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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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Entries in people (57)

Thursday
Jun022016

ireland / scotland # 5-10 ~ a dram with the Queen 

having a dram with the Queen ~ Dufftown, Scotland • click to embiggensome Irish ~ Ireland •*click to embiggen*sheep with red butts ~ Ireland • click to embiggen

While we were in Scotland, we stumbled across - as opposed to out of - a bar in Dufftown which has over 250 single malt whiskies on the shelves. We were wandering around Speyside, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland which is home to quite a number of distilleries.

Even though it was just a day trip, I was sorely tempted to get a room in Dufftown so I/we could conduct some serious research regarding single malt whisky, aka: scotch. However, we had a dinner reservation in Pennan (where we were staying) that evening so temperance was the order of the day ....

... oh well, win some, lose some. Next time I'll get a room in Dufftown and spend a week in search of the perfect dram.

FYI, the guy with what appears to be blood on his hand was, in fact, painting his sheep's butts (as a form of branding) with red paint - a method of identifying one's sheep from the other guy's sheep which may be painted blue.
Wednesday
Feb242016

punctum baby (he/she's back) / family memories ~ life is just a snapshot

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great aunt, grandma, grandpa • click to embiggen

I've been reading and thinking on my "personal meaning which 'escapes' language", re: the Punctum Baby picture. The readings - very selective chapters / essays from 2 books - provided 'clues' which facilitated my some of my thinkings.

So, first, the clues:

1. In the normal rhetoric of the photographic portrait, facing the camera signifies solemnity, frankness, and disclosure of the subjects essence. - Susan Sontag ~ On Photography

2 ... even the most happy and innocent photographs - perhaps especially the most happy and innocent - function as kind of memento mori for the viewer's own death, reminding him or her that all things pass and fade; that life is just a snapshot. - Steve Edwards ~ PHOTOGRAPHY A Very Short Introduction

3 ... the photograph seems to testify that particular people existed or that things actually happened … photographs act as prompts or provocations for stories and reminiscences ... (which) spin off from these powerful points of association ... [T]he photographs that take on this role often articulate some shared experience or need.

Thoughts regarding clue # 1: facing the camera. There is no doubt in my mind that the direct facing-the-camera stare with eye contact, despite its diminutive size within the frame, is what first pricks my eye and sensibilities, personal meanings wise. I find it very arresting due to its I'm looking at you and you better not look away quality which also suggests (to me) a you're going to have deal with me, buddy feeling - "I can not nor will not be ignored."

All of which is delivered in a non-threatening and somewhat expectant manner that, at the very least, suggests some of the Punctum Baby's "frankness" and "essence" such as it might be at his/her early stage of awareness. The stare / eye contact / facial expression suggests to me that Punctum Baby is an open, inquisitive and inviting person - I would like to make his/her acquaintance.

Thoughts regarding clues # 2 / # 3: all things pass and fade / photographs act as prompts or provocations. I have linked my thoughts on clues #2/3 because those those thoughts flow from one to the other.

First, foremost and quite obviously, the moment pictured has passed (long ago) and, for all we know, it is possible that the Punctum Baby has passed away as well. And, other than the perceived idea about the Punctum Baby's essence' everything else about the picture is unknown / unknowable. Because of that, I am left with a sense of mystery and endless speculation which can never be unraveled regarding the story of Punctum Baby's life and fate.

While I could go on and speculate nearly endlessly, it is here where I came to a stop, re: trying to put into language that which I have come to believe should remain unknown. For, as Susan Sontag opined, "Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect on art." and I would much rather experience the feelings and reactions rather than dissecting them and, most likely, sucking the life out of them.

Ultimately, I think that a significant but not exclusive part of my feelings / reactions to the Punctum Baby picture all come down to the question of life with meaning. Did he / she have one? And, prompted by the picture, am I engaged in a life with meaning? Or, on the other hand, ... whatever.

BTWFYI, the old-timey pictures of my relatives do not come anywhere near to instigating the feelings / reactions I have to the Punctum Baby picture.
Wednesday
Feb172016

punctum baby ~ personal meaning which "escapes" language / part I

A number of years past I acquired a book, The Art of the American Snapshot ~ 1888-1978. The book is a catalog of a 2007 exhibition of the same name at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, I missed the exhibition which dearly wanted to see.

In any event, the book itself is quite interesting and impressive. In the description of the book (found on the inside fold of the dust cover), with which I emphatically concur, it is written that:

The publication shows that among the countless snapshots taken by American amateurs, some works, through intention or accident, continue to resonate long after their intimate context and original meaning have been lost.

To my eye and sensibilities, one such snapshot which resonates with me, long after its intimate context and original meaning has been lost to the ages, is the baby in a highchair snapshot which accompanies this entry. It so resonates with me that I consider it to be one of the most beautiful and intriguing / involving pictures I have ever seen.

This picture is a found picture. Several years ago, I acquired it in a small second-hand store in a central Pennsylvania town where the wife and I had stopped for lunch during a drive from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. It was buried in a shoebox of old snapshots and, when I saw it, I was stopped dead in my tracks. To this day I can not adequately explain in words its hold on me and my thoughts.

I know on one level, that of the picture making craftsman in me, I find the picture to be quite beautiful. The rich-in-detail dark tones contrasted against the luminous light on the baby and upper highchair is simply gorgeous. The quality of the slanting light - most likely late day, is one reason why I react to the picture as very "warm". However, the absolutely wonderful distinct shadows of the highchair, of the porch pillar and fretwork, the foliage as well as the rather indistinct shadows in the lower third of the picture, all combine to create a somewhat "cool", ominous and mysterious feeling which stands in contrast to the "warmth" of the late day light.

And, with the primary referent, that of the baby in his highchair, nearly centered within the frame, all of the aforementioned seem to swirl around the balance of the frame so that it all works together to create a well ordered and harmonious pictorial space.

And, it is the well ordered and harmonious pictorial space in addition to the light and dark play of light that causes me to wonder about the maker (was it a man or woman?) of this picture. iMo, the picture evidences either the result of a of a "lucky" snapshot, or, that of a picture maker with an awareness of good framing and the interplay of highlight and shadow. I lean toward the notion of a picture maker with awareness inasmuch as ...

... the picture maker seems to have selected a POV which not only includes, one might even say features, the play and quality of the light but which also stands in contrast to what a very casual snap shooter might do - move in closer in order to fill the frame with the baby. I think it also safe to write that a casual shape shooter would barely, if at all, noticed or cared about the surrounding environment / background.

All-in-all, to my eye and sensibilities, the picture evidences a rather sophisticated awareness on the part of the picture maker to visual matters other than the baby. Then again, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

While I can go on and on describing why the picture appeals to my craft sensibilities - what Roland Barthes might label, at least in part, as studium ... the fact that the image is a unified and self-contained whole whose generalized meaning can be taken in at a glance - it is when I get to the punctum - the wounding, personally touching detail which establishes an intensely private / personal meaning which "escapes" language - that I get rather tongue-tied (or, if you prefer, typing-tied).

In part II of this topic I will try my best to put into words that which "escapes" language. That is, to elucidate my reaction to the personally touching detail which establishes the intensely private / personal meaning that I experience with this picture.
Thursday
Jan282016

even more people / decisive moments ~ here, there and everywhere

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While many bodies of work, street photography wise, are made in one location - the streets of NYC for an example - my body of work has been made in many locations. The pictures in today's entry were made in NYC, Montreal(3), Tuscany(2), New Jersey(3) and various locations in New York State / the Adirondacks(5) - once again, discursive promiscuity in action. Hence, there is no visually unifying backdrop to the pictures.

In addition, of the 30 posted pictures (in this entry and the entry immediately below), 1/2 are made indoors as opposed to on the street / outdoors. Consequently, the resulting question in my mind is whether or not these pictures really fit into the street photography genre. The only unifying visual referent is people. However, I don't believe these pictures really fit into the people / portrait genre either.

So, what genre are they? Some might not care one way or the other but my concern is that I will need a title for the body of work and the POD book.

At this point, the working title I have in mind is - HUMAN ACTIVITY ~ in situ. Whether that descriptor will hold up, only time will tell.
Tuesday
Jan262016

people / decisive moments ~ one amongst many

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Henri Cartier Bresson gave us the decisive moment, a concept / photo strategy which has been often misinterpreted to mean that there is one and only one decisive moment in a scene and that moment is primary predicated on capturing the motion / movement in a scene at the "perfect" moment.

However, if one were to read Bresson's ideas about the medium and its apparatus in greater depth, one would come upon a more complete definition of his decisive moment concept / photo strategy:

If a photograph is to communicate its subject in all its intensity, the relationship of forms must be rigorously established. Photography implies the recognition of a rhythm in the world of real things. What the eye does is to find and focus on the particular subject within the mass of reality; what the camera does is simply to register upon film the decision made by the eye.

and

To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.

and

... (the photographer) composes a picture in very nearly the same amount of time it takes to click the shutter, at the speed of a reflex action ... if the shutter was released at the decisive moment, you have instinctively fixed a geometric pattern without which the photograph would have been both formless and lifeless ... [T]o me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.

I am in complete agreement with Bresson regarding the above excerpts (amongst many other of his thoughts), which, in a nut shell, express the idea that "it" must all come together in order to work as a good picture. However, I have a thought regarding "the significance of an event" which either; a) contradicts the notion of the "perfect moment" motion / movement wise, or b) expands the idea of the "perfect moment".

To wit .... assuming that a picture maker has recognized the "precise organization of forms" in a scene, in any given picturing situation which features people, there are, iMo, any number of "perfect moments" to picture, motion / movement wise. Many picture makers knowing this, to include Bresson, make a series of pictures of a given situation and, after the picturing fact, choose - from a contact sheet or a computer monitor - one moment from amongst many pictured moments and elevate it to the status of a decisive moment.

That is to write, while a picture maker has recognized a situation / event as potentially having the visual and human interaction characteristics of a decisive moment picture, he/she knows that in fluid situation there will be many decisive moment possibilities. And, it will be up to him/her to decide at a later time which moment of those pictured moments will be elevated to / have bestowed upon it the title of the decisive moment.

In other words, in a very real sense, a moment is not decisive until the picture maker says it is. And, given the opportunity by someone other than the picture maker to view the multiple pictures extracted from a situation, that person might have an entirely different opinion on which moment is the decisive moment. Of course, and correctly so, the picture maker is the final arbiter of which moment most realizes his/her vision.

All of that written, I have been very surprised to once again "discover" a "hidden" body of work lurking un-mined in my picture library. The surprise is not that I have been making pictures of people but rather that I have many more people pictures than I do in other of my picturing categories. To date, I have mined over 150 people pictures and there are more to be found.

Hence my interest in the concept / photo strategy of the decisive moment genre.
Monday
Aug172015

civilized ku # 2966-67 ~ chillin' out

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rink waif ~ Marlborough, MA. • click to embiggen
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The wife and the fireplace ~ Rist Camp / Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Returned from hockey tournament in Philadelphia directly to Rist Camp, my primary residence for the next 5 weeks. I will be driving to my real home in the next 2 days to fetch my computer and accessories so I can work and post entries. Back at you soon.
Tuesday
Aug112015

civilized ku # 2951-64 / people ~ some things are worth saving / a lament

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my favorite ~ Stone Harbor, NJ • click to embiggen
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new neighborhood / old neighborhood ~ Stone Harbor, NJ • click to embiggen
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new "cottages" ~ Stone Harbor, NJ • click to embiggen
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traditional cottages ~ Stone Harbor, NJ • click to embiggen
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friendly people ~ Stone Harbor, NJ • click to embiggen

Let me state my bias right from the start ... the top picture in this entry is one which depicts my all-time favorite Jersey Shore rental (after 20 years of rentals).

As I have written on many Jersey Shore entries over the past 20 years, one of the things that I most dislike about the place is the creeping conspicuous consumption (aka: nothing exceeds like excess) which is, IMO, destroying the physical infrastructure of an earlier era of beach culture. The infrastructure to which I am referring is that of the traditional shore vacation cottage.

Every year, more and more traditional cottages are being leveled and replaced by extravagant McMansions. Structures which seem to have little to do with beach culture as opposed to the drive / need to demonstrate that, metaphorically writing, my dick is bigger than your dick.

That written, my question is this ... what is it about the ultra-wealthy that causes them to not understand and appreciate the notion of simple pleasures? Why must everything in their lives be so over-the-top? And, in the case of the shore culture, why, in their drive for conspicuous consumption, do they not appreciate the "indigenous culture" of the places that they so eagerly and thoughtlessly bulldoze out of existence?

It wouldn't surprise me if, sometime down the road, someone / some agency decides to preserve the last remaining vestige of a traditional cottage street as an outdoor museum of sorts. A place where the despoilers can remark about how "quaint" things once were at the shore. Although, most likely, to a person, they will also be pleased that, thank goodness, it isn't like that anymore and wonder how anyone could possibly manage to live / vacation like that.

I would be remiss in not relating that, during my walkabout while making these pictures, the only place there were people on the streets and porches were in those neighborhoods comprised of traditional shore cottages. The "rich" enclaves were devoid of any traces of human outdoor activity. Apparently they have no interest in mingling with the hoi polloi.

The 2 people in the friendly people picture actually took the initiative in starting a conversation with me*. I learned from the woman that their traditional cottage (albeit renovated) was purchased by her mother in the early 50s. And assuming (a valid assumption gleaned from the conversation), that the other person on the porch is her son, it is encouraging to think that their shore tradition might survive for at least one more generation. Perhaps even more, inasmuch as the visible evidence of children on the premise (absolutely no evidence of the same in the "rich" enclaves) suggests that there may be hope for even another generation of survival for a traditional shore cottage.

Then again, there's always the possibility that some despoiler will show up at their door with an outrageous wad of cash and make them an offer they can't refuse.

* I can only imagine the "conversation" I might have encountered if one the despoilers had seen me picturing their structure.
Sunday
Jul262015

civilized ku # 2936-38 ~ life and sports

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Hugo / Can-AM camp ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
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Hugo handshake + Can-AM camp buddies ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

As Hugo has completed a high level / high intensity 6 day hockey camp and as the end his summer hockey tournament schedule is nearing - only 2 more tournaments remaining (Boston and Philadelphia), 2 things have become very apparent ....

First - his hockey skills and knowledge has grown considerably as he has been challenged by playing at the highest level of youth hockey in North America. And, second - he has made friends with numerous 04 (birth year) kids from all over North America (to include Canada and one kid from Italy who traveled to Lake Placid for hockey camp).

And, I might add, kids he stays in touch with via Instagram, texting, and the like. One summer tournament hockey team friend / teammate from central Pennsylvania showed up on Saturday AM to watch Hugo play in the camp showcase game. Hugo will be playing with this friend in the upcoming tournament in Philadelphia.

The first result was expected, or, at least, hoped for. The second benefit is most definitely a wonderful life expanding experience which comes from his involvement in the sport of hockey. Life lessons in teamsmanship and camaraderie with a diverse group of peers is a very valuable part of team sports. And, throw in learning how to deal with challenges as well as striking a balance between victory and defeat, what you have is great summer of personal growth.

All of those benefits (and more) are the reason that Hugo will most likely be attending this school this fall where he will face both academic and life challenges. The fact that it will be amongst 4-9 graders from around the world makes it all the more valuable.