tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428729403975188702024-03-05T11:45:30.627-08:00Murray Bolesta Fine Art PrintsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-52627446217136558722012-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:002012-05-16T18:42:50.995-07:00Article: The Other Missions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>Published May 2012 in "Tubac Villager"</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Tsunamis are not too common in Tubac, and neither, thank goodness, are earthquakes. The latter are truly at fault for having a nasty habit of bringing the future of brick and mortar structures to a grinding halt.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Neglect and abandonment have done their gradual damage to the Spanish missionary structures of Eusebio Kino’s Sonoran Desert, but the California missions of Junipero Serra came to a more sudden conclusion. And more than once, at that.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1tUJxwz3Vc5Ud1pHDkDxidKu3cNYp5KqbFch9moTRJsG8z1Wnzv5mzjmfuafHp1189AeiU9BRsHoT2x0ailjyDfUeZiyzxVCkiNdpEDam2T3llMDVdskHjv_t-uTShjR3mZmbi6UvrtK/s1600/Uno-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1tUJxwz3Vc5Ud1pHDkDxidKu3cNYp5KqbFch9moTRJsG8z1Wnzv5mzjmfuafHp1189AeiU9BRsHoT2x0ailjyDfUeZiyzxVCkiNdpEDam2T3llMDVdskHjv_t-uTShjR3mZmbi6UvrtK/s400/Uno-blog.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mission San Juan Capistrano. Between Long Beach </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">and San Diego, the still-standing chapel of this </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">mission is the only extant building in which </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Serra said Mass. From time to time today, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">swallows call this place home.</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Throughout the centuries of their existence, many of the missions of California Alta have tumbled to dust and were repeatedly repaired, strengthened, or replaced. The continual resources devoted to salvaging these structures attest to their value as part of our heritage. Today, the Catholic Church owns nineteen California missions, and the state of California owns two. Responsibility for upkeep</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is more complicated.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Since heritage photography is that thing I do, the California missions draw my attention, along with those in southern Arizona. A heritage photographer worth his salt doesn’t stop at the skin-deep beauty of the structures, but will delve into the past to understand their provenance. Coincidentally, now, the April 2012 issue of “Noticias de Anza”, the bulletin of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, features the “parallel lives” of the two men behind the missions. </span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Reaching from today’s Mexico into the entire southern part of today’s United States, the Viceroyalty of New Spain wanted assimilation: command and control of its new territories, and along with the military, missionaries such as Kino and Serra entered this grand stage as a fundamental part of that effort. Their goal was of course to convert zealously the locals to Christianity.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">The two chains of self-sustaining mission villages created first by Kino, then Serra, are the focus of my attention. A few comparative facts of these missionaries are offered as follows:</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Father Eusebio Francisco Kino ~ Father Junipero Serra </span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Pimeria Alta (Sonora/Arizona) ~ Alta California</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">lived 1645-1711 ~ lived 1713-1784</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Jesuit order ~ Franciscan order</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">died age 66 ~ died age 71</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">buried at Magdalena, Sonora ~ buried at Carmel, California</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">indomitable energy ~ indomitable energy</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Even though they lived at different times, as the “Noticias de Anza” informs, the lives of these two great men intersected, in a way, at Tucson’s Mission San Xavier del Bac. It was Kino, a Jesuit, who initiated the first missionary activities there, but it was Franciscans later who oversaw the final construction of the main structure we enjoy today.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaUlEm_vV29cgbJevqv2KQfrNWqApIxwe-AUMIf7zSAbKisTBMvcjIiZxftvyDdhYf4E7zzbrZVS9aKLIq2SttvL4QtFh3CT1dMz8c6OPKGUE1QsKpNBgxdXc_aZzH_Y5jgwkW6WBeQux/s1600/Dos-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaUlEm_vV29cgbJevqv2KQfrNWqApIxwe-AUMIf7zSAbKisTBMvcjIiZxftvyDdhYf4E7zzbrZVS9aKLIq2SttvL4QtFh3CT1dMz8c6OPKGUE1QsKpNBgxdXc_aZzH_Y5jgwkW6WBeQux/s1600/Dos-blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mission La Purisima Concepción, in a blissful rural setting near Lompoc, was entirely rebuilt</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression of the 1930s. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Since then, enough time has passed to add the charm of age.</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By policy, California’s missions were built close to the mighty Pacific ocean. Just imagine that magnificent country in the pristine splendor of those times!</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But this was also earthquake country. The inevitable damage or destruction of the California missions by earthquakes spared the two examples extant here in southern Arizona. This benefits current pilgrims in the sense that our structures, not having been rebuilt, may be somewhat more original. Even so, the current, local </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Tumacácori</span><span style="color: #464646; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">structure is a second rendition of that mission, having been moved from the east side of the Santa Cruz River and itself having fallen into severe disrepair from neglect.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In southern Arizona there are, as far as I can tell, three other mission structures with bits and pieces still above ground, but their remains can’t approach the photogenic charm of </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Tumacácori</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> or the magnificence of San Xavier. It’s hard to go wrong photographing these precious relics of our heritage. Photographer Ansel Adams, my “mentor,” famously captured San Xavier’s exterior on film from the 1940s through the 1960s. For exterior pictures of the White Dove of the Desert, (not to mention most landscapes in the great American West), you can probably start and stop with Ansel. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb_PZJENMwrvMerwIPUUcHx2kiLUof1D993lNlByGkz9U7vP3hf3F2Nx5XwDgWY_v9eSVY3t4I6zqWsvGEIi-zWtZjCD75xXJazXkSUIhUzccvUf455WwlpT18BMCSYQQc9qiNOf_jA4b/s1600/Tres-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb_PZJENMwrvMerwIPUUcHx2kiLUof1D993lNlByGkz9U7vP3hf3F2Nx5XwDgWY_v9eSVY3t4I6zqWsvGEIi-zWtZjCD75xXJazXkSUIhUzccvUf455WwlpT18BMCSYQQc9qiNOf_jA4b/s1600/Tres-blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mission Santa Barbara. This structure, the first built after the death of Father Serra, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">is graced by the Mediterranean climate of California’s central coast. As are we all.</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But, if you insist on making your own pictures, the Spanish missions of either Arizona or California offer a perfect destination for travel and heritage photography. A trip for a week or two visiting most of the California missions is a dandy notion. Only a few no longer exist. When photographing them, a few hints: use a tripod indoors without flash, since flash is no good due to “hot spots.” Any tourists in the way will probably blur out due to the time exposure. For outdoors, move backward and take maximum advantage of the (sometimes rural) settings of these precious structures. Plan your day for just the right angle of sunlight.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">As part of their reward, Father Kino is now approaching beatification in the Roman Catholic Church, and Friar Serra is headed toward sainthood. You, the borderlands photographer, may or may not be saintly, but immersing yourself thoroughly in the sepia-toned history of Old California and Old Arizona is itself a very fine reward.</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-66557568352373857022012-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:002012-04-30T10:38:30.103-07:00Article: My Buyers' Guide to Fine Art Photography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Murray Bolesta’s Buyers’ Guide to Fine Art Photography and Philosophy of Life (Short Version!)<br />
<br />
Value - <br />
<br />
My art is not cheap and is worth every penny and more; I produce compelling images with the highest artistic and technical merit. Meticulous attention is given to every detail of an image, from visualization and composition to editing, printing and final inspection (and matting & dry-mounting if you order them). Often I print several copies of an individual order before I choose the perfect print for shipment. The others are destroyed. No two prints will be precisely the same: this is not a factory.<br />
<br />
Dimension and orientation - <br />
<br />
The relative dimensions (height and width) and orientation (vertical or horizontal) will depend upon the artistic composition. No standard size or orientation will be used (such as 8x10 horizontal) unless it optimizes the composition. If there must be a standard dimension, I prefer the 8x12 to 8x10, as it is much more elegant and visually pleasing. Accommodating discounted standard framing can be left to others.<br />
<br />
Aesthetic appeal and decorative appeal - <br />
<br />
Buyers of fine art photography are often less concerned about coordination with home furnishings than buyers of decorative art. Buyers often are driven by subject but are also by composition and quality of technical rendering. Other more personal elements are taste, style, emotional appeal, and of course, affordability. Many fine art buyers rely on instinct, on an immediate attraction.<br />
<br />
Composition, or balance, is the basic structure of any image: its spine. Fine art photography will exploit a natural balance within a scene’s subjects and distribution of light. Expert composition will de-emphasize or eliminate extraneous subjects. Each major region of an image will possess its own contributing merit. Fine art photography will rarely be a snapshot.<br />
<br />
Color harmony and context of colors in an image will produce a fine art photograph. Often the point of an art image is not the color at all; instead it’s the composition, subject, contrast, and texture. Thus a mediocre color image can be transformed into art as monochrome. Also, color often is managed to produce increased harmony or enhanced impact.<br />
<br />
Photographs which have been significantly altered, or rendered, digitally, to produce an unnatural effect of fantasy are not fine art photographs; they are digital art. <br />
<br />
Fine Art Nature Photography - <br />
<br />
All subjects must be photographed in wild nature, with no zoos, museums, arboretums, or other controlled circumstances acceptable.<br />
<br />
Technical merit -<br />
<br />
A fine art photograph has meticulous attention doted upon every centimeter. Technically, most significant is what does not exist: There will no unintended overexposed or underexposed regions which obscure detail. There will be no digital “noise” or dots and streaks in the image. There will be no unintended blur or out-of-focus regions, or excessively sharpened regions. There will be no unintended disharmony of color. Digitally, there must be sufficient resolution to produce enlargements without loss of quality.<br />
<br />
Activism -<br />
<br />
Fine art photography strives for commentary on the human condition or issues of activism such as conservation. This can be expressed in the image and in the motivations and adjunct work of the artist.<br />
<br />
Printing and displaying -<br />
<br />
A fine art photograph will be printed by the artist, since fully half of the value of the image comes from a faithful paper reproduction of a photographic negative or digital frame. The paper should be premium heavy material, perhaps cotton, specifically designed for fine artwork.<br />
<br />
Fine art photography, like all art, is meant to last indefinitely. “Archival” is often used here. This will require premium photo paper, and glass or acrylic protection which contains ultra-violet light filtering. Matting the photograph will remove and protect the paper from glass. The hung art print should have very minimal or no exposure to direct sunlight.<br />
<br />
A fine art photograph should be signed by the artist, and may include a title. The location of the signature will be visibly on the front and could either be on a corner of the image itself or just outside the image on the white margin. My matting and mounting solution (for sale in my Etsy shop and elsewhere) allows for a visible signature in the white margin.<br />
<br />
Finally, the point of a fine art photograph is the image, not the frame. The frame should enhance and protect the image but not overwhelm it.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-32597001435060307572012-04-30T08:50:00.002-07:002012-04-30T08:53:12.359-07:00Opinion: Wal-Mart et al<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Homogenization of the planet, economic imperialism, corporate greed, corruption. Decades ago, Coca-Cola was one of the first, offering colored sugar water to destroy the health of human beings across the globe.<br />
<br />
Boycott this stuff. Buy local, buy healthy.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-9842022359701979432012-04-29T16:12:00.002-07:002012-04-29T16:13:47.052-07:00Opinion: How to Make USA Much, Much Worse (link)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Per a New York Times Op Ed<br />
<br />
"Unexceptionalism: A Primer"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/unexceptionalism-a-primer.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/unexceptionalism-a-primer.html</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-39240988444020860362012-04-13T15:31:00.001-07:002012-04-13T15:34:24.937-07:00Opinion: War on Women or Civil War?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="yui_3_2_0_19_133435552776973" style="right: auto;">Let's call it for what it is. For the past, roughly, 7 or 8 years, I feel this country has entered a civil war. Civil War - without the cannon and Enfield rifles, perhaps, but it is a civil war. Instead of north and south, it's left and right. Red and Blue. Fox vs. MSNBC. A huge divide has opened, in large part based upon the wealth divide, and in large part due to the desperate, frightened attempts of the right to resist social changes that are inexorable, to hold onto an oil-dependent economy and an America which, perhaps, once was, and in part due to the frustrated anger of the left with which they see chances for a better America squandered by regression and disregard for civil rights, science, and waste of national resources in pursuit of misguided foreign adventures. Is this ideological war worse than it has been in recent generations? What will it take to reach a semblance of an armistice? </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-64725503973244572592012-03-24T18:25:00.001-07:002012-03-25T07:01:33.067-07:00Article: "Spring Fling: Slivers of Color"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i>Published April 2012 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager. </i></b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the desert, vibrant color is sometimes hard to come by. Except in the spring. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here in Tubac, we’re on the remote northeastern edge of the Sonoran desert. In this desert, we’re blessed with two glorious springtimes - not just one, but two.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The monsoon season, with its heavy rains in August through October, offers a second growing season for many plants and animals. The added benefit of monsoon is the drama of the sky, bringing Tubac the best thunderstorm skyscapes anywhere in the world (that’s in another article!).</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QTvZy5cVi7bgG3TUyAzQJ1p-jn2HPQxCSmXQYDmYyF-Kbrrl6xqOOYRB1DxN4Ap7cpB3hVt79AHEFaJkAREsCq6Yn3raKjxsBRagzDxUfD8v3N74s6vukpft5_LsziXezcYAqZpdEZWs/s1600/one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QTvZy5cVi7bgG3TUyAzQJ1p-jn2HPQxCSmXQYDmYyF-Kbrrl6xqOOYRB1DxN4Ap7cpB3hVt79AHEFaJkAREsCq6Yn3raKjxsBRagzDxUfD8v3N74s6vukpft5_LsziXezcYAqZpdEZWs/s320/one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pollinators give life during these periods, generously but unknowingly, and they seem to differ between the two seasons. For example, I’ve observed that there are more and greater varieties of butterflies during monsoon. (Then, in the winter, caterpillars morph into golfers.) Bees and hummingbirds seem to dominate the earlier springtime. Biologists who differ with this assessment may send me a memo.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbOPocyVg5EPnUqrtWrUjiP5vKMqwLax1T97hFxEXh6DeZ8wgcx9df-WmKJXeiInYgPPvsSEBj2MlA8Ai3poYHA-uvikL0yOq_jPC2hHDcldqHa7ThUfIy1FcV4NLPxz93seUNlRf5DXE/s1600/Two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbOPocyVg5EPnUqrtWrUjiP5vKMqwLax1T97hFxEXh6DeZ8wgcx9df-WmKJXeiInYgPPvsSEBj2MlA8Ai3poYHA-uvikL0yOq_jPC2hHDcldqHa7ThUfIy1FcV4NLPxz93seUNlRf5DXE/s320/Two.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Seeds of desert wildflowers sprout forth in February, when friendly weather conditions tickle their fancy. These are plants which benefit from cooler temperatures and the storage of the moisture from mild rains over the winter months. This process continues into April, and in May we discover the flowers of the Saguaro cactus and the Ironwood tree.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">June and December are, frankly, my least favorite months here from the point of view of nature’s color and drama. And, not to break this article’s tone, I think many of these observations will change in my lifetime due to rapidly-evolving climate disruption.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In any case, color will flourish so long as there is water in the desert. Slivers of color become polychromatic carpets when the balance of temperature and moisture favor the Mexican gold poppy and desert lupine. This doesn’t happen every year, in either of the springtimes, so stick around or come back often.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The three pictures featured this month are examples of the brilliance and the diversity of southern Arizona’s spring life. In the borderlands, one can drive a few miles, change a bit of elevation, and a new biome appears, offering a fresh set of natural thrills for you, the intrepid borderlands photographer.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The experienced nature photographer will favor dynamic images. A static scene of wildflowers is pretty and decorative, but it is not fine art nature photography. Add movement from wildlife, no matter how small, and the image’s status is transformed from good to great. A fine art photograph should have multiple visual elements.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are additional elements of a superior flower photo. But those critters don’t care to stand still very long, presenting a challenge. In photography, as in life, adversity often produces a finer result. Further, capturing these critters in motion is much better than in a still pose, and you don’t have to pay a sitting fee. The three pictures- </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Flowering shindagger stalks</u>: Mountain country near Tubac will yield the hardy shindagger with its rapier spines at leaf-tip. Peaking in May and lasting a couple of months, the blossoms will sprout from a stalk up to 8 feet long. In the famous Muleshoe Ranch area near Benson, Arizona, where this swallowtail butterfly was framed, shindaggers grow thick as thieves.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Spring green</u>: This Yellow Warbler bird is frolicking and frittering amongst the spring cottonwood twigs in Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Hovering hummer</u>: This adorable hummingbird (aren’t they all?) is surrounded by spring blossoms and may not know where to begin. Should we tell her?</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You, the borderlands photographer, will know where to begin after donning those walking shoes and spying that sliver of color in the desert. It’ll put a spring in your step.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvahlqfmrE_GcvxakMek-ahc4m442MkR-5teQUhHd__e_3v0JmUoqh0fZE0jDq1AK_rSLDpx3vhAFQop8ZV9qgk89_VHhy6mM0qIbOn7iflXBOBEsv93prrpJEy_yR4vLnPLDhCT4fs5a/s1600/Three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvahlqfmrE_GcvxakMek-ahc4m442MkR-5teQUhHd__e_3v0JmUoqh0fZE0jDq1AK_rSLDpx3vhAFQop8ZV9qgk89_VHhy6mM0qIbOn7iflXBOBEsv93prrpJEy_yR4vLnPLDhCT4fs5a/s320/Three.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-87445530877456271682012-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:002012-02-14T14:11:44.641-08:00Opinion: Obesity (again) - Have shame for fatness, pride in fitness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Michelle Obama has had a positive impact on the war against obesity (see link below).<br />
<br />
Thank goodness there is progress being made. National (international, now) obesity is a problem I never envisioned when I was younger. Overpopulation, yes. Destruction of the environment, yes. But the shock came when I realized that starting around 1980 (the advent of high fructose corn syrup and the decline of smoking) this problem "ballooned" to such proportions that it's truly a disgrace, and much more important than most folks even today realize.<br />
<br />
The implications about so many things, not the least of which is our health care costs, are monumental.<br />
The corporate food companies are largely to blame and must be held accountable. But of course, the main problem is with the people. Folks must start, once again if they ever did, take pride in fitness and have shame for fatness.<br />
<br />
Making obesity the new "normal" is the most frightening prospect. For older folks it may be largely too late, but it's not too late for the kids. The obesity trend must not only be stopped, it must be reversed. And not be replaced by some other vice, like going back to cigarettes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/lets-move-she-said-and-we-have">http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/lets-move-she-said-and-we-have</a><br />
<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-75696600059744073642011-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:002011-12-10T08:48:30.178-08:00Article: "Just Folks"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><b><i><b><i>(Published August 2008 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager.)</i></b></i></b></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"></span></span></i><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Your pesky suspicion that I spend more of my time in nature than with people might be right. My photography does, after all, focus mostly on the splendor of southern Arizona’s natural and rural heritage. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe34WrW80onHJJF3H9qZ8SCM1Wjr385zpDVTobjekWaeIPnbgOtjVNhTCrd3GiPJ9CSHKZRluBypYRJ3rkP678OF_3dxXlRQ-MSx3nFWM70mO7gwHeasl-QCXs_poWG1Wp5-bB14N-ll_/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe34WrW80onHJJF3H9qZ8SCM1Wjr385zpDVTobjekWaeIPnbgOtjVNhTCrd3GiPJ9CSHKZRluBypYRJ3rkP678OF_3dxXlRQ-MSx3nFWM70mO7gwHeasl-QCXs_poWG1Wp5-bB14N-ll_/s640/01.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">People can be the harder subject. They are also probably the most likely subject for professional photographers, since pictures of people and of the circumstances surrounding them put the bread on the table for most professionals.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Patience is a virtue when photographing a bird or butterfly, and it’s wise to show similar restraint with the people in your pictures. Your careful approach with a human subject before the picture is taken is a key to success. Having a deliberate approach versus a candid one depends on the situation. In either case, the best people photographers have a natural chemistry putting subjects at ease. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the borderlands area, Hispanics and native-Americans make splendid human subjects; together they define this country's heritage and are naturally photogenic. Their images capture the essence of this place.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Horsemen and women also define the borderlands. An image of a galloping wild horse is timeless and evocative, and a photo of a skillful western rider atop a horse evokes a way of life fundamental to our local heritage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU402mb8tnS4a69dMtHGgXNW7btfAQg-ekrKGaGMC7_pEjBsj7_KUbVcKYG1_3tWWajrTYde7Fk67w096J2jwzssDUJPFtxGMZCg3QKXpgvKCgRlM0xFXWhDyZUZzHCl22omXUhRdf1Iv/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU402mb8tnS4a69dMtHGgXNW7btfAQg-ekrKGaGMC7_pEjBsj7_KUbVcKYG1_3tWWajrTYde7Fk67w096J2jwzssDUJPFtxGMZCg3QKXpgvKCgRlM0xFXWhDyZUZzHCl22omXUhRdf1Iv/s400/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">People are the subject of most photography, in one way or other. Many aspiring professional photographers yearn to be journalists capturing dramatic images which will have a social impact.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A combat photographer captures the grimness of war, working in harm's way. A fashion photographer records gazelles strutting a runway wearing couture having a split-second shelf life. A portrait photographer interprets a person’s character using heightened levels of studio formality and preparation. A commercial photographer employs images of people to sell a product or notion.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: 800; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe3e3lqGlv4hTarc2VgWM5IQFrNDd9kKTBCaPyATGw0ZNY4uaska66VNidzOkF8pL8WwhcuX5vGx5-02iH28LQY9_Fh_KIrlPoUW96t8uIkYGxQ1T9RlBOYeVrwYocUSKS9wYrQItin09/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe3e3lqGlv4hTarc2VgWM5IQFrNDd9kKTBCaPyATGw0ZNY4uaska66VNidzOkF8pL8WwhcuX5vGx5-02iH28LQY9_Fh_KIrlPoUW96t8uIkYGxQ1T9RlBOYeVrwYocUSKS9wYrQItin09/s400/03.jpg" width="383" /></a></span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The photographer must charm and relax his subject, capturing the person's essence without affectation: a genuine countenance with no posing. The subject will be within his element, enveloped in a setting enhancing a message. A series of photos will include semi-abstracts, such as a close-up photos focusing on hands, feet, face or eyes.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You’re at risk if people don’t want their picture taken. You’re safe with folks performing in some kind of public show since photos are expected unless explicitly forbidden. </span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Position yourself at the height of the subject; with kids, this often means you must crouch or kneel. The exception to this approach involves an intentional point using a relative angle.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: 800; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJhU8UTf3NdBqVeEsXT3JVP2zPOKugDJzlekp9VoyvzN0dg1j30-AtlmmYh_Fpp0SQLiyoB29AQNg-Tc1EYARmEsGYng0r8d6mYfNO7J9cIhcvldlFRxh68M5EimieN2VKdnbZ6E68_5w/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJhU8UTf3NdBqVeEsXT3JVP2zPOKugDJzlekp9VoyvzN0dg1j30-AtlmmYh_Fpp0SQLiyoB29AQNg-Tc1EYARmEsGYng0r8d6mYfNO7J9cIhcvldlFRxh68M5EimieN2VKdnbZ6E68_5w/s320/04.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Add a sense of scale by including an object next to a person. Watch that your photo doesn't become unintentionally abstracted due to lack of scale.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: 800; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You, the borderlands photographer, while outdoors capturing images of our natural and rural heritage, should also exploit opportunities to add our cultural heritage to your album, in the form of the people here who represent living history.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 800;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><b><i><b><i><br />
</i></b></i></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-10941102781818588082011-10-31T22:01:00.000-07:002011-10-31T22:01:51.234-07:00New leaf series from my ArtfulNotions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnT40r9BN_CYkPwvjV2fcOqRN1-al9vLIHwq1Hgz42tOuxnQLAREoyZz9vJtVGyvWWACbedIw1Kfg_WwexqCOesPbqE0sToOSZPs1RSWsUTrGix7UNew_xNPcVTUBcFt_At-F6OWHNHp9/s400/448.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85088435/minimalist-art-photography-home-decor" target="_blank">this link</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-84294755582695324482011-10-27T21:20:00.000-07:002011-10-27T21:20:21.063-07:00New Tourism Guide with my photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://www.santacruzheritage.org/DiscoverGreenValley">this link</a>.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh2FdSuimRJMrdA_RvGyn1F19InSxbnVdEIDFPlOjH_VnuCDtNtXMojJ67cDxD1U8LCynT5EC8nC-zbNndmBO-q-FyPY_C4_MxMBi80vV2Kq99l5sVPUJV8qEdbqJKu0oHat0Zt7Gedrc/s1600/GV_CoverPg_350pxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh2FdSuimRJMrdA_RvGyn1F19InSxbnVdEIDFPlOjH_VnuCDtNtXMojJ67cDxD1U8LCynT5EC8nC-zbNndmBO-q-FyPY_C4_MxMBi80vV2Kq99l5sVPUJV8qEdbqJKu0oHat0Zt7Gedrc/s400/GV_CoverPg_350pxl.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-70237558231622851392011-10-26T13:23:00.001-07:002011-10-29T18:11:07.437-07:00Link to dotter's wedding pics (from 2010)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Link:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cactushuggers.com/zoengarth/">http://cactushuggers.com/zoengarth/</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-9855587927332604932011-10-22T09:48:00.000-07:002011-10-22T09:48:32.781-07:00Roads Caller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxHSDMrWflc_sSlraNAkhLzklUvy0uWMujibq4MF-LBvU4DssWeXjoV2xG_Zd2Vm3sioMsM8sjJHzRiRN9cWrVKVwde-gsoF8s3qsyOflHGRUtCYdAFV1XK6GNw6la299lTTC3-ZLhJzQ/s1600/Librarian-1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxHSDMrWflc_sSlraNAkhLzklUvy0uWMujibq4MF-LBvU4DssWeXjoV2xG_Zd2Vm3sioMsM8sjJHzRiRN9cWrVKVwde-gsoF8s3qsyOflHGRUtCYdAFV1XK6GNw6la299lTTC3-ZLhJzQ/s640/Librarian-1s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-53921316652781448102011-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:002011-10-22T09:35:48.822-07:00Opinion: Ending the Iraq War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">(From letter to editor by another reader of Washington Post)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">"Thank goodness this obscene, diabolical mess is finally over. Sincere regrets to the 4000+ American military personnel and contractors killed [and their families], and grave apologies to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi families whose lives were disrupted or destroyed for the sake of American ego. We can only hope that someday, Bush, Cheney and their neocon brethren are brought to justice for their indiscriminate slaughter."</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-10627842692939571962011-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:002011-10-18T13:47:22.417-07:00Opinion - Too Big to Fail<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNWr2LkXaYIRseh2q_zuFEFXRwqY6F-mxndfmfbqjjrv4Phjea4udYdc2ZRah9FYRbyRjE1y7oYIocTVVmCIkMqubdMgxU0FPk0MZdT24DScPSn2SgS9Cn5OQV4f0IJdlY1tnDvvAieX3/s1600/sign-Occupy-Wall-Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNWr2LkXaYIRseh2q_zuFEFXRwqY6F-mxndfmfbqjjrv4Phjea4udYdc2ZRah9FYRbyRjE1y7oYIocTVVmCIkMqubdMgxU0FPk0MZdT24DScPSn2SgS9Cn5OQV4f0IJdlY1tnDvvAieX3/s400/sign-Occupy-Wall-Street.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-20854396979718102912011-10-04T12:44:00.000-07:002011-10-04T12:45:55.721-07:00Opinion: Video Gadgets Such as I-Phone & Games<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="echo-item-data"><div class="echo-item-re"></div><div class="echo-item-body echo-primaryColor">This technology moves people apart. It takes them further and further from each other, from nature, and from the world. It ruins their eyes and their bodies. It erodes their humanity. It's another opium for the masses. It's not good.</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-65615238352611714492011-09-05T14:45:00.000-07:002011-11-13T16:08:54.146-08:00Article: "Close-ups in a Widescreen World"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i></i></b></span><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><i><b><i>(Published July 2008 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager.)</i></b></i></b></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<div style="font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How can the bronzed and windblown borderlands photographer take his or her eyes off of our famously widescreen panoramas to focus on the minuscule?</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the movies, a young Ava Gardner or Grace Kelly, among other starlets new to their career, yearned for a first chance to have a classic cinema close-up: a photograph of her face, or even closer, of her eyes, which would stamp an indelible impression upon the audience.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxYORKRPx9q4VumSEhMEjWPRCl4y5OYkNJagO9axEGQ1Ot3mLA8dumLvE0A2Pc811hAOST8f1_3h_SKb-Umd0FP9xnVX85wGbOrBiqMDocKsU_FQeo-cZNU5DDnyqe2K-CjKOepVeFq3r/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxYORKRPx9q4VumSEhMEjWPRCl4y5OYkNJagO9axEGQ1Ot3mLA8dumLvE0A2Pc811hAOST8f1_3h_SKb-Umd0FP9xnVX85wGbOrBiqMDocKsU_FQeo-cZNU5DDnyqe2K-CjKOepVeFq3r/s400/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>A tender wildflower against a prickly pear cactus.</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This close-up had the power to make someone a star. Here in Arizona's borderlands, a simple, blown-up image can be more memorable than one depicting a wide-open panorama stretching beyond the horizon.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Today’s borderlands photographer has the chance to make a star image out of so much that resides here just out of range of normal sight. Taking the time and effort to photograph the little things yields big rewards.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vigorous effort often is needed to reach the object or critter ready for its first great photo close-up. Bending over, kneeling down, even lying flat on your stomach with your elbows in the dirt is often the physical price to pay for a good close-up shot. The intrepid photographer always is ready to contort to achieve the right proximity.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Distance and angle in relation to your close-up subject are crucial to obtaining a great result. </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHMEQ7Ac3bWFvLcjFnqAa4w78bJioqkweAEHTUFfJu6LFqGeTuShWnO-yE1usyYH5kA7TwOkFbvDlCvplm7FWLysoQwVw2UZpQyVQMN1lCWyS8XT0H8sIVqlEU8EWwNoRGDZP-NyHXIAk/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHMEQ7Ac3bWFvLcjFnqAa4w78bJioqkweAEHTUFfJu6LFqGeTuShWnO-yE1usyYH5kA7TwOkFbvDlCvplm7FWLysoQwVw2UZpQyVQMN1lCWyS8XT0H8sIVqlEU8EWwNoRGDZP-NyHXIAk/s400/03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>A horned lizard is ready for a star turn.</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Distance affects how much of your subject will fill the frame in order to achieve a high level of detail. Distance will also affect the depth of your focus zone. Angle will help capture the “good side” of your subject and create visual impact. Angle will help achieve the right lighting contrast for an artful image.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Very close-up images can become truly abstract – removed from context and hard to define – presenting an entirely new option for photographers. Abstraction provides an escape from the bounds of literal photography, setting the artist free.</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFkO0noqqfZTjHcQja0MrJRdNbZDCDQyLXbNxmNvmwG0IsAT_J05H97GUcKcyJ5ZgQINcKGYf-WzEJ5TxrJxWlBqtHkz8-yKZaRJrGkM34j00WI4G8hvQ-BtcU4rehHjt0dIkEtszMiUP/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFkO0noqqfZTjHcQja0MrJRdNbZDCDQyLXbNxmNvmwG0IsAT_J05H97GUcKcyJ5ZgQINcKGYf-WzEJ5TxrJxWlBqtHkz8-yKZaRJrGkM34j00WI4G8hvQ-BtcU4rehHjt0dIkEtszMiUP/s400/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The fruit of a barrel cactus provide some unexpected color and shape.</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Technically, folks often use special-purpose lenses for close-up work. These “macro” lenses are designed to focus sharply on very small area, leaving the surroundings blurred. Further afield is microscopic photography.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But close-up photography doesn’t require the purchase of special equipment if you’re careful about the variables influencing depth-of-field, or focus depth. These variables include distance from subject, lens focal length, and aperture setting. An inexpensive 300-mm zoom telephoto is what I use as my “butterfly lens," allowing me to achieve the right distance to fill a frame sharply with a small subject. Also, there are many opportunities using a standard lens that comes with your camera and the close-up settings on most of today’s digital equipment.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4NFtj8GLFlAiKEEN1v70TJvtWB5YGM8guNat_qX9oaRv5aLPbxoRsBYQtelAP3Sf-bdPcgm0NENuSOptEQ7XuqXCijc3dofQUQUvFn15kfkYhmJAO6TOsEesdbqzhAS8yweqvxtANpWy/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4NFtj8GLFlAiKEEN1v70TJvtWB5YGM8guNat_qX9oaRv5aLPbxoRsBYQtelAP3Sf-bdPcgm0NENuSOptEQ7XuqXCijc3dofQUQUvFn15kfkYhmJAO6TOsEesdbqzhAS8yweqvxtANpWy/s320/04.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As a borderlands photographer, you'll spend most of your time “panning” your camera across this region's expansive landscapes, but instead, go ahead and add close-ups to your mix. This will provide refreshing variety to your collection of images. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Live large by thinking small!</span></i></b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-42142666562217553322011-08-26T08:17:00.000-07:002011-08-26T08:17:36.330-07:00Opinion: A Way Forward - NYTimes Op-Ed: Dr. King Weeps From His Grave<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By Cornel West, August 25, 2011</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">THE Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was to be dedicated on the National Mall on Sunday — exactly 56 years after the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi and 48 years after the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. (Because of Hurricane Irene, the ceremony has been postponed.)</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">These events constitute major milestones in the turbulent history of race and democracy in America, and the undeniable success of the civil rights movement — culminating in the election of Barack Obama in 2008 — warrants our attention and elation. Yet the prophetic words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel still haunt us: “The whole future of America depends on the impact and influence of Dr. King.”</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Rabbi Heschel spoke those words during the last years of King’s life, when 72 percent of whites and 55 percent of blacks disapproved of King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and his efforts to eradicate poverty in America. King’s dream of a more democratic America had become, in his words, “a nightmare,” owing to the persistence of “racism, poverty, militarism and materialism.” He called America a “sick society.” On the Sunday after his assassination, in 1968, he was to have preached a sermon titled “Why America May Go to Hell.”</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">King did not think that America ought to go to hell, but rather that it might go to hell owing to its economic injustice, cultural decay and political paralysis. He was not an American Gibbon, chronicling the decline and fall of the American empire, but a courageous and visionary Christian blues man, fighting with style and love in the face of the four catastrophes he identified.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Militarism is an imperial catastrophe that has produced a military-industrial complex and national security state and warped the country’s priorities and stature (as with the immoral drones, dropping bombs on innocent civilians). Materialism is a spiritual catastrophe, promoted by a corporate media multiplex and a culture industry that have hardened the hearts of hard-core consumers and coarsened the consciences of would-be citizens. Clever gimmicks of mass distraction yield a cheap soulcraft of addicted and self-medicated narcissists.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Racism is a moral catastrophe, most graphically seen in the prison industrial complex and targeted police surveillance in black and brown ghettos rendered invisible in public discourse. Arbitrary uses of the law — in the name of the “war” on drugs — have produced, in the legal scholar Michelle Alexander’s apt phrase, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/opinion/15alexander.html" style="color: #00325b; text-decoration: underline;" title="Times Op-Ed">a new Jim Crow</a> of mass incarceration. And poverty is an economic catastrophe, inseparable from the power of greedy oligarchs and avaricious plutocrats indifferent to the misery of poor children, elderly citizens and working people.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The age of Obama has fallen tragically short of fulfilling King’s prophetic legacy. Instead of articulating a radical democratic vision and fighting for homeowners, workers and poor people in the form of mortgage relief, jobs and investment in education, infrastructure and housing, the administration gave us bailouts for banks, record profits for Wall Street and giant budget cuts on the backs of the vulnerable.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As the talk show host Tavis Smiley and I have said in our national tour against poverty, the recent budget deal is only the latest phase of a 30-year, top-down, one-sided war against the poor and working people in the name of a morally bankrupt policy of deregulating markets, lowering taxes and cutting spending for those already socially neglected and economically abandoned. Our two main political parties, each beholden to big money, offer merely alternative versions of oligarchic rule.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The absence of a King-worthy narrative to reinvigorate poor and working people has enabled right-wing populists to seize the moment with credible claims about government corruption and ridiculous claims about tax cuts’ stimulating growth. This right-wing threat is a catastrophic response to King’s four catastrophes; its agenda would lead to hellish conditions for most Americans.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">King weeps from his grave. He never confused substance with symbolism. He never conflated a flesh and blood sacrifice with a stone and mortar edifice. We rightly celebrate his substance and sacrifice because he loved us all so deeply. Let us not remain satisfied with symbolism because we too often fear the challenge he embraced. Our greatest writer, Herman Melville, who spent his life in love with America even as he was our most fierce critic of the myth of American exceptionalism, noted, “Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges; hence the conclusion of such a narration is apt to be less finished than an architectural finial.”</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">King’s response to our crisis can be put in one word: revolution. A revolution in our priorities, a re-evaluation of our values, a reinvigoration of our public life and a fundamental transformation of our way of thinking and living that promotes a transfer of power from oligarchs and plutocrats to everyday people and ordinary citizens.</div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In concrete terms, this means support for progressive politicians like Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Mark Ridley-Thomas, a Los Angeles County supervisor; extensive community and media organizing; civil disobedience; and life and death confrontations with the powers that be. Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-56999155495184348522011-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:002011-08-26T09:04:49.015-07:00Opinion: Big Food and obesity are a disgrace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_81rh5n="108">Friends - Support FoodCorps <a href="http://foodcorps.org/">http://foodcorps.org/</a> and fight the national disgrace of obesity and Big Corporate Food.</div><div closure_uid_81rh5n="108"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_81rh5n="108">Click the above website and find out how we can all help to reverse this trend over the past 30 years when this country's health really started to go to hell.</div><div closure_uid_81rh5n="108"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_81rh5n="108">Folks must renew pride in fitness; it's time that patriotism be equated with physical fitness.<br />
<br />
Help out!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-83843069416818348132011-08-22T20:14:00.000-07:002011-09-05T14:32:30.729-07:00Article: "Vanishing Ranchlands"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><i>(Published June 2008 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager.)</i></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Preserving open spaces in Arizona’s borderlands doesn’t always require the ultimate conservation measure of setting aside pristine landscapes untouched by development or agriculture.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinImE0gCBG3b8Lm3tl0gLj02mtAzJ2QK5_I9HqiiPKqrdMJAEx6T_dHHOxu94gLubPNWwgK7cCIu-Ne3oh5n0O3iq32oknlkHYEFrmYX-g8YeX_TzS9hfdpEu4dfL7KXGdyP84MHbBlO8R/s1600/tres-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinImE0gCBG3b8Lm3tl0gLj02mtAzJ2QK5_I9HqiiPKqrdMJAEx6T_dHHOxu94gLubPNWwgK7cCIu-Ne3oh5n0O3iq32oknlkHYEFrmYX-g8YeX_TzS9hfdpEu4dfL7KXGdyP84MHbBlO8R/s400/tres-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A scene of wide-open freedom in a pristine valley <br />
on the Arizona-Mexico border.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ranchlands, whether private or leased from the government, represent an expansive rural heritage of Arizona as significant as the natural heritage of undisturbed desert habitat. Importantly, for you, the borderlands photographer, they also provide great picture-taking opportunity.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some of the various habitats, or biomes, of the Sonoran Desert and surrounding areas here in southern Arizona have enabled ranching to various degrees of success. From desert grassland to the pine forests, grazing continues.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photo opportunities abound within both the living and the preserved, or converted, ranchlands in our area. I describe living ranchlands as domains of folks who still lead a classic western life on a range with cattle, horses, and other livestock.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I categorize preserved ranchlands as those tracts which have been set aside from prior ranching use and allowed to revert more or less to their original natural form. These ranchlands have been protected by a wide variety of conservationist interests, from private activists to non-profit foundations and the federal government. Examples locally are Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge at Arivaca, the Empire Ranch/Las Cienegas Conservation Area at Sonoita, and the Audubon Society’s Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch at Elgin.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qxn_oHUbhRmuRkqT_7zpdPdWI8VUgS56Fy4XROxG3UrvM_bN4K5IfRybCq3P9hyg_9jF-oYHQ92T87GsmrxIhAxuY9yIbkBSy0w64LerCOQpACBWrI5MUlQknbddPXol0VyBwvj1D12a/s1600/uno-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qxn_oHUbhRmuRkqT_7zpdPdWI8VUgS56Fy4XROxG3UrvM_bN4K5IfRybCq3P9hyg_9jF-oYHQ92T87GsmrxIhAxuY9yIbkBSy0w64LerCOQpACBWrI5MUlQknbddPXol0VyBwvj1D12a/s400/uno-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Historic, precious ranch structures add character<br />
to an image of the vanishing ranchlands, here <br />
seen in Muleshoe Ranch in south central Arizona.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What great destinations these places are for the borderlands photographer! You can't beat the wide-angle thrill of an afternoon monsoon storm bursting over the yellow grassland vista.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Constantly, the living ranchlands furnish artful western scenes, from cowboys at the corral to horses galloping to cattle grazing to spinning windmills (one of my favorites). </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Further, both the living and the preserved ranchlands contain structures of character and historic significance, such as adobe barns and mesquite fences, also fertile subjects for the photographer.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Go wide! Often the wide open, sprawling country begs for panoramic photos of grasses bending to the breeze and distant mountain horizons reminiscent of western films likely made there.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjago9V1PAy80NI0ndyaqqRjyuLNyYzRaozpnNv9xOX86BTDjtwlijs6QNumqoDVdLUoqq6TDkzKYOY7xRoSDVIa3vQBxpugh21eXG8G4GT9uJfHlS_YLbpnRAmy-_xH6pRzdYgzpBWSQvM/s1600/dos-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjago9V1PAy80NI0ndyaqqRjyuLNyYzRaozpnNv9xOX86BTDjtwlijs6QNumqoDVdLUoqq6TDkzKYOY7xRoSDVIa3vQBxpugh21eXG8G4GT9uJfHlS_YLbpnRAmy-_xH6pRzdYgzpBWSQvM/s400/dos-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Men of the range, Empire Ranch, Sonoita, Arizona.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The borderlands photographer uses a wide-angle lens or instead, stitches two or more digital shots together to seize this widescreen grandeur. He or she remembers that quality landscape shots require a tripod for maximum sharpness.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Early morning or late afternoon is best for capturing these landscapes Also, the lucky photographer shows up when there is some weather happening, when skies are filled with more than the dreaded plain blue sky. Landscape shots beg for skies filled with feature and definition. Often the drama of ranchland skies is the highlight of a borderland image.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At day's end you'll have recorded a very fine part of America's heritage. And finally, when you leave for home, after immersing yourself in big-sky country, don’t forget to close the gates!</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-69717565490203854652011-08-14T12:52:00.000-07:002011-10-22T10:02:07.255-07:00Roads Caller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRH21h-pSAcWuHpDSNn4-6SGVmI1zWFTLmVMvZmSM4lp0qrjZSEXRMs7YTHpx6DxsJBX0qyc5VzWZv9kEUxu-USo7AxGNWeKc8kr835Hfo_dP4VlV24go05v8WxXjHhQGvqJ358OoSnNr/s1600/Fun-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRH21h-pSAcWuHpDSNn4-6SGVmI1zWFTLmVMvZmSM4lp0qrjZSEXRMs7YTHpx6DxsJBX0qyc5VzWZv9kEUxu-USo7AxGNWeKc8kr835Hfo_dP4VlV24go05v8WxXjHhQGvqJ358OoSnNr/s640/Fun-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-46151179306380282962011-08-06T16:28:00.000-07:002011-08-06T16:28:36.622-07:00Article: "A Mission to Photograph"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>(Published May 2008 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager.)</i></b></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Churches are photogenic, especially ones that are heritage subjects. But they don’t have to be ancient or elaborate to be good photo subjects. Denomination aside, in this article I’m using the word “church” in a generic sense and I’m visiting some large and small regional buildings purely as architectural photographic destinations.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr4vsinDQ02KGivW3xd-5DdacNFN948vLe1PJQj9Tu3NAgm-EE2QEnVQ1-2Kz3Jn3zldDndAu2jo3xZreD_icdpnYYgdFDn4pSiBLrWAqWobAXIjHquMJzZevsjxqsDe0CASSfsJKAvxw/s1600/dos-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr4vsinDQ02KGivW3xd-5DdacNFN948vLe1PJQj9Tu3NAgm-EE2QEnVQ1-2Kz3Jn3zldDndAu2jo3xZreD_icdpnYYgdFDn4pSiBLrWAqWobAXIjHquMJzZevsjxqsDe0CASSfsJKAvxw/s640/dos-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>The mission at Tumacácori is the supermodel of the</b></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> borderlands region: the camera loves her from any angle.</b></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The serenity, charm and visual splendor of any house of worship, whether it’s a church, synagogue, mosque, or other form of this structure, derives from its inspirational purpose and the attention given to its design and maintenance. These structures either contain works of art, or are themselves works of art.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, naturally, they make great photo subjects. In the Arizona borderlands, some of the original European colonial religious structures sadly are gone or have been reduced to lumps of clay. Others have been stabilized and protected, and there are a few which are remote and hard to protect, so their access is restricted.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These remnants usually aren’t very good photo subjects anyway, since lumps of adobe or mounds of earth don’t amount to much visual impact. The most notable restorations are at Tumacácori just north of the Mexico border and, near Tucson, at San Xavier.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_x5Zv43f1mC0iPdPftXwSCv541lNz6IlMmPUUjSfs4_e62252vDChdriGAIXFuEr7OTyFP7sfKPSq8Ht4-4unWnsNjP6bCmSk-PjldQx1vLcLCa7d5uqh4bADXRX6gRo6ag-pQvvuTxGX/s1600/uno-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_x5Zv43f1mC0iPdPftXwSCv541lNz6IlMmPUUjSfs4_e62252vDChdriGAIXFuEr7OTyFP7sfKPSq8Ht4-4unWnsNjP6bCmSk-PjldQx1vLcLCa7d5uqh4bADXRX6gRo6ag-pQvvuTxGX/s400/uno-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>A great little church in a troubled </b></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>place: the border town of Sasabe.</b></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These two structures, Mission San José de Tumacácori, and Mission San Xavier del Bac, are among the most photographed structures in the borderlands region. They’re so popular, in fact, that they amount to a photographic cliché, like Grand Canyon.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I’ll do it anyway, since they have such significance to you, the borderlands photographer. Briefly, the facts are as follows: I’m not an expert on the Jesuits and Father Kino, so I’ll say little about history; there are at least four different ways to pronounce “San Xavier”, so take your pick; San Xavier is still a fully functioning parish church within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson; Tumacácori is administered by the hardy souls of the National Park Service. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These structures merit photographers' attention because they’re so striking that it’s hard to take a bad picture of them. Just point and shoot. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">San Xavier may be the greatest gem in Arizona, and Tumacácori is the next best, with its semi-restored frontier splendor and the dramatic backdrop of the nearby Tumacácori mountains and the slightly more distant Santa Rita mountains.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Currently, visitors to San Xavier are a bit disappointed because the west bell tower of their “White Dove of the Desert” is ensconced by scaffolding and sheeting. Visitors want to take a postcard-perfect picture of the structure with a sunset or rainbow background, and they can’t. (Plans are in progress to remove the scaffolding on the west tower, and to begin similar work on the east tower if funding permits.)</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But the inventive photographer to San Xavier soon finds more opportunity than just a frontal view of the main structure. For example, inside. This mission is the rustic equivalent of a major European cathedral with artworks throughout the interior. Capturing this detail requires a tripod and the right camera time exposure to compensate for the dim light. Regular flash is inadequate.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Outside the church, the photographer avoids the scaffolding by focusing on other parts of the building and grounds, such as the rear of the complex, the courtyards, mission school, the Mortuary Chapel and, of course, people. The Hispanic and native-Americans residing in the area surrounding the mission who work, worship, or school there can themselves be some of the best photo subjects.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMVLF1_yB7SIFrHEmnKaWe4owt0iVxxumtNYfXg5TodLYtklaZtG0sLzeD7ssgGJ34M11CHS821Eco2Q8WThAvgsy4pNvC1VI-_ygk-yA397hthyEFIsrcymeeLZ-aCCL5BiqgRcO9sOy/s1600/tres-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMVLF1_yB7SIFrHEmnKaWe4owt0iVxxumtNYfXg5TodLYtklaZtG0sLzeD7ssgGJ34M11CHS821Eco2Q8WThAvgsy4pNvC1VI-_ygk-yA397hthyEFIsrcymeeLZ-aCCL5BiqgRcO9sOy/s400/tres-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>St. Augustine Cathedral in Tucson, Arizona.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Farther south, the folks visiting Tumacácori, on the other hand, are mostly tourists, so the best trick there is to avoid them in your viewfinder completely and wait until they pass!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Truly, just about any angle at Tumacácori can provide great images. Different times of day multiply the opportunities using natural light and the resulting shadows. The smooth curves of the plastered adobe walls on the main structure and out-buildings yield results that make any photographer feel like an expert.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I mustn’t forget some other churches in the area. The large St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tucson recently underwent minor improvements. More modest area churches are St. Rita in the Desert in Vail, and structures in the tiny border villages of Sasabe and Lochiel.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While the smaller buildings are less imposing as architecture, the skillful photographer can exploit the charm of their design and milieu, using creative camera angles to prove these churches are as photogenic as any others in the borderlands region.</span></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-15175332747033932011-08-02T21:58:00.001-07:002011-10-22T10:01:26.117-07:00Roads Caller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9yhsT9IdIMm58OHJt3vFqZVZEqAuEyppKOsV6NAeVjdtqJqVMgb3w-1c8y-xvGSVgbQjrSJ4GcC4UdFekJZ6C_TVJ1ZdNwg6IabIJEaFFWfF5Uuh8v68P1c1Nc0grF2eOctBwlOn1s8j/s1600/dystopia-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9yhsT9IdIMm58OHJt3vFqZVZEqAuEyppKOsV6NAeVjdtqJqVMgb3w-1c8y-xvGSVgbQjrSJ4GcC4UdFekJZ6C_TVJ1ZdNwg6IabIJEaFFWfF5Uuh8v68P1c1Nc0grF2eOctBwlOn1s8j/s640/dystopia-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-35563024506913749482011-08-02T15:15:00.000-07:002011-08-02T15:15:12.957-07:00Opinion: Conflicted About Nature?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111">Re: NY Times article "As We Seek Nature, We Wall It Out"</nyt_headline></div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111"> </div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/opinion/as-we-seek-nature-we-wall-it-out.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/opinion/as-we-seek-nature-we-wall-it-out.html</a></div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111"> </div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111">We're not conflicted at all about wild nature. The preponderance of human activity screams the conclusion that we "like" nature and feel sorry for it, but we won't let it get in the way of human "expansion." Thus, its inexorable decline and destruction.</div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111"> </div><div class="commentText" closure_uid_6opd07="111">Tamed and cultivated nature is another matter.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-47894070788401870422011-07-17T09:48:00.000-07:002011-07-17T09:48:54.770-07:00Article: "Sonoran Moods"<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Published April 2008 in Murray Bolesta's "The Borderlands Photographer" in Tubac Villager.)</span></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Isn’t the Sonoran desert grand? </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's not just big, having a range northward almost to Prescott and southward across the border to the tip of Mexico’s Baja California. I also mean fabulous and awesome. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Being one of you, a borderlands photographer, it’s a bit hard for me not to capture images common to the Sonoran desert. A venerated subject of nature photography, the Sonoran desert includes archetypal landscapes and the saguaro cactus. The iconic image of the Saguaro is clichéd, but for the purpose of my column this month, so what! The saguaro is grand, and enduringly popular.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That said, my photography often veers away from Sonoran images, dwelling instead on scenes in higher-elevation zones of the Santa Cruz river area, such as the mesquite-bosque, desert scrub, desert grassland, and riparian zones of this region. Sonoran images are well covered already by other photographers, and besides, our borderlands region offers so many diverse alternatives. However, the nearby Sonoran expanse begs my interpretation of it.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65DIQTRc5Lr160kaeIcMPSHpTUaIx8oEfd4O-h38dErlWlLFV4PtXYPc1kVGHydpOVIIOFyOCO7NEuH8RffjjrW-EZblM-h6LAg-ftWbkdE2hTNPFwUHb9blyjjDxouXUymxsBK5mQUUA/s1600/Seis-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65DIQTRc5Lr160kaeIcMPSHpTUaIx8oEfd4O-h38dErlWlLFV4PtXYPc1kVGHydpOVIIOFyOCO7NEuH8RffjjrW-EZblM-h6LAg-ftWbkdE2hTNPFwUHb9blyjjDxouXUymxsBK5mQUUA/s640/Seis-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The village of Tubac lies on the eastern edge of the Sonoran desert, near a transitional grasslands area bordering the Chihuahuan desert farther east. I feel a bit sorry for points east since, by and large, they don’t have the saguaro and appear sparse without it!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Threats to the Sonoran desert are many and extreme. Ignorant and greedy development is foremost, and illegal border activity, off-road vehicle abuse and invasive species such as buffelgrass add to the crisis. Currently, freeway by-pass construction is a major threat in Pima county which must be fought vigorously.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But even with all the stress imposed by humans, the Sonoran desert still provides a world of unique photographic subjects, including vast open spaces with few scars yet, carpets of seasonal wildflowers and thousands of native American sites of photogenic rock art, most of which are still secret.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpd84ijP9JzEbu5skYeobx3Sr0jP8uYb6J8mu0W5Lb25m7QqtE9rvjdDpvOPwV3zzGeXPfarvtV_4O1JEA5eE7AP6A7skueEEux1xX71brERRfaHY0A003pKi-rkyN6iIERUIIKuiHH_F/s1600/Uno-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpd84ijP9JzEbu5skYeobx3Sr0jP8uYb6J8mu0W5Lb25m7QqtE9rvjdDpvOPwV3zzGeXPfarvtV_4O1JEA5eE7AP6A7skueEEux1xX71brERRfaHY0A003pKi-rkyN6iIERUIIKuiHH_F/s640/Uno-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Broad expanses. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Among trackless open spaces nearby is the Tohono O’odham Nation. This native American land is a giant slab of southern Arizona which, in a way, is another Sonoran desert national park which will never be developed (except, of course, at the edges with casinos). You should go visit this vast place. If you do, and want to head into the back country, you will need a permit that’s available by calling tribal headquarters in the town of Sells. Here, your landscape photography should often feature the sky, especially during monsoon season. The desert's clear blue skies do actually become tiresome; the clouds of the brief stormy seasons create the most awesome skies available anywhere on the planet, providing the drama of color and texture to the sky.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wildflowers. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wildflowers are among nature’s most popular desert photo subjects, under the right conditions of moisture and temperature. February and March are the best times for Sonoran wildflowers and, locally, some of the best places to see them are Picacho Peak State Park, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and of course, Saguaro National Park, which is split into eastern and western districts. I often visit the eastern district’s southerly-facing Hope Camp Trail for a multitude of wild blossoms. Seasonal snow runoff provides an extra benefit: streams and waterfalls.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The big guy.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another wildflower, the big one, is the Saguaro blossom which blooms later, peaking in late May. Also, saguaro oddities are a favorite photographic subject in the Sonoran desert. The strange and fantastic shapes of the arms of mature saguaro, including the rare crested saguaro, a mutation, have infinite variety. Once you’ve found something unusual, it’s best to work carefully on the angle of your photo to capture the odd shape in the best way, often upward with the sky in the background to provide clear contrast.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Archaeological sites. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rock art can be found in Ironwood Forest National Monument, but you must search for it, as sites are not officially marked in order to preserve them. If you discover pictographs or petroglyphs, never touch them or walk on them. Just take lots of photos from a short distance. When you do, make sure plenty of light exists to highlight the faded artwork, preferably in open sunlight or with flash. Rock art often creates fine black-and-white images and these can be improved by increasing contrast to elicit the patterns clearly.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Be careful.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The open Sonoran desert involve risks existing throughout this region, only more so. To paraphrase "Duke" Wayne, everything in this country either sticks you, stings you, or bites you. I never wear shorts while hiking even on the hottest days. The primary danger is rattlesnakes, and 80 percent of bites happen in the lower legs. You might consider buying gaiters, or lower leg chaps, designed to be snake-proof. The other 20 percent of bites are in the hands and arms, so always be careful where you reach. There’s no treatment for rattlesnake bites except anti-venom administered by medical personnel.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642872940397518870.post-39307581421371207102011-07-16T14:37:00.001-07:002011-10-22T10:00:53.295-07:00Roads Caller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qug3TJWYnCJhwn1Q9XVguqaIZ10AnMtcmp2s-PwZseEO2BB6n0dR1wz6Jly92p5-JqLpOTWf5E8SMuKJ6R8dwvC07WUetaMqEswYOlUnFrCpvDcK_v8ib6I7SGhWAGHBGT9Rkfxxi1Yj/s1600/driving-at.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qug3TJWYnCJhwn1Q9XVguqaIZ10AnMtcmp2s-PwZseEO2BB6n0dR1wz6Jly92p5-JqLpOTWf5E8SMuKJ6R8dwvC07WUetaMqEswYOlUnFrCpvDcK_v8ib6I7SGhWAGHBGT9Rkfxxi1Yj/s640/driving-at.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0