Septembers

This morning as I walked the circle clockwise and the school bus picking up high-schoolers drove it counter-clockwise, we passed twice. Both times I walked as close as I could to the bus in the predawn light and immediately stepped into its wake as it passed.

That bright yellow blur in the early hours is a nostalgic send-off for anyone who grew up in America. I wanted to feel the wind, smell the diesel and see if maybe I could find exactly what it is and where we go when we see the school bus. I didn't really. Nostalgia is never so exact. By nature it's vague.

Maybe it's just the notion of Autumn creeping in, and September signals that, that sends us to a place in our memories that we imagine as innocent. It's never January you think of when you see a school bus, or God forbid, February. And while I can't think of a particular place or a specific time that school buses call up for me, in my mind there's a slight chill in the air and a sense that the day ahead holds promise. It's vague.

But today's high will be 91 and summer isn't over in Florida until November.

I'm not complaining. The day still holds promise.   

The Autumn People

Sitting out back tonight, waiting for some pork chops on the grill, I was tempted to run inside and grab the camera, as even here in Florida, the arrival of Fall can be felt. There was a golden moment that lasted for only half a minute, where light and depth seem almost stereoscopic, as if you're looking at a multi-layered PSD and the saturation has been cranked up. Had I run inside to grab the camera, I would've missed it, so I just enjoyed it for the brief time it lasted. Autumn is magical to me.Jason Ertel of New Jersey, who I found through James Helms of Dallas, does the Autumn thing quite nicely. He uses a Nikon D50 and then does something in Photoshop to give his images a surreal quality that reminds me of Ray Bradbury stories. It's easy to get lost on his site. And just like when I watch a great guitar player doing his thing and feel unworthy to ever touch a guitar again, Jason makes me feel like I do not deserve to own a D50 myself.

Another fine photographer who I found linking to this site is David Torrence of St. Louis. He's available for advertising and editorial work, I'm pretty sure.

Yeah, there's something in the air
It's like Autumn all the time
Where the world's 3D and layered deep
Clouds marching for the shoreline like they're walking in their sleep

- Telegraph Canyon