Perins Peak   Durango, Colorado 

It’s funny to think that I’ve been in the same place for six weeks. Yesterday afternoon, I went on a hike to one of my favorite spots right outside of Durango and had lunch. I made my way onto a carved white pillar of sandstone, that hung prow over the valley, and was taking in the view of the ox-bowed Animas River and farmland north of Durango.  I shuffled around in my seat, up on this cliff, watching the falcons dive by, to look and see what the view south offered, when it hit me again… The hook, the realization and euphoria of being present. Feeling the sun beat down on my back and the telling fall breeze carrying the scent of falling oak leaves… and again realizing this is my home.

Over the last year, I’ve found myself in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Going from one to the next, enjoying time shared with the all good people that I met on along the way. From backpacking and stargazing in the lichen-covered granite valleys on the Front Range of Colorado, to riding a motorcycle though purple-green royal gorges of the Great Himalayan Range. And to think, this spire that I’m sitting on, gazing off to the groves of flaming aspens in the distance, is my back yard.

The La Platas in Flames

I left my camera at the house on this adventure. which, was a nice reprieve. Just to relax. That’s not to say I haven’t been taking any pictures though. In a book that my dad owns, Ansel Adams speaks on his philosophy of perspective. And, how just tweaking the angles a little bit, in a unique way, can create a unique image. And that little spin on a photograph is one of the keys to making it good. Ansel then talked about how when on road trips, to get a new angle, he would climb up onto the top of his truck with his tripod and take landscape shots from there. I tried this on my last trip up into the La Plata Mountains to watch the fall colors. Although, I was a little self-conscious about standing on top of my sisters truck, geeking out ,staring through my camera (and kinda’ blocking the single lane dirt road)… I think the shot of the aspens above worked out.

Doug Simons Winnowing wild Amaranth

I’ve also been taking more pictures of people. Lots of them. I took close to 300 pictures of one of my mentors, Doug, the other day when he was teaching a class on edible and medicenal plants of the South West. People are harder to capture in motion. Of those 300 pictures, three turned out. Two of which, he’s in focus and smiling… the third… he appears to be a magician, with his bare hands, divining the bounty of another wild season…

Here’s a few other editor’s choice shots from this month.

Don Dooley and the Poetic Minds

-My good friend Don, playing with his band, The Poetic Minds at The Summit. –

Sweet Nectar of the Gods

– Harvesting honey with the Fort Lewis College Sociology Dept. –

Cedar Man on the Field

-It was also neat learning that my roommate’s 7 year old son, Cedar, can play soccer way harder than I could ever dream of. –

So those are some new photos, but I also, wanted to tell you I am going to publish the first article in the “Kashmir Analogs” in the next few days. I was not able to blog freely when I was traveling in Kashmir this last summer, due to the political situation and the nature of work I was doing there. So, the next few blogs that come out, are going to be a short series of writings, reflections and photographs from my experiences over in Kashmir.

A Family of Hitch-hikers

Here’s an Image I will put into the Kashmir Analogs. I was really lucky to photograph a family of hitchhikers we met in Northern Kashmir, but even luckier to think and get individual portraits of them all too…

Too fun…

Enjoy and Cheers,

Alex

P.S. This week I also started a photography business, named after Perins Peak, which is pictured at the top of this blog.  I’d love it if you checked out my new web-sight for

Perins Peak Photography at:

www.perinspeakphotography.com

Perins Peak   Durango, Colorado