so many topics get discussed here, that it sometimes makes my head spin…but, it all pretty much centers on "the photographic life" and how we can all best "live it"…yes, the photographs themselves are indeed our final "net worth", yet getting to these photographs , this incomparable journey, is an entity in and of itself…
this is not exactly "news"…but, i never cease to be inspired by this simple simple fact that this journey is unending and leads us down paths we would never go down without our cameras in hand….seeing something, being a part of something "for the very first time", just gets me BUZZING in way that unfortunately i cannot really put into words…
last night was such an experience…the owner of my building in New York is an Hasidic man …Nachman…a man hard to know, hard to "figure out", rarely speaks, and seems mostly to want his rent check on time…i have never signed a legal piece of paper in my three years in the now almost famous "kibbutz" building and my "business" with Nachman is all eye contact and a hand shake…it works….i pay my rent on time and that is that….i have asked Nachman from time to time if i could photograph is family…he always says no…three years worth of NO..
just one day before i went down to the beach to be with my family, Nachman stopped by to get his rent check….he sat down….for a long 20 minutes or so….even smiled…he invited Mike and Marie and me to his daughter’s wedding….nobody else in the building was invited and we were the only non-Jewish guests to be…this wedding was last night and i had absolutely zero time to go, but i went anyway…with ten rolls of 220 Tri-X (not enough)…
i will get to the point….i think most of you know that i have been blessed with being able to make photographs almost every day since i was 12 or so… some might think by now that i would have "seen it all"…maybe even bored with having seen it all…surely i have "been around the block" a few times…however, even i continue to be amazed at being amazed…
what i witnessed last night, or rather what i was a "part of" last night at the wedding , was definitely a "for the very first time" immersion ….
a brand new never saw this before didn’t know this happened before what is going to happen next i am not prepared and i am missing everything kind of experience…do you know this feeling??
if only i had any kind of insight or knowledge or "guide" or anything, but i had to take it "straight up"…no clues…no "map"…Nachman smiled watching me "work"…and all i could think of was that i had better get something "good enough" to make Nachman happy…
i was not thinking about you or my Magnum mates or anybody to "satisfy" except Nachman….somehow i was working for HIM…..yet, he did not ask me to take one single picture of anything in particular and i offered to do so ….he has seen my "work in progress" on my walls, has never commented on any of it, and yet he seemed to know exactly what i was doing and what i would do and he let me roll roll roll…
when Marie and i sat down briefly last night to "review the evening" we commented to each other…."now THAT is what photography is all about…." to be so so INSIDE and to bear witness to something that you would NEVER have seen otherwise…even the other Hasidics did not see or experience what i did….i moved freely from the "men’s side" to the "women’s side", so NOBODY actually experienced the wedding in quite the way that did i…
ENERGY comes from these moments….our "raison d’ete"…all of the other "stuff" that we all have to put up with in our often frustrating craft , totally disappears when we slide into the warm arms of real discovery and enlightenment….
don’t tell anybody, but i only left the party (yes, Hasidics party!!) when i RAN OUT OF FILM!!…but, i think the moment was over anyway…at least, that is what i keep telling myself….i do not even want to know what happened later…regrets?? oddly , no….
oh yes, did i get any good pictures?? quien sabe…i made all of my usual mistakes…i only hope i have something that Nachman will like…
i would just like to see him smile one more time…
LASSAL,
You just made me feel something different from Perpignan, so close, so full, so meaningful. Great snapshots, sensitive story and a beautiful view. Thanks, really!
You’re great!!!
Ana
Lassal,
Good stuff. DAH and the bambino is a heckuva pic.
ALL
My website is done!!! Please watch it and give your thoughts about the few photos!
(only 10 pictures, i will add later)
LASSAL
I watched to your Perpignan story, it’s great! I like the DAH editing part.
Jean,
Do you know the work of Gérard Uféras? http://www.gerarduferas.com/gerard_uferas.php?lang=fr
It is fabulous!
Jean,
Love the second picture, with the blue. On some I find the floor distracting, did you try shooting from a low angle to lose it?
The navigation from the front “dance is nothing but grace” page to the photo pages is fairly difficult to spot (and drops off the bottom of my monitor so I have to scroll down to find it, monitor is 768 pixels height). Its probably worth making sure the website does’nt say “untitled document” in its name, its a little niggle.
rubriqes reportage/ un pas vers les étoiles
Column Stories/ in the compagnie of stars
MIKE…
i checked out Daily Kos blog…very interesting indeed…while there may only be two people running it, that is one more person than i have…and, they obviously are in the business of running a blog…with advertising to pay for it…in other words, a full time , full on job for both of them i would imagine..
in the case of our forum here, it is just me with my laptop… and squeezing in as much time as possible between my personal shooting projects, assignments, and a workshop every other month or so..
there is no desire on my part to earn a living as a pro-blogger…or to solicit advertising etc…
i will follow some of the suggestions from the Perpignan gang and make some things much simpler…like having all of the assignments easy to see any time on Digital Railroad….but whatever “improvements” i make here, will have to be of the kind that do not take up any more time than i already spend…
i truly cherish this community….the good vibes that roll around on this site are heartwarming to say the least, and the work being produced as a result will soon be seen in the very best context i can provide…that is the real difference between this forum and others…good photographic work actually “generated” right here and a lot of friendships coming out of it too…
my suggestion would be that we should enjoy what we have and do the best that we can to keep on enjoying what we have…
“the grass is always greener” somewhere else for sure…and we should always learn from others…but, let’s tweak this a bit and see where we are at the end of the year…
stay tuned….
cheers, david
i think any changes here must be simply to ensure the longevity of both the award and the community..
a new and easier way of displaying the work would be great.. easy to see and all that.
would be great to get the low down on how perp peeps see the place and what ideas ‘stuck’.
went to the hospital yesterday in prep for baby boys dropping.. fantastic.. comfortable.. all that bizz.. i found myself looking around the room as though planning a shoot.. funny.
the hospital even has a hotel attached for new mothers and partners to relax in the days immediately after..
this blog is becoming like woodstock.. a virtual city with all of life trauma and joy being laid bare..
DAH
i know it’s early to ask – do you have any kind of program for workshops in europe over winter / spring?
gutted to be missing new york.. will be over during may by the looks of it, and will try to drop by..
Some folks liked the images from Beltane I had printed at Perpignan so I’ve gone back to look at the collection. If you have the time, your picks would be appreciated from the photos at:
http://www.iseepeople.co.uk/firemonkey/beltane1/content/index.html
Cheers
hey neil..
that link of work kind of falls into my place photographically i guess..
you’ve got an eye for it and have a handle on the technical side of shooting in such difficult.. strange.. circumstance.. good one.
of all the circumstance i’ve snapped in, i think technically the work i have done similar has been the most difficult.. so many congrats..
all i would say is just keep doing it if you really enjoy it.. keep doing it.. do it to excess.. climb into the jacket and wear it till the cuffs are fraying.. and your sanity is waning.
if you have the stomach for it.. go for it.
NEIL
GREAT STUFF!!! What excites me the most are the dance shots inside the club and the ritual/fire shots outside at night. The make-up and busking shots are interesting but not in this context. You’ve got amazingly high energy going on and I like that energy to stay high.
I’m with David–if you find this captures your passion–and that’s what I see/experience in this body of work–GO FOR IT FULL OUT!!! You’ve obviously got the eye and the b**ls for it!
Patricia
Neil…..!
very very nice…!
LASSAL
I adore your Perpignan photo essay!!! You are such a gifted storyteller…in image and word. Now I REALLY want to be there next year! Regarding the tough images of war and brutality, I’ve been a peace activist for a long time. Seeing such things is deeply disturbing, yes, but oh so necessary. We must SEE the consequences of war before we’ll be willing to work for its abolition. I need to see such work. It feeds my passion for peace.
Regarding accessibility, the specific info you shared about Horst Faas’ experiences at the Park Hotel is just what I needed to know. I’m going to try to find a way to contact Horst directly. DAH, do you by any chance know his email addy? I’ll try his web site.
ALL
Your postings and emails about wheelchair accessibility at Perpignan have been invaluable! Audrey got specific info from the festival organizers and it seems their venues are mostly accessible. Now my concerns are about finding an accessible hotel, toilettes I can use around town, and dealing with the challenges of getting around a very crowded old city with impassable sidewalks and narrow streets made of cobblestones. But I’m NOT giving up! Hopefully we can find ways to make this doable for me next year.
Patricia
LASSAL
Wunderbar! Ausgezeichnet! I habe Ihre Foto-Roman aus Perpignan sehr gern. Danke vielmals!
JEAN
Congratulations on getting your web site up and running! I’m just starting work on such a project myself so admire your determination and follow-through. I love your photos of the dancers, especially the ones that give such a sense of movement. You have a fine eye and an obvious love of dance. I anticipate seeing more of your work.
Patricia
Here is Patricia,
Here is the link of the city of Perpignan tourism or we can choose hotels and restaurants accessible to the persons with reduced mobility
http://www.perpignantourisme.com
http://www.perpignantourisme.com/page.php?np=62
http://www.perpignantourisme.com/page.php?np=54
http://www.perpignantourisme.com/index.php?np=142&lg=UK
I think that the kyriad hotel is indeed because it is in full center but it is maybe a little bit expensive.
Kind regards, audrey
I just wanted to write Patricia, not here is patricia, bad manipulation!!
David, Patricia, Panos,
Thankyou for your input. Working with the people in those pictures involved a lot of time, effort and energy. It also involved some photographic compromises. Its good to know the pictures were worth it.
Patricia,
If there is a will, there is a way! I love the phrase “passion for peace”.
Merci beaucoup, Audrey! I have just emailed the Kyriad Hotel to ask specific questions about accessibility and cost. I’ll let you know when I hear from them.
Patricia
ok… just went through some of the older comments…
I fear I missed a lot though …
And DAH has already came up with a new post …
JAMES C
where in England are you? I’ll be in London at beginning of November for two shoots and a birthday party (someplace about 2 hours from there). Maybe there is enough time left for a coffee if you happen to be somewhere near … ?! It would be great!
BTW, James, while at the Poste in Perp, an editor (was it Times?!) came up to David and outet herself as a regular reader of the blog … Then she said she was looking for photographers in … hope I do not get this wrong now, but I think it was England, and more specifically Wales?! But she mentioned some more regions all up there. And was asking if there were blog-members who were in these regions…. You might want to go back to it and ask David for specifics?? He knew the Lady well.
Actually, when I think of it, there are a lot of people here where I missed where they are and come from …
BOB
just stumbled across your BONES. …. speechless … !!! Most amazing pictures. REALLY amazing … uff…
Thank you soo much for showing and sharing. And of course thank you for the one “dedicated” to us :))))
I really wonder how it will look like to have them all next to each other in an exhibition / book …
As someone mentioned, I think it was Panos: your photos do have an very own look&feel.
(still did not get my wonderful Giacomelli book … waiting … waiting …)
Good luck with the grant! :)
ERICA
having heard so many stories around and about your shootings & scanning, I am DYING of curiosity to see some of your pictures….!!! Hope you finish soon :))
Good luck!
GUI
I’ll get back to you as soon as I finish my assignments. It takes me a little longer to write in Portuguese nowardays :))
Thanks so much for localizing the “ã, õ” for me on the mac! Finally no excuses any more! :)
For further portuguese emails I can contact you via the email on your website, would that be ok?
BTW I met a slovenian photographer in Perp, who is constantly in Brazil and speaks astonshingly good Portuguese! I’ll try to meet him in Ljubljana at the end of the month.
JORGE
the most amazing photos!
I admit I made a screenshot of them for me :)))
(I always make screenshots, so I can include the domainname and find things again…)
Surely you know the works of Sugimoto?
ERIC …
just read your “Perpignan Impressions” – and … you made me blush! Thank you for the wonderful time we all had together and I really hope to meet the rest of your family next year, too.
BTW we will install Tony and the dog (Hunter) at some nice place at the beach next time, which would be another place to meet (for breakfast or so) if the rest of yourgang prefers to stay out of the photo-event.
So sad to have missed your edit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really such a shame ………..
Will you post the new edit on your site?!
ROBERT
Good light in Buenos Aires! Wish I were there too … Great place.
Take care with sending things by post. Especially “bulky” things that could arise curiosity … I would go for David B’s suggestion. Or maybe you know someone who could take the films with her/him?
We often did this kind of courier-service while living in Brazil. The whole community did that. So there was practically always someone travelling to the US or Europe. It was very practical.
LAURA,
sorry ,the long other post was for Patricia … do not know why I wrote your name on the top :)
As Horst Haas speaks German, I just happened to get the whole issue while they were discussing.
LANCE
I am still amazed at your rodeo-work. You are almost there! I have never seen David edit so little …
So the book will be out next year?! :))
PATRICIA
I am not finding the link to your new works, I just see everybody commenting … could you post it again for me, please?
BTW, if you look at the slideshow I posted, you can see some typical streets… And venue places.
ANNA, GINA, AGA, NEIL, YAN, PIERRE-IVES …
Slideshowwise:
I was not taking enough pictures in Perp and so I did not have any with you fully on. So sorry… :(
ANDREW, CATHY
:)))))))))))
Thanks for the sweet comments about my dog ….
ERIC
please do not call this an “essay”, it is really just an amout of snaps. I like these little reminders. It would work better if I did some more pictures on site … Glad you liked it.
No tight edit there, so all of “our” dinner pics and so many of DAH-edit pics are in… Would not be in in an essay of mine…
That is mainly why I did not show anything there to agencies and editors (I just had an interesting chat with someone from ANI … did I tell about that?? I do not even remember if I have written about it … ) But when I edit my stuff I am never satisfied. So I usually edit everything away. With my own stuff I guess I edit much tighter than DAH would …
So it is kind of relaxing to do these little snap-impression-slideshows that do not have to be really edited. My main issue with them is to get some sort of a narrative… It is for pure entertainment only. Nothing else.
CATHY
yeah … the pigeons. Actually I used them more as a symbol in the slideshow. Almost all of the exhibitions depicted some sort crisis. Often war and other cruelties … So I used this specific pigeon to stand for that, because I did not want to get further into it in the slideshow.
But I agree to what you said. Actually it is the first time I saw a pigeon like this. I wonder what happened that he did not see the danger.
ANA
did you get your portfolio seen by many agencies or just the two you mentioned? What are you planning to do now??
I felt so sorry for you when you were standing there in Perp seeing you time fleet away.
That was really soooo bad …
NEIL
thanks for the comment on DAH+Baby
Yeah, one really has the impression he is a master in this kind of things too. It was the first time I saw baby Atlas smile and laugh!
And…
great club-pics! I have no experience in this but I think it is quite difficult to do.
BTW Gursky is just showing some in his style (totale) here in the MMK (Museum der Modernen Kunst) … I think he made 4 pieces around a fancy club here in Frankfurt – and they went right into the museum :)
PATRICIA
we will all be there in Perp to help you get around next year! Just try to come early in the week. We stood there from Sunday to Sunday and had the venues more or less for ourselves the first 3 days. Later it became very crowded and it was more difficult to have a good view at the exhibitions. So for you it would be better to be there early and see everything while maybe talking to agencies (if you wish) and meeting people from Wednesday on.
SIDNEY
Ich danke Dir ganz herzlich für Deine netten Worte zu meiner kleinen Fotozusammenstellung … :)))))
LASSAL & OTHERS
The link to my new edit is
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/daily_life
Thanks for any feedback you care to give…
Patricia
Patricia wrote: “We must SEE the consequences of war before we’ll be willing to work for its abolition. I need to see such work. It feeds my passion for peace.”
You’re absolutely right, Patricia. We should not close the eyes if we really wish to make this world a better place than it is.
Peace,
Ana
ANA
did you get your portfolio seen by many agencies or just the two you mentioned? What are you planning to do now??
I felt so sorry for you when you were standing there in Perp seeing you time fleet away.
That was really soooo bad …
LASSAL,
Yes, I know you felt really sorry and concerned. I really wanted to get some feedback of my work and was kind of sad seeing that there was no time left for it. I’ve been working hard for the last year, left my old life behind, quit a secure job and bet on my big passion: photography. I don’t do photojournalism but just wanted to push myself to show my work and see people’s reaction to it. After all, I just could try to do it on saturday morning and just in two agencies. That’s all. But at least I got an idea of what they look for and what I should try. What am I planning to do now? work harder, finish my last assignment following one of the agencies advices (they said I should send it to them once I finish it) and keep on learning from every single shot.
Thank you for your concern. By the way, I did not show it to you either!
Hugs
Ana
ANA …
“By the way, I did not show it to you either!”
I know … I noticed …
Abraços,
Lassal
ANA
So what did you find the agencies were looking for?
Patricia
LASSAL
i really liked your ‘story’ of perpignan! that was very very fun. and for the rodeo work.. well.. i don’t want to rush it.. but i like where we’re headed so far! :)
BOB
bob bob bob.. i’m traveling now.. my mom is here in barcelona showing me how to be a trooper.. talk soon amigo.. enjoy yourself and your family..
abrazos, lance
LANCE
thanx! :)
And I’ll buy this book of yours whenever you are ready :))
David,
You described ‘the feeling’ very well and I am really fond of the text you wrote.
The results are probably unimportant to Nachman, he granted you the oppertunity and probably was very happy to see another human being take an interest in him and the Hasidics life style. In a more and more individualistic society this seems to become a rarity…
It would make me smile too.
The more I photograph the more I realise that photography is becoming less important. To find subject matter you have a genuine interest in is a true blessing. This camera is indeed an excuse to get in, to come close and when I find myself on the inside, when you are getting the freedom to photograph like you wish it ia a true gift of thrust you receive. To feel one of them, if only for a while gives amazing energy!
Thanks for writing it down in such a clear way…
Edward
I think I came across your blog via American Photo…I can’t remember now. Either way, I’m so thrilled I did. I would love to see more images from this experience that you witnessed. Indeed this is what photography is all about…I love surprises. Thanks for the inspiration.
hello mr david..
how are u today??
im agung from Surabaya, Indonesia..
i like your photography experience..
someday i hope, i can be like you…
btw,,,do you mind 2 visit my blog and give it comment to my photos? this is my address
http://agsapto.wordpress.com
thank you very much