arondeau
Follow2015 Tombstone AZ
Street Cowboy
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Tombstone AZ on a sunny Sat afternoon. My mom and I were visiting the old famous cowboy town. It is like a jewel in the old South West here in these parts. Surrounded by tumble weeds and miles of lonesome desert the town of Tombstone was once a thriving cowboy town and silver mining community. Now, it is a famous tourist attraction. The old saloons and shops reflect the flavors of cowboy life. The locals put on a series of sketches depicting long gone cowboy society on special weekends. As we walked the "main street' we saw him. He was just sitting on a bench. He had that real weathered cowboy look. What a beautiful face! Mom was really quite excited! I took out my camera and asked for his photo. With a sweet voice he said: "Sure no problem". He had lived here for a long, long, time he added. Life out here in the desert is hard . This cowboy reflects that hard weathered look. And even though life may have been hard he still had a sweetness about him I really loved.Time
I remember that Saturday. It was a few years ago. We had just finished our sweet scones and coffee listening to the birds chirp and watching the lizards scurrying across the warmed walkway when mom and I decided to go out and visit our favorite cowboy town. We were looking to find a little bit of action. We hopped into the truck and drove down to Mustang Corner and out into the hills. Over the San Pedro river to Tombstone. It was just a bit after 10:30 Am when we arrived and just about 11 o'clock when this picture was taken.Lighting
Driving down the hwy I could see the Dragoon Mts in the far distance and on either side the long lonely stretches of desert. The heat of the sun was slowly rising over the horizon. I wanted to capture the ruggedness of this area. The cowboy in this shot offered just what I was looking for. The lighting was a bit dark as he sat near a narrow passage on the side of the building. I turned into the light so to offer a better reflection of his face. It seemed to be a perfect angle and I was happy with the shot.Equipment
My camera is the Fuji Finefix S 1000. I love the digital. Taking it out on outings is easy and a quick way to enjoy a fast photo opportunity.Inspiration
Tombstone is a fun cowboy town. It has been called " the town too tough to die". Movies have been made here; specifically "Tombstone" There were m any others dressed in cowboy clothes and old timely outfits. They were walking the streets or just hanging out for tourists. This cowboy seemed so authentic to me and that is why I decided to take his picture.Editing
The photo was originally in color. When I brought it into my workshop online I decided to convert the image into black and white. This version offers a better contrast . It shows off the sweat stained hat brim. In addition, it focuses on his leathery wrinkled face.In my camera bag
I am just an amateur photographer. Over the years I have had a few different Cannon Cameras and enjoyed the conversions with the 35 mm films. Today, when I am out and about I usually just take my fun Fuji digital. It offers the light weight equipment you can take anywhere.Feedback
The Southern West has a lot of beautiful opportunities for photographers of all sorts