A New Website

My fine art photography website, www.tombellart.com hadn't seen a redesign in several years.  It was time for an upgrade.

I hope you enjoy the look and feel of the new design.  Please give feedback so that I can make the site even better.

The new website was designed using Adobe Muse software.

If you haven't visited the site recently, it's been updated with my recent photography in addition to the traditional favorites.  Thanks for taking a look at www.tombellart.com. 

Continuation of the Detour

Last week, I posted a couple of fine art images I shot when taking a detour because of major traffic delays on the Interstate.  Below is another image from the same shoot.

Take a look at last week's blog entry for the other images from this shoot.

You can view by website at:  www.tombellart.com

Detour to Fine Art Photography

The other day, as I neared the intersection of Illinois Route 127 and Interstate 64 at Nashville, Illinois, a sign warned of major delays on the Interstate going toward St. Louis.  I decided to take the back-roads.

Only about a mile into the alternate route, I noticed a fine art photograph waiting to be made.  I did a mental note to return when the light was better and I had more time.  I'm glad I took the detour.
It was nothing more than an old farmhouse, a barn and outbuildings in the middle of a cornfield.

Click on the photograph for a larger image.

 

I'm glad a detour away from the Interstate allowed me to capture these images.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Worshipping the Maximon

There is a mysterious idol called the Maximon (pronounced maa-shee-MOHn) that resides in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala.  Some say a representation of St. Simon, other say one of the Mayan gods, it is worshiped and venerated by many of the indigenous people.  It moves from house to house each year, and is watched over by men who guard its secrets.  Some say a very ancient stone idol hides under the clothing and wooden mask.

When you travel to Santiago Atitlan, it is worth the experience.  They will ask you for a few Quetzales, the Guatemalan currency, to take photographs, but if you get lucky, you may actually see the locals paying homage to the idol, giving it cigars, rum, or money.

This is the Maximon as I saw him this January.  Notice that his wardrobe has totally changed, yet he always wears a necktie.
You can click on the images for a larger view.

This is the Maximon as I saw him in 2010.  The man in the foreground is praying to the idol.

This gentleman took me to the home that houses the Maximon.  The location changes each year.

You can view my photography website at:  tombellart.com.

Men on a Bench

Men sitting, relaxing and socializing on a bench while the world goes on around them.... It's something that seems to happen everywhere -- in small towns and big cities.  It's also a subject for street photography.  Below are a couple of the images I captured this January in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala.

 

You can view my website at:  tombellart.com.

Conflicting Worlds

I thought the situation was interesting.  Two traditional men in Mayan Indian clothing stand outside a beauty salon in the lakeside village of Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala.  They maintain their traditions, while the world around them changes.

You can view my website at: tombellart.com.

I Liked Their Faces

I'm often asked why I chose this person or that person as a subject for my images.  Almost all of my fine art work is street photography.  That means that I walk around looking for the perfect subject, or that the subject comes to me.  I never ask anyone to pose.  Seldom are those I photography aware that their image is being captured.  For me, it ensures spontaneity, a slice of life that is lost once someone becomes aware enough to start posing.

"I liked their faces," is often the answer as to why I chose certain subjects.  That is certainly true of the men in the image below.  A father and son, possibly, sitting on the sidewalk in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala on a busy market Sunday this January.

Click on the photo for a larger image.

I'll have more images of faces I liked in coming posts.

You can view my website at:  tombellart.com.