#80 Channeling BJY at Mission San Xavier del Bac

billseye · July 4, 2011

BJY is Bill Josh Young, my first marriage father-in-law, who passed away earlier this year. BJY was an accomplished artist who earned his living on Madison Avenue, then doing corporate and freelance graphic design, followed by a stint as the head of the graphic design department at the University of Arizona. He came kicking and screaming into the digital age and became a diehard photoshop fan. And, boy... could he make that program sing!

BJY taught me rules about graphic design, typography, jazz, traditional and digital photography, and life in general. He was a great man, a positive influence on me and mentor to boatloads of others. And, he knew when to break the rules, too.

So... this weekend his granddaughter (my daughter) and I took a road trip to Tucson to pay respects and celebrate his life with friends and family. One of his favorite places was the Mission de San Xaiver del Bac in southern Tucson. On Saturday morning after the celebration, I visited again and saw again, things we'd explored together years ago.

So... here's to you Bill Josh. Here are a few rule-breakers for your consideration. There are more photos from this early hours excursion that aren't the rule-breakers (including some first attempts at pp on an iPad with Nik Software's Snapseed app in my SmugMug gallery, here. I'd inviter forum members to take a look and comment if so inclined. For now, I'm leaning toward #5 as my DSS #80 entry. Feedback welcomed...

1. Adobe Cathedral with Styofoam Cross

2. Look-out Lion

3. Arched Ceiling Cherub

4. A Fan of Relgious Iconography

5. Quintessential Rule-Breaker Looking to Leave the Frame.

richtersl · July 4, 2011

I love all these shots! I agree that #5 is a strong contender for this challenge but my favorite shot of the series is #4. There is just something so comical about that electric fan tucked away in that corner amid all that iconography. I'm not sure what rule that shot is breaking, though.

sapphire73 · July 5, 2011

I like 5, 4 and 2 for this challenge - in that order. I think the composition of #5 is the most obvious about breaking rules and I like the title you gave it in the entry gallery. I also looked at your smug mug gallery, and it was fun to see the various ways you processed images from this trip with finesse! (I ended up adding Nik Software's Snapseed app to my ipad as I am thinking of going on vacation without taking a laptop. Fyi for others: It was on sale for July 4th but not sure whether the sale is still going or not.)

Glad you were able to make this trip with your daughter and pay tribute to your first marriage father-in-law.

Gretchen