many of you have seen this book before, but i am sure many of you have not….my first work in print….i publish it again here now only because my friend Masaaki Okada, who was the designer/editor, died on December 21….Masaaki was a tremendous influence on me as a person and as a photographer….my first collaborator…
i met Masaaki my senior year of high school….he barely spoke any English, had few friends, and had come from Japan to help out his uncle who ran a gift shop in Virginia Beach, Va…Masaaki and i ended up as college roommates and close friends…Masaaki was the most talented person i knew at the time …a brilliant man with a sketch pad and painter as well…from Masaaki i learned about Eastern art and about the concept of not making anyone lose face…the single most valuable concept i know….later, i went with Masaaki to Hamamatsu, Japan and met his whole family when i did a story on the Japanese kite fighters….
just after undergrad school, when Masaaki and i did Tell It Like It Is , we were idealists….the $2. contribution was to go to the local church and intended to buy food for the residents of the neighborhood where i did this story… i lived with this family for the better part of a summer….our goal was to save this Norfolk, Va. neighborhood and eliminate poverty with this book…Masaaki and i were both 22…
Bruce Davidson is leaning on me to re-print this book (it pre-dates publication of East 100th Street by 3 yrs)…for only 4 copies of this book exist…..Masaaki and i threw away dozens of copies of Tell It Like It Is, not thinking they were of any real importance at the time…we sold few….after all , we were not important…living in a small Virginia town and not sensing any “place” in the photography world…Masaaki did not think it even appropriate to have my name, or his, on the cover….small type on the back jacket was all he would allow…i agreed…this was not about us, but about the people in the pictures….eastern humility…
a few weeks ago, i stopped by to see Masaaki in Richmond , Va. where he lived, a retired photographer from the Richmond Times-Dispatch…….in recent years i saw him rarely, but we picked up right where we left off….he thanked me for coming and gave me another one of his paintings from the outer banks where i now live…Masaaki was an avid surf fishermen and often painted the land that surrounds me…we talked of him coming down …i knew he would love the house, the space…but, that is not to be….
Masaaki’s paintings will grace my home always…more importantly his influence on me is forever….i did tell him this many times….he always shook his head in disbelief…..i wish i had told him even more…
Thanks for sharing the love, David. The pictures do not have one wrinkle in them, same as the soulful friendship that united Massaki and you.
sorry for the Loss..:(
What not to Remember !!!
VIVA MASAKI…where ever you are…WE DEFINITELY LOVE YOU !!!
DAVID,
Touched by your story and sorry to hear about the loss of such a good longtime friend. I have a few such friends, and know how I would feel about losing them. Recently I was reunited with one such, after a 42-yr. hiatus, and yes, it was like no time had passed. Wish I had time at the moment to write more, I am under a looming deadline, but you know that I know what a life-long friendship with a Japanese gentleman or lady is like, and my thoughts go out to you.
Sidney
mmmmmm…
from
my
heart
to
yours…..
tell
it
like
it
is……
XOX
Friendship… one of the most important gifts… un abbraccio..
Thank you for sharing Masaaki with us, David. I’ve often heard you speak of him and the profound influence he has had on your life. But when you told us of Masaaki’s death on Monday I did not recognize his name. Such a loss, to you and to all who knew him personally or through his work as an artist and photographer. Thank God you took the time to visit him recently.
The older I get the more I realize that when my time to die approaches, my only regrets will be what I neglected to do, not what I did. One of my dearest friends in the world, Nan Merrill, is within days and at the most, weeks, of her death after years of living with cancer. We talk on the phone every other day and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that I drove the 750 miles to visit her in Vermont for a few days last July. Like Masaaki for you, Nan opened my eyes to new ways of looking at and living in the world. She says she is ready to go and I’m trying to get past my selfish reluctance to let her go. Masaaki, on the other hand, had no time to consciously prepare for his death, but it sounds like he lived his life in such a way that he was always ready. What is hard is letting him go. David, I am with you in my heart as you travel this lonely path. No one can know what you are feeling but in celebrating Masaaki here you are helping him live forever in the world. Take care of yourself and allow the grief to come. Tears are healing.
warm hugs
Patricia
David,
my deepest condolences. thanks for sharing your words with us. alhough i have never experienced the passing of a close friend, i resonate so much with the way you speak of your bond, relationship and his influence on you. the impact of someone like that is such an amazing thing.
maybe it IS time to re-publish Tell It Like It Is!
merry christmas and happy holidays,
jordan
Sorry…MASAAKI…
hmmm…once a dyslexic …always a BURNIAN !!!
Thanks for sharing this with us David. One of my uncles passed away the day before yesterday so will have a funeral to go to within the next couple of days. It always seems more poingnant at this time of year…
Great images and a touching story. The same form of idealism is what got me into photography. I hope you do choose to republish.
Sorry for your loss. Losing long-time friends can be tougher than losing family. Happy holidays to you and all the Burn family.
David:
“and will move now towards some hard copy production in both magazine and book formats….”
that’s what you wrote in the previous post.. wouldn’t know a better way to start than with Tell It Like It Is…
So sorry for the loss, for all he was and for all he meant for you, but smile thinking of him, as you will always have him in your heart, specially through that first book. If you finally reprint it, I will buy a copy for sure. I just love it.
David, I’ll add my condolences for your loss but also congratulations for having such a wonderful friend for so many years.
I continue to marvel at your early work. Were you born with that wonderful sense for composition or did you have to study a lot to learn it way back when?
Your insight about the importance of not making people lose face gives one a lot to ponder. It’s something I learned intellectually a long time ago but have never been able to consistently put into practice. Sometimes it feels like the issue at hand is just too important, that it overrides any concern for feelings — and maybe sometimes it is, but I suspect those instances are very rare. Then you throw in the emotionally distant nature of interacting with strangers on the internet and it’s just too easy to hurt people. And people are quite different. It apparently takes more empathy than I’ve got to recognize most people’s tolerance levels for criticism, especially younger people. Your experience with brutal critiques in J-school is probably very close to my experience at a similar school. And those were different times all around, well before the self-esteem movement. I can appreciate harsh criticism if it’s insightful and ignore it if it’s malicious, but I suspect a lot of that has to do with my upbringing in a hyper-critical environment. It takes discipline not to project one’s own emotional makeup and tolerance levels onto others. Anyway, I’ve no doubt it’s much better for all involved to err on the side of being nice, of not making people lose face. You’re truly an inspiration in that regard and I’ve enjoyed learning a little about the person who inspired you, albeit in unhappy circumstances.
Anyway, thanks and happy Xmas. To all.
My condolences to you and to the family of your dear friend.
I would LOVE to see this book reprinted. Have you considered going back to show how the community has fared since you did the book? I’d definitely buy it.
I know you don’t remember me, but you were my team captain on the white team during the 3rd Eddie Adams Workshop in 1990. Your guidance and encouragement during those 4 days helped me immensely and continues to do so. I sincerely appreciate that!
Timothy Ivy
David
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
How wonderful to have had such a powerful friendship for so long a time. Our friendships are a gift to us, and the downside of having deep friendships is the pain of loosing them. The final gift is the reminder to live fully, live in the present, and love each other. You seem to do that in abundance already.
…….re-printing this book, will allow the journey to rekindle and travel once again.
beautiful..
David.
Interesting book. Never saw it. On what I see here one can tell you’re tall.
As for the never make anyone lose face I don’t quite agree. Let’s not make a general rule out of it. Some people deserve to and lose face and be compromised.
David,
Sorry to hear about the passing of your friend. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us, and I think it would be a wonderful homage to re-publish and distribute Tell It Like It Is.
My thoughts are with you and all the ones I love. Thank you for the mortality check and bringing the ability to reconsider the important things to the forefront…
Friendship… love… family… art… these are the stories of our lives. Tell it like it is…
Typo:
Some people deserve to and lose face and be compromised.
correction:
Some people deserve to lose face and be compromised.
David,
it is sad to hear that you have lost a close friend. A great man. To share the story about your friendship and showing the “Tell It Like It Is” series is a wonderful way to express what he meant to you.
Last year on December 23rd a good friend of mine, Marco, passed away – he was only 40 years old – cancer. He was my hero and my first teacher in journalistic photography. So this time of year reminds me again of his loss. It still hurts. Loosing a good friend always cuts deep and so far I have no cure for it. At the same time I feel so glad that I had the chance and the luck to shared some time with him. I guess that is all we can do – enjoy the time with the people that are arround us.
A time to mourn,
a time to cherish friendship,
a time to say thank you,
a time to be quiet,
a time to cry,
a time to hope.
Reimar
My deepest condolences for your loss David. From what I read, you friend Masaaki was a good artist and better person, so I am sure he’ll have a good place up there. May he rest in peace.
Honest pictures. It is easily apparent when photographs are made for the right reasons. Beautiful.
DAH,
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it with us as we share in your loss.
On the subject of timeless photographs and those who influence us, I have just scanned one of my favorite photos EVER of yours…from the 1994 (?) NG Pow Wow story. I recently “discovered” it at my local library in San Diego where they sell old NG’s. It’s the two page spread of several dancers getting ready…now that is my kind of shot if ever there was one. Packed with layers, filled to the brim with action…every bit of it gorgeous.
Wish I could share it here but all I have is two scanned pages.
If you (or anyone else) is interested in posting it here I’ll be happy to send it to whoever.
David
About not causing others to lose face..that is a hugely important part of Costa Rican culture..at the expense of all else, in fact. The way you practice the art is the way it should be practiced. You graciously acknowledge the position another has taken and then assert yourself in a uniquely non-judgemental way. There is no doubt where you stand on a subject yet you do not aim to obliterate your rival. In this country, not losing face is more important than honesty, morality, reality. It´s a sort of hypocritical dignity that assumes a paramount role in social interaction. I am with John Vink. Sometimes a case must be made for the truth, even if it is at the expense of someone´s dignity. But if that case can be made as graciously as you manage to make yours then i have to say that you have elevated ¨saving face¨ to a very high road indeed, and an art form as well. Not all who practice that concept bother with the niceties of right and wrong because saving face is the only right, there is no wrong.
I was very touched by these early photos of yours because they show your keen humanity and compassion. My favorite is the little girl sitting on the street, as if perched regally smack in the middle of the Milky Way, surrounded by her own private constellation, awash in stardust and dusty comet trails, stony meteorites worshipping at her feet. The way she leans to the left, it´s as if she´s contemplating her own set of planets as they orbit around her, dependant on her every sway and sashay, her ageless tidal pull.
Please. Republish. This limited edition, plus the Cyclos camera bags (remember those?)..raise some money for YOUR hood, YOUR 62 year old ideals. Tell me one person who would not line up to have a copy of this wonderful work?!
Masaaki says ¨be like Nike. Just do it¨…my sincere condolences at this grievous loss of your friend. But not the loss of your friendship. Go forward in the spirit of that friendship, you now speak for the both of you. A heavy burden considering what a fine man this was. I am sad for you, but hapñpy too that you carry his legacy with you. Masaaki cpuld not be prouder.
Merry Christmas, David!
Kathleen
CARRIE and REIMAR
yes
yes
yes…..
friendship, love, family, art…
these are the stories of our lives….
tell it like it is…..
a time to mourn
a time to cherish friendship…
to say thank you….
a time to be quiet
to cry
to hope………
xox
thank you…….
XOX
Sorry to hear of your loss David. Good friends are hard to come by, though you seem to have many these days on this great place you gave us and that must make you feel good for all you have planned for here in the new year. Been very busy will try and participate more this coming year.
Damon
Wendy
YES
YES
YES
yourself
:)
XOXOXO
KAT
:)
:)
:)
xoxoxoxox
my deepest condolences david.
DAVID,
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend… I know that you closest friends are like family so it must be tough indeed to be mourning such a close friend…
I very much love the story of your first book… Hard to believe you were able to do such an accomplished book while being so young… idealist you were back then and somehow, it seems like years have passed and this idealism is still very much in you… it must be what keeps you so young still and alive… I am sure that this is a trait of your character that Massaki must have enjoyed very much… If you do reprint this book, count me in for a copy of it….
Hope you can still enjoy Chistmas with your family despite this sad news.
Eric
JOHN VINK…
laughing a bit…one of the things Masaaki said to me at the time, was that i was too tall to be a photographer…and too many pictures from the standing position…by coincidence, most of them are here..if you go to my website, you will see the others in the book from a bit lower…after Masaaki’s comment and in the years that followed, i paid a whole lot more attention to my height…yet, the one picture that had a life outside the book at the time, the horizontal of the girl sitting in the road (MOMA exhibit) was shot from my “too tall” standing position….
about losing face…i will err on the side of not making anyone lose face…i probably often go too far in showing respect to someone who later proves i have misplaced this respect…i have been burned more than a few times in this regard…however, once i have been totally dissed by someone , and a line has been crossed, then i too do go the other way …still, i will give anyone the benefit of the doubt many times over always always searching searching for the positive side…there is usually at least a layer than can be tapped for good energy…..
CATHY…
i am pleased you discovered the pow wow essay and i was even going to mention it to you when i saw your rainbow and late afternoon light pow wow picture from Taos (i think)..please hold off on linking that picture here only because i am going to start a series of publishing just a tiny wee bit of my own work from time to time for totally educational purposes…i do know that at workshops and when i do lectures, people really respond when they know the story behind the story…most students tell me this is one of their favorite parts of any class…i always tend to shy away from showing my own work unless forced or for some other reason (as here with Masaaki), but all of my “advisers” are telling me i must do this more..in any case, if it helps some , then i will do it…thanks for the mention of that particular picture..one of my own favorites too…
some commentators here have also mentioned that i show on Burn too many of my students work…actually, i show very little of my students work and i plan to show more of it..why should my students, who are mostly advanced photographers, be penalized because they happen to be students of mine?..many travel from all over the world to advance their work and their standing, so it simply does not make sense that they would not be displayed on Burn if and when appropriate…i do spend about 30% of my time teaching and Burn is a part of my whole educational bit…..so, i think what i will do is perhaps show from time to time the entire class mm show that Mike always produces..without taking away any of the content sent in by readers…adding , not subtracting….in other words, simply more pictures for all here to see….i do not see any downside …your thoughts?
KATHLEEN…
i read your comment after i read and responded to John Vink….i know you are both right….the concept of saving face cannot be placed above the truth…i think my learning of “saving face” was simply quite valuable to me as a young man because i was totally surrounded by the Western macho ” i win…you lose” mentality…win win win..beat beat beat…compete compete compete…so to meet an eastern man with a different view of all of this was refreshing to say the least…of course , any philosophy can be taken to extremes and mis-interpreted or mis-used…thanks for your view on this….
i have read all your e-mails…i need some time to digest as you can imagine..lots going on right now…anyway i would not make YOU lose face by thinking i was not paying attention!!!
so, you are going to stay at the Burn Hotel…cool…the keys will come from either Mike Courvoisier or Chris Anderson who also lives in the building…i will let you know in the next couple of days and need your exact arrival time…
ERIC…
yes, i guess i am pretty much the same as always….i do not think any of us change much after a certain point…slight modifications or adjustments, but all of us i think have the character we develop at an early age….in my case, i was very lucky…two parents with lots of integrity….to the core…as a teenager i tried like hell to break away from their core values and succeeded to some extent…but alas, drawn back to the center….
cheers, david
I like his bold yet anonymous design on this one. I’ve been discusing with friends different sorts of publications as of late (like really small ones) and I’d have loved to hear his views. David, maybe that’s the way it should be republished? As a little bold black and white fanzine? It could almost still sell for 2 dollars, but you might have to put it up to 5.
Merry Christmas David and all Burnians.
Masaaki photographed my wife mowing her little lawn in the Fan in the 1980′s.
We were dating at the time… She was so proud that Masaaki was the guy who
made the picture. Small moments…
JONI KARANKA…
i love love small publications…good idea…yea, 2 bucks would be perfect , but maybe impractical…i will see….this work will also be a part of my current work on American Family …in the preface or beginning or whatever of this larger book and body of work…..but in addition , as a separate inexpensive book, the way it was originally, might be the very best way to go…thanks for thinking…
cheers, david
PAUL…POMARA
wait a minute…you lived in Richmond in the 80″s?? you knew Masaaki?? did we meet?? i lived in Richmond in the 80′s…what i am i missing in this equation? you never mentioned this when we spoke by phone….or, am i just not remembering something obvious?…that happens.
No, No. My wife is born and raised there. I would sweep into town and visit. Long distance relationships can work… 26 years under the same roof. Oh the RTD was such a great paper then and I actually interviewed with one of the picture editors when I was at a conference in Richmond in early 90′s.
Ah it was not to be. Let’s skype some time and I’ll try to fill in the gaps.
David,
My condolences too… remember though that you where lucky to even have such a good friend for so long.
As for showing more samples of your work and from your workshops on Burn… please do so!!
(Don’t know if I talk for everyone here but,) two of the main reasons I spend the time to follow all the essays and discussions here are for my *education* into what other people are doing, why, and sometimes how, and the *motivation* I get to go out and realize my own project ideas by feeling a member of the global family you’re building.
————————–
A serene winter landscape from Cyprus…
http://www.tzalavras.com/Random%20pics%20for%20Web/Tzalavras_Troodos_002.jpg
Happy holidays all…
Ahh the Fan … a few fond hangovers from there … perhaps the only place I could enjoy living in RIC today, and one of the few places there I would still recognize. I was a northside kid. It was a good paper but the editorial page was a different story … I do remember getting the tour a time or two in The News Leader darkroom from some very patient photographers when I was a kid … I hope I didn’t turn on the light.
Happy holidays everyone … I’m filling my wife’s stocking and drinking Bailey’s and coffee. Shhhh … Eugene Smith Jazz Loft … I know … shhh … what’s not to love?
I AM STILL DANCING … I haven’t stopped…and I am in the middle of a big project
and I am still dancing …hicks…hicks…
BURN and BURN until you BURN…
BURN and BURN until you BURB …!!!
i’ve recently lost someone too; just buried her yesterday.
now a holiday becomes an anniversary… strange.
my Condolences David.
My deep felt condolences, David. I hope you did manage to contact your friend’s family in Japan?
I, like everybody else, would LOVE to see this book reprinted. I’d definitely buy it, too.
ATTN: My apologies for the above comment…
ATTN: Can someone please transfer my comment above to the BURNIANS area…???
Thank you in advance for the assistance !!!
P.S again, I am so sorry…I wasn’t focus…:(((
To ALL:
“…“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”
Quote by…hmmm…I am not focused today …
The above post …stays here.
P.S VASILIOS …you BURNIAN soul…we are with You!!!
@David: by the way, you seem a natural to twittering
btw, gallery coming soon:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/pages/Third-Floor-Gallery/217412296794
JONI KARANKA….ALL
funny Joni, i had never even heard of Twitter until a few weeks ago and didn’t even know what it really was until a day before Anton and Kerry signed me up…both said particularly good for when i simply cannot be here…which is going to be the next couple of weeks…with my shooting coming up i will not be in here for comments much….the advantage of Twitter is of course i can simply text message…and texting is my primary way of quick chatting …so it is easy for me and convenient…anyway, we will see how it goes…cool on the gallery…thanks for the link…
cheers, david
Vasilios
My condolences to you! I am so sorry for your loss :((
best
Kathleen
VASILIOS…
interesting how we all continue to be surprised by the two most common things on the planet…birth and death…my condolences to you as well….
NOW we need a new baby around here…anybody???
cheers, david