End, Santa Fe River Gorge 1978

William Clift made this gelatin silver print, "End, Santa Fe River Gorge," with light and chemistry. Look at it—doesn’t it seem like he just happened upon it? Like he simply noticed this view one day and *bam*, made a photograph. But it takes a trained eye, don't you think, to just "happen" upon such a perfectly composed image. I imagine Clift out there with his camera, carefully setting up the shot, considering the light and shadows, waiting for the right moment. The clouds almost look like cotton wool, but at any moment they threaten to cover the sun and he needs the light to make the tones really sing! It reminds me of other artists, like Alfred Stieglitz, who found beauty in the everyday and turned it into art. We are all in conversation with one another as we try to make sense of the world through our creative endeavors. Painting, photography—it’s all about showing how we see, not just what we see.