Deepest Peace

Posted on Posted in 12 Comments
TRAIL-OF-LIGHT-NOORDHOUSEweb
All Content & All Rights © David R Banta

I was born in Muskegon, Michigan, a shoreline city on Lake Michigan.  After college, all of my home residencies were were inland, though I did reside in St. Pete Beach, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico for a summer during college.  I am now 66.  What has always been present in my life is the need to return to Lake Michigan; I find my greatest peace there.

Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, just south of Manistee, Michigan has become my place of greatest solitude and peace, aside from my own home, a log cabin in the forest northwest of Reed City, Michigan.  That childlike serenity returns to me as soon as my feet hit the beach of Lake Michigan.  I never cease to find good photographs there in that place of deepest peace in Christ.

Mysterious Conversation

Posted on Posted in 1
TWO-WOMEN-IN-AN-ALLEYweb
Ann Arbor, Michigan     © David R Banta

While visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan I was walking the streets, interested in the cinematic lighting on the streets. I passed this alley as I walked on the sidewalk. I saw something very similar to this image in a quick glimpse as I passed by. I backed up and shot what I had seen, no more than one or two frames. Then the women were aware of me and the moment was gone.

Pedestrian traffic

Posted on Posted in #artists, #blackandwhite, 1, Blackandwhite, Monochrome, Photography, street photographyTagged , , , ,
pedestrian-trafficweb
Pedestrian traffic, Cork, Ireland       © David R Banta

My wife Rhoda and I travelled to Cork, Ireland.  Our friends, Dan Adsmond, a professor at Ferris State University and his wife, Deb invited us to visit them while Dan was on sabbatical in Cork.  They were surprised when we said “Yes”.

Cork was a delightful place…one of those places you travel to and decide that you could easily live there.  We were visiting the art museum in Cork.  I looked out the window from this vantage point…a fascinating view of the pedestrian traffic.  I shot many frames and ended up deciding on this one.

I usually did not do this kind of photograph layering but for some reason (alas, the artist’s mind…) a photograph I had taken of a berry bush in winter in Frankfort, Michigan came to mind.  The lines of the combined photographs worked out well graphically.

Prince

Posted on Posted in #blackandwhite, 1, Blackandwhite, documentary, Miami, Monochrome, painters, Photography, PortraitsTagged , ,
PRINCEweb
Miami, Florida                         © David R Banta

Miami, Florida is a fascinating place.  Through AirB&B I stayed at the home of a young lady named Jessica who was very cordial.  I travelled there to do street photography on a trip that included visiting my sister Judy in Jupiter, Florida.  I loved Miami’s Hispanic culture;  the neighborhood was rich in it.  I ate at a Guatemalan restaurant that appeared  to be popular…I was a minority as a non-Hispanic there…I loved it.  I hope to return to photograph in that restaurant one day.

I met this young man named Prince at Jessica’s place.  He was part of a group visiting her.  I asked him if I could photograph him…he more than obliged, an eager subject.  I retired to my bedroom, processed the photo in post-production and returned to the group to show him the portrait.  He was delighted; so was I.  I got his email address and sent him a high-resolution copy of it.