for sure you cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on the television in the U.S. and not see the latest "poll results" regarding the choosing of the next leader of the "free world"…polls, polls, and more polls….we have an international readership here, but i suspect the choice of the next President of the United States is of concern to one and all…
with world financial markets crashing all around us, and an almost doomsday paranoia seeping into the souls of even the most optimistic, certainly what happens on November 1 is of more than passing interest….
while the U.S. cannot be blamed for ALL that is wrong in the world today, it must surely bear a lot of responsibility…if a country rises to prominent world power, it must "take the heat" when things are a mess…and i think we can safely say that things are not exactly "tidy"….
this is a photo blog…..by some kind of unspoken consensus, we have all pretty much agreed here to not talk about religion , sex, or politics (the three most interesting topics in the world), but concentrate instead on the philosophy and practice of becoming better photographers….of course, everyone knows that becoming a better photographer is primarily about "awareness" and not necessarily knowing how many megapixels aunt Mary has in her new "point and shoot"…
so, on a sunny bright morning here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, 20 miles from the largest military complex in the world, and as i prepare to photograph a military family, i have decided to take my own international poll…
since we really should not go into politics here , i will couch this poll in photographic terms …you may fantasize either digital or film…black & white or color…..
who would you most like TO PHOTOGRAPH in January of 2009….Obama or McCain???
neither….
politicians come and go, just as empire come and go, but the faces of the lives of the people that persist are what matter…
appropriate in light of all the discussion:
“Nous sommes, nous tous, les pèlerins qui se battent le long de différents sentiers vers la même destination.”-saint-exupery
those who dont know french:
“We are, all of us, pilgrims who struggle along different paths toward the same destination”-s-e
до свидания
afraid of being forgotten in the end of the last post…
ALL
i had several issues when updating comments on my blog reader, but now it works!!!
http://jnss.x10hosting.com/dah_reader/
MARCIN
i like your color photos. I’m asking myself the same questions…wanting to make everything simple…not easy…
ANTON
i looked at Birgit presentation, love it!!!
I’m happy for you, that you achieve to make something ‘finished’, even nothing is never finished…
Congratulations.
PANOS
i like your Dark Child #2, i prefer it to the first serie.
ERICA
I think your 4×5 work can lead to something very interesting, good luck!!!
Just a question, you seem to use a lot medium format, does it bring you something that digital doesn’t have? Just collecting answers to my own questions, to make my decisions about hypothetical projects…thanks!!!
HERVE
you made me laugh a lot
Coluche!!!
CRISTINA
i love your photos. N° 10 is wonderful to me.
thank you.
BOB
I love St Exupéry!!!
peace to all
who would you most like TO PHOTOGRAPH in January of 2009?
1) ordinary people
2) aliens
3) my wife (forever)
4) Cate Blanchett
hhhmmmm…. I not see any Obamas and McCains also….
BOB
i take your comment to mean that it doesn’t make any difference who the president of this country might be…
perhaps i may have completely misread you?
ANDREW S
from the last dah post…
many many powerful images on your site; not certain that the new brazil work is up to the level of the others as a whole yet some powerful shots… i understand that it is a work in progress… someone said a couple of them were “allardesque” and i agree… some are “DAH-esque” too… not that that’s a bad thing! … samba / dancing… where’s the joy? … based on your site you seem like a serious guy, thoughtful… and WAY TALENTED… please keep shooting and sharing, your work is as good as anyones, in fact better than most… Panos said he’d comment, curious to hear his take… Erica’s comments seem on the mark as far as looking closer to home for subject matter…
DAH:
BHO is my man. the hate coming out of the palin rallies is staggeringly depressing. we exist in a troubled world.
PEOPLE:
please vote.
JD
….by some kind of unspoken consensus, we have all pretty much agreed here to not talk about religion , sex, or politics …..
who would you most like TO PHOTOGRAPH in January of 2009….?
OBAMA… because he is NOT religious ( although he acts like one )
because he is SEXY….. ( he has a hot wife )
……………because he doesn’t look like a Politician ( although he really is ONE OF THEM )
either way though
… recession, depression, financial disaster, stock market crash…
all that is coming fast … like an avalanche coming down the mountain…
no Obama or McCain can save us from Bush’s DESTRUCTION….
not even the LOTTO can save us from all the stealing,
all the corruption , all the nastiness that being introduced by G.W.B…..
and his war loving party…
half of the money of this country already been spent..
for camp David renovations ( G.W.Bushe’s palace )..
strippers, ESCORT SERVICES, lots of cocaine and
generally “good- republican- times”…
7:54 am..
morning y’all…
i already feel ready for a beer…
( the japanese market is also about to crash…)
who can really fix all that mess??? coz we all know who did it !!!!
peace
peace???? what the hell is that ??????
i would LOVE to photograph McCain screaming…. “what the fuck was i thinking picking her?”
Wonder what BOB meant by
“last comment for me on the blog….”
anyone notice that?
but BOB just posted again here so maybe I am misunderstanding?
What’s up BOB? :))
I already have photographed Obama pre-election
which was a great FUN experience. I even got some positive comments on the photos.
So of course I’d like to do it again. :))
We’re in deep shit here…It’s going to be almost impossible for Obama (or anyone) to pull this country out of the mess it’s in but I’d sure like to see him have the opportunity to try.
Most have seen these already… here again, Obama in Espanola, New Mexico.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30716737@N08/sets/72157607836295661/show/
If this is a poll and the question is between the two (no write-ins) I would say I would most like to photograph McCain in January, (bw, MF) because this is a man who already wears many stories on his face and in his eyes, and insh’allah in January 20, 2009 he will not be sworn into office..Not that I personally wish McCain to suffer additional pain or adversity, but as far as photographic fodder goes, I feel that McCain would make for the more emotional portrait, and perhaps for a memorable time piece.
DAH
Lester never received his print from you..can you ask Michael if it was sent to a Singapore address / when / tracking..Les contacted me asking for a little aid in figuring this out.
Also regarding DRR, do you know what the specs are for file sizes..as I have to scan everything I want to make sure I have it right before I start my final scans. Any idea if DRR hosts MM? Not that I will be ready most likely, but just in case..or would you rather the only the stills be shown without the accompanying audio..
BOB
are you stepping away?
ALL
messages (and long winded at that, left to many of you on the last thread..)
ALL – the slideshow for LOOK3 2008 finally is up on the site…. check it out… http://www.look3.org
Who will I celebrate seeing as the newly-elected president of the U.S. on November 5, 2008? Why, President Barack Obama, of course!
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/102669822
in confidence
Patricia
Gina,
I love photos, places are splendid…
I looked plane tickets to New York (I didn’t find a ticket to Charlottesville)… perhaps, I shall be present…
AUDREY – check flights to Washington, DC (Dulles airport) too. There is a bus from NYC – cville and DC is 2 hrs from cville.
“Trust that it is the heart that sees before the head can see…” [Thomas Carlyle]
I’ve witnessed just one candidate who speaks consistently FROM the heart and TO the hearts of so many, both in and outside of America. Just one candidate with the potential to restore hope and heart to a wounded nation.
For me the connection between heart and imagery is everything so my vote in this poll (and the election too if only the INS would fast track my citizenship request)…
…victorious, grainy, bw, timeless images of Barack Obama being sworn in as POTUS, noon, January 20th, 2009.
DAVID et al …
Either, and their entourage, as long as it was backstage, on the trail, and personal, linking the moments with their greater sociological imagination … or lack thereof as the case may be … but not Quaylin, who will be just a very small footnote in history i suspect.
BOB …
I understand what you are saying Bob, and I am not sure of what you mean by the “people who persist,” perhaps you mean in a very personal way, but aren’t you being just a little intellectually, or philosophically, elitist in your dismissal of those who do in fact end up shaping many individual lives even if in a broader context? I think you and I have both worked for politicians, and seen the D.C. bubble on the inside, yes? I have seen much to dislike, mistrust and dismiss but I have also seen politics translate into meaningful change in individual lives. And I would certainly like to see some leadership shifts from the politics of fear to the politics of hope and I don’t think the impact of this change on the individual milieu and collective milieux can be underestimated. Bob, you know I greatly respect your viewpoint, everyone’s, so this is a discussion, not an attack. And yes, Mills’ work is a good read in these days, and important for humanisitic photographers especially ;-)
CATHY …
And Cathy, I had not seen those, thanks for posting the link again … excellent, a great broader sense of the event, Obama in context, really enjoyed that :)))
I assume you didn’t have press credentials which is increasingly of benefit if you know what I mean.
yamas, tom
In January 2009, rather than photograph Obama or McCain (of whom there are already far too many photographs), I would take a self-portrait.
The subject of the self-portrait would be far more important to the well-being of society and world than either Obama or McCain or anybody else.
Gnothi Seauton!
Bob leaving? What!? Yeah, what’s up Bob?
I mean, you understand this is the Hotel California, right?
I can’t personally imagine photographing either gentleman, nor wanting to. And that is simply because it is extremely unlikely that I would find myself in a situation where we were interacting as equals, in any environment that wasn’t totally controlled and scripted by handlers and Secret Service agents. And I do my best to avoid such situations! It comes down to “I have no business photographing Obama or McCain, because I have no business being with Obama or McCain.”
I think Simon G has a point here (I think everybody probably has a point here, especially Marcin L and Bob Black!), but the conclusion I draw is the opposite of Simon’s… rather than turning the camera on myself, which in a way is having the camera take a picture of the camera… I realized long ago that what I see around me, what I come in contact with, the people I meet, and how I interact with them, is who I am… and to ‘know thyself’ as Simon counsels, is (for me, anyway) to know the world through my own experience of it.
One reason I treasure this forum so much is the ‘reciprocity’ here. People not only speak to each other, they listen to each other. Rather than trying to score points, they try to understand… and sometimes respond to the spirit of what someone is trying to say, rather than getting hung up on the particular way they say it.
A society that is really free would be one in which all relations were characterized by what I call ‘reciprocity.’ Can we sit down and have a real discussion? And, in a way, although my talents as a photographer are woefully inadequate for expressing this, it is the attitude I try to bring to photographing these days… not to seek out photo events for their own sake, but to take pictures almost in passing as I live my life, meet the people I meet, gaze on the natural landscapes that surround me, have the conversations I have… and if my photos show me somewhat distant and aloof form the world, or hesitant to ‘get too close’ to an old woman’s face, so be it… that is an accurate reflection of who I am at this point of my life.
I hope that ideologies of hope, inclusiveness, optimism, and willingness to change and learn will prevail in America on election day, but not because I have high expectations of what any candidate will actually accomplish once in office… I know too much history, my memory is too deep, to believe that much of their agendas will come to pass… reality and the unexpected will intervene, unforeseen crises will arise, pressures will cause them to alter their goals and their expectations, at the very least to compromise, and maybe end up doing the opposite of what they promise.
In a way, a national election campaign is like a country taking a portrait of itself… in the midst of global upheaval, rearrangement, and widespread disillusionment (and I don’t mean just about banks or Wall Street or George Bush or even America), how do we collectively as a people wish to see ourselves? And to be seen for posterity?
Of course that Obama.
Being a foreign in the US, I think that portraits of people like McCain are getting too common and too old.
cheers don David
Extremely well said Sidney and certainly I am naive to believe there is such a thing as true “access” anymore in this age of scripted reality, that my own caveat for wishing to photograph either and, truth be told in my heart, it would be Obama, could in fact occur in any small way and yet, I still believe it could, in small moments. Not everything can be orchestrated or controlled and a few truths still slip through the curtain now and again.
I greatly appreciate what you say regarding the self portrait and understand a bit better the points of Bob, Marcin L. and Simon. And certainly, portraits of people in America today, a wide diversity of people in America today on the eve of this election, will have as much significance today and in the future as any photos of would-be presidents … perhaps even more as a true mirror of us at this point in time … but for me that does not lessen the importance of the candidates themselves, who they truly are, if that can be captured amidst the handlers.
And I still choose to believe that progress can come, in small steps and without full realization of the ideology to be sure and as you say, but still … I hope, I hope for change, I hope there is still some humanity in Washington, in the candidates … that they can, in fact, sit down and talk, be, like real people.
Have we all lost hope? Are we all feeling trapped and powerless in current history? And just when I am recovering from cynicism. Nuts.
Sydney, my thoughts in the spirit of reciprocity :)))
tom
I’d get some satisfaction photographing McCain watching Obama getting sworn in.
——
Okay, project process time. Here are portraits of some of the bullriders from last night… It’s one attempt to answer the question, “Who are these guys?” I foresee something like this playing a small part of the overall ‘Thirst for Grit’ project.. I’m trying to fill all of the voids eventually, no matter how small.
http://rosenfieldphotography.com/data/web/Rodeo_SanMarcos_2008_BW/index.html
As I typically say, I may try this again but differently next time. We’ll see.
SIDNEY, TOM H,
“I realized long ago that what I see around me, what I come in contact with, the people I meet, and how I interact with them, is who I am… and to ‘know thyself’ as Simon counsels, is (for me, anyway) to know the world through my own experience of it.”
This is precisely what I believe, and what I mean by the self-portrait: really looking at yourself and being *aware* of the way you think, the way you act and your relationship to others and trying your best to understand yourself better and better. Through this, you will understand human nature, and other humans, better.
I agree with everything you say about history, about the candidates and about reality and the unexpected, and I don’t think this is being cynical. Of course I care about the world and have my own opinions about each candidate, but I don’t for a second believe that faith in a politician or guru of any sort will make the world a better place; on the contrary, it will create antagonism and division (like the lines on maps I’ve talked about before).
I don’t know what the solution is, but I am certain that it will come from thinking things through for myself and acting under my own iniative rather than pinning my hopes on somebody else and making judgments based on what others say, especially politicians and religious figures whose main job is often propaganda anyway. *Real* change, *real* happiness, the finding of *reality*, can only come from *inside*.
well.. bobs gone then.. that was rather an odd goodbye.. enigmatic, sure.. odd also..
cheers bob.. hope your tributaries are easy to navigate and the river flows gently to source.. sorry to see you leave.. bump into you on lightstalkers i guess..
photos..
obama is the face and washington is the place, although i’d rather spend film on people with less loft goals than president :o)
FROM BOB FOR THOSE WHO MISSED IT
last comment for me on the blog….
appropriate in light of all the discussion:
“Nous sommes, nous tous, les pèlerins qui se battent le long de différents sentiers vers la même destination.”-saint-exupery
those who dont know french:
“We are, all of us, pilgrims who struggle along different paths toward the same destination”-s-e
до свидания
Posted by: bobblack | October 12, 2008 at 10:00 AM
I’m in Venice…
Waiting for Anna B.. To shoot the
craziness.. But.. What happened over here?
What am I missing?
Peace
It’s really none of my business…as BOB said it’s his path to take…
but I hope his leaving has nothing to do with BOB’S experience in NY or anything that was said or not said about Bones? The timing seems too much of a coincidence.
:((
“who would you most like TO PHOTOGRAPH in January of 2009….Obama or McCain???”
Tina Fey
DAH,
As said by someone in response to your question, it would be the candidate I found myself in the company of. Considering my political standing it would be Obama if any candidate. However, I think whatever neighborhood I am in at the time of the announcement of the winner would be a great place to be. And the most interesting place, too.
Lance, you do those cowboys GOOD. Your B&W work is impressive–tells the grit of the story.
Politics, sex and religion–neither one a topic that is offensive…just sometimes the tone of the conversation gets a bit too radical and pointless.
Lee
LANCE
I love the cinemagraphic feel of 1, 2, 3, 7, 11..nicely done! How did you light these?
Bush, Rumsfeld & Cheney behind bars…
or perhaps Palin moose hunting…
The Obama family in the White House .
ERICA
Thanks.. this cinemagraphic feel concerns me a little. . I want to sleep on it. I need to be careful to stay ‘consistent’ in my voice for this project. Although I like some of these pictures, they’re too fresh to me now to realize if they ‘fit’ or not. I’m thinking in terms of an eventual book. And for that I want to answer the question, ‘who are these guys?’ Which is what I’m attempting here.
Okay, anyway I lit them with two lights.. a little larger grid (about 18″ square) to camera right and a more specular light to camera left. If I could have balanced the ambient light better I would have, but the power on the lights was all the way down, and the shutter was about 1/8 sec. so I was in danger of ‘ghosting’. It still works for me though especially b/c I’m not too crazy about the setting.
ERICA…
we definitely sent the print to Lester a long time ago..i signed it and sent it weeks ago….and with the address i believe you gave us…we never heard from him directly…hmmm, curious….anyway, i will check with Mike to see what he knows…
CATHY…
i think if you go back and read Bob’s report of his New York experience, he would not be leaving for anything that happened there…as a matter of fact i cannot find where he says he is leaving…where is this comment?? did i miss something somewhere??? also, i have not read or said anything other than positive things about “Bones”….hmmmmmmm
SIDNEY….
well put amigo…good perspective…
by the way, i have not forgotten you and your slide shows..i think you know i saw each three times..would it be possible to have a phone conversation with you???
cheers, david
DAVID
Unfortunately it is not so easy to reach me by phone! Try calling me at (360)-715-1646… it is often busy (my dial-up connection) and sometimes will just ring and ring.. if you get the answer machine, try leaving a message… I may well be here and will pick up when I hear you talking… after 9 PM East Coast time (6 here) or before 11:30 AM ET (8:30 here) are best… tonight would be fine. Otherwise either leave a number to call or email me at satkins@telcomplus.net with a number and a good time to call you. Sorry to be so inaccessible… don’t take it personally! And there’s no hurry at all if you are, as I suspect, working on an intense schedule. Deeply appreciate your attention to my little shows.
Saludos
DAVID…
Go up about 7 or 8 comments…Patricia re-posted the comment Bob made at the end of Aftermath this morning…
Hopefully someone will be in touch with him off-blog to make sure he’s okay.
DAH
I’ll forward Les’ email to Michael..
CATHY
I just wrote Bob; I suspect he’s taking some time for his family..
LANCE,
Your portraits look very strong. I particularly like 2,3…Should certainly keep at least couple of these for the essay. By the way, I had seen your portraits in color as well on Facebook link…Looked pretty cool to me in colour man although clearly makes sense to stay B&W for the essay… Hope to see your final edit that I have missed. Looking good sir!
BOB,
A break may be needed for someone like you who has spent countless hours here…but break can only be temporary… you have shaped this place line no one else…recall what David said before….it will not do this blog without you so relax, take time and come back to us!!!!! We all love you man!!!!
DAH….do I really have to say who I wish to photograph in Jan….I already told David Mc that until I found out he was republicain I thought he was perfect :):) Obama inspires me like no other candidates… Something special is happening in the US right in the middle of this economic mess…I just hope he goes all the way…Cross fingers…
Eric
…still in Venice…
Anna B…just left…
The lights are Golden..
I introduced Anna to Jim M.
The girls were also there..(here)..
Ready
for VENICE ORGY part II…????
we talked about the stripclub,
Their first amateur night experience..
I got some portraits from Kristen..
Anyways..
I will get in the car to drive back to
the desert.. in a while..
Pat, believe it or not I wasn’t drinking…
;-)…
Well, I hope everyone is feeling a little
better tonight..!!!
LANCE
I hope your sleeping on it will make things clear..for me, just me, outside of your intent, I would say the cinematographic aspect works because at least one aspect of theses men is that they are performers..but is that a side you want to show?
ABOUT BOB
He’s okay, but indeed he is stepping away, though he’d rather not discuss why at this point in time.
Just got home from work. As usual, didn’t realize a new entry had started, this morning.
Cathy, I second your guess, and hope it is all wrong. If I recall, Bob made a gift, not a submission, of BONES to you david, and it seems he didn’t get much attention about it (just reading from the NY saga here), yet was more than gracious about it.
So, yes, I hope his/your leaving is not due to some kind of disppointment. Let us know, Bob, that it is not. Remember, not that long ago, we said we are family.
David, that has to be the unlikeliest entry you ever wrote. If O. gets by, it will definitely be history, and not just for folks here, but anyone with some kind of skin color in the entire world that’s been told to step back and let the boss first. That is what I will celebrate, and forget about shots, you can’t take pictures with tears in your eyes….
Ron Paul and Nader are still running, no?
LANCE – these are wonderful. i think 2 or 3 of these will flow beautifully with your project. nice work.
Obama,of course. Even though I voted for the gal candidate. Will be with you in Mexico for the election. Will be odd to be out of the US. May not you back if it turns out bad…
just made it to the desert…
I used to call this place home for almost a year now..
This place ain’t no home..
unless you are a scorpion or something!!!
Desert??? Right after Venice Beach???
Sucks… I’m happy & tired though..
I think we got couple of ok shots..
Tom Hyde,
I had you in my mind when I was shooting..
today.. Hmmm..
You see.. I always take your advice seriously!
;-)
…another eerie night…
I somehow feel all alone in here!!!
I know I’m missing something but,
but I don’t know what it is..!
A bit of a shocker. . . was good to meet Bob in person there a week ago. I hope Bob is ok.
Having photographed them both several times already, I presume you’re referring to once whichever one of them becomes President?
Surely, setting all politics aside, McCain has been photographed over the past decades many thousands of times, and the images of him were he to become President would look very similar to those of him before that, save for the inclusion of the Presidential seal. I can’t see anything exciting about that.
However, images of Obama are still fresh because he’s not been around as long. Moreover, and more importantly, the opportunity to photograph the first African-American President is a most remarkable thing to behold – and one that will be instantly historic, and in years to come, iconic simply because of what it would say about how far this nation has come in it’s short lifespan.
I want to stress – I am speaking here just about opportunities to make images of both. As a photojournalist who purposefully registered as an Independent, and does not vote just for one party or another, I work very hard to avoid skewing my images (or even a perceived skewing) based upon my opinions about elected leaders.
Regards,
John
About Obama in pictures, so far I can’t say I have seen “wow” photographs from him, something that just gives a us a glimpse of the man behind the normal physical appearnace of a smiling candidate. What do you think.
for example, the man we loved to hate, Nixon, what a great photographic subject. There are tons of “telling” shots of the guy. a few good ones were pulled off Kennedy (backside, looking thru the WH curtained window), Bobby and Johnson. Carter was a photographic bore, Reagan did OK, kind of toothpaste ad demeanor, 50s are here again (60s, what sixties?), quite telling in that matter.
Care to do a predidential photogeny round-about of your own? Interesting subject. Obama alone won’t get us going, so far IMO.
Hi David, I posted two links with my work, whath do you think about it? does it works?
tnx
baci cristina
http://www.cristinafaramo.com/casadonpuglisi_/
http://www.cristinafaramo.com/casadonpuglisi/