Desert Wildflowers Breathe Life Into The Desolate
The cracked Colorado Desert doesn’t usually provide conditions favorable for blooming
flowers, but every now and again, deserts do see rainfall. When that happens,
certain wildflowers (such as the bee plant and scorpionweed) creep up through the
cracks and decorate the landscape for a mere few days before wilting and dying in a
process that can last for several years. Capturing these simultaneously fleeting yet
enduring spectacles of nature is photographer Guy Tal.
While the subject matter, composition, and lighting of these photographs are certainly
noteworthy on their own, further examination into the man behind the camera reveals
that he’s more of a philosopher than a photographer.
“It’s a strange business I’m in; one often misunderstood. There’s no real word for what I do
and maybe it’s time to put a name to it. My job is to be inspired. I make my living conveying
the inspiration I find to others, in various ways. I photograph, I write, I teach, I interact.
What does that make me? My photography is not about photographs; my writing is not
about words; my teaching is not about facts; and my interactions are not about being
social. There’s a higher purpose – the experience. Am I an experiencer?”
Tal further explains that he doesn’t make things for a living; he lives for a living.
And how does one truly “live”, in the eyes of Guy Tal? By fully immersing oneself into
whatever stimulus the Earth conjures up, allowing your senses to be sparked, and
capturing nuggets of beauty – in both words and images – along the way.
Tal’s writing style evokes all of that; just a small paragraph about an autumn
morning ritual from his website leads us into a snapshot of his world -where every
sense is able to find something to linger on.
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