Talking Pictures

In the fall of 2011 my wife and I traveled to the Charlevoix region of Quebec known for its spectacular autumn foliage. Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative with heavy rain, dark clouds, and high winds.

Disappointed but undeterred, I pocketed my Fuji X100 to explore the local vibrant artistic community. I came across the veranda of a local artist’s boutique and my mood immediately improved. The whimsical and creative display with the “Commedia dell’Arte” surreal theme reminded me of children playing joyfully in the rain.

Carol Freeman began the Endangered Species Photography Project 15 years ago. Her aim was to photograph all the endangered species in her home state of Illinois, in the hope that awareness would foster protection for the threatened species and their habitats.

As he neared the end of the process of making prints for an exhibition of his large- and medium-format photography, Geoffrey Roberts was ready to spread the word about the upcoming event. “I was in the darkroom once or twice a week for eight or nine months leading up to the show,” he says, “and to promote it I took pictures in the darkroom and posted them to Flickr, Facebook, Instagram—basically everywhere.”

After a long morning shoot throughout Death Valley National Park my wife and I found ourselves at Furnace Creek at the Borax Museum. She was intent on going inside the museum but I spotted old equipment outside that previously had been used in mining operations. Being a strict nature photographer I am normally not attracted to architectural venues or mechanical subjects. But on further examination I found the afternoon light to be pleasing, casting interesting contrasts between the illuminated equipment and shadows. I was particularly attracted to this old rusty train locomotive, one of two engines previously used in Death Valley on the narrow-gauge railroad extant during the borax mining era.

While enjoying an afternoon coffee break at a Parisian café, I was engulfed by the fantasy world of the city itself as I heard the sounds of traffic mingling with the footsteps of people passing by.

In my mind, the image still evokes a heady sense of “joie de la vie” (the joy of life)…and one can never get enough joy in life.
—K. Preiss
Wake Forest, NC

Russell Hart wasn’t surprised by the collections he found in his mother’s home as he prepared it for sale. “She had a hard time letting go of things,” he says. “She saw practical value in some, sentimental value in others.”

The race was more joy than suspense. American Pharoah had already taken the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, and he led the 2015 Belmont Stakes from the start and was never challenged. Early on, racing fans at Belmont Park were pretty sure they were going to see the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.