Abstraction

Sometimes it's fun to look at something for a while and interpret what you see. Like seeing a puppies head in the clouds or something like that.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Arizona

I went to Boyce Thompson Arboretum Monday Nov. 15, for the first time in many years. I went with a friend Zak Saenz and we were hoping for a little Fall color to photograph. To our disappointment we were a couple of weeks early, so we decided to walk around and explore a little. There's a nice one and half mile walking path loop that is pretty cool. We ran into photographer Lindsey Johnson who likes to use the location for photographing couples. It's fun to talk about photography with new people in new places. Check out Zak and Lyndsey's links.

These are a few of the images I took while we were on our walk about. I knew there cliche but it's still fun to find things left behind by people.

Picturing Maricopa 2010

Exhibit selection by Curatorial Advisory Committee


Exhibit selection by Curatorial Advisory Committee


Exhibit selection by Curatorial Advisory Committee

























This years Picturing Maricopa Project 2010 funded by the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has come to a conclusion. This years project came to fruition with a free exhibit at the Burton Barr Library in downtown Phoenix. The exhibition will tour the Valley over the next year. If you have time please check it out. Here is a link the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust http://www.pipertrust.org/

"The Piper Trust has selected human services for the 2010 project that provide crisis care for vulnerable populations including respite care for families and caregivers".

The nonprofit I worked on was The Centers for Habilitation in Tempe http://www.tch-az.com/. For the exhibition I had to create an artist statement. This was my lede.

I was once told that the meaning of life is loving, caring, and sharing. I try to live up to these standards but so often I'm humbled by people who truly live their lives through these powerful words. This was the case at TCH.

I know by speaking to the photographers we all worked very hard in challenging conditions both physically and mentally. Some of the narratives are difficult subjects to photograph. The human condition can be sad one minute and rewarding the next. For more information about the photographers and the nonprofits we helped go to http://www.pipertrust.orgpicturingmaricopa2010.html

The Picturing Maricopa project aids nonprofit organization who traditionally don’t have money budgeted to hire commercial photographers. Through the financial support of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust the 15 non-profits organizations will reap the benefit that 15 professional photographers can provide. It’s our goal as professionals to help them communicate who they are and how they serve our communities.

The exhibit is a mix of photographs ranging in size from 8 X 10 to 30 X 40. All 15 photographers are represented in the show. We all have at least 2 prints some have up to 4 or five depending on themes.


EXHIBITION OPENING: 
Oct. 26 to Dec. 6, 2010
 Burton Barr Central Library 
1221 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. 
2nd Floor Reading Room


This years Curatorial Advisory Committee who selected the 15 photographer’s and final print exhibition are:

Rebecca Senf
 / Assistant Curator 
Center for Creative Photography at University of Arizona 
and Phoenix Museum of Art

Elizabeth (Betsy) Schneider
 / Assistant Professor of Photography
 ASU Herberger Institute School of Art

Eddie Shea 
/ Graphic Designer

A huge thank you goes out to the fine people at the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, the Curatorial Advisory Committee and to Dawn Hocking who gave me incredible access at The Centers for Habilitation.

Small Victories and Short Steps

To those that don't know this is my wife Lorie. To preface the post, I have to say I'm very proud of her. She's a 5 time Ironman finisher plus competed in the world championships in Kona, Hawaii 2009. This year she's been training for the Ford Arizona Ironman coming up mid Nov. 2010. All was going as scheduled until she decided to do a fun race in California, the Toyota Malibu Triathlon seven weeks ago. On the bike course she hit a pot hole that sent over the handle bars and onto the pavement. She broke her pelvis in four places including the sacrum. Fortunately no head injury or surgery but she's been confined to a walker for the past seven weeks.

Today was the first day she walked without the walker. She should fully recover but it's going to take months. For this years Ford Ironman race in Tempe, Arizona she wants to do the 2.4 mile swim course and then disqualify herself because she can't bike or run. She already paid the non refundable entry fee so she feels she should do it. She's a trooper but I I'm not to sure this is a good idea. The swim course can be battle zone with 2,000 people swimming over each other. But, I shouldn't be surprised she is a fighter and sitting on her butt isn't an option.

Both photo's were taken Friday morning. To no surprise the dogs name is Kona.