"Nocturne" - Inspired by James Abbott McNeill Whistler

The wife and I visited Princeton, that gorgeous town, just this October. While inside a friend's car on a foggy, dreary day, probably based on instinct, perhaps from a desire to always have a camera on hand ready to shoot, well, I had a camera in my hands ready to shoot...


Flashback a couple of days, I saw this work of art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (wiki) and its title is Nocturne. I was fascinated by this painting that I spent quite some time looking and studying it.

Fast forward to me sitting inside our friend's car... I was able to make this photograph:

ISO100, f/4, 1/50s

Was I was influenced by the original work of art? Did the painting inspire me to make my own Nocturne? Maybe. But I only remembered I had that photo from the museum after I had inspected the photos I made from the trip in my desk here in Chicago!


Perhaps it was at the back of my mind all along. Perhaps my subconscious wanted to me create my own. Or perhaps I just realized that there was a scene developing in front of me and I had to capture it.


But one thing I've learned from this experience for sure: always have a camera on hand just in case inspiration hits you. Oh, and also, you will learn a lot by learning from the masters.


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Shots made with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon EF 24-105 f/4L lens. Want the best backpack for your DSLR? Check out my review of my favorite, the Lowepro Versapack 200AW, here and here.