Needing Some Fog

Autumn is in the air, so I'm in the mood. Autumn's colors and cool temps tickle my fancy. The sunsets during this time of year are often spectacular. And there is a feeling of activity in the air, with the forces of Nature preparing herself for the cold winter months. The seasons are like a breathing process, inhaling in the autumn, exhaling in spring. And the cycle continues.

This past year has been challenging in many ways and my photography has taken a slam. It is not that I have lost interest in any way as my main focus still is imagery. When I'm not behind the lens, I'm often buried in the pages of books, monographs, pouring over photos of photographers with whom I share a kindred spirit. There are many....Walker Evans, William Christenberry, Gary Winogrand, Diane Arbus, Clarence John Laughlin...the list is long.

I just discovered Christopher Churchill and hope to gather enough pop bottles to purchase his book on faith due out in November. I heard a fascinating interview of him on the "Thoughts on Photopgraphy" podcast and then viewed his website. He's a bit offbeat, which of course appeals to me, and I like that he delves into the topic of spirituality in an offbeat way. He wandered across the country photographing people discussing various aspects of faith, recording their words, and he includes sound clips on his website, which you can listen to while viewing his wonderful photographs.

I've already scored my first gallons of apple cider. Next step will be to scout for some excellent autumn vegetables. Perhaps a spicy butternut squash soup is in my future, with some wonderful Indian spices, of course. I can't wait for the leaves to turn, for the sweet smell of decay in the air, the crunch of leaves underfoot. What a great time of year! When I was a kid, we'd all burn piles of leaves at the curb, and that aroma actually was pleasant in its own way. I don't mind winter at all, so the pending cold waves do not chill my enthusiasm for the autumn. Early winter is equally as beautiful, when the first snows begin. Suddenly, from a world of magnificent colors, we are thrust into a world of stark black and white. Color disappears for a few months, only to return in late spring.

I have already been revisiting cemeteries in my area and whenver I catch wind of fog or haze in the forecast, I plot which cemetery I want to visit. Cemetery photography is not as interesting to me in the summer.

And on top of that I have been trying to get all my photo files in order, redoing so many now that I am getting more comfortable in Photo Shop. I have in the neighborhood of 144,000 photo files on my hard drive, though not all of those are candidates for printing. Actually, only a small portion of them are. And I've started printing my favorites and am sorting through them. I can't believe the hours I spend before my computer screen sorting through, examining and processing images!

So...I'd love to hear from you about who your favorite photographers are. I'm always on the lookout for something interesting to view when I cannot get out and shoot.

Links:

Christopher Churchill's photo website.

Thoughts on Photography Podcast: Christopher Churchill.