A weekly observation on a world photographic

April 13, 2013

A ROAD OFT TRAVELLED

Like most creative types, I respond to the end of long stretches of work with a feeling of uncertainty. Last year we dissolved our long-standing organization TWR.  While it was the right decision given the times, it prompted in me more than a bit of worry about the future. What comes next? Where do I focus my eyes and cameras?

A favorite poem of mine is Robert Frost’s oft-quoted “The Road Not Taken” where he gently prompts the reader to ponder what might lie down an untraveled path.  It occurred to me that I needed solo camera time to re-fresh my creative energies and ponder the next chapter. Rather than leading a tour and being the guide to other photographers, I needed to explore roads untaken in previous African travel – for the sheer fun of shooting (remember that? It’s what first drew us to the camera way, way back!).

So I set my compass for a seven-week sojourn throughout Namibia and South Africa, camera in hand, and thrilled at the thought of shooting for the sheer pleasure of photography.

The details of this journey – as much inward as outbound – are recounted in my latest newsletter (which you can sign up for at the bottom of this page) but suffice to say, I renewed my love affair with the camera and nature!

With no deadlines looming or guests to escort, I leaped to each day’s adventure with the zeal of seeing with new eyes.  No small surprise here considering what I photographed during this trip:  the magnificent orange hues of the Sossusvlei Dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the highest dunes in the world . . . Deadvlei’s skeletons of ancient camel thorn trees . . . Swakopmund, a delightful hodge-podge of German architecture populated with an exotic mix of inhabitants . . . the Grootberg Plateau . . . sunsets by Epupa Falls on the banks of the Kunene River . . . a day of photographing the Himba tribe . . .  Etosha National Park, wildlife photography at its truest definition . . . Franschoek, the winelands pastoral countryside … A PRIVATE RESERVE in South Africa home to the rare species of White Lions  . . . and so much more.

So I’m home in Santa Fe, renewed and ready, and happily at work on the next phase of my photo journey.  Granted, I’ve access to photo opportunities not always available to everyone, but location is not the point.  What I needed – and I suspect what we all need from time to time – is photography for the sheer fun of holding the camera and challenging yourself to capture the moment in front of you.

Grab your camera and head out to a favorite spot that you’ve not visited in way too long. Think of the trip as a reunion of sorts with an old friend; a conversation too long missed.  And enjoy!

If you’re feeling a lag in your energy, grab your camera and take off. Remember the roads taken and those unexplored. It’s a sure way to begin anew on your creative path!

See you along the trail!

Bobbie

Bobbie Goodrich’s photograph of wild zebras, Moonlite in the Mara, Massai Mara, has been juried into the Top 250 of the 2013 NANPA Showcase. and will appear in the 2013 NANPA print journal Expressions.

Moonlight in the Mara – Bobbie Goodrich © 2012

2012 International Photography Awards Announces Winners of the Competition

Horse Play by Bobbie Goodrich ©

International Photography Awards (IPA) has announced the winners of 2012′s competition. 
Bobbie Goodrich was Awarded: Honorable Mention in Nature – Wildlife category for the winning entry “HORSEPLAY.”

Bobbie Goodrich has won worldwide attention with her unique and stunning imagery. “My process is highly intuitive” employing the same fundamentals to my photographic images as  used in creating a successful oil painting. Her work commands an emotional response from the viewer.”

Her acclaimed expertise with Nik Filters came after she realized that she was able to produce painterly images using the software. Her work gained recognition and the attention of NIK, where she is now a member of their software team.

Bobbie offers workshops using the Nik™ software filters through The West … Redefined.

Her limited edition works have been honored in several museum exhibitions, including “Cowgirl Up” and “Cowgirls With a Camera” at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, AZ. She is represented by Zuva Gallery in Scottsdale, Bentley Publishing and Licensing and Rosenstiel Fine Art Editions in the UK.

The 2012 International Photography Awards received nearly 18,000 submissions from 104 countries across the globe. IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, where the top three winners are announced at the annual Lucie Awards gala ceremony. The Foundation’s mission is to honor master photographers, to discover new and emerging talent and to promote the appreciation of photography. Since 2003, IPA has had the privilege and opportunity to acknowledge and recognize contemporary photographer’s accomplishments in this specialized and highly visible competition. Visit www.photoawards.com

Water Buffalo, Zambia

“A venture that began almost two years ago was nurtured by a 20-year friendship between Bobbie Goodrich and Susan Lei Burns. They had been photographing together on and off since 1994, going to ranches, wild horse lands in Wyoming, Arizona, and Colorado, Montana…and to Kenya and Niger.

When Goodrich started working with Nik Software and filters, Burns saw her in action in one of her first workshops, and something clicked.

Living in Arizona in the late 1990s, the two women hatched the idea for a workshop while on one of their frequent walks. Those walks were where they put their “right brains to the task and came up with a workshop/tour concept for a company,” but it wasn’t until they were on a long mountain hike in Colorado that the idea of actually partnering in a workshop company began to form… ”
Click here to read the complete story.