Themes

In the 1950s I spent a great deal of time wandering over the sun baked sands in the bed of Red River a mile east of where I lived. I loved being there with my camera. I still have a few of those photographs and among them is the beginning of one of my themes—footprints in the sands of time. This theme has held my interest for over a half century and will through the end.

Longfellow wrote

“Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime, 
And, departing, leave behind us 
Footprints on the sands of time;–“

Monday, Alcy and I spent the entire day in Galveston. She is considering doing her portfolio on the Bolivar Ferry so we arrived and were on the ferry at the Bolivar dock when the sun broke over the horizon in the morning. We were on the ferry when the sun set across Galveston Island that evening. In between we spent as much time as possible in air conditioning. But we did drive quite a ways out Twelve Mile Road to one of the many beach access points. We were in hopes we could find some shadows on the boardwalks that cross over the dunes.

Arriving at the beach I found a number of impressions of footprints—which I always consider photographing. While there, I did several variations ranging from, rising from the sea (the act of creation) to the prints worn by time and wind (fading away as life fades, our impermanence rushing toward eventually being no longer remembered), mingled with the prints of other creatures (crossing paths with those of other species that share this sphere) and mingled with those of mechanical devices (man’s need to affect his world). There are many sub themes within the theme of footprints. I take the images for what meaning I can find in what is presented. I am particularly fond of the above image. I see it as moving onto the land from the sea. I will not debate evolution, intelligent design or creation—I am willing to accept God as the creator in preference to the magician. I feel that as human beings we have a very innate attraction to the sea and this is my tribute to this sub theme from Monday’s shoot.

Below are a few others from the walk on the beach, one of the shadows and a couple from the theme of the edge, another oft repeated beach themes of the edge between water/land.