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?