30 » Introducing: Ultra Hey y’all. Welcome back to Stillnotes, I’m Alex and this is my newsletter where I share notes on stills and sometimes just notes and sometimes just stills. You subscribed on my website. Thanks for being here. It’s been a bit, as will happen. I write to you today from my new home high in the rocky mountains. The wildflowers are firing on the trails next to my place, there are aspen stands all around the neighborhood, and I have been watching the snow melt from the...
15 days ago • 7 min read
29 » 2023-2024 Hey there, I’m Alex Eaton, and you’re reading Stillnotes, notes on a photographic life. Welcome to 2024! I’m excited to give y’all many updates on what’s been happening over here and kick off this year in Stillnotes. Here’s what we’ll walk through today: Looking back on year 1 of Stillnotes - What this project is and how it’s changed. My 10 best photos of 2023 - With some discussion of my year in art. Favorite vs. Best: What is meaningful work? - A quick ponder on the value of...
5 months ago • 12 min read
28 » A desert reprieve Hey there, I'm Alex, and this is Stillnotes. A photo newsletter that covers more than photos. You subscribed on my website, thanks for being here. Today, something a little different. I've been tinkering with an essay on and off since mid-summer, and I'm excited to finally share it. The essay is initially called A desert reprieve. It all stemmed from a trip to Moab this past spring and the circumstances surrounding the trip—my feelings at the time, the trip itself, my...
10 months ago • 7 min read
27 » Using imperfection to create perfect memories Happy Wednesday y'all, I'm Alex, and you're reading Stillnotes, a photography newsletter about more than just photography. Thanks for reading. Imperfect images create perfect memories This week I was sifting through my archive and landed on a trip to the California coast last summer. I headed to Bodega Bay to visit my sister, and my brother's family came up to join for the weekend. It was a slow, relaxing few days of playing around the yard,...
11 months ago • 4 min read
25 » Alpine Daydreams Hey there Stillnotes crew, The summer has flown by. My last transmission was about Oaxaca, yikes! Plenty more photos from that trip have come through, including my film, and a gallery and essay are in the works. In the meantime I've had plenty going on photographically and otherwise... surgery, moving, trips to Telluride/Crested Butte/Moab/Santa Fe/Michigan/Tennessee. The summer has been the type of busy where you only realize you're holding your breath once the black...
12 months ago • 5 min read
25 » Little details from Oaxaca Hey y'all, I just returned from a few days in Oaxaca, Mexico. A few thoughts from the trip, but first the image above. On first glance a pleasing shot. Nothing crazy, but good colors and the accoutrement on the horses saddles provides some nice context and detail. The handler sitting down on the right gives some nice balance to the frame and another piece of interest overall. Where the photo shines for me is if you zoom in on the details. The horses, completely...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
24 » Northern lights gallery Happy friday y'all. First, quick housekeeping. Stillnotes will no longer be weekly. This may not be a big deal for you, but it takes some pressure off me. My pace of work on photos is slower right now, editing old trips and working on the book. I want Stillnotes to be valuable and interesting, so I'm taking away the timestamp in favor of only sending when I have something to say and share. You can still expect a few sends a month from me here, but I'm just not...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
23 » Pretty photos without a purpose What am I trying to say? I'm constantly worried about this. I spent a lot of time in the archive this past week hoping for something to pop out at me. Not any one photo, there are plenty of nice photos, but for a theme to pop out. A point of view. An opinion. The Book is on my mind. It's time to start putting real time into the photo book before the memory of my Rambler travels starts to fade. I've started by spending more time in the archive looking for...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
22 » Suddenly By the foot of Ben Nevis Suddenly, I'm back in Scotland. Thinking about ferocious wind, black boiling clouds, unrest. Deep on the Laugavegur Suddenly, I'm back in Iceland. Head to toe in Gore-Tex, incessant rain, muddy colors splotched erratically on a canvas. Looking east from Ryten Suddenly, Norway. A hike that wasn't supposed to last past sunset. Ice spray at my back as I click the shutter on what seems like a peaceful scene. Small inlets, warm coffee, hardy people at the...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read