Sometimes I come across a project that powerfully affects me. In Dark Light: A Journey Within is one.
Not only are the photographs stunning (I always love photography that makes me say “I wish I had done that.”) but the theme behind them is a powerful expression of the abyss of depression. That abyss I am also personally familiar with. From the photographer:
This is a photograph of a dancer I took during a production of The Shed in Red Hook back in 2007. Truly a great example of modern dance in Brooklyn. I don’t usually post images that are already in one of my online galleries; this one is in the Film | Dance gallery here. However, I was testing a new Word Press plug-in, and needed an image to test with and this one popped up in a search. I looked at it anew and am still absolutely blown away by the tonality.
I tend to spend an inordinate amount of time considering the composition of my images. I’ve been known to reshoot a still life 10-20 times until I get it composed exactly how I see it in my mind’s eye. Back in the days when I shot and developed all my own film, it was quite a long process compared with my digital workflow of today. I think that extra time was worthwhile though—it essentially gave you time to forget the exact images you had shot while you waited to have enough rolls to mandate mixing a fresh batch of chemicals, developed and dried the film, and then scanned and archived. You got fresh eyes…
Lao New Years, that is. The Lao celebrate their New Years or Pbeemai (pronounced pi-mai bi-mai) on April 13th, 14th, and 15th. The 13th is the last day of the old year; the 15th the first day of the new. What is interesting to me is the 14th: Sangkhan Nao or day of no day. April 14th isn’t part of either year, it’s a day of rest and fun. One of the activities is the throwing of water on friends and passersby—something of a purification ritual.
Since this is going to be a bit of a party, I thought I’d put my Botanica Obscura folio on sale for 50% off. That’s right, for the rest of April, the print folios will be priced at $45 instead of their normal $90.
I’ve been in Xamtai, Laos, waiting on authorization from the local authorities to do a photo project with an international NGO working here. So, I’ve been keeping busy photographing the very cool bamboo water wheels that the Lao use to move water from river level to the farmland above.
As I wandered down the river I noticed a bunch of Hmong busy on the other side of a large truck. As I came around the truck I was briefly taken back to the scene in Apocalypse Now where the camera is cutting back and forth between Willard killing Kurtz and the ritual slaughter of a water buffalo.
I’ve had a project about American consumer culture creeping around in my gray matter for some time. I don’t recall how it happened, I’m guessing I was doing something mindless… and I got the damn theme song from The Mickey Mouse Club stuck in my head. I immediately started bastardizing it (a strange habit I have with song lyrics) until it turned into M-I-SEE!, K-E-WHY?, M-O-USA! Neither had I seen an image that established the look of the project, nor had I expected to find it in Bangkok…
I went to the opening of the No Absolute Truth In The Universe gallery show at the Bankok Arts and Culture Center this last weekend. The art is a mixing of current culture and Dharma. Here are some of the pieces I liked. First, titled To Cross The Samsara 2 is by Punsiri Siriwetchapun. It is a 120cm x 240cm inkjet print on film, which is then backlit. (Click To Enlarge)
Here are some more: (more…)
I’ve always been interested in the spectrum of sexual identities and in Thailand observations are more easily made than elsewhere. Ladyboys, or Kathoey are quite common and are referred to as the Third Sex. Somewhere betwixt and between a male and female, their appearance can be quite stunning. As far as I can tell, anything between growing long hair and wearing feminine clothing to full on sexual reassignment surgery counts. As if someone were counting. I’m not.
(Rollover the images to compare.)
So, being the naturally inquisitive person that I am, I went online and met Angie and asked if we could trade her time for my photographs for her portfolio. She models, and sadly also works as an escort. She doesn’t want to be an escort, but the modeling pays very little and being an escort a considerable sum more. Especially since she is a full post-op ladyboy. I take it that that is a little bit rarer in amongst the very large population of ladyboys in Thailand. So, an impromptu meeting was set up and we shot for an hour or so. I was quite taken aback by her appearance. (more…)
Henry Rollins. Is there anything more to say? I just love this portrait of him. Just perfectly exemplifies the intense nature of his personality. I just wish I had had the foresight to go see a Black Flag show when they were touring. The first twenty seconds of the song Damaged I is just blindingly intense. Hell, the entire song is out of control.
I do really enjoy his spoken word shows, especially when he went to Australia and did Henry Rollins: Live in the Conversation Pit. Next time he tours I’m definitely going to see him.
Important: I’ve searched, but I could not find an attribute or credit for who took this photograph. If you can show that you took this photograph and want it credited or removed, I’ll do so immediately. Send me an email here.
As I mentioned here, you can support the North Puget Cancer Center and their drive to fill their, well, let’s say “sterile” walls with a permanent collection of art. I’m selling both mounted and unmounted prints of the Botanica Obscura project.