Sunny Day, Day 353

Deep and wide, Day 352

Today was one of those days where I felt like 1/2 the day was crazy and the other 1/2 was calm. The thing that broke the craziness was I received a letter in the mail today from a good friend. It was like a breath of fresh air that made everything a little better, a little more gentle, a little more calm.

Through the looking glass, Day 342

Finding a place, Day 295

Day 275

Going, Day 215

I spent the day grading at the University. My last day in the temporary building is now marked by my reflection sitting in the bathroom stall. How poignant.

Someone else's horse, Day 141

Looking at art in Santa Fe is like looking at art anywhere-some good and some bad, however, a southwest theme seems to dominate. Today's image was no exception.

Present past, Day 121

I started skimming through a book today that I read many years ago. It's called "Why People Photograph" by Robert Adams. On the first page he quotes Jean-Luc Goddard in reference to one of his films about modernity- "the future is more present than the present." In contemplating this quote with regards to photography I want to modify it and say "the past is more present than the present." This becomes particularly true when viewing snapshots where we are visually taken back to a particular experience. But do we ever really remember the experience, or does the photograph itself represent involuntary memory? Will I come to remember these photoraphs that I am taking to document the year as actual events or will they simply represent the project and the supporting memories will cease to exist? I am on my own quest as to why I photograph and at this point I am coming up with more questions than answers. Perhaps it will become clear in another 244 days.

Straight photography, Day 103

No explanation required.

Kiss kiss, 102

I recently saw a photograph of a lipstick kiss on a window and was immediately taken by it. I knew I wanted to use it as inspiration. Today seemed appropriate to play and experiment with the camera...construct instead of witness. It's always interesting to run with someone's idea because it can never be duplicated, not that I was trying to duplicate, but there is always that fear of "copying." I felt self-conscious about my process, nervous in a way. My final image looks nothing like the image that I saw. The only similarity is the residue on the glass, which in my image is one of several elements rather than the only subject. The image I created feels and looks like mine. I see an artistic style developing as I photograph for this project that I amazingly enough never paid much attention to before.

The river's pace

I sat down last night and loaded all 600+ of my images onto my external hard drive, grouped them by day, then distilled them down like I usually do for this project. The writing part is difficult because I am no longer in the moment with the image itself. I have decided to do one written post to accompany the last 10 days of images and perhaps revisit a few over time. Although I photographed everyday, I had to work in a very different manner than I normally do. Usually I have the previous day's image in my mind's eye by reviewing the image throughout the day. Out of fear of running my camera battery down I decided to just shoot and then hope for the best. However, with this project in mind I probably shot more on our trip then I normally would and documented the experience in a slightly different manner. Visually it worked, but I prefer my other way of working with more intention behind the images and their connection with room for happy visual accidents to occur.

So here I am back at home in Lafayette trying to catch up on my life and settle back into the routine. My trip away was wonderful and much needed. No phone, Internet, and daily responsibilities. The only items on the agenda were to paddle down the Green River, eat and stay hydrated, liberally apply sunscreen, spend time together as a family, and find our next camp...oh, and of course marvel at the scenery along the way. We are very quiet when we are out in nature, although challenging with a 4 year old, so we can see the wildlife and not disturb other people (if only other boaters had the same agenda!). So my dominant thought on the river was about if I am quiet I will see so much more- beaver, deer, birds, etc. But this is a good practice in my daily life as well- when my mind is quiet I can see so much more clearly my own problems, their solutions, and enjoy my experiences on a deeper level. Time went by at the river's pace, slow and a lot of paddling, and I made every effort to just live in the moment.

As I chose the images from a period of 10 days I was reminded once again that a photograph is not reality. The photos I chose do not represent my experiences on my trip. They actually don't tell the story of my journey much at all. They are fragments of my experience which I am placing within the context of this project, creating a new story that exists on its own. A journey I am enjoying just as much.

Seeing both perspectives, Day 73

A few days ago my father and I had a tough discussion and the subject matter immediately made me feel like I did as a child caught between two divorced parents. It dredged up so much past junk that I immediately felt (and got ) defensive. But tonight we had another opportunity to discuss it without either one of use getting upset and it was wonderful to acknowledge the past, but move forward in a new way. It really gave the visit a nice sense of closure for me.

Water, Day 72

Frequently my son asks how water is made. One of my biggest environmental concerns is about water. We use and abuse this essential resource. Someday swimming pools, long showers, and lawns may be a thing of the past. Water will become the new "oil" and we will fight wars over it. Another thing to look forward to.

New memory, Day 66

My cousin Gavin usually runs away from me when I try and photograph him. Today he sat for me as I photographed the two of us (his head and my reflection). I see a new level of maturity in him that has evolved since the last year that I saw him at the beach. The camera is an interesting device because it documents the present moment, but the image always exists in the past. It forever places the moment behind us immortalizing it. I will always remember my cousin and I interacting in a new and very different way from this moment on and this image serves as a pleasant reminder.

H 2 OH, Day 64

When I moved to Colorado I thought I would miss the ocean much more than I do. I think when you grow up near such a large body of water that it is a bit strange to live so far away from it. I do miss the sound, smell, and feel of the ocean air but at the same time I am happy with the stabilizing and grounding feeling that the mountains give me. One thing that I absolutely love about living in Colorado are the afternoon thunderstorms. Billowy clods that move over the mountains bringing rain and fresh air. It is very dramatic for maybe an hour or so, but wonderful. This summer we have had quite a few of these afternoon storms and they make me love the mountains just a little bit more.