Photographs with Light

2010-12-05T20:38:00.004-06:00

Starting Lean - Albany Wisconsin CC Meet
October 2010

Six Legs - Verona Wisconsin CC Meet
October 2010

Shadow Run - Verona Wisconsin CC Meet
October 2010

2010-07-07T13:46:00.006-05:00

Peace is Cool - Friends General Conference
July 2010

"When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love." (Bahai)

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Christian)

"To the counselors of peace is joy." (Judaism)

Quotes from "Oneness" by Jeffrey Moses - Boxes crafted by children at FGC

2010-07-05T10:11:00.004-05:00

Girls and Pad of Paper - Friends General Conference
July 2010

I am not sure what game these girls were playing as I composed and took this photo, but they were totally lost in it. Aaa, the groove of being young and completely engaged with a good friend.

2010-04-11T18:13:00.004-05:00

Pikes Peak and Clouds - Colorado
April 2010

Skye and I were in Colorado Springs for several days last week, and it was a pleasure to watch Pikes Peak frequently change in visual character. In the mornings it was bathed with clear-sky light from the east. By afternoon the clouds would move in, and the mountain would be gone from view. During the last afternoon of our visit we took a short hike through the Garden of the Gods, and the clouds partially lifted to reveal fresh snow on the Peak. Minutes later it was enshrouded again. I felt like I had had a bit of an Ansel Adams moment.

2010-04-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

City Hall in Dawn Light - Philadelphia
March 2010

When I grew up in Philadelphia, no building for a surrounding block could be taller than City Hall. Clearly this has changed. But dawn light still imparts magic on the elaborate structure, even while it is dwarfed by its modern neighbors.

2010-03-28T19:37:00.002-05:00

Broken Primrose - Zephyr Farm
March 2010

"Design in nature is but a concatenation of accidents, culled by natural selection until the result is so beautiful or effective as to seem a miracle of purpose."
Michael Pollan, from "The Botany of Desire"

2010-02-15T17:52:00.006-06:00

Alex and Her Button - Zephyr Farm
January 2010

"Say anything," he (Sam Shepard) said. "You can't make a mistake when you improvise."
"What is I mess up? What if I screw up the rhythm?"
"You can't," he said. "It's like drumming. If you miss a beat, you create another."
Patti Smith, from "Just Kids"

2010-01-31T17:59:00.003-06:00

Lone Oak Leaf - Zephyr Farm
January 2010

Long after all other leaves have succumbed to wind, rain and cold, oak leaves seem to "hold-on" with tenacity. The snow flies and winter storms rage, but there they stay, stuck to a barren branch. Then finally, seemingly on their own terms, they gently grace a cover of snow and provide accent to the winter landscape.

2009-11-20T16:25:00.004-06:00

An Old Pair of Apples - Zephyr Farm
November 2009

"Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.

Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into heavy wine."
Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875 - 1926

2009-11-13T20:17:00.008-06:00

Freshly Fallen - Zephyr Farm
October 2009

"Bokeh" The term comes from the Japanese word boke (暈け or ボケ), which means "blur" or "haze", or boke-aji (ボケ味), the "blur quality". The Japanese term boke is also used in the sense of a mental haze or senility. (Wikipedia) It is maybe a bit ironic, but there is a whole area of consideration in photography as to the quality of the out of focus elements of an image. Welcome to "Bokeh"!

My attraction seems to go to the extremes in regards to focus. Either I want it all sharp, or I want just a small bit in focus. When in the latter mode, what happens in those out of focus areas is usually some intention and quite a bit of luck. Lately I have been testing my luck. I am not sure if it says something about my current state of mind, but I have been getting up close to my subjects of interest and then just letting the rest of the image go into haze.

2009-11-05T17:44:00.006-06:00

Two Pillows, One Blanket - Blacksburg, Virginia
July 2009

"It is my dream to create an art which is filled with balance, purity and calmness, freed from a subject matter that is disconcerting or too attention-seeking. In my paintings, I wish to create a spiritual remedy, similar to a comfortable armchair which provides rest from physical expectation for the spiritually working, the businessman as well as the artist."
Henri Matisse, 1869 - 1954

2009-10-03T14:48:00.005-05:00

Toes on Line - Stoughton, Wisconsin
October 2009

Toes off Line - Stoughton, Wisconsin
October 2009

Stoughton Cross-Country Invitational Meet, Varsity Girls

2009-09-29T19:53:00.010-05:00

Crossing the Bridge - Janesville, Wisconsin
September 2009

The race starts out with more than 250 high school runners "toeing the line". The gun goes off, and over a two and a half mile cross-country course these athletes give their all.

2009-07-03T09:39:00.009-05:00

Cherry Gone Wild - Rosholt Wisconsin
June 2009

What's the best thing in the world?...
Light, that never makes you wink;
Memory that gives no pain;
Love, when, so, you're loved again.
What's the best thing in the world?
-Something out of it, I think.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

In Memory of Bonnie Tinker (1948-2009)

2009-05-30T10:20:00.004-05:00

Street Brass - French Quarter
March 2009

Cast Jazzmen - French Quarter
March 2009

"As a human race we come together for birth, we come together for death. We brings us together in between is up to us. Stop and listen to the universal language of music and bring that positive energy with you everywhere you go."

Mark Johnson, "Playing for Change/Peace through Music" project
http://www.playingforchange.com/

2009-04-22T17:29:00.004-05:00

Welcome into Voodoo - French Quarter
March 2009

"It is OK that people should have a false opinion of voodoo, because all conceptions are initially false. Ideas progress toward the truth. Every thought is a misconception until something in it touches the thinker in some way. That's what voodoo is like. It is an energy that vibrates into your minds"
Priestess Miriam Williams, New Orleans, contemporary

Voodoo was brought to New Orleans in the 18th century from Haiti through the slave trade. While it is a popular tourist attraction on the main streets, there are small shops, such as the one above, that cater to a true belief in a connection with the supernatural.

2009-04-10T17:11:00.008-05:00

French Quarter Passerby - New Orleans
March 2009

"A diptych (pronounced "dip-tick" IPA: [ dip'tik] (or US: [ 'dɪp.tɪk ]) from the Greek δίπτυχον [ ði'pti.xon ] di- "two" + ptychē "fold") is any object with two flat plates attached at a hinge ."(Definition from Wikipedia)

I like to use the diptych format to convey either two distinct views from one place, or the same view at two different points in time; spacial or temporal juxtaposition. It is a story at it's simplest, only two-frames!

2009-03-23T19:46:00.004-05:00

The Last Crab Apples - Zephyr Farm
March, 2009

I can be daunted by an image that I see and consider trying to photograph. I walked by these crab apples so many times through fall, winter and then early spring. They kept hanging on though the harsh storms of winter. (At times they wore the most regal of snow caps.) They gained my respect. Finally, this month, they started to drop. Spring would be their undoing.

Then there came a quiet evening with such wonderful soft light. It was time to set aside fears of falling short. It ended up being just a few minutes of opportunity before the light shifted to flat as the sun dropped below the horizon. I am still working on printing. Slight shifts in lightness or contrast change the mood dramatically. At some point I will declare: "Good enough!" and settle back.

2009-03-03T17:06:00.003-06:00

Walking on Snow - Zephyr Farm
January 2009

I took this photo with Andrew Wyeth in mind. (I am still feeling his death.) This is a self-portrait, and it recalls a painting he did of his feet and legs.

"To me, it is simply the question of whether or not I can find the thing that expresses the way I feel at a particular time about my own life and my own emotions. The only thing that I want to search for is the growth and depth of my emotion toward a given object"

Andrew Wyeth (1917 - 2008)

2009-01-24T14:37:00.006-06:00

Farmer for Obama - Rural Dane County
January 2009

While the throngs were with Obama in DC for his inauguration, this sign stood lonely century in the snow of rural Dane County.

2009-01-19T17:29:00.005-06:00

Shadow on Needles - Zephyr Farm
December, 2008

"There are always new emotions in going back to something that I know very well. I suppose this is very odd, because most people have to find fresh things to paint. I'm actually bored by fresh things to paint."

Andrew Wyeth

I pass by this bench with great regularity on my walks around the farm. It is an old friend. Even if I do not stop to sit on it, it always catches my eye. I have photographed it many times, and I never get bored with its lines and how it contrasts with the pine trees in which it is nestled. It is not a complex thing, but I sense infinity through it.

Andrew Wyeth (http://www.andrewwyeth.com/) died last Friday, and I am full with his passing on. I grew up near Chads Ford, Pennsylvania where he lived and painted much of the time. I know the lay of the land that inspired him. But, more importantly, he was one of the first artists to whom I opened my eye and sense of artistic vision. I can still see his influence in my photographs. There is an odd sense of "passing on", of art evolving through the generations. My thanks to Andrew Wyeth!

2009-01-05T17:37:00.003-06:00

Grass, and Shadow on Snow - Zephyr Farm
December, 2008

To see Void vast infinite
look out the window
into the blue sky

Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997, haiku written about one week before he died)

2008-12-15T17:18:00.006-06:00

Mercedes, Corry and Ellie - Madison Friends Meeting
December 7, 2008

Sasha, and Tom Peeks - Madison Friends Meeting
December 7, 2008

Derelict with eyes
I settle in a quiet
Carnival of waves

Sonia Sanchez (b. 1934)

2008-12-03T17:26:00.003-06:00

Ace in Hand - Madison, Wisconsin
November 28

Squares on Board - Madison, Wisconsin
November 28, 2008

Small Guy and Big Dice - Madison, Wisconsin
November 28, 2008

"To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis."
Henri Cartier-Bresson

Last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was game night at Bob's for the extended family. It has become a bit of a tradition, and there is always lots of action. Hands are busy with all sorts of interesting objects!

2008-11-04T07:42:00.002-06:00

Election Morning - Park St., Madison, WI
November 4, 2008

Vote!

2008-10-31T20:15:00.009-05:00

Finishing Feet - Stoughton CC Course
October, 2008

475 Finishes - Stoughton CC Course
October, 2008

Legs on the Curve - Stoughton CC Course
October, 2008

... Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night...
Dylan Thomas

Fall in our family means, in part, cross country (CC) running season. I get caught up in the drama, the effort that these young athletes put into their runs. The times on the stop watches range widely, but the efforts of almost all are extraordinary.

2008-09-29T20:31:00.003-05:00

Smiling Moves - Zephyr Farm
July 2008

The gifts of serendipity through a slow shutter speed and some good laughter...

2008-09-17T19:19:00.003-05:00

Rock in the Sky - Boundary Waters Wilderness
August 2008

Not knowing when the dawn will come
I open every door;
Or has it feathers like a bird,
Or billows like a shore

Emily Dickinson

Portage View - Boundary Waters Wilderness
August 2008

2008-08-31T13:44:00.006-05:00

Lichens and Needles - Boundary Waters Wilderness
August 2008

YOU ASK WHY

You ask why I make my home in the mountain forest,
and I smile, and am silent,
and even my soul remains quiet:
it lives in the other world
which no one owns.
The trees blossom.
The water flows.

Li-Po, 705-762

2008-08-17T13:52:00.005-05:00

Flat Rock and Lake - Potawatomi Island
July 2008

Green, Wall and Lake - Potawatomi Island
July 2008

"Art is the pursuit of questions. Art is wonder. Art is Inquiry. Art is a peek into the mysterious. At its best, art is, like life, asking the right questions - and the right questions are so often more important than the answers we find... But what are the right questions?" Brooks Jensen, LensWork Journal (www.lenswork.com), Volume #77.

2008-07-20T15:35:00.008-05:00

Painted Faces - FGC Gathering
July 2008

Teen Pile - FGC Gathering
July 2008

Rope Circle - FGC Gathering
July 2008

The purple t-shirt reads: "Quaker Youth: Speak Thy Truth - Get Thee to the Party! www.quakeryouth.org"

Every year Quakers from around North America gather at FGC (Friends General Conference) Gathering. It is a time of worship, celebration and soul searching. While the adults come with anticipation, it is hard to describe the deep energy and enthusiasm that the youth bring this event. For the past couple of years I have focused my Gathering time (and occasionally my lens) on working in the children's program. I have found an extraordinary abundance of gifts in this work.

2008-06-23T20:03:00.002-05:00

Bench and Prairie - Riveredge
June 2008

We spread Barbara’s ashes at the Riveredge Nature Center two Saturday’s ago, and this photo is a small tribute to her. It was a beautiful sunny day after so much rain. The prairies were lush and a deep, verdant green.

Barbara was both a lover and student of nature, and a gifted painter of the natural world. Although she died a bit over two years ago, memories of time with her are still fresh for me. She was always so supportive of, and interested in, my photography. Riveredge was a home-away-from-home for her. She volunteered there for years and delved deeply into the world of prairie invertebrates. (Read BUGS!) Her spirit carries on strong through a wide community of friends and family.

I mainly think of Barbara as having been a very good friend of mine. She was also my mother in-law.

2008-06-08T17:43:00.012-05:00

Peaceable Kingdom Van - Northern Yearly Meeting
May 2008

"Many people would recognize the work of Edward Hicks (1780-1849) in his Peaceable Kingdom paintings. But it would be a rare person who would know much more about his life and beliefs, which were totally connected with them. Some think of him as a colonial folk artist, untrained and self-taught, simple, sweet or naive. That view is partially true, but also misleading..." John Braostoski, Friends Journal - February 2000.

This van was painted as an "art car" event at Northern Yearly Meeting Annual Session, which is a gathering of Quakers from the Upper Midwest. Over the period of an extended weekend numerous people (young and old) spent time sharing their artistic vision and skills to transform this van into a traveling version of Edward Hicks' Peaceable Kingdom. Much thanks goes to Mina Leierwood for bringing her art car experience to this creation and helping so many loose their creative energies!

Related links:
Art cars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_car
Mina Leierwood: http://www.artcarparade.com/MARV-pages/car-mina.html
More by John Braostoski on The Peaceable Kingdom:http://www2.gol.com/users/quakers/Hicks_Peaceable_Kingdom.htm

2008-06-03T20:08:00.003-05:00

Kip's Tail and Prairie Grass - Zephyr Farm
May, 2008

"Words, photographs, paintings and sculptures are symbols of what we see, think and feel things to be, but the are not the things themselves. To the degree symbols express the structure of the real world, they are meaningful. In photography, therefore, I strive to come as close as I can to experiencing things as they are and to express visually the totality of those experiences in the strongest, most accurate ways I can find." Wynn Bullock

2008-05-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Gone Flat - Zephyr Farm
April, 2008

This is the end of the road for pumpkins. Those that don't get selected in the fall to serve as jack-o-lanterns are destined to freeze hard during the winter (see the December, 2007 posting). Then, with the warmth of spring, the orb thaws to a flat mass on the ground that is largely a pile of seeds. The pumpkin vines lace all around and small dried gourds dot the area as well. Soon the plow will turn under the soil to allow all to start afresh.

2008-04-28T16:31:00.006-05:00

Pine Needles, Legs and Bench - Zephyr Farm
April, 2008

The pine needles make a textural backdrop for the fabric of the pants, the bare feet and the weathered wood of the bench. There are three legs to be considered, two human and one bench. My eye moves from the right human leg to the left, and then to the bench leg. In my mind I can feel the pine needles underneath the foot on the ground. Such are the gifts of spring!

2008-04-17T10:07:00.002-05:00

CCC Stairs - Backbone, Iowa
March, 2008

"THE SECRET OF SEEING is, then, the pearl of great price. If I thought he could teach me to find it and keep it forever I would stagger barefoot across a hundred deserts after any lunatic at all. But although the pearl may be found, it may not be sought. The literature of illumination reveals this above all: although it comes to those who wait for it, it is always, even to the more practiced and adept, a gift and a total surprise." Annie Dillard, from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

2008-04-14T09:16:00.009-05:00

Bench in Spring Snow - Backbone, Iowa
March, 2008

The last days of snow bring great patterns and contrast to landscapes. Patches of white counter the emerging dark earth. It is an ephemeral phenomena and gift to my eye.

Backbone State Park in Northeast Iowa (http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/backbone.html) is a quiet spot that for me hearkens back to a simpler time. In the late 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a series of small cabins in the park that have been faithfully restored and are still available for use today. A number of times now I have gone to Backbone with family in early spring. I always find new images to explore, photograph and be still with.

2008-03-31T19:33:00.007-05:00

Student and Sculpture - Art Institute of Chicago
March, 2008

Art inspires art? This seems fairly straightforward, and so maybe it is for me. I find pleasure in wandering art museums and considering all variety of works. I also find many interesting images to photograph when I am in museums. At first it seemed a bit bizarre, but maybe I am just experiencing a direct and immediate stimulation of my creative juices.

There are also some unique challenges, like tripods are usually not allowed in museums. Truth be told, I am a bit of a tripod addict. It just fits into my way of working on an image. A tripod slows me down and I find myself being more considerate of framing and composition. I am also a bit of a photo sharpness freak, and tripods really help on this front as well. For this image I rested my camera on the railing of a balcony above the art student who was sketching the sculpture in front of her. Aaa, here we go again: art inspires art...

2008-03-30T14:35:00.002-05:00

Newspaper and Glass of Water - Zephyr Farm
March, 2008

Spring is coming on so slowly, but the light pours through the dining area windows with increasing strength. It is hard to resist taking some moments to stop, spread out the paper and read.

The sunlight reflections on the well-worn wood table surround the spilled sections of the paper. Table angles frame the newspaper angles. The glass of water with its circularity contrasts in its own small way.

2008-03-06T14:19:00.003-06:00

Drying Sheet and Window - Stone Town, Zanzibar
July, 2005

I guess my mind is still on drying laundry. I found this wonderful polka-dotted sheet set out to air on a back street in Stone Town. It is my sense that drying laundry almost aways adds an aesthetic to an urban scene. They are colorful accents and flags of humanity. It is tragic and border-line lunacy that "homeowners associations" largely prohibit "hanging out". There are around 35,000 such restrictions in California alone (http://www.laundrylist.org). Let the revolution to be free from carbon-based clothes drying begin - free the bound laundry!

2008-03-01T11:02:00.004-06:00

Winter Laundry - Zephyr Farm
February, 2008

This photo was inspired in part by "Project Laundry List" (http://www.laundrylist.org). I have had bit of secret passion for line-drying laundry for some time. The process of hanging clothes on a line brings me a sense of peace and pleasure. Frequently it provides me with a nudge to get outside and open my senses beyond my indoor routine. Handling the cloths and feeling the different fabrics that they are made of awakens my tactile senses. And then there is the visual pleasure of watching the cloths move and sway in even the lightest breeze, and how that movement changes as the cloths dry. In the winter, as in this image, it seems like magic that water can go from being solid (ice) to a gas directly - and bypass the liquid phase - through the process of sublimation.

I also like the fact that I am going off the power grid to accomplish a very basic task. No electricity or fossil fuels are required. I am carbon (consumption) free. Factoid: five to ten percent of residential electricity is consumed to dry cloths. Check out the Project Laundry List Web-site on this and related issues.

"We must hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately. " (Benjamin Franklin)

2008-02-12T11:03:00.000-06:00

Sprouting Onion - Zephyr Farm
February 2008

I was making a soup last week and I grabbed this onion, which has been in storage in our cool basement over the winter. It too is searching for the light of spring. Meanwhile the snow continues to fly...

2008-01-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

Kenyans at Lake Nakuru - Rift Valley, Kenya
July 2005

Nakuru Quaker Elders - Rift Valley, Kenya
July 2005

In 2005 I spent several weeks working in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. This is a beautiful land and the people of this area have worked hard toward peace and a modicum of prosperity just a rung above poverty. The town of Nakuru was my base for this work, and where my Kenyan friends live. In the past couple of days the violence that has been spreading in Kenya swept through Nakuru with a vengeance. I have yet to hear from my friends. Please hold Kenyans in your prayers and hearts.

To help bring peace to Kenya, consider making a donation to the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI, http://www.aglionline.org/). AGLI is a Quaker organization that has been working on peace and reconciliation issues in East Africa for many years, and they are currently very involved in addressing the unrest in Kenya. Thanks!

2008-01-21T15:59:00.000-06:00

Narcissus Stems - Zephyr Farm
January 2008

When the winter winds blow and the temperatures drop below zero, my eyes turn inward to what is in our warm home. One of the portends of spring are the verdant shoots from forced narcissus bulbs. It is a bit of a trick on Mother Nature, but the beauty of fresh growth is so rich when all outside is brittle and cold. My house-mate is a master at this forcing, and I get to enjoy the product. While the small white flowers are beautiful and give off a grand smell, I think my favorite aspect of these narcissi are the tender green buds and shoots, and how the sheath layers unfold.

2008-01-15T11:32:00.000-06:00

Snow on Corn Stubble - Zephyr Farm
January 2008

The snow ebbs and flows through warmer and colder weather and a smattering of weak storms. The beauty is ever changing. Working pictures with snow is a delicate process for me. We all know that "snow is white", but in a black and white photo with snow I frequently find myself searching for the balance between detailless pure white and a bland gray. The sun was low for this photo and I like the shadows created by the wind-produced texture on the surface of the snow.

2008-01-04T16:11:00.000-06:00

Hands Holding Knitting - Madison, Wisconsin
December 2007

Winter in the North calls out for the warmth of projects with wool. Knitting also seems to match the state of mind of the season; a time to move more slowly and be close to the hearth.

I have been taking pictures of hands holding various objects for years. Hands are miracles to my eyes. We can bring such care and grace through them. In this image I keep coming back to the contrast of the order and texture in the knitted fabric verses the yarn spilling from the needles.

2007-12-29T19:07:00.000-06:00

Yahara River with Frost and Snow - Dane County, WI
December 2007

This series of bends in the Yahara River is along County Highway N, between Stoughton and Edgerton, Wisconsin. I travel this stretch of back-country road as a part of my commute to Beloit College. If I am in a rush, I at least crane my neck for a view as I go by. I stop with some regularity and just soak in the peace and beauty. I never grow tired of the river.

I rarely take out my camera at this location. I fear cliche and not being able to capture the Wonder. But, sometimes it is worth the risk. I don't consider this to be a highly original piece, but I like it none the less. The print has long rich tonalities and the bends in the river have great balance and form for my eye. I know in my heart that many have taken photos very similar to this one, but sometimes I just don't care. It brings me meaning and joy, which is enough.

I continue to think about the quote by Greg Conniff below. I know well what we speaks of. I also believe that the idea of "one step leading to another" is true at the level of communities. We rarely create art in isolation. All the works that I have admired, and been influenced by, over the years lead me in part to the creation of each of my new images. I need to trust that if I am open, I will move us forward, even if it is just one very small step.

2007-12-23T19:57:00.000-06:00

"Every new picture is possible only because of the last picture made before it. One step leads to another. What we think of in a photograph as an instant is really the sum of all the moments leading to its capture." Gregory Conniff, 2007

2007-12-20T13:28:00.000-06:00

Pumpkin in Snow - Zephyr Farm
December 2007

Pumpkin in Snow II - Zephyr Farm
December 2007

The pumpkin patch continues to evolve through the seasons. The soil and vines are now largely buried under the snow, but some of the orbs continue to show through. They have a ghost-like quality against the white, and frost on the flesh imparts delicate textural qualities.

2007-12-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

Hadza Musician - Lake Eyasi Basin, Tanzania
November, 2006

The Hadza are one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa. They tread lightly, and sustain themselves on the abundance of berries, roots and diverse hunting opportunities that the Lake Eyasi Basin in the Great Rift Valley has to offer. Very little is known of their history because they mainly use tools made of wood, which degrades over time and thus leaves few archaeological artifacts. Still, it is believed that their culture is one of the oldest in East Africa, dating back more than 50,000 years. The native tongue of the Hadza is “Hadzain”, which is a rare !click language. Today there are fewer than 1000 Hadza remaining. There is much that we can learn from the Hadza. A recent study has revealed that they use a unique form of conflict-resolution that can be applied to a diversity of current-day challenges.

2007-12-03T17:49:00.000-06:00

Maasai Women and Jewlery - Tanzania
October, 2003

The Maasai of East Africa are traditionally pastoralists, which means that they travel nomadically with their herds of cattle to where the grazing is best. Beginning with the colonial era, the area that the Maasai have had available to roam has been steadily diminishing as corresponding development and cultivation have increased. Still, the Maasai are proud of who they are, and hold onto their culture and distinctive ways. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, or NCA, is a unique effort by the Tanzanian government to establish a place where the exceptional wildlife and ecosystems of the Great Rift Valley can be conserved, and where the Maasai can continue with their traditional pastoralist lifestyle.

2007-11-28T17:44:00.001-06:00

Pumpkin on the Vine - Zephyr Farm
November, 2007

The frosts of fall bring forward all sorts of beauty. The colors of leaves before they fall is obvious, but there are many other glories as well. All summer long the huge and abundant leaves of pumpkin plants hide an amazing web of vines and fruit. Freezing temperatures make the delicate leaves shrivel and seemingly disappear overnight, the pumpkin patch is transformed, and a textural wonder is revealed.

Fall also brings on long hours of a low sun, which provides a magical light for photographic exploration. The shadows are extended and graceful. And, the light from a clear sky fills in these shadows to make details come forward.

2007-11-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

Slave Shackle and Chain - Zanzibar
August, 2003

Up into the 1800s, Zanzibar was the last stop for Africans being taken from their home land to serve as slaves to the east. Eastward slave traffic was just as large as that to the west, but we do not hear about this in our history books. Most Africans died before they made their intended destination to the east, many died on Zanzibar as they waited to be auctioned off. The holding chambers, which used to partially flood with the tides to wash away the human excrement, still exist.

This photo is of a monument to those who lost their lives. The human sculpture is modern; the shackle and chain are authentic. I have visited this monument many times and its power does not diminish for me. The images that I hold in my mind of this place are intense and I feel that I am still working to fully capture the energy. My intention is for this photo to serve as a monument as well.

2007-10-22T12:49:00.001-05:00

Ujamaa and Makonde Carver - Mwenge Market, Tanzania
August, 2006

I have recently been working with photos that I took in Tanzania last year. In the Mwenge Market located in Dar es Salaam, there is a large group Makonde school carvers. Working with simple tools, they create a diversity of sculptures out of very hard "African-ebony" wood. A common theme is "ujamaa", which loosely translates as "we are, therefore I am". The ujamaa sculptures depict an intertwined column of the arms, legs and torsos of many people. In some cases the the individuals become completely abstracted. This is the case with the large piece in this photo. This sculpture is on its side and the carver is working with a large rasp-like tool.

2007-10-16T13:57:00.001-05:00

Three Cobbles, Potawatomi Island
August, 2007

The other day my friend Shell asked me if I had any photos that were of something that "we might overlook" that could be used in our Quaker Meeting family worship session. He was leading a piece on "how people prepare to see". The above picture of three small stones, or cobbles, came to mind.

Having a camera with me frequently helps me to open my mind's eye to the balance and composition that is so frequently all around me. In regards to this image, I can clearly remember walking across the green up on Rock Island at a good pace and then being stopped by these stones that were in my path. Someone had previously made this very simple stack. I was really glad that they weren't several feet off to my side for I may have easily disregarded them, and just as importantly their shadow and the contrasting texture of the grass. For me this image is about the juxtaposition of these three elements: cobbles, shadow and grass. Thanks Shell!

2007-10-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

Gram's Singer and Quilting Pieces, Zephyr Farm
March 3, 2007

I am fortunate to have a house-mate (Susan) who is a quilter. The abundance of textures, patterns and colors that come with the fabrics are a feast to my eyes. Sometimes she uses a modern sewing machine that has a myriad of computerized controls, and sometimes she will pull out Gram Stacy's old Singer. This machine is a piece of art in its own right. It likely dates back to the 1930's, is largely indestructible, and has true grace in form. In this image, the Singer's solid shape is a wonderful counterpoint to all the flowing strips of fabric.

2007-10-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

Vision of the Heart

"When we first met, the old lady told me that her blindness resulted in her eyes moving to her heart. Several months later I was unable to resist the temptation of taking an unsolicited photograph of her. Afterwards, the old lady extended her hand in welcome and told me that she knew it was me because she had seen me in her heart."

This quote is by Eugene H. Johnson, and describes his photo "Vision of the Heart", Ceara, Brazil, 1986. May I too have at least some "vision of the heart" as I explore this world through photography.

2007-09-26T13:12:00.000-05:00

"Museum Whispering", Art Institute of Chicago

August 28, 2007

"Psst! Are you for real?" Who knows what Ellie is saying to the sculpture, but I am really drawn to the subtle textural and tonal differences between the two in this portrait.

2007-09-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

"Rock and Birch Trunk", Potawatomi Island

August 1, 2007

I find simplicity in this image. The textures and light tones of the rock contrast with the darker grass. The trunk of the birch tree adds another accent and texture. The shadows draw my eyes to the left, yet the evening light reaches into the shadows and allows for the details in the grass to come through. I sometimes look at a photo I have taken, and see the style of a particular artist. This one reminds me of the work of Milton Avery.

2007-08-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

"Bench and Birch", Potawatomi Island

August 2, 2007

This image may be a bit cliche , but I still find value in it. The late evening light was peaceful and lit up both the bench and the tree. During a hot midday, the shade of the tree would bless a visitor to the bench, but by this hour a cool breeze was passing through. The land in the distance is Washington Island. This was the last photo I worked on during my week's stay on Potawatomi island and I had a calm feeling with a bit of regret at having to leave early the next morning.

2007-08-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

"Carved Head Relief", Potawatomi Island
July 28, 2007

For years I have enjoyed the way evening light plays across this subtle relief carving. The big cobble moves with relative ease on its rough square podium. Children like to push it a bit. In the foreground there is an arc of stones just visible through the grass.