Last days of summer

An old friend visited me last week. We took a walk around the historic east side of Santa Fe after a glass of wine. The light was so beautiful; there was moisture in the air from recent rains, and all the plants seemed to be humming.

I always get seduced by Santa Fe this time of year. The monsoons let me know there is hope in the flow of water. There is abundance in every moment despite living in a high desert climate that can be harsh beyond measure.

I am grateful for every little moment; for all the lessons presented to me, and for continually being compelled to sip from the chalice of understanding.

I truly surprised myself. . .

Summer sky over St. John's College, Music on the Hill

Every summer at the Santa Fe Photo Workshops there is a weekly instructor 'slide show' on Monday nights. The Workshops first brought me here umpteen years ago and I consider it a touchstone of sorts. The summer workshops usually start at the end of June and go until early August. I hadn't been to one in over two years and really wanted to make this sojourn part of my summer this year.

I finally caught the penultimate show last week. Five instructors showing their work, and a panel discussion afterward. It was good. It was interesting to hear them all talk about sacrificing so much to be a full-time photographer, professionals, making their living making/taking pictures.

From time to time over the years I've wondered what would have happened if I'd taken all the time and energy I spent designing other people's photo books, and put those efforts into my own photography to be able to do it full time. I've made some money over time shooting weddings, portraits, events, for sure. But I never really went for it.

It was so surprising for me to sit and listen to these folks this week, as it slowly dawned on me that I was so glad I'd never become a full-time professional photographer. I've been taking pictures since I was about eight-years old and it has always been magic to me. That continues. If I'd done it professionally I don't know if I'd have the same feelings about it.

Then something else came in. I asked myself, if you could only choose one, take pictures or write, which would you choose? And to my utter surprise I chose the latter. To write stories. One of my favorite artists is (was) Beatrice Wood. She published an autobiography called "I Shock Myself". Such a delight, as she lived to be 103 and attributed this in great part to her love of chocolate and young men!

I am not sure how much longer I will call New Mexico home. I came here many years ago to live a creative life. I have, and it has come at a price in many ways. But I would not change a minute of it. And if it took me this long to be able to surprise myself with this realization of writing, which may seem small to the reader, but which is actually huge for me, then so be it. The timing is always perfect, and no moment of the journey is ever wasted. Wonder, wonder, wonder.

A rising tide flips all the boats...

... so said Chase Jarvis.

I just tuned in to a live stream from Photo District News's Photo Plus Expo in NYC this morning. The keynote speaker was Chase Jarvis, photographer director inspiring sharer of all things creative. I cannot remember how I first heard about him, maybe a blogger called Pat Flynn. Or from some other place to which the IS (Internet Sherpa) guided me.

Regardless, it was a very inspiring hour with the key message that NOW is the most exciting time to be here, being creative, on your path, doing/being what makes your soul sing.

A generous, insightful, thoughtful, and inclusive presentation that is well worth tuning in to if he rebroadcasts it on his blog. Which I hope he does.

In the meantime here's a link to a recent adventure of his somewhere in Asia during typhoon season, where he was literally brain-storming about today's address. It made me chuckle. :~)

Or, you can watch it here, too.

Enjoy!

Just one night...

A really hideously-lit shot of the plant, just to give you the idea of it. :)

I was on the phone absently studying our night blooming cereus plant. It's a great great great great (give or take a great) granddaughter cutting from Georgia O'Keeffe's plant. No lie. It was gifted to me a couple of years ago and I've not seen anything but sprouting leaves and stems, and done my level best not to kill it. "Give it some sun", says my neighbor, "they love sun". And so I did. The poor thing quickly turned into a crispy wonton so I whipped it back in the house before it was too late. That was almost two years ago now...

It was the eve before the full moon in August, the exact same time my neighbor's bloomed in 2008. As I looked around our plant I noticed something really strange touching the window. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be the curled cluster of a bloom—not unlike a squash blossom—and it was going to explode that night. That night only. I turned the plant around and began to watch the process. And a wee bit at a time this incredible blossom began to do just that. I left her for a couple of hours. I checked in. The moon was coming up. She was opening up, and the whole thing was too tempting not to photograph. So I did. Quite a bit.

I wondered what part of the plant exactly was responsible for its most exquisite fragrance, which later wafted down the hall to my room, intoxicating my senses. The whole thing was truly a heavenly experience. For just one night.

Life is Uncertain: Eat Dessert First!

Vanilla gluten-free cake made with lemon essential oil. Chocolate fondant icing. Very cherry berry coulis made with port (and doTERRA's Wild Orange essential oil). Oh, and cream... As you might see it was all very tasty!

Listen to Your Body: It Knows

I presently have a really challenging skin condition that is being aggravated by the invasive juniper pollen we have proliferating here in northern New Mexico. This itchy, scaly, extremely uncomfortable circumstance has forced me to really scrutinize my diet. As we all know: everything is connected. Not like I'm a junk foodie, far from it. But there are certainly some foods that are better than others for you, and especially during allergy season. What's more, if your skin is upset, you can pretty much figure that something inside is trying to get your attention.

Extensive studies have shown that 70% of our immune system is connected to the gut. Or, our digestive system. And with allergy sufferers in particular, having a wobbly set of intestines is paramount in contributing to the problem.

I've known this for a while and have been very careful with my intake of gluten, corn, sugar, alcohol, and dairy. Ideally, these should be eliminated entirely. Wah! I know, boring. But if you want things to run tickety-boo then one needs to eradicate the stress of these foods. Your liver, in particular, will thank you for it.

Even through the winter I was guided to eat a lot of salads, and cucumber, celery, cilantro, and cabbage; all raw, which is usually just the opposite of what I want: warm and cuddly foods. I actually craved cabbage. And I am still craving cabbage. I wanted to know more about cabbage. So I set out on a cabbage expedition.

I came across this recipe from my new favorite food blog, thestonesoup.com, and was immediately salivating. Then I had to pay a visit to google and look up the health benefits of cabbage. I was amazed at what I found. I knew it was alkalizing and beneficial for the digestion, but I had no idea that so much goodness could be in one, simple, humble cabbage.

Here are some things I found out. Everything you wanted to know about cabbage but were afraid to ask. Please check The Mighty Cabbage page on my new blog (!) here.

Be sure to check out Jules Clancy at her blog, from whence the cabbage salad recipe came. If you love good, fresh food, and beautiful photography, you will love her blog from Down Under.

A great juicing site: This page will lead you to the bennies of juicing cabbage.

Tulips and Anais Nin

I walk ahead of myself in perpetual expectancy of miracles.

—Anais Nin

Recently I came across some quotes from Anais Nin. I've wanted to edit my tulip images for a long time, and indeed found a note on my computer "Edit Tulips!" from last year. Sometimes it takes a while for things to blossom. I feel her timeless words go well with these images.

I hope you get lost in these "immagini" of the tulips as much as I got lost in photographing them. Literally, I climbed inside of them with my camera. Postscript: They are as I saw them, not manipulated in any way. :)

I looked with chameleon eyes upon the changing face of the world,

looked with anonymous vision upon my uncompleted self.

—Anais Nin

And... these tulip images, and others, will be available as limited edition prints made by me on recycled sugar cane photo paper that is just glorious. If you'd like to be contacted when they are up for sale, please email me at blog@elsakendall.com with "Tulip Prints" in the subject line.

Seeds of Wonder

It's that time of year again...

Time to free the morning glory seeds from their dried and wintered pods.

I think this one is a purple one, second favorite only to the Heavenly Blue variety.

I'm going to plant them e v e r y w h e r e!

Passing Over into Spring

I was walking around the yard, 'our' woods, and happened to look down, and over to under, an ancient juniper tree, at something turquoise and quite luminescent, and here it is just as I found it, a perfect robin's egg.

Quite magnificent it was. It seems now, still at the tail end of a long winter, to be a beautiful symbol for spring, renewal, for Passover, and Easter. And bunnies. I have seen one patiently waiting for the grass to come alive again. And for robins. There are so many robins around here this year. I love the color of their breasts. The way they warble-chirp. Their plumpness, their friendliness. Their peppyness. And I love the way the female creates the most luscious and gorgeous-colored eggs.

I still have this one after almost two years. It may have been stolen by a crow, I don't know. But it is tucked away inside a dried coconut shell. Occasionally I take a peek at it, a treasure, a miracle of nature.

Invaders of the Heart

I stopped in last night at the dress rehearsal for Invader's of the Heart, Pomegranate Studio's 2010 showcase featuring the work of some talented belly dancers. Under the direction of Myra Krien (top), who also performs, these dancers are just beautifully clad (mostly) and amazing! The show is at the James A. Little Theatre in Santa Fe. Friday and Saturday, March 19th and 20th at 7:30 pm.

If you would like to see more of my photographs you can click here to be transported to my flickr page. Enjoy!

International Women's Day and The Power of Film

I'm thrilled for Kathryn Bigelow, the first female director to win an Academy Award (for "The Hurt Locker"). She's only one of five female directors in the Academy's 82-year his-story to be nominated. I love what she said last night during her acceptance speech: "I would not be standing here if it wasn't for Mark Boal, who risked his life for the words on the page and wrote such a courageous screenplay that I was fortunate to have an extraordinary cast bring that screenplay to life." One classy lady, especially to give credence and kudos to the screenwriter, which is not often the case. Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola have also been nominated for Best Director. A far cry from the early days of film, where the only role behind the scenes females once played were secretaries to the studio executives. Incidentally, these women edited all the films back then! Who had the power, eh?

I do find it interesting, though, what Tom Hanks said about the last time ten films were nominated in 1942 when "Casablanca" won: America was at war.

Photo of Kathryn Bigelow came from here.

I also loved the genius of "Avatar", and I agree with much of what the writer of this article from TIME has to say regarding why it didn't garner the expected BIG awards.

Actors Sam Worthington, left, and Zoe Saldana as Jake and Neytiri in Avatar

20th Century Fox / WETA / Reuters

The voters of the Academy and what and who they represent are perhaps not able to acknowledge a film like "Avatar" at this time. Nonetheless this film permeated the ethers of the planet, and no doubt beyond. It has left its mark imprinted upon our imaginations, and it has blazed a trail for others with a similar theme of BEAUTY, VISION and COMPASSION. Let us hope so. Film is such a powerful medium for inspiration and understanding, especially in this time of gargantuan global transition.

Synchronicity and Chopin

Happy 200th Birthday, Frederic! 200 and still sounding wonderful.

Frederic Chopin is 200 years old today. It's amazing to learn that he composed my favorite piano concerto when he was only 20 years old. It debuted in Warsaw in March of 1830, shortly before he left for Paris. You can hear the middle part of it here, the Romance or Larghetto. I hope to use this in a film one day. Here he is, the only known photo of him at age 39, just before he died of TB.

This piece was not, however, used in Impromptu, a fine historical romp in a French château which told of his relationship with the famed French writer, George Sand. I did some research on her as well...

I love that a French Baroness in the 19th century would divorce her Baron, wear trousers, then change her name to a man's so she could follow her passion of writing (often sensational romance) novels. My kinda girl.

As for the synchronicity...

I was walking last week, listening to some music, which got me thinking about the wonderful experience I'd had photographing sea horses last year. About how I wanted to re-edit the work and make a finer cut movie of it. I had just learned from my friend that at least one of these creatures had given birth to a whole new batch of sea horses. I saw the image of the one looking at me as I photographed him: a single blue eye staring through the glass.

Then an interesting thing happened. I got home and checked my email and saw a new post from Bird's Eye View. Strange, I hadn't posted anything new... I opened it, and lo and behold it was the one from last July about the sea horses.

I have no control over this at all :) I publish a post, and at a certain time the same evening, the post is forwarded to all my subscribers. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, a post is sent again at a much later date. It is a mystery. And this time, synchronicity.

Even though I cannot quite put it into words at present, I know the sea horse and Chopin are connected. Perhaps it is through the constellation of Pisces. But that is another story...

Extraordinary Beauty

A friend of mine posted this on his Facebook page and I was captivated. Photographed at the largest aquarium in the world, it is utterly sublime. The divers on the floor give you an idea of the scale of these magnificent fish. Enjoy.

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Vivaldi: The Painter

Villa Tempietto Barbaro, Maser, Italy. Designed by Andrea Palladio Photo: Stefan Bauer

This morning I've been listening to BBC Radio 3 on line. What a gift. There is a special on Vivaldi this weekend. We all know The Four Seasons, often played a great deal this time of year, but I knew little else about him. I had visited areas where he lived and worked, though, and was fortunate enough to spend time at this amazing villa on a hot summer day, after a lunch with a friend and a lot of chilled Lugana. It didn't detract from the experience at all; the Veronese frescos are still vibrant in my inner eye, and the beauty of the villa (partially still inhabited) is timeless.

If you are interested in spending an hour with Catherine Bott speaking with the wonderful conductor Claudio Scimone (who at 75 says he's much more enthusiastic now than at 25) at his home in Padua, Italy, click here. A lot of illuminations with response to the counter-reformation, universal liberty for all, and how music replaced words that could never be spoken without fear. All interspersed with some wonderful selections from I Solisti Veneti, a group from one of my favorite regions in Italy, that has specialized in showcasing the work of composers from the Veneto for the last 50 years. It will be available for one week.

Vivaldi is a great painter of music. His bright colors remembers the sky of Tiepolo, and his dark colors are the colors of Tintoretto and of Tiziano. Even if these artists were living before Vivaldi, Vivaldi was playing their world. The simplicity of the architecture of Palladio is the simplicity of Vivaldi's shape, and it's also the great weapon for which Vivaldi conquers the whole world.

—Claudio Scimone

If we could use only weapons of beauty and mystery...

Allegory of Wisdom and Strength, c. 1580

Paolo Veronese

Wisdom

I was walking past a little area of our shed and saw this. The innate wisdom of the creatures is just stunning to me. How does this friendly spider know how to make such a wonderful web? Most have seven different glands for each type of filament they need to create.

I had my suspicions but just found out for sure that, "The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity."
For more fascinating info on spiders' webs you can click here.

"Without love, wisdom's birth is impossible.

For wisdom is knowledge correctly applied through the construct of love."

Musical Fun

FUNNNNNN!

America's Best Idea

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown,

for going out I found, was really going in" —John Muir

A new film by Ken Burns premiers this Sunday on PBS. It's called "The National Parks: America's Best Idea", and is an epic, six-part feature that took five years to film. Excerpts have been shown on PBS and the cinematography looks outstanding. For a look behind the scenes click here. It is so beautifully done, as usual with his work. He just keeps getting better and better. It runs in two hour segments, Sunday through Friday. Enjoy~

Hunting the Hidden Dimension

I was looking through ASMP's website and found this photographer's work. And then this amazing image. I shamelessly copied it to my desktop to look at again and again. And then I decided to share it with you, giving him full credit.

You can view it larger here by clicking on it. If you would like to see more of his work, please click here.

This image seemed to illustrate to me the kind of brink on which we all currently stand; in the midst of a vast unknown, full of peril, full of possibility. It looks like White Sands, NM, a bizarre configuration of gypsum sand in the middle of a desert basin. I was there in December once and remember the distinct feeling of strange as I took off my shoes and wiggled my toes in cool, white sand without the sound of ocean waves.

Things are not always as they seem, and that is a blessing to understand. Our minds are so limited, and such tricksters! Speaking of which, I was enthralled to watch Nova on PBS this last week, from which the title of this post comes. It was on fractal geometry and you can watch the whole thing here. I loved seeing how many dried and true mathematicians poo pooed the work of Benoit Mandlebrot several years ago, and literally told him he was nuts. Einstein was right, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds". Mandlebrot wrote The Fractal Geometry of Nature, and I look forward to checking that out. Here's an image from it from Wikipedia (where else?)

I am vastly under-qualified to explain it so best to check it out for yourself but essentially "A fractal is generally "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole." Suffice to say: it is cool!

In the program a physicist by the name of Nathan Cohen was interviewed. He was a Hammer (a Ham radio enthusiast) and a professor at Boston University in 1988. His landlord forbid him to put up an antennae on the outside of the building. By chance, Cohen went to a lecture by Mandlebrot and became intrigued by this work. Long story shorter, he went home and pondered the problem of the forbidden antennae and decided to try something out on his own. Instead of taking a line of wire, he took that same line and bent it to look something like this:

It worked. It worked better than a traditional antennae. It worked so well he continued to explore it, and in the mid 1990s obtained a patent. His work has contributed to the evolution of cell phones. You can read more here.

What has an image of a person doing the yoga tree pose in the middle of a 'beach' in the middle of a desert, have to do with fractal geometry and a man who was told no, and took the no and moulded it into something exceptional? I cannot explain why to you in words, I just know it does. I also know that when we are confronted with no's and cannot do's, with apparent limitations in our perceived physical realities, that inherent in this is a great, big, fat uncollected blessing. It is unknown, and it may seem perilous. But it is full of possibility.

Lola and the Green Smoothie

Today I was pup sitting for a lovely girl called Lola. She and I went down to the garden to pick fresh greens for a nice summer green smoothie, because... I found a Vita Mix in her kitchen. (And it really is her kitchen :) If you have never used one, they are amazing whipper whirlers that blend solid food into a pureed liquid, while still retaining the desire to actually drink it.

We put in: arugula, red chard, blueberries, apple, peach, young coconut flesh and coconut water, strawberries, unfiltered apple juice, and a cup of still mineral water. You can add just about anything as long as you remember to keep the greens dark and leafy. The sweetness of the fruit makes the greens taste delicious, and the enzymes in the raw begin working on your system immediately.

Tips I just learned: Keep the ingredients simple–mine may have been a bit too exotic. Don't use starchy veggies like carrots. And most important, don't chug your smoothie. You are meant to chew it, so that the saliva starts to break everything down, and begins to secrete digestive enzymes to aid in digestion. Voila!

My sweetie had been gardening and he said the ache in his shoulders went away about a half an hour after drinking it. Can I say he was none too keen to taste it in the first place? Now, he's a convert. Lola, on the other paw, still prefers her dog biscuits.

Fabulous Femme Photographer: Lillian Bassman at 92

ARTS / ART & DESIGN | July 17, 2009

Culture: Femininity, Salvaged

By GINIA BELLAFANTE

Photo by Damon Winter/The New York Times

A great article in the New York Times about Lillian Bassman here.

I'm going through my collection of photography books. I found one by Lillain Bassman and wondered who she was, apart from being an editorial and commercial fashion photographer. "Was" being the operative word. To my delight she is alive and well, living in NYC, and using Photoshop on her old fashion photographs, like every 92 year-old photographer does. Wot?

It is very inspiring to me to see she was a graphic designer in the 40's, a photographer in the 40's–60's, and now a digital dame (for the last 5 years). I bet her Keds are part of the secret... Thank you LB for sending me the link.