Billy Goat, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Experiments in photography, jewelry making, mosaics, and other artistic obsessions
31 January 2012
30 January 2012
Thunderbird (30/366)
1958 Thunderbird detail, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
A warmish sunny day led me outside with the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood and a long-awaited photo shoot of this 1958 Thunderbird hardtop resting in an empty lot. It's a classic beauty despite the neglect and decay, and as I circled it and focused in on details I was amazed at how well the chrome has survived the elements. The headlights are intact, even, and the body shows some rust but hardly a single dent, a testament to the steel construction. What a sweet ride this must have been in its day.
29 January 2012
Horseplay (29/366)
Precita and the boys, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Damacio, being shy |
28 January 2012
Mundane (28/366)
Winter afternoon, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
My photo mojo is also low these days; I submitted some pieces (several of the descanso images) to a small local show and received a tepid response: "the photos are pretty basic... easily accessible locations... not technically difficult..." Now every time I pick up the camera I think, oh, more pedestrian, mundane shots, no one wants to see these. No, I don't take criticism well, at least not that kind. They did accept three shots, but today I decided to withdraw because, really, who wants to show to a less-than-enthusiastic reception?
So I'll go back to photographing my world just for myself and forget about the Art Scene. Today's shot is about as mundane as they come, and actually I like that. Beauty isn't exotic or inaccessible or difficult; it is all around us for the taking if we can just see it. Head over to Third Eye to see some other beautiful photos -- I love these virtual gatherings.
27 January 2012
Cutie patootie (27/366)
Maggie at the Socorro County Courthouse, Socorro, NM, Jan. 2012 |
26 January 2012
New Moon (26/366)
New moon on a telephone wire, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 2012 |
I'm very tired this week. I'm wishing I didn't have to commute to and from Albuquerque twice a week, 2000 miles per month, 22,000 miles by the time internship is over in June. I wish I could move up there and live a more normal life... maybe because the past six weeks have brought water outages and crippling snowfall and a long Internet outage, maybe because it's winter and Magdalena's charms aren't so apparent, maybe because I'm just tired. I'll keep going because I know it's worth it, and because when I'm with my clients, in the moment, I feel energized. For now, that is enough. It has to be.
25 January 2012
Juicy (25/366)
Pomegranate half, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
24 January 2012
Snow, again (24/366)
Surprise! Snowstorm, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
22 January 2012
Turbulence (21/366)
Descanso por dos, Highway 550 near mile marker 12 (Sandoval County), Jan. 2012 |
This one, for two people named Laura and Cordy, is clearly tended throughout the year but appears several years old; I find it visually interesting but also sad that the Madonna figure has had to be cabled and chained to one of the crosses. On the other hand, the presence of numerous figurines large and small suggests frequent tending and a good degree of respect for what this descanso embodies.
Edit, 1/29/12: Here's another version of the first photo, rendered in "Opalotype" filter of Topaz Labs' B&W Effects:
21 January 2012
Local Color (20/366)
Truck with a mission, Corrales, NM, Jan. 2012 |
19 January 2012
Pastoral Breakfast (19/366)
Sandhill cranes, San Acacia, NM, Jan. 2012 |
I noticed them a few weeks ago during my morning commute and decided to make this a photo shoot, hoping the birds would cooperate and stay around the near side of this field so I could get some nice closeups. No, they replied indignantly (I would imagine), and before I could get set up they were off to the other side. I'll try again another time, with the camera pre-mounted on the tripod and ready to go, but in the meantime I got some okay shots, and I really enjoyed the spent standing at the edge of this pasture watching and listening to them.
Edit (1/29/12): Here's another, experimental version of the photo, rendered in the Opalotype filter of Topaz Labs' B&W Effects:
Local Color (18/366)
Mural by Eddie Tsosie, Bear Mountain Cafe, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
The great Internet-outage-ocalypse at my house continues, but that has compelled me to hang out at another local cafe in the afternoons that I'm not in Albuquerque working, and (as long as I can lay off their cheesecake) getting out regularly is a good thing.
18 January 2012
Sobering (17/366)
Descansos, Socorro, NM, Jan. 2012 |
These descansos, located in the city of Socorro, NM, mark where five people -- a woman and four children -- were killed by a drunk driver in 1996. The smaller crosses are set in the median of Spring Street/Highway 60, which is where the accident happened; the larger memorial is on the road's left shoulder and was created by the family and local metalworkers. If there was ever a testament to the losses inflicted by drunk driving, this and the too many others along our highways are it.
Roadside memorial, Socorro, NM, Jan 2012 |
My 366 project will be back on track soon; the photos are here on my MacBook, safe from marauding malware, and I hope to be back up to speed by tomorrow or Friday.
Edit, 1/29/2012: I just had to add this image, a wider crop of the top photo, rendered in Topaz Labs' B&W Effects "Opalotype" filter:
Edit, 1/29/2012: I just had to add this image, a wider crop of the top photo, rendered in Topaz Labs' B&W Effects "Opalotype" filter:
13 January 2012
Home Is Where the Kitties Are (13/366)
"I'm not upside- down; you are." |
12 January 2012
Descanso de Belen (12/366)
This roadside memorial is one of the more moving I've seen so far. I noticed it last week while driving up to ABQ for internship. The cross has been there for a long time but the teddy bears and Christmas decoration are new, I think. I can't imagine what might have happened here; the two bears suggest a memorial for two people, perhaps children. I want to do more research, which may call upon my ethnography as well as my archival research skills. I'm not happy with the photo editing yet, but my PC (with Photoshop and my Topaz plug-ins) has been invaded by malware so this will have to do for now.
11 January 2012
Rehab (11/266)
Home reconstruction project, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
This evening I heard from a dear friend who had a serious brain injury 18 or so months ago and became essentially unable to communicate. We dated and (afterwards) became very good friends in grad school, and he is one of the smartest, funniest people I know. I was devastated when I heard what happened, so to get a note from him tonight felt like a miracle. I don't know yet where he is in terms of recovery or rehabilitation but I'm sorely tempted to drop everything and go see him, to catch up on old times and see what lies ahead. Rehabilitation may take a long time, and may never be fully complete, but it would be so wonderful to talk to and maybe even see my friend again.
10 January 2012
Descanso 2 (10/366)
Descanso near mile marker 213, I-25 northbound, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 2012 |
09 January 2012
Descanso 1 (9/366)
Descanso (1999), Socorro County, NM, Jan. 2012 |
The Creative Exchange: After the Holidays
In Memoriam, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Last year, I had a similarly quiet time; I was pretty deep in the process of mourning my mom, and the kids were with their dad, so I burrowed into my bed and watched movies all night. That part was okay, but it was very, very cold out and the water pipe from the village main to our house froze that night, so I had no running water for three days. That's definitely a sucky way to start a new year, and yet as 2011 unfolded some really amazing things began to happen, and I ended the year in a place far better than I could have imagined.
Expectations are rich fuel for Monkey Mind; as some people say, an expectation is a premeditated resentment, I think because it sets us up to be disappointed and to feel like we've been deprived of something. That said, I still hope my next New Year's Eve is a bit more exciting -- say, lounging in a tropical paradise with the love of my life -- just so I don't have to work quite so hard at convincing myself that it will all be okay. I am getting better at it... it only took me nine days to process all this and write it out so I could let it go and get on with the new year, a day at a time.
08 January 2012
Self-Reflection (8/366)
Self-portrait 1: Focused. Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Self-portrait 2: Distracted |
I Heart Macro: Lichens
Lichens on sedimentary rock, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
07 January 2012
Who's the Pack Leader? (7/366)
Riley's Treasure, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
No, says Lucy, it's MY treasure now... |
Riley tries to run away with his find, but Lucy stops him with a growl... |
Despite being taller than Lucy and outweighing her by 10 to 15 pounds, Riley finally yielded. He sat as close as he dared and whined, and he had to be content with scraps after she finished. Lucy is definitely the pack leader here, mostly because she has been Top Dog since Riley showed up as a puppy last May. Dominance is a peculiar thing; it's not always lack of size or strength that makes us powerless, but simply the belief that we are.
...and then makes him watch her chew it up. |
06 January 2012
Graveyard's Edge (6/366)
Graveyard Fence, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
05 January 2012
A candle in the window (5/366)
Still life with candle, bell, and mosaic, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Cause I feel I've gotta move
Though I'm going, going
I'll be comin' home soon
Long as I can see the light
-John Fogerty, "Long As I Can See the Light"
This was a very, very long day. The agency was jammed with suicide assessments today so I had absolutely no time to sit, think, or even eat -- I had to eat an apple walking between sessions and ate my lunch at 6pm, just after my third client session and before my third assessment session of the day. I know I can't fix everything these kids and their families are going through in 90 minutes, but I do want to do more than simply "assess risk" so I've begun to try to make these sessions a place for people to pause, breathe, think... and gather enough support and energy and hope to keep going.
How timely, then, this Daily Om missive in my email tonight: "We cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer. Peace starts in our own minds and hearts, not outside of ourselves, and until its roots are firmly entrenched in our own selves, we cannot manifest it externally. Once we have found it within, we can share it... we help the world most by practicing the art of choosing peace within."
04 January 2012
Sunset Song
Sunset in the Village, Magdalena, NM |
Against a telephone wire
Burns the last of the day down
And I'm the last one hanging 'round
I'm waiting on a train track
And the train never comes back
And even I'm getting tired
Of useless desire
-Patty Griffin, "Useless Desire"
Sort-of Spring (4/366)
Fresh Water, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Undeterred by the cold, the dogs strode right into the water to drink and play. I was happy to watch, and as I sat quietly and the dogs moved on, birds started gathering in the nearby trees and flitted back and forth to the water's edge to drink. No photos of them yet; soon I'll be a bit better equipped thanks to the recent Ebay sales of my D3100 and the 55-200mm lens...
03 January 2012
Winter Shadows (3/366)
Tree and shadows in sepia and selenium, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 2012 |
02 January 2012
Winter Coat (2/366)
Precita meditating on the mountains, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
Given how much snow we've had in the past month -- over two feet -- I wasn't surprised to see some major patches left despite several sunny days in the 40s and 50s. The ground is very muddy now, seemingly more so than after any of the summer's rains. This bodes well for spring growth, as long as the winter storms don't go away altogether.
01 January 2012
All your chewies are belong to me
"I'll be taking that stick now," says the 5-pound baby dachshund to the 95-pound toddler mastiff |
"But that's MYYYY bone," whines Riley. |
Happy New Year (Day 1 of 366 Photo Project)
Home fire (with ghost kitty?), Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012 |
I'm going to try to do a 365 photo project this year (actually, it should be a 366 project since it's a Leap Year). I haven't in the past because my Inner Perfectionista gets upset when I don't do things exactly as they're "supposed" to be done. This year, I will just do my best, and I will also take my camera with me wherever I go, when possible. This is something I want to do anyway to expand my vision and shooting opportunities.
Today's theme (which I might try to spin into the week's theme): Keep the home fires burning. I love having a fireplace, as messy as it can be, and I work hard to keep it filled -- splitting, stacking, and hauling in wood, stocking a few days' worth in the garage for stormy weather, and cleaning out and dumping the endless ashes. It's worth the work both for the ambiance and the savings; while the fire is burning the heater almost never goes on unless it's 10F or colder outside. A wood stove would be much more efficient, so that might be one of next year's home improvements. In the meantime, the dogs and cats and kids and I get plenty of time together during the winter as we gather around the fire every evening. That is priceless.
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