Comparative archaeology

There are a number of amazing ideas and creations that seem to have been generated spontaneously throughout history.  Flatbread comes to mind.  From pita to tortillas, it is simple, wonderful, and highly transportable.  Fermented liquids such as beer and wine are quite old, and the formulas for these were probably"brewing" at the same time in different places.  Architectural elements including arches and towers seem to fall into this category.  Most things are born of necessity.  Some spread with religion.  The question of whether creations are spontaneously generated, or whether migration and human contact promoted their development may never be answered.  But it does not diminish the fascinating similarities found around the globe.

Doors and hardware.  The first photograph of a door in Costilla Plaza, New Mexico...

...and a door from the island of Crete.

A shrine outside the Catholic church in San Francisco, New Mexico, roughly the size of a playhouse...

...and a roadside shrine or iconostasis on Crete, about the size of a large mailbox, similar to a descanso marking the death of someone along a highway in New Mexico. 

embrace the similarities

until next Monday,

DB

 a passion for the image

Happy Anniversary, Golden Gate!

Memorial Day was established after the American Civil War, and originally honored only Union soldiers, but it eventually was extended to all fallen soldiers.  I am pleased that more attention is being given to these soldiers and their families.

What I had neither read nor heard about until yesterday, due to the general "east of the Mississippi" news slant, is that this is also the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning the "Golden Gate"- the entry to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.  Ansel Adams took many photographs of the Golden Gate before bridge construction began in 1933, during construction, and after the icon was complete.  My guess would be that billions of photographs have featured the "international orange" mass of steel, which continues to be awe-inspiring and photogenic.

Although I have photographed the bridge a number of times from different angles, and at different times of day and year, it is always a thrilling experience of which I never tire.

This series of photographs were made with Fujichrome Velvia positive film and scanned. The first image is of the bridge wearing its fog and patriotic garb, shot from Fort Point.

Bridge tower shot from the pedestrian walkway

Bridge truss work at sunset, shot from Fort Point

In the 1950s, banks and other financial institutions published books on local scenery and culture.  With luck through my husband's family, I have a copy of a comb-bound, 11" x 14" 1954 publication from the American Trust Company of San Francisco titled The Pageant of History in Northern California by Ansel Adams with text by Nancy Newhall.   It features black and white photographs of the state - everything from the Golden Gate Bridge to vineyards, oaks, factories, and churches- and is one of the reasons why photography is important.  The image captures a moment in time that will never be duplicated.

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

Doors

As we slowly shift seasons from winter to spring, with the change that is constant in life, I think of doors and the allegories they represent.

Doors of some sort have been used by humans (and other animals) to keep the cold and heat in or out, to protect food and material goods, and to keep predators from entering.  Doors hold mystery and uncertainty, as in reality, one does not know what lies beyond a strange door.  In movies, protagonists are locking doors behind them, but frequently leave doors open, which invariably allows the villain to enter.  In modern society, one of the most common references or sayings is "one door closes and another opens."   So doors also represent excitement and possibilities.

Every time I photograph a door, a story unfolds in my mind and I want to enter.  The first two are from beautiful Brugge or Bruges (Dutch and French spellings), in Belgium.

I was really mystified by the door below on the Greek island of Crete.  

The door at the Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and the doorway in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico are incredible demonstrations of modern and ancient form and function.

A wooden doorway at Fort Ross State Historic Park in northern California, opens to a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean.

What stories doors hold!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Gung Hey Fat Choy

Photographer Steve Immel and I photographed the plains of Mora County and Fort Union on Friday.  A great day with the perfect combination of subdued light and cloud artistry, and enough wind to make us wonder if our images would show physical shaking or hair flying across the lense.  You will see some of the results next week.

But since today is Chinese New Year, one of the, if not the most celebrated holidays around the world, I thought I would present some images from a new year's celebration in Philadelphia during an American Library Association mid-winter conference some years ago.  Fujichrome Velvia slide film was used and the slides were scanned into Lightroom.

The town gate carries weight, rhythm, and color to new levels.

The detail of this restaurant entry is complex but uncluttered. 

Below is an image of a kung fu demonstration in the street.  All the red paper is part of what must have been a million firecrackers, hung like chile peppers from every light, overhang, and post.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image