• Some Beginner’s Luck

    This is my first photograph of the natural world in the digital era. Despite technical flaws, I think it still works. I believe I had in mind an image by Ansel Adams entitled “Burnt Stump and New Grass,” so there is a copycat element here. Any journey worth taking begins with baby steps, often leaning […]

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    March 26, 2020 By Redburnusa

  • The Pleasures of Light and Dark

    Chiaroscuro in my words means modeling objects and human figures (traditionally done by painters) using definite contrasts between darkness and light, as in our two photographs on this page. Often you will see deep shadows and luminous whites in the same composition, abruptly juxtaposed. Why does an image made with this technique give us pleasure? Michelangelo […]

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    March 15, 2020 By Redburnusa

  • Embellishments On A Tired Idea

    If you have spent time studying photographs — especially in monochrome — either among present day examples or in compositions from our past extending back now almost 200 years, you will have noticed recurring themes. These become stale and impotent with repetition and enter the realm of hackneyed ideas. They exist in their millions almost […]

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    March 4, 2020 By Redburnusa

  • Les Homages

    “To whom do we now pay homage?”

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    February 7, 2020 By Redburnusa

  • On the Importance of Minerals

    “The world is going to pieces and people like Adams and Weston are photographing rocks!”    Henri Cartier-Bresson, Deceased French Photographer In our headline Mr. Cartier-Bresson scorns the work of American photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. His comment is sarcastic but contains a relevant question: could there be any meaning in photographing the natural […]

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    December 20, 2019 By Redburnusa
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Latest Entries

  • Not Even An Honorable Mention
    In Aesthetics, Art Historical, Autobiographical, Technical
        I once submitted this picture to a […]
  • A Most Challenging Look
    In Cultural Anthropology, Environmental Portraiture, Street Photography
    In their frankness her eyes disconcert me. She […]
  • Why I Came Home Early
    In Autobiographical, Cultural Anthropology, Egypt, Middle East
    Assume you are a middle-aged man born and raised in […]
  • A Scene From Yesteryear
    In Americana, Cultural Anthropology, Street Photography
    In this slice of American history, relaxation — […]
  • On Visiting A Bonfire-Site
    In Art Historical, Cultural Anthropology, Pilgrimages, Reportage
     A Ruined Chapel in the California Desert   […]

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About the Author

Redburnusa is a pseudonym used by a photographer living near Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Howerton comments on meaning in photography and his own journey from the perspective of a seeker, rather than a professional artist or credentialed intellectual. He has authored each journal entry. Mr. Howerton has created and edited every image appearing here, unless  otherwise indicated in the text. To contact him personally, write to crhowerton@gmail.com.

 

You can view his Desert Portfolio here: http://www.desertperceptions.com.

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