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PREFACE
Photographs with Tales: Inductive Images of Personal Journeys presents images of special meaning to me. The photographs date back to 2002 when I began using a digital camera.
I endeavor to best express what I see and feel. Yet, no matter how effective the image, it cannot fully describe the back story or the personal significance that gave it life. Knowledge unveils the obscure, the deeper meaning, the unknown circumstances. The same holds true for photographs.
The front cover photograph, for instance, does not suggest the presence of gypsum sand at White Sands, New Mexico, much less its unusual properties. Few such deserts exist on Earth because the sand dissolves in water, a property that renders the presence of the pool in the image all the more extraordinary. And who could know that the blue sky and distant clouds foreshadowed the imminent approach of an equally unexpected radical temperature drop and shower of popcorn snow in this southern desert? Then there’s the matter of the solitary bush drowning in the sand.
The accompanying text provides some of the invisible knowledge associated with each photograph. I hope that these passages and images inspire the reader to recognize his or her own kindred truths.
James D. Lewis
Christmas, 2007
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This
book owes its origins to my good friend, Andy Aitken. After he learned the
meaning of Dachau Reflection and Which Blossom Are You? he
explained how the back stories greatly enhanced the images for him. Andy
emphatically convinced me to combine photographs of special interest to me with
their backgrounds.
Similarly,
this book owes its endurance to another good friend, Eric Sheets, who offered
objective, well-served criticism that spared the words the punishment of
self-indulgence. Eric provided enthusiastic editorial guidance throughout the
project.
Many
images were taken in the company of my best friend and wife, Vicki, as we
traveled and adventured together. Without her patience, generosity and
encouragement plus her keen eye, this project would never have materialized.
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