It’s all about the reflection.
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Another View
We Were Here
As Arizona newbies, we tried to get to the Red Rocks Crossing view of Cathedral Rock in Sedona several times over the last few years- always without a map, unfortunately. Once we even got to the trailhead, but it was almost sunset- too late to start out. So a couple years after our last attempt,we set out this weekend without any expectations (or map. . .) and drove to the trailhead in the middle of the afternoon. It was a fairly easy and short walk to the view above, and I got to sit with my feet in the water and look at nature (my happy place)! What this does NOT show is the huge, NOISY crowd of families- complete with boom boxes. The iconic shots of this spot never show that scene. I hope to return at a better time of day for photography and explore a little more of the area now that we know where it is.
Color Play
Another play with one of my multiple exposure photos from the Mogollon Rim. Yes, I do love Photoshop!
Up
It’s up, it’s done, it exists! Huge exhale!
The Details
I received a beautiful Spring bouquet for Mother’s Day from my beautiful daughter, Caitlin! It wasn’t until I imported the photos into the computer that I realized I never took a photo of the entire arrangement (tulips, hydrangea and daisies)- just the details! I do love my macro lens, but I will try to capture the whole bouquet before it’s too late!
I love the color combinations!
Of course I had to try a multiple exposure to give it a painterly look!
Thank you, Caitlin! ❤
Yavapai College Photography Show
Let the fun begin!
It is a beautiful show- and I am honored to be a part of it!
P.S. One of my photos has SOLD!
Evening Fire
Blast from the past- the sun going down in Alaska.
Yellow Sunshine
Good Morning!
Down to the Wire
It is crunch time.
As I have mentioned, I am participating in two photography shows- but did I mention that they are happening at the same time? And that the receptions are on the same day at the same exact time?
Tomorrow, I and another photographer will help hang the show for our photo group at the Yavapai College Art Gallery (for me, it’s mostly to learn how!). I have three photos in the show- an Alaska landscape, a Utah landscape, and The Magician. I’m not too nervous about it, because I’m only one of fifteen. And the others are superstars.
The next show (which we hang next Monday) is a different matter . My good friend, Debbie, who makes fabulous “fauxbots” out of found objects, and I have our OWN show (whaaaaaat?) in the mezzanine of ‘Tis Gallery across from the square here in Prescott. Unlike with shows on the main floor, we are totally responsible for the organizing, arranging, hanging, and some of the publicity. Oh and we pay for the space too. The show is called “F-stops and Fauxbots” with the tagline making magic with photography and found objects.
We were actually invited to do this and I said no three times before I said yes. I have hardly ever sold anything and don’t have a business (and don’t plan on having one). Debbie does have a business and sells her work. People love her fauxbots (I do too!). I have been stressing over this for months, but finally had an attitude adjustment and decided to just enjoy the process- which I have. I don’t mind telling you that it was a big investment and a hell of a lot of work, but I am almost at the finish line!
What you see here are the framed photos wrapped up so I don’t scratch the frames, some matted unframed prints ready to package in plastic- and some cards. Now it’s just details and the actual setup. One more week!
P.S. The receptions for both are Friday May 26 at 5:00- Yavapai Community College for the class- and ‘Tis Gallery for “F-stops and Fauxbots”. The shows each last about a month. I’ll post the details later on.
P.P.S. Did I mention that Debbie is in California awaiting the birth of grandchild number 5? She promises to make it back in time for our show . . .
DNA, NPE, and Family Secrets
This post isn’t exactly photography related, but it’s about something that has been very much on my mind and heart in the last couple months.
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by family stories and relationships- how do we all connect? I wrote out family trees while still a child, although they only went back to my great-grandparents- and weren’t entirely accurate. I think some of this fascination had to do with being an only child; I wanted more PEOPLE!
Well, I have them now! We are still a small family, but our family tree includes 6,057 people at last count.
In the last year, I’ve developed an interest in DNA as a genealogical tool, but, truthfully, it was hard to wrap my mind around triangulations, chromosomes, centimorgans and segments. Still is! However, some unexpected DNA cousin matches in the last couple months have motivated me to learn to apply science to my lifelong hobby. You see, when you have your DNA done, you not only learn your ethnicity, but you see how other people who have taken the test are related to you. People can be totally private, but their user names still pop up as matches and their relationship to you is estimated by the number of centimorgans you have in common. There were some surnames in four close cousin matches that were totally unfamiliar to me- and they had trees!
Without divulging names and where they fit on our tree, I will say that at least 3 of the 4 were adopted- and one has not written back. And they were from the same general geographical area. A mystery- and I love mysteries!
The more I went through their sketchy, incomplete trees and those of dozens of others that connected to them, the more I realized we had an NPE- a Non-Paternal Event, which means that the father of record is not the biological father. This was not a huge surprise, because there was a known ancestor who we had heard was not the actual father. About ten years ago, I decided to incorporate the father of record into our tree and had traced his ancestors back to colonial days. Now it looks like there will be a whole new line to investigate.
The adoptees that I wrote to knew the names of their birth parents, but not their ancestors- except for one. And I’ve found how she connects to the others- most likely through her unknown father’s line. This is the fun part. The hard part for me is seeing the broken families in the trees and imagining the hardships some of these people were facing.
The evidence is not solid yet on how these adopted cousins fit into our tree; I can connect them more easily to each other than to us- except through DNA. And the conventional wisdom is that DNA doesn’t lie- people do. Yikes.
I’m sure this post is hard to follow without more specific details, but I’m trying to respect the privacy of family members. I have mixed feelings about the whole situation- it is so wonderful how DNA can bring people together, but it also can reveal secrets that the people involved may never have wanted to be revealed. There are ethical dilemmas involved.
And then there is another DNA family story that will have a happy ending- just not yet. Almost fifteen years ago, a twenty-some year old second cousin of Lonnie’s named Kenny (whom he had never met) contacted us wanting to share family history. He has the mind and dedication of a cold-case detective and is highly skilled at tracing family from past to present, as well as present to past (and all on his PHONE!). While other genealogy contacts have come and gone (or died. . .), I’ve been talking to Kenny (and, in recent years, texting with him) regularly all these years. And. . . DNA just showed us that he and Lonnie are not related. This has been very upsetting to say the least, but, since we know family is not all about DNA, he is and will always be our cousin.
So, as you may surmise, despite being very busy getting ready for two photography shows and leading an otherwise busy life as well- I have been obsessed with family history- and not getting much sleep. I keep putting my files aside, but then just can’t seem to step away from the computer!
So that’s what I’ve been doing!
Bouquet
Here are yesterday’s gerbera daisies- this time in black and white.
With Intent
Intention has continued to be a hot topic of discussion with my photo group this week. I think shooting flowers with intention is perhaps not what we all had in mind, but, since I was taking photos of gerbera daisies, that was where I practiced. I did not make a list of words as was suggested, but I did have the words nostalgia and vintage in mind when I shot and edited this photo. Looking at it afterward, I realize I should/could have used a vintage container for the flowers- but I was thinking simple too, I guess. As usual, I did stray in my other flower photos (you’ll see another shot tomorrow)- so I’m not sure this is the best method for me.
Views of Blues
Still having fun with my shots from the Rim!
Rim Shot
The views go on forever!
Rolling Rim Impressions
We were absolutely entranced by the view from the Mogollon Rim on our recent trip to Payson. The views of rolling hills and mountains seem to go on forever. This image started as an in-camera multiple exposure, which was then layered with another multiple exposure and edited in Photoshop and other programs.
