Jack Arnold Photography

Previsualization

2011-09-16T21:30:00.001-07:00

A fellow photographer was talking recently about previsualizing, that is, seeing the photo before you take out the camera, rather than shooting a great deal and looking for the good ones.

I'm all about previsualizing...maybe it should just be called "visualizing," since previsualizing is inherently redundant... Using a 4X5 camera requires it, if nothing more than for the fact that each image costs me around $7.

And so, I scout locations, repeatedly over years. Some are many hours' drive away. I watch the weather forecasts and the satellite loops.

I study the way the sky changes before, during and after a storm, and at different seasons, which is easier to do here south of Santa Fe where I can see over 100 miles to the west.

I look for composition, light, and all the things that help me to translate the power of what I see to a rectilinear image. I try to anticipate what the light and sky are going to do. Itry to find a viewpoint that will combine all the elements to make an image. I know of no better way to immerse one’s self in the discipline of seeing things rightly.

But I have learned that there are always surprises. So, while I am focused on the image I think I am going to make, I also keep looking for what is already there, which I hadn’t anticipated. The result is that sometimes the image comes as an epiphany, other times it's more a matter of studying a scene for a while, moving around in it, and getting an insight into how it works.

My friend, Dean Howell, has given me what is so far the best definition of art and craft that I know:

"With craft," he says, “You start out knowing what you want to create and you pretty much end up with what you set out to do. With Art, you start out with an idea, but you somehow end up with an outcome that you couldn't have anticipated, but is far better than anything you could have visualized.”

Ansel Adams is considered one of the masters of photography that is visualized, but even he could never have anticipated "Moonrise".

Monsoon

2011-07-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

The old-timers just called it the rainy season--July-August. But somehow the name "monsoon" gained popularity, and now pretty much everyone uses it. This year, especially after a particularly hot and dry June, the word has become part of a prayer, as in "I hope to God we get a good monsoon this year."

Clouds are especially important to me because they are so much a part of my photography. Watching the long-term forecast, satellite images, webcams, etc. I plan photo trips around sky conditions. The more dramatic the clouds, the better.
I was especially lucky a couple of days ago: Flying home from Minneapolis, we encountered beautiful thunderheads over Taos, and all the way into Albuquerque. If only I had been packing a bigger camera!

Playing with HDR

2011-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

High dynamic range, or HDR, is a technique that uses software to combine 2 or more exposure-bracketed shots. The effect is similar to what can be achieved with nd filters, except that the process is selective in a way that a linear nd filter could never be. In this picture, the sky is properly exposed, as is the shadow detail in the cactus in the foreground.

Into the Light

2010-12-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

The winter solstice approaches; soon the light returns. Here are two images taken recently on a photo trip to White Sands National Monument. Click on an image to view a larger version.

Bosque del Apache

2010-12-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

10,000 Sandhill Cranes, 40,000 Snow Geese, 90,000 ducks. But it was the mountain lion sightings that got Nancy to accompany me on a quick trip down to Bosque del Apache. I'm not a wildlife photographer, preferring instead to take pictures of rocks, clouds and such. but there are some amazing photos of birds to be found, even with my inadequate equipment. (Check out the photographers who were there...talk about lens envy!)

Internal Dialogue

2010-10-29T00:33:00.000-07:00

It's incessant, this internal dialogue, especially when I'm out in the middle of nowhere looking for pictures. Just about all of it is garbage, sort of like what you get when dialing through distant AM radio on a late night drive. Too much truck drivin' dime store sales pitch and not enough Wolfman Jack.
I would prefer the present time all the time, but my idle brain seeks entertainment. Even gibberish will do.
And then, I find a scene like this, and the present takes over.

Sharpness

2010-10-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

"Sharpness", asserted Henri Cartier-Bresson, "Is a bourgeois concept". In pursuit of sharpness we photographers chase after the best lenses, or lug a large format camera into impossible places like False Kiva.

So, is sharpness a prerequisite for a good picture? Depends on what you are trying to say. Many people who see this photo of the silver mine in Creede, Colorado, react with comments about how sharp it is, and how it looks almost like an etching. Actually, this is one of the main reasons I took the picture, and with a very good lens. I wanted to emphasize the detail in the grain of the wooden structure. But then, I also wanted to point out the echoing shapes of the towering structure in the foreground and the mountain in the background. Not to mention the feathery clouds contrasting with the angularity of the building and the rocks in the mountain. (For that, I needed HDR, which is another topic.) So, for this image, sharpness had to be a component.

The previous day, I took this picture of the Great Sand Dunes. It is by no means sharp, nor in my mind, does it need to be. I was interested in the light, the repeating shapes and textures, and the overall drama of the scene. Besides, it would have been nearly impossible to photograph this scene with a large format camera, what with the wind howling at +30mph! Question is, does it succeed? Would sharpness have added anything to the image? Maybe this image, which isn't sharp, needs to be printed very large, in order to emphasize the drama of the scene.

At the Market

2010-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've shown my work at two markets this summer: the Santa Fe Artists Market, which is in the Railyard, next to Site Santa Fe (http://www.santafeartistmarket.com/) and the Society of Artists, near the Plaza (http://www.santafesocietyofartists.com/). Both are great markets, and I am in the company of some very accomplished artists.
What I enjoy most about these markets, aside from selling my work, is the people I meet and their stories. Santa Fe draws a variety of people from all over the world. I have chatted (often unknowingly at first) with movie stars, politicians, photographers who are actually famous(!) back country guides, and many people who are visiting the Southwest for the first time. I keep a map handy so that we can compare notes on places we enjoy exploring, and have learned about several good photography locations that way.

2010-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

El Nino Keeps it up..
Low pressure system over 4 corners brings excellent skies to play with. Here's a link to the NOAA satellite loop so you can see for yourself:
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/GSSLOOPS/wcir.html

So, I thought I would go out and do a little shooting in all this dramatic weather. Made it as far as the Lamy train station about 10 minutes down the road, took a few shots, then got back home before the roads closed down!
The snow level is below 6000 feet, so the whole area will be blanketed...should be some good pictures out there over the next couple of days.

Winter Storms

2010-01-30T08:27:00.001-08:00

Rolling up from the southwest, and fat with Pacific moisture, the winter storms have brought dramatic skies and light...and snow.

when the storms begin, I watch the satellite loop to see if I can predict where the best clouds and snow might occur. Very often, the best weather patterns are right where I live (red + on the satellite image...you have to click it to see it!)

Along with the light, plenty of snow and ice give some extra interest to the old adobes in town.

Sangre Storm Panorama

2009-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there's a great photo just outside my studio door. Great sunset clouds over the Sangre de Cristos tonight. Probably more snow in the mountains, on top of what fell last week. Skiers are rejoicing!

Clouds

2009-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Most of my favorite landscape photos include clouds, mainly because they add drama and draw attention through the scene. Here in New Mexico we are known for predominately cloudless skies; but when the clouds appear, they are usually spectacular.

I seldom take pictures only of clouds, preferring to find an interesting foreground to add balance to an image. Typically, on a hot summer day when the monsoon clouds are building, I will start looking for locations with good foregrounds to build composition. I have scouted a few areas in anticipation of a time when good clouds may appear, and have had some luck at this.

Maybe I will start simplifying my foregrounds and make them more abstract, in keeping with the cloud shapes themselves. That will save me much searching for impressive foregrounds, but it will require creating compositions that are less like landscape photos, and more like abstract paintings.

Kids' Day at the Art Fair

2009-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday was kids' day at the Sunday Art Fair, which is at the Railyard in Santa Fe. Here is a short video of a young virtuoso who frequently plays there. He stationed himself next to my booth, so I was not only able to watch him play, but also the reactions of passers-by.

The presence of many young children, plus the warmth and caring shown toward the kids by the many adults showing their artwork, brought back fond memories of my best days as a teacher, many years ago.

Photographing Indian Market

2009-08-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to be hired by the Santa Fe Indian Market as an official photographer. Of course, the most enjoyable part of the assignment was talking to the artists, albeit briefly. Many of the booths had large crowds, and I was blessed with a good assistant, Carol, who held the crowds at bay.

(Some were a mite rude; it's a bit of a feeding frenzy around some of the most popular artists.)

The Market attracts over 80,000 visitors each year; some of the more avid collectors, or their representatives, arrive well before the 7:00 AM opening time, even going so far as to camp in front of the booth!

Over 1100 artists show their work. The quality of the artwork ranges from good to world-class. Many of the artists are well-known, with a dedicated following. Some may spend the entire year creating only a few pieces, and show only at Indian Market.

At the center of the Santa Fe Plaza is a stage
featuring an almost constant stream of performances, including music, dancing, and a Native American clothing contest. this year's performances included Mathew Andrae, hoop dancer and musician; poet and singer Joy Harjo; R. Carlos Nakai, and others.

The market's beauty is not confined to the artwork. Many of the artists, and a few of the visitors, are worth appreciation.

Santa Fe Artists' Market

2009-08-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

A few pix of the Artists' Market, which is now in its new space next to site Santa Fe and the park.

click on any of the images to see more detail.

Jack standing in his booth at the market.

Michael woos yet another young lady with his

cello playing.

Duane smudges everyone's booth and their wares to bring prosperity and banish discord.

Monsoon Season

2009-07-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

The monsoons have arrived, bringing dramatic clouds, lightning, rainbows, and a very green desert. Looking out the window yesterday afternoon, I could no longer force myself to stay indoors. I grabbed the camera and off I went, chasing clouds and light.

Although Eldorado, where we live, seems to have just the right location for spectacular clouds and sunsets, there are not many interesting foregrounds. So, I usually go down the road to Lamy or Galisteo. I was fortunate to find a pretty spectacular image of the sun breaking through clouds over the old Galisteo cemetery. I did not linger long outside the truck, however. Shortly before, as I was driving down the road, the entire environment inside the truck and out flashed in a split second of blinding white light, followed immediately by a loud explosion. Lightning sounds a lot different when it strikes next to you. No rumble of thunder.

Photos from the International Folk Art Market

2009-07-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Laos, Rwanda, Chile, Palestine, Mongolia, Haiti...a few of the nations represented at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. This is the largest folk art market in the world, with 140 artists from 41 countries.

Textiles, wood, ceramics, metal work, jewelry: there are plenty of colors and textures to explore.

Most of the artisans wear traditional dress, and are themselves works of art.

Many of the participants represent cooperatives whose main income for the year relies on the market.

A Photographic Challenge

2009-04-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

Flowers are beautiful, and masses of flowers are glorious. How can I resist taking dozens of photos of this azalea garden in Raleigh, N.C.? I shot all of these hand-held, with a Canon 17-36 L wide angle lens on an EOS 5D digital camera.

But, while the color and scale is fairly easy to communicate in a photo, how do you find composition?

Perhaps a closeup, with enough of the background to give context.

Or, maybe a contrasting element, like rough tree trunks.

Or, a few strong elements to break up the homogeneity and help eye travel (This is where having my 4X5, with its focal plane movements, would have been nice. I could have kept the 3 the trees in sharp focus.)

Or, somewhat more subtly, a wide angle shot with an off center bit of contrasting color. (click on any image for a larger version)

Bit of a subject contrast from my previous post, eh?

Poncho House Ruin

2009-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

One of the fine, large pre-historic ruins of the Southwest, Poncho House Ruins was occupied and built during the 12th century and set in a great horseshoe bend of Chinle Wash, near the Arizona-Utah border.

Nancy and I visited Poncho House last week, accompanied by a Dine (Navajo) Guide from nearby Bluff, Utah. The drive to the ruin is scenic, with views of Monument Valley in the distance. The final 1/4 mile of road, which is really more of an exercise in rock-hopping, requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

We then hiked a mile, halfway down into Chinle Wash, then along a benchland where we could approach the ruin. The benchland would have been an ideal spot for farming, assuming that enough water would remain in the wash for irrigation during the dry season. The ground is littered with black, red white and grey pottery shards, some with bits of intricately-painted decoration.

Our guide showed us a number of artifacts that he had found, and hidden so that that they will remain with the site: a comb, fashioned from yucca fiber and thin twigs from river willow; a bit of woven mat; arrow points; etc. He also pointed out metates and grinding stones, and gouges in the sandstone where workers had sharpened their stone hoes.

As we entered the ruin, we saw bits of turkey feathers, human hair, corncobs, and handprints in the hardened adobe between stone masonry.

The cliff walls are covered with pictographs, as well as the faint outlines where walls once abutted.

The people living there had an incredible view: The weathered spires and cliffs above the wash seem more appropriate for a Martian landscape.

Spring?

2009-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Woke this morning to find over 6" of snow on the front steps; perfect photography weather!

Spring in Santa Fe

2009-03-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally come to Santa Fe. Flowering trees behind adobe walls make for a few interesting photos. I walked through the neighborhoods on the east side and played with compositions using my wide angle lens.

Spring is a good time to visit "Rachel's Corner" on Alameda and St. Francis. Rachel and Jose have sold pinon, chiles, beans and other local produce on this corner for years. Recently, they have been joined by a few artisans. Here, gourd artist John Shaffer shows off his work.

Defending Wilderness in Washington

2009-02-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a brief trip to Washington, D.C. to advocate as a citizen lobbyist on behalf of America's Red Rock Wilderness Act. The red rock country of Utah and Arizona has fed my soul for many years, and I decided that it was time for me to give back a little.

I met with my representatives from New Mexico, plus a few from Texas. Even got a photograph of myself standing next to Senator Bingaman, in his office, beneath a photo he purchased from me at the Santa Fe Art Market some years ago.

I do not consider myself in any way a "political" person. The complexity and seeming glacial pace of the legislative process quickly causes my attention to wander. Nevertheless, I come home with a new respect for Washington because I gained a bit of insight into the incredible balancing act that our representatives must perform as they address the demands placed on them by their varied constituencies. "E Pluribus Unum" is no small feat, and it requires constant tending.

Washington is a surprisingly beautiful and vital town. I had little time outside of my work to visit some of the landmarks, but I did have a chance to see the Vietnam Memorial, and to pay my respects to a couple of guys I once knew. This image, with the faint reflections of me and the surrounding landscape, signifies for me the contrast between the ephemeral visits of millions who pass by, and the permanence of the price price paid by each of the people whose names are on that wall. Please, click on the image to see the names.

Monument Valley Snow

2009-02-12T23:01:00.001-08:00

I drove to the four corners region and Monument Valley ahead of a predicted snow storm, hoping to capture some rare images of snow in the Valley, and in the nearby red rock country. I camped in Valley of the Gods, which is about 1/2 hour to the north, and nearly 2000 feet lower, meaning, warmer! I have tried to make this trip before, once leaving too late and getting stuck in snow in Cuba, NM.

But, this time I made it. the first day was fairly uneventful...a few clouds rolling in, a few interesting tourists to surreptitiously photograph.

That night brought snow to the entire region. I woke up to find 3 inches of snow blanketing my camper and all of Valley of the Gods. Driving unplowed roads south to Monument Valley, I saw that the snow was deepening. Visibility was less than 1/4 mile.

Monument Valley had even more snow; the drive down into the valley was, to say the least, exhilarating.

The storm began to clear by late morning, and the sun quickly began to melt the snow, creating patterns with the contours of the red earth and the ripples of snow.

Back on the rim of the valley, I drove over to the primitive campground. There was parked a lone station wagon. Another photographer had actually camped there overnight. Brr!

He was disappointed; the storm had cleared too late, and the light wasn't right for him. He had apparently driven from Southern California to follow the storm, and had been through 2 feet of snow near Flagstaff. He would hurry back towards Grand Canyon, hoping to find better images there.

I shot this last image about 100 feet away from where he had been camped.

Fear Less, Love More

2009-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Wise advice, given by my father many years ago. And now, more important than ever. Fear turns us inward; it shrinks our souls. Love looks outward, expands, seeks to help, sees hope. An attitude of fear and scarcity may drive one to accumulate wealth, but an attitude of love and abundance creates fortune that ripples outward, beyond our imagination. Love attracts; fear drives away.

Now we stand at a crossroad: Fear, hate and greed have brought us to the threshold of ruin, but we have a new leader who asks us to give, even as we may wonder how to pay tomorrow's bills. Perhaps he will inspire us all to consume less and give back more.

I sat in a convocation of artists a short while ago. Inevitably, someone began talking about how hard life has become for artists, how some artists, unable to pay the rent, contemplate suicide. Another artist in the group cut the conversation short: "I am giving away small paintings randomly to people I meet," he said, "Without any expectation of payback. " He continued to describe how that simple, illogical act had changed his outlook to livelihood, and how it had helped his creativity.

We need creativity now, but not the creativity that builds better weapons or finds new ways to get rich quick. We need a collective creativity that is built on a recognition that true wealth only results when our striving creates benefits not just for an individual, but for a community.

Then and Now

2009-01-18T21:46:00.001-08:00

Photographing the fresh snow fall in Galisteo last week, I had the good fortune to meet two residents who, seeing me taking pictures with my large format camera near their home, invited me to look for images in the orchard on their property, which is nestled in a lovely bosque along Galisteo Creek.

Although they are fairly new to the area, they turn out to be quite knowledgeable about the history of the place, and, in a recent email, graciously took the time to enlighten me on some facts about the people who have lived there, past and present. Here is what they have told me:

"Warfare was not a problem until the plains tribes had horses. The Galisteo and lower Rio Grande villages were intact until the time of the Pueblo Revolt because the plains tribes, though there were skirmishes, did not have horses until well after the Spanish came."

Eventually, the Tewa people living in the area had to leave. Many of them relocated to the Hopi lands.

"They came to live there to help protect the Hopi mesa's eastern side. Part of the deal was that they kept their Tewa language. Their village is commonly known as "Hano". The Tewa do not like that name. They call their village "Tewa". The Tewa make a sound like "hano" at the end of many sentences when they speak their language (a language Hopis do not understand... though the Tewa speak and understand Hopi). so, the Hopi jokingly call the village "Hano."

My Galisteo acquaintances actually lived at Hopi for many years, and relate this story:

"One day, when I was giving a ride up first mesa to a Tewa woman who was fetching water from down below, I referred to the village as "Hano" and she explained to me why they preferred it be called by its real name, "Tewa." So, though many of the maps say "Hano," many call it "Tewa," which is more proper."

The artists whom I referred to as coming to live in Galisteo are, it turns out, part of a larger influx of people who moved to Galisteo in the 60's and 70's, seeking an alternative lifestyle. They now make up a sizable percentage of the community.

As sometimes happens, I, myself became the subject of a photograph. The first shows me in a flattering pose with my head buried under the hood of my camera, on that snowy morning in Galisteo. The second, taken by my mother in 1947, captures me in my my more charming days. Regrettably, none of my work from that period survives!

Morning Snow

2009-01-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

Last night brought snow: three inches of fluffy powder which, without any wind to disturb it, filled trees and draped a white robe over adobe walls.

I drove to the nearby village of Galisteo before dawn to look for pictures, before the morning sun could melt away the snow. I needn't have worried; the village lay under a protective blanket of icy fog that let in enough light from the rising sun to illuminate the landscape while preserving the delicate patinas of snow.

Galisteo and the greater Galisteo basin have a rich history. The area was once home to people who had moved there from the Four Corners area and established as many as 200 villages along the Galisteo Creek watershed.

But the area has not always been peaceful; by the time Coronado passed through, in 1541, most of the villages had been abandoned as a result of warfare with Plains Tribes. The final blow came after the Pueblo Revolt and subsequent Reconquest. The remaining Tewa people left their villages, most notably San Cristobal, and joined relatives in the Rio Grande Valley or Hano, which is in Arizona.

The Spanish Government granted land to families whose ancestors live in the Galisteo area to this day. Family names like Anaya and Ortiz are associated with streets, businesses, and even a nearby mountain range.

More recent migrations to the area have brought wealthy retirees and artists. There is also a large ranch nearby that is frequently the setting for movies; if you saw " Into The West", you saw the Galisteo Basin.

Farolitos

2009-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Eve Farolito Walk is a Santa Fe tradition that started in 1971, partly to celebrate zoning ordinances that limited development in the central neighborhoods. (The Spanish word, "barrio" no longer seems fit to describe the tony neighborhoods along Canyon Road and Acequia Madre.) Canyon Road is crowded with visitors and locals, and this year the street was filled with around 4 inches of slush.

The side streets are calmer, and it is there that the tradition retains its original flavor. An elementary school has built a labyrinth on the playground with thousands of farolitos, literally, "little lanterns", which are small paper bags ballasted with sand and each holding a candle. (Farolitos are not to be confused with luminarias, which, the old-timers will tell you, are the box-shaped stacks of pitch wood that burn brightly and fill the air with the signature aroma of burning pinon. The candle-in-the-bag farolito was actually introduced by the Chinese!)

Street lights are extinguished and traffic is blocked for the evening. Neighbors sit by the road; some are giving out free hot cider and the traditional bizcochitos, the tiny anise-flavored Christmas cookies that are New Mexico's "state cookie". Many of the people strolling the back streets sing carols and stop for a while to warm up near a blazing luminaria.

Election Night

2008-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

I am camping among red rocks in Valley of the Gods, in southern Utah. (I voted early!) This area was once home for thousands of people. They built villages in the cliffs, they hunted in the nearby highlands, and they farmed. They lived in this area long enough to build substantially, from Mesa Verde in Colorado to smaller settlements, such as this one at Monarch Cave.
This must have been a remarkable place to live; the village is sited under massive, overhanging rock. Within 100 feet of the buildings there is large pourover which, during a summer cloudburst, would have become a stupendous waterfall cascading into a pool 200 feet below. The pool is still there. Was it the water source for the village? Did people dive into it from the rocks above?
It could not have been an easy thing for them to abandon such a place, but they did, along with most of the inhabitants of the pueblos in the 4 corners area, great and small. Why they left, approximately 700 years ago, is still a mystery. Perhaps climate change, perhaps resource depletion, perhaps a relentless enemy. In any event, they left, headed south, to settle in the Rio Grande Valley in Northern New Mexico, the mesas of Hopi Land in Northern Arizona, the Zuni and Acoma Pueblos in Western New Mexico, and possibly in Southeastern Arizona and Northern Mexico.

Tony Hillerman

2008-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Tony Hillerman's passing yesterday brought to mind the way that his writings, rich with description of the landscape of Dinetah, have always given me the feeling of being in that landscape, even when I cannot physically be wandering there. Interviewed in 2003, Tony was asked, of all the iconic views he could recall, which one best symbolized the West. He replied that it was Shiprock: "I need only drive west from Shiprock and into that great emptiness to feel my spirit lift.''

Wandering that marvelous land, from Shiprock to Torrey to Kanab to Window Rock, you pass through mere calm into internal silence. If you are lucky, you may for a time become invisible, especially to yourself.

Sometimes the landscape blasts you with an image so singular that it is impossible not to photograph it. Other times, you sit in a place for a night and a day or more, waiting for your vision to catch on to what has been waiting there for you.

The great blessing to be found in these places is not a thing that you might take away with you: a beautiful image, a colorful stone, a souvenir. It is instead a change that inevitably occurs within you that will never be lost, no matter where you go.

2008-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

This has been a glorious summer in Santa Fe. Robust monsoons brought plenty of rain, making the desert lush with wildflowers; the cacti are wreathed with grasses and other annuals that have waited, dormant, for this rare opportunity to bloom. I am fortunate to live in an area where I can hike with my camera down an arroyo near my home where my only companions are the flowers and antelope. Above, a pair of ravens plays tag in the warm morning breeze.