this house is for rent…..i need a place to live ….but, i will not rent this house….not because i wouldn’t like living here in the dunes by the sea on the "outer banks" of Carolina, but precisely because i would very much like living here…the sights and smells are the very ones of my youth on the nearby Virginia coast, just to the north…so i would feel at home….so much so that i fear i might let one day slide into the next and the next and the next….nothing wrong with that at all, but right now i have a lot on my mind….work to do…book ideas burning my poor brain alive…
we had a thread going not so long ago about talking about photo essays before they were done or even started…it seemed that most of us thought that it is better to at least get started on a project before letting the "volcano blow" at the end of the bar…such is the case with me now…i am jazzed about something, tempted to talk, but i will wait….probably because it will be one month before i can even start photographing ….a whole lot of wine could "git spilt" on the ground in that time…
so, instead of writing about projects themselves , i will ramble a bit about the "spaces" and "circumstances" from whence our ideas cometh….for example, both of my sons live in nearby beach towns…..both of them, as filmmakers, work much as i do…"leavin’ on a jetplane" to their "jobs"….there is one big difference: they come home to small town chit chat and i come back to new york hyperglide…
i fantasize their lifestyles….my sons tell me i could never "make it" in these towns by the sea…they both tell me i would be bored quickly…my friends tend to think the same ("city boy" one says)….can this be true??? if it is true, i hate to admit it, because right now with the winter sidelight filtering through the pines and the soft afternoon breeze and the cardinals chirping away, i feel quite at peace and loving every second of it…hmmmm, what would be the breaking point i wonder???
now, as a "homeless" man, i am also a free man….free to choose, once again, where to live….it seems ironic that the sense of "free choice" is a whole lot more exhilarating than the sense of "having no place to go" is potentially depressing!!….but, that is just me…..nomadic by nature…get me out of the rain and anyplace can be home…and when i am "down and out" i think like a wild animal…my senses are sharp….eyes keen…natural high……clear head….ideas flow…survival instinct adrenaline rush maxed out….too comfy and maybe the dreaded one day sliding into another into another another would manifest itself….but, i am not sure sure of this….i just imagine this…
what about you? do your best ideas come under stress and out of necessity or do you need to be in familiar comfortable space and without "worry" to roll out your "idea of the year" ???
Ryan,
I mean this with sincere respect and genuine honesty. Not trying to be rude…
But I have to say it really is quite sad that your thoughts about Alex’s work has changed due to his non-Hispanicness. Can you elaborate a little more on why you feel this way? Why should that have any bearing whatsoever?
Mike I tried to write it out a couple of times and each time I had to hit the delete button on the entire thing. Everything that I can come up with Is contradictory to ideals I hold. Its the feeling of someone coming to your home and photographing your family and then letting to whole world look at it, whereas if someone in the family took the photos it’d be okay
Well, I guess I can relate to that sentiment…a little. Kinda like, I can say whatever I want about my brother, but if someone else does there’ll be a fight!
But in this case, when I think about all the photographers in Magnum or VII or what have you, Think of all the images we’d have never seen if they only shot within their ethnic realm. I don’t think Harvey has hispanic blood in him–don’t know for sure–but man, his Divided Soul doesn’t get better or worse one way or the other. It kills, no matter. I’m sure you feel the same, otherwise I doubt you’d be here. But anyway…I suppose one has to appreciate your honesty, your candor. Hope you can work it out within…for yourself, no one else.
Cheers.
Ryan
The COOLSCAN 9000 ED is to expensive for me. I want expend more money for films not for next toy. I hope Coolscan V LS-50 ED will enough good, maybe not best but just good. I just need scanner.
marcin
MR. HARVEY,
No need to to worry about not making sense. It is difficult to make sense of anything while pondering the deeper questions of whether God exists and why a duck should care one way or the other if He does or not. It is not for us mere mortals to ponder these questions. Those people who tell us that it must make sense fail to realize that all of what we call sense is merely a societal construct made from defective Legos and worn down bars of Ivory soap. I would advise against building a cabin in the woods unless you can get cable and pizza delivery. You will note that most of the world’s troubles these days occur in places where cable and pizza delivery are nonexistent. Why is this so? Who knows? Maybe the duck knows, but who knows why a duck? The philosophical rings you can run when you really put your mind to it is truly amazing.
“and I don’t know whether it’s the fact that Alex is an American or the fact that he is not Hispanic, but for some reason the work doesn’t have the same power FOR ME please remember FOR ME.”
Ryan, I don’t contribute much to this blog. I can barely “keep up” with it. That said, I believe you’re “thinking” too much. The fact is, the pictures resonated with you when you first saw them. They ARE great photographs. For the most part no matter how hard, easy or anything else that’s involved with photographs doesn’t really matter. It’s the final picture that matters (obviously, this is a general statement, please). Photography is what we do. We come in and out of peoples lives and try to tell stories about them. Some like Alex and, uh, the guy who started this mess (DAH – LOL), do it very well. It’s what we do. I’d suggest getting over it, Ryan. BTW, how do you feel about DAH’s hip-hop photographs?
And I wish to apologize to everyone here for using the singular is in that last sentence when I should have used the plural are. Yes, I am being rapped over the knuckles by my subconcious nun even I type this.
MARCIN-the easy answer is that film scanners are totally superior to flatbed scanners.
Does that help at all?
let me put it this way guys, I work for a portrait company in Santa Monica, CA. As we speak I am at a kids’ soccer practice photographing all the kids for their parents so they can have a action shot of their kids. This enviroment spawns the need to look up to more ‘respected’ forms of photography. In other words I’m not where some of you are where you are actually doing something artistic, so I have all this time and philosophy looking on the outside. If I was ’swimming’ I probably would stop worrying how to swim and just do it… On the other side this is the first post where I am actually posting. I haven’t been be because its so east to read what other people have to say, but to actually participate and expose your ignorances and biases is really hard
Akaky said: “It is difficult to make sense of anything while pondering the deeper questions of whether God exists and why a duck should care one way or the other if He does or not. It is not for us mere mortals to ponder these questions.”
Um, well…no, I’d say it is for us “mere mortals” to ponder these and so many other questions. It’s what makes us human. And it’s what keeps us entertained. How boring life would be without these types of ponderings! But maybe your were simply being facetious and I too serious, in which case…nevermind. ;^}
RULES/CAVIATS/ISMS
Eight years ago I took my first trip to the Arctic, a little Inuit village called Arviat. By a little networking, I procured the use of a house owned by a teacher in their school system right on the shore of Hudson Bay. I took my first pictures of the Inuit during the week surrounding X-mas.
When I was making arrangements to go back, I had a deal worked out with the local B&B to stay free in exchange for some prints. As the time approached, however, this white person, who had appointed herself guardian of the oppressed, said that since I had not cleared the shoot with the village elders the year before, she would no longer offer me free room and board. I, of course, was astonished, since nobody had ever mentioned even the existence of the elders, much less the need to consult with them. I ended up going to a different village, twice…
Where I was informed that the Inuit themselves did not have any reason not to want me to photograph and that they did not understand this woman’s actions.
This idea of deciding whether other peoples’ actions/ thoughts are proper or not is becoming ubiquitous, and I find it disturbing. For myself, I don’t care who does what, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone.
I think the current phrase is PC. Sorry, but we have to get beyond PC. We have to maintain an honest pure soul in ourselves. We cannot worry what race someone is, whether he/she has the right to photograph or make a statement about something.
Personally, I think that an outsider’s view of a situation has its own special merits.
This has been a mal-organized ramble, but I hope someone with more eloquence can address the issue.
Alex takes beautiful photos. They are powerful. What goes on in his head? Who cares except for purposes of learning how to go there yourself if you so desire!
Hey Bob, where are you?
Michael
GATHERING – Herve would like to come after mid July. No one else has made any statements about time, and I know that Magnum’s annual meeting will be in June (or early July?) so last half of the summer is probably best to shoot for.
Becky told me that she and Alex will be here sometime in July and be around for quite awhile working on some projects.
Bob Black said he wants to come this summer with the oft talked about Marina and Dima.
So far, then, David, Panos, Herve, Michael K, Bob. Could use more shooters for critical mass, and what about the California Women?
I’ve been making a mental list of photo ops around here. I’ll discuss it with David when the time comes, so he can give instructions/assignments/suggestions as he sees fit.
DAVID – Could you send your cell number to me via email? michael@photonphotos.com
Ciao
Michael
Ryan, I think this is a very valid topic, you raised. How a “native” perceives the work of a non-native on his country or culture. I am not sure if you said that first you liked Alex Webb’s work on the hispanic border culture, then a bit less when finding out he was not hispanic.
the thing is, it seems that few are interested or wondering what natives think of such type of work or books. maybe we are wrong, or maybe it is not important, coz’ it’s also about photography rather than just culture, and as in Thailand, people often wonder why in the hell you are taking pictures of people who are not your family.
They may not relate to the act of witnessing with a camera, rather than having a judgement on what the gringo or Farang (gringo in thai) is coming up with about their culture.
Also, the photographer is physically an outsider, I mean when the shot is taken, he/she is. For a snap of a second you are outside looking in, and this is much of what photography is about.
That outsider input, would characterize a native photographer too. The act of photography require, for all photographers that mental stepping back, while its mechanics clearly set you off the subject, the culture, the people.
Well, I actually think that’s not limiting, but is the greatness of photography that outside looking in quality.
Yet, just to add water to your argument, I like W Klein a lot, but his PARIS/KLEIN is 90% KLEIN and the rest rather IN Paris, than about Paris.
That’s OK though, but title should be paris (incidentally)/KLEIN ! :-)
RYAN…
this is a great topic…i think i should do a whole post on it….
i will say this quickly…if we eliminated all of the art (painting, film making, photography) made by artists “outside” of their own culture/family, we would be eliminating most of the art in the world!!!
however, i get your point….i can see why this would be something to think about….i have my opinions, but i want to hear others first…if the thread unravels here, so be it…if not i will get a new post up on it soonest…
thanks for thinking and thanks for being honest enough to bring it up…..
cheers, david
There has been a lot said lately – well-since—ah-Gene Smith – about the photographer getting into the scene. In fact, it has become a mantra. It seems to have something to do with Capa’s “…closer.” So, what you’ve got is
photographers saying to other photographers – “you need to get more in their face,” and PC people saying to photogs- “are you violating anyone’s space?”
OK, so you can either shoot from the outside in/toward/at-HCB
or you can put yourself in the middle and shoot out – Smith
What is the matter with either one of these approaches? (or anything in between?)
So, can I take pictures of women or old men or kids or dogs or cats?
I am part way through War Photographer. WOW! Can Nachtwey take pictures of people in Africa, Indonesia, Kosovo…?
Maybe need to view everything as humanity. Isn’t that what we’re photographing? (even my dog)
Michael
PS Wow, thanks to the people who have sent me phone numbers. Here’s where we are tentatively on dates – after July 17, excluding week of August 10. I suspect, also, that teachers (Bob) can’t go too late into August. Of course, the majority and DAH will win out over impossible holdouts.
MAS
Michael,
A gathering sounds amazing … road trips to South Dakota, slide shows on sheets hanging in the yard, a campfire, good beer, a band (?) … perhaps I’m getting carried away but we’ve done similar things at our little place in the woods … the last one got a little carried away with 500 people, 3 bands, a two-story sound/multimedia stage, two screens stage right and left … hippy buses and mercedes in the field, state patrol on the hill.
Sorry, flashback :)) Seriously, it sounds great, i’ll hop a bus, or a train, or thumb my way and bring my tent. The DAH Convergence. Say when and i’ll be there! And I’d be happy to come a little early to help. I’ve been planning on an extended road trip this summer, or earlier … fits so well since I’ve been looking for a destination (both figuratively and literally) as a touchstone … road trip, road trip, road trip.
Tom, sounds great. You’re in. Wow, and the idea of slideshows outside sounds cool. We have enough barns to hang sheets on. Of course, we also have room in the house to set up real screens.
Anyway, what might be cool is to do some mini caravans to and from here. For me it would probably have to be from not to.
DAVID – in case you need to break up your road trip by flying in or out for one of your one day meetings – Omaha is 2 1/2 hours, Mpls can be gotten to on Northwestern from Sioux Falls which is less than an hour from here.
Michael
I think it does make a difference who the authorship is by. Even if the pictures are the same… this was fairly much explored in a short story by Borges called Pierre Menard, Author of El Quijote, in which a Frenchman in the 20th century writes El Quijote word by word and it’s argued how much harder it was for him than for Cervantes, who lived in his time and used with naturality the common language of the time.
David, thanks for stopping by my newborn blog… and thanks so much for creating this community… everyone here inspired me to start taking pictures again, so I thank everyone here for that. I did edit my profile, but basically, I’m now a hobbyist… weekend and vacation photography, strictly for fun.
I did have some training long ago, and had a photo job, too. Worked porno in Vegas for a guy named Pistol. Did that for a couple of years. That was interesting. Learned that regardless of what R. Capa said, there is such a thing as too close. I have a real job now, but it has nothing to do with photography.
I am a little disappointed with the results of my efforts… it’s a start, but I know I have better pictures in me. How to get them is the question, and that’s why I’m here. Anyone have any advice?
Michael K… I believe I will go to the festival in Virginia, sounds like fun and I can take the train down.
Marcin… nie jestem Polaka, Amerikaninem w Nowym Yorku… tylko chodzilem do szkoly na jezyka polskiego duzo lat temu… mowie po polsku, ale nie dobrze. Lato, dojechalem do Polski… na poludniu, Krakow, Krynica, Tylicz, Przeszczyna, i Wroclaw. Best vacation of my life, what a beautiful country and I can’t wait to return. Gdzie mieszkasz?
Mike
In wroclaw. Nice to see that sombody on the world want to learn polish langage. I’m Impressed.
:)
I love what you wrote in your blog “about me”.
great works. Keep going!
Joni, maybe the issue is whom the work is for. Nachtwey shoots for the world at large, not the starving war torn cultures. They already know how it is, just as
folks at the Mexican border already know what it’s like there; it’s the rest of whom Alex shoots for (besides himself).
Michael
MIKE SAID:
http://workprints.blogspot.com/
Hey, Panos, you’ve been giving me a hard time for not posting work… what do you think???
Posted by: mike | February 10, 2008 at 05:40 AM
PANOS SAYS: DOPE, motherfucker, dope… panos loves it…
Simply impressed… where you been hiding
DAVID SAID ABOVE:
“…RYAN…
this is a great topic…i think i should do a whole post on it….
…thanks for thinking and thanks for being honest enough to bring it up…..
cheers, david
Posted by: david alan harvey | February 10, 2008 at 02:24 PM…”
Now i live in L.A… for 11 years.. My true opinion as a white looking american.. Enough with the immigrants….
They should go back to their countries… about “african americans”???? …
Sorry but why did they come here?… what made them leave beautiful Africa to come here in the first place…? Was it the love for money????… who knows…
but people vote for the Republicans… lets built more churches,
lets dedicate our life to the Lord, JESUS. I am recently “saved”…
Lets take away from our youth the “dirty” music like RAP…
NO MORE DRUGS… more playgrounds, libraries… there are “good”
magazines out there like the “NATGEO”…full of “Alex Webb’s ”
photos”… arresting “mexican-hispanic” immigrants… How did the “SNITCH” made it there in the first place…?
IT’S HARD TO BE BLACK OR BROWN IN THIS WHITE WORLD…
Ryan, thanks for bringing it up…. and that’s the reason you are my friend…and not only…
I “dig” your hispanic-lebanese upbringing… bitch…
Your “genes” know more than the average greek or white idiot…!
… and DAVID… THANKS FOR ALLOWING THE REAL SHIT IN THIS FORUM… BY THE WAY… completely in public…
I (panos), want to admit that i never thought of you as a “WHITE” motherfucker… buddha has no color….
people , sorry for my RACISM, but fuck the white world…
hey… M Shapiro… can i get arrested for being racist in public???
“NIKOS ECONOMOPOULOS” is greek “MAGNUM” photographer…
He is honest enough to shoot, record, the areas that “he knows well”
Things connected to his heart…
MShapiro… NO, YOU CANT PHOTOGRAPH CATS IF YOU HATE THEM,
YOU CANT PHOTOGRAPH THE POOR IF YOU ARE NOT POOR, YOU CANT PHOTOGRAPH JUNKIES IF YOU ARE NOT A JUNKIE…
YOU ARE A HYPOCRIT IF YOU PHOTOGRAPH PROSTITUTES AND NOT LIKE THEM… YOU ARE A “SNITCH” IF YOU PHOTOGRAPH THE “ARRESTED BUT YOU WORK FOR THE POLICE…
YOU KNOW WHAT… F**K YOU …ALL OF YOU…
Tourists in your own lives… hiding behind your cameras…
You are a SNITCH… if you dont get into it yourself…
GET INVOLVED …THINK GONZO, …. CONNECT… BLEED…
Nachtwey shoots for the world at large, not the starving war torn cultures.
…MShapiro… yes he does.. but if you ever visited his website…
which im sure you did… somewhere in the beginning he says that the “EVENTS YOU WILL SEE , SHOULD NOT BE REPEATED…”
you see what he is saying?
NACHTWEY… for me is the EVEL KNIEVEL of photography…
He left MAGNUM when he realized that a CANON MARK II is better than a LEICA M6…
HE THINKS IS THE “ULTIMATE EXTREME”… he is what “JAY-Z “is for
HIP-HOP…. but if you ask me i would rather hung with “NAS”…
… so FUCK “NACHTWEY”… sorry i didnt mean it….
… i was suppose to say fuck “JAY-Z”…
peace
MARCIN SAID:
“…Mike
In wroclaw. Nice to see that sombody on the world want to learn polish langage. I’m Impressed.
:)
I love what you wrote in your blog “about me”.
great works. Keep going!
Posted by: Marcin | February 10, 2008 at 04:08 PM…”
PANOS SAYS:
What’s so impressive Marcin???
Look at Ryan’s skills… he speaks GREEK, GERMAN, SPANISH , ENGLISH, GERMAN, DEMONOID1, AZUREUS2,… CZECH…and lately he started… RUSSIAN… just to read DOSTOYFSKI… what do i know!???
and , by the way , why do you ask about scanners… advice…?
and why do you waste everyone’s time by asking that crap…
if you already decided… or bought what you wanted?
Dude, TIME, is valuable over here????
Pleazseee, get involved… or go use the scanner you just bought…
seriously RYAN and MARCIN?:…, what’s so impressive about speaking more than one tongue?????
Its a survival… thing ….
GO TO SLEEP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt5f0G8HOSE&feature=related
Panos
1. I need advice about scanner because I Don’t know witch one buy
Nikon Coolscan V LS-50 ED
or
Epson 4990, 4870
and maybe someone used and will know.
I still have not idea witch one choose.
This is very easy question. Is’nt it?
2. I subscribe myselve “martin”, not “marcin” because polish language is very dificoult (like chinese) and foreigners (for me) must practise to pronounce my name. And my both names is just tortures for them.
3. Panos i’m little tired that you are so much negative to everything and everyone, so I’m truly sorry that i waste your value time.
peace
Marcin,
I use a Nikon coolscan 5000 ED. It is very good for slides but I found it not so good with negative strips. I think a flat bed scanner is better for that. I’ve used the coolscan 50 also and it is also good. If you have the money I’d go for the 5000.
I had read stories about the Nikon not being reliable at times, but I don’t really have any problems. Mine has frozen a couple of times but what digital equipment doesn’t in its life time.
I have a friend who scans medium format on a Epson and he likes it.
I think either one would be good for you.
My grandfather was Polish. My name is nothing like yours, but even mine gets pronounced in different ways now and again.
I might just be in touch with you about Poland one day.
Best,
Justin
Hi, Mr. David Harvey…
Meu nome Carla Bispo nós publicamos uma matéria juntos na NG sobre hip hop (abril/2007).
A diferença entre nós é que aprendo muito com suas imagens.
Boa sorte e um grande abraço!
Parabéns pela página.
Carla Bispo