Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

In beautiful Siskiyou county on Hwy 97 in Weed, CA is a profound work of art. It is the Living Memorial Statue Garden dedicated to all Veterans. It is placed out amongst the natural landscape of the area in the sagebrush and pine trees and has a stunning view of the monstrous Mt. Shasta. The statues themselves are stunning pieces of work forged from steel.

The statues are magnificent, crafted with care and great attention. The forms of the human figure are fluid and lifelike even though they are faceless works of metal. There are many remembrances and mementos left at each of the groupings of statues as well as tucked away into the area's surrounding them. One that particularly caught my eye and emotions was the POW MIA statue. It is powerful of a prisoner in a cage, and there is an arch that is covered in POW bracelets and remembrances. I found one particular trinket to be the summation of all the hurt that was contained on the arch. It was a small keychain that stuck out to me as it glinted in the sunlight, and when I got closer to read it, I just had to take a picture. The words simply read: May Peace Prevail On Earth.

The garden was constructed as a safe haven, a place to remember and a place to spend time and mend. It is exactly that. You feel the strength of the statues and what they stand for, and you see the left behind remembrances and traces of family and friends. All are living testaments to the women and men that served in the Armed Forces through generations. It is a place to tell them that they are appreciated, and remembered and honored. With it's serene and almost overpowering view of Mt. Shasta it is an ethereal place that beckons you to stay and spend some time.

The artist Dennis Smith has created masterful works of art in these statues. He was a Vietnam War Marine Corps sergeant and his emotions and connection to the content show through in his work. In the informational brochure that can be found at the garden, Mr. Smith is quoted " I don't think the purpose of art is to entertain, but to uplift, edify and educate." I have to say to Mr. Dennis Smith; Thank you for your service to the country, your dedication to your craft, and for leaving me uplifted and edified.

The statue groups are as follows: The Why Group, The Peaceful Warrior, Those Left Behind, The Greatest Generation, POW - MIA, Coming Home, All Wounded Warriors, The Nurses, The Flute Player, Korean War Veteran, and the Hot LZ Memorial Wall. I did not photograph them all as I think there is something to be left for when people visit on their own to be seen.

For more information please visit: http://www.weedlmsg.org/

Big Beautiful Bellies!

 One of my favorite things to photograph are pregnant bellies. There is something so amazing about them containing a new life just under the surface of that protruding skin. The female form is gorgeous when swollen with child and I love capturing the mother to be in all her maternal glory.
Pregnancy for me was a time where I felt alive and beautiful in my own skin. I was proud of my growing belly, and hopeful for all of the changes that were soon to come in life. What a time to record a beautiful memory, the quiet before the storm, and the nervous excitement of all that is in store for a new family.

A rewarding cause to be involved with

As a photographer and a native Californian I cherish the beauty and joy of our state parks. It is unfortunate for the generations to come that they are facing the closure of such local treasures. Many of the state parks were gifts to be enjoyed, used and forever passed on from generation to generation. The states budget crisis and acts of legislation are threatening our beautiful treasures. This is a wonderful and personal way to become involved in the movement to help keep our state parks open for future generations. Please participate and pass it along to ensure that we get strong support from personal voices on what it means to protect the legacy of our state parks.

http://www.calparks.org/takeaction/im-saving-state-parks-for.html


It is a project that is close to my heart because of what the state parks mean personally to my family. We all convene yearly at McArthur Burney Falls state park for two weeks. It is the most amazing cleansing from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. It allows us to connect on a more intimate level as family. We have taken our son since he was 8 months old. He gets a break from T.V., and in exchange gets focused one on one time with us. He hugs trees, hunts bugs, gains confidence and gets deeply rooted in what it means to be a Family. No distractions, just us and the natural beautiful landscape of the park. This particular state park was a gift, and what a glorious gift to California it is.

This is also the park where on one of these wonderful trips, my ailing father in law got the chance to flourish in a setting he loved, and to some degree forget that his body was being ravished by Cancer. He was able to do the things he loved, with the people he loved. He breathed the clean pine scented air, and dipped his rod in the cool stream. He gained back his appetite and energy, he watched his grandchildren growing to love the outdoors as he did, and he spent time with his family. Time that was borrowed, and time that was precious. Time that was not interrupted and time that was made possible because of McArthur Burney Falls state park existing. I am hoping that the parks system is able to stay open and that our son is able to go back year after year and remember the connections to family that he made and be the man that growing up in nature will help him to become. Thank you, and please get involved!

In loving memory of Lawrence J. Manzano Sr.

Living History

I do volunteer photojournalism for an online magazine based out of Davis, CA. I must admit, my assignment this month turned out to be a wonderful encounter with some very sharp senior citizens. I was to shoot a class of scholarly seniors whom were attending a memoir writing course through the UC Davis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute extension. I walked in expecting to find them discussing proper use of English and various ways to jog their memories in order to crank out an essay. What I found was a warm, intelligent and surprisingly hip group of storytellers. I walked around the room taking my shots, and found myself getting lost in their words as they sat in round table form reading their memoirs. I laughed with them, snickered when they snickered and wanted to just pull up a chair and join in the discussion after each presentation.


Maybe it was because I just recently lost my grandfather and carried a small sense of not fully knowing about his life, but I was completely at ease and enthralled in listening. I had to keep reminding myself of why I was there and force my finger to click the shutter. Their stories were marvelous mixes of humor and anguish from various points in their lives and I am very grateful that I was able to be amongst them and hear their journeys.

This shoot was truly a surprise and a pleasure. I strongly suggest visiting an elder in your family, sitting down and finding out what they have to say about days gone by. Please enjoy these shots from my few hours with some wonderful vessels of living history.

I love kids... I was a kid myself, once.

Here are some of my favorites from my sessions with children. They are priceless in their sincerity, relentless in their pursuit of fun, and precious beyond words. Enjoy!

Welcome!

It is a pleasure to have you here with me. I plan to have regular photo updates from shoots as well as musings from the mind of a photographer.

There are so many things to be noticed in this world, and being a photographer I tend to notice everything. I watch for changes in light, I know when there will be a rainbow. I study people...their faces, expressions, emotions, hands, eyes. I look for interesting detail that would normally go unnoticed, and when I am lucky,  I get the chance to click the shutter and record it.
So many people with unique qualities and diverse backgrounds, so many vibrant colors, so many children with wonderful smiles and curious hands. It is pure enjoyment to have an eye that is drawn to these things, and to be able to share the produced images with those who will look.
Thank you for visiting, opening your eyes and viewing my work. I hope you enjoy.