Classic Imagery

Thursday we accompanied John, Anna and their children to tour the new Phoenix LDS Temple. It was not a new experience because we have toured many of the latest newly constructed buildings in recent years.

I had both a film and a digital camera that I could use to capture the memory.

As we progressed, Joshua and Adam posed for the above pictures. When I saw the outcome, they closely resembled classic images that parents have made of their children in locations like this since the invention of the camera. In fact they closely mirror photos my mother made each year at the beginning or end of school. To a large extent they define family photography. I toned them to reinforce those similarities even though they were shot digitally.

58 Years Ago.

This film photo of Anna, Ella and Janie was less traditional.

This squinty-eyed shot is more traditional and captures this family in the sunny hot splendor of an Arizona October day. All of these images are history for the next generation.

Photographs allow children in a family to have images they can reconnect with later in life.

MISTER SOBERSIDES

As I age days seem to fly by. It took such a long time to turn 20, then 30 and 40. That is no longer true. Time is moving with rapidity.

My advanced age has me reflecting. If I live only as long as my father, only 12 years left. Our 50th wedding anniversary will be in 13 years from now. To pass at the same age as Mother, 17 years remain. In essence, the infinity of my life has become finite.

It is unlikely, but should I have inherited the age stamina of the aunts on my father's side, I can last another 25 to 30 years. That possibility seems unsettling in its significance, requirements and impact.

To all the people who wish me to quickly move on and get out of their lives, start making the tick marks leading up to your supposed celebration.

To close friends and family for whom some value arises from my continued presence, I can only suggest that we celebrate one another as long as possible, recognizing the quickly shortening time frame.

At this point, I harbor no fears. Death does not frighten me. Other things associated with being alive really do.

I have markers for heart attack and Parkinson's. None is yet apparent. Dementia has not been a factor in my family. Hopefully, I will not end that trend. I would like to have the clarity and ability to remember possessed by my aunt who turns 99 on her birthday this year. However, some of the memories, had they survived, might break my heart and shorten the time span.

All of us will face these conundrums. None of us wants to. Friends certainly are hesitant to reflect upon this awareness. So, the best thing to do is to sing the words from the Brigham Young fight song, "Carry On! Carry On!"

Adam's End of the Year Recital

Adam presented a recital at his Montessori school on Thursday, May 22. Everything was played without sheet music. I did not keep count of the many pieces he performed, but I was proud of him and amazed at his skills.

Happy Halloween...or Fall Festival, If you Prefer

As I get older, I become increasingly aware of changes and developments that occur in children at different ages and stages.  It is wonderful to focus upon the children and grandchildren and to be able to watch them arrive at places where I have already been.

Those innocent stages pass so rapidly that I fear I will be soon deprived of the "babies" until they are grown and produce their own. It is a melancholy transition for me, but I am glad to have the journey.

What to do? What to do?

Many camera owners are prolific shooters. Digital cameras have empowered them tremendously since cost outlays are limited. Many of us photographers are image hoarders. The challenge that we all face is what to do with the extra images when others share less devotion and interest in your photos than you.

This weekend, I got back negatives from a 36 count roll. There were few to toss out, and the subject matter appeals more to me than others. What do I do?

Extra shots from a client shoot often sit unused or unacknowledged in a file on the computer or in a cabinet. About all they are good for is use as sample or illustrations for blogs or advertisements.
Photos from personal events are equally without value if no one wants to look at them and "Oooh!" and "Ahhh!" So why even bother to capture them?

We take pictures because we are driven. We are moved by what we see. We want to remember. We want to share the beauty that we see and relate to. Fortunately, no one else lives in our head unless we are schizophrenic, so we must adapt.

If there is no historic or memorial attachment to an image, use them to make something temporal, like a calendar.Throw them into an album that can be used as an embarrassing present later in the recipient's life. Use them online to illustrate a point or capture someone's attention on paper or on the internet. Make postcards and thank you notes with them.

Even if a viewer rolls his eyes whenever he looks at one of the photos, at least it had a brief exposure outside its hard drive prison or cabinet lock-up. We are not looking for awards only giving you a chance to see something that we once saw and connected with.

Studio Renamed :Cactus Honey Studios

I have left this blog idle for some time. In order to be recognized more clearly and receive credit for the work that I create, it seemed best to turn my focus from the pseudonym "Rusty Tripod" to using my own legal name, "Alton Strickland". To further distance myself from the limitations associated with that name, I re-titled my working unit to be Cactus Honey Studios.

Rusty Tripod will in the future be a.k.a. Cactus Honey Studios. The goal of the name was to assign some regional significance and association to my photography work. Thus, Rusty Tripod Photography, a.k.a. Cactus Honey Studios, should surface upon a search for one or the other.

I do have a separate blog and Facebook page for Cactus Honey Studios. Thus, this one will become more devoted to my family events, photography, and experiences.

Feel free to contact me at altonst@cactushoneystudios.com. My work continues to be traditional, conservative, and documentary with a photo-journalistic viewpoint. My great inspiration is perennially the illustrator, Norman Rockwell, who captured reality with innocence and a playful sense of humor.

Examine my work at www.cactushoneystudios.com and decide to let me help you capture some memories.

AltonST

Sometimes Scrapbooking Makes Me Cry

Scrapbooking has fallen by the wayside somewhat as digital programs and labs allow people to create bound books of their photographic memories. Some websites encourage individuals to create albums and written histories.

Anna made me a genealogy book online using copies of family photos and snaps that my 96 year old aunt has kept over the years. And I made one for our children using scanned images from both sides of our families.

Whether I choose to scrapbook by the traditional means or drag images in easy to use templates available on the internet, I am touched.

I have many photographs of my three year old granddaughter because I have been around her since her birth. She was the first grandchild, whom I could photograph with determination. When I sit down to scrapbook those images, I shed a few tears.

Scrapbooks and albums take the changes in our lives and collate them into a tangible format. They document our history and openly provoke our emotions. It is rare that I can turn away from them without a Kleenex near.