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This week, I’m inspired by two quotes my mom shared with me in response to my Second Amendment project. She was watching a U.S. National Parks special on PBS the other night and heard this quote, and promptly sent it to me because she felt it aligned nicely with my current photographic project.

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed … We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.” – Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water

This is the centennial year celebration of the U.S. National Park Service, and for those of you who receive National Geographic magazine, you’ll have already seen two beautiful covers celebrating our national parks. January 2016’s cover is The Power of the Parks with an amazing tri-fold panorama cover of Yosemite National Park by Stephen Wilkes. The May 2016 issue has a vintage painting by Henrich Berann of Yellowstone called The Battle for the American West. 100 years and our beautiful wild spaces are still thriving and managing to beat the odds despite us…the human race. That is, those of us that go deep and explore, and those that drive to the edge and look in.

I recently shot another round of imagery for my project. When I walk around these locations I find myself feeling all kinds of emotions from anger and disappointment, to getting a good laugh when I see a great juxtaposition like beautiful new wildflowers springing up all over a site of destruction. Mother Nature will prevail, and lets all hope she has, at least, another 100 in her.

I’m adding to my portfolio of images with the goal of achieving twenty strong images that tell the story. I won’t stop at twenty, that’s just my first major mile marker. Two of my newest favorites are two that I’ll share here.

Planned Obsolescence is a scene that left me scratching my head. Out in the middle of the wilderness this microwave oven was blown apart like Swiss cheese. This image inspires me to explore another topic I’ve been quite inquisitive about – trash. Why do we, the above-mentioned human race, create so much trash? And, what is our obsession with dragging our trash into the wilderness? Seems that takes more effort than just carrying it to the local recycling center (best option), or at the very least, your local landfill (not the best option).

And, VIZIO is another image that I like. Randy liked this one the best. He said it gets the whole story in one shot – close up destruction to widespread destruction. And, then there is that VIZIO TV set, or what’s left of it. Again, what’s with the trash? I wonder what the CFO at VIZIO would pay to have his product featured like this? Not quite a Hollywood blockbuster for advertising and consumerism.

So in this centennial year, go visit one of your (yes, your) U.S. National Parks. Explore deep, or peer in from the edge…just appreciate the beauty and leave no trace. And while you’re there, carry out a bag of trash.

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Often we read descriptive words like legendary, or iconic, when we read about the loss of a talented and famous person in the news. This year, we’ve lost quite a few in the world of music; Bowie and Prince just to name two legends. And, while I’m a big fan of both and certainly was shocked at their deaths, I’d like to pay homage to someone who I’d call a legend in the world of photography. Bill Cunningham was 87 years old and he died this past Saturday.

Cunningham was an amazing photographer, known for his keen eye for fashion and his street photography. He worked almost 40 years for the New York Times chronicling the fashion on the streets of NYC. This is how the Times publisher described him in their 7-page tribute.

“His company was sought after by the fashion world’s rich and powerful, yet he remained one of the kindest, most gentle and humble people I have ever met,” said Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., the Times publisher and chairman. “We have lost a legend, and I am personally heartbroken to have lost a friend.”

I enjoy his work, and enjoyed learning about Bill Cunningham in my reading and research of photographers over the years. One of the perks about teaching the History of Photography is that I get to research all kinds of wonderful and interesting people. One thing I learned about him is that he had access – the coveted access to celebrity – the thing that so many photographers, and young budding photographers yearn for. But, he wasn’t interested in celebrity. What made his images so interesting and unique is that everyone was a subject. He photographed the rich and poor and everyone in between, and people from all walks of life. Why? He was interested in their clothes. It was all about the fashion, and the way people dressed.

“Mr. Cunningham also resisted the trends of celebrity dressing. He had seen actresses in their fishtail dresses preening and posing before the phalanxes of photographers at ceremonies like the Golden Globes and the Oscars. They were poised. They looked pretty. Yet he simply could not muster enthusiasm for them.” – NY Times Tribute

We can really learn something from him. Just watch him work and observe his dedication to his craft, his love of the subject matter, his grace and poise. He can really teach us something about observation, paying attention to the details, and human nature.

“When I’m photographing, I look for the personal style with which something is worn – sometimes even how an umbrella is carried or how a coat is held closed. At parties, it’s important to be almost invisible, to catch people when they’re oblivious to the camera – to get the intensity of their speech, the gestures of their hands. I’m interested in capturing a moment with animation and spirit.” – Bill Cunningham

He loved fashion, why if you even read up on his personal history, you’ll find he was a milliner as a young man with a creative eye for design. We’ve lost a legend in the world of photography. If you want to know more about Bill Cunningham watch a wonderful documentary about his life and work called Bill Cunningham New York, it’s on Hulu and it is really darn good!

If you didn’t know who he was, I hope that you do now and enjoy looking through his work as much as I have.

Bill Cunningham 1929-2016, a legend.

I recently received a wonderful note from a friend. In that note, she continued a conversation we had started about how photography brought us together, and would we have met had we taken different paths? She recalled an early brush with photography when she found her Girl Scout Photography badge! I thought to myself, I have one of those too! So off I went to find it.

Yep, I found my Junior Girl Scout “My Camera” badge from the late 1970s-early 1980s. Then I thought, I wonder what I had to do to earn this? I’m pretty sure that teaching photography gave me this curiosity! I racked my brain, and looked online for an old (ca. 1979) badge requirement list to no avail. So, I called my mom! Moms are the best, especially mine! She kept my original Girl Scouts Junior Badges and Signs book! Can you believe it? It has a copyright of 1977, and she quickly pointed out that on page 37, I accomplished the goals of the “My Camera” badge. I promise not to tease you anymore about all the boxes of childhood treasures you keep, Mom!

As I read through the requirements, I thought these are pretty sophisticated for a nine year old! With my photo instructor hat on, I cheered! I love #6, this one reminds me a bit of my requirements in my Architectural Photography class – photographing a subject (a building) at multiple times of the day to take advantage of light, shadow, which way the building faces and which side is illuminated by the sun! And, #3 seems pretty deep, too! I love this one. Why, this was something I continued to do over and over during my own photography degree, and I require it from my students today.

Before I found out what was required of a Junior Girl Scout in 1979, I did find out in my Internet research that Girl Scouts today have a new Digital Photography badge within their Agent of Change badges. The requirements are pretty darn good too! The girls must first learn about digital cameras from an expert. Here they can interview a college student who is taking courses, or a local pro. Then, they must take “tons” of photos. Next, the girls must edit three images – things like applying filters, adding borders, or correcting red eye. They are given two choices, change something in the image, or add something to the image. Pretty amazing Photoshop requirements for a Junior Girl Scout in my book!

To finish off their badge requirements, they must create a digital project using a computer to create a collage, or possibly a panorama-stitched image, or even make a t-shirt or mug for someone special. Lastly, the girls must share their images, and they are given choices like making a digital album, or staging their own art show. This is impressive!

Maybe this early brush with photography helped to influence me as well, and pushed me towards the direction I ultimately went. Mom also reminded me of an even earlier photograph. Here, we were living in Bakersfield, California. I think I must have been four or five. And, that camera really does look like a Diana. I wonder where that camera got to after all these years?

If you ever find yourself in Savannah, Georgia, visit the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts of America. She “envisioned an organization that would prepare girls to meet their world with courage, confidence and character.”

Isn’t there a bumper sticker out there that says, “So Many Books, So Little Time?” I believe there is, and I think Frank Zappa is credited with saying that one. In my world, you can never have too many books. Here’s where quite a few people I know might raise an eyebrow at me.

Why am I talking about books today? I just moved, re-organized and re-shelved all my books. Well, not all, as there are still some in the basement, and in my darkroom, and in my bedroom, and upstairs in the coffee table. I just moved the ones that had crammed full all of our available shelf space in the “office area.” We just did some re-arranging of the house, and we are going to finally have a real office, one that we can close the door on. You know, walk away from work, close the door, and actually spend the evening relaxing, listening to music, or reading, without my computer and piles of paper staring at me, beckoning me to come back for more.

In the midst of this DIY project, my husband installed another set of bookshelves for me. He’s a smart guy, he knows I won’t stop finding that great score at an estate sale! I found this cool app, too, that lets you scan in (or type in) your books! I am doing this, and at last count, 594. Of course, this number does not include the above-mentioned books stashed in the darkroom, basement, bedroom and upstairs coffee table. Maybe I should stop while I’m ahead.

So, why paper books in an era of Kindles, iPads, eBooks and everything else digital? For me, paper books are more relaxing than staring at a screen, and for so many other reasons too, like all my photo history research and the repeat visits to specific books, and the books I carry in to class for show and tell, and when you just want to look something up real quick. Yes, I know what Google is. After working on the computer much of the day, our eyes get tired of looking at screens, and as for devices, doesn’t anyone get tired of the swipe, scroll, flick and pull?

There is something very tactile and comforting when sitting down with a good book. Turning the pages, and better yet, finding a vintage book and that smell! It’s bound to remind you of someone, or someplace. For me, the olfactory memory is my great-grandmother Dowdy’s home in Savannah.

I do read many, many online articles; especially the ones that declare books in print are dead, or dying. I believe these are the same yahoos that declare film is dead too. Trifling really. These people should find something else to do, maybe, go read a book.

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

This week, I won’t be talking photography, or photo history, but instead reflect on life’s little lessons. You know, those little nuggets of information you glean during times of immense stress. The ones that help you handle a situation with grace. Yea, the times when you keep your cool, but you’d rather scream towards the sky! Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the gist.

Ten years ago, this month, Randy and I lost a dear friend. And, subsequently, Randy was the executor of his affairs and boy, did I learn some life lessons then. Ten years later, I do hope it’s those lessons (with a little earned wisdom from age) that help me deal with the stressful situations that happen to us now and then.

Okay, so what were the lessons learned after our friend’s death? Handle all matters with grace, don’t say exactly what you are thinking – at least not out loud, and forgive. Have patience with everyone involved; don’t set such high expectations of the rest of the world; and spend some time thinking in silence before opening your mouth.

So, why am I reflecting on all this? Last week, we had a bit of an underground utility issue arise. (Notice the grace, as this is a huge understatement.) Our sewer line needed to be replaced, and yes, I know a guy! (For those that don’t follow…my husband and I own Spotted Dog Excavating.) But, in a home that was built 38 years ago, surprises lurk around and under every corner when a home project, remodel, update, or repair is needed. What was going to be a one-day project has stretched to “going-on-four” and now I call my front yard, “Before.” Because, to achieve the goal underground, above ground was destroyed. My beautiful plants, and xeriscaping are gone…yard of the month, I am not! Remember, those little lessons, here’s one, find the silver lining! Soon I’ll be posting a beautiful photograph of “After!”

In memory of 10 years gone, I will be planting a brand new tree in my front yard for Tom. Our friend we lost, way too soon, and how fitting that we have this wonderful opportunity to sculpt our new front yard based on his memory.

I can’t resist a little photography, so here’s a fun “Before” shot, we’ll call it Yard Destruction.

I’ve mentioned this project before – an ongoing project – that I’ve been working on, and I call it Second Amendment. It is really beginning to take shape. My goals are to accomplish a strong body of work in twenty images, and eventually put together a show. I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. I’m much closer to the image count that I’d like, but I really don’t see stopping at twenty on this one. Even if I get twenty that I am thrilled about, I see this project as one that may go on for years and years. I find myself very passionate about it.

I’ve talked about this in a couple of previous blog posts – my concern for our wild spaces and the needless destruction of trees just because our laws allow people to shoot their guns in the national forests, and the great amounts of trash left behind in these beautiful areas. I am also reminded of my inspiration as I make these new images, the environmental destruction in the images of Robert Adams, and the war torn trees of George Bernard.

I’ve been at it again, and last week I added a handful of new images to my Second Amendment portfolio on this website. Boy, self-editing is something of a challenge. I often talk to my students about editing their work (I’m talking image selection, not Photoshop editing/post processing). It can be hard to determine what images are the best, which stand on their own and help to tell the story you seek, and which might be just fluff. This process is a constant learning process for us all. I feel like I learn something new about my work and myself each time I set out to edit. And, it is something that will evolve with time, and hopefully, by the time I am ready to set another goal with these images, I’ve paired the collection down to one that I am happy with.

In the meantime, I enjoy sharing the images I have selected and getting feedback from others. Often, we’re just too close, or too critical, or the exact opposite – we love everything and can’t be objective. So, in the end, it helps to get other creative eyes on our work. Critique is a wonderful learning experience, and as I always tell my students in classes – not a time to be critical and hurtful, but a time to learn and grow and get inspired to improve our work, taking it to the next level.

On this subject, I was excited to get an email from my mom yesterday mentioning an article in our own Gazette that just happened to be about this very subject, although, they don’t call it Second Amendment like I do! Enjoy it, as there are many people concerned with this issue, and having read quite a few articles from years back in my research on this subject, I was glad to see it in the news again!

Campers in National Forests Worried about Target Shooting

The image I’ve attached didn’t make the portfolio cut. I felt like it didn’t tell the whole story, whereas the one I did select of the Swiss-cheese chair does – it is a wider view that includes the surrounding forest, the beautiful light of the morning, and an additional trash/bucket target for an added element of interest. You’ll have to check out the portfolio to see what I’m talking about! But, I sure love this close up shot it for its texture, shapes and lighting. So, I’ll add it here, for fun, and for me!