Thursday, December 6, 2007

Keeping My Feet Dry

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High on my list of things to do for 2008 is a return to the West Fork Trail in Oak Creek Canyon. This year, it was so new to me that I was a bit overwhelmed. I think I remember correctly that for this shot I was balancing on a rock in the middle of Oak Creek, thinking about keeping my feet dry (not to mention the camera), the amazing color, and hoping to leave a little space in my brain for technical matters. I look forward to the next go at it.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Impressions

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One day last week, I spent some time with the original of this image from the West Fork Trail of Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. As I processed the shot, I began exploring my feelings about the scene and wanted to see if I could produce something that would convey some of those impressions. It was a Photoshop kind of day. What you see is the result of losing myself in memory and listening to impulses disconnected from literal reality. I will know more about my response, when I get around to printing it.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

A Revived Ghost Town

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I have visited Jerome, Arizona three times now, and each visit has been to a very different town. In the late seventies, what had once been the fourth largest city in the Arizona territory was not much more than a few rundown buildings threatening to collapse and a handful of inhabitants; in the mid-eighties, there was a growing art community; by 2007, it has become a bustling little town clinging to the side of Cleopatra Hill and filled with visual treats, including a dizzying array of art galleries. From 1876 to 2007, Jerome transformed from copper mining town and "the wickedest city" in the west to charming tourist mecca.

Monday, December 3, 2007

The Early Settlers of Oak Creek Canyon

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With this picture, we're back in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona again.
I never grow tired of photographing old building or tools. But, here's a guy who truly specializes in vacant and forsaken buildings: http://www.opacity.us/.