During July of 2010, I began putting together a blog on blogspot.com., as recommended to me by several photographers and web designers who had been using it.  I chose Photo Bucket as the home for photographs I planned to use in each blog, and began work on the layout, background, and other formatting elements.  My inaugural blog was published on 30 August 2010, because it took me that long to learn the site and make it look good.  You can see the original posting by following this link: http://darylablackphotographer.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-praise-of-local.html and look at as many others as you desire.  I went on to publish 450 blogs using blogspot before switching to Zenfolio.  Under Zenfolio, I published another 254 which makes today's blog # 704. Considering I had never done this before, it was quite a leap, and in many ways, the move feels like ancient history, given the literal leaps in technology since 2010.  I just went through the blogs from 2010, 2011, and 2012.  During those three years, there were massive wildfires in northern New Mexico, photographer Steve Immel and I did a number of shoots together (including of each other), I began photographing birds and wildlife, with the first shots of coyote puppies, and got serious about doing environmental portraiture and weddings.

Even in those three years, there are photographs I have since deleted from computer memory of one form another.  I am extremely tenacious about weeding my images, and there were a few regrets from that group, but for many that I weeded (in my opinion), it was the right decision.  Other things learned from the review is that my photography then, as now, is still all over the map.  Whether the images are landscapes, environmental portraiture, weddings, food, nature, flowers, still life, abstract, architecture, or travel, I continue to photograph and study all the possibilities, and try to shake it up.  I have used a number of the images from those years multiple times in later blogs.  But, just for fun, here are some from 2010-2012.  Given the number of blogs involved, this is a real hodge podge of images.  

First, an image in a series I made of coyote puppies that graced us with their presence one summer.

coyote pups entwined

Another series I shot during those years was of some bright red-orange poppies in Taos.  Here is a detail that, to me, shows the fascinating parts of the flower other than the full petals or the bowl.

poppy detail

Coming into Taos from Santa Fe yields the most amazing view of the Rio Grande Gorge.  I have used this many times and continue to feature it in many applications.

Rio Grande Gorge update 2019

Another place it didn't take long to love is Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado.  So many great photographic possibilities present themselves in this constantly changing landscape.

Great Sand Dunes with tree

A pergola on Museum Hill in Santa Fe yields eye dazzling patterns of light and shadow.

shade structure shadows

As simple and fun as this photograph is, I never tire of the bride dipping her toes in water reflecting autumn brilliance.

Carter-Maschino wedding fall shot

Finally, a photographer can hardly miss when photographing Stewart Herd.

Stewart Herd

Thanks to all of you who follow my blog every Monday, regardless of format, and over the years including Barbara, Susie, Geula, Wayne, Char, Jean and Sam, Steve, Christina, Lisa, Ellen, and Bill and Sue who commented this week.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@