Mark Dunn: Featured Galleries and Collections

Fireworks; Independence Day; Zacatecas, Mexico

pdunn13445@aol.com (Mark Dunn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

So many of the World's peoples love fireworks, and Mexicanos are a particularly intense example. On the eve of Mexican Independence Day, which is September 16, at 11:00 PM sharp here in Zacatecas, the "Grito" is read by the Govenor before a minimum of fifty thousand people jammed into the main plaza. (Similar events occur in every rancho, pueblo, and cuidad across the Republic, on extremely modest to extravegant scales.) After this comes the fireworks for this special occasion. Then the night is occupied by celebrations, both public and private, some of which literally involve dancing in the streets. As is the custom all celebration is on the eve, and the actually Independence Day is very quiet and subdued. Some of these photos are from other events throughout the year, not just Independence Eve.

2010 Zacatecas del Folclor International/ 2010Zacatecas International Folkdance Festival

pdunn13445@aol.com (Mark Dunn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In 2010, July 25 through August 1, fifteen countries (Argentina, Germany, Canada,Columbia, Costa Rica, Equador, Slovoqia, United States del Norte, France, Guadalupe Islands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Tahiti, and two groups from Venzuela), and ten Mexican States (Chihuahua, D.F., Guerrero, Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro, Tamalipas, Veracruz, Yucatan, and Zacatecas) were represented by folkdance groups in the annual Zacatecas International Folkdance Festival. These photos are all from the opening parade which is our favorite event because of its vitality and joy. It gives me great hope that people from all over our planet can come together with such beauty and grace. Come see the whole week of this festival some year with its dozens of performances!

Alaska in late November

pdunn13445@aol.com (Mark Dunn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

While we have been to Alaska in the summer, we have never been there in the winter. In November of 2009 we visited Fairbanks, and then drove to Anchorage and on to Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. It was -37 F when we arrived in Fairbanks, it slowly moderated to a balmy +26 in the following week, which we understand was an anomaly. The drive south to Homer was a reminder of years living very high in the Colorado mountains. Stunningly beautiful, but stark. Leaving Fairbanks, the bitter cold, blowing snow, avalanche chutes, barren rock faces, stunted stands of spruce growing over permafrost, glacial till instead of real soil, endless stands of forest, and all else you may imagine was a re-eduction. Anchorage was danker and warmer, being closer to the sea. Homer was almost tropical with +45 due to its immediate proximity to the sea. We like Homer in particular more in the winter without the overwhelming stream of tourism. Maybe I like Alaska more in the winter, period.

Cloud Series

pdunn13445@aol.com (Mark Dunn) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Clouds, for me, are like flowers and other ethreal things. Millions of tons of water floating through the sky, evaporating and condensing, over and over, forming incredible apparitions. These were taken all over North American from the Yucatan of Mexico to Alaska.