After a few years on Blogger I've decided to opt for a more minimalist method of sharing sentiments, memories and other observations.

my Tumblr blog:

blanquinegro

Fußballspieleren

sky lines

posthumous flight...

Along the highway...

Aqua Girl

Water spouts bring out some of the the best antics in young children.  Sometimes they want to catch the stream in their hands.

Sometimes they want to use their hands to stop the flow.

And, sometimes they just want to gobble it up.

The Kids Are Alright...

her head in the clouds, and no worries...

his skateboard in tow, the weight of the next trick on his shoulders.

Girl Talk...

...during a gathering of family and friends in Richmond, Virginia celebrating my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary.  I walked around with the camera. The celebratory chaos was delightful. See for yourself...what I saw (well, some of it) by clicking HERE.  You may be surprised.

conformities

The not so distant hairline....

The local elementary school theater hosted a Shakespeare medley this evening.  The actors were are delightful; nevertheless, I kept focusing my attention on the man sitting in front of me.

Cherry Blossoms...

A documentary project...

Sometimes in a moment you photograph a mood or a scene.  Sometimes you decide to conjure categories and photograph a brood or a theme.  And once in a while an invitation arrives and a door opens. You enter with your camera...unsure of the terrain.  You accept the offer and hold your breath because the path ahead is emotionally wrenching.  You sigh because the journey you're about to document will make you cry, and laugh and change you in ways you never anticipated.

A week ago I met him and his wife.  In January, he lost both legs in Afghanistan.  His right arm will undergo much reconstructive surgery.

While on patrol he took a step, and heard the sound.

I have been invited to capture the images...as his prosthetic legs are born, as they learn to carry him; as his steps become stronger, as he walks, and even runs, again.  That day when he runs effortlessly sensing each step through an architecture of alloy and plastic...may be two years in the making.  I plan to be there so you can see the motion, perhaps as a blurry image.

Others have traveled the same journey...

So if I don't post as often as I have in the past...bear with me while I take a detour and embark on a documentary project.

bibliophile...

The way someone holds a book speaks volumes.  I was taking portraits for a work assignment today and was moved by this gentle grasp.  Such an intimate embrace rendered tangible the friendship between the pages and the hands that turn them.

binary moments

...a visual calculus of probability

the space between

Retrospective

Compulsions can make me intransigent, especially those desires to glance backwards in time.  Once in a while, someone walks into those spaces of nostalgia and creates an illusion of normalcy.

physiognomies

Sometimes a tree is just a tree, and a branch is just a branch.  Sometimes parts of a tree look like faces, fish faces.  Sometimes a silly fish face...

Sometimes a menacing fish face...

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden II

And for those who just can't live without the idea of a black & white botanical garden, here are a few of my favorite images from that day...in color.   The glamourous skin of a Rainbow Eucalyptus tree, and a plant with a lovely burst of orange. (The previous post has a black & white version of this image.)

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden

Yesterday was my last full day in Miami, and I spent a few hours roaming a few acres of edenic ersatz.  If you have a chance to visit these botanical gardens, don't pass on the opportunity.  The vegetation is as lush as the critters are lively.

the daybreaks...

Sat on the beach early this morning and greeted the day.  

And despite such a colorful breach of the darkness, I imagined the spectacle in a monotone hue closer to my mood.

Then glanced again without a filter, and was disappointed by the fiery reality.

Eventually I settled on the idea that the morning colors add an unnecessary confusion to my perception. So, I decided to simplify the view and sift away the distracting intensity.

I smiled and went about the day.

Road Trip

Off on a work-related adventure down South, and I don't know if I'll be able to post much for the next week.  But, I will be back....

a hand-made face

While contemplating my daughter's artwork...from a few perspectives I asked her, "Whose face is this?"

"You can't tell?" She shrugged.

"Papa! It's obvious" She pushed.

I just moved my head from side to side, as I draped some yarn over her brow.

"Paaaa-pa! It's an african-american grandmother," she smiled.  So I picked a filter and returned the smile.

"It is whomever you want it to be," I winked.

Spoken Words

Last night I ventured into DC for a series of poetry readings at The Big Hunt's basement lounge, and was able to catch up with a few friends from yesteryear.  Steve read from his newly published The Luckless Age.

The evening began with Belarus native Valzhyna Mort reading some of her work.  Her delivery was mesmerizing and her poetry was absorbing.  I was nestled between three of her students as I listened in.  

I became an instant admirer as she stole the show.

The rest of the evening was full of conversations, merriment, whispers, glances, synecdoche, metaphor and some smiles.  The creative energy in that space and the general atmosphere of the city were a welcome change.  On the cab ride home, I lamented leaving the words behinds.

contra dichos

Entre labios y lenguajes, me llegan esos pensamientos.
A veces cuando me tientan, pues... se los regalo al viento.

Pero cuando los secretos se reflejan en el parabrisas, los labios me tiemblan...

y no sé qué mas decirte.

fabrication

Teenager peering through a veil. (single exposure)

ice-capades

The fuses and transformers along the grid are back to working order, but a few days ago when icy snow lingered on power lines we saw sparks fly and the power went out.  

Maybe one day they will consider burying the power lines.

from the sidelines...

Monday night, my son's basketball team played a rare weekday evening game.  And even though both teams were evenly matched, my son's team adhered to their planned rotation and all the players were given equal playing time.

As the clock wound down and the score changed hands, the other team concentrated their best players on the court.  And as those players ran up and down, I could not help but notice one of their players on the bench, all alone, to the far left.

Once or twice his posture spoke volumes, but more often he could barely contain his excitement when watching his teammates score.  He supported, with great exuberance, their every effort.

Such a selfless display of sportsmanship seemed to have gone unnoticed after the game ended.  So, I wanted to make a point of highlighting it here because sometimes important lessons in sport are taught from the sidelines.