Ansel Adams
Posted inOdds and Ends

Ansel Adams

My comments about photography and music are not mine but rather the words of Ansel Adams, perhaps the greatest photographer of the 20th century. In case you are not totally familiar with his work, a brief history lesson. His first career dream was to be a concert pianist. He trained and worked hard at it, but felt he wasn’t good enough…
June 18, 2025Posted inOdds and Ends
Tinted Windows
Posted inOdds and Ends Seattle

Tinted Windows

Hey John, I feel like communicating with someone as silence hangs over our house. Maybe just expressing a few thoughts with a like minded friend. I went for a walk this morning and as I crossed the boulevard a bearded guy in a black truck passed with a big ole trump flag on his back bumper. I could have sworn…
November 6, 2024Posted inOdds and Ends, Seattle
Warm and Fuzzy Feel
Posted inMusings Odds and Ends

Warm and Fuzzy Feel

I have those shipping cases. That’s how I transported my portfolio to you all those years ago. They are covered with stickers from various airports. Crazy how that all worked and how expensive it was to send stuff all around the country. But that is how it worked. My portfolios only included a few printed samples and tear sheets. Often…
June 5, 2024Posted inMusings, Odds and Ends
If I Had Only Wore a Mask…
Posted inarchitecture England London Musings Odds and Ends Travels Uncategorized

If I Had Only Wore a Mask…

Your plan for hiring scouts in Scotland sounds wise. I have only done that for assignment shoots, though one time in Yorkshire I hired a driver to tour us around the Dales looking for monastery ruins. I mostly did it because I didn’t want to drive a stick shift car on the left side of road. Plus, I knew he…
February 26, 2024Posted inarchitecture, England, London, Musings, Odds and Ends, Travels, Uncategorized
Box Seats
Posted inCelebrations Musings Odds and Ends

Box Seats

Yes turning 70 brought on a lot of thought for me too. It truly felt like the time to quit working, unless you’re running for president or some other political office. But it brought on more reflection than turning 50 or 60. And yes, a big look back at the journey I have been on. And while I don’t have…
February 13, 2024Posted inCelebrations, Musings, Odds and Ends
How do I Want to Spend my Time?
Posted inMusings Odds and Ends Seattle

How do I Want to Spend my Time?

Wow, you retired young. 911 actually gave my business a boost. Art buyers saw smaller budgets for photo services and turned to stock photography as a cheaper alternative to commissioned work. That’s where I was positioned at the time. What killed my industry, or at least changed it, was the rise of digital. Suddenly everyone with a camera and a…
February 10, 2024Posted inMusings, Odds and Ends, Seattle
Life’s Journey
Posted inCelebrations Musings Odds and Ends

Life’s Journey

We don’t do much for Christmas and New Year’s. Sometimes we have friends for Christmas dinner, but this year I am thinking dinner for two. Often on New Year’s Eve we would have a little gathering by the fire, and I make something special like gumbo or if I am lazy, chili. Something you can eat by the fire. I…
December 14, 2023Posted inCelebrations, Musings, Odds and Ends
Your Work is Boring
Posted inMusings Odds and Ends

Your Work is Boring

When I taught, loosening up a student was taking away their controls that they were so comfortable with. One assignment I recall was shooting from the hip. They weren’t allowed to look through the view finder. They had to point and shoot, preferably from an unusual angle. There was this element of surprise. In film it could be quite wasteful…
November 30, 2023Posted inMusings, Odds and Ends