Bzzz! Bzzzzz!

December 28, 2006

Apologies for nothing new of late, I’ve been a busy little bee and no time for bloggy business.

Please stay tuned for after the holidays, though, for I’m sure I’ll be back.

Happy New Year!

Posted in: filler 2 Comments »

Something To Do

December 21, 2006

Not that there is currently any shortage of stuff occupying my time, but here’s a list of things I’d like to do - inspired by one of those “what I’ve done” memes that some weirdo posted on their blog.

1. Watch Andy Warhol’s Empire in its entire eight hour glory (bring popcorn).

2. Photograph Moon features - in person.

3. Read War and Peace.

4. Sky dive.

5. Publish a book that’s filled with nothing but my brilliance.

6. See a performance of Einstein on the Beach and/or Music in Twelve Parts.

7. Learn a second language (the 100 words of Spanish that I retain don’t count).

8. Make a couple of soundtracks with a vintage Moog synthesizer.

9. Be able to watch out the front window, not the side, on a flight.

10. Finish Photographing Lebanon.

Posted in: filler 2 Comments »

Sagan Inspires, Politics Do Not

December 20, 2006

Today is blog-about-Carl Sagan day. If you haven’t read The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, you really, really should. It dissects our world’s delight in believing in the most bizarre junk science imaginable while remaining highly skeptical of cold, hard data.

However, his most lasting inspiration for me, summarized in the film a bit abruptly (though brilliantly, as played by Jodie Foster) from the excellent book Contact, was when Ellie Arroway spat out -

“So what! It’s my life.”

- in response to Dr. Drummond’s cutting of her funding, wholesale dismissal of her research, general arrogance, and complete lack of compassion for Arroway’s work.

It would be great to always live by this, while also being able to understand the difference between determined and deluded.

I look it as such: there is a fine line between boldly pursuing important projects despite discouragement and obstacles, and stubbornly ignoring potentially very real negative outcomes to keep the forward momentum going at any cost.

Unfortunately, as things continue to stay ugly and uncertain in Beirut, I have to admit that I am past the former and moving towards the latter. Therefore, before I set up a situation I can’t back out of, it appears the best decision for me is to abandon the possibility of any trip in the near future and with it abandon the Photographing Lebanon project.

At least in the short term.

Poo.

I’d like to be inspired and strong and press on, thinking that if even more of our unbelievably brave men and women are about to be sent over by Georgie Boy to fight a war that nobody understands any aspect of anymore, then what’s one little guy going over to Lebanon with a camera?

But who the hell do I think I am, anyway?

It’s all just pictures in the long run.

Sorry. I’m extra down today about all this. Just when things get really good, they get squished. Boo-hoo, poor me, bitch gripe, I’ll feel better some other time.

Posted in: the world 1 Comment »

Sandy Beach, Shaky Bacon

December 18, 2006

click for larger version with more detail!

Today I am still a bit sick, so I’ve been thinking of summertime. Most people who know me also know that I prefer winter to summer, but when I’m sick I think about warm beaches and humid, head-clearing breezes.

Above is a picture taken years ago at The Rocks - a frequent hotspot on our yearly trip to The Beach. We’d go and pick at shells, my dad might collect some mussels, and in the above shot we have my sister looking fabulous as the spray leaps up behinder her. I’m standing off to the side, and my cousin Lisa is busy taking pictures of something in the sand.

Lisa was the other person, besides my dad, who helped get me into photography. By the time I was conscious of what he was doing my dad was taking less “creative” shots (although he’d still let them fly on occasion) and more of the family snapshot type thing. He had quite the selection of old gadgets and photo stuff lying about, though, and that sparked quite a bit of intrigue. At some point I’ll dig out a few of my first-ever photographs, shot on my father’s old Kodak Brownie.

Lisa, as you see above, was prone to actively shooting interesting pictures. She carried her camera around all the time and was always looking for images. For me this solidified the notion of using a camera as a way of seeing rather than just as a way of recording. The idea that a camera could be a tool to see the world in a different way was one that would stick with me until I started to do my own work in photography.

Unfortunately, though, no photography this weekend - just working and resting. Although I clocked many more hours than I should have over two days (20… whee!), I made big bangin’ bonanza bucks. So when I’m sipping tequila in Beirut contemplating my future as a brilliant, world-renowned, published photographer, all these little speedbumps will mean very little.

Anyway, I came in this morning to find the best holiday card I’ve received in a long time, from Dan Goodsell:

Oh, my head… my wheezy sickness chortle sounded fairly terrifying, but I couldn’t resist laughing out loud at my desk.

As for the cards themselves, it’s not too late. Go order some. Save ‘em for next year. Or mail them in the middle of summer. What better way to celebrate Christmas in July?

Posted in: filler, photo 1 Comment »

A Tale of Toast

December 14, 2006

A few years ago I got on an amusement park tangent and started looking up info on parks that I had been to, deactivated rides, that kind of thing. Through some gratuitous surfing I ended up on Dan Goodsell’s Tick Tock Toys Archive, a veritable treasure trove of delights from days of yore. Food packaging, vintage Disneyland images, some terrific photographs from supermarkets… it was hours of fascination looking through it all.

There was a companion site, though.

It seems that Mr. Goodsell is also an unbelievable artist, and at that time the other half of his site seemed to revolve around The Imaginary World, a fictional theme park. Out of this World sprang a cast of characters led by Mr. Toast. The more I dug around the more fascinated I became with Mr. Toast. A placid smile, an elegant simplicity… Mr. Toast seemed to be that odd, quiet friend that most of wish we had.

When Christmas rolled around one year my folks asked me what I wanted. My mind immediately sprang right to toast.

Mr. Toast.

On Christmas Day Santa was gracious enough to bring me a beautfiul Mr. Toast painting. It now hangs on my wall, and he either waves hello when I come home, or waves goodbye in the morning. In fact, he seems to be waving all the time, but I think that’s just to remind me that he’s there. I have since added a Mope the Onion painting, for he seems to be a bit more capable of relating to my less attractive moods than Mr. Toast.

My Mr. Toast painting looks an awful lot like the top one, although a little different, while the above is the actual Mope the Onion painting I was lucky enough to buy!

As time rolls on Mr. Goodsell has expanded his vision, his cast of characters, and his website to include a wonderful blog, regularly updated comics and gags, and a shop where you can find not only reproductions but original artwork!

In short, check his work out. Buy a painting. Read through his archives on a slow afternoon.

You’ll be glad you did.

the above images are meant to promote the artwork of Dan Goodsell, and have been placed here with the best of intentions.
please respect all artists’ work and livelihoods by not shamelessly ripping off our efforts for your own purposes! thanks!

Posted in: plug 2 Comments »

Turd Appears on MIT Building

December 12, 2006

I usually miss MIT’s infamous hacks. I am on the other side of campus from the Great Dome, where all the really good ones seem to live. This morning, though, I noticed this apparition on the side of the Stata Center.

It might be a snowman. Or Waldo (as in, “Where’s Waldo?”). Perhaps there is someone giving a lecture somewhere that this relates to.

The real mystery, though, is that brown thing.

Kind of looks like poo.

If you were here you’d notice it gently drifting back and forth in the breeze, and the odd paint job that gives it kind of an uneven, diet-influenced appearance.

I have no idea what this is all about.

Methinks I’m just not clever enough for this school.

(turns out, it was supposed to be Waldo, and that’s supposed to be his cane. his really, really small cane.)

Posted in: MIT, filler, huh? 1 Comment »

Baby Brouhaha

December 7, 2006

Finally! Papa sends pictures after much prompting! I mean, come on folks, I know I’m a cranky old cynic, but much like the old saying about “it’s different when they’re yours”, I have found that my interest level rises dramatically when the wee one in question is orbiting me so closely. Besides, knowing that these new little lives are in good hands (my sister and brother-in-law, my best friend Rachel and her husband Mike, and now Ethan and Jen) is so much more encouraging than watching the unruly thugs-to-be that I have to deal with on the bus, in the mall, on the subway…

Anyway.

Mom ‘n’ Phin!Pop ‘n’ Phin!

Phin Detail!

Delightful!Congratulations to Jen and Ethan once again.

I had thought about posting pictures of Eliza and Daisy lest their proud parents feel left out (always a mine field) of my new blog, but the only ones within arm’s reach are, I’m afraid, a bit aged. Stay tuned though, there’s a picture of my niece (Eliza) from her first Christmas that has lived on my mirror for the last 3 years… I’ll bring in a scan of it tomorrow. It’s just too damn cute.

Posted in: photo 2 Comments »

Ten Images

December 6, 2006

Well, how about two. Last night was unbelievably slow at Chain Camera Store, prompting me to grab my camera and get to work. You’d think I’d try out one of the dozens of newer, sexier cameras surrounding me on the shelves, but see a previous post for evidence of my devotion to my little Panasonic.

Anyway, a seemingly simple exercise: get ten good shots from the area you are currently occupying. Only problem, of course, is that a mall store has ridiculously bad lighting, and our store is so tiny that it is packed beyond capacity with photo shit. Not very useful for a minimalist like myself. Regardless, I went forward and could feel the long hours slipping past.

If you think these two are bad, you should see the other eight…

… and that’s how you play Ten Images.

Posted in: photo, photo chatter 2 Comments »

Slackin’

December 5, 2006

As the temperature drops, so does the amount of picture-taking that I end up doing. I am typically too distracted by just trying to get from one warm place to another to actually stop and grab some images.

Here’s one from today, though - the sun comes shooting down beneath the Picower Center that towers over my own building, making for some interesting light patterns.

Not much of an image, I guess. Ah, well. All just practice in the end.

The website is slowly coming together - for those who are hysterical with anticipation. The basic structure and pages are in place and I am populating them with content. There isn’t much to look at yet, but any suggestions always welcome!

The big task is scanning all the old stuff. I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to laboriously go through making high-res scans and doing all the cleanup that I should do, or if I’m just going to bang out some web-sized reproductions and wait for the big scans until I actually have some inclination to reprint them (which I don’t, at the moment). The Lebanon work is the priority, though, and of course those are all scanned and ready to go. I have the thumbnail page done (although there’s no link to it yet), now I just have to decide how I’m going to post the big ones.

We’ll see.

Posted in: filler, photo 1 Comment »

From the Archives

December 4, 2006

No new pictures today. Busy weekend, and I was tired most of the time. Here is one from the archives, though - my Grandfather took this when he, my cousin, my sister, and I took a trip to California 20 years ago. We’re on some boat tour of San Francisco Bay that drifted past Alcatraz and around the Golden Gate Bridge. Not sure if that technically counts as the Bay, but whatever.

It was kind of chilly out on the water, hence my sister seeking refuge inside while my cousin and I hung out on deck. There are other pictures of us being hammy for the camera, but trips with my Grandfather often meant eventually becoming immune to all the clicking shutters.

I still tend to stare rather vacantly as you see me here.

Any analyst worth half a bean would have a field day with the implications of the arrangement and expressions of the three people in this photograph.

Just sayin’.

Posted in: photo 3 Comments »