My Art Show...

Last night was the monthly Partnership for Lawrence Arts "Toast the Arts" featuring me and my photography. I had a great time and was grateful to all who attended.
I brought 18 images, half of which were interpretations/illustrations of poems and the other half were photos from my travels, which I call "side of the road photoshow" pictures.
Thanks to the patrons that purchased my work. I'm eternally grateful for people that enjoy the creations that I see.

I also wanted to thank all my friends from the Vineyard, Anne, Rebecca, Rick, Mike, Debbie, The Baker's and my good friend John Patterson for making the effort and taking the time to go out of their way and help support local art.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to Pam Fraizer, as well as the entire Board of PFL Arts, Chef Suzanne and Elite Beverages for supporting and promoting local artists. I owe Pam more than any other patron of the arts as she has provided me with many opportunities and has been a conduit of success for me and my business. I'm sure many people know the kind of passion she has for the Arts, but she's genuinely a caring and compassionate woman that I will always want on my team. So thank you to Pam and for anyone that is in need of phenomenal graphic design, illustrations or logo work, seek her out. She's worth 10 times her rates. If you need proof, look at my business cards, my logo, and numerous non-profits she does work for. She is blessed and the best. http://www.fraizerdesigns.org

Over the next day I'll put the catalog and prints on here if anyone's interested in purchase, contact me @ diehlphotographicarts@gmail.com

The other side of the tracks in Tucson...

Tucson is a really pretty town. Naturally, as you've seen with parks like Agua Caliente' and the general beauty of the Sonoran desert region which is essentially one of three Desert's here in America, according to my personal wikipedia Todd Chatman - (Great Basin, aka High-Desert), Sonoran and Mojave.

Yesterday, we took the opportunity to cross Gates Pass which we are staying about 4 minutes away from and headed to the "Other side of the tracks" which is only my term and in no way a derogatory term, but it's on the other side of the Tucson Range. On that side of the "track" is the Desert Museum, Old Tucson movie studios and San Xavier de Bac mission.

Now I've been to the mission a few times now. The first time was with a friend, Rob Densmore, back in 1997. Then we went there last year and again yesterday. There's this saguaro there, right at the entrance, it's probably not as old as the Mission, which was built by Father Kino in approx. 1783.

Yesterday, was the best light I've shot it in. There's several photos I've included in my post from there, I hope you enjoy. The other place which was another new discovery my friend John told me about last year was the Desert Museum. That place is truly a treasure as well. I saw, as you will see, a live Puma, Kestrel, desert owl,a beaver, even a mule deer and turkey as well as about a hundred kind of reptiles and insects and birds in the aviaries. I was so disappointed we didn't get to go into the Hummingbird aviary, but we saw a few of these amazing birds in their natural environ.

I hope you enjoy my photos. Today I'm heading to the University of Arizona's school/museum of photography. Possibly Mt. Lemmon, old downtown and inevitably a good time. Today's a solo day as Todd and Laura flew back to Chicago and all of us are looking for our last "things to do" before we leave this lovely town tomorrow.

enjoy!

"How do you name a blog? I asked my Aunt."

So I really don't have a name for this blog post. It has no real subject, just a continuation of photos of my family on vacation in Tucson, AZ. I was sitting beside my Aunt Jo when I titled it.

I guess sometimes blogs don't have a subject. When you're a photographer your photography is typically the subject, right? That said, the kind of photographer that I am leans toward documentary/lifestyle/portraiture and in truth, that is what I am doing with my family. Last year I made a book of our reunion which was a hit and I'm getting really into "storybooks". My "Life series" are starting to develop. I pitched and hopefully will get to do my "First Year" book with the Baird's who are expecting in a month, and I just had my first family purchase "A Day in Your Life" through the Vines for Life Cancer Charities fund raiser. I'm excited to get to offer this to more people/families that really do appreciate a timeless memento and wish to see where they were and who was there with them for years to come.

I know I'm not original in doing these. In reality they're just offshoots of what a wedding album is. But, I'm just starting to try to apply the idea to other people's parts of their life and I really think they're diehlicious! I mean, if a life's worth living, it's worth sharing.

here's the story of the day...

Today my cousin and his gf Laura and I headed out to a park that isn't necessarily obscure, but somehow, someway, has alluded my Great Aunt and Uncle's awareness for about 54 years! Agua Caliente park is a spring developed by a cattleman, I think, by the name of Fuller that developed the land and handled about 1200 head of cattle. For those that haven't spent any time in Tucson or the desert southwest, it is not only hot and dry, but chock full'o cactus. Handling 1200 cattle had to be about one of the hardest gigs known, but I think in all honesty, developing the southwest just had to be pretty damn hard. It makes me wonder if that's why AZ didn't become a state til like 1909.

Anyway, this park is stunning. It's truly an oasis in the desert and I'm glad my friend told me about it. Like any other photos on my blog, if you'd like to see them larger, just click on them and you'll be able to see them a bit more grande'! Hasta la vista!
Post Script... my Uncle TC flew in from Wyoming yesterday and if you look at the huge tree it's just one tree, it's a mesquite and it's over 200 years old. Additionally, the palm tree I'm whistling under has a cactus growing out of it, so I hope you enjoy and if you like what you read or want to discuss having me make a book of your life, leave me a message.

A perfect 10...

I didn't manage to get a post up on the tenth. I was too busy getting 10 things done perfectly. You know, 10.10.10, but we did have good time on day 3 of the family reunion. We discussed doing next years on Nov. 11th as it will be 11.11.11. One problem I see already is that we don't have 11 fingers. That said,us Diehl's/Chatman/Suder/Sample's are pretty crafty and ingenious and will probably figure out how to get an 11th digit without having to take Yoga to get our toes in on the act.

The day before, we went to "Tucson Meet Yourself" which is I guess a kind of "Taste of Tucson" kind of thing with a more fun name. Laura came up with an even better name, "Tucson in your face" It was generally interesting and definitely brought a really diverse cross section of this town to the center of the city.

Yesterday was really just a fun day though. Starting out bright and early with a soak in the hot tub and finishing the day with a rediscovery of what was dubbed "Farmer Pool" at the pool table which involves hands and shuffling of balls into the other person's side of the pooltable without letting any in on your own side. Can you say "OUCH!" ??? We watched meteors fly by, I played guitar by the sliver of the moon and we finished up at 10.10.10 10:10 pm with a little Happy Birthday song to us all.

Today was a similar start however, we learned that in this large house, the stovetop, which is a gas top is directly connected to the grill outside. Yep, it's run by a propane tank! Isn't that bizarre? Anyway, today will be a day of fun and games I'm sure. Tucson has some really fun roads. We're staying on the Westish Mtns close to the Desert Museum on the otherside of the hill and up Iron Mtn. Hill Road there's a couple places that have some outstanding dips like a rollercoaster and today we're going to the road called "Rollercoaster Road" It's so fun, you feel like you're on a rollercoaster! It's fun that a city has roads that would be illegal in other cities. Thankfully, they haven't been sued for having a fun city yet.