Blog Archives
the way the light hits
One year ago, I was in Sicily on a photography trip. I was with my friends and we had the best time enjoying the culture, the education, the food, the photography, and our time together. I still think about it almost every day. (Because I am comfortable living a year in the past, I guess?)
The late afternoon light at the cloisters beside the cathedral in Monreale was beautiful, bringing out the reds and oranges in the old stone. Look at the tops of those columns: every one is different.
Also, speaking of reds and oranges, I am at least 100% certain that when we returned to Palermo later that night, we had a few Aperol spritzes – each one served with a slice of an in-season Sicilian orange.
Chiostro dei Benedettini
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
the peace-bringers
I appreciate an unlocked church. I like the silence and the way everything is still, as if waiting for something important to happen. I like seeing the simple things, like the stack of church newsletters on a table in the foyer or the place where the collection baskets are stored when they’re not needed. I like the statues and the saints, and the statues of saints. I like the lighting and the shadows. I like knowing that the place represents local traditions and beliefs, even when I don’t quite know what those may be.
And I mostly appreciate the trust of someone who decided to leave the church open, in case someone needed to be in it that day.
Presidio Chapel of San Elizario
San Elizario, Texas
photographed 12.15.2025
sharing space
I saw an interesting store display in El Paso last month. It was like a “compare and contrast” essay about the differences between European and Mexican versions of Catholicism.
On a side note, this sighting did increase my annual “white baby Jesus” tally by one.
El Paso, Texas
photographed 12.14.2025
arms full of jesus
I really can’t understand why I actively avoided doing street photography for a really long time. But I guess I got to it when my brain was ready. Or whatever.
At any rate, here’s a woman I saw in downtown El Paso last month. She and Jesus were out taking a bit of a stroll and they were kind enough to pause for 1/480th of a second.
El Paso, Texas
photographed 12.14.2025
trailer/house
There’s not all that much to see in Orogrande.
But I did see this place, which seems to be aging itself out of existence. The circumstances of small-town New Mexico have already aged it out of usefulness.
Orogrande, New Mexico
photographed 12.14.2025
One Day | One Image 