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Letting Go
Bozeman, Montana
2023

First you buy a pair of rather pricey cowhide leather gloves because they’re tough and durable. But they’re also quite stiff and a bit uncomfortable. You wear them anyway, at least occasionally because, well, they were rather pricey and they are tough and durable. Over time they get more and more broken in and comfortable and, without even realizing it, they become your go-to pair for rough work like moving rocks around. Inevitably a hole appears in the index finger. The rest of the glove still seems in good shape though and you hate to dump them just for one hole because, well, they were rather pricey and they are quite comfortable. So you duck tape the finger and keep moving rocks. Then another hole appears, in the middle finger this time, so you apply more duck tape and keep moving rocks with them because even though the duck tape makes them more stiff and uncomfortable, they were rather pricey. Then, inevitably, a hole appears in the thumb. You’ve been there before and know that duck taping the thumb on a glove is a real act of desperation because it makes the glove so stiff that even lifting rocks becomes too awkward. So you bid a fond photographic farewell to the gloves and move on to the next pair.

Why am I wearing out gloves moving rocks? It has to do with trail work on our property:

Bare Tree #108
Carl Washburn State Park, Oregon
2023

Rock Regalia
Carl Washburn State Park, Oregon
2023

There are a number of ways to interpret this sand and rock abstract. My first impression was of bushy eyebrows. Then I could see (in double vision) a car careening down the road into a setting sun. But, as far as deciding on the title is concerned, I settled on an abstract of two dancers wrapped in blankets sporting Native American regalia.

Grill Marks
Carl Washburn State Park, Oregon
2023

You know those parallel marks on burgers, steaks etc. that happen when you cook them on an outdoor grill? These are grill marks of another type, i.e., a grill’s shadow on the interior wall of the round campground fire pit on which the grill was situated. The shadow reminds me of a waving American flag. The air hole in the enclosure adds another point of interest, a glimpse of the world outside the grill.

Hanging Ferns
Carl Washburn State Park, Oregon
2023

Such a Strange Flower
Heceta Head, Oregon
2023

Skunk cabbage, an ignoble name for an unusually lovely plant that reminds me a bit of calla lilies. It’s all in a name though; I can’t imagine Kaathryn Hepburn proclaiming “The skunk cabbages are in bloom again.”

Bridge Matrix
Heceta Head, Oregon
2023

Creation Myth #5
Bozeman, Montana
2023

The result of my summer composite photo effort. This one started with just the main large decorated bird which I had more or less accidentally created one day while messing around with some photos. It then percolated in my head for some time before I started really working on it a month or so ago.  I went through at least ten major background changes before I settled on a general look and theme for the image. There is a vague creation story in my head that directed or perhaps evolved along with the final composition; but vague is the key word here, with the final result coming from somewhere in my brain that escapes my ability to meaningfully describe it in words.

Next month, a portfolio of my composite images will appear in Lenswork magazine. It will be my ninth publication in Lenswork since 2008, but my first one since they started accepting color photographs a few years back. Frankly I liked Lenswork better back when it was dedicated solely to black and white photography for some reason, but given they made the switch I figured I might as well take advantage of the opportunity. Also, of all the portfolios I’ve submitted to Lenswork, I think this one was the biggest stretch content-wise for the magazine, i.e., the furthest outside the boundaries of the usual work published there. As such, I was worried it wouldn’t even receive serious consideration, so I’m grateful to editor Brooks Jensen for accepting it.

Belly Button
Bozeman, Montana
2023

Slack Water
Heceta Head, Oregon
2023