There's Always Something...

Desert Image

I love shooting desert photos. Here's one reason why.

 

A Shack Out West of Phoenix...

Don't know what there is about photographing these old buildings, but I've always loved doing it.

 
 

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Hot. That's the way it is in the desert this time of year. 115' predicted for this weekend.

Here's a photo that I caught as a proper symbol for such days...

 

Summertime...

In the desert, summertime is not always pleasant. Fact is, it gets - and stays - hotter than hell. But most of us humanoids stay comfortable, thanks to air-conditioned almost everything.

But the reality of the matter is that the heat going on outside is what the desert is all about. There is a dignity and a ruggedness about it. It is a wonder.

Reflections on Merton's Photo of God...

Thomas Merton did a now famous photo which he titled "God". I was astonished to discover it shortly after I took this similar photo in a gold mine about a hundred miles west of Phoenix, Az. This one is mine - do you see God in it?

 

Clay Lover...

I've been a lover of clay for decades now. The house is full of my pots and those of potters I have admired for years. About 4 years ago, I sold my wheel, my kilns, my extruder, most of my tools and books, the clay , the chemicals -  the whole catastrophe. Reason was we were preparing to downsize our housing and I knew that the clay had to go. It was not a happy sacrifice, but one can't maintain a potting studio in a small space.

But I missed it - terribly.

So I decided a few months ago that I had to get back into the clay scene on a much modified basis. I found a used wheel and set it up in my garage. Then I dug through stuff and found a few tools and books that I couldn't bear to part with back then.  Finally I joined the local clay center and was elected to the Education committee today. To sharpen and improve my skills I signed up for a class in "Advanced Wheel Throwing" which begins next Tuesday and am preparing a class that I'll be teaching next fall. Am calling it "Zen and the Spirit of Clay."

Don't know for sure why I'm sharing it here and now, except I find it all very fulfilling and my cup seems to be runnething over.

Burnt Tree...

This tree burnt along with the house. A few charred boards remain at the foot of its skeleton.

 

(one of my photos from nearby)

Ode to Stonehenge...

When life gets to the place where it begins to lose mystery and perspective, I find Stonehenge never lets me down. We never got to go there, but I've studied it intensely and find it touches the heart of my love for pottery, religion, and the good earth.

Wabi Sabi...

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese aesthetic that has appealed to me - no, called to me - in my pottery, photography and theology. It can be roughly summarized in these words:

Wabi-sabi is a beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

It is a beauty in things modest, worn and humble.

It is a beauty in things earthy, wild and unconventional.

It is a perfect description of Jesus. It catches images of beauty in unexpected places and things.

What an Honor!

Some amazing news from a country preacher. Today one of my Photoblogs, "Secrets From the Desert" ranks number 5 in the "Outstanding Photo" category and my photoblog has made their "Hall of Fame" at number 25. I find it a bit hard to believe and, of course, with characteristic humility, hasten to share it with you.

Here's the picture that got the honor. The two trees in question are scheduled to be cut down tomorrow. I'm heading over today with my Nikon to get a few last shots.