Blog Archives
the darkness got there first, 1
The next four days of posts are from a fledgling project which came about as a result of taking an online class, taught by my good friend Don Toothaker. The theme was Sense of Time.
In working on the assignment, I started to think about time passing, rites of passage, and personal transitions. In my current state of mind, going through rites of passage happens alone and in the dark. Darkness has long felt more profound to me than daylight: it hides some things while it amplifies others. It is alone-ness in a way that daylight is not. It is when changes happened and settle in, to be viewed later, perhaps in the night.
All of the images in this short series were shot along one street in Lubbock, 34th Street, which has itself gone through many transformations over the decades. The images are intended to represent human rites of passage projected against the landscape of my own life. They are linked by the overarching theme – and project title – “the darkness got there first.”
Image 1: Welcome to the dream
On those nights when life seems like a dream, everything seems likely to happen. Especially the good parts: they always seem a little more possible.
But maybe those dreams you hold so dear, don’t work. Maybe they are too big. Or not big enough . And maybe you have to let go of them, to free your dream-fragments to fuel something, or someone, else.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 8.29.2025
the flamingo
I cannot say for certain that this place is (or was) disreputable. I can say that I got that vibe from it, but that’s hardly a fact-based situation.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 8.29.2025
only one smile
Evidence suggests that wig-head models share sharp-featured Caucasian faces, big eyes, thin eyebrows, graceful swan-like necks (which they can pose at a variety of odd angles), and geometric heads. The jauntier of them may toss on a scarf from time to time.
But they rarely find anything to smile about.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 8.23.2025
human hair
If you can even believe this, none of the three people who walked by while I was poking my camera through the security gate to get this shot even acted like they wished THEY had had the same idea. However, as far as I could tell, all three of them did possess human hair.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 8.23.2025
it takes a lot to really disappear
Yes. So, there are sunflowers this summer. These aren’t the giant ones prized by backyard gardeners but a shoulder-high variety produced for “oilseed, birdseed, and occasional confectionary purposes.” And there are acres of them; the fields glow in late afternoon light. (And in early morning light too, I presume, but I’ve never been out there early enough in the day to verify.)
I was still wearing that delightful orthopedic boot, walking through dry and sandy soil while trying not to fall over, and (because why not!), trying to successfully focus a photo with a new manual-focus lens. Here’s what happened:
- I didn’t fall down.
- Although I did get about 13 cubic yards of dirt inside my boot.
- I was shockingly bad at the manual focus situation.
- But somehow managed to get a bee in focus in this image.
Go figure.
(Also, if my foot surgeon asks you if I walked in a field lately, the answer is, “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”)
title from lyrics by Matt Berninger – “Bonnet of Pins”
Posey, Texas
photographed 7.20.2025
One Day | One Image 