Seat 8A

This was taken shortly before we landed at MSP on our business trip to LA. Enhancements are courtesy of an app called Camera+.

Me, Myself and I

Such is the nature of the creative process that one often ends up with something very different from what was originally planned. Such is the case with today's rather self-indulgent photo.The task was to take a self-portrait. I was doing this because I had assigned the same task to my "Lighting for Photographers" students at LATI. My goal was to take something simple that would illustrate the idea. At first I tried using a crystal ball that has been in my family for at least a century. But that didn't work (I still want to try it!)I then stepped into my den to see what else I might be able to do and, low and behold, my closet mirrors had me staring back at myself. So I took a photo that showed three of me. And then I remembered that I had an app called WordFoto that I had just downloaded. And then I thought maybe I could do something with layers in Photoshop. . . .And then I ended up with this photo.I do believe there is some kind of symbolism in the fact that the part of the photo with "i" all over it shows less of "me." You tell me what that means!

Tiny Shoes

There are always details in an event that get ignored and I certainly missed these amazing shoes. They were part of Evelyn's D's baptism outfit but were generally hidden by her gown. It wasn't until I was prowling around Derek and Alecia's house looking for photo opportunities that I found them.See more of Evie's baptism day here.

Textured Light

I don't think sunlight actually has texture nor can you actually see it - sunlight texturizes the things it illuminates. Right?But, instead of talking philosophy and physics I would rather talk about this photo, which wouldn't exist if my mother-in-law hadn't pointed out the look of the sunlight streaming through open Venetian blinds onto the curtains in Evelyn's nursery at Alecia and Derek's house.Thanks, Glenyce. It's always good to have others help me see things. . .

Mother and Child

I took several photos of Evelyn D's baptism, but I liked this one best because while the main elements of the scene are identifiable, the purest point of focus is mother Alicia's face, which is suffused with a look of love and concentration.Of course, Evie is not an afterthought in this image, nor is her oldest brother, Ethan, who, if you ask me, has one of the best seats in the house.Incidentally, I mean no sacrilege in this comparison, but it was hard for me not to see similarities in the expressions of Michelangelo's Mary and Alicia. Though the circumstances in Michelangelo's Pieta are vastly different from those at Evie's baptism, both mothers exude a sense of calm that is striking to me.Click here to see Michelangelo's Pieta, which is housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Evelyn

This is Eveyln Marie, aged 3 months. Today was a special day for her because she was baptized. For my wife's family (the DeGeests) she is a special child because she is the first female born into the family in over a a half century. My wife was the last.The gown she is wearing was hand crafted by her grandmother, Paula, and was made from many heirloom pieces, including fabric from Paula's wedding dress. The gown is a work of art. And so is Evie.

Painted

You tell me the evolutionary intent of colorful tree trunks. Could it be to lure tourists to Maui from places like South Dakota, where trees tend to be utilitarian and bland?

Windfall

I guess I kind of like the "lone gold leaf" theme. This time I found a single leaf stuck to the hood of a gray car.Other gold leaves:Aspen LeafFrozen In TimeBefore the Fall

The Fisherman

This is one from my early days of digital photography. This was a commissioned photo, done for Focus Watertown, an organization promotes Watertown, South Dakota, to outside businesses.

Portrait of Kendra

This isn't a Photoshop manipulation and I'm guessing there's only a small chance you are under the influence of psychotropic drugs or absinthe. Kendra is a real person and this scene is exactly what the camera saw.The unreality is due to the fact that I am photographing Kendra's distorted reflection in a chrome sculpture in the sculpture garden next the the New Orleans Museum of Art. Needless to say, Kendra doesn't look like this.See yesterday's post for a different look at the same sculpture.

Altered States

Tangle