Tropical Color in Black & White

A dozen views of Puerto Rico

“When you live on a tropical island, as I do, it is easy to be dazzled by color. Each day the sun bursts from the night sky, swings swiftly along an arc to the western horizon, and then sizzles into the sea — as if in a hurry to give our eyes relief. In the course of its journey, it reveals a gamut of hues impossible to name, achingly difficult to perceive. In the tropics, the sky is closer than at any other latitude, and it is not just blue — it vibrates violet and vermilion. The jungle shimmers green and gold. What camera can capture that?

“I remember these lines, translated from the French of Baudelaire: ‘My burnt out eyes can now decry only the memory of suns.’ Tropical Color in Black & White is my vision of Puerto Rico, stripped of the dazzle, but seeking the memory of suns.”

I wrote these lines some time ago to introduce a self-published book of some 40 photos, one that as far as I know, no one ever bought. It was on a print-by-demand site and it may still be there unpurchased and unloved. It is available — at no cost — on Issuu, however.

I offer this as a pause for readers who may be surrounded by the vivid colors of fall and want to add some variety to this sequestered life. In some future post, I may offer a set in full color to tempt you to visit the…