Oxherding Is Fun

on the oxherding path
the bull is ridden
and forgotten

jewels sparkle lit  ….like christmas lights    ……..hung by ozark squirrels
amber jade garnet emerald  ….and a turquoise sky  ……..wet diamond white refraction
pierces eyes unblinking — all is light and change — in the forest between the eye and the i

The late afternoon sun lights up an Ozark forest within Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.

hiking upon a carpet of wet autumn leaves
the spirit takes flight
on the back of wafting leaf carried by a chill wind

dark night stills the color
..of spiders crawling through me
….alone I’m still green

To see the originals of these images you would be looking at two of the most “blah” images in my collection.  But once combined via HDR and blended plus lots of layers of monochrome, curves and selective color saturation it comes alive.

When in the field, or in the studio, the first action of photography is “seeing”.  Preparation and visualization might be first but these are not usually “in the field”.  How you “see” might just determine the course and eventual end result of your photography and art.
Recently, I was taking pictures of the Spring wildflowers on [...]

Hole in the forest
Made of granite, earth and black
in Darkness, a home

We all have a dark side with secrets bound contrary to the flow of the universe.  Its best not to let it come out as you stand on the edge of the cliff at Glacier Point, Yosemite.  Maybe a shaft of light on a lone lit pine tree can save you, maybe not.
Lone lit pine [...]

Complexity rules,    the scent of aged forest,        pine cones ready the fall.
Is this saturated? Hell, yes!  Lots of detail at the expense of clear compositional structure?  Damn right!  And that is what I saw and felt.
In my last post I discussed Ansel Adams’ zone system and while reading in The Negative he stated that most [...]

I had the extreme pleasure of being the photographer for the NADAC Dog Agility Trials sponsored by the K9 Xpress group in Austin.
One half of me marveled at the athletic ability and sheer joy these dogs expressed in their running, jumping and achievements.  It brought to mind the old haiku from Issa:  ”Visiting the graves, [...]

a once mighty oak,    towering king of the forest,        now bows to cedars

There are many interesting subjects on our land but this dead oak tree is by far my most favorite to photograph. From some angles it reminds me of a crucifix with Jesus, others an Ent from LOTR, and [...]