www.markholder.org

Photography has been a defining passion of mine for almost three decades. I began with a 35mm Nikon and a copy of " The 35mm Photographer's Handbook ," both purchased locally, as was custom in the early 90s. After many ups and downs during the learning process, I began to get results I was proud of. Medium format photography beckoned and I moved to a Mamiya 645, a truly fine camera of its time. I was on a roll. In time, I would return to 35mm and the wider range of accessories. In the early 2000s, I moved to digital and was struck by the immediacy of the format. No more waiting for film to be developed, prints made, etc. Photo editing software made it even more immersive to capture one's vision. Amazing stuff. A few years later, I stumbled upon a book about pinhole photography. I'd encountered the format once before, in 4th grade, when the class made our own cameras out of cardboard and black electrical tape. Most failed, mine included. A web search of pinho

"Who is your model?" I was asked this several times when this photo was first published on the old site.. Truth be known, she never modeled for me. Her name was D'a-lal  and she was the muse of sculptor  Harold Cash . This piece stands outside the  Hunter Museum Of American Art  in Chattanooga. She stands arms over head, looking ever westward.

 We've had a mild winter this year, albeit one with record rainfall and the occasional polar vortex sending temperatures below freezing for a day or two. It is early April as I write; Spring is in the air, birds abound, the first of long days is upon us. These are the days that fill my soul with renewal.

First, an apology for using the term "frenemy." I hate this word but find it useful for this post. What is compound interest? From our friends at Wikipedia: Compound interest is the addition of interest to the principal sum of a loan or deposit, or in other words, interest on interest. How does it work? With stunning efficiency. For instance, if you have an interest-bearing savings account, compound interest is your friend, as your banking institution will pay interest (albeit a minisule amount these days) on the principal dollar amount. Over a long period of time, compound interest is earned on both the principal and accumulated interest, eg $100 principal + 5% interest = $105.00. Left untouched, your next round of 5% interest will be paid on the $105.00 balance, resulting in a sum total of $110.25. This is a simple (and unrealistic, in terms of interest paid) example of money making money. If, however, you have debt on an interest-bearing loan, compound interes

In a world in which Fight Club , The X Files , and the complete works of Phillip K Dick have collided into one twisted reality we call normal (with a dash of Black Mirror and The Big Short for flavor), we now learn that software upgrades that could have prevented the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max passenger jets were available... at a price . "Want your passengers to live to fly another day? Sure, but it'll cost you." And I'm unsure who is more evil, the manufacturer for making safety features ON A FLYING MACHINE optional at additional cost or the airlines for declining to install the features. This is a stunning failure of human decency in the eyes of this writer. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised. This is business as usual in our extortionary economy. In the US, medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy , a real-world manifestation of the "your money or your life" ethos of the street thug in literature and film. The hand wringing over w

Some of our strangest actions are also our most deeply characteristic: secret desires remain weak fantasies unless they pervade a will strong enough to carry them out. - Jim Harrison, Legends Of The Fall

Chattanooga, Tennessee is a vibrant city. Its Bluff View Art District overlooking the Tennessee River is home to galleries and the Hunter Museum . Situated nearby is this weathervane, as seen from below in this photo.