Tag: #timeless

The Wild West near Joshua Tree National Park

Black and White photographs feel timeless, don’t they? Looking at a black and white image of a scene from the olden days seems right to me. When we visited Pioneertown near Joshua Tree National Park, I found some old style buildings like this Feed Store. As I stood on the dirt road, I admired the low evening sun shining from the right on this big Joshua Tree and the wood barn.

As I processed this image, I emulated the look of an infared light photograph by darkening the sky. The foliage was naturally bright from the sunlight. A really good black and white image includes a simple and balanced composition, bold shapes and interesting textures. This image checked all the boxes for me.

#wildwest, #pioneertown, #joshuatree, #joshuatreenationalpark, #socal, #thingstodo, #barn, #blackandwhite, #infared, #photography, #travelphotography, #sonyalpha
Scene from Pioneertown near Joshua Tree National Park. Enjoy the shapes and textures in this black and white rendering.

If you arrive in Pioneertown in the late afternoon as we did, you can enjoy dinner and the unique ambiance of the iconic restaurant Pappy and Harriet’s, but you will need a reservation.

Fishermen at Sunset

I’m attracted to scenes of fishermen, as well as sunsets, because they are timeless. Fishermen, like farmers, go back to Biblical times — those simple days when one fished to feed the family or to make a living. This scene invites me to imagine a time before cars and highways, let alone today’s industries and the World Wide Web.

A sunset? That’s a scene that has repeated itself since the planets were formed, even before humans walked the Earth.

Perhaps the persistence of the fisherman and the sunset through the ages makes me feel peace when I observe and photograph this quiet scene, in Naples, Florida.

#sunset, #fishermen, #orange, #naples, #florida, #pelicanbay, #peaceful, #orangeandblue
Fishermen in silhouette before the sunset over the Gulf in Naples, Florida.

A moment that transcends time

Today I was inspired by a quote from National Geographic photographer Paolo Pellegrin.  Reflecting on a photo he shot of two girls swimming in the Dead Sea, he said what he likes about this image is, “the girls could have been swimming there 2,000 years ago. I am always interested in a picture that speaks of a particular moment but also transcends it.”

I realized that timelessness is what attracts me to many scenes that I shoot. When I travel, I am attracted to markets, fishermen and farmers at work, and this is especially true in less developed regions that don’t resemble my home in the United States. Here are a few such images that I shot in China in 2005. While China is changing at a rapid place, there are scenes that portray a way of life that may not have changed for generations.

#yichang, #market, #timeless, #china, #travel
Busy market in Yichang, China. While the man’s leg motions suggest an instantaneous moment, the baskets balance on a pole suggest old ways.

#cart, #guillin, #china, #travel, #when, #hardwork
Muscle and wheels in Guillin, China. So often you see carts and bikes and loads carried on poles. Unlike the clogged highways of Beijing, this scene feels nostalgic.

#fishing, #nochange, #timeless, #Yangtze, #china, #travel,
Fishing in the muddy Yangtze. It appears the men are fishing for supper.