Spectators and competitors watch bareback bronc riding at the 2012 International Indian Finals Rodeo in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
19
Dec
2012
color
12
Dec
2012
Sketches: Not Responsible
A Professional Bull Rider from Belen, New Mexico greets his wife and daughter before his comeback from injury ride in the Casper Baca Roughstock Rodeo in Belen, New Mexico, Spring 2012.
05
Dec
2012
Sketches: Cowboy Campfire
A cowboy warms himself by a cinderblock ringed campfire made of wood and Bud Light beer cases at a family matanza in the mountains of central New Mexico.
02
Dec
2012
A Limited Commodity
I was observing myself the other day. I was observing what I was feeling and what I was thinking, specifically about photography. And in this time of gift giving and gift receiving I was thinking about all the many things I would love to receive as a gift. Lately I’ve been wanting a digital rangefinder camera along the likes of a Fuji x100 or Fuji XPro-1 as many of my friends have switched to from larger dSLR bodies.
I began to notice all the justifications in my brain about what I could do with these new, smaller, quieter camera bodies and their fantastic lenses and lack of AA filter. And I noticed that I thought – well, actually believed – that my photography would improve if I had one of those cameras. That my pictures would be better. That more people would see and like my work. That my website would get more traffic. That I would receive more praise. That I would like my pictures more. That I could move about more freely with these smaller cameras.
And some of that might be true. But, you know, really I need more time.
I need time to work on projects. I need time to follow ideas through. I need time to process and organize and make books and upload and, and, and.
And I need time to spend with my wife and kids. And time to play. And time to read. And time to settle into my skin. And time to work.
And I began to realize that I need time. And if I need time, then that is what I need most.
And as I steadfastly approach my mid century of life I look back and realize it has all gone so fast so far. And while my best years might still be yet to come, I believe I have fewer of them. I look at my parents, my siblings, my friends, and I see the unmistakable marks of age and experience on their bodies and this mirrors back to me to be aware and present to that most precious and finite of commodities.
Time.
We have all we have, I suppose. And we have plenty of it, for now. (I’m certain I will argue that point in the end.)
But here it is: new camera? Or time?
A new camera won’t improve my photography, my way of seeing, my way of telling a story. But, if I apply what time there is well, I just might. Just me, awareness, and time.
26
Sep
2012
Sketches: Upright
12
Sep
2012
Sketches: Leaner
I went to Pie Town, New Mexico this past weekend along with Dan Milnor from Smogranch, Charlene Winfred from Perth, Australia, and Flemming Bo Jensen from Denmark for the Pie Festival. The town is a stone’s throw from my late father-in-laws ranch and I’d been there many times before, to have pie and to have lunch. This time the annual Pie Town Festival was going on complete with pie eating contest, pie queen, horseshoe competition and all sorts of good family fun.
I also briefly met Arthur Drooker through Dan, who has been remaking the Farm Security Administration portfolio that Russell Lee made back in the depression. He calls it Pie Town Revisited. Really cool stuff. If you happen to be driving through Pie Town (!) the photographs are on display in the Pie-O-Neer cafe on the north side of the road. Worth a visit.
Personally, I prefer the Good Pie Cafe on the south side of the road where I found the fellows in the picture. I especially like their chocolate pie. My son likes the milkshakes.
15
Aug
2012
Sketches: Pitch
06
Mar
2012
Bosque del Apache, Part 2
In my previous post I showed a quick series about the Geese and Sand Hill cranes at Bosque del Apache, a National Wildlife Refuge about an hour south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s a photographer magnet.
We had found a field full of birds, out of which came the images in the previous post, but soon they decided to move on to their nighttime location.
We decided jump ahead of the birds to go to an area known as “The Flight Deck.”
The “Flight Deck” is an observation station placed in the flooded fields at a favorite resting spot for the birds. Word has it that thousand of birds usually spend the night here…as well as several zealous photographers. This time the birds landed at a neighboring field without a deck. They tend to do that if there are predators nearby. So all that was left was a gaggle of photographers with impossibly large lenses, the water, and the sunset.
