fall light

I have a hard time answering questions like “What’s your favorite food?” or “What’s your favorite song?” or “What’s your most embarrassing moment?”* My mind, which certainly follows its own path, doesn’t prefer to categorize things.

However, if I ever am asked about my favorite color, I would say it’s the bright yellow of fall cottonwood trees in New Mexico, especially the way that from a distance you can spot a meandering river – even you can’t otherwise tell there even is a river – by looking at the golden leaves, and also the way when the light’s low it takes on the glow from the leaves and ( and!) the leaves also look beautiful when viewed from an open window on the third floor of an historic hotel in a mountain town.

“Yellow” would also be correct but fails to convey what I mean.

Plaza Hotel (and the plaza)
Las Vegas, New Mexico
photographed 9.8.2025

*I really DON’t know what my most embarrassing moment is. For one thing, many things are in contention. And also, if I did remember, do you really think I’d disclose it here?

$10.99

Yes, so I did in fact ignore all the interesting people and beautiful kilts and stuff at the Highland Games and take a photo of price tags. But I was only gone for 1/50th of a second and then came right back.

New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival
Lincoln, New Hampshire
photographed 9.19.2025

charisma

If you get a chance to hear the Scottish band Albannach*, you should definitely go.

This guy is Jamesie Johnson, and he’s – to put it very mildly – one of the most charismatic performers I’ve ever seen. According to the band’s webpage, he’s a fan of AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Metallica and Pink Floyd. That doesn’t surprise me a bit. But apparently he also likes Yanni, a fact that makes my head explode just a little bit.

New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival
Lincoln, New Hampshire
photographed 9.19.2025

*For fun, think about looking up how to pronounce “albannach” and then spend a lot of time practicing it, especially when you are around people you don’t know. (Also, “albannach” is Scottish Gaelic for “Scottish.”)

just…stop

Just stop. Ok? I don’t think I need to say anything else.

Portland, Maine
photographed 9.17.2025

icm (obligatory shot)

The sunset started in spectacular and over the course of a half-hour or so, just kept getting better and better.

After a while, I took a break from making regular sunset photos, and decided to do some with intentional camera movement. It’s kind of a cliche, a little redundant, perhaps derivative, but still I liked swirling the oranges and yellow together.

Camp Ellis Beach, Maine
photographed 9.16.2025