travel portraits

So many of you have been traveling this month that I thought I would look back on some of my "portraits" taken in countries other than America.  I have always tried to be respectful while photographing people.  If they clearly say "no", I bite my lip and don't take the photograph, despite the fact that I might miss an astonishing image.  Communication is sometimes challenging as well, because of my lacking another person's language.  Fortunately, I was able to communicate enough with  this tavern owner in the town of Sitia on the island of Crete to capture some images showing the demeanor with which he receives guests. This was taken with a Mamiya 1 3/4 by 2 1/4 format camera, with Ilford HP 5 400 film, and the negative scanned.

While in the town of Todos Santos in Baja, California, I just needed to say "Puedo tomar su foto?" and I would receive a "yes", "no", or a nod, as in the case of a gentleman in the doorway of a pool hall.  This particular image was made originally with my favorite color slide film, Fujichrome Velvia 50, scanned and converted to black and white.

As is evident in these shots, I generally try to include some background in the image sequence that give a sense of place.  Depending on the comfort level of the subject, I might then do more closeup shots.  

embrace the possibilities and keep safe in your travels

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

back to the dunes

Before returning to portraits and some of the other styles of photography about which I am passionate, I need to return to Great Sand Dunes this week.  It is difficult to leave behind!

In the sand "portrait"below, you can see the sand lifting and swirling around Fred.  Shooting from a low angle (I was on my belly) adds a bit.

This is about as close to a self-portrait as I ever do.

Spring is now official.  Enjoy the light!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

another jewel

Two weeks ago, this blog featured one of the jewels of the Southwest - Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains of southern Arizona.  Today, another jewel and America's newest national park, is the feature.  Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado is a sight to behold.  Epic dunes ranging in dimension from a few feet high to many stories high comprise the 30 square mile dunefield.  It is mesmerizing and endless and takes the mind anywhere it wants to go.  Otherworldly is probably used much too frequently but nonetheless is an apt description.  A not so still still life.

If you look at the mid to upper left hand portion of the sand that forms a big bowl in the photograph below, you will see circles of sand being deposited onto a huge dune.  The wind is constantly constructing and destructing and beginning the work again.

You can spend a massive amount of shutter time with these dunes.

Sand Creek is not in its water phase at this point but probably will be in a month or so when the high country snows melt and feed it.

The vernal equinox is Sunday and the light couldn't be better.  My hope is that you are able to "get out and shoot" as photographer Diane DiRoberto says.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

a few faces of Joe Bacon

When I embarked on the photography project which eventually became my book A Place Like No Other:  people of an enchanted land, I made environmental portraits of a good number of artists.  It is one of my passions.  Each person has many looks, many faces, as it were, and it is a challenge for me to capture as many as I can.

This week, I returned to photographing an artist and his work.  Joe Bacon is an extraordinary textile artist who weaves and creates original needlepoint art with colors and designs that reflect Central and South America.  He is also a man of many wonderful faces.  Three of them appear here, along with one of his needlepoint pieces.

enjoy March in all its fickle glory!

until next week,

DB

a passion for the image