Category Archives: portrait

Local color — Ajijic style

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While we in the United States paint little beige and light beige sample swatches on our walls to make sure we get that just-perfect vanilla, people in many other parts of the world are embracing color. I love it. I know it’s been done to death, but I am compelled to shoot doors and windows and brightly colored walls. I’ve not found it to be a lucrative field for stock, but I do get the occasional print sale. Probably someone wanting something bright to hang on their vanilla wall.

But I don’t really shoot these colorscapes for profit. I just need to make a record of the uninhibited audacity and joy that shines from these walls. They make me happy.

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I mean, can I even get that red at Home Depot? These were shot in the lovely little town of Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala about 30 miles south of Guadalajara, Mexico. The town is home to many US and Canadian retirees who flock there for the great climate. They bring their own local color, too. I was told that this fellow — spotted enjoying a drink at an open air cafe — was a former New Yorker:

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Ropin’ kids

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A couple of kids that performed rope tricks for us during a quick lunch in Magdalena on our way from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara. It was a beautiful drive through rain forest, over mountains and through lush valleys but the people of Magdalena were the highlight.

One room schoolhouse

Flint Hills schoolhouse

Busy days lately but I took a day off to go shoot with my K4/Photodudes buddies on Friday. The sky was mostly dreary but opened up once or twice like it did here at a one room schoolhouse in the Flint Hills near the ghost town of Volland. Hardly a lost day, though, as it was really more about hanging with other photographers than getting marketable shots. Looking forward to the next trip, guys — let’s make it soon.

One more week until I’m on the road again headed for Albuquerque. Still lots of Egypt shots to share so I’ll try and get a few online before I go.

Train chasing

Durango Silverton train

Last year I rode the Durango & Silverton train with my Photodude’s buddies. It was a great trip and we got lots of shots from the open-air cars of the front of the train as it snaked around bends in the Animas River canyon. Yesterday, I got to shoot the train again but not as a rider.

I met the train at the station as the locomotive was being positioned. It was a cool morning and the steam was belching into the sky backlit by the early morning sun. I shot until the train pulled out and then hopped in the car to race ahead to a spot I had remembered from last year’s ride where the train would pass a lake surrounded by pastures of horses. Mapquest was a huge help in finding places where the roads and tracks would intersect. I don’t think I would have ever found the spot without it.

It was fun to get another chance to photograph this great train. I understand they have some special excursions for photographers where they will actually stop the train and allow you to photograph it as it steams past, then it comes back to pick you up again. Maybe I’ll get a chance to do that some day.

Portrait of Kristen

Portrait of Kristen

Something a little different today. A bunch of photographer friends and I have formed a rag-tag group called The Photodudes. We try and get together every now and then to make some photos and drink a beer or two. This past Saturday, we met at Doug Stremel’s office to shoot some lifestyle and fashion portraits. Doug had arranged for a few models to stop by — this is Kristen, shown above. Some of us shoot portraits professionally, others (including me) don’t. But that’s the fun of it. We share ideas and techniques and try something different. And it’s a lot of fun.

My brother, Bruce, actually IS a wedding and portrait shooter and he brought his new, tiny lighting kit along for the day. I had as much — or more — fun watching him work as I did shooting myself. And I think I’ll have to put together a light kit like his for the road. It would be really handy for the occasional location portrait.

Thanks, ‘Dudes, for another great day. Let’s do it again soon.