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This blog is intended to showcase my pictures or those of other photographers who have moved beyond the pretty picture and for whom photography is more than entertainment - photography that aims at being true, not at being beautiful because what is true is most often beautiful..

>>>> Comments, commentary and lively discussions, re: my writings or any topic germane to the medium and its apparatus, are vigorously encouraged.

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BODIES OF WORK ~ PICTURE GALLERIES

  • my new GALLERIES WEBSITE
    ADK PLACES TO SIT / LIFE WITHOUT THE APA / RAIN / THE FORKS / EARLY WORK / TANGLES

BODIES OF WORK ~ BOOK LINKS

In Situ ~ la, la, how the life goes onLife without the APADoorsKitchen SinkRain2014 • Year in ReviewPlace To SitART ~ conveys / transports / reflectsDecay & DisgustSingle WomenPicture WindowsTangles ~ fields of visual energy (10 picture preview) • The Light + BW mini-galleryKitchen Life (gallery) • The Forks ~ there's no place like home (gallery)


Entries in just stuff (4)

Saturday
Jul072012

beating the summer heat on ice

Hugo shoots - rebound / breakout drill ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen1044757-19155352-thumbnail.jpg
Chalk talk ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Zamboni ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
Today (Saturday), Hugo completed a 7 day hockey camp, 5 days of which were 14 hour days with on-ice and off-ice training (and a bit of fun stuff thrown in for good measure, not that any of kids thought the hockey stuff wasn't fun).

The kids came from all points on the North American continent - British Columbia, Florida, Virginia, and the New England area, to name just a few. Hugo, who's 7, trained / played with the 8-10 year old group - 8 was the minimum age but Hugo was allowed in because someone connected to the camp was aware of his abilities - he's playing with a 9-10 year old (Squirts) team this coming season - so he was allowed to participate.

It was a great experience for Hugo, not only hockey wise, but also making new friends from far away places wise. And, quite a few of those new friends were absolutely thrilled to be training/ playing on the Miracle On Ice ice.

Wednesday
Jun272012

another office installation

Office installation ~ Plattsburgh, NY - • click to embiggenI just completed another installation of my prints in another office. In this case, 3 pictures from Tuscany + 5 (2 not shown) from the Adirondacks.

FYI, the pano picture is 5ft long.

Friday
Dec032010

Called up to the "bigs"

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Little Charlie Hustle • click to embiggen
This past weekend Hugo got called up to the bigs. That is to say, he's normally an age-correct mini-mite (6 and under), but he played with the mites (7/8 year olds). He did good and will be playing with them again this weekend.

Time to start negotiating a new contract for the big bucks.

Thursday
Nov052009

Rorschach / inkblot school of picture making

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Open window ~ Montreal, CAclick to embiggen
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Peppers at the market ~ Montreal, CAclick to embiggen
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Flowers at the market ~ Montreal, CAclick to embiggen
Much virtual ink has been spilled on The Landscapist regarding the notion of photographic truth (or, if you prefer - truth in photography) and the medium's relationship with and to the real/reality (replete with a rather specious sidebar into what is real/reality?). As most know, I believe that photography pictures can contain more than a smattering of truth and that I really don't struggle much at all with what is real / the nature of reality.

For the most I don't struggle with either of those concepts because I have an open mind which can grasp the idea that truth has many interpretations - which does not mean that they are all worthy of consideration - and that reality has different meanings to different people - which, once again, does not mean that they are all worthy of consideration. But that said, my guiding principle regarding those ideas is the same as that stated by Richard Dawkins -

By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out. ~ from "Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

I bring all this up because I want to address the notion of photography pictures as a form of Rorschach / inkblot test.

There can be little doubt that every photography picture is open to interpretation in the mind of each and every viewer. This is generally true despite the fact that the picture maker may have made a very deliberate intent to create a very specific meaning / interpretation in any given picture. One possible exception (of many) to this notion are those pictures that are so simple-minded in concept and intent that the range of interpretation possible from viewing them is rather limited.

But the idea that many interpretations can be had from a given picture negates the idea that a picture can not contain truth(s) is simply not true. A single picture can contain many unrelated truths and the discovery of any of those truths does not negate any of the truths a picture may contain.

Each and every viewer of a picture brings their very own and often unique life-experiences, emotional and intellectual acumen, prejudices, preferences, and so on to the viewing table. All of that "baggage" obviously influences what a viewers quite literally "sees" in a picture. And, what one sees, in a quite literal visual sense, will most likely influence one's perceptions of meaning(s) to had in / gleaned from a picture.

That is why I am often very surprised by the sometimes many different meaning(s) / interpretations that my pictures engender in those who view them. In many cases, those meanings / interpretations are not at all what I had in mind when I made the pictures in question and I find this to be quite enjoyable and interesting.

What this multi-interpretive, multi-truth concepts tells me is that pictures are filled with truth(s) and that there is much to be learned about truth and reality if one approaches one's own picturing and pictures as well as the pictures made by others with an open mind - but, of course, not so open-minded that your brain falls out.