The Visitor Bozeman, Montana 2012

This cinnamon colored black bear stopped by the pond at our house for a dip a couple of days ago. He was obviously there just to play around. He swam back and forth for a while, rolled on his back and put all four feet in the air (yeah, I know, I should have been taking pictures of that but I was too busy gawking I guess), and then played with a bale of barley straw we’d put in the pond to control algae like it was a beach ball). My good camera was in my studio in a separate building. I might have gone to get it but I didn’t want to scare him away, although that might not have been likely as I believe it was the same bear who broke into our neighbors house and was chowing down in their kitchen–and continued to do so after they came home and tried to scare him away. So, I had to take this photo with my cell phone.]]>

Measures of Anonymity #2 Denver, Colorado 2012

Very sleek, very modern, and very much giving no clue about the occupants.

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Measures of Anonymity #1 Denver, Colorado 2012

While in Denver I was having fun adding to my Gridlock series of photos of regular grids on buildings when I became intrigued with the thought that these regular patterns could be interpreted as metaphors for anonymity in the city. The massive number of boxes in the grids reflect the number of lives that are carried out behind them while their sameness represents the fact that we know essentially nothing about these individuals. From the viewer’s standpoint anyway these lives are carried out in obscurity or anonymity. So I’ve renamed the series and will be expanding its scope to include varying degrees of uniformity in the building patterns and also glimpses of individuality that impose themselves on the grids.]]>

Sleeping It Off Denver, Colorado 2012

A half dozen early birds and one who either got up so early he couldn’t sustain the advantage or stayed up too late the night before.]]>

Urban Topologies Denver, Colorado 2012

With all the buildings, freeways, concrete and asphalt in a city, it’s hard to get a feel for the actual shape of the land underneath, or to even remember there is an underlying natural topology under all the development. I was imagining that the rough surfaces of these traffic barriers were manifestations of the hidden local terrain exerting itself.]]>

Life in the City Denver, Colorado 2012

I like the way the stonework  mimics the skyline of a big city. I don’t know if that’s what the designer had in mind, but if it wasn’t it perhaps should have been.]]>

Walk On By Missoula, Montana 2012

A little bathroom humor.

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Always Read the Fine Print Missoula, Montana 2012

Feeling a bit ornery, I was thinking of rounding up some trash from a dumpster to see what I could get for it at the Circle Square when I happened to notice the fine print (possibly too small to read in this blog post size photo) under the word anything that said “of value.”]]>

Hell is Other People Missoula, Montana 2012

I don’t agree in general with this sentiment, but must admit there are days when I feel that way (usually when I’ve maxed out on exposure to crowds–and it doesn’t take much).]]>

Plausible Deniability Missoula, Montana 2012

I for one don’t think the Round Butte Womens Club sign placement was accidental; but if accused of questionable or sexist judgment, the bar that owns this sign collection could make a pretty good argument for that explanation.]]>