Day of Balance Demonstration

This past weekend there was a “World Rock Stacking Day” among balancers around the world.  One nice thing about rocks is that they are in every region of the world in one way or another.  So, through online networking many of us participated in sharing our balances from all around the world.. The feeling of balancing in a synchronized effort is energizing.. Obviously it won’t work in ALL places due to some local weather conditions… The weather in Boulder didn’t even seem particularly inviting with a heavily overcast winter sky.

But this kind of overcast weather is IDEAL for rock balance photography.  No sharp contrasts from direct sun. Colors in the rocks appear more vivid in the soft light.  Often with heavy clouds comes seemingly heavier, more still, air also.. which caters to very fine balances :D (my favorite!). Though the creek looked cold to be in, it was actually abnormally warm with all my normal gear on (waders/gloves).  Decreased people traffic also adds to the appeal on days like this… I highly enjoy human presence while balancing, but I equally enjoy the solitude in the creek on less busy days…

The best part about the recording experience this time was testing out a GoPro helmet camcorder while balancing the first one on the left.  I had to rig the camera in an odd way to best record my point of view. Hanging awkwardly in front of my nose, the camera rig attached to a headband around my forehead.  So maybe you can imagine it looked really silly to be wearing a camera rig on my face in the middle of the creek… However, the method yielded interesting results as far as recording from a balancer’s close-up Point of View :)  And I’m glad I was able to record the most difficult balance of the day.. I thought of putting music behind the video but I really want to emphasize the water flow and natural sound… Though, I ask you to forgive the amplified sound of my breathing, as the the camera’s mic was about 3 cm from my nose and mouth..ha :)

Created: 26 JAN 2013

Boulder Creek, Boulder, CO. USA

Zero Point can be seen at ~ 11:45

One other interesting observation with the video camera, was seeing how long it actually took to make a complicated balance in the first attempt.  It seems my mind definitely perceives time in a different way, if at all, while balancing… the video was surprisingly shorter than I initially thought… as if I experienced more time than the video clock..  hmmm..

 

 

27 Responses
  1. Tsunami of love

    HAY!! I got an idea, Epic!!! balancing!!!, like 2 ta 3 people a team balancing on an epic scale!!! HUGE!!! I got no friends who balance. Come and kidnap me man I’ll be your assistant r something your apprentice! :) lmao.

  2. Diego Lozada

    Hola vivo en Colombia y hago esto desde hace muchos años, cada vez que voy a un rio no puedo evitar para unas cuantas rocas, pero muy pocas veces he tomado fotos de mi trabajo, lo hago con una sola y me gusta hacerlo con rocas de formas especiales y algunas veces muy grandes

    un saludo y me encanta tu trabajo

    1. Gracias Diego! Estoy construyendo un mapa google con marcadores para todos los balanceadores de roca conocida en el mundo … Me gustaría añadirte a mi mapa si quieren .. Sólo necesito una ciudad específica para que pueda colocar su marcador ..

      aquí está el mapa hasta ahora .. :)
      goo.gl/maps/epHHK

  3. Merryla Fidler

    Thank you sooooooo much for such a meditative Art.
    Thanks soooooooo much for give us the natural music of the flow of water and your breathing.

    Nature is full of Ch-music and together with your breathing=A lovely relaxing+healing…

  4. Rob

    Amazing art!

    I enjoy the process and the finished product, and your trying to explain what the creative process does for you.

    Keep embracing the forces and beauty of nature.

  5. barb

    thanks for this video – the headcam is awesome. I am really enjoying and learning from your demo’s and posts with tips , insights about how to approach this art form. I too found the breathing to be an enhancement to the video – recalled your earlier post about stillness and breathing and noticed that your breathing got smoother and smoother as you approached the final balance.

    love this blog and your work.

  6. I love all this that you do. Thanks for the POV and the virtual arms. I found viewing this to be relaxing and the breathing a bit hypnotic.

    Keep on keeping on!

    Re-blogged it on BlogDogIt

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