Plain Beauty

I just returned from a short visit to a place where I grew up. One of the places. I always felt like a visitor there. Good people all around me, but not my people. If you know what I mean.

What struck me on this visit, as always, is the landscape. A German work ethic is applied to the land with a firm hand, and in early spring the whole place is fields of color. And I don't mean planting fields.

Broad expanses of saturated color. Grass green. Sky blue. Earth brown. With sharp edges and angles between. (In fact, Mennonite women bent over edging tools and weed wackers along roadsides everywhere we traveled). No serendipity or happenstance. Orderliness and plain beauty.

It makes this part of upstate New York, which I love, look like it needs a haircut and a shave. And the quick touch of a hot iron.

(Thank god I finally found my people.)

Shadow Play

With the first sign of spring (a good eight weeks early), I called my old friend who is keeper of the gardens at a beautiful historic site along the Hudson River. In my enthusiasm for the season, I packed the Polaroid cameras (too many of them) into a tote bag and headed off to visit the plants in the greenhouse and take my friend to lunch.

I jumped the gun. His greenhouse was warm, yes. And it was full of diffuse light, yes. But, it was not full of plants. More like seeds. Germinating. Germination is a wonder. But, it is not colorful. Little peat pots of dirt everywhere. Peat pots. Dirt.

Not to fear. I shall visit again. And next time hope something other than the shadow play on the heat grate catches my eye.

Through a Mist

Experimental. That's what they call this new film. You can't really call it Polaroid, since that factory is long gone. But, experimental you can call it.

It's been a challenging week. Involving filters, lighting, a thermometer, a hot water bath, timing, shielding and mostly fumbling.

The result? This. And only this. 15 other shots. All squandered opportunities. And, even though it represents endless failures and near misses, this little shot is growing on me.

(Thank goodness there's a new color film recipe nearing it's launch date, cause this batch is not for the faint of heart.)

Half Full

It is rainy and a little bitter outside today, but the glass is half full. The sweet pea seeds are planted in the cold frame. Radishes, mizuna and shell pea seeds are tucked under a blanket of composted manure in the garden. And, the forsythia along the road are just about to open. (Of course, the vintage Land Camera collection is arranged neatly on the shelf awaiting an afternoon of shooting bloom.)

Pale Yellow Cup

The first daffodil of spring has opened in the garden. The reward for a long, snowy winter.