shutter work 101
December 04, 2023
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6 Comments
Nature gifted us heavy, wet snow last week. You could have built an igloo with it. It was the first really substantial snow in several years and something in which neighborhood dogs were reveling. I, on the other hand, was out with my camera for a personal workshop in shutter speeds. And the snow continued to fall for roughly four hours during the...
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lovely leftovers
November 26, 2023
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5 Comments
Many people worldwide celebrated the holiday of Thanksgiving on Thursday, and, no doubt, in a variety of ways. Most probably involved food, friends, and family. Even if the groaning board did not contain turkey and dressing, there was likely an assortment of leftovers. How lovely they are! Due to the fact that I see the world in terms of capturing...
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Thanksgiving rush
November 20, 2023
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3 Comments
You could feel the rush on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Locals in need of specific goodies for the traditional holidays meals, people with license plates from different states having dazed and confused looks on their faces, and that unidentifiable feel of urgency to get things done. It was obvious that the Thanksgiving rush was on and what bett...
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not letting go just yet
November 12, 2023
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3 Comments
After a week with a taste of winter, our part of the world has been given a reprieve, and stunning autumn days have returned. Mind you, the.05/inch of moisture that fell in the form of snow was not quite enough to deeply dampen the land, but it did give the plants and trees that still have leaves some much deserved moisture. Thankfully, autumn is n...
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coasting in black and white
November 05, 2023
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7 Comments
A call from the archivist at the Santa Fe Institute where I photographed scientists from 1995 to 1997 tested my organizational and memory skills this week. It was excellent to look at the hundreds of photographs I made with film using both 35mm and 1 3/4 x 2 1/4 cameras, developed into negatives, and made into contact sheets and prints was a great...
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the mad curator strikes again
October 29, 2023
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4 Comments
Given the events of the past couple of weeks in the Middle East and the United States, and in political arenas here and abroad, I did what is probably typical of artists and journalists who are not covering "the main stories". They ponder, wonder what is right, and then continue with their art or writing, despite horrible events and conditions and...
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first impressions
October 21, 2023
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2 Comments
Those of you who have been following my blog for years know that autumn is my favorite season. It is also one time during the year that I experiment with the concept of impressionism. The autumn palette is expansive and loves the camera lens, offering boundless opportunities to willing photographers. Close-up or long range, it never fails to satisf...
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light and semi-dark
October 16, 2023
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7 Comments
I had planned to include more photographs from the Mountain and Valley Wool Association's Santa Fe Wool Festival in today's blog, but a once-in-a-lifetime event and serendipity interfered. An annular (meaning shaped like or forming a ring) eclipse took a direct path over New Mexico from the northwestern corner of the state to the southeastern corne...
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inland fiber sea
October 09, 2023
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6 Comments
The first weekend in October is a beautiful time in New Mexico, filled with abundant activities, including the 9 days of squeal and ooh and ah-filled moments during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The city population expands easily by 100,000 people. However, balloons were not the only featured stars of the weekend. A plethora of even...
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of words, images, and randomness
October 01, 2023
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1 Comment
It is the first Monday in October. The autumnal equinox is a week past, evidenced by the shorter days, and trees beginning to shed their summer garb. October is a very busy month for artists and balloonists alike. And aside from retrieving several of Fred's rugs and wool from Tierra Wools in Chama and Centinela in Chimayo, as well as an early after...
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Wool Festival 2023
September 24, 2023
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7 Comments
The Mountain and Valley Wool Association was founded in Antonito, Colorado in 1983, with the mission to "promote fiber from all fiber bearing animals - especially those in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas -and to pass on the rich history of the fiber-related crafts to the next group of fiber enthusiasts." Members of MAVWA produced the Taos Wool Fest...
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mysteries of flight
September 17, 2023
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5 Comments
I am fascinated by birds in flight. Some birds spend a lot of time on the ground, scratching with their bills and feet for their food, and then suddenly take to the air, as if to escape. Canyon towhees scrounge around parked motor vehicles to see what insects might be on the undercarriage or stuck in the grills. Others, including bluebirds, phoebes...
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web of life
September 11, 2023
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4 Comments
As the horrible day in American history - 9/11/2001 - is being remembered- I ponder life and its connections or webs that bring us together. An example from nature is a spider we have been watching with interest, trying to avoid and keep from walking through its web that is tethered to our patio walls, which have become its patio walls and home. Fa...
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labor of love
September 03, 2023
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5 Comments
It is Labor Day, 2023. Although 1894 was the year the U. S. Congress declared the first Monday in September every year as a holiday to honor American workers, the first celebration happened in 1882 in New York. The holiday also dates back to the Haymarket Riot in Chicago in 1886. According to an article in Wikipedia, a rally by labor organizers "be...
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Valles Caldera
August 27, 2023
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9 Comments
There is a very large hole in northern New Mexico. A circular depression in the earth that covers some 13 miles in width. It is Valles Caldera, formerly known as Valle Grande. Now part of the National Park Service, its official name is Valles Caldera National Preserve. From NM Highway 4 via Los Alamos, or U. S. 550 through Jemez Springs to NM 4, at...
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© Daryl A. Black