19-OCT-2006
Shed doors, Benton Hot Springs, California, 2006
These old doors have served their owners well. The texture of the old wooden planks, studded with nails and held together by rusted, misaligned hinges, speaks of sturdiness and great natural beauty. The tree that gave them to us may be long gone, but its legacy lives on in the texture and pattern of its grain. The scorched planks at right, scarred by a fire that failed to consume them, remind us of the power of survival. By moving in closely, I reveal even more detail – a plank on the other side of this door can seen within the knot hole, and the old hinges seem to be missing some of their nails, yet the old doors somehow still manage to open and close.
25-AUG-2006
The life of a palm, Phoenix, Arizona, 2006
I had a Mexican Fan Palm planted in my own backyard when I moved to Phoenix 12 years ago. It has already grown higher than my house, and perhaps someday, long after I’ve moved on, it will top 100 feet. Its thick trunk is ringed with the remnants of palm fronds that have long since been pruned away. I thought these fanciful stubs, fringed in wispy hairs, would make a more expressive photograph than the overall tree itself. And what better challenge for a brand new camera’s very first assignment than a close-up of nature in my own, all-too-familiar backyard? I had just taken delivery of my 10MP Panasonic Lumix FZ-50, and wanted to see how it would render texture, detail and color. I was delighted with the resulting image, and look forward to making thousands of new images with the FZ-50’s remarkable Leica zoom lens. I made this photograph deep in the shade of the palm tree’s own huge fronds. I set my white balance, as usual, on “cloudy” -- warming the color as I prefer. Using my spot-metering mode, I exposed on the brightest part of the wood to bring out the maximum detail in the stubs and the fragile hairs that surround them. These stubs are like an old, well-used skin that still clings to a body -- an interwoven patchwork of frond stubs reminding us of both life and death. As with us all, a tree begins to die the day it is born, and this is how it displays the reminders that mark its passage through life.
13-JUN-2006
Yellow Rose, Portland Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, 2006
Portland is known for its roses – perhaps because of all the moisture in the air. It’s the moisture that gives this image much of its tactile expression. The center of the rose seems to be smiling as beads of rain moisten its petals. The texture on the surface of these petals is enhanced by the vivid primary colors, energizing this huge rose held under our nose. It stirs the senses, waiting to be touched and smelled.
14-MAR-2006
Dragon, Forbidden City, Beijing, China, 2006
The curves and swirls on the back of a bronze dragon create a fancifully tactile experience for visitors to the rock garden at the north end of the vast Forbidden City complex. The shiny parts have been worn by years of touching. By moving in on only part of the dragon, and emphasizing the detail, I’ve stressed the textured grooves that catch the light and draw the fingers of visitors. The image is alive with rhythms that repeat the twisted shapes again and again. Dragons are imaginary beasts, and I tried to make this image a tactile feast for the imagination of my viewers.
05-FEB-2006
Sand and Stone, Glen Canyon Dam, Page, Arizona, 2006
The poet William Blake (1757-1827) opens his “Auguries of Innocence” with these words:
“To see the world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”
Blake is speaking of symbolic meanings that reside in details. In this image, I also speak of detail as symbol. Only my details live in the textures revealed by the angle of the light, my choice of exposure, and my close-up camera position. A heavy coating of sand covers much of a sandstone slab – yet it is the array of rhythmically repeating textured ridges of stone that draws the eye and provides a contrasting texture to the flowing sand. Heavy shadows cast by nearby rocks enclose the scene, creating a gradually expanding flow of sand that begins at upper right and moves diagonally to the lower left. This textures in this image encourages us to see what we might not ordinarily see, and think about things we might not ordinarily consider: the eroding forces of wind, weather and water upon the earth, and the residue of time itself. These textures make us see, think, and perhaps even feel the hand of nature upon the earth.
11-FEB-2006
Dead Truck, The Boneyard, Amboy, California, 2006
The Boneyard is a place where old vehicles are unceremoniously left to decay. The setting sun brushes its rusting hood into a soft velvet sheen, and at the same time illuminates its trim and rear window in a matching glow, evoking a timeless mood. I used my spot meter to create this mood by exposing on the brightest spot in the image – the chrome strip. This darkened the picture, helping me to contrast the pitted texture of the chrome to the smooth texture of the hood, and then compare both to the translucent opaque color in the windshield. I designed this image around a series of curves. The curve of the tightly cropped chrome hood ornament echoes the curved shadow in the windshield. The gentle curve of the hood itself echoes the curve of the windshield. Within the arcs of these curves, it is texture and color that brings both mood and meaning to the image.
10-FEB-2006
Tire Sign, Barstow, California, 2006
This sign may well have once announced its product alongside of historic US Route 66, the “Mother Road” of American highways. Today, pock marked with bullet holes, it rusts away in the front yard of Tom's Welding and Machine Shop in Barstow. This image is built around the incongruous contrast of textures and colors. I juxtapose rusty patches and bulging bullet punctures with the yellow letters and symbols that once implied perfection. No less than Mercury, the fleet footed messenger of the Roman Gods, is present here. Yet the opposing symbols of violence and neglect are here too – heavily textured and begging for our touch.
10-FEB-2006
Dedication Monument, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Nevada, 2006
Two 30 foot high winged bronze figures flank a 142 foot high flagpole on top of the Hoover Dam. They were called "Winged Figures of the Republic" by sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen. I chose to photograph just one of them, and in a very abstract manner. I moved in on just the legs and feet, incongruously abstracting the image to stress the textures that tell a story. The great dam, still the highest on earth, is now more than 70 years old. Since its dedication in 1935, millions of visitors have rubbed the feet of these statues for good luck, or just for the tactile pleasure of touching them. The contrast in color and texture is striking – the smooth golden toes quickly become heavily textured feet and legs, fading gradually to green. I also included the textured wall behind the statue. It is natural rock, part of a canyon carved by the river now tamed by the dam itself. All of these textures, so different in color and feel, combine to help me tell my story.
05-FEB-2006
Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam, Page, Arizona, 2006
From the top of a cliff high over the river, I used my 420mm telephoto lens and spot meter to focus and expose on the textures of a great crescent of water streaming out from the rocky point of land. Six different textures contrast with each other in this image. Three of them are created by the effect of water. The wavy water at the bottom of the image is quite different from the water in the sweeping crescent that catches the rays of a fading sun. The pool of calm water between crescent and land offers a smooth and tranquil texture. There are also three textures present in the land. A green beach glows with moisture. A rocky brown transitional zone links that beach to a textured stand of brownish trees in the upper right hand corner of the image, giving the viewer a sense of scale that would otherwise be missing.
07-FEB-2006
Cascade, Lower Emerald Pool, Zion National Park, Utah, 2006
I built this image around three contrasting textures, each providing a separate layer of meaning. A tangled mass of branches in the foreground separates the viewer from the waterfall, and gives it a sense of isolation. The forceful textures of the backlit water itself provide the focal point of the image in the second layer. The brown rock underside of an overhanging cliff offers a background layer. Its texture is rough, yet warm in color and dappled with light. Water pours from a crevice in this rock as well. The entire image is literally awash with textures that demand our attention and etch the character of this natural setting into our consciousness.
07-FEB-2006
Evolution, Lower Emerald Pool, Zion National Park, Utah, 2006
The waterfall in the preceding image is seen here striking the ancient rocks that line Zion's Lower Emerald Pool. The rough character of these rocks is emphasized by the texture created by glistening water on their surfaces. Each rock differs in color, light, form, and texture. They start in darkness at the bottom, and emerge into full light at the top. The colors and textures change at each step upward, a metaphor for evolution itself.
08-FEB-2006
Rocky Water, Virgin River, Zion National Park, Utah, 2006
An early morning sun reflects a touch of gold on the churning waters of the Virgin River as it plunges through the heart of Zion Canyon. There are numerous contrasting textures creating meaning in this photograph. The frothy water at the bottom contrasts to the dark undulations above it, as well as to the gold water flowing so placidly at the top. The large rocks that strew the river each are studies in opposing textures as well, ranging from smooth at the top to roughly textured in the middle. At the top of the frame, I’ve included a touch of shoreline for scale reference. It, too, is defined by its difference in color and texture.