This shot was a mistake; It never should have happened. Somehow, it snuck onto the end of my roll before I left Joshua Tree. You can see the staple marks and circles on the very end where it was held. I've been on the fence about posting this one, but the flames have intrigued me for some time. There is something utterly captivating about photographs of fire, yet I cannot quite describe it. The motion, streaks, and little details create a sense of presence in the moment the shot was taken. When I look at it, I can imagine myself sitting beside the raging fire, wood crackling and embers burning, heat pouring out from all ends. The thing I love about photography and more so art is that they are subjective. They aim to elicit an emotional response from the viewer and it is quite easy to do so, though that response may not always be positive. I could take a picture of my foot and call it "fine art" and you could call it crap...and we could both be right. So, what do you see?

Made my way out to Bagby Hot Springs a few weeks ago. It's about 60 miles Southeast of Portland. As if the drive wasn't pretty enough, the hike was unbelievable. There are also a number of great swimming holes I'd like to check out next summer. I took these shots carefully using the ground as my tripod. They're not tack sharp, but I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out.

Taken in Joshua Tree National Park with a Yashica Mat and Fuji Pro C 160 film. Converted to black and white in Photoshop CS5.

This is another shot from the roll I finished from 35,000 feet above the sea. I love how the clouds look from this high up. Shot with a Yashica Mat using Ilford FP4.