This was my second summer to participate in the community’s annual photography exhibit. The experience is always an adventure. I spent hours figuring out which pictures to use and how best to display them. I even made booklets for viewers at the art center. Above is the cover from it.

(Photo & Design- Martha Browne)

On My Re-Reading List

July 30, 2017 ~ Martha B. ~ 2 Comments

#24. Photography- ‘ The Day-To-Day Life Of Albert Hastings‘ by Kaylynn Deveney with additional text & drawings by Albert Hastings, 2007

” I think my husband noticed (elderly) Bert first. Bert could often be spotted outside, watching the world go by or watering the garden that curtained the dilapidated apartment building on two sides. In the absence of a garden hose, Bert watered by filling empty dishwashing liquid bottles. He contrasted with the decaying building. Bert seemed vital and engaged and his quiet presence made me want to know him…”

Learning To See

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017 ~ Martha B.

#17. Street Photography- Two photographers, Helen Levitt and Martha Cooper, took to the urban streets to capture kids at play. The photo (above) was taken by Levitt in 1939. The photo (below) was taken by Cooper in the late 1970s. Though the images are separated by forty years, the kids remained pretty much the same- roaming freely whole city blocks far from home and parents. They also made creative use of abandoned buildings and chain link fencing to test their courage and climbing skills. Interesting, too, that neither photographer bothered to tell the kids to get down.

On My Reading List

May 16, 2017May 16, 2017 ~ Martha B.

#23. Biography- ‘ Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life’ by Sally Bedell Smith, 2017

“…’Poor Charles’ was the constant refrain in my researches. It was spoken in despair by those who loved him, with sarcasm by those who resented him. Despite his gilded upbringing- the palaces and leafy retreats, the cosseting and automatic deference- his was a life of frustration. His every step along the way was inspected and analyzed: his promise, his awkwardness, his happiness, his suffering, his betrayals and embarrassments and mistakes, his loneliness, his successes- and especially his relentless search for meaning, approval, and love…”