Week #33

Tea Cup

"It doesn't matter as much where you point your camera as where you point your heart."

Douglas Beasley

Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a day with Doug Beasley learning about his philosophy on photography and practicing my camera skills as we explored the Twin Cities together.  We started the day in his home in St. Paul where he showed me his studio and talked about the basics of photography. After lunch, in one of his favorite local hangouts, we took off to practice what we had spent the morning discussing. Doug is a gentle and wise teacher. I will always cherish the time we spent together.

Doug's book - Zen and the Art of Photography: A Guide to Mindfulness in Creativity has just been updated and rereleased. This gem of a book is filled with the basics of Zen, mindfulness, and creativity and how we can use these practices to guide our photography. You can order the book directly from his site.

Week #32

The Old Railroad Man

This picture was taken inside the Sacramento Railroad Museum. Many "old timers" volunteer at the museum and dedicate themselves to keeping the history of the railroad alive for a new generation. This gentleman is a true living historian.

Week #31

Summer At The Salon

This week, while making a visit to my local nail salon, I had the opportunity to take several pictures of Summer Lee as she worked her magic on my nails. Summer is a beautiful and talented young woman and I deeply appreciate her willingness to let me take multiple images of her while we were together. I hope these images capture her beauty and uniqueness. 

"Learning to identify the heart of your image and then isolate it is key to communicating clearly and compellingly."

David duChemin - Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision

Week #30

Reading on a Sunday Morning

"The visual life is an enormous undertaking, practically unattainable. I have only touched it with this wonderful democratic instrument, the camera."

Dorothea Lange

Week #29

Pictures From the Train Window

I traveled back from Sacramento this week on Amtrak. I find train travel enjoyable and I thought it would be interesting to shoot some pictures while I watched the world go by. The ride takes an hour from start to finish, passing through Davis where UC Davis can be found and Suisun, a little town on the delta. The scenery is a mix of farm and industrial, coexisting side by side. 

Week #28

Paper Abstract

“To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality.It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” 

― Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind’s Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers

Week #27

Waiting 

Hand

Watching You

While some people prefer to use their phones while they wait for a shopper, I prefer to get out my camera.