June 6, 2005
Hotel Le Regina
Warsaw Poland
After 24 hours of airplanes, airports, customs and lost baggage we arrive in Warsaw. Wonderful City and People. Marta, our guide is fantastic! Thomaz is wild and crazy running double-time to finalize the show and all the press. The hotel is fabulous a small old world first class place to hang your head. First class is nice after 18 months of trailer life. From time to time things change……….
Have spent the last few days decompressing and giving interviews. Seems Thomas has attracted the attention of the press and we have interviews scheduled with every major and minor TV station, radio station, magazine and newspaper in Warsaw. Have a crazy schedule with as many as four interviews a day.
Not much time to see the city but what we’ve seen is fantastic! Small cobblestone streets and a great mixture of old and new architecture. It was totally destroyed during the war but the Polish People have rebuilt the city keeping a good deal of the old world feeling. There is a good feeling here and we are meeting fantastic people Very bizarre how the soft older building blend into the sharp angles of the new chrome and steel.
Had a huge surprise as we drove in from the airport, there was a huge billboard of Iggy Pop announcing the show. It seems Thomaz has created 50 billboards and 50 bus stop posters to announce the show. Heather and I find ourselves searching them out as we travel through the city. Thomaz has a list of the locations and we hope to find them all. Feels like a contest to find them as we zoom about in these little toy cars.
Dinner last night with Tomek Sikora and his wife Matgosia. Tomek is a very fine Polish photographer and I very much like his work. They have a warm friendly loft in Warsaw as well as spending half the year in Australia.
A sleepy Heather with our first room service “breaky”
Service with a smile
Heather and our savior Marta at her old flat in Warsaw
self portrait of Tomek and Matgosia by Tomek (of course it’s a self portrait)
June 2, 2005
Ambassador Hotel
Amarillo, Texas
Good visit to Amarillo. Spent some quality time with Heathers family, finally met her brother and his family.
Amarillo surprised me with great photo opportunities both people and places. Could spend a few weeks here working.
Did a good portrait of Lighting McDuff, a local sculptor, very interesting man and very great work.
Getting a bit crazy thinking about the Polish Show.
Photos have to wait until we return…….. have to catch a Plane
Cadillac Ranch 1
Cadillac Ranch 2
Henry at Cadillic Ranch
DMK and Lighting
Heather and Lighting
One of Lighting’s works
Heather’s Dad and Brother on the back lawn- Joel and Kevin
Amerillo Sky
May 29, 2005
Amarillo Camp
Amarillo, Texas
Arrived this afternoon. Was good to have a few days to regroup get caught up on paper work and just relax.
Interestedly , as we drove down Hwy 14 and through Madrid I saw the town anew. Not a place I had lived near for almost 20 years but as if I had just come across it on the journey. Made a note to come back and spend a few days re discovering the town and the folks who live there. Strange how when you live close to a place the magic can fade and you need to leave for awhile to come back and rediscover it. Felt like turning around and heading back to our Santa Fe Camp but we need to be in Amarillo now to get ready for the trip to Poland.
As we set up Camp this afternoon our neighbor came over and during the course of camp talk the familiar question “Where ya headed?” was asked. Warsaw I answered. Warsaw where? Warsaw Poland. Oh never been there myself and he walked back to his rig looking a bit confused.
Frank and me with the last big 4×5 foot print Bed Nebraska.
David Marks stopped by the camp to show us his new work. Outstanding!
Dwight met us for drinks at 2nd street and started playing with my 4×5
After a few more drinks Dwight made this one with our digital camera
May 25, 2005
Santa Fe Skies Camp
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Funny how we keep ending up back in old Santa Fe. Finished up in Colorado another nice bus but not “the” bus and then headed back south. Have now heard of one in Minnesota and will see it upon our return from Poland. The One. Met up with Jesse in Walsenburg Colorado, about ½ way between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Had lunch in one of the road places he and I had eaten in before and then we continued on the path Jesse heading North as we disappearing into the South. The drive down from Boulder is always beautiful and we got lost in the landscape not thinking about the destination
Santa Fe is greener then I’ve ever seen it before. The skier bluer I think as well. But the underlying feeling of gloom still prevails here for me and I look forward to finishing up our business here and getting on down the road. One of the saving graces about being here is the family that runs the Santa Fe Skies RV Park. Truly kind, gentle, friendly folks. It’s always a pleasure to stay here.
Looking over the journal it has been quite an adventure. Feel the bus issue has gotten in the way of the journey and have to revolutionize the think process behind it might just be simpler to find a bus!. Will be good to have the time in Poland to help me appreciate what we do have and help to remind me of what the journey is about.
Was able to see Frank at Frontier Framers and the big prints all framed and ready to go. They look so good. I really like the size and hope to be able to do a bunch for the show! The size and scale is awesome and I love seeing the little bitty 4×5 inch prints explode into 4×5 feet!
Now off for drinks at 2nd street with Dwight. Wonder what we’ll do tomorrow…
Santa Fe Camp
Me and Jesse in Walsenberg Colorado
Heather reflected in Airstream
Sunset Colorado
Sunset Springer New Mexico
DMK and Frank with Sister Reddie
DMK and Frank with Baby (as you can see the work stands on it’s own)
at home at rest
May 19, 2005
Colorado Springs Colorado
Days like today are too hard lots of driving and introspection. Thinking about motivation in general, mine in particular. Weston we out and photographed everything with a passion was almost driven to it. Friends, family, landscapes, portraits anything that presented itself to his field of vision. Mapplethorpe, well I guess he had 3 main thrusts…. Flowers, portraits and the other. Avedon, he took his white paper west and with a production and support crew to rival NASA or the current Home Land Security Team, photographed people. So here am I heading east and north looking at another bus.
Feeling an almost frantic need for more space more time more something.
Driving through Navajo Land today started looking at doors to homes or in some cases I guess just houses. Started wondering what the people who live behind them see as they approach the door, getting ready to open it and enter the space beyond. How different their perceptions of those doors must be from mine as I travel past them.
The folks who stand by the road all day with the stop/slow signs at construction sights. Do you wonder about them as you sit beside them in your air conditioned car perhaps cursing them for delaying your important journey? What do they think about us as we drive by. What perceptions of our lives do they have from the fleeting (sometimes not so fleeting) glances into our lives. And what about our perceptions of their lives. Do they wish they were in one of those cars all seemly knowing where they are going, with important destinations. Happily off on the family vacation or returning from a successful business trip.
Didn’t make any photographs today.
’nuff said
May 18, 2005 EVENING
Gouldings Campground
Monument Valley, Utah
Left mid day and started down Route 98. A few miles outside of Page we ran into the turn off for The Lower Antelope Canyon and followed it. Short detour on the way to Colarado. Pulled into a small parking lot with your classic Navajo Stick construction hut and went over to talk to the folks. We got told about the “tour” and I felt a bit strange never being one for “tours” but I figured why not it felt good and they said Henry could go although I might have to “help him down some stairs” so we paid our $35.00 and headed out. Our tour guide turned out to be April, a young Navajo Girl, who was a joy to be with. Now the tour is one I can relate to. You are taken to the “entrance to the canyon” a big hole you climb down into (see photo below). Your guide just kind of hangs out and answers questions. April really knew her stuff. As you wonder through the ¼ mile or so of canyon you run into other folks on tours or other guides. It’s all very laid back, friendly and a good time. You are free to go where ever you wish and make photographs. There is no rush to get through the canyon. They are open from 8am to 4pm and unlike most of the Indians I know do not run on Indian time. They are quite serious about the time.
I recommend this highly for photography or just a good time. If you are using the photographs for any commercial use you do need a permit from the Navajo Nation.
Ken’s Tours
PO Box 117
Page Arizona
www.lowerantelope.com
928-660-2844
They are just a few miles east of Page on HWY 98- you’ll see the signs. It is the lower not the upper Canyon you want to see.
Continued on down the road and realized we were close to Monument Valley so another detour brought us to the Mittens just about sundown. It was too late to drive the 17 mile dirt road through the valley so I made a few images from the Visitors Center Parking lot.
I believe they work well. I’ve been on the road a few times so it was a good experience to work from the parking lot along with the may other photographers who were present.
Have not mentioned work as of late but I have been making a few images ever day and think there is a lot of good stuff there. Very happy with the work from The Salton Sea
How you get in and out of Lower Antelope Canyon
HH photographing our guide April
our guide April photographed us
April and Henry as DMK photographs
April
DMK Shooting
Heather and April and Henry
Heather and April
Carrying Henry down the Stairs
May 18, 2005
Lone Rock Beach
Page, Arizona
Arrived after dark last night. Strange place to come to at night, no signs, no maps, just a computer station that takes your credit card and charges 8 dollars to camp on a huge expanse of beach on the west side of Lake Powell. After much testing of sand softness and tribulations we selected a spot and went to sleep. This morning we found out we selected quite well and it was off to the water for Henry’s daily swim. How we keep finding water for him in the desert I’m not quite sure but I’ve come to believe he is directing the trip, cause we keep finding it. Heard about another bus in Colorado Springs so that’s the new direction. Also Jesse has been down in Albuquerque and he is heading back to Boulder on Thursday so we’ll try to hook up with him somewhere along the interstate.
Very basic camp, no hook ups and they are quite strict about any kind of waste water. There are copious amounts of out houses so your covered but if you camp more than 200 feet from one you must have a chemical toilet of your own. But there are what seems like miles of beach and it was quite deserted. It’s just across the Utah line on HWY 89. With 4×4 you can go anywhere and with a good car you’ll be fine.
Lone Rock Beach Camp
Henry at Lake Powell
Got another Ball Fish
One More time ….please!
HH and Henry Lake Powell
