in my last post, i implied that perhaps not all was right with the world….yesterday afternoon at this exact time i was filled with apprehension as we drove across the mountain range that separates Oaxaca city from Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast of Mexico…twists and turns in the steep mountain road presented at least three near death misses, probably the "normal" stats for a 6 hour drive on this particular road….
my fear however was not the winding Mexican road nor the seemingly out of control cars narrowly missing our van head on nor the fast failing brake system on our Chevy van ….but i was scared to death that Barack Obama would not win…of course i knew he was ahead in all of the polls, but i could not let myself get too excited nor project victory in my own mind…i was prepared for disappointment….i had cast my vote before leaving New York, but i was so so afraid that some who were enthusiastic about Obama would just not go to the polls….
our Oaxaca workshop crew, taking vacation to the beach, and having survived the trip; Anton Kusters, Marie Arago, Mike Courvoisier, Maya Joseph-Goteiner, and Michael Young , could not believe the text messages coming to us within an hour of our arrival in Puerto Escondido….Obama was THE MAN!!! next President of the United States…we rushed around trying to find a television and saw Obama's acceptance speech and immediately ordered a round of celebratory tequilas…
Barack Obama cannot "save the world", and if any President must face a "twisting mountain road" it is Obama….but, at least some amount of pride must be shared by most Americans and hopefully by our international friends who have been so disappointed by many American foreign policy decisions in recent years…i have not felt proud of my country's leadership for some time now , and we have a lot to do to restore at least some confidence in America, but i feel so so proud today that my countryman have chosen Barack Obama….
what does any of this have to do with our photography??? maybe nothing, maybe someting…strong leadership inspires people to go to work…to fix things….sacrifice perhaps…possibly put a "brick in the wall" ….some of you will use your work to promote "understanding" , to show wrongdoing or injustice, or to send any kind of message of hope…we cannot "save the world" any more than can Barack Obama…
but, aren't things at least a little better than they were yesterday at this same time????
Indeed, a better day… and one more step toward a better world.
morgan
Yes They Are!
A new friend (who is going to be helping me with my MM) just put this together with his friend /working partner..a little glimpse into last night’s excitement her in the city..
Yes We Can!
http://ryanroco.com/multimedia/yes-we-can/
I was a digital tech for a photographer in watts, ca yesterday. we captured voter turn out for the election yesterday that’ll be in newsweek in a day or so… We started shooting at 6 am and there were people in line ready to vote. Every single person we met was just so happy that Barack even had the chance… When we all found out the whole city glowed brighter everyone cheered and was smiling and driving around LA today I feel like everyone is just so relieved and happy. Time to go out and shoot.
Hi David,
Glad you managed to celebrate with your students – though out of the country (maybe an inconscious way to “protect” yourself, just in case? :)
It is INDEED a better day!
I was in Times square the whole night – magis, powerful, amazing, totally! I’m not american (belgian/canadian born in Africa) but I truly was proud!
Friends abroad that I managed to talk to were feeling pride and hope for the US.
Yesterday, something changed… You could feel it in the air! Today, the horizon seems clearer, brighter (and it rains on NY)…
Sounds crazy doesn’t it?
Finally, someone’s at the helm and I can definitely see myself staying in NYC a while!
David, maybe we can finally meet once you get back ?
Enjoy the sea!
It’s time to change and America showed to the world that it can be done. Probably this is somethings as strong as the Berlin wall fall in 1989. He is the man of the people not just for the “few people”.
let’s see what will change…. by the time I keep photographyng ;-)))
Hope you enjoyed the Oaxaca workshop welcome back.
Indeed. I was hopeful but still had my fingers crossed.
There were parties all over Toronto, mostly private, some public.
The public parties were called Welcome Back America.
There’s a lot of pressure on Obama, but he has done swimmingly so far under pressure. I can’t wait for January 20th.
PHHHEEEWWWW! (that’s one big sigh of relief!)
I spent the night wedged next to my (very) American wife in a packed bar in a tiny town here in Guatemala. Not only Americans though!… (although probably the majority) but Europeans, Aussies, Canadian’s all screaming with glee as the results came in!!! It means a huge amount to America, but it was amazing to see the international support for Obama too. Very moving.
Its been an interesting but often saddening experience traveling over the last year with an American and witnessing first hand some of the real prejudice towards Americans from other nationalities. This is a huge, huge step to healing these wounds.
I think it might be safe for us to come back now!!!
LANCE: forgot to mention (in all the hubub) I enjoyed seeing True Grit on the 37th frame last week! Nice one! Looking good!
Viva Obama!!
James
Wonderful night it was, yes indeed, and one day when our country shone again to the eyes and heart of the world.
Yet AFAIC, tomorrow will be even better compared to today: I’ll land in Bangkok!
Perfect re-run for this thread:
http://www.pbase.com/uc/image/105525849/original
http://www.pbase.com/uc/image/105539621/original
Ohhh, yes, so much better… I don’t think I realized the significance of this until it really happened, (out of fear I guess that it is not going to happen). Than it hit me last night, watching the Tv coverage, how big this is. There sure is hope.
Woke up my 11 year old son this morning and his first word was “Obama?!? Is it?” Yes my son, it is… Than woke up my 7year old girl and the first thing she says “Obama won, right?”… Right, baby…
New energy… I feel it here in Montreal… so much that I had to comment on this blog after a few months break… best to you all…
Last night I sobbed my way through Obama’s victory speech. They were tears of joy mixed with tears of sadness over what my black friends have suffered since their ancestors arrived on these shores so long ago. Yes, the physical abuse was horrific but even worse has been the lowered expectations handed down to them and reinforced by institutionalized racism. The saddest thing has been the internalized racism that caused so many persons of color in America to give up before they’d even tried to excel in any field except perhaps sports and entertainment. But yesterday changed all that.
So, for me, Barack Obama’s victory is more than simply the best man for the job becoming president of the United States; it is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream coming true.
I never imagined this would happen in my lifetime. After all, I remember black people and their white allies being fire hosed, attacked by police dogs, beaten, jailed, and killed for simply wanting the vote! And now a black man will hold the highest office in our land, a position that can affect the course of world events.
Black or white, I believe Barack Obama is supremely qualified to be our president, especially in these turbulent times. He has proven himself during a 21-month campaign that tested his determination, character, experience and leadership abilities. I believe he could well become one of the greatest presidents in our history.
So what does all this have to do with my work as a photographer? It gives me a fresh lease on life, renewed hope, increased energy and determination to make MY mark, as Barack Obama has made his, to dare to be ALL I can be, not to settle short.
Here is a composite I created today. Be sure to read the text…
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/105556101
peace
Patricia
i’ve been sobbing too, on and off, for 24 hours or so.
huge celebration here in seattle.
so many precious moments,
like the black young man yelling,
“I’m going to get a job! Tomorrow!!”
like he suddenly believed he had a shot at a better future.
fucking rip-my-heart-out stuff.
i am so loving this.
Hola David,
during the last 1 year and a half I’ve been the Creative Director for Luis Fortuño (our representation in the US Congress). Yesterday, this man became the next Governor of Puerto Rico.
This young man made history yesterday winning our elections with almost 300,000 votes more than his opponent, in a country where 2.5 milions people usually votes (85% of the poppulation).
This man represents to us a big change and a lot of hope…far from the traditional “machista” approach of our traditional leaders in the caribbean and latin America, he came with a whole different style saying that “la razon convence, no grita”….
At the beginning it was hard because people always believes that being “tough” or rude means been a leader…but this was not his style and he told us that it will never be….Little by little people changed their minds…and his ideas became more powerful than his image,,,, and now we have a Governor that is willing to work hard for our country that gave us a lesson about what truly leadership is all about…
Sometimes our leaders make us live under fears instead of make us live with hope and vision of a better future….I think people around the world is tired of these traditional styles,,,,people want to have dreams again and to work hard to make them happens….
I’m really happy about Obama became the President of the US…that;s a big change..to me the “change” means a new attitude more than anything else….a winning attitude,,,not to see the glass half empty anymore but half full…
This was the attitude my father had when we had to left Cuba back in 1963 and start from 0 all over again…..
Here’s a couple of pictures from “Cierre de Campaña”
http://chacharapr.blogspot.com/
un abrazo.
Carlos Rubin
Yes it was indeed a pleasure to watch and listen to president elect, Barack Obama, giving his speech to such a wide audience. He indeed is a spirited person, looked like a winner all along, most of all I like the confidence he instills when he speaks:
“Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”
- Obama
McCain was also very gracious in his good bye speech, free from the burden of anxiety.
…I have, for a long time been following this election here in India, even discussed it with my Indian American friend who was here in Calcutta before he cast his absentee vote at the American consulate here…yes he voted for the Democrats! :)
Thank GOD Barrack won. Looking at the way he carried himself during the election, with intelligence and determination, level headedness but also with inspiration, you can see he will be a good leader. maybe great. That will be decided later but he does start with something no one has started with in a long time: a fantastic feeling of enthusiasm and inspiration in the people who elected jim. I cant remember any leader who has had so much to start with. After 8 years of a nightmare, it feels like a new morning. I am too young to remember Reagan’s election, I lived in a communist country then and besides, I was only 4. But from what I read Reagan breathd new life into a dcountry down on its knees. It seems Obama has done the same.
And I must say that while McCain was gracius in defeat, I will never forget the gutter he sunk to to try and win this. I will never firget the way Obama was ridiculed at the Republican coonvention by Lieberman, Giulliani and Palin for his community work. I will never forget the way the McCain-Palin camoaign fanned fear and hatred, spread lies and insinuations. McCain says he is proud of his campaign. Thats all I need to know about him. So while his speech yesterday was gracious, I dont believe a single word was said with conviction.
Let my pictures say it for me…
AMERICA DECIDES…
http//:www.lisahogben.com/
Let my pictures say it for me…
AMERICA DECIDES…
http://www.lisahogben.com/
Rafal, Reagan campaigned on hope, much as Obama did, certainly not in the progressive sense but similar in tone and can-do message nonetheless. And I agree with Bill Moyers, I too sensed from McCain that he was horribly pinched during the campaign, making his bed with those that had despised him four years earlier, you could see it in his face, trying to tamp down the fear-mongering and disrespect perpetuated by some of his own people … his campaign created a monster for which he ultimately must take responsibility but I feel sorry for him too. Pity is perhaps the worst result of this election for John McCain, for someone who has had to be so strong and has served his country with honor. The challenge ahead for Obama and America is huge, many issues on many fronts, but underlying and weaving through it all is a systemic malaise, a failure of many institutions and dreams, a systemic betrayal of the majority of working class citizens by the media, corporate interests and government leading to a full systemic failure … and we know it now. There is an awakening to this, to what is wrong, and to what is important in life. It’s not the SUV. I still maintain I see this growing awareness everywhere and I still believe something is coming, something MORE. Perhaps this was the beginning, I don’t know but to fix this current mess … it will take another great generation and an inspirational leader. I do have hope. Now.
I wish I knew what to do, personally. I may yet figure it out.
… beautiful night here in the desert…
I can see the stars.. so bright…
It does feel like things are starting to look brighter than it used to be……and a sense that there is hope to the future of a better world.
The sense of hope and revival here in Austin – in the U.S. – is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it at this scale.
Today the air was filled with pride, revival, redemption, catharsis, hope, relief, elation, disbelief… none of these are an exaggeration. This election has restored a real sense of hope that we Americans can take pride in.
Here are a few from last night at Scholz Beer Garden in Austin:
http://rosenfieldphotography.com/data/web/2008_ObamaWins/index.html
As an American living the nightmare of G.W. Bush, I can’t express enough how hugely important this election was. The election of Barack Obama is a welcome symbol of healing, hope, and progress on so many levels.
I don’t think anyone here is under the impression that digging out of the massive craters we are in will be easy. But for God’s sake, this is a giant step in the right direction.
yes, i over-use the word ‘hope’.. i’m tired. :)
LISA, fantastic work. There’s as much emotion pouring out in Australia as there is here in the States!
DAVID: Yes! The world is looking much better to my eyes too. And to echo the words of the UK prime minister (if said a little stuffily)… this is a decisive moment in history, and will forever be, for as long as history books will be written.
Here in Dar es Salaam, the people are overjoyed. The effect of just seeing Obama’s face on the TV as the incoming US president is heartening everyone here. People were shouting and screaming with joy in the morning when the news was aired. By the afternoon, they were more peaceful – but looking contented to me. At the internet cafe, the manager was wearing a bright orange shirt this morning and I said you’ve got a ‘happy shirt’ on today. He said: ‘Yes. I am happy today because of Obama’.
I must try to get hold of a friend in Zanzibar who has put so much energy into an effort to get Obama known by the people there. He stands by what is now called ‘The Obama Tree’ almost every day. I don’t know how many visiting Americans changed their vote because of him – probably just a few – but I know that a number were so impressed by his efforts and totally amazed to find that people so far from the US were campaigning for Obama, it helped clinch their decision too.
I also want to thank you for the work you have done that has contributed to bringing this milestone in history about – starting from your very first story I believe. Thanks a lot!
Now I just pray that Obama will be given the support he needs to deliver on his promises and that his efforts and love of people will help bring a little more peace around the world.
Have a great day everyone!
Peace,
Jenny
On waking this morning, my wife said, “I’m so happy!”.
“Why?”, I asked. “Because of Obama’s win.”
She has been saying all along that he is bound to disappoint due to the enormous burden placed upon him but that a black person should be elected President of the United States of America is just such a huge event.
The nature of her work means that she deals with issues of race all the time. Issues of stigma around mental health issues, particularly in the black community has made her sensitive and this US election just means so, so much on so many, many levels. Not just for Americans’ but for all of humankind.
Yesterday I noticed several passers’ by on the streets of London wearing Obama badges. It was a marvelous thing.
Now let’s get on with the tasks at hand and make this world a more tolerant and peaceful place for our species. Americans’ did good. Now let us all follow their example.
I miss being there. But ultimately, I’m very happy to be closer to family here in Europe. Mind you, Obama and the American electorate have shown us all that we are ALL family.
These are happy days indeed.
As an Irish person who grew up with “The Troubles”, the sectarian violence and utter hatred that fueled decades of murder only to see a peace process take hold with bitter enemies sitting together to pursue peace and reconciliation, I am not entirely surprised at this marvelous turn of events. No one in the Ireland that I grew up in could have imagined an end to that conflict in their lifetimes, yet it did happen.
It’s societal evolution. It’s democracy. It’s about people collectively taking responsibility. It’s about individuals taking ownership of issues and addressing them as best they can for themselves and those closest to them. It’s also about strong leadership to empower people to go about improving their lot and challenging them to make demands of those in power. It’s about getting the ball rolling. That’s what Obama has managed to do. That’s what the leaders in Northern Ireland managed to do. And the hatreds in Ireland were not just decades old, they were the stuff of centuries.
I feel good about humankind today. About human nature.
PAUL: I agree with your every word. And, very few can imagine a day when there will be world peace either. Perhaps all it requires is BELIEF that it can happen and the will on an individual level – much like what came together to bring about this milestone in history. Now THAT would be progress of benefit to ALL humanity and this planet that ‘gave birth’ to life.
I hope you and your family have settled well back in London. I missed the autumn leaves falling…
Jenny
Dear Jenny
Thank you. The settling in continues.
I’m currently busy getting as much of my back catalogue as possible into Alamy’s servers, now that the PhotoShelter Collection is no more and you reminded me about a fairly sizable collection of autumnal leaves pictures that I should prep. Again, thanks.
http://www.alamy.com should any of you be interested in some help with stock distribution. I know photographers that make good money here. I’m hoping it’ll form a backbone to my business endeavors here Euroside.
Best,
Paulyman
http://www.photohumourist.com
Hey, it’s not over with the election!
Obama is a good start, but now you’ll have to keep an eye on him for four years. I hope that all the social networks that he has laid in his path to the election day keep in use for the people to have more direct power on the government… if you can gather 100k people for a speech, so you can for a protest!
Yep, it seems a better world also as you can see it from Italy.
one from the gut:
LANGSTON HUGHES
Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed–
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek–
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean–
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today–O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That’s made America the land it has become.
O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home–
For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore,
And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came
To build a “homeland of the free.”
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we’ve dreamed
And all the songs we’ve sung
And all the hopes we’ve held
And all the flags we’ve hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay–
Except the dream that’s almost dead today.
O, let America be America again–
The land that never has been yet–
And yet must be–the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine–the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME–
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose–
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath–
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain–
All, all the stretch of these great green states–
And make America again!
and i should add simply:
above all what i value about Obama, and what, even amid the acrimony of so much nihilism and shit, so much sadness and cynicism, what i value so much about him and what i’ve always valued about, true or illusion, about growing up in the states, aint patriotism but gospel hope…
to hope that while we are alive this short breath of time we can make a difference in the lives and suffering of others…
hope has returned from the mountain top…
and it sets me alight….
bob
first I want to make an observation…
I think people (non-Obama supporters) should take notice of the reaction, both nationally and internationally, to Obama being elected. There is more celebration going on then when the Berlin Wall came down. I think people should dig deep and try to see the reason for that.
And from the non-Obama supporters who would say that “the world is celebrating because we now appear weaker or easier to take advantage of”, I would point out that is probably similar to what the communists felt when the wall came down.
Now for a rant – and a reason why I need to find another newspaper to work for or go freelance….
I shot an image last week at an Obama rally here and got a pretty nice image.
You can see it here….
http://archive.petemarovichimages.com/c/petemarovichimages
I found out today that my editor pointed to that photo on the front page the next day while talking to another editor and said that the woman in the photo was obviously not qualified to vote because she cannot separate her emotions from her decision……………………
……… I was prepared to rant but I find I am still speechless………
fuck…….I gotta go…..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28163560@N02/sets
then click Obama
Photo taken in Charlottesville, VA ice cream shop during the festival of the photograph. Image a bit out of focus (unintentional–low light) , but you get it anyway for this man’s beautiful smile. I want things to work for him and for us all–but it is going to take everyone pulling together. My husband is a McCain supporter and is not thrilled thinking this is not the answer . To see so many unite and feel so positive is such a good thing though. Somehow I’m thinking of Dickens’ Tiny Tim–”God bless us everyone!” And that means everyone.
If Obama starts wearing ridiculously baggy trousers and walking sideways I’m blaming you Harvey!
Doo do do do.. “can’t touch this…”
PATRICIA….
thank you for your comment….so so well put…i feel the same …
i will be returning to New York on around the 16th (quick trip to London after Mexico)…i want to get with you soonest to see where you stand on your book…
CARLOS RUBIN…
nice you have you back here and writing..i plan on coming to Puerto Rico soon, so i hope we will have a chance to meet….
PAUL…
i feel the same…sometimes the “right thing” does happen in the middle of chaos….human nature does seem to swing wildly from one extreme to the other….this is a good “swing” … let’s celebrate and take advantage of the “good vibes”
peace, david
AKAKY, DAVID MCG., and other non-Obama supporters,
In Washington State where I live, voting is now almost completely done with mail-in ballots and there are few traditional polling places any more. But from 2000 until 2006 I was a poll worker for our county in both primary and general elections, setting up the polling place, making sure the machines (punch cards with chads!) worked properly, checking the voter registration lists, handling provisional ballots, counting the cast ballots to match the list of voters, cleaning up afterwards, and then hand-carrying the locked ballot boxes to the court-house for the count after the polls closed. The system was set up so that there was at least one Democrat and one Republican working together at each polling place, and both had to sign off on the final tally. I often worked at the local university polling station, which could be extremely crowded and intense during a general election, especially a presidential election, with hundreds and hundreds of provisional ballots from students or others with questionable registrations, changed addresses, misspelled names, etc., and we had to supervise a support staff of inexperienced young workers. We sometimes had lawyers from one or the other party ‘observing’ us, breathing down our necks. It was clear that my politics and those of the people I shared this responsibility with were often diametrically opposed, but we had to work together efficiently and professionally, depend on each other, and trust each other. I’m glad I had this experience, and I’m proud of the work we did together as citizens, sometimes under a lot of pressure. These were very long days, beginning at 5 AM and often not ending until midnight. I’d go home and collapse, not even checking on the state-wide or national election results until the next day, when I’d, as often as not, be bitterly disappointed by the results. But I felt good about doing my very small part to make democracy work.
We’re all in this together, sometimes our hopes are realized, sometimes they are dashed, every election must have losers as well as winners. But I think if we take a longer view, then in a real sense we are all winners, because our civility and mutual respect, and belief in a greater unity beyond partisan politics, mean that however flawed and imperfect our system is in many ways, it continues to allow the voices of the people to be heard. So don’t let the triumphal crowing of the Obama crowd (which includes me) get you down too much. Tomorrow we will still have to work together, we will still need each other. And I value your participation.
please USA, stop saving us…
Pete, that’s a fabulous image. I congratulate you for capturing it. I can feel your frustration. Frankly, your editor’s comment was utterly pathetic.
Paul you might like this one, too. :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/3006926367_6301eb2659_o.jpg
That we have elected President Barack Obama has made me proud to be an American for the first time in I don’t know how long.
For the first time in SO long, I CARE about my country. I love my President.
I also can not stop crying…every time I see the photos of him Tuesday night…see how happy the world is.
I know it’s not the end…only the beginning of SO MUCH work ahead but it feels like in that one instant the entire world shifted.
PETE… that brief story of your fabulous image is tragic.
Lance, terrific link. My kind of shot.
The whole Palin episode was just so weird. Like a badly scripted comedy. A tragic comedy at that. I tried to shake it out of my head but it just won’t go away. It annoys and distracts intensely.
*&^%$!!!….
Yes, as great as this Obama win is, and all that it means, let’s not forget that nearly half of this country voted for her to be V.P. Okay, never-mind yes forget it because it’s horrifying, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone when she pops up again in the public eye sometime down the road.
“but, aren’t things at least a little better than they were yesterday at this same time????”
In a word…no.
PETE
Your image is one of the most iconic I’ve seen of the entire campaign. The response by your editor says everything about where HE is in his professional and personal development, and absolutely NOTHING about the quality of your photo and the depth of meaning this election had/has to the woman you picture. Some of us still have a LONG way to go.
DAVID
I just keep plugging away on my self portrait/daily life project. Whenever I have new images, I post them in the following gallery to be reviewed:
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/for_review13
PASSWORD patricia
Check it out when you have time. Of course, everyone’s feedback is much appreciated. You can email me at croneart@comcast.net
peace
Patricia
AKAKY: Why are you telling them that?
AKAKY IRL: Why am I telling who what?
AKAKY: Telling them no like that. Come on, they won, let them enjoy themselves.
AKAKY IRL: Hey, he asked. You dont want an answer to a question dont ask it.
AKAKY: Hey, it isnt that bad.
AKAKY IRL: Oh, dont be ridiculous, of course it is. If this presidential gig doesnt work out, the junior senator from Illinois can get a job selling vaporware for Microsoft. Or he can do what he usually does with elective office: campaign for the next job up the ladder. That might be a bit difficult now, of course; Benedict looks like he’s in good health and then there’s the question of what to do with Michelle and the kids. Still, he’s never let that bother him before, although I think he’ll have a tough campaign of it; I just dont think he’s going to get the Catholic vote this time around. I could be wrong about that, though. I’ve been wrong before.
AKAKY: You’re being bitter.
AKAKY IRL: Dude, I’m always bitter; it saves time.
Pete, it is an ironic story given that particular newspaper, which was once at the heart of the greatest political machine Virginia has ever known … and I suspect objectivity had little to do with it.
Despite what most people believe, I do think American political reporting is objective today, painfully so at times. It’s a trap (and this from someone who would not even accept a cup of coffee in the course of reporting once upon a time). Life is not devoid of emotion. This “objectivity” waters everything down to pale milk and leaves reporters with little to fall back on except to “report the news” and that ultimately equates to such inane subjects as parroting speeches and coverage of what Sarah Palin is wearing today.
So Pete, in the end take heart that the only truly meaningful thing to come out of American newspaper political coverage, the only historical record to capture the raw power of the time, is the photograph.
But you already know this because you’re not a parrot, you’re a photographer ;-) You get it, even if others do not. Keep on keeping on.
It took about 2 1/2 hours after the news outlets announced Obama as president and only as I began edited images from the evening, that I allowed myself to feel elation.
Obama is a human being. Not a superhero or other less desirable terms I’ve heard tossed around. I truly hope that for the sake of this country we will accept this but at the same time not become complacent.
As always, love reading your posts David!
Susan
SIDNEY…
ok, my friend…YOU get my vote next time around!!!
AKAKY…
hmmmm, it is hard for me to imagine that you could say “no”….however, i do totally accept points of view different from my own…as a matter of fact, i would RATHER talk to people who have a different philosophy from mine..i listen to Rush out of sheer curiosity and will watch Fox News for the same reason…
i do think that most photographers and writers who travel the world would be most happy with Obama, but i would be most happy to listen to you…perhaps this blog is not the place, but when you FINALLY come to visit me, we can share some thoughts if you wish…
in the meantime, your writing is most valued here regardless of political affiliation…
JUST ANOTHER SOUTH AMERICAN GUY…
i would agree with you….
cheers, david
TANGUY…
i will return to New York on saturday, but almost immediately off to London…back by the 16th…so, yes, let’s meet….
cheers, david
PETE….
nice picture…do not let up!!!
cheers, david