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Human in the LoopJonathan Harrell’s Commonplace Book

I am a Little World

This black-and-white photograph captures a close-up side profile of a person, with their face partially obscured by what appears to be particles of dust or powder, as if they are dissolving or emerging from it. The fine particles scatter in different directions, giving the image a sense of motion and texture. The lighting highlights the contours of the face while emphasizing the granular quality of the dust. The dark background contrasts sharply with the illuminated face and particles, creating a dramatic and surreal effect, evoking themes of transformation, fragmentation, or disintegration.

Experiments in high-speed photography with @lejeunerenard. A visual exploration of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet.

This black-and-white photograph captures a moment of impact as water splashes across a man's face, frozen in time. The water forms intricate patterns of droplets and waves, partially obscuring his face while creating a dynamic sense of movement. The man's expression is not fully visible due to the splash, but the action suggests a sudden, forceful dousing. The dark background contrasts sharply with the bright highlights of the water, emphasizing the texture and fluidity of the liquid. The image conveys a sense of shock or surprise, with the water suspended in mid-air adding a dramatic, almost surreal quality.

I am a little world made cunningly
Of elements and an angelic sprite

This black-and-white photograph shows a person with their face obscured by strands of hair, which are illuminated in sharp contrast against a dark background. The hair appears to be floating or blown by wind, adding a sense of motion and mystery to the image. Only part of the face is visible, emphasizing the eyes and nose, while the rest is hidden beneath the tangled hair. The play of light and shadow creates a dramatic, almost haunting atmosphere, as the figure seems to emerge from or be consumed by the darkness. The image evokes feelings of vulnerability, disorientation, or isolation.
This black-and-white photograph features a person wrapped in a transparent plastic film, obscuring their face and upper body. The light reflects off the plastic, creating a shiny, distorted texture. The figure's hand is pulling at the film near their face, as if attempting to free themselves or make a space to breathe. The combination of the plastic and the shadowy lighting adds a sense of tension and confinement to the image, evoking feelings of suffocation or entrapment. The dark background enhances the isolation of the figure, giving the photograph an eerie, unsettling mood.

But black sin hath betray’d to endless night
My world’s both parts, and oh both parts must die.

This black-and-white photograph shows a young man pouring water over his head from a large metal bowl. The water cascades down his face and body in sharp detail, with droplets and streams frozen mid-motion. His expression is calm and serious, and his wet hair hangs over part of his face. He wears a simple, wet t-shirt, which clings to his body as the water continues to flow. The dark background isolates the subject, emphasizing the contrast between the water, his skin, and the reflective bowl. The image captures a sense of stillness and focus, despite the movement of the water.

Pour new seas in mine eyes, that so I might
Drown my world with my weeping earnestly

This abstract photograph captures a chaotic array of swirling light trails, likely created through long-exposure photography. The light lines are mostly warm tones, glowing with a mixture of curves, loops, and zigzags that create a sense of motion and energy. The dark background contrasts sharply with the vibrant light patterns, giving the image a dynamic and mesmerizing quality. The streaks of light appear fluid and spontaneous, as if tracing invisible paths through the air. The overall effect is abstract and artistic, evoking a feeling of kinetic energy and movement.
This photograph features a long-exposure image of a person, creating a blurred and distorted effect that gives the figure a ghostly appearance. The person's face and body are partially transparent, with swirling streaks of warm light wrapping around them. The light trails, likely from moving sources, create a dynamic, abstract composition against the dark background. The combination of the subject's stillness and the fluid movement of light evokes a sense of surrealism and otherworldliness, as if capturing the essence of motion and time in a single moment. The image has an ethereal, dreamlike quality.

But oh it must be burnt; alas the fire
Of lust and envy have burnt it heretofore
And made it fouler

This black-and-white photograph features a blurred, ghostly image of a person’s face, partially obscured by swirling shadows and mist-like effects. The face appears faint and ethereal, blending into the dark background, which adds to the mysterious, dreamlike quality of the image. The soft focus and abstract nature create a sense of movement and introspection, as if the figure is emerging from or dissolving into the darkness. The overall atmosphere is haunting and otherworldly, evoking feelings of solitude and reflection.

Let their flames retire,
And burn me O Lord, with a fiery zeal
Of thee and thy house, which doth in eating heal.

This black-and-white photograph captures a silhouette of a person behind a surface covered in water droplets. The light source, positioned directly above the figure, creates a dramatic backlit effect, causing the droplets to glisten and the person's form to appear shadowed and indistinct. The water droplets scatter the light, adding a sense of texture and depth to the image, while the overall mood feels mysterious and ethereal. The person’s arms are outstretched, creating a subtle, ghostly outline through the misty and watery atmosphere.