26-SEP-2006
Bison, Hot Lake, Yellowstone National Park, 2006
This bison was almost close enough to use a portrait lens. I made this image shooting at 150mm with only our van between those horns and myself. The image is an environmental portrait – it is more than a picture of a bison, but rather a glimpse of where it lives as well. Surrounded by colorful trees of all sorts, the bison stands almost chest deep in grass that is changing to autumn gold.
25-SEP-2006
Rodeo rider, Fall Creek horse camp, Bridger National Forest, Wyoming, 2006
I made this environmental portrait of Rodeo rider Randall Perry as he stood with a horse and a glass of beer in his hand in a sun splashed forest glade. I wanted the colors and texture of this image to define Perry as much as his patient, genial pose. The plaid shirt, rough bark and translucent leaves speak of a man who leads an outdoor life and enjoys every moment of it. I sense possessiveness in the way he clasps both glass and bridle to his chest that speaks of a self-confidence. A few moments after I made this image, the horse expressed itself as well, by reaching up to nuzzle Perry. You can see that image in my Human Values gallery by clicking on the thumbnail below:
13-JUN-2006
Drenched in the Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, 2006
While photographing roses in Portland's Rose Garden, I heard the shrill wail of a young voice a good distance away. This child had fallen into a fountain. After a few moments, the shrieks stopped and the tears dried. On my way out of the garden I met her and her mother. She was still soaked. I asked her if she would let me make a picture, and she cautiously agreed. It’s the incongruity of the hair, the anxious expression, and the close up, high vantage point that makes it work. Childhood means living by trial and error. She made an error and this portrait is evidence of her experience.
12-JUN-2006
Roxalee Barbee, caretaker, Remote, Oregon, 2006
The core of the village of Remote is the Jennings Estate. Some of its buildings have not been used for many years. Its gracious but very shy caretaker, Roxalee Barbee, opened its buildings to us and encouraged us to photograph them at will. The hardest subject to photograph in Remote was its caretaker. After considerable pleading, Ms. Barbee finally agreed to sit for a portrait in front of the estate's ancient barn. I rarely, if ever, have made an eyes-closed portrait. Yet, it works here. Her expression and body language speak volumes.
11-JUN-2006
Mark Holman, gallery owner and sculptor, Gardner, Oregon, 2006
Gardner is a relatively quiet town on the estuary of the Umpqua River. We visited Mark Holman, a Gardner gallery owner and sculptor. He was willing to pose with two of his life sized bronze figures. I abstract them with my frame in order to stress the personality of the man himself. He has a whimsical sense of humor, and it comes through in this environmental portrait.
02-APR-2006
Naxi Woman, Baisha, China, 2006
Many photographers prefer to make portraits as a head and shoulders. I generally prefer portraits to go beyond description to interpret the subject instead of describing it. In this case, the weathered features of the subject are a timeless symbol of rural China and the ethnic minorities who work its land. So I stressed the head – since that’s where the “story” is here. However I did two things that many head and shoulders shots do not include: I added the hand on the staff, and used a horizontal frame instead of the traditional vertical portrait framing approach. The horizontal framing allows the diagonals formed by the scarf and the shoulder to work more dynamically. I also include two of the three primary colors in this portrait – the blue shawl and the pair of softly focused red signs over the shoulders.
19-MAR-2006
Family portrait, Shanghai, China, 2006
I could have never made this engaging portrait if not for the help of my friend, pbase photographer Jen Zhou (
http://www.pbase.com/angeleyes_zyl , who graciously took me into the streets of Old Shanghai and photographed with me. Jen speaks the same language as our subjects, and could establish a rapport with them that I couldn’t. She was able to photograph and chat with these people simultaneously, and shared her images with them on her viewing screen. I stood off to one side and photographed them as they reacted to Jen’s pictures and comments. In this group portrait there are three levels of response – pleasure, friendliness, and incomprehension. There is strong variety in not only response, but also in age and gender. The worn door adds additional context.
A moment after I made this image, I shared it with everyone. Jen photographed the pleasure it brought to them, and to me.
I use Jen's shot in Gallery 37, entitled "How others see me" Click on the thumbnail below to see it.
15-MAR-2006
Student, Hutong primary school, Beijing, China, 2006
This child attends school in one of Beijing's old Hutongs -- a labyrinth of alleyways lined with four sided courtyard homes. All of his classmates had just ended a play session and had been moved to another part of the school. He is just emerging from the bathroom, wondering why all his friends have vanished. He stood there in the door for a few moments, bewildered and confused. One of his teachers came back for him, and was just about to take him back to his classmates when I made this environmental portrait. His tiny figure contrasts to the large door and flight of steps below. His body language expresses caution and uncertainty. This portrait expresses the feelings of a child who is, for the moment anyway, confused and perhaps a bit afraid.
04-APR-2006
Doorway gathering, Guilin, China, 2006
I found this trio gathered at the front of the building in which they probably live or work. I was far away from them and used a 200mm telephoto focal length. They have spotted me and are posing, but seem a bit uncertain about my purpose. The growling lion statue adds an incongruous counterpoint. (Perhaps some of my Chinese friends will translate the signage over the door, and the large words dimly seen in the room behind the door – it may tell us a bit more about why they are here. A steel security shutter stands open in the doorway, which leads me to believe that this may be a workplace rather than a residence.) I call this impromptu gathering a spontaneous environmental group portrait, where the setting is just as important as the character of the subjects. Ultimately, this image offers them a sense of place, and asks us to ponder what each of these men might be thinking.
19-MAR-2006
Doorway music, Shanghai, China, 2006
The body language and well-worn surroundings are timeless, but the music this woman brings to her ear is just for the moment. The wire in the ear at first seemed incongruous, yet such things have become universal appendages, regardless of age, gender or location. I made this spontaneous portrait using a 300mm telephoto focal length on a street of antique stalls in Old Shanghai. The portrait speaks simultaneously of both past and present.
20-MAR-2006
Ticket seller, Pearl Tower, Shanghai, China, 2006
Shanghai's landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the tallest tower (1,535 feet) in Asia and the third highest in the world. One of its ticket clerks had little to do the afternoon I made this image—it was late in the day, and low visibility had probably reduced the number of visitors. Instead of photographing the tower on this murky afternoon, I found a more expressive subject by turning my camera on its ticket booth. Ornate iron fences, designed for crowd control, surround the booth. Ironically, its rhythmic row of spindles symbolizes the non-existent lines of tourists that would usually line up for tickets here. The young ticket seller seems to be wondering where everyone went.
12-FEB-2006
The Bottle Man, Oro Grande, California, 2006
I spent an hour visiting with Elmer Long and viewing his unique art -- a forest of trees with old bottles for branches. (For an image of that art, click on the thumbnail below.) I made this portrait of Elmer in his home, as he talked of his life and his art. The battered hat and long beard give Elmer much of his character. I have tried to imply even more character by including his folded hands. They may be at rest, but they are well worn and well used. I use soft window light so that Elmer can come to us from out of mysterious shadows. His work comes from the imagination, and the source of imagination is often shrouded in mystery.