Travel

I've lived in the same place for nine years...as far as I remember. I mean, I'm pretty sure it's been nine years.  When I travel, I rent my home out, but I have been living here the majority of the nine years.  Besides a few select neighbors, I have no idea who my neighbors are or what their life is like.  I see interesting people walk by and sometimes I wonder about who they are.  There are a few who walk by everyday like clockwork and I have a nickname for them, based on their style. I always look forward to "pirate" walking by and I hope to get his portrait one day. When I'm on the road, I don't mind approaching strangers since they will never see me again most likely but when I'm in my own neighborhood, I tend to avoid meeting anyone that is within viewing distance.  It could be that I am pretty shy or might not have the energy to talk to anyone, or perhaps both. One of my photography instructors told me in front of the class that I spend too much ...

If you have never heard of Bombay Beach, you might think the name would be fitting to a place that is similar to a tropical paradise.  You would be right, except that it no longer is the thriving community that it once was in the mid century. I've always been curious about the Salton Sea and the surrounding areas and decided to take a visit a few years ago to wander around neighborhoods and see what I could find.  As I turned the corner to the community of Bombay Beach, it was as I imagined it to be.  Very few of the homes are lived in today.  When I visited a few weeks ago, I heard an explosion and once I headed in the direction of the smoke, I noticed that one of the trailers was engulfed in flames.  I asked a passerby what happened and if everyone was ok and he said that the owner crossed the wires to the propane tank, and he's ok...as he walked by me and disappeared around the corner. I came to visit the town alone with my dog, Max.  At the time of the ...

I was so thrilled to learn that "Brothers" was selected by photographer and juror, Henry Horenstein   for the Family Dynamic Exhibition at The Kiernan Gallery in Lexington, Virginia especially since I admire his work so much. In his Juror Statement, Henry writes, " For most people, a good likeness of their subject is good enough, and there's nothing wrong with that. We want to see what Uncle John and Grandma Bea look like and we want them to look their best, if possible. But I think it gets a little more complicated for the "serious" photographer, whether professional or enthusiast. We want a good likeness usually, but we also want the photo to say more about the person (or persons) than simply what they look like. This is the reason I chose Alison Turner's image of siblings for the Juror's Choice Award. To me, it shows its subjects in good light - carefully framed and with excellent lighting and technique. But it also suggests the complicated rela...