My Time in Prison

The workshop I attended in Carmel Valley, CA, in March, The Luminous Print, led by John Sexton and Charles Cramer, was an eye-opening exploration of advanced printmaking techniques, both in the darkroom and on the computer.  But we also visited Ansel Adams' nearby studio where John worked as Ansel's assistant for three years, paid a visit to Weston Beach at Lobos Point, and spent a couple of hours at an abandoned state prison nearby.  The prison was decommissioned about 15 years ago and its yard is currently used by a sand and gravel company.  The interior was an eerie and haunting landscape of peeling paint, broken fixtures, and rusting metal.  And lots of provocative graffiti.

Israel

On a trip to Israel in March my wife and I got a chance to see historic sites, hike in national parks, sample the food, and experience the existential reality of Israel today.  We visited major archaeological sites, of course, but also got a sense of recent Israeli cultural and political issues.  What an interesting and complicated place it is.

Israel: vulnerable and nationalistic

Israelis have made the desert bloom with high quality fruits and vegetables

Tel Aviv is modern and secular

The northern city of Safid (Tzfat) is a center of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism

The Western Wall in Jerusalem is Judaism's most sacred spot

The wall is actually a retaining wall that supported the second temple, 
destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD

Boys serve in the armed forces for at least three years, girls for two

Incredible India!

A village elder in Rajasthan

On a three week trip to India with a small group led by Karl Grobl, my wife and I explored and photographed some of the wonders of that huge, diverse, and incredible place.  I'm still processing the many images on my memory cards, but here's a sample.

An early morning opium ceremony

Holy men on parade

Pushkar Camel Fair