The Gesture #9 Livingston, Montana 2014

These are the same folks as in yesterday’s photo. This is a good example of when it makes sense to use black and white instead of color in a image. Yesterday’s photo was all about the flag, so the color image brought out that aspect. This image was intended to be all about the emphatic gesture of the woman on the right, and the reactions of her two listeners; to have had the colorful clothing in the image in this case would have been a distraction.]]>

Patriot’s Dream #39 Livingston, Montana 2014

 This lady’s 4th of July outfit is a little more subtle but it’s unique in that she uses accessories, i.e., her purse (barely in view behind her back) and her boy’s outfit to complete her ensemble. The sign hanging in the background is a perfect accessory for a patriotic image as well–I wish I could take credit for it’s positioning in the shot but it just came out that way.]]>

Patriot’s Dream #38 Livingston, Montana 2014

This shot was at this year’s Livingston art fair. If she doesn’t know the guy in yesterday’s photo, they should get together–I’m sure they have a lot of interests in common.]]>

Patriot’s Dream #37 Livingston, Montana 2013

I’m a little late in posting something relevant for Independence Day, but here you go. (I’m even later in posting this particular patriotic image which was from July 4th of last year at the art fair in Livingston.)]]>

Material and Resignation #3 Harrison, Montana 2011

If you use it enough, is it possible to start seeing meaning in a randomly generated title?]]>

Material and Resignation #2 Harrison, Montana 2011

Since it’s a similar image, I might as well double down on the randomly generated title from yesterday. This is the type of abstract image that I’m compelled to photograph for reasons I don’t really understand; I can’t explain why I find interesting, I just do. Given the lack of a compelling explanation or title is likely what leads artists to creates the kinds of names the random generator produces. If you can’t explain something, obfuscate it and hope no one calls your bluff. The emperor’s not wearing clothes!]]>

Material and Resignation Harrison, Montana 2011

Does an image, particularly and abstract image, need a title to make it meaningful? Or is a title a needless distraction or an admission of an image that can’t stand on it’s own. This is a sometimes heated topic that appears from time to time in online photography forums. I couldn’t think of a good title for this photograph of weathered shingles on the side of a derelict beauty, so I created one using a random abstract art title generator I found online. That should stir the title argument pot (or would if any of those folks who spend time contemplating the issue were actually readers of my blog).]]>

Lectio #50 Pony, Montana 2011

A dusty old book collection in a closed bank building in Pony.

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Giants of Industry Billings, Montana 2011

The first time I photographed this refinery back in about 2007, it netted me a phone call from the local sheriff and later a house call by the FBI (neatly outfitted in their black suits with badges and guns). By 2011 the local terrorist paranoia had apparently subsided a bit.]]>

Six Pack of Abstracts Billings, Montana 2011

Each one of these broken window panes could be an abstract composition on it’s own; granted, some are more interesting than others. My favorite is the one in the upper left.]]>