water, comma, water everywhere, comma

At some point during my teenage years (far too long ago for me to recall a precise date), I was required to memorize a poem, with all the punctuation, for an English class assignment.  My choice was the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  Why?  That is still a mystery, but probably because the rhythm made sense and, most of all, it was easy to memorize.  Straight forward does just fine.  And I can tell you right now that there was no way I memorized it in its entirety!

The only reason I bring this up is my own (and many in the western United States) current obsession with water - truly, the lack thereof.  Except for the lucky ones (or the unlucky effected by mudslides) in Washington State, the drought continues on a huge scale, and relief has yet to come.  Comparing notes, it is making many yearn for water - still or flowing.  Here are some shots to quench our thirst for it.  The first is of Half Moon Tank, Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona.

Here is the Rio Grande under the Gorge Bridge.  After looking at this image for some time, I discovered all sorts of stuff in the foreground on the left, including a road repair sign.  Oh, the stories this river could tell!

A reflection of the Grand Tetons in Jenny Lake.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Rio Grande abstractions

Fellow photographer Steve Immel and I spent a morning photographing in and around the Rio Grande Gorge this week.  The sky was a little murky, as if smoke had drifted into New Mexico from a wildfire somewhere.  Rather than attempt to tweak out good photographs under those conditions, we photographed the river itself.  And the good old Rio, although not full, has a lot of runoff in it, enough to make it very cantankerous and noisy.  It was, in a word, mesmerizing.  I could have stood photographing it in detail all day.  Here are some abstracts.  Clicking on each image makes it slightly larger and reveals more detail.

The thrashing and foaming of the water as it crashes into volcanic boulders is wondrous, and emphasizes the sheer power of water.  The pattern of bubbles on the center rock is like a delicate suit of armor, each bubble neatly linked to the next but ready to self-destruct at any moment.

When I look at this photograph, I can almost hear and smell El Rio Grande, New Mexico's life line.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

early autumn abstract

Anyone who uses a camera knows the feeling.  You are on a road trip - a weekend outing or an extended jaunt - with the camera close by, thinking "This is such a gorgeous day, I want to capture it to enhance my memory."  Perhaps you have a specific shot in mind, such as aspen or oak wearing their Sunday best, and your plan is to achieve that single shot reliving how beautiful the mountains are in autumn.

I have written about intentional luck here before and when I shoot, I try to think about specific places that "work" for me, look for a few more, or return to see how different the light and conditions are on any particular day.  Such was the case on a return trip from Tierra Wools in Los Ojos near Chama.  Highway 64 on the Tierra Amarilla (west) side of the pass has a small, almost hidden pond or catchment I find fascinating, despite the fact that I have been unable to photograph it the way my mind sees it.  That changed a couple of weeks ago when all elements aligned to create a near impressionistic image.  The time of day wasn't even "proper" according to the rule about shooting between 10 a. m. and 2 p.m.  But the breeze was gentle, creating a design-packed reflection of the still green aspen on at the pond's edge.

Click once on the image to enlarge and see the details nature left.  I can get lost in this image and hope you find some surprises as well!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

nature's backbone

It is more often referred to as the life blood of the earth, but water takes myriad shapes, sizes and forms.  The intermittent, seasonal stream known as Medano Creek that runs through Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado definitely has its time and shape, depending on runoff.  The warm, summer day on which I made these images, demonstrated how water can literally and figuratively be a backbone.

Already, ice is changing form and becoming water, which will flow, as is its nature.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

A new year

A pot of pinto beans is simmering, snow is falling, and a new year is poised to open. What represents the new, rebirth, life, or opportunity more than water, in whatever form it takes.  It is unmatched in  persistent strength and unerring dedication to its course.

The acequia system in northern New Mexico is centuries old but is alive and well, providing the life blood for farmers both large and small.  A branch of this system runs through Casa Gallina in Taos.  Owner Richard Spera says that regardless how much ice builds on the surface during the winter, the acequia water always flows beneath it. Double clicking will enable you to see the ice detail.

Even icicles eventually change form and release waster to the earth.

So as the curtain is raised on 2013, may the water of life nourish and inspire us to respect, cherish, and nurture all that is Planet Earth.

until next year,

DB

a passion for the image