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Event Photography: Dillinger Days and Downtown Tucson Construction

This past weekend, I attended the annual Dillinger Days celebration in Downtown Tucson. This event commemorates the 1934 capture of “Public Enemy Number One,” bank robber John Dillinger. The festivities centered around the Hotel Congress, where Dillinger and his gang of outlaws stayed when they first hit town. The hotel boiler caught fire, forcing the…

Nature Photography: Snow in Pennsylvania

Throughout much of the continental United States, the big story is the cold and snow. Even though I live in the Arizona desert, I can relate. Just got back from visiting family in eastern Pennsylvania, where they were still talking about (and coping with) the two feet of snow that fell on December 19. That…

Travel Photography: Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

While I was back east visiting family, my father and I took a day trip to Washington, D.C. With Congress out of session and  President Obama on vacation, Our Nation’s Capital seemed a bit empty. On the other hand, if you prefer to leave the people out of your photos, Capitol Hill was a great…

Event Photography: 4th Avenue 2009 Winter Street Fair

Well, it’s December, and the Christmas shopping season is hopping. Time to join several hundred thousand of your best friends on Fourth Avenue for Tucson’s Winter Street Fair. Along with several dozen other Watershed Management Group volunteers, I worked the edge of the fair. My job was to prevent people from leaving with open containers…

Bicycle Photography: Tucson Snake Bridge

Was riding across the Snake Bridge, which is just east of Downtown Tucson. This is a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Broadway Boulevard, and the outside skin has a snake pattern. The southern entrance has a rattler that goes off whenever someone approaches. The juxtaposition of the Snake Bridge, the traffic below, and my venerable…

Bicycle Photography: Nighttime Bike Rack

Last month, I was walking along Congress Street in Downtown Tucson. It was a Monday night, not much happening, and I spotted this lone bike outside the Rialto Theatre. No acts performing at the Rialto, so that didn’t explain why the bike was there. It almost seemed as if it was forgotten, but it was…

Bicycle Photography: El Tour de Tucson 2009

If you’re a bike-tographer like I am, El Tour de Tucson draws you like a magnet. This annual event goes around the perimeter of Tucson and attracts cyclists from all over the world. I didn’t ride in this year’s El Tour, but I went Downtown to photograph the finishers. And to indulge in some artsiness……

Event Photography: All Souls Procession 2009

Tucson’s annual All Souls Procession turned 20 this year. It started in 1990 as a ritualistic performance by artist Susan Johnson, who was grieving her father’s death. All Souls now attracts more than 20,000 people to a memorial march/street performance on the streets of Downtown Tucson. Here are five glimpses of this year’s event. Before…

Event Photography: Tucson Firefighters Chili Cookoff

How about a nice, warm bowl of chili for a good cause? And, better yet, cooked and served with a smile by local firefighters? At last Friday’s Tucson Firefighters Chili Cookoff, thousands of gallons of the good stuff were available. Firefighters from various departments set up booths to sell dollar-a-bowl chili, with the proceeds going…

Construction Photography: House Painting Time!

Since we’ve had a warm, dry fall here in Tucson, it’s been a good time for outdoor projects. My latest was getting the mortar and stucco repaired on my house’s exterior walls. Then it was time to freshen up the paint. Here’s Kurt (from Creative Kurt Painting) getting my studio windows taped… With all the…

Construction Photography: Tear Down the Wall

My front yard was graced (if you want to call  it that) by a crumbling brick retaining wall. The wall had no seep holes, which meant that it was gradually being weakened by moisture. Time to tear down the wall. I wanted replace the old wall with something more attractive. Since I’m a member of…

Graphic Design: No Desk Potatoes Logo

On this project, I worked with University of Arizona researcher Donna M. Wolk, Ph.D., D(ABMM). This logo will be used on a wide variety of items and will be combined with various taglines. No Desk Potatoes will be geared toward scientists and corporate types. The idea will be to not bury your mind in what…

Graphic Design: GermCats Logo

On this project, I worked with University of Arizona faculty member Donna M. Wolk, Ph.D., D(ABMM). This logo is for a UA microbiology educational outreach program. The program’s name is a play on the name of the UA school mascot, the Wildcat…

Nature Photography: Big Sur Stream

This photo’s a true blast from the past. I took it back in 1981, while I was bicycling around the United States. While heading down the California coast, I stopped for an overnight in a state park south of Big Sur. The park offered many things to explore, including giant redwoods that I couldn’t begin…

Event Photography: Tucson Meet Yourself

Tucson Meet Yourself marked its 36th anniversary this past weekend. This annual festival bills itself as “a celebration of authentic cultural foods and the living traditional arts of Southern Arizona’s folk and ethnic communities.” Because of the emphasis on food, the festival has also earned the moniker “Tucson Eat Yourself.” Since my digestive system was…

Tucson photographer launches stock photo site

Tucson, AZ – Martha Retallick, local photographer, community activist, and volunteer, just launched a stock photo website for ad agencies, photo editors, businesses, and organizations. BicycleStockImages.com features photos of the bike culture, including bicycle racing, bicycle touring, utilitarian cycling, and artistic close-ups of bicycles, bike tools, and bike parts. A practitioner of “bike-tography,” Retallick, who…

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