studies in monochrome

Winter storm Boreas brought the Southwest a nearly unprecedented period of overcast, featuring grey skies, fog, and snow.  The feeling and look seemed deeply monochromatic, which of course, is false given the meaning of the word.  The Oxford English Dictionary definition is: "containing or using only one colour" or "...light or other radiation of a single wavelength."  Monochrome is defined as "reproduction in black and white or in varying tones of only one color" and is closer, but perhaps it is the human brain and eye teaming together to give the landscape uniformity when an overcast sky combines with the snow-covered earth.

I will be out shooting later after the temperature warms above 20 degrees fahrenheit, but for the time being, the photographs here are, in my mind's eye, monochromatic.

No wonder the best-selling "novel" features multiple shades of grey.  They are everywhere.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image 

spread the love

As I write this, millions, perhaps billions of people are celebrating the Chinese New Year, the year of the snake.  Joined with Mardi Gras/Carnival on Tuesday and Valentine's Day on Thursday, revelry is underway in every nook and cranny of the planet.  With luck, a lot of love will spread around the world.

The gentleness of the rose, whether in petal or bud form,  is a universal sign of love and celebration.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion of the image

Not what they seem

Whether you believe in global climate change or not, most people seem to be in agreement that the weather has not behaved normally this year.  Things are not what they seem.  When photographing details - plunging into the midst of a person's face, an animal, flower, or tree - an image can be rendered in such a way that it may not be what it seems either.

I love these two images.  They are very different but part of the same palm tree.

Most eucalyptus tree species in California originated in Australia, but the rainbow eucalyptus tree is the only native eucalyptus found in the northern hemisphere.  We encountered this one in Hawaii. 

Even the humble aloe family can be pictured just enough out of the ordinary to violate all the rules of photography and produce interesting results.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Glass works

When the low temperatures are below zero for ten days running, and I tire of dressing in so many layers that I resemble the little boy in The Christmas Story to chase designs in the snow, my photographic mind turns, once again, to still life.

Tucked in one of the holiday gift bags we received this season was the most wonderful little jewel, made in the Palestinian Territories.  It is Hebron glass.  Artists Tawfiq Alnatsha and Hamzeh Natsheh were two of the vendors at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market who create Hebron glass.  They participated in the market for the first time in 2011.

In detail, the striations and lines in the glass remind me of photographs of the rings of Saturn, snow drifts, sandstone, or patterns in the sand from which glass such as this is made.

Glass is something we use every day and frequently take for granted.  It has been made in many forms and colors for thousands of years.  I am in awe of and have immense respect for the people who make glass blowing their trade.     

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

Winter white

To the joy of just about everyone, winter finally arrived in New Mexico this week, with either snow or rain falling statewide.  A great thing, indeed, for a parched landscape.  This Friday, 21 December, is the Solstice and official opening of the season.

I offer a toast, then, to winter, Solstice, and the gradual lengthening of days on Earth, assuming the Maya simply ran out of room on their calendar.

Nature graced us with an incredible hoar frost this morning, the crystals of which were quite profound and stunning.  To make the images larger, click twice on each one.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Still life with fruit

The blog (the BLOB?) has returned after a weekend off, full of tango, that opened the month of November.

An ever-evolving and burgeoning body of work known as "still life" fills the artspace, and my blog is no exception.  I love photographing food, raw or prepared, and thus, you will once again be subjected to it in today's posting.

In New Mexico, where late frosts in spring and early frosts in the fall wreak havoc with fruit growers, a great fruit year that includes tons and tons of apricots and peaches seems to occur only every seven or eight years.   Those who have apples and pears have better luck, with good crops every two or three years.  2012 was one of the years where the crops overlapped, and everyone seemed to have more fruit than they needed.

The photograph below is courtesy of Victoria's apples.  The pears are from the Santa Fe Farmers' Market.

Although pomegranates are being grown in southern New Mexico, these probably came from a more distant location, still eminently photographable.

We are having a taste of winter, with a high yesterday of 29 and low temperature early this morning of -1.  Downhill skiers and boarders are salivating!  I will continue to eye the fruit!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Process

In art schools and salons, and in conversations among artists, "process" is frequently a topic of conversation and discussion.

The process of doing specific things is viewed very differently within any group.  Some cherish the process or journey as a crucial part of the goal while others see it as frustrating, painful, and not nearly fast enough.  I have had this philosophical discussion with many photographers, writers, and those involved in myriad physical endeavors.  The feelings of most seem to fall somewhere in the middle.

I was thinking about this while making bread yesterday and it led me to a photographic study of the subject.  Just as I make a pretty good loaf of bread, but perhaps not approved by Le Cordon Bleu, my photographs of that loaf are decent but can always go farther and improve.  So the process of baking and the process of photography hold many similarities.  Since this loaf of bread is only being shared with you visually, the recipe is included here so that you can begin your own process or journey in bread making.

dough ready to rise

kneading the dough

finished and sliced loaf

crumb texture and cheese details

I use a traditional bread recipe, adding about a cup of Jarlsberg cheese chunks, and substituting 1-2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour for some of the regular flour.  Letting the dough rise twice in the bowl and once in the loaf pans makes the bread texture that much better.

For two loaves, use the following recipe:

2 packages instant dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 3/4 cups warm water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 to 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup Jarlsberg cheese, cut into chunks

4-5 cups unbleached white flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and let stand for five minutes.  Mix in the remaining water, sugar, salt, and olive oil.  Add the whole wheat pastry flour, cheese, and unbleached white flour, cup by cup, until the dough becomes difficult to mix.  Flour a clean surface and begin to knead the bread, this usually takes about 10 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky.  At this point, you can usually poke a finger in it and the indentation with disappear.   This process is mesmerizing in the same way taking and processing photographs is.  Let the dough rise until double in size, punch it down, and let it rise again.  Oil and flour 4" x 8" or 5" x 9" loaf pans.  Shape the loaves and let them rise one more time.  When doubled, bake these wonders at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden.  

I promise that I won't be channeling Julia Child in my next blog!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

studies in squash

Anyone who has lived in New Mexico (and I suspect the southern Rocky Mountains as well) for a decade or more, and is interested in gardening, knows that the years during which fruit and vegetables really thrive can be infrequent.  Usually an early or late frost, wind, not enough moisture, too much moisture, pests, or any number of things can keep the fruit and veggie harvest to a minimum.  But this year, anyone who has planted any kind of fruit tree or assorted vegetables is having a banner year.  Trees are loaded with fruit.  And of course, one of the three legacy New Mexico crops - squash - is doing quite well.  When people have good squash crops, beware!  It seems to me that if you close your eyes for five minutes, you will have twenty more, and some will be two feet long.  People can't even give them away!  I love the piece of advice passed around at this time of year "You know, you should always lock your cars at night because if you don't, they will be full of squash."

Thanks to Susie and Bogie, we had a number of more exotic squashes to add to our zucchini collection, including a pattypan squash.  Continuing my habit of photographing living things that people give us, here are a few studies.

Such wonderful and complex simplicity nature gives us!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Still life enrosques

Enrosque has its roots in the Spanish verb enroscar meaning to screw in, to coil, to curl up.  In tango, an enrosque is a twisting or corkscrew type move.  So I thought it appropriate to name this pair of still life grass images enrosques.

Although grasses are notoriously difficult to identify, my best guess for this lovely grass is that it is in the Brome family.  Of course, it is considered a weed, but even lowly weeds can be stunning.

I never cease to be surprised and thrilled by Nature's designs.  

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

Hello, Winter!

Timing is everything, and the weather forecasters had a devil of a time predicting the latest winter storm to arrive in New Mexico.  Since its arrival on Saturday, some nice winter portraits have presented themselves.  I wanted to share a few with you.

Despite the fact that their pollen gives many in the Southwest heck several times of year, junipers have some of the most photogenic bark during any season.

On Sunday morning, branches not only held snow but the most amazing hoar frost.  Instead of being lacy, it attached itself in chunks, like rock salt, on the pinon needles.

The closer I got, the more interesting the details became.

Despite the cold, winter is a great season for photography.  Bundle up.  Tuck the old camera inside your jacket to keep the batteries warm, and head out to shoot!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Pear play

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thinking about the abundance of culinary delights we sampled over the last week led me to a photographic contemplation of the humble pear.  In many ways, so simple and beautiful, and yet a complicated fruit.  Add to that the concept of perspective, and I had my hands full with camera and instruction manual (yes, I do consult it frequently since I have not memorized it).   My inability to comprehend geometry made the process more than challenging.  All part of a photographer's education.

So here is a shot that although it was made from just slightly above the jar and pear, is definitely listing.

In the next shot, I placed the camera on the table surface and made the photograph from the same level as the honey and pear.

The next two shots involve perspective, which I indicated earlier is much clearer now.  My husband, an architect and weaver, did a series of sketches that helped me understand what was happening between the level of the camera and the relative position of the pears.

Pear in a box.  Almost got it.

Thanks to Andrea for inadvertently supplying material for the photograph - her magical A's Bees honey!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

secrets of the garden

Nurseries in New Mexico carry massive numbers of sunny side up and drought-tolerant plants, and rightly so.  They are the ones that have the most success in this land of little rain.  But occasionally, one needs vegetation for the shady areas created by the north side of a house which blocks the sun for certain portions of the day.  In that cool shade are lovely garden secrets.

Cosmos leaves

Grass against adobe

Wisteria vine

Because the light is isolated and being reflected from a number of different sources, as might be the case using multiple soft boxes, the effect can be quite luscious.  Poke around your garden with camera in hand.  It is quite rewarding!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image