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????
my heart sings!!!
not just because barack was elected, but because WE elected him. we walked door to door to register voters, we made phone calls in our spare time, we passed out information, we talked to our neighbors, we gave money, and we stood in line sometimes hours to vote for him. we made a change. Does it change everything? no of course not. Could he still be a horrible president- yes maybe. But we’ll deal with that, when the time comes. For now I’ve got hope.
call me sappy, simple, naive, i don’t care. I’m tired of being cynical (in more than just politics)
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ”
…but this time it wasn’t just a small group. Thousands, millions of people saying f_you to people who sneer at “community organizers”. community organizing just won this election.
I celebrated our victory on Ust.. There were tons of people with cameras recording the event. I didn’t take my camera out. This time I didn’t want to record it, I wanted to part of it, shouting and jumping up and down and sharing my joy with thousands of other people.
what does that say about me as a photographer? i don’t know.
Mr. Harvey,
I understand what you’re saying, and unlike a lot of GOP people right now I don’t wish the junior senator ill, it’s just that I don’t think he can deliver any of what he promised and so the letdown is going to be much more cruel than it otherwise would be. With the GOP’s power of obstruction basically limited to the Senate filibuster, the new president will have to be the one to ride herd on a Congress full of old style Dems who think that the solution to any and every problem is to raise taxes and then spend the money, even if the Treasury doesn’t have it and even if raising taxes and increasing spending now will prolong the crisis. As for W, I think history will probably be kinder to him than the electorate is now. Remember, when Harry Truman left the White House in 1952 his poll numbers were in the dumper as well and the public had just taken their frustrations with him out on Adlai Stevenson, an analogy I’ve always thought apt in John McCain’s case, but one that nobody pointed out during the campaign. Still, his refusing to rein in a free spending Republican Congress that had caught Potomac fever and forgot why they were sent to Washington in the first place, and his throwing away three years in Iraq by listening to the wrongheaded counsel of Rumsfeld and the Pentagon are not going to look in good in any biography, no matter how well-written it might be. And I think that in his memoirs, Bush should dedicate a chapter to David Petraeus. It’s not every politician who can point to someone and say, that guy saved my ass in more ways than one.
BOB B,
thanks for the kind words. The anniversary was on the first and I went to the service and took pics, most of which arent that great; I was just trying to document the proceedings for the family, not try to make myself look good, but I thought you’d want to know what Carla actually looked like.
NEIL.
:))) Love it.
I will re-post your link for other Obama junkies:
http://www.xkcd.com/500/
AKAKY:
my friend, because of your beautiful tribute to her last year, i already “saw” her as remarkably beautiful….a point of undiminishing light…
that she was in the “flesh” as luminous as the young girl’s spirit i imagined last year, only adds to the pain…and the shock…
thanks so much for sharing with me….as i told you last year, i hope and trust you’ve shared that piece from last year with the family….
for that, they shall forever be grateful…
hugs akaky
bob
I’ve been reading the comments on this thread with interest. I guess Barack Obama has done more than bring our country back to a sense of who we are as a people, he has brought me back to this Road Trips community.
Yes, I was hurt by all the acrimonious back-and-forth that went on here a few weeks ago. I needed time to ground myself in my non-virtual life again. I was tired of riding a roller coaster of emotions over which I had no control. I guess I was just plain tired.
But I am tired no longer. What happened at 11 p.m. EST on Tuesday night took a huge weight off my shoulders, the weight of feeling terrible shame over what the president of my country had been doing in my name for eight long years.
Sure I’d fought it in every way I could. I’d been out marching on the streets with thousands of like-minded folks in different U.S. cities & Canada. I’d stood vigil with hand-lettered signs in Detroit, across the river in Windsor, Ontario, in San Francisco, CA and for weeks at a time all by myself in Washington, DC. I even spoke of American’s anti-war movement at a gathering of Muslim men, women and children in Beirut, Lebanon three years ago. I wrote countless letters-to-the editors, emails & blog entries, and co-founded a Detroit chapter of the Raging Grannies, old women whose dedication to peace & justice sends them out onto streets across the globe singing satirical political songs while dressed up in old-fashioned Granny costumes.
I was hardly apathetic.
And now a new president has been elected, a man who is much more conservative than I policy-wise, but whom I admire and respect. A man whom I believe will make our country proud again. Who already has.
The fact that he is African American means a great deal to me. It was that fact, coupled with my memories of having grown up in a racist south where too many black men, women and children were beaten, raped, jailed and killed IN MY LIFETIME for simply wanting to exercise their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to vote, that wrenched tears from me on Tuesday night and still do today.
My tears have nothing to do with idolizing the man Barack Obama, and everything to do with gratitude that I have lived to see this day.
No, he is not a “black” president; Barack Obama is the president of ALL Americans, white, black, brown, yellow, red and more mixes of color than we can imagine. And I know he will make decisions with which I will disagree, strongly & vocally if I know myself. But I also know he will be bringing his excellent mind, his compassionate heart, his organizing skills, his life experience as someone who had to work for whatever he got, his proven ability to bridge differences and listen to other points of view, his calm demeanor and self discipline, his basic goodness to every moment he lives in that historic White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.
In short, Barack Obama’s election has given me hope for the future. And hope is something that was in short supply for me (and many others) during the nightmare of these past eight years.
Besides he brought me back to you, my sisters and brothers who may not share language, cultural backgrounds, geographic locations but do share a love of photography, in many cases a PASSION for photography! And for that I am grateful.
in peace & solidarity
Patricia
I’m in VENICE right now…
Happy hour… $1.50 for a miller..
Expect a lot from me tonight…
;-)
No more words…I promise! Just one image that, to me, says it all about what happened in my country this week:
http://www.pbase.com/image/105620675
Patricia
David McG,
Just don’t pay attention to that. Pay attention to something else. We would all grieve mightily if you were killed….
Lee
My only comment in this political discussion:
Today I said, looking over my right shoulder, “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Lee
Hi ALL
a favor..am about to make a piece I shot for Boston Magazine ‘live’ on my website, but before I do, I’d appreciate your eyes for feedback or helping me catch caption typos or whatever you want to share..might be best to do this via email though, as it isn’t Obama related :)
for now, it can be seen by going to
http://ericamcdonaldphoto.com
private galleries
login erica
password erica (both case sensitive)
Growing Up Gloucester
It’s a story related to the pregnancy of 18 high school girls in one small town..about one girl who has represented the rest, including her bestfriend who is one of the moms..
also can someone please tell me if the link to the article on the magazine’s website (on the first page, overview) is working properly?
my email is erica at ericamcdonaldphoto.com
thanks so much!
ps..be prepared, it’s digital and ‘loose’, so is going to look different from what you have seen before by me..
Erica,
Tried but no can do. Won’t let me type in login or password, curser sits and blinks but no work…
Want to see your work very much.
Lee
Thanks Lee, I appreciate that. Now with any luck, Rahm Emanuel won’t send his thugs after me!
wrong login or password, Erica? Fast, gotta jet & wanna see it ;)
I think it is fixed.. try again..sorry / thanks!
ERICA,
The link to the article worked fine for me…. I cannot resist to the “pleasure” of correcting one typo in your captions :):):):)(says the man who makes typos all the time…)…
If you go to caption 6: you have a typo on “pregnant” (missing an “e” if I recall)….
Please check caption 19 as (maybe my english here) I did not know the work “special-ed” so may or may not be a typo…
Cool to see you doing this work Erica!. This reminded me somewhat of the type of stories that Lauren Greenfield would be doing….
Cheers,
Eric
ERIC,
merci merci..the E is in place is caption 6, and special-ed is changed to special education for greater clarity..
Good eye too, as ” Erica McDonald meets Lauren Greenfield” was the direction they wanted the pictures to go in!
JAMES,
The kite festival seems to have been quite an event.
http://www.jameschance.com/multimedia/jctextblog/mainboard.php?display=posts&topic_id=28
I was not aware of this tradition and it was great for me to see again in your pictures the colors from this magical country (my favourite picture is the first one with the boy with hat and the kites at the back..after that, I liked 2, 8 and 10).
I was in Guatemala last April myself for the Easter Processions in Antigua… The religious celebrations in this country are very unique… If you are interested, you can check the essay I did back then on my site (Final edit Semana Santa and Guatemala).
http://www.ericespinosa.com/main.php
I cannot wait to also see the essays from David’s students on the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca last week… Might try to go there next year… Anyway, thanks for sharing these images from Guatemala.
Cheers,
Eric
Hey Eric!
Yeah the festival was a lot of fun! I tried to check your work, but couldn’t get through on this try, bit of a slow connection right now.
The Easter celebrations in Antigua are amazing I know. I would love to see it some time. A good friend of mine has shot a lot of work there over the last few years. Check out http://www.alexfledderjohn.com.
Alex and I are heading off to Belize for a short trip tomoorrow so a bit pressed for time, but look forward to checking out your pics when I get a better connection.
Cheers,
James
from OAXACA
hello all
last day, returning home again… it was an intense experience…
for those of you who want to know how it works: david makes you go out there to shoot. relentlessly. every day again. and every morning at 10am is a class critique of the images of the previous day. the goal is that you find a personal story and that you go out and you shoot it. most people take a couple of days to find their “story” (not in the literal sense of the word, mind you), and all along david keeps pushing you to go further, get that one more image, start all over again if it’s not good, make even more images, lose a lot of sleep…
at the end the final slideshow was compiled and shown in the manuel alvarez bravo art centre in oaxaca for a full house…
not like we didn’t know that up front and weren’t nervous as hell already :-)
so that’s the reason why i’m showing this multitude of daily images… so you (and i myself probably) can find out where this all ends up…
david will be posting the final slideshow under the movies section soon, or so i heard…
:-)
so here comes all:
OAXACA
day 5 – story 1
“dark additions”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day5-story1/
day 5 – story 2
“gramma, grampa and kiddo”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day5-story2/
day 5 – story 3
“party in the streets”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day5-story3/
day 6
“i see ghosts”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day6/
day 7
“my closing image and more partying at dusk”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day7/
day 8
final edits!!!!
story one: “i see a ghost”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day8-story1/
story two: “i was a dog”
http://oaxaca.antonkusters.com/day8-story2/
hope you all enjoy…. i’m dead tired now, but i sure did…
i HOPE everything works, internet sucks here in the hotel…
peace to all
anton
ANTON,
Thanks for sharing the progression of the work with us. I absolutely loved your essay “I see a ghost”…So many great images. For me, that essay is by far the best one… I was less fan of the “I was a dog” personally…I preferred your B&W touch, the dark images, the shadows, the repetition of these eyes in the light….
Great work Anton!
Eric
very nice work by a 15 year old photographer :
http://eleanorhardwick.com
ANTON
My goodness, friend, you REALLY did the deed. Not only did you obviously work your tail off in Oaxaca but your work sings!!! And the song is uniquely your own.
It was most helpful to see your shoots day-by-day. When I then clicked on the two final edits, it was like seeing old friends. I’m glad you had two edits, one b&w & one in color. Each has a different feel, both valid. If I were to have to pick just ONE image, it would be #1 in the “I see a ghost.” That b&w image of the dog in silhouette at the top of the hilly street is emblematic of the Oaxaca I remember. Amazing in every way!
Safe travels, dear Anton. Thank you so much for letting us join you at this workshop…
love & hugs
Patricia
With a little help from my friends (big nod to young Tom for his help with the caption writing)
Growing Up Gloucester is now live at
http://www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com
feedback welcome..and thanks again for the help!
eric, patricia
at mexico city airport now with a hour to kill… thanks for he kind words… yes “i see a ghost” is for sure the main essay…
i am slowly figuring it all out, and david’s been the main drive behind that. a lot of hard work ahead for my photography, but at least i know the way to go now… i feel lucky and privileged to be able to use my visual language in this way…
plane’s boarding, gotta run… see you soon!
peace
anton
ANTON
safe flight, thanks for sharing the process..really good work! I agree ghost is primary, but I would love to see you keep working on things from a traveling dog’s perspective..where ever you may roam..
ALL…
my schedule:
today driving back across that nightmare mountain range to Oaxaca city…same van, new brakes (the driver says)…
tomorrow i fly to New York and i can catch up a bit here, but i do fly to London on the 12th…back on the 16th..
after that , i am all yours….no more workshops until maybe next spring….
after London , i will be full on with just two things: (a) family project (b) this forum (your work)
i have been absent here, as i always am during a workshop, but my mind has been racing..and so many good ideas from many of you are flowing in…
back to you soonest….
cheers et al, david
ERICA,
your passwords are invalid, at least on this computer
AKAKY
the gallery is public now, took away the password..look just under New York…
Growing Up Gloucester
DAH
get home safely..you are in one of my favorite places, but I think that road aged me quite a bit! The drivers seem to have it under control though, mas o menos :)
david
make sure not to point things out! remember the driver looks too :)))))))
safe travels amigo, and give my love to marie, maya, michael and mike…
will mail you all “soonest” :-)
anton
Anton
i never saw you work but let me tell you that when i see it i see intimacy, confidence and amazing timing something that in mi experience its so dificult to get at least for me.
felicidades
AKAKY: New brakes? My new brakes just cost me $894.01. I think it’s that extra penny that did it; it’s almost like a last flick of contempt from the mechanic. He couldnt have rounded it off? And this after all I’ve spent in his damn garage.
AKAKY IRL: No one here gives a rat’s ass about your damn brakes. You know that, right?
AKAKY: I know, but I just felt like venting. Sorry if I disturbed you.
AKAKY IRL: It doesnt bother me one way or the other, pal.
AKAKY: You’re a very understanding person.
AKAKY IRL: Piss off.
AKAKY: That’s more like it.
Anton,
The intensity and mystery of your images–for me especially the black and white ones–make me want to be in Oaxaca. I also enjoyed the color images in story two of the family–so rich and intimate.
David,
Safe travels. I am so glad this site continues with many wonderful images and comments. It is always interesting to see what is next.
Anton and Erica,
Saw your work. Wish I had seen Erica’s work without the article but was good to see.
Anton, Ghost for sure. Wondered where the dog title came from on the second one.
Lee
LEE,
how so? what did the article do or change for you?
ERICA,
Your story feels very “REAL”. Nothing surreal or tech about it. It just tells a story. Simple as that. That why I think I like it. Nothing added and nothing detracted.
ANTON,
Great work. I knew you had it in you!
Cheers
PEOPLE, people, people, this is entirely DELICIOUS and utterly poetic, check it out;
http://vimeo.com/2104162
David, although I am still wary of Obama for many reasons, I did feel relieved and motivated when he won. The elation all around me really rubbed off, too. Here is my ‘brick in the wall,’ which I was working on as Obama won. It’s a local story of immigration and struggle:
multimedia -
http://extras.parkrecord.com/video/castro%20video/index.html
written story -
http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_10897610
Erica,
Just thought the original photos you posted would have been more for us to see (bigger) without the article. Not that I thought the article was less or the photos, just wanted to see them without the article and couldn’t get signed in on your site. Nothing negative at all.
Lee
My Obama contribution…..
http://kimreierson.blogspot.com
Bangkok Nov 9th:
First night in Bangkok, I had the opportunity to meet a photographer featured in Peter’s 37th frame, for the opening that very mnight of his series on the loved ones families lost due to terrorism and violence in the Sotuh of Thailand. Masuru Goto. His works shines even better in prints than on screen, pleae take a look again, valuable work about a situation very few know about or even guess:
http://www.the37thframe.org/?p=498
Bangkok is always a hell of an happening place. Got to hook up with a few new people, thanks to Masuru’s opening, and street wise, if you have good shoes, and fully charged camera battery, never a dull moment.
I reflected again, strolling and shooting around, about the latest comments here on street P. and privacy invasion. Nothing of the sort here. people here love to enjoy themselves, and whereas you’d expect a frown or an annoyed stance, getting closer and stealthy, the most reaction you get is a hearty laugh and that great feeling so asian, that we are all participating in that game of life, and if you can’t share it, then what’s the point of getting up. A hell of a difference with this concept of privacy invasion and individual space as a fortress we are accustomed in the West.
To be continued…
Oh yes, pix:
http://www.pbase.com/image/105672887
http://www.pbase.com/image/105672889
ERICA
I’ve now looked at your photos within the context of the article, and on their own as a photo essay. Either way, your portrayal of this story is effective. No sentimentality or pulling-on-the heart strings, just plain old good documentary photography. Kudos to you!
HERVE
I love knowing you are home again in Thailand, and love seeing your photos and hearing your stories. Please keep sharing…
Patricia
TO ALL…
Tragic day today… This afternoon, I had planned to go to a boxing tournament taking place in the first gym I went to in Cincinnati, where I started my “Lords of the ring” essay…
I had not been to the gym in the past month and was looking forward to see “my” boxers again… One of the young boxers was not there… James who was only 18 had been shot to death 3 weeks before… 9 bullets!!! My heart is broken… James was a talented boxer and a relatively reserved kid… Some pictures of him made it to my final edit… He had started boxing at 8, early on, and was the son of a former boxer who made it into the pros, at least for a few fights… I tried to understand what happened the night he was shot at 4am downtown Cincinnati but no one really knows or wants to speak about it… Before the turnament started, the crowd had a moment of silence to hear the bell ring 10 times… tragic tradition to honor a boxer who has passed away… The father was here as well, strong still but tears in his eye… No words to decribe the feeling, the sadness… The coach came to see me afterwards to tell me that for James’ funeral, he had taken down one of the very large posters that I had printed for the gym (several of my prints are on the wall of the gym), the one in which James was surrounded with all his friends… The coach bought a frame for the poster and all the boxers carried the photograph during the funeral… They wanted to reach me and let me know what had happened but I had not left any phone number or anything so I just found out today, 3 weeks after…
I did put a small tribute to James on my site with some of the pictures I had of him… The poster used at the funeral is the last photograph…
http://www.ericespinosa.com/main.php
I remember sharing on this forum weeks ago an event that had touched me… James was a good boxer but maybe not the best… He had just lost a fight and was crying at the back of the gym… Hard to live up to the expectations… I came back to ensure he was OK and saw his mother come to him and shout… “Stand up my son, you are a man!!!! Well, James will never really become a man, he was just a kid… and 9 bullets, fucking 9 bullets killed him!!!!
Eric
Eric -
I am so sorry. I am sad for you, for the men and boys at the gym, for James, and for his mother. Tragic.
Kelly
that’s heartbreaking Eric..the image of James running will stay with me now..I send condolences to all and can only hope their world will somehow (Obama) improve for these kids..
on a personal level I am sorry that you were not aware of the funeral to say goodbye to James..on a professional level (which is personal for you too, I know) maybe through this tragedy you can create a path to look closer at the lives of these boys outside the ring..
Anton,
Really good work. I like ‘Dog’ – which I note is counter to what most others are liking. I like the colour mostly. photos 3,4,5,6,7,8.
‘Ghost’ probably has stronger photos, nicer comps but because I was exposed to the colour look you presented I wanted to see them in colour. Anyway 2!, 3,4,5,6, and last are good and essential.
Erica,
Liked the story probably not too keen on the mag selections — maybe too illustrative, didactic, and your other work has more depth. The irony of the cover of the guy with meat and article opening photo are um, interesting. ’2 girls in car with baby’, ‘white tank top baby on chair’ and ‘girl in green with football boy’ are very interesting – to me at least.
David Ryder,
The MM worked very well, very good work I say.
Kim,
What a road trip. Like the work. Why the occassional bw? The BW in my humble opinion were not better or worse than the colour ones around them so I was wondering…
Anyway, look how much work is being produced, excellent production, and lots in a finished form. Actual projects actually getting done.
Doug
Ok Erica,
Finally got to view all your photos instead of just the article. Not sure what the magic combination was, maybe I was holding my mouth right this time. The only thing I had was a link to the article itself and the photos were embedded in the article.
Now it all works. Thanks for sharing.
Lee