The sky was overcast and gray all day for solstice, which reminded me of Paris. Looking through my photos taken from a riverboat on our last day in Paris back in June, I noticed that there was lots of love along the Seine despite the gray sky and rain.
There is a stereotype of road workers standing around leaning on their shovels. While this photo reinforces the stereotype, I believe these guys are waiting for a fresh load of asphalt. I worked construction when I was young, and no matter what the stereotypes are, construction workers have hard jobs, and often have to work outside in bad weather this time of year. I remember digging footings and having to use a pickaxe to break up the frozen soil in single digit temperatures back in my days as a construction worker. I was young and stupid back then.
But today’s photo reminded me of when we were living in Spain, and we came home one summer. Tristan had a rat that died and we were having a funeral for it. I had dug the hole and was leaning on the shovel, with Laurie and my parents gathered around the hole while Tristan read from a book of prayers from the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church. While we were in the middle of the funeral for a rat, one of my guitar students drove up in his pickup truck with his windows down and music blasting, parked, got out and asked what was going on. I told him we were burying a rat, so he stood around the hole with us while we finished the last rites, then I gave Tristan the shovel, and went off to give my student his guitar lesson. After we started the lesson my student paused and said “I’m sorry I barged in on the funeral like that. When I saw everyone standing around a freshly dug hole, and you leaning on a shovel, it looked like a normal work project for New Mexicans!”
When I saw the old Audio Express building that is being remodeled into some kind of restaurant all wrapped up in plastic, I thought of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who are well known for wrapping islands, trees, rivers and creating other large wrapped environmental installations. We heard Christo speak many years ago when we were art students. I don’t remember much of what his talk was on, but I’ve always been impressed with his work. The construction workers created a nice piece of art, wrapping the building out of necessity to keep the fresh plaster from freezing. They didn’t understand what I saw in the plastic wrapped building that was worth photographing.
On the other side of the parking lot, the strings of red chiles and surroundings had a “wrapped” look of their own through my telephoto lens.
I find it interesting how digital cameras, and using cell phones to do photos, has changed the way people photograph each other, the attractions they visit, and themselves. I took most of these photos of people photographing each other, or taking a break from photographing each other, at the Musée d’Orsay. I like the photos in B&W because they have a 60’s look with people using modern digital cameras and phones to do their photos and then check out the results.
Who would ever think the we would have the World Blacksmith Championships right here in New Mexico, just outside the Duke City? Susan, Lois and I checked out the 4th Annual Blacksmith Worlds at the Wildlife West Nature Park and Rescued Wildlife Zoo east of Albuquerque, and had a wonderful time watching the blacksmiths compete in making horseshoes and hammering them onto horses hooves. Each team had one hour to make one shoe and get it on the horse. Then the next competition would begin until all the horses had new shoes and all four hooves.
Nothing like a horse drawn carriage to back up traffic on Corrales Road.
The first day we got back to Paris, a couple of guys in the apartment across the street took the opportunity of a break in the rain to make a short film on the balcony. We don’t know what they were doing, but during our two weeks in Paris, they had several of what looked like business lunches and dinners and at least one party on their balcony. Paris, France, May 2013.
A young woman was taking a smoke break and watching people go by as she enjoyed her cigarette. The boys were so involved in their mobile devices as they walked down the street that they didn’t even notice of her. Aix-en-Provence, France. May 2013.
Marching across the plaza in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France. May 2013.
A couple was taking photos of themselves with Notre Dame in the background. A Gypsy selling flowers decided to get in the picture. Paris, France, May 2013.
Off Center & Not Even 