"The ghost of Edward"

We visited Point Lobos a year ago and spent the day photographing.  This area has wonderful rock formations along the Pacific coastline.  This was a place where Edward Weston made many of his fine photographs.  I was attracted to photography at an early age when I first viewed his work.  I was fascinated with his artistic style of black and white photography using a large view camera.  I have to credit his work for my early interest in photography.  Certainly it is apparent that with the help of digital editing I enhanced  the human figure in this image.  I could have easily done so in the classic darkroom process by using a selenium toner solution painted directly on the emulsion side of the negative  to increase the density in that area of the rock.  Seeing this image was taken in an area that Edward frequently visited I guess I should title it "The ghost of Edward"

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/travel/29footsteps.html

Walking among the ruins

Walking among old ruins and graveyards always brings a sullen feeling and especially on a rainy day as in the case when this image was taken.  I guess it is because we can sense the mortality of our own lives in these places.  Life is never well served with frequent revisits to the past or the incessant worry of the future, but most of us spend more time there than we should.  Today is where life is lived and no place else.  We don't own one day from the past nor can we be guaranteed to have one more day of the future.  You need to ask yourself what things are you dragging around with you from the past and what fears are keeping you from the future, and discard them all.   We all have these three areas in which we live, the past, present, and future.  Where do you spend most of your time and why?  When I work on an image for numerous hours I usually find out why I stopped to take the photograph.   I don't take pretty pictures, I like to think I take interesting pictures.  I enjoy seeing pretty pictures of sunsets and beautiful landscapes.  They inspire us to travel and visit wonderful places.  My images are more personal and reveal some of myself and possibly might provoke a response in you.