it is getting cold here in Rio…fall has arrived…everyone complaining of the rain…temperature has dropped to a chilling 68F….i am wearing a long sleeved shirt, pants and shoes…beach days are over (pictured above from non-NG shooting)..New Yorkers may scoff, but i am freezing….besides, my time is up on this National Geographic shoot…..i am coming home next week…
i have written before that i do some of my best work in the first few days of an assignment and some of the best in the last few days…the first ones from raw energy and beginners luck and the last ones from “damn, i had better get something”…i have pretty much been on the case here in Rio since New Year’s Eve, with a short but busy one week break in january…mentally on it the whole time…and, of course, i shall return…perhaps on assignment , perhaps not…for i am not finished..
i was actually secretly hoping i would not fall in love with Rio….i assumed a romantic relationship, but figured it would be over when it was over….i have several other projects to complete and have no time to get involved with any long term body of work, but alas she has me…real love is of course often painful…despite the beach scenes you may imagine as pictured, there is another whole world here…full of intrigue, passion, hate, sex, death, light, darkness, despair, cruelty and kindness…the gamut of human nature all played out on a stage like no other …
i have been sick , scared, injured, and upset…long days turned into long nights often with no result…many moving parts and often with the gears grinding….it is very hard for me to look at the work…but, i must soon….i am not one of those photographers who come home at night and rush to the computer to see what i have done…quite the contrary…i hate to look….deep deep down inside i am assuming some good work….but any long term results seem now far far away….on top of it all, i must justify all of this to the editors who commissioned me to be here….i need an Advil…
yet now my home front porch beckons….but, will my cat remember me? has my electricity been shut off ? battery run down on my truck? yes, my “real life” has been on hold…even patient family and friends are fed up with me…no responses to emails….missed events…forgotten birthdays…major responsibilities undone…of course no woman can put up with me…i will spend the next week apologizing to everyone about everything…and so it goes…
is this any way to live? or, is this the only way to live? i know my answer…what is yours?
Yes, Lee, “project” does sound like work but, for me at least, it isn’t. Time flows through my fingers like sand when I’m in the middle of a project I love. And I do love “Just Another Married Couple” even when I’m ready to pull out what little hair I have!
I’m beginning to get the hang of coordinating audio narrative and still images. At least I’m feeling more comfortable with the process. One brings quite a different consciousness to the choice of images and especially to the sequencing of those images when working with multimedia. But to me the trick is to get past my inclination to “illustrate” the narrative and instead to focus more on feelings and mood. It’s a dance where the tempo keeps changing just when you think you’ve got it down. Definitely keeps you on your toes. I’m a woman obsessed…
Patricia
Lee, that witching/dog story is pretty spooky :-) I always try to keep an open mind, but was unsure about witching until I actually tried it…
About 4 years ago, I was I charge of overseeing construction of a new parking lot at my place of employment. We knew a water line was in the vicinity, and I said so to the contractor. He replied: ” We’ll just witch for it.” I got to experience it firsthand, and even held the metal rods downward so that they would have to swing against gravity. Damnedest thing I have ever seen – metal rods swinging upwards AGAINST gravity over the water line, as I held them very loosely.
Lee, if those wanderings in the state bring you through the bluegrass let me know – you know where I am and it would be good to see you again.
I’m on the road yet again, but with family this time – going to work in some shooting….then it’s back, Keeneland in session with horses and horse people everywhere, a camera maker running a more “serious” workshop right here in my home shooting backyard…they are doing keeneland for morning workouts (5-7:30am) and then breakfast in the track kitchen (a great place), and then out to Shakertown where Sam Abell created many images….trying to figure out the logistics to get to NYC for the NY Photo Festival and SLPS …..
DAH, wish I were in NYC to have a beer or coffee with you, and discuss the finer points of camera bags and ladies portraits…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79iZy_DqoyI&feature=fvw
on skype with La….see yall soon :)))
the sea does feel like a tigress. Strong, protective, nourishing.
——————————————————————-
THE SEA
THE SEA
THE Pelagos…The Ionion Pelagos…
2 days ago a relative died..The whole family had to go towards the cemetery up in the mountain towards the east…
i went west towards the Sea…The Ionion Pelagos that connects Italy with Greece…I had to talk with the sea..
“…the sea does feel like a tigress. Strong, protective, nourishing…”
That is what i saw..
plz click below , watch my new little “Movie”..:
movie
movie click here…
best seat in the house..
ALL..Enjoy my NEW movie…hot from the oven..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLqD4uxV_os&feature=youtube_gdata
Don’t know if you will see this or not Panos, it is way behind in time, this comment. The one moment in the film that I truly appreciated was the man walking across the pier and peering into the water on the other side. Such a trait of human nature portrayed in that one short scene. Your filming the rocks between the road and the ocean while driving quickly past them for a very long time made me slightly queasy. I like your bravery in putting your work out for all to see.
Please permit me to mention that the BBC News website blog, Viewfinder has just posted a feature on my work at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/2010/04/the_photohumourist.html
Sorry for the blatant self promotion but I am rather chuffed.
Cheers,
Paulyman.
nice one paul – well done..
d
Great Paul – Always been a fan !
Patricia Lay-Dorsey
In such situations as your recent photo shoot… forget about your mood and feelings for a while… concentrate pure on.. as if you wanted to take just a very nice picture for the long memory… you will end up with a good stuff… at least better pictures… I hope it helps… Best regards
PAUL
I just checked out the BBC blog entry and am totally thrilled for you! The article is good, the photos well chosen and it should bring you lots of exposure, which is ALWAYS good. BIG CONGRATS, my friend. You deserve it!
ANTHONY R.Z.
Thanks for the excellent advice! I’ll try to follow it…
Patricia
David, Glenn, Patricia, thank you. I feel like I’m emerging from an extended snooze back into the world of photography, out in public. It’s great to be back out on the streets making new work that isn’t so wrapped up in family as has been the case for some years now.
I’ve been busy too trying to get a handle on what’s been going on here at Burn. I’m off to do more reading now. I think I might print out some of the comment streams as they’ll be easier to read on paper. Easier to retain, I think.
Back later.
Paul.
Is there a way to get back to the first of the 862 comments without following the trail all the way back? I’m curious to see how people responded to the original question posed above. I stumbled across this site last week and have been poring over it ever since. What a generous creation this site is.
As a cinematographer, I often ask myself the same question that sits above. Is this any way to live or the only way to live? My answer changes constantly depending on my level of exhaustion, inspiration… For me there is the added level of collaboration. If a collaboration is rewarding and productive, I feel like I can do this forever– can’t even imagine doing anything else. If the collaboration isn’t working it’s a struggle to see how I’ll get through the project, much less ever work on another film. This site makes me want to run to my still camera and get to work on my own again. No crew, no director, no producers…
Thanks