I’m continuing to work on a series of pictures featuring the tools my grandfather used on his ranch in Eastern Idaho.  Many of these feature prominently in my memories as a boy staying the summers with them. Those were wonderful times - the days were huge, there was much to do and I was pretty much free to wander that little world near Mackay, Idaho.

Here is a small selection of images from last week’s shoot.  Included are some interesting items - see if you can figure out what some of the more esoteric ones are...

In Lightroom news, Scott Kelby announced the latest version of his Lightroom Book - this one for Lightroom 2.0. Its almost as if he knew something was afoot in Adobeland.

Ride Report: Road. 15 miles from my home looping around Fall City. Lovely ride, but a bit short because I had to take the boys to Bellevue to a capoeira day camp.

Tags:Personal Work, Tools

A few weeks ago I posted a series of images based on my grandfather's tools.

This week I've continued in that vein this week with several more. Can you identify the second item?

This is turning into a longer term project - I've decided I'm going to be heading down to my grandma's place in Idaho to spend an visit shooting that vast garage full of treasures.

Tags:Personal Work, Tools

I've been working recently on a series of still life compositions - images of tools I've collected from my late grandpa's garage.

My grandpa was a rancher, farmer and nuclear plant worker, the latter sadly required by the economics of farming/ranching a small plot of land in the arid western part of the United States. He put in long hard days at "the site" (Westinghouse's nuclear training facilities) and then came home to work his little ranch until the sun went down. Life wasn't easy, as my mother can attest, but by the time I was old enough to spend the summers with them near Mackay, Idaho, progress had been made and times were easier. I helped changed pipe, cared for the cows and my cousin and I ran around on an old Trail 90 motorcycle looking for fun. I loved hanging out in the various out-buildings of his ramshackle world and these tools were a huge part of our lives - we built, made or fixed most things ourselves. The depression had made him thrifty, clever and resourceful.

Here is a picture I have of him holding me as a toddler. I'm pretty cute - much cuter than my sisters/brothers were, if memory serves...

He passed away, not unsurprisingly, due to complications with cancer and I still miss him and those days intensely.

These tools are some of what remains of him and those long-ago days in the summer sun.

Well, I'm off to shoot the final dress rehearsal for EBT, so have a great weekend. I'm traveling next week, but should be online and active.

Cheers!

Tags:Personal Work, Tools