Currently living permanently on the Gulf of Mexico in Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico.

  

The name and nickname say it all. . . ;-) I'm an inveterate smartass. Ok, I warned you. Drop me a line . . . like to meet new and genuine people. I heard it is good to say "diversity sensitive" . . . Yeah, I am. Well, maybe not with fundagelicals. I'm retired clergy, but don't bring that fundamentalist judgmental bullshit around me . . ."bullshit" being a theological term used frequently by church "professionals".

 

My S/O of 11 years died suddenly 4 years ago. Ellen was 54, feisty, Irish, beautiful and as firey as her red-hair. Many friends helped to gradually piece me back together. But the scars will always remain ...for all of us who have lost someone with whom we have given a large piece of our lives.

 

“A photograph is a secret about a secret,” she once said. “The more it tells you, the less you know" --Diane Arbus. Diane Arbus is one of, if not THE, favourite photographer of mine.

 

I think of her as a "namer" of reality, instilling a sense of dignity to the marginalized. It is a quality that I hoped that I have emulated, and hopefully continue to do so as a pastor and more importantly, as a human being. I have been told that the foregoing statement is true about myself. If so, I owe it to the several decades of clinical depression, gratefully managed through medication and outstanding therapists. Oh yeah! And that mysterious, pervasive Love emanating from the Universe that I choose to call Grace.

 

Depression gives me that place of profound reflection. It took me several years to find that place, to be able to go to it at will, and to see it as a paradoxical affliction. And why not? Life itself is a paradox, no?

 

Gradually I am coming to grips with this new world of digital photography. Comfort with and technical ability in editing still eludes me. I "eyeball" most of the photos, but work on trying to compose and process in the viewfinder and camera to avoid editing as much as possible.

 

I sure don't miss those hours in the darkroom, the smell of chemicals, loading film cartridges from bulk rolls, or the recurrent expenses of chemicals, paper and other supplies. I still shoot medium format film on rare occasion.

 

Reviewing my photostream from the first pix 'til now, I can see I might be catching on to this digital stuff. Can do some basic editing, but all the fancy stuff still eludes me. That's OK. PM gives me great encouragement on my monochromes. If I had my druthers I would do both B&W and color of the same pic. But that's a little crazy. I'm trying to gain some expertise with color.

 

I'm doing some studio work, introspective photo interviews, as a way to get out of my comfort zone of street photography.

 

So many pictures . . . and so little time . . . . :-) And here I thought it was just books! Crap, I've got to find another lifetime someplace . . . Maybe should check Ebay .. .

   

----///\\------Please

----///--\\\----put this

---|||----|||---on your

---|||-- -|||---profile if

---|||-- -|||---you know

----\\\--///----someone

-----\\\///-----who is living with, survived

------///\-----or has passed away from

-----///\\\----cancer.

----///--\\\---Thank you!

 

My mother died from breast cancer when I was 19 yo. She was 45. I was in my 2nd year at Loyola University in Chicago. Since then I accompanied many families and their loved ones on their painful journeys with cancer. Three years ago I lost my dear Ellen Marie to cancer and pneumonia She was 54. Mercifully she did not waste away and died with her glorious full head of red hair. Not a day goes by that my Mother and Ellen Marie do not influence and shape my life in some way, as well as all those with whom I had the privilege to be with during their illness. I am sure we will meet again.

 

My work has really changed direction I feel. The influence has been from the classes I've been taking in Photography at the University of Minnesota. I value so very much the critiques from my classmates (grad school age) and professors.

 

At last! Solid critiques! The plethora of young ideas and insights feed my mind, keep me young, and fuel my creative intent! Thank you guys! Ever since 8yo,, I've been passionate about photography, but never felt that I had objective critique of my work. Friends are terrible at saying "Oh that soooooo WONDERFUL" I actually photographed moose crap on an Alaskan highway down Homer way. I included it in slide show examples of my work. It received lavish praise for "its earth tones" I titled it "Untitled" rather than "Moose Shit on an Alaskan Highway"