My journey as a photographer was a tad late. I was 67 when I bought my first DSLR camera! As a relatively new photographer, I am always learning, looking for an influence, a new focus, defining my brand. I frequently find new inspirations that seem to pop up out of nowhere and point me in a new direction or tweak my style. My latest prompts are happening while on a road-trip out west.
(By the way, because I am so busy shooting on this fabulous trip I have not done a blog post for a couple of weeks. For those who missed me, Thank You! If you didn’t, keep it to yourself.) ; – )
The landscapes of the National Parks we have visited are spectacular. But I am most blown away by the Native American culture that I see whenever I am in the Southwest. One of our stops was Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO Heritage site in northern New Mexico. Don’t miss it if you are out this way. There are 50 plus residents still inhabiting the site. They live there without running water or electricity. All cooking is done on an outside oven called a Kiva. They get their water from a crystal clear steam that runs through the pueblo. It’s like a living museum. The history, people, and culture are mesmerizing .
The family moves West
My family moved from Connecticut to Albuquerque in 1957…that’s seven kids between the ages of 16 and 2, my parents, and a Black Labrador all crammed into a 1957 Plymouth station wagon. Correct! It was chaos. But it was also fun and a new adventure for us. My two older sisters and I sat in the third seat which faced backward watching Route 66 behind us. Three other siblings were in the middle seat. Igor, the dog, was in the space between the middle seat and the rear seat. My parents were in the front bench seat with my 2 yr old brother Chris standing up between them. That’s right. Standing. All the way to Albuquerque. No seat belts. No child car seats. The latest in auto safety was my mother’s left arm flying out in front of toddler Chris when there was a quick stop.
My first visit to Taos Pueblo
My father had moved out to ABQ ahead of the family for a new job and to buy a house. He flew back to CT to drive us all to our new home. He was very excited to show us the West. One of our first outings was to Taos Pueblo. It’s a vivid memory more than 67 years later.
We camped close to the pueblo. Around one in the morning we were awakened as one of the nearby native Americans in a pick up truck starting driving around the camp site hooping and hollering. He was clearly intoxicated. My dad, an Irishman who clearly knew the joys of alcohol, was able to calm him down and have a pleasant conversation with him. Soon, the man was so taken with my dad that he invited us all to visit his home inside the Pueblo the next day. The best surprise was that he was a rather talented local artist.
Things have changed considerably from that visit. You can no longer just walk into the pueblo and walk around unimpeded. There is an entry fee, guided tours and very strict rules about where you can and cannot photograph. Which is the way it should be. Nothing can be added or changed to the existing structures or they lose their UNESCO designation.
The following gallery is my work done in color of the pueblo. Click on an image for full size and slideshow.
A discovery in Santa Fe
On this current trip to Taos it was a short drive to Santa Fe where we stayed for a few nights. Shopping there is a DREAM! The art work! The jewelry! The clothes! (I bought THREE hats…..and I didn’t even wear hats. I do now!) You can’t swing a cat without hitting a gallery on the famous Canyon Road. While we were browsing the many shops in Santa Fe I came across one that had vintage photographs including several books containing images by Edward S. Curtis.
A few years ago I read the most wonderful book about Curtis. a photographer whose life’s purpose was to photography all the existing tribes before their culture was lost forever. It was a big influence. The book is Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. His images are amazing.I love the toning in his photos and decided I would try to duplicate it in my photo processing. And what better photos to use than the ones I just made in Taos.
The warm tones of the Shadow Catcher
Below are the photos from Taos that I have processed in my attempt to capture the toning of Edward S. Curtis. Not all are the same as the ones posted above. Click on an image for full size and slideshow.
The new toning for me gives the images a completely different feel than the ones in color. I like them both. But the sepia ones have such a vintage, nostalgic look. They don’t have the distraction of color. I love this look and will be tweaking it as I go through the rest of my images from the Southwest. Whaddya think?
I hope you like the look as much as I do. In the meantime, I’m open to any inspiration that presents itself. And speaking of looks…..Did I mention the hats? I got a Georgia O’Keeffe gaucho hat! Looks great in Santa Fe. Now, if I just have the cojones to pull it off when I get home to the Midwest……
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