I am .....................

I am a photographer. I am good at it. It has taken me awhile to believe that and trust myself. At one point I was helping a person move. While waiting to get another load I arranged the furniture in one of the rooms in the house. Just for fun. I thought it looked pretty good but did not think too much of it. Shortly after that the people had a professional interior decorator come by and help them arrange the house. She told them that she would not move anything in that room it look good like it was. That scared me. but it was a nice boost. I began more and more to trust my eye.

There is beauty in everything around us. As people we just need to let go and look. Even in the things that are repulsive to some there is beauty. Photographer Sally Mann did a project called "What Remains." She photographed at an FBI center where they research crime scene investigation. As part of the research they leave human bodies laying around to decay. Mann photographed these bodies. They are some beautiful photographs. There is beauty in anything if you look.

I have come to love the world in a way I never thought possible. The rain, the snow, the accident, the fire, the dog, the ant, the mouse, the old house, the new house, all have beuaty in them. The movie

Koyaanisqatsi

is about a world gone a muck but even in this world the beauty is still there.

Some thoughts on a life past middle age

With my birthday happening last week I have been ruminating a bit about my life. I am definitely past middle age and am wondering where did all that time go? I have been able to do some good I think and have made my share of mistakes. Some things were a wash.

Take for example my try at journalism. I loved what I did but at the same time it is well I am no longer trying to practice in that field. I think I made a difference in a few places and messed up in a few more. I am glad that there is still a replica Main Street Deadwood even if it is in a different place.

I think what I am most happy and thankful about my time at the paper is the people I met and the friends I still have from that time. The most interesting is the fact that I don't think the powers that be at the paper (as smart as they thought they were ever new or maybe they just did not care why I left). The state of papers in the northern hills make me sure I made the right decision.

I never knew what my life would be come. I want to make a difference, then and now. My time at construction made things better at least depending on where you drive there are some good roads that I helped build.

I got an overpriced and some what useless education late in life. Some good came out of it . I learned a lot about thinking on my own. Made some good friends. Learned about myself and I think at least in some instance made some changes that needed to be made. I did start writing and taking photographs seriously. Thanks Kent, Steve and Dr. Salomon.

I have come to believe as I think I always did people are the most important objects in the world, save for maybe my dogs. But I digress. I thank God for my friends and pray that I do something to make someone happy every day as well as helping someone in some way everyday. My life is maybe more than half over. Truthfully I don't know anyone who is 104. I do think that the best is yet to come.

A couple of more thank you. Thanks Thomas, Donna, Heather, Mary, Jessie and some others. Its been a great ride and I am looking forward to making new friends and being a better friend to many that I don't have room to mention here.

Let me skid into the grave sideways, puffing and out of breath saying wow what a ride.

4TH of July

It was a pretty great Fourth. I spent a little time at the annual carnival and wanted to share. If yo are a friend on Face book you have probably already seen these but thanks for humoring me.

some thoughts on life

I have been thinking a lot lately on how to make a business grow and thrive. I don't know that I have any answers for my self yet. If anyone reading this has any suggestions I would love to hear them.

The gallery is going okay. I do wish it would grow faster. I always feel so unorganized. There is so much to get done and to learn. I took my last marketing class in 1978. That was a long time ago. I am trying to look into networking groups. One already going or trying to start one. i started to read success magazine again. Got some interesting ideas there.

I try to pick anyone who will talk to mes brain. I think my niche may be the old west. There are so many people who do photography dealing with the black hills and wild life. I hate to say it but there are only so many ways to shoot Spearfish Canyon or a mountain lion. I don't see all that much work being done on the west. The actual cowboys who are here.

I am trying to become as literate about western history as possible. I hope to become sort of an authority on south east Montana and the cattle and sheep that made the region. I want to thank everyone who has made suggestions. They are all appreciated.

All I can ask is to always be up and to always move forward.

Forgot how much I loved it!

I have been doing research for a photo project I am working on. I just plain forgot how interesting gut level down in the trenches research could be. I am only begging on what I see as a three to four year project.

Those of you who are friends on facebook may have noticed the posting of some pictures and the words that they were part of a project. I am working with the idea that I am going to photograph the trails in the Tri-State area. The stage route from Miles City to Deadwood being one of those routes.

My research has begun with an over view of western history. I know the history of the entire west is a pretty broad subject, but it is amazing even at this point how often names come up in the places that one would least expect them to. As time goes on I want to pull the focus into a much tighter area. One center of attention will be the trails that went into Deadwood and the Black Hills during the gold era. Another focus will be cattle drives into the area. Belle Fourche was once a rail head to ship cattle.

I am excited to move forward with this project. I think it has the ability to provide material for books of images from the area. Landscapes that tell a story - not just pretty pictures. It will I hope also help me with the business of my Gallery. Over time i will at least in theory become able to answer questions about the history of the area while offering images for sale that tell an important story.

I will have the opportunity to get some pictures of wagons and teams later this summer. A reenactment of a trail ride will be within 30 miles of my gallery for five days. My hope is to find some wagons that meet a degree of historical accuracy on the prairie.

This project could be a great deal of fun. The above photographs are from Stoneville In the present town of Alzada, Montana. Stay tuned for the story as it develops.

Somethings that matter to me about historic preservation

Some of this may read a bit like my artists statement, but much of what I try to accomplish with my work has to do with the past and saving it for the future. I have meager credentials in the traditional sense for historic preservation. I covered historic preservation for a newspaper in a town that is listed in The National Registrar of Historic Places. I did not work for that paper long enough to have the expertise I wish I had but I have seen a lot, from fights over what constitutes an appropriate front door to the questionable destruction of an historic building.

Yes, I do think the Wing Tsu building was deliberately destroyed.

Anyway I want to question what is appropriate historic restoration and even honorable. Much of the town was saved from destruction with time and the efforts of a good many people. There are genuine heroes in that town. People who cared and did their best to create something good. The pursuit of money I think has undone a lot of that good work. New buildings have been constructed among the old. Those buildings have come to remind me of Main Street at Disney Land. To pretty.

Why does it seem it is always necessary to overdue a good thing? The more floor space allows more gaming. Heaven forbid you call it gambling in the town. The influx of new has overpowered the old. Preservation regulations state that new buildings must be different from the old so they will not be confused with them. Most people don't get the very subtle differences. Even the dates on the new buildings are misleading. built 1996 3 stories up at a quick glance may be misread as 1896.

Another area town tore down a building that to me represented the town. It just did not fit in anymore. How do you save what is important with the realization you can't save all? How do you continue to progress without disrespecting the past you are trying to save?

I don't have the answers I wish I did. But I do think for the rest of my life I will be trying to find those answers. I hope that everyone cares about the past. That past is what has made us the people we are today. Some good some ugly but without it as an anchor can we has a people move forward in a positive way?

It has been an interesting week. I wonder what it takes to be treated seriously as an artist? I want to explore that idea without whining. Whining never solves anything but I do think its a fair question.

I was recently approached to do a project that involved a great deal of time ( at least two weeks of shooting over at least 12 hour days) as well as expense. The project had potential to be a great one. I new going in that the project itself had little in the way of funds, yet I made the mistake of thinking they wanted a serious ( I hate this word but) professional photographer.

Most of the people on the committee were familiar with my work. I thought they wanted images that they could use in support of the museum that was sponsoring part of the project. As it turns out I think they mostly ask me to do the project because they thought they could use me and I would do it for little or nothing with the hope of some future gain.

I am not opposed to working with the thought of profit later but to pay to do the work is a little much.

Needless to say this is now not happening.

Another person recently purchased a print. She told me she rarely purchased photographs. I felt like maybe she did not consider them art.

Not so terribly long ago the premiere art center in this area told someone that they did not consider photography art.

What gives? Art is about expression and getting people to think. What about a good photograph does not do that?

memorial day weekend

I was lucky enough and honored enough to have the 65th fan like my galleries page this weekend. It is kinda cool. I wondered at one point if I would ever get past 30. Things are moving forward.

I had a contest going to give a prize to the 65th fan and the person who recommended them. Kelley Squibb-Taylor was the winner of the prize, an 8 x 10 print of their choice. Kelly chose this image. Thank you so much Kelly.

what to do now

I just do not know anymore what the purpose is. I find that a lot of the people I know think I am nuts. I just think we are all in this together and that maybe there is no black and white answers to any questions.

Why is it so hard to believe that another person is important and deserves respect. I have lost all tolerance for hate. You can disagree but you cant blame the person. They have a right to their own beliefs. Religion is I think a terrible thing in the fact what could bring people together more often than not, at least where I live, tears people apart. Religion is so rigid. I don't think God is like that. At least not a god I want to worship.

Here all Muslims are terrorists, All gays are some how less than human and diseased. Neither is true. I Have gay friends. They are some of the smartest, most interesting and loving people I have ever met. They by far need to be cured of nothing. Us heterosexuals could learn a lesson about family values from my friend.

I don't know as many Muslims, I figure that is because of where I live.. Not withstanding they are to a person great people. Why do people always fear what they do not know or understand?

A person running for a state senate office near here made fun of a small town on her facebook page. To me that sort of behavior is totally unacceptable. I wish I was more eloquent but I can only say hate is never welcome. We can agree to disagree about ideas and positions but we can not hate each other because of those positions.

Please love everyone in the words of big Kenny.