But now, it's a week before Nov 4, and I feel compelled to remind everyone to...

VOTE

I already did via absentee ballot. It's a great way to vote. You can take your time, read up on issues, and it only costs 59 cents for the convenience. And I'm cautiously hopeful for a dramatic change in American politics with a victory for Obama/Biden.

孩子（Child)
快 (Hurry up)
抓紧妈妈的手 (Tightly hold your Mom’s hand)
去天堂的路 (The road to heaven)
太黑了 (is too dark)
妈妈怕你 (Mom is afraid that)
碰了头 (you hit your head)
快 (Hurry up)
抓紧妈妈的手 (Tightly hold your Mom’s hand)
让妈妈陪你走 (Let Mom keep you company)
妈妈 (Mom)
怕 (I am afraid)
天堂的路 (The road to heaven)
太黑 (is too dark)
我看不见你的手 (I cannot see your hand)
自从 (since)
倒塌的墙 (the wall collapsed)
把阳光夺走 (it took the sun light away)
我再也看不见 (I cannot see )
你柔情的眸 (your lovely eyes again)
孩子 (Child)
你走吧 (You can go)
前面的路 (the road in front of you)
再也没有忧愁 (has no sorrow any more)
没有读不完的课本 (there are no books that you cannot finish reading)
和爸爸的拳头 (and your father’s fist)
你要记住 (you have to remember)
我和爸爸的摸样 (my face and your father’s face)
来生还要一起走 (let’s finish walking this road together in our next life)
妈妈 (Mom)
别担忧 (do not worry)
天堂的路有些挤 (the road to heaven is a bit crowded)
有很多同学朋友 (I have a lot classmates and friends)
我们说 (we all say)
不哭 (don’t cry)
哪一个人的妈妈都是我们的妈妈 (anyone’s Mom is our Mom)
哪一个孩子都是妈妈的孩子 (any child is Mom’s child)
没有我的日子 (the days without me)
你把爱给活的孩子吧 (give your love to the children alive)
妈妈 (Mom)
你别哭 (don’t cry)
泪光照亮不了 (tears cannot light up the road)
我们的路 (our road)
让我们自己 (let us)
慢慢的走 (walk slowly)
妈妈 (Mom)
我会记住你和爸爸的模样 (I will remember your face and father’s face)
记住我们的约定 (remember our appointment)
来生一起走 (of walking together in our next life)

The complete article.

I'm participating again this coming weekend (May 17/18) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All visitors are welcome. Here's the google map for directions.

Full story here.

Sounds like a great photography quote, but no, it comes from a zany wonderful MIT physics professor, Walter Lewin.

The image itself represents a Digital Lightjet print created as part of a workshop I took last week with Charles Cramer and Bill Atkinson through Calypso imaging. While I remain fundamentally committed to my wet darkroom work, I recognize developing equivalent digital printing skills is essential to my development. Lots more to come in this space.

I'm here in Zion National Park after a long 10 hour drive yesterday. I drive because the miles help melt away the stress of daily life, work etc... helping me to "let go" and start to feel receptive towards the photography I'm about to engage in.

Once here, I investigated the fall coloring on the East Side (pockets of good color) then had dinner at the Bit & Spur (highly recommended). After a restless sleep I woke this morning still feeling some anxiety. It's not always easy making the transition to a receptive artistic focus even when you find yourself in such a beautiful place. You can't force it. It won't come on your terms.

So I went to the local's coffee shop, the Mean Bean, figuring the energy there might help. One of the things I love about Zion and Springdale is year after year you see many of the same locals. They live here because they love this place. I recognize many of them from over 9 years ago when I lived here for a summer.

I'd brought a 1991 issue of Parabola focusing on Craft with an article by Paul Caponigro entitled "Writing with Light". Sitting there eating some granola and sipping coffee, I read his words:

"Silence is a tool of the intuitive realm, the vehicle of inspiration, just as readiness is the vehicle of physical techniques." And then later:

"Recording the light of the outer subject can be linked with gaining access to one's inner light."

Somewhere in those words, I felt the mental machinations, nervousness, the desire to make something happen... it all just seemed to melt away. I left the coffee house relaxed, peacefully invigorated and ready to simply let come what may. What happens over the course of the next two weeks is still a mystery. But whatever it is, I believe I've broken through to be receptive to it.

I broke out my digital camera and made a number of photographs until it got dark. You can see a complete set here on Flickr.

Update: The Fire is 95% contained today (Sept 09) having burnt nearly 48,000 acres almost entirely within Henry Coe State Park (see this graphic). With a good winter rainy season, the wildflowers could be incredible in the Spring.

Well, after 3 years and a big thanks to Apple's great financial run, the dream finally became a reality. I finally got around to repainting the outside walls just a couple weeks ago which inspired me to finally take some photographs of it. The before and after is quite impressive if I do say so myself.

So what's this blog about? I'm mostly going to talk about craft and creativity. Craft is something I'm particularly interested in as it relates to photography but it really permeates my life and thinking. Devotion to craft seems to be a rare commodity these days and it's a huge issue in photography. So, I'm gonna attempt to blow the lid off it and if some of you come along for the ride... awesome.