a seed of flower

this foto reminded me of water crystals in the "What in the @#!! Do We Know?" beautifully arranged; like the iris of an eye containing the beautiful world.

Digital Diva: Chavela Vargas

Digital Diva: Chavela Vargas

Dia De Los Muertos

Dia De Los Muertos at the Museum of Northern Arizona Nov 2. 2005
My Flagsatff high school intern Kate helped with the installation.

The most touching moment was recognizing Mrs. Moreno who was the school yard Mom keeping the peace or giving you a piece of gum and always asking about my mom when I was in grade school. All these Abuelitas, and Our Lady everywhere. Corn. Hot chocolate. Photographs of eternally young and ancient worn, Pan de Muerte, flowers,candles, food, drink; One Abuelita held the photo of her husband close to her heart. I said he was lucky to be surrounded by all these beautiful ladies, and we all laughed. as in Life as in Death. The memories. The tears. It is all a cycle. memories of school yards, looking at a Lady in Blue,Mariachis on Sunday mass, the words of from Kibran's The Prophet; wondering what Lady Liberty thinks of all this? Give me Liberty or Give Me Death? From one world to another. Out of the dark, shining, was Our Lady watching out for all of us.

rivers and rain

The rain. clouds settled into pockets of towering stone. the moon early in the morning. the smell of coffee. the laughter of the river, people in warm colorful layers standing in awe in every direction. Cold days, sun days. The light inspiring the beginning of the day after the storm. Water everywhere changing colors at Lava....

Infinite GRACIAS!

Discovered I could accesss my hard drive that I thought had died. Oh happy day!!! and yes Miracles do happen. A huge sigh of relief; My bro, JP just turned me onto the Greenday video, WAKE ME UP WHEN TOMARROW COMES on his laptop while we download music and reconfigure my whole computer world...eye of the storm! Seems all this war in the world, the hurricanes,
and everything going on in the world, there are artists, film makers, musicians, writers, and everyday people who are trying to make messages to impact societies way of thinking. Most of the people I know believe in making the world a better place. They also DO IT, from gardening the Grand Canyon from invasive species, to taking young people down the river, racing to save the planet via Nascar, and perserving the rain forest, falling in love, eating honey, reading books, and passing along notes of hope and Michael Moore; I hope my work will be one drop added to a giant wave that will help change the course we're on. I believe in goodness, and I am amazed everyday at what I have to be grateful for-to be aware. I had accepted that IF I had lost everything on my hard drive that it was really small in comparrison; but like a milagro, a promise, because of this miracle, I hope to keep making images that say YES to life, to beauty, to grace, to diversity, to make a difference.

AZ sky

so good to beback home in AZ. Dkish and I on our return trip from the Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake City, UT two days before we went to hte east coast.

windows open, dark coffee

Gemini
Overview: Make sure you've got some means to record ideas on you today, whether it's pen and paper or something high-tech. Inspiration is simply pouring out of you, and you don't want to miss even one word.

Accomplishing things is the name of the game, and the stars give you double your usual powerful punch, especially when it comes to budgetary concerns. If you've got a goal you're working toward -- paying off debt, saving up for a big trip -- you'll find yourself laying down concrete plans and taking confident strides toward accomplishing it. It'll all happen sooner than you think, especially if you concentrate on one day at a time.

woke up still groggy. eyes tired from late night working on the computer. I am working on lining up contacts for NYC trip, and the Teva shoot with Kish next week. Dad(Running) is going to shoot Kalvin Bizahaloni for Canyon Records tomarrow. It will be another project we get to colaborate on toghter. There's wedding fotos to post, but I'm still on the learning curve; these past few datys, weeks, I have been learing so much! Inspiration overflowing, the possibiliites endless. I feel like a lucky crap shooter rolling sixes. I love where my new website is going, and how all these elements are actually, becoming connected.

Last night Nicci invited me to see this performance at the local community theatre, THEATROKOS. An Egyptian/African dance troupe does there thing to Led Zepellin...it was amazing! Woman of ages, shapes, and sizes, glittering, sparkling, undulating,
shaking the earth with their hips, and soft carress of their feet, hands weaving air, and balance and grace. One of the women,
her daughter of about seven, also performed...what an experience for her; it's exactly what I wished I could have done at seven. I was struck by how stong and sensual each woman was, and I felt I was witnessing what it must have been like when the Goddess was revered in ancient cultures; the temples full of music, perfume, mysticism;when sensuality was honored, and women, reverved; Each a perfect facet to the gem, reflecting light. I am inspired to do a set of portraits of each of the dancers, and ask them why they are drawn to the dance, and what dancing means to them. I want to belly dance when I'm sixty and be connected to my body and self expression. I want to be seven, and be surrounded by amazing women who share
with me, their strength, and joy of self. I want to go out today , get me some Zepplin and sign up for a dance class.

rain.

It's a soft rain tonight. working late, White Stripes on the stereo. I've been waiting for my doorbell, when are you going to ring it? Dkish sent this to me today. It was in december when we were shooting a story for Adventure magazine. It was suppose to look like spring, but it was the middle of winter in one of the biggest snow storms in the last 10 years. We have such a great time on the road; we're hitting it again soon, this time to go hustle up some new work.

Horoscope. 9.30.2005 Gemini
Quickie: You shine like a light bulb and you've turned somebody on. Go ahead -- hold hands!
Overview: That secret you've been trying so hard to keep under wraps? It's about to see the light of day -- no doubt about it. Don't be upset. Once it's out, you'll actually be relieved. Secrets aren't fun to keep anyway.
Daily extended (by Astrology.com)
Give yourself a break. A brief one, anyway, because if anyone deserves some downtime, it's you. You've been trying to get away from it all -- or perhaps from 'them' all -- for some time now, but your fans (AKA your family and friends) haven't been willing to let it happen. It's time for you to take matters into your own hands and let them all know only one thing: That you'll go where you want to, when you want to. It's called personal freedom, and you insist upon it. -

Dissent in Penmanship

Dissent in Penmanship: "BlogThis"
I am really amazed and delighted, inspired to see all the variety of insight and interest shared on the site. Came across this;liked his poetry, haven't heard the song; made me think of one of my fotos; what are our defininations of Liberty, Freedom?
For me it's not the apple pie variety, the cnn news...I see the figure of my friend as one person, anybody, standing tall in the face of adversity, excercising freedom. We made fliers and put them around our town during the elections to inspire voting.

How to get most out of your leads: Leads News - Online Promotion 10 Awesome Online Promotion Strategies To Attract More Orders

How to get most out of your leads: Leads News - Online Promotion 10 Awesome Online Promotion Strategies To Attract More Orders
Thought it cool to run into this site whilst in the middle of redoing my webworld. Thought it had some good tips.

new work.

Lots of new beginnings. New fotos, new website, and an airplane ticket back east. It feels all these ideas, dreams, and possibilities are being woven; Just say YES. Here's what I love about my digital camera. I love being able to see what I get,
and I love being able to move into photoshop and begin the creative process, and develop the mood of an image, and
then print or post it. There is always the beginning aniticpation or question of the blank canvas, a digital card, a computer screen. Still I do miss the magic of the darkroom, maybe it's the smell of Dektol and getting lost for hours to make one picture...but it can still happen and of late 2 am comes too soon, and I feel a similiar satisfaction after making something I love.

This was the monday after the wedding of B&K before they left on their honeymoon. We dressed up again, and did some classic studio shots. My dad, Running, helped me set the lights while I did makeup and hair; there is just something about
an empty space that is imediately full with the pressence of the subject. It still startles me; is it the negative space around the
person that frames them? or is it a way for that "je no se que" to miraculously unfold and present itself to you? Would it happen even if you didn't have a camera-sometime people think I am distracted, but I am such a visualist, that I want to take in everything, and everything has potential....and it's like getting a surprize, you never know when it will come... I was so happy with these.

It reminded me of a poem from one of my fellow travelers down the Colorado River sent me and it arrived the day of the wedding. His friend who is fighting cancer was going to sing this; I was so moved by it, this There are no coinscidences...

It Happens All the Time In Heaven by Hafiz

It happens all the time in Heaven
And some day
It will begin to happen
Again on Earth.
That men and women who are married,
and men and men who are lovers
And women and women
Who give each other LIght,
Often will get down on their knees
and while so tenderly
Holding their love's hand,
With tears in their eyes,
Will sincerely speak, saying,
"My dear, how can I be more loving to you:
How can I be more kind?"

Whether it's stepping across the river of life, falling in love, getting married, coming of age, or preparing to leave this world, I felt such feeling from this poem, and I feel it is akin to my work as a trained observer....Seeing is another way of loving. I love celebrating and bearing witness to these times in our lives. It is the greatest joy of my work as a photographer.Saying, as Sam Abel put, "Yes, Stay this moment, you are so fair."