The July Mutt Of The Month

Before the month ends, I want to make sure to feature the July Mutt of the Month, which was tied up outside the local Denver bookstore where I work a week or so ago.  This is the first dog I have seen out on the concourse where I have lunch for quite a while now.  It has been pretty hot this summer, and I suppose pet owners might consider it too warm to walk their dogs very far.  I immediately snapped the above photograph before it could turn away.  You have to be quick with these wily wascals.  It might be another 3 months before I see another dog out there.  Or cat for that matter, but of course people don't seem to walk their cats very much. Although my brother-in-law George once put his cat Esmeralda on a leash and took her for a walk in Denver's Washington Park, but that is a story for another time.

Summertime

As I mentioned yesterday, I visited the Cheesman Park Art Fest Saturday afternoon.  Not only did I enjoy the art, but also the music.  A duo called Franny and the Jets was performing Summertime when I arrived, which was very appropriate for that pleasant Saturday afternoon.  They stuck with the old standards, including Dream a Little Dream of Me, which was very refreshing, since most of the time, whether at a soccer pub or even a Colorado Rockies games, I have to sit and listen to grunge or heavy metal music at a volume that can actually harm the ears.  Their music evokes a time when the only violence seemed to come from fictional New York street gangs like the Sharks and the Jets, mainly in the form of dance moves.  And no, I am not an old fogey.

Visiting The Cheesman Park Art Fest

I attended the Cheesman Park Art Fest yesterday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It takes place every year in Denver's Cheesman Park, which was turned into a park from a cemetery back in the 19th century. That action provoked a lot of anger from the spirit world, so don't go there after dark.  In any case, the day was overcast and not too hot, and there were a number of photo booths to visit, too.  This is the 6th year of the festival, and I think I have visited every one so far.  Most of the artists are from Colorado and New Mexico, but there are also some artists from other parts of the country, including Florida.  One of the Florida artists - Marty Hulsebos - is from Naples, Florida, but a lot of his work consists of black and white landscapes of Colorado, and so I assume he must have a place in Colorado, too.  How decadent.  Another artist is from Palm Bay, Florida, which I know well, because I am usually driving through it around 6:00 A.M. going from the Orlando, Florida airport after a red-eye flight from Denver to my sister and my condo in Stuart, Florida.  And owning that condo is NOT decadent, since we inherited it from my mother.  In any case, I think the best photography was by Andrew Roth, who is from West Bend, Wisconsin and takes many excellent portraits from around the world, including a fellow kissing his camel, which I have featured on this blog before.  Check out his work at http://www.andrewrothphotography.com/portfolio/.

Catching A Sky Sox Game With Mark

My friend Mark (who works at the University of Denver's library) and I drove down to Colorado  Springs to see a Sky Sox game last night.  I must say, the Friday night traffic really surprised me.  Years ago, back when my ex-wife Lisa and I used to drive down to the Springs to visit her parents, the traffic didn't seem nearly as bad, but of course that was 30 years ago, and as I recall, you could drive around those stage coaches pretty easily and make good time.  In any case, we got there at the top of the 2nd inning and bought really great seats in the infield, close to the front.  Of course, it rained during the first half of the game, but I really can't recall when it hasn't rained during a game there, and therefore I had brought an umbrella for just such an occasion.  The Sky Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, did not look too good, and lost to the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Colorado Rockies affiliate, 6 to 1.  It was a fun evening, and possibly our last AAA game here in Colorado, since the Sky Sox are moving to San Antonio, Texas next year.  They will be replaced by the Helena Brewers, a Pioneer League team.  The level of play will be much lower, but on the other hand, the Sky Sox weren't exactly the 1927 Yankees last night, so maybe that won't be an issue.  And Mark, as usual, enjoyed the game but once again seemed to be focusing on soccer and cricket last night.  Situation normal.

My Parent's Anniversary

Today would have been my parent's 78th wedding anniversary if they were alive today.  They were married in 1940, back when the Great Depression was still lingering.  My father Nelson was a dentist, but since nobody had any money, he closed his office and moved it to the frontof his parents house.  The enclosed front porch became his waiting room, and a front bedroom that adjoined it became his office.  He practiced there for many many years, but just hated being a dentist.  My mother Mary was a housewife.  Amazingly, married women were not allowed to work at the insurance company where she was employed, and besides, my sister Susan came along two years later and was - and still is, I might add - a handful.  And the above photograph was taken by me back in 1962 as we were walking back to our car along Lake Michigan from visiting the auto show at McCormick Place.  And yes, I was indeed a 9 year old child protege (photography wise), before I went all to hell by the age of 12.  Those are the breaks.

Old Black Magic

I just started reading Old Black Magic, the latest Spenser mystery by Ace Atkins.  Robert B. Parker created and wrote this mystery series for many years, featuring Boston P.I. Spenser and a cast of characters that includes his sidekick Hawk and his girlfriend Susan Silverman.  After Parker passed away, his widow selected Atkins to continue the series, and he has done a wonderful job with it.  I truly can't tell it is not Robert Parker writing it, and judging by the length of the waiting list at the library to get it, I am obviously not alone in my opinion.  This time Spenser is hired by a Boston Museum to recover an El Greco painting stolen 20 years ago and valued at 70 million dollars.  With that kind of money at stake, it turns out to be a very dangerous assignment.  These stories are witty, fast-paced, and fun to read.  I can't recommend them highly enough.

An Update On Killer Falling Trees And Their Victims

Two years ago this month, I posted photographs of a house near the bookstore where I work that was hit by a massive tree during a severe thunderstorm.  The first two photographs in the above triptych show the aftermath of that event.  Amazingly, that house stood with that gaping hole in it for a year and a half. Finally, earlier this year, repairs were begun, and as you can see in the third photo, the repairs are almost complete.   The house is actually looking pretty nice, although I would still be worried a family of mountain lions might have moved into the basement in the interim.  Rumor around the block says that the owner of the property sold it to someone for a dollar after the City of Denver threatened to condemn it.  And although I have been cursing how much my annual property insurance bill was this year, I now see the value of having a good policy in place.  Especially with my luck.  And by the way, yesterday we had another massive rainstorm with winds as strong as the one that knocked that tree down, so watch the hell out, property owners.  Trees are dangerous.

Captured At Last!

On film, that is (or however you refer to it in the digital age).  I was finally able to get a good, outside photograph of the Denver Zoo's elusive baby gorilla, which moves so fast it is almost impossible to get a good shot, and I was damn lucky to get it.  He was running with his mother and father to the gorilla house, where evidently the gates had been opened and dinner awaited.  The baby gorilla stopped for just a second, turned around, took a look at something, and I was able to capture the image by sheer luck.  And I can't help but notice that these animal's lives seem to revolve around food.  I guess gorillas and humans really are very similar.

A Return To The Zoo

I had the day off this past Saturday, and therefore decided to spend part of the afternoon at the Denver Zoo. It was pretty hot, but fairly overcast, and so the animals were out and about instead of hiding in the shade.  A good day for photography, although I had to wonder why the place wasn't  more crowded.  Perhaps the threat of rain was a factor, although except for a few drops, the precipitation never materialized.  It was an uneventful day, but let's face it - an eventful day at the zoo would probably mean big trouble for zoo visitors.

Santa Fe Memories

A number of years ago, my sister Susan, brother-in-law George and I would spend Thanksgivings in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  It was a really fun time to visit, and we would have Thanksgiving dinner at La Casa Sena, located in one of the oldest houses in Santa Fe and just across the street from Saint Francis Cathedral. The next evening we would walk to the plaza for the official start of the Christmas season.  That day the plaza is lined with luminaries and filled with people celebrating the season.  Either that afternoon or the day after I took the photograph on the left of Susan and George in front of San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the United States, built somewhere between 1610 and 1626, decades before Susan and George were even born. We are hoping to go back to Santa Fe this September for a long weekend, and stay at the fabulous Motel 6 Resort Hotel and Spa, the last word in luxury accommodations.  Let the good times roll!

A Spanky's Get Together

I got together with a group of current and former University of Denver friends at Spanky's last night, an "urban roadhouse" just to the west of the DU campus.  Since the university is on summer break, the place was kind of slow, which made for good and attentive service, even if most of us were sticking with the happy hour burgers.  From left to right in the photograph above is first of all Joe, who works several days a week at the DU Bookstore, which is now run by Follett Higher Education Group (which unceremoniously laid me off from the store exactly one year to the day from when I started, per the outsourcing agreement the University of Denver negotiated, but let's move on).  The rest of the time Joe teaches at the Art Student's League of Denver and also works on his own artwork. Next is Mark, a familiar face to all who read this blog, and who works at the University of Denver's Academic Commons (why can't they just call it the library, for God's sake?).  Mark will soon be off to cruise the Baltic.  Next to him is Owen, Joe's brother, who worked for many years in the DU Bookstore's computer department, then for Follett when the store was outsourced, and who now works for the University of Denver's Technology Services Department.  Good for you, Owen. Next is Wally, who also worked for the bookstore when it was part of DU, and who still works there under the Follett regime two days a week - at least until classes begin in the fall, when his hours will ramp up.  And finally, next to Wally, is Darrel, who for many years was the DU Bookstore's Accounts Payable Manager, and who after the store was outsourced worked as the office manager for DU's Chemistry Department, until retiring a few years ago.  Darrel and his wife Linda are from Iowa, and they recently spent a month in Oceanside, California, living the good life, before Darrel and his grandson Joel  took a road trip through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  Me?  I worked.  What's wrong with this picture? Good to see you all again, guys.

Steve Raymer Appears At The Tattered Cover Bookstore

Steve Raymer, a National Geographic photo journalist for 25 years, appeared at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Lower Downtown Denver last night to talk and present a slide presentation on his new book Somewhere West of Lonely:  My Life in Pictures.  Raymer was a 22 year old lieutenant in Vietnam, and later went to school at the University of Wisconsin and won several awards for his photographs.  One day he got a call from National Geographic for a job interview and was hired, he was told, because of his unique way of looking at the world.  And I must say, he is a good speaker and a great photographer, and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.  After his career with National Geographic, Raymer taught at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, but still traveled with his wife throughout the world on photo adventures and has published a number of photography books.  Talk about a dream job.  Great to hear you speak, Steve.

Demon Crown

I am currently reading Demon Crown, the latest adventure novel by James Rollins.  I was able to snap up an advanced reading copy of the book, and finally got down to reading it this past week, long after the book was released.  As usual, the world is threatened from an ancient scourge, and the Sigma Force team, whose headquarters is located beneath the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.,  is the only hope for the survival of the world.  This time the cause of the plague is a piece of amber collected by James Smithson, founder of the Smithsonian, which contains prehistoric wasps that will destroy the planet if not stopped.  A Japanese World War II veteran who wishes to restore Imperial Japan launches an attack using these wasps on Hawaii.  Can Hawaii be saved, or will the United States be forced to destroy it to save the world?  Buy the book and see.

Tuk Tuk Possibilities

As regular blog readers know (and are probably sick of hearing by now), I am planning on retiring from my job as the bookkeeper of a local Denver bookstore chain at the end of next month.  And as the time gets nearer, I have to ask myself if I really want to retire?  Perhaps I just want to do something different for a while. And once again I began to think about being the owner-operator of a tuk tuk, the ubiquitous 3 wheeled taxi found throughout Asia, especially in India.  I checked the internet (always a source of reliable information) yesterday and found that someone tried to introduce tuk tuks into Denver in 2015.  I don't know if they are still in business or not, but from the photographs I have seen, they made a big mistake - the tuk tuks they were using were brand new, with no character at all.  I personally think what people would really go for is riding in a tuk tuk like the one in the photograph above, parked permanently at the Denver Zoo.  Hell, maybe the zoo would sell it to me for a bargain price.  I am a member, after all.  Fame and fortune here I come.

The All-Star Break

This is baseball's annual All-Star break, the mid-point of the season, and tonight is the All-Star game, this year being played at Washington's Nationals Park.  It is a time when the best players in baseball are honored by being voted in to play, and the remaining players get a 3 or 4 day break.   And as of today, the Colorado Rockies are a mere 2 games out of first place, with a .531 winning percentage.  Back in my home town of Chicago, the north side Chicago Cubs are in first place by 2 and a half games with a .591 winning percentage.  Meanwhile, on the south side of Chicago, where I grew up, the Chicago White Sox are 19 games out of first place, with a .347 winning (or is it called a losing?) percentage.  As my sister Susan - quite a White Sox fan herself at one time - recently said, "and you are surprised why?"   But hey - we still have the last half of the season to play, right?  Miracles can happen.  Especially on the south side of Chicago, right? Right?

Some Welcome Rain

As I recall (which is an iffy proposition for me these days), it was a pretty rainy spring, and people here hoped it would lessen the danger of forest fires this year.  Fat chance.  Toward the end of spring the rains stopped and the temperatures shot up, and lately it had been in the upper nineties every day. Until yesterday. While it was sunny and 97 in Denver on Saturday, yesterday it was in the 60s and rained much of the day. There are currently 4 forest fires burning in the State of Colorado, and the rain has been a great help to firefighters.  And so nobody's complaining.  Not even me, which is saying something.

Shout Out A "Say Hey!" To Jon Gray

Jon Gray pitched like an ace in the Colorado Rockies' victory over the Seattle Mariners last night, which is only fitting, since that was what he was supposed to be in the first place.  However, after struggling with his command, he was sent down to the Triple A Albuquerque Isotopes just a few days after I took the above photograph of him on Photo Day.  He was recalled just yesterday, and pitched great.  I suspect that even just a few weeks in Albuquerque must have put the fear of God into him, and he will do his damnedest to stay as  far away as possible from there.  The Rockies, by the way, are only 2 and a half games out of first place, and have a good chance of making the playoffs again.  Go figure.

Fighting Burnout!

I met my friend Mark - who works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library) - yesterday for happy hour burgers and beers at the Three Lions, a soccer pub just down the street from the local Denver bookstore where I work.  As everyone not living in a cave knows by now, the World Cup is taking place in Russia, and Mark has been watching a LOT of soccer matches.  Even Mark says he is beginning to fight soccer burnout.  Me, not so much.  In any case, since France plays Croatia for the title (crown? cup?) tomorrow morning, that should not be a problem for too much longer.  Mark can then go back to watching soccer only every other day. Go (enter country here)!

Celebrating Stuart's Birthday!

My friend Stuart and I went to the Old Chicago restaurant in beautiful, exotic Lakewood, Colorado yesterday evening to celebrate Stuart's birthday.  Stuart had a coupon with a special price for 2 entrees, 2 beers, and a huge appetizer, and so naturally I decided to spring for dinner on this special day.  That's just the kind of guy I am (cheap).  In any case, Stuart is doing well and living the good life in Lakewood, if that is possible.  Lakewood is the place where Jack Kerouac once bought a house and then moved his entire family there from New York.  Just because they all left within the month means nothing.  And if you believe that...

Back To Nature In Fort Collins

I have been spending a lot of time up in Fort Collins these days, and have been pretty surprised at the wildlife in the neighborhood and the nearness of the countryside.  Last week I was driving my sister Susan to the rehab center where my brother-in-law George is recuperating, and we saw a deer standing in front of her neighbor's patio.  Susan later found out that the deer ate all of the petunias in her neighbor's flower boxes, but that is the price of getting up close and personal with nature.  My sister also reports seeing wild turkeys in the neighborhood.  And just where do they come from?  California too?

And then this past Sunday afternoon I took the Windsor exit off Interstate 25 and drove through the southern part of Fort Collins, stopping to take photographs at a farm that boards horses.  The horse in the photograph on the right was very friendly, although I suspect he or she was probably just hoping I had food to share.  I find that true of most animals - if you have food, you are their friend.  If not, forget it.

Little Raven

The street that winds around Denver's Commons Park is called Little Raven, and it wasn't until this past Sunday that I found out why.  It turns out that Little Raven was a chief of the Arapaho Indians, who once lived where Cheery Creek meets the Plate River, just a short distance from where the plaque in the above photograph is located.  Where once the Arapaho roamed, now hipsters live and play.  The lives of these Indians changed dramatically when gold was discovered in the area in 1858.  The gold panned out, but settlers flocked to Denver, resulting in the relocation of the tribe to Sand Creek, in the eastern part of Colorado, where one morning the Colorado US Volunteer Calvary attacked a settlement made up mostly of women and children and massacred them.  The survivors were forced onto reservations in Oklahoma, one of the more disgraceful episodes in American history.

The LoHi Bazaar BBQ

I parked at Denver's Commons Park Sunday afternoon and walked to the LoHi neighborhood to check out the LoHi Bazaar BBQ.  And I must stress that the barbecue didn't seem bazaar at all - I think that the bazaar part was made up of a lot of booths selling things that I had no interest in buying.  In any case, it was a modest festival, but provided good people watching, not to mention a marching band, as seen above.  The most memorable part of the day was walking back and forth between Commons Park and LoHi and seeing all the new buildings going up.  On the walk I saw almost two entire blocks that were being prepped for new apartment projects.  Just what Denver needs - more unaffordable housing.  Time to lure more Californians to the state - Denver might be unaffordable, but California, of course, is a whole different universe.

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival - Part II

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival finished up it's run Sunday afternoon for another year, and as usual, was a big success, with hundreds of thousands of visitors.  As I mentioned yesterday, there is a lot of competition to get into this show, which is Denver's largest and most prestigious art festival, and takes place in one of Denver's wealthiest neighborhood.  If I was in the market for a sculpture for my condo, like the ones in the photograph on the left, this is where I would buy it. I wonder if they throw in the pedestal for free?

It has been a year since I was last in this area, and I was surprised at all the new buildings, almost all with fancy shops or restaurants at street level and apartments or offices above.  Where the Wizard's Chest once stood is now a fancy new restaurant, and that famous Denver institution is now located on South Broadway.  On my walk past the booths, I noticed the street artist in the photograph on the right drawing a portrait of woman on the sidewalk.  I wonder if he was sanctioned by the organizers, or if he was a "renegade artist" taking advantage of the big crowds to make a few bucks.  I didn't stick around to see if he was dragged away kicking and screaming, his work of art still unfinished.  Maybe next year.

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival

This weekend the Cherry Creek Arts Festival is taking place here in Denver.  This is the largest and most prestigious art festival in Colorado, and always takes place around the 4th of July, when the temperatures are usually in the upper 90s - perfect for browsing the artwork.  This show is highly selective, and features artists from all over the country.   The artwork is always very good, and this year is no exception. For a change of pace, I decided to walk around the festival on my way home from work Friday evening, when the sun was lower and the temperatures a bit cooler, instead of mid-day on the weekend, which I usually do.

And as usual, there was a lot of photography on display, too.  Most of the photography was black and white, a popular choice for artists who want to differentiate themselves from the digital world, although there was some digital art on display, too.  In one case this consisted of weird creatures photo-shopped into various landscapes - not my thing, but perhaps perfect for your living room wall.  It was a fun evening, and I was able to take in all the booths before closing time.  And you are in luck if you live near Denver - the show continues until 6:00 P.M. Sunday evening.  Still time to get that life size sculpture for the patio.

Chicago Memories

Today I am featuring a photograph that I took of our family back in Chicago in 1970.  I have featured it before on this blog but am featuring it again because it shows (from left to right) my mother Mary, brother-in-law George, sister Susan, and father Nelson, all in good health at the time.  All my grandparents were still alive back then too, not to mention all the cousins on my mother's side of the family, who lived close by.  At the time Susan and George were living at 1130 South Michigan Avenue, just across the street from Grant Park, enjoying all that downtown Chicago had to offer, which was - and still is - a lot.  My father was 61 years old at the time, 4 years younger than I am now.  I was a mere lad of 17 at the time, jealous as hell of Susan and George's lifestyle.  A very wonderful time, and it is so sad that I didn't realize it at the time.  Life is precious - enjoy it and the people around you while you can.

Z Cuisine Is History

I went for a walk in Denver's Lower Highlands neighborhood this past Saturday afternoon, and was sad to see that Z Cuisine, and "absinthe bar," has closed it's doors, soon to be replaced by 3 or 4 townhouses.  I have never eaten (or drunk) there, but I liked the place because on the outside wall of the restaurant it featured black and white photographs of topless women and top-hatted men, as seen in the above collage. Hopefully they will keep those quirky photographs when the place is converted to town homes.  After all, it is quirky features such as those that makes the Lower Highlands such a fun place to visit. And as for the restaurant itself, I suspect it was impossible to keep a regular clientele.  Absinthe is supposed to be very harmful, and I imagine the regulars who didn't die after drinking there could not remember how to get back there, or for that matter, if they were ever there in the first place.  Such is life with absinthe.

Colorado Rockies Update

Something is going seriously awry in the universe - the Colorado Rockies are actually starting to play well. We have passed the midpoint of the season and Colorado still has a chance to make the playoffs.  Is this another sign of the end times, along with the ascendance of Donald Trump?  No matter - it is time to enjoy this anomaly while it lasts.  And to honor the team on this auspicious occasion, I am featuring some of the portraits I took of Colorado Rockies players at Coors Field on Photo Day a few weeks ago, which was great fun and for which I commend both the players who participated and Rockies management.  In the above collage, clockwise from the upper left, are Carlos Gonzales, Nolan Arenado, Kyle Freeland (a local kid who has become the Rockies best pitcher), and John Gray, the former ace of the pitching staff who was sent down to the minor leagues just a few days ago.  Fame is fleeting, guys.  Enjoy it while you have it.

Happy 4th Of July!

Today is the 4th of July, and in honor of that occasion I am featuring a photograph that I took at the annual 4th of July parade in Cannon Beach, Oregon a few years ago.  I was there for a Hoyt family reunion, and one of the traditions of those get-togethers was attending the annual parade.  It is an incredibly fun experience.  It is a tourist town, but the parade includes virtually all of the locals, enjoying the day and the wonderful place they call home.  It is a quintessential small town experience, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  I definitely will go back to experience it again, no matter what.

Bridges

I have to hand it to the City of Denver. When I first moved here, Lower Downtown was kind of scuzzy, and just to the west of Unions Station was a wilderness of railroad tracks all the way to the Lower Highlands neighborhood, which was best known for it's crack houses.  These days the entire area has been redeveloped, and are connected by pedestrian bridges.  The Lower Highlands is now one of Denver's hottest neighborhoods, featuring hip restaurants, new expensive apartment buildings, and a great view of downtown Denver.  A pedestrian bridge over Interstate 25 leads to the Commons West neighborhood (seen in the photo on the left), which features trendy restaurants and shops in 19th century buildings, intermixed with newly built apartments and office buildings. Plus, the Denver Beer Company, with it's popular outdoor patio, is a neighborhood focal point.

If you continue walking west, you come to a bridge over the Platte River (seen in the photo on the right), which leads to Commons Park, a large expanse of green that makes a great place to mellow out, located just a short walk from downtown.  Lining the park is the Riverfront neighborhood, which features both high rise apartments, trendy brownstones, and still more trendy restaurants (are you beginning to understand the priorities of Denver hipster?  Thought so).

And just past the bridge over the Platte is the Millennium Bridge, seen in the background of the photograph on the left, which leads to a highly dense extension of the Lower Downtown neighborhood, filled with some of the most expensive high rise apartments in the city.  There are now so many people living in this area that it has both a King Sooper's Grocery Store (part of the Kroger chain) and a large Whole Foods.  Denver has built a huge population base just to the west of downtown, guaranteeing that it's downtown will always be very livel.  Unaffordable to people with modest incomes, but anyone can take the light rail train downtown and pretend to be a part of the hipster scene, right?  Right!

New Territory - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) Saturday afternoon to see their latest exhibit - New Territory: Landscape Photography Today.  And I must say, I was very impressed.  Evidently the definition of landscape photography had been broadened to include virtually everything except people, and so, not being a great fan of traditional landscapes, I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of photographs on display.  Many of them were quite experimental in nature, and I must say, it was hard to interpret a landscape in some of them.  But in any case, the exhibit is definitely worth seeing.

New Territory

I drove to the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) yesterday afternoon to see the new photography exhibit titled New Territory: Landscape Photography Today.  I must say I was not expecting to like the exhibit very much, because I am not a big fan of landscape photography.  However, I must say I was pleasantly surprised, because most of the photographs were in fact really good.

I have always thought of landscape photography as photographs of nature, of natural features such as mountains, seascapes, canyons, etc. - in other words, Ansel Adams style photography. However, this exhibit seems to consider everything except portraits as landscape photography, and therefore the photographs covered a wide range of subjects, much of it very experimental in nature. After all, does the photograph on the right look to you like a traditional landscape photograph?  If you say yes - nothing personal - but you are crazy.

Of course, many of the photographs in the exhibit are of nature, but often using new techniques that produce pretty impressive works.  I am usually not a big fan of these non-traditional methods, but you have to be impressed with the series of photos taken in the Hawaiian rain forest and then buried in the ground, producing works very much like post impressionist masterpieces.  And even traditional photos, like the one on the left, are pretty impressive.  And so I have to say I will definitely come back to see this show again before it ends, and from me that is high praise.