsts in one week and strange that it took so long for them to show up.

As I finish this it is snowing. A determined snow that will probably bring some accumulation. However, this week has otherwise been exactly as depicted in this picture with very little variation in temperature. Cold and gray with some days a little warmer than others but still with that overcast sky. Cheerless.

Week 16

2010-01-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

At this point the days are, thankfully, getting a bit longer but winter fatigue has definitely arrived. Each year there is a day when I get up and know that I am now tired of winter. That day for me this year was this Monday. Low energy with me and with the students and I now have a cold. Not enough to sideline me but just enough to wear me down and take off the edge. Hannah is also sick and worn out and that happens to her every winter too.

So, without further ado her is the sixteenth picture in the series. The weather? Dirty gray gold and bleak.

Week 15

2010-01-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

How opposite can two weeks be? Last week was cold and snowy and this week it warmed up and the snow melted. There was a lot of rain though.

At this point the semester at school is into the second week of the spring semester and indeed there is a feeling, or perhaps an anticipation, of spring coming.

I changed the aspect ratio on the camera for another situation and forgot it would give a different look for this project.

Week 14

2010-01-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

This time I got the shot on time and on the right day. It helps to be back in school so I can leave my last class at around 2:50 p.m., get my stuff, and stand outside on the front entry and take the picture on my way back to the van.

Last week was brutally cold after the snowfall. This week things have warmed up and as you can see the snow has started to melt. Unless it snows again most of the snow seen in this picture will be gone next week.

Week 13

2010-01-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesday when I should have been taking this picture I was about an hour away from Columbia heading back from St. Louis where I had gone in to pick up Lior and Sivan. Heading west we literally drove into the snowstorm and it started getting real bad right after Montgomery City. We made it home but traffic was very much backed up and we passed a good many accidents.

So, I went out today to get his shot hoping that the roads would be reasonably clear. They were. As you can see there is much more snow on the ground this week than there was last week. It is also much much colder.

Week 12

2009-12-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

Our second big snow since this project started and this one came right on time for me to get the picture. I managed to get this picture on the way home after having a wisdom tooth extracted, number 32 I believe, but I wanted the shot. The snow had already melted considerably so i knew that any more delay would result in a picture without the snow.

Remember that to get the full sweep of all the changes you will now have to go to the much earlier pictures when things were green, and then bright with fall colors, to compare all that with what we now have.

Our first big snow before this one resulted in a White Christmas much to the delight of many and the despair of an equal number who had to get out and drive about in it. Luckily we have not yet had any ice. I am continuing to enjoy the winter break.

Week 11

2009-12-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

One day late again. I stayed home all day on Wendsday. Went out today though for some coffee and to take this picture. Notice how the sunlight is different and the color is more vibrant along with an absence of shadows? Light conditions like we had today, somewhat overcast, are great for photography whereas a bright sun makes things too contrasty.

Today the campus was deserted. Christmas Eve, so the parking lots were empty and the offices closed. As I have stated earlier that is my favorite time to be on campus - whenever everyone else isn't. Another semester passed and overall it was a good one. I have been working on my syllabi for next semester and updating some lectures. After over ten years of teaching college I am still learning and trying to improve.

Week 10

2009-12-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

What a week. My brother was in the hospital the week before and then it was finals week for me as a teacher and my daughter Hannah as a student at Columbia Independent School. In addition it was Chanukkah and we were getting ready for a wedding. The worst part is that we did not get to enjoy yom tov as much as I would have liked. We were just drained from all the accumulated drama. I was just able to take the picture on Thursday between commitments - one day late. Then it took me five days to get this post up after I took the picture. The good thing though is that there was snow for this picture. The first time since I started the series but no doubt not the last. Here is the photo for week 10:

I took this picture between errands just minutes before we all had to be at Rachel's holiday party at Shepherd School.

Week 9

2009-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

Weather turned bitterly cold. I was away on Wednesday tending to a family emergency in Kansas City and had to take the picture Today (on Thursday). We had some rain, some snow, and maybe some sleet so there was some white on the ground but not much. If you look close along the curb in this image you will see evidence of some of that frozen precipitation.

This is the last week of classes, and finals are scheduled for next week.

I had to rush over from Columbia Independent School where I had met Jenifer to drop off Rachel. They were all going to get yet another dress fitting for Adam's upcoming wedding. Because of all the running around I did not get to take this picture until close to 4 p.m. So, unfortunately this image was one day and an hour late but at least I was finally able to get done.

Week Eight

2009-12-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was the coldest day so far since undertaking this project, but of course that does not show up in the image. The picture for this week continues along the same line as the last three weeks without much change except for being a bit more overcast.

This week the forecast predicted some snow on Wednesday in the afternoon, when this picture was taken, but that did not materialize at all. But, since then I have noticed that the thought of snow is very much something people are thinking about with half looking forward to the event with joy and the other half with dread.

That evening, I am writing several days later, I taught a Senior Seminar class in the evening and it was extremely cold. Winter weather is here. Now we wait and see what develops as far as the scene I am photographing.

Week Seven

2009-11-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

It just occurred to me. Are there times when conditions just sort of freeze and remain unchanging for long periods of time? Logically you would think that the change from one season to another is a slow gradual process but these pictures tell another story. The first four weeks were weeks of dramatic change whereas the last few weeks have been one where the background has remained remarkably unchanged.

Week Six

2009-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

When reviewing the photos I suddenly understood the transitory nature of fall colors and how quickly it fades. This week the leaves were gone from even the most stubborn tree literally knocked to the ground by a week of hard rains. The sun was also conspicuously absent with an overcast sky.

Week Five

2009-11-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

Of all the pictures this one shows the least amount of change so far. I had to look close to see what had changed but finally noticed that there was less color in the distant background as some of the other trees had lost their leaves since the last shot. I did this picture a little later at around 3:30 since I had an advising session after my last class. The sun is still an issue as far as glare off the lens, and will probably continue to be one for awhile at this time of the day. It will be interesting to see for how long. I need to find some kind of chart that will help me as far as knowing the angle of the sun for any given day.

Very close to the Thanksgiving break and then the holiday break. This has been a good semester but I am tired. Traveling and not being home for several weekends in a row have taken a toll.

Week Four

2009-11-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well today had an unexpected development. The sun was shining pretty directly into the lens so that there was some flare. Sometimes that is a good effect but today it was unwanted. Also, the camera averaged out the exposure to compensate for the bright spot, the sun, and underexposed some of the other areas. Yet, the picture did manage to convey something with some aesthetic sensibility.

The image does represent a very pleasant, sunny, day. We probably do not have many of those left but it is very nice while it lasts. More importantly it shows the radical changes we have had in just four weeks! It is amazing how this spot continues to change so much from one week to another.

Week 4 taken on 4 November 2009

Week Three

2009-10-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how different each week is. In the beginning I liked the idea of doing this project and I thought there would be a visual difference over time but I was not prepared for how different each week would be from the other. Now I am excited each week when I go to take the picture and can't wait to get home and compare the new photograph with the one before it.

This picture was taken on time and on the correct day right after my last class. What a difference three weeks make. When I started the leaves were still green, and since then they have not only turned, but have started to fall in earnest.

28 October 2009

Week Two

2009-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

I took this picture a day early, on Tuesday, because I was leaving for a conference in Oregon.

Week Two: Taken on 20 October 2009 at 2 p.m.

Ron Taylor Project: The Last Assignment

2009-10-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

This project has been moved from the blog Around Columbia to this dedicated blog for easier viewing and editing. I have kept the original post in Around Columbia but will not be adding any new pictures to that one.

In an article in Coming of Age I talk about having only had about six real teachers in over 20 years of formal education. I am talking about people who's primary responsibility was to impart some kind of wisdom or knowledge into me. Of course other people took a crack at it but not as professionals.

Ron Taylor was one of those teachers. This fall reminded me of something he said to me years ago. After class Ron would hang around campus and sort of get wistful about things and I loved to talk with him then. Like me he loved the campus, the idea and beauty of it, during the slow times when everyone else had pretty much gone home. It is an awesome experience to have a whole campus to yourself! It was a fall afternoon, around this time of year, when he had me come out to the front of St. Clair at Columbia College. He told me that somebody should come to that spot at the same time every week and take a picture of the trees. He thought it was worthwhile to capture the seasonal changes. Well, that was years ago but last week I remembered. At around 3 p.m. on a Wednesday I went out and took a picture. It is my last assignment from Ron.

Every week for a year I am going to go to the same spot at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and take a picture of the general area Dr. Taylor indicated. If I cannot be there at that exact time I will do it the day before or the day after, or perhaps have someone else do it for me. I hope to use the same camera as well (my Lumix with Leica lens - a great pocket camera).

Here is the first picture and I will add pictures to this project every week or so until next year at this time.

Week One: Taken on 14 October 2009 at 3 p.m.