A friend had this photo, of what she believes to be her great-grandparents, tucked safely away but still, time had certainly taken its toll. The canvas was quite large and was deteriorating but she found a printer in town to scan it in a TIFF format and delivered the file to me for work on restoration.
It took a good 8 hours or so (some of which was dedicated to researching WHY the TIFF file would not open in Photoshop CS4) to give her this restoration.
How can you NOT look up?
The North Dakota State Legislature and its governor, Jack Dalrymple have constructed and passed the strictest laws in the country regarding the reproductive rights of women. House bills 1305,1456 and Senate Bill 2305 are so restrictive in nature that a legal abortion is pretty much a thing of the past in this state. Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 4009 which states: “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected” also passed. SCR 4009 is also known as the “Personhood” bill/amendment. Although the legislature stopped short of clearly defining when life begins, the consensus of “Personhood” groups is that life begins at the moment of conception. SCR 4009 will be put to voters in 2014.
On March 25th, men, women and children across North Dakota rallied (Stand Up For Women) in Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks and Fargo to protest these bills. The governor signed them into law today, March 26th. His statement on the bills can be viewed here: http://governor.nd.gov/media-center/news/governor-provides-statement-signed-bills
40 years of successful, reasonable and responsible reproductive rights were wiped out by poorly-conceived, overreaching bills that are going to prove to be very costly for the state as they admittedly want to take on the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision – not to mention the lawsuits that will likely spawn due to the ambiguity of wording and intention.
I hate to tell you folks but…the good ‘ol days weren’t really all that good.
The rally started inside the capitol building with a news conference and women speaking about their personal experiences with reproductive health issues. Supporters were asked to wear white as a symbol of unity.
I have mixed feelings about children being involved in political issues. I was a teen before I began to really explore ideas different than my parents, before that, I believe I was most likely to simply mimic their views. I do believe our kids should know what we think/feel and why we act upon issues, but…I think it is equally important that they understand there are other perspectives and they should always be encouraged to investigate and decide for themselves. Informed consent is much different from blind obedience. The woman in the red coat and those to her left are there in opposition to the rally. These two photos show that children on both sides of the issue are involved to one extent or another.
After the news conference, the rally moved outside where people peacefully voiced their opposition through a number of chants (not allowed inside!) Kris Kitko, (red jacket – not the same as the woman in the previous set!) musician and activist was kind enough to take on megaphone duty. Thanks for all you do Kris! And thanks to those who worked so hard to organize these rallies and all the attendees!
It seems to me that there is always a good deal of humor that thrives despite the seriousness of these events. Kris drew attention to this sign which drew quite a cheer from the crowd but she was sure to follow-up with, “And the answer is??? No, of course not.”
These photos were taken in the North Dakota ghost town of Arena.
I have been interested in old buildings and abandoned places most of my life. I am of the generation who grew up with that quintessential family outing, the Sunday drive. We zigzagged across many of the back roads of Michigan in our Ford station wagon and often, when we came across an old farmhouse, my mother would have my father stop the car so she could get out and look inside (BTW – she still does when she gets the chance!) 
It seems my parents instilled these activities in me as I still love going for drives along the least traveled roads and now it is ME who can be found peering into old houses and abandoned buildings.
I give a deserving nod to my folks but I am dedicating this particular post to “Ghosts of North Dakota”. Although I’ve never met Troy Larson and Terry ‘Rat’ Hinnenkamp, they have given me inspiration and, more importantly, direction when it comes to actually being able to locate some great ghost towns in North Dakota. In my opinion, these two men have done a tremendous service to the state of North Dakota and its residents by photographically recording these former communities. Many of the buildings have already started to disappear and as time passes, more will be lost, to gravity, the elements, and vandalism.
Arena Grain Elevator
If you have any interest whatsoever in ghost towns, old buildings and the history of North Dakota, please visit their website and…note… they have now published some of their works in a really beautiful and well-constructed book (available at their website Ghosts of North Dakota). You guys need to get an ISBN number and get that into the libraries!
Before I go any further let me say that I’ve had no formal training in regards to photo restoration. What little I know, I’ve taught myself and I know there is A LOT I don’t know (and would LOVE to learn!!) but…I think I do an OK job as a whole.
I REALLY get lost in the details when I work on one of these projects. I love zooming in, sometimes to the pixel level, in order to rebuild or clean up the data. I find the whole process quite satisfying.
This is the “BEFORE” scanned photos of one of Sandy’s ancestors.
“AFTER”
I know there will be readers of this post who disagree with me and, as always, I welcome civil discourse since it is the sharing of ideas that allows us to explore new territory in our thinking.
My story: I used to be an NRA member. I used to own a number of guns, not in attempt to accrue an arsenal but because each one had a specific purpose e.g. small game vs big game hunting. I personally, would be willing to give up any and all guns I owned, if strict firearm regulation were enacted.
News 3 Las Vegas
On February 10th, NBC News reporter Bill Dedman wrote a story titled “Death takes no holiday: Tracking gun violence over one long January weekend” http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/10/16912259-death-takes-no-holiday-tracking-gun-violence-over-one-long-january-weekend?lite
One long weekend and 91 people died as a result of guns. Not a mentally ill person who went on a rampage but accidents, murders and suicides as a direct result of guns – and these were only incidents reported by the media, it didn’t include accounts that weren’t newsworthy. According to this article, the number of gun deaths PER DAY in the United States is 86.
Three people died on the Las Vegas Strip while I was visiting. An argument between two people led to a subsequent shooting near the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd. The driver targeted by gunfire was killed and his car careened into a number of vehicles, causing damage and injuries – one of which was a cab which burst into flames, consuming the two people inside.
I still remember the days when, stupid arguments over a girl, a spilled drink, an insult, or a stolen parking space, were resolved by a flip of the finger or a fist fight. Although somewhat juvenile reactions to minor aggravations or insults they were still non-lethal. The availability and accessibility of guns seems to make them the first choice of conflict resolution today; such a permanent and devastating punishment for such minor infractions defies logic, defies common sense, defies civilized society.
I respect the 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution but I wish that the Declaration of Independence with its powerful statement that we have the unalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were as important to Americans. I wish the cries for common sense and reasonable regulation was as loud as the cries of grief from those who have lost loved ones to senseless gun deaths.
I wish…I could walk or drive down the street and not worry about the real possibility of getting shot.
Ponderosa Pine Kiss
The gentle mix of vanilla and butterscotch gently kiss and arouse olfactory memories, taking me back to spring days in western forests where the sun’s returning strength would coax that sensuous smell from exposed bark.
I currently live where there are few trees and my soul often aches for them as if I had lost a lover. Although it appears I may be kissing this Ponderosa Pine, I am not…but…I could, I could.
I launch the new name and theme for the blog (Rebirth of the Blog) with this photo which seems to capture the concept of illusion fairly well.
Reality is a matter of perspective.
Fungi and Leaves 1
Do my photographer friends have a hard time letting go of old captures? I have kept some RAW captures in files many years old thinking, I’ll work these some day. I found these two shots while doing a little house (file) cleaning. I wonder if they’ve always been there or…if they sprouted!
Fungi and Leaves 2
A Man Who Supports His Mother
I love tattoos. I love the concept that people can feel so strongly about art, a cause, philosophy, or a chapter in their lives, that they are willing to express it publicly, and permanently.
Kudos to you my friend for showing you love your – OUR – mother!
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