This park is located partly in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Besides the impressive Campbell Falls themselves, I find the rock formations—and the trees that manage to grow on them—to be quite impressive.
Paris in the Springtime
The Seine River flooding may not be what most of us think of as springtime in Paris, but this is what it looked like in early spring when I visited Paris for the first time, in 1970. That year was probably a mild one for flooding, but nevertheless I found that showing the water levels well above normal made for an unusual view of an often clichéd subject.
Photo Selected by National Park Service
Twenty Mule Team Canyon
Recently the National Park Service contacted me for permission to use my photograph of Twenty Mule Team Canyon in a presentation they are preparing called Photographing Death Valley. I readily granted them permission and so, beginning February 18, my photo will be included in the presentation at the Death Valley visitors center on a weekly basis through mid-April. After that, the presentation will continue to be available to park rangers to use in the future.
Urban Reflection
I captured this reflection near the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. Beyond the pedestrian walkway, one can see the East River and Brooklyn in the background.
El Malpais
Sandstone Bluffs, El Malpais, New Mexico
I made this photo during my first trip to New Mexico back in 1990. El Malpais National Monument is near the town of Grants. Back then I was using a 4x5 field camera with black and white film. More recently, I scanned the negative and did some digital editing on the image.
El Malpais translates to “the badlands” in Spanish. It is named for the ancient lava flows that spread out below these sandstone bluffs. From atop the bluffs, I remember the wondrous feeling of being able to see for miles and to watch rainstorms way off in the distance.
The Noguchi Museum
Recently, I visited The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, New York. Established in 1985 by the sculptor Isamu Noguchi, it is situated in a 1920s industrial building across the street from his former studio. The museum houses an extensive collection of his works. It also has an outdoor sculpture garden.
When I was there, the room in this photo was lit only by the daylight streaming through the windows.
Another Attempt at Capturing Fall Foliage
This is quite different than the fall foliage scene in my previous post. I enjoy finding beauty in the small details that can be easily overlooked.
My Fall Foliage Contribution
This was taken last year in Connecticut. Not much explanation is needed for photos like this — just enjoy the season.
Rescuing a Poor Scan
This photo was taken several years ago on color slide film. The scan I made of it was technically not good — it lacks sharpness and detail. I decided that I could make an interesting image by taking advantage of the soft feel of the scan, and this is the result.
Two Painters
Two Painters
I need to lighten up a little. Here is a photo taken at an art museum in Vienna.
"Picturing New York" at Soho Photo Gallery
Metropolitan Museum, American Wing
As part of Soho Photo Gallery's continuing celebration of its 50th anniversary, an exhibition, Picturing New York, is on view now through September 11. The show, which has images from both current and former members, fills the entire gallery. This photograph, taken at the Met Museum in 2018, is one of my two prints that were selected for the show.
I sometimes wonder how I can transition so easily between photographing the natural world and the built environment, like this scene at the Met. It certainly helps that I feel comfortable in both milieus, but I suspect there is more to it. One of the things I like about photography is that it can give me insight into myself. Why did I make a certain photograph? What is it about a scene I like that resonates with me? I believe that there are themes that I respond to which transcend the setting or environment I am in — shadow and light, the passage of time, quiet spaces, beauty in ordinary but often overlooked objects, etc.
But all of this analysis usually takes place after I click the shutter. At the time of making the exposure I simply may feel there is something here worth capturing.
Hanging Scrolls to be Exhibited
Since my last post, I have continued working on my hanging scrolls project, and I am now nearing completion of a series of scrolls for exhibition. They will be on view in the Annual New Marlborough Artists show at the New Marlborough Meeting House Gallery in the Berkshires from September 2 to October 2.
The project was an exciting creative challenge for me, both in concept and production. I was inspired by the traditional hanging scrolls of China and Japan, but I wanted to give a contemporary interpretation to my scrolls using photographic processes and materials. I eventually decided to print on canvas inkjet paper. The canvas printing paper serves as a substitute for the silk often used in traditional Asian scrolls. It is strong, yet it can be hung easily and rolled up like a traditional scroll.
I had never printed on canvas-backed paper before, and I had my share of printing failures, but I finally learned how to make the proper adjustments on the printer to work with this medium. Also, because the printed scroll will not be framed behind glass like a typical photographic print, I give the canvas a special spray coating to help protect it from fingerprints and harmful UV rays.
So after having learned some new skills and techniques, I am looking forward to finally exhibiting my scrolls.
May Snowfall 1 as a hanging scroll.
Hanging Scroll Project
I am working on a project that is inspired by the hanging scrolls of Chinese and Japanese artists from past centuries. Although images of any proportion could be hung in a scroll-like fashion, my initial set will be tall and narrow. I am also limiting my first images to black and white.
My intent is to create scrolls that convey a quiet beauty, such as what might be found in the tokonoma of a Japanese home — an alcove where paintings, ceramics, flower arrangements, etc. are displayed.
May Snowfall 1
A Wall in Maras, Peru
I discovered this building with its colorful wall in Maras, Peru at the site of the ancient salt pans or ponds, known locally as the Salineras de Maras.
I was struck by how the rectangular colored shapes on the wall echoed the rectangular plots of salt, and how the edges on the wall’s painted shapes were modified to accommodate the roof line in the same manner that the mostly rectangular plots were modified to fit the contours of the terraced hillside.
There are thousands of these salt ponds on the hillside. An underground stream rich in salt and minerals water was discovered here by pre-Inca communities. They made channels to direct the stream into the ponds. The ponds are tended by local families much as they have been for centuries.
Jane's Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Jane’s Carousel sits in Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River. It was created in 1922, the heyday of the American carousel, by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. This year marks the carousel’s centennial.
In 1984, Jane and David Walentas purchased the carousel in its entirety at auction. When purchased, the carousel was in poor condition. Over several years, Jane Walentas oversaw its restoration at her studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn. It opened to the public in September 2011.
I made this photograph in 2014, as I was beginning my multi-year project of twilight photography, which I eventually titled The Edge of Night. This photo never made it into any of the related exhibitions nor the book I published, but I thought it should be given some exposure (no pun intended), so I am publishing it now.