The Copyist

In 1969, I was given what is now an out-of-print, cult volume published by the Sierra Club and Ballantine Books (1967) titled On the Loose, by Terry and Renny Russell.  These brothers took the ultimate trip of self-discovery around the Sierras and western United States in 1964.  Despite the fact the resulting book looks very 60s and "peace, love, dove" in nature, it remains a treasure and an environmental treatise of its time.  Terry died as a result of a rafting accident in June 1965, shortly after bringing the manuscript to the Sierra Club offices.

One of the wonderful features of the book is the use of quotations from a wide variety of sources, and the one bit that has resonated with me throughout the years is "After the first Artist, only the copyist."  This may well be paraphrased from a number of sources (the Bible included) but like the spontaneously generated flatbread, the quote is universally infinite in its interpretation.

I admit it.  As a photographer, I am a copyist.  In response to a comment and request (thank you, TTT), I am including several of my most recent "copies" in today's blog.  I absolutely love the way sculptor Craig Dan Goseyun has created action in his Apache Mountain Spirit Dancer.

On the verso of the On the Loose title page is the statement "The photographs in this book are of the lowest fidelity obtainable.  They are as far from the photographer's vision as cheap cameras, mediocre film, and drugstore processing could make them."  

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Eye dazzler

When I look at a building or architectural element in detail, I frequently wonder about the intention of the architect or designer.  Did he or she consider how the sun would fall on the structure, creating a constant interplay of light and shadow?  My husband, an architect, assures me that they do.  Current wisdom and knowledge of Stonehenge and the Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte at Chaco Canyon reflect the knowledge of and changes in sun angle throughout the year.  Is it also true of a ramada or sun shade design?

Fellow photographer Steve Immel and I recently spent a day photographing several parts of Santa Fe, including Museum Hill.  I had not been there for roughly fifteen years, and seeing it again, as if it were the first time, I must compliment everyone who was involved in the design and construction process.  A great deal of thought was put into the design of each building, and in connecting the various museums, providing landscaping and seating in both sun and shade.  Our mid-morning visit was littered with eye-dazzling light and shadow, courtesy of ramadas in the courtyard.

The joinery between the stuccoed pillar and beams in the photograph below almost looks Mayan to me.

A stunning bronze titled "Apache Mountain Spirit Dancer" by Craig Dan Goseyun, draws your eye in for so many different reasons.  Here is a close up of the dancer's skirt, composed of pieces of extruded metal which create flowing shadows of their own.

As spring progresses, shadows are changing, and the sun is moving at its fastest pace of the season.  A reminder to myself and fellow photographers that an early start in the morning, a break at midday, and more shooting late in afternoon and evening is the best shooting schedule.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

The girls are at it again!

Signs of spring are everywhere - flowering and leafing trees, and birds that are sporting colors so bright they could put your eye out.  The deadline for filing income taxes in these United States also is a sign of spring.  It marks the traditional arrival of the hummingbirds in the high country.  Shorts and tee shirts emerge from storage.   I gauge the relative outside temperature by a friend who is the very first to shed her socks and boots, and don sandals.

Those who are lucky enough to either have chickens or know people who raise them also see an explosion of eggs in the nest.  Beautiful colors are tucked under those girls' feathers.  Our friends Richard and Andrea both have chickens, and we are extremely lucky to have their eggs in our pantry.  The egg is one of nature's perfect packages, and I absolutely cannot resist photographing them.

Look at these colors and textures.  And they make the most delicious meals.  Who could ask for more?

Thanks to Andrea and Richard, and kudos to their girls!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

pieces make the whole

Nearly four weeks beyond the vernal equinox, evidence of spring is becoming more apparent on a daily basis.  Even at elevations above 7,000 feet, fruit trees and bulbs, both wild and domestic, are beginning to bloom, leaving behind a riot of color and textures.

Daffodil bulbs are some of the first to emerge from the ground, blooming soon after.  The bits and pieces that comprise the daffodil flower are today's study.

Life presents endless opportunities for photography at any place or any time, but in the spring, the increased daylight and warmth raise the spirit.  It is a great and varied time to take your camera out and discover the world again.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

gifts

It has been a tradition with me of giving photographs in return when someone presents me with a gift of nature - flowers, eggs, honey, fruit - and that tradition continued this week.

Carrie and Mike, tango dancers extraordinaire and teachers, gave me a beautiful bouquet of tulips and snapdragons last week.  I put them in water and admired them, but of course, the following afternoon, with two different cameras in hand, I began to study and photograph them.  You probably know me well enough by now from reading my blog, that I sometimes cannot resist altering photographs in either Lightroom or PhotoShop.  My contention still and always will be that a photographer must take a good image with the camera.  PhotoShop does not fix problems in a photograph, just as wine does not improve with age if it didn't begin life as an excellent vintage.

With that in mind, here are images that are both unaltered and altered.  The only alteration to the snapdragon shot below is cropping to emphasize detail.

One tulip straight up, the other with a twist, adjusted using filtration, tint, and exposure in Lightroom.

Finally, an image cropped, resulting in the look of a botanical print.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image