home is where the heart is….a rolling stone gathers no moss….it is hard to kill a moving target….whatever…..i am just content to sleep in one bed for two whole weeks….that has not happened lately….since the three week holiday with my family way way way back in december, i have not been in one place for more than a few days….so, to now have 15 days in Oaxaca is a luxury i am soaking up with every passing minute…
however, i will move on next week to Norway and then and then, well i just will not have a "home" for all of 2008….the shock of the loss of my New York loft at first left me dazed and confused, but quickly survival instincts kicked in….and then and then, true beauty….an IDEA!!!
forced evacuation has led me to voluntary exile…for my upcoming photographic project, i MUST not have a home…i do not WANT a home…i CANNOT have a home….that would ruin everything….telling you now about my IDEA would ruin everything too…it is time for me to "disappear" into my work…
it may surprise you that "travel", in and of itself, has never been a source of inspiration for me…discovery fascinates, but "discovery" is also right around the corner…travel has always been totally incidental to whatever creative ideas were rolling around inside my jetlagged brain…ironically, i never set out to "see the world" even though that is exactly what happened…and i did not "leave" until i was over 30…
my first 17 years in serious photography never took me out of my own country…i was perfectly happy photographing life around me and my own "backyard"…i had no sense of the "real world"…then fate forced me out the door to learn about other cultures and countries….looking through the international viewfinder became my whole "real education" …certainly this is one of my most priceless assets….but now, that same "fate" brings me to a creatively "logical" project which will at least keep me culturally and photographically "at home"….albeit without any place to stay!!!
i will now begin my daily Oaxaca "routine"….starting with a nice walk to the "zocalo", one of the best plazas in the world …i will find my perfectly positioned table and chair…get some coffee and pan tostado …mull things over…think david think…maybe i will take a picture or two…chat it up with my "old friend" and waiter Pablo who will be just now seeing his children off to school…the morning light is nice, so i must leave you….
so, i just have time to ask you quickly….would "sleeping around" stimulate you, or do you need an "anchor" to do your best work??
AGA…
let me know as soon as you arrive in London…i will introduce you to some good friends who will surely be helpful to you…i think you met my friend Laura El-Tantawy in New York when you came over…there is a story about her here under “family/friends” right after the post about you and Lance…in any case, she is relatively new to London, a serious photographer, and i think would “take you in” as a colleague and friend….also, Jason Hobbs, who shows up from time to time here on the forum, would be helpful to you….he is a creative freelancer and has a truly good “handle” on London…in any case, i will give you some more names as soon as you arrive….
HERVE HENDRIX….
yes, you do “play” us all very well!!!
PANOS…
our friend Nikos is the least least least “elite” person i know…Nikos does workshops from his van…drives around Greece with just a few students, camping, shooting etc etc…i like this approach…want to go with him myself…if you can get a copy of Magnum/Magnum in your hands, please read what Nikos wrote about me….
JUSTIN….
to go from warm sunny Oaxaca to cold snowy Oslo sounds like a transition i would prefer the other way around…see you soonest…
cheers, david
HARRY…
can’t you take your family with you on some of those shoots?? i worked very very hard (and my ex-wife worked even harder) to make sure i could have my family with me on as many shoots as possible…it seems like your work would lend itself easily to having your family along…
cheers, david
David…
seen your pic around, so shouldn’t be too difficult finding you…and also i’ll look for the crowd ;)
if you are in town earlier (saturday, march 1), i will have a slide show during a party from a trip i did to the big island, hawai’i, not far from Grand Hotel, Karl Johan. Let me know.
look forward to seeing you in Oslo.
cheers,
jarle
David,
yes I could take the family on half of my trips if I had the money but as always skint.
Cheers
Hey Panos, this you? ;-)
http://www.hydeimages.com/photos/133679719_wjku5-L.jpg
I fell completely in love with Greece, leaving was so painful but working hard to go back. How can you stand L.A.?
Hey Tom… this is actually me meditating, unmedicated…
See my cracked up nicotine lips, my chest bush…
all that darkness around me….
Perfect portrait… represent my feelings and explains why i left
medieval greece…. lol…
And i really dont know how i stand motherfucking L.A.
Tell you the truth, i cant stand it….
Its just that im not that powerful like DAH or NIKOS E.,
to live the life that i want to…
so i have to keep living my fake , plastic , botox, L.A life….
kinda trapped for now….
do you know what a late credit card payment is???…
or car payment or mortgage….?
have you ever owned a corvette?????
Ah Tom… you just got me started!!!
lol
Alright warm weather freaks, check out Ice Fishing / Rabbit Derby if you dare:
http://www.humanfiles.com/pages/journal.htm
Hey David,
I miss laughing with you. Thanks for sharing a wonderful week with all of us in Oaxaca. Hope to see you when Emily comes to town.
Simply,
Jill
Panos,
Nice post, I could actually understand it, ya ain’t so bad when you’re coherent you crazy SOB :))
I understand feeling trapped … got all that, mortgage, credit card, no corvette (but i’m in the depths of mid-life crisis so i won’t rule it out … hmmm, gold chains) … and i have a “good life” here in the country, not plastic, real, working the land, building stuff, should be content but i’ve never been content with anything, ADD maybe … i’m often stagnant and bored on the homefront, not learning or exploring enough, no new discoveries, or too few, no great epiphanies or sense of wonder … sense of wonder is everything to me, in general and with photography … thinking too much, wheels driving me crazy, both in general and artistically … it just gets all too easy to be … boring and lazy … and I’d sleep around more, really, the road just screams, screams, but I married my best friend so “sleeping around” is not an option right now. But I’m not ruling out balance, I have a plan … working hard on the homefront now so I can take some time later this year.
So Panos, slip the chains man, say fuck it all, sell it all (except the camera … and maybe meds), get an American hillbilly pickup and a dog, hit the road for better or worse, risk everything … risk IS everything! … cause, ya know, if things go sour every little Greek village still needs a garbage collector, and I would trade almost everything for just that right now … medieval and “boring” though it may be.
http://www.hydeimages.com/photos/172259133_HX378-L.jpg
peace, you crazy man :))
Tom, i’m convinced you are right:
WHERE IS MY MIND????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAT48J097nA&NR=1
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPE2zKbORF0&feature=related
thanks again…
I’ll be thinking all that tonite!….
if i ever get me out of this fucking car!!!!!!!
peace
Panos:
check ur email…got a pal (great photographer from Mexico/Spain/Brazil: yea, colorful life) who needs some help in LA, will be there in May
…thought of u…he’s cool…
maybe u can write him…
running
b
personally i feel most inspired to take pictures elsewhere than home. Foreign places force me to see things differently at least thats my perception. Maybe it’s the fact that since everything around me is unknown my senses are more acute ?
for some reason whether in a car, boat, plane, train, or a bus if it’s unfamiliar then it’s home too me. I thrive in adverse situations or places. Everything seems sharper and clearer both visually/mentally. My enemy is a sedentary life oh, how boring. Give me rolling green hills with trees that hug the water//ocean//streams//rivers etc. Or a giant Metropolis like Bombay, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, London, N.Y.C., Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Buenos Aires, & the likes of Mexico Citi..
if i had the resources i would voluntarily be a Hobo with the barest of essentials ie. backpack, camera, and film. Like the homeless photographer Koudelka. Now that is some story the stuff of LEGENDS. Anyhow Mr. Harvey i think you have a wonderful opportunity & should play it footloose & fancy free.
Motion Is Freedom & Frees the anxious SOUL !!
‘Motion Is Freedom & Frees the anxious SOUL !!’
Absolutely right. That is exactly how my soul feels Freedom!
The reason that so many of the world’s best photography has been “travel” or “war” photography, by my way of thinking, is because when artists are away from their comfortable environments (home), everything is so damned “fresh”.
When you go to Scandinavia next, check the doorknobs –unbelievable engineering and quality, attention to detail, even in humble abodes. By contrast in the US, McMansions costing 8 figures often have really crap hardware. Think about that when visiting a McMansion near you.
Or, when next in Jamaica, take in a deep breath in your taxi or on the bus and you will note — there is a Jamaican scent. There is a way that Jamaicans smell. Hint; not the same smell as Scandinavians.
Anyway, that’s the idea. Out of your zone, a million details that are reduced to background white noise at home suddenly pop out and are fresh.
This may also explain why so many of the great “American” photgraphers, painters, filmmakers etc. aren’t……….American. They are foreigners who note the billions of small details that the locals don’t notice.
So – young Dave – you’re definitely onto something. Being unmoored, being on the edge, all those cliches…..just think of all the great jazz musicians who spent decades living out of suitcases……keeps you sharp, keeps you alert, keeps you….noticing…
READ A BOOK
( im going to Barnes & Nobles right now… oh im buying a new toothbrush too…. peace)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUkpR2Q6Oy8
John when you say that
Jamaicans smell, you mean the ganja smell??
just curious …
peace
David
I’m interested in what you said about traveling with your family. It goes against the idea (or cliché) of the lonely photographer.
I always thought it was important to be alone at some point, in order to feel the need to connect with people. On the contrary, it seemed to me that traveling with people sometimes prevents me from meeting as many people, simply because you’re already in good company…
What do you think of this ? Did you often go with your family or friends ? How do you find a balance between traveling with friends/family and getting to know people ?
How about other photographers that you know ?
Have fun in Oslo !!
Pierre-Yves
great question Pierre!!!
How do you find a balance between traveling with friends/family and getting to know people ?…
or, let me change a little bit…
how do you convince the wife or girlfriend or husband or lover…
or, who cares what the name is….
that part of “work”, is to have a beer in a bar or a scotch in a strip club??????
How can you continue doing “nudes” and other artistic …. stuff. you know!
Ohhh but maybe the answer is simple….
You dont have to convince or explain anybody anything…
Just do your work… and deliver…
Now if your wife or girlfriend or husband want to join your travels or assignments… FINE… if not FINE…. if you have to go through a battle though,
if you have to CONVINCE that special someone, or explain why there is not enough money for the whole family and the 2 year old and the dog, and granpapi…?!!!! then forget it…
That sounds like an anchor…! like a brake, not a family…!!!
If for example, Paolo Pellegrin’s family want to follow him in Gaza
or Afghanistan… or get exposed to malaria in africa!!!!
Then that would be insane!!!!
Don’t you think???
oh, by the way… all the above and more
COSMOPOLITAN, page 134…
lol
peace
DAVID WAS RIGHT, AGAIN:
NIKOS IS A REALLY COOL GUY…
PEOPLE CHECK THIS MAGNUM MASTER BELOW:
http://www.ontheroad.gr/en/information/default.asp
David. . . so you are going Koudelka, huh?!
Pierre Yves
Traveling with someone else can cut you off sometimes but going away with kids can be great. I’ve meet lot of people though my children, people seem to open up more or quicker its great. Just 4 times more expensive.
I love travelling as well. Just the thought of going on another trip is just so exciting and gives me the energy to take pictures and discover a new place. New people, sounds, smells. I just love it.
The world is so big and so many places to discover…
I now however did decide to start a project in my own backyard, in my own country. After a friend told me that I only seem to be photographing abroad or preparing for new trips, that got me to thinking. And somehow he was right.
In a way it’s daunting, but it’s a challenge as well. And that again makes me very happy to go out and shoot pictures. We’ll see what comes of it.
Enjoy the Oslo workshop David. It sounds amazing and I wish I could be there.
Aga, wow, moving to London!! So great. You’ll do amazing and find your way out there.
I’ll be in London in the beginning of April (9th-13th), and hopefully meeting up with my friend Laura as well while I’m there. Would love to meet you in person, so just drop me a note if you’re up for that.
Wendy
Wendy Marijnissen just had a look at your website and really appreciate your interpretations on life. Very interesting subject matter. Do you reside in Belgium, Antwerp ?
Aga, good luck with your venture in London town. Also thank you for the pleasant Christmas Card (greeting) with the Polish holiday Carp !! My ex-girlfriend Anna is from Gliwice, Poland and through her i was introduced to your beautiful culture. You have so many wonderful traditions that unite your people together creating a strong national identity. Lots of Singing and Dancing !!
Also love Polish Cinema & Literature..
PIERRE-YVES and All….
i think i am probably a very unusual case….i have almost always traveled with family/friends it seems……i never found there to be any problem at all getting involved with a new culture when i was working just because a friend or family member was with me…i think actually quite the contrary… my friends and family who have traveled with me have either been a big help to me or gone off and done their own thing…i do not remember one single time when there was anything other than a sense of shared discovery with someone i cared for…oh wait, yes one…one 2 yr. relationship that came to an end down in Chile because the work and the personal life clashed……
on many assignments my two sons, Bryan and Erin, were always more than terrific company and their mother Sue was the master of putting the whole family thing together “in the field” to the point where the family and the work totally blended…yes, including once in a conflict zone (where i met Nachtwey in the mid 80″s) and two of my photographer friends were killed (Richard Cross and John Hoagland…Honduras/Nicaragua border Sandinista/Contra conflict)…Richard had breakfast with my family and me and my friend Medford on the morning he died from a land mine on the same road we had all traveled….however, when i photographed the “killing fields” in Kampuchea (Cambodia) a year or so later, i worked alone.. so, obviously there are some limits….
my mother and father were with me when i photographed “French Teenagers” for several weeks in Paris…sounds unlikely, but they did their thing , i did mine, and we would enjoy dinners and breakfasts etc etc…they also were with me when i photographed in Spain, Hawaii etc etc…there is a long list of places where i have worked and traveled with my sons including Cuba, Guatamala, Malaysia, etc etc..any time i can figure out a way to combine my “personal life” with my “professional life”, i will do it in a heartbeat…i love the blend….always have, always will…..
speaking of this, i must say goodbye this morning to Marie Arago and Michael Courvoisier who came down here to Mexico just to “hang” and enjoy the workshop…no official role…just as friends..and Mike Young (see post under “student work/workshops” from last spring) who was a student here in Oaxaca has totally joined our “extended family”…
actually, when you really look at it, isn’t this forum some part of the same spirit??? some of you i have “met” in person, some not, and some i will soon meet..and my now as yet undisclosed new project could literally have some of you sitting by the proverbial “campfire”…will somebody please go get some wood???
ok my friends, i am traveling today Mexico to NYC…you are used to this by now…8 hrs in New York tomorrow , then to Oslo for a week for our Magnum workshop/seminar…this is a totally crazy travel plan and i totally made a mistake in my schedule because i totally do not like this tight a program…to survive this i will need “a little help from my friends”….
cheers et al, david
Thanks for the advice David. As one of the first posts said, your energy is infectious and I`ve caught it. Brain is full of ideas but time is always the problem to follow them, but I`ll try as I feel good even just thinking about what I want to do.
Anyway have fun in Oslo, that city is full of secrets much more interesting than the architecture would have you believe and I`m sure your students will show you some of them.
Many Thanks once again.
Damon
By the way Aga, I won`t take over Mr. Harvey`s forum for a personal talk with you, but just a little info, I`m in Tokyo at the moment which is, I am led to believe, cheaper than London! I will be back in the UK in April looking for work and some normal life though. I haven`t been there for years so can`t help much, indeed you maybe able to help me with information! Anyway when you get get settled I am looking forward to seeing your images from the UK.
David
:)))…..will send you thoughts to give u strength…incidentally, our families are similar: the traveling for camera stories, for us too, nearly always involves the 3 (and at the least the 2) of us…though, when we’re “home” (which i guess in Toronto for now) we’re often on our own shooting…but we too often shoot, just as we explore or make books or exhibit, together….the joining of breathing….
incidentally, your John Hoagland (whose photographs of the C.America conflict are among the ones i value and respect the most, along with Susan’s) must be, wherever he is, extraordinary proud of his son Eros….Eros, one of the photographers of my generation (and a fellow surfer) whom I respect the most….
fathers & sons….,
be well and strong in Oslo, we’ll “chat” upon your return…
hellos to Chris, Laara and Jonas too from Family Black
hugs
b
AND one more , PLUG:
my latest news, below:
http://blog.panosfotografia.com/
Thank you so much for that nice compliment Robert. Really appreciate it!.
Yep, residing in Antwerp, Belgium. I love this city. Very small, but so much going on. Really feel at home here.
W
Hola DAvid, te acuerdas de mi, fui alumna tuya en Madrid, estuvimos almorzando y pasamos una tarde juntos. Queria preguntarte algo si puedes por favor comunicate a este mail.