Submitter's name:	John A. Lind
Title:	Path to Enlightenment
Gear used:	OM-2S; Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 MC (SN > 1.1M)
Diaphragm:	?? (It was dark)
Shutter speed:	?? (It was very dark)
Film used:	Kodachrome 64 (is there any other film?)
Technical information:	Shot hand held at eye level. The OM-2S was in AE mode. Didn't worry about aperture much because of the darkness and need to work quickly. Opened up the aperture ring until a reasonable shutter speed showed in the viewfinder (probably 1/60th or 1/125th).
Subject information:	I selected it for TOPE 7 because of September's events and its title. The world around us needs some enlightenment. Made from inside the entrance to one of the larger limestone caverns at Spring Mill State Park near Bedford, Indiana. Turned around after entering, saw this view and instantly visualized an image with people sihlouetted by the entrance. Quickly pulled the camera out of the bag and promptly dropped the lens cap while trying to turn the lens hood back around to its correct position. Finally found it after several minutes of fumbling around in the dark. Waited for about a minute until this couple was exiting and nobody else in the cavern had a flashlight turned on. Then made the photograph. Limestone caverns are formed by underground springs eroding the limestone away over millions of years. They are inherently wet and muddy inside making for a slippery walking surface and water slowly dripping everywhere from the top of the cavern. A large Ilfochrome print of this photograph was was selected by the Indiana University Kokomo Gallery for its annual regional art exhibition (all media). I will post my TOPE 7 "Also Ran" images on my web site in the next day or so.
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Comment left by: Olaf Greve (no e-mail specified)

Lovely, I really like the contrast between the dark silhoueted parts and the properly exposed people. Hmmm, I wonder what Aristotle would have to say about this picture...;) Care to elaborate?

Comment left by: John A. Lind (no e-mail specified)

OK . . . So the rest will understand Olafo's question, Aristotle outlined four causes ("aitiai") in his "Physics" to use in thinking about and making observations of the physical world around us. One can use them as elements of a photograph; indeed as elements to think about when composing a photograph (which one[s] are appropriate; which one[s] to highlight and use; which one[s] to conceal or subdue). The following are his aitiai and how they relate to this image. Formal: Form and shape are the principal elements at work in this image; the sihlouetted couple in the foreground and the shape formed by the cavern entrance. Material: Although the primary visible material in this image is the limestone across from the cavern entrance, you'd have to know what limestone looks like to identify it. Material doesn't play any real role in this one. Efficient: How something was built or the conditions that created it. Nothing in this depicts how the cavern was formed. You either know how limestone caverns are formed by mega-years of erosion from underground springs or you don't, and it's not a necessary element for the image. Final: This is the purpose or goal of something; how it and the the rest of the universe interact together (this is the only one which requires the "thing" to have an environment). While not fully defined in this image, it is still strong and is a secondary element at work with the Formal element. An element need not be complete, but can leave the viewer with a mystery for the viewer's imagination to fill in. A slight mystery about it is what works in this photograph. The title provides a clue for the viewer about what my interpretation of this is. It goes beyond a pure physical representation of what was happening here (people exploring and exiting the cavern) to make it analogous with an abstract concept having deeper meaning. -- John

Comment left by: Juan Carlos Pachon (jcpachon@tutopia.com)

I am very impressed for the Physics knowledge of many members of the list. But, Jhon you are.... Do yow Know that I am Physics Teacher ? I like the picture, say many things of Human Society even about the way of look the Physical world.

Comment left by: John A. Lind (no e-mail specified)

Thanks Juan . . . By B.S. degree is Physics. My M.S. is a different field and my profession is Engineering. I've found it has given me many conceptual tools for how to think about things and solve problems. Physics explores "why" and Engineering determines "how" through practical application of Physics and other sciences. As promised when the image was submitted, the other photographs considered for TOPE 7 are here: http://johnlind.tripod.com/tope7/ -- John

Comment left by: Saso (vs@sauceforge.net)

Cavern. Path to Elightenment. I see you mention Aristotle, but noone yet pointed out an (for me) obvious link to Plato's cavern. People observing mere shadows of the real life until they step out of the cavern ...

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