Category: Places

Life, as we knew it, vanishing before our eyes.

“As a fledgling street photographer strolling up and down the streets of cities, I quickly became aware of Time and its erosive power. …for it seemed to me that what was about to vanish was important and irreplaceable, and frankly, I wanted my photographs to offer, in some manner, the power of resuscitation. Actually, I still do, though I no longer believe that photographs can prevent the homely past from being plowed under; rather, I believe that photographs – especially good photographs that compel our interest – help us to remember; and even more importantly, they help us to decide what is worth remembering.” — John Rosenthal –Exhibition lecture, National Humanities Center

Mr. Rosenthal expresses my own feelings as I walked a once vibrant, commercial street this past Sunday; and this, surrounded by an upscale, residential, neighborhood. Forty percent of the commercial buildings now stand empty; some for years. The fashion boutique shops – some gone; one remains; yet, looking shabbier with each visit. The independent coffee shop and a chain restaurant – long gone. A food market, hardware store, one upscale restaurant and a movie theatre hang on. The independent bookseller struggles to survive under new management.

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The seeing eye

Last evening I read from “Imogen Cunningham, Ideas without end” by Richard Lorenz; and again just before going to lunch with my friend, David White. These readings, and looking at her photographs, inspired me to write in my journal, “…intend to see more and deeper.”

“You have to have it in you first, you don’t learn it. The seeing eye is the important thing.” — Imogen Cunningham, Dialogue With Photography by Paul Hill , ISBN: 0948797665

The two photographs made at the restaurant had nothing to do with lunch, or David, or our various discussions on business, or mindfulness (well maybe that). Yet these images will set well, in my memory, this lunch as an honor to Imogen Cunningham; even though David and I never spoke her name; or discussed her extraordinary photographs. (click on images for larger view)

do you have the time?

unable to find it
where did the time go?
often killing it
thoughtlessly
stalking answers
to questions sans reason
killing and eating
time
will tell
or fly

really?

perhaps if I’d saved some
or spent less

if you have a minute
share it well

The above poem floated around in my mind for a long time. Last week I began to look at and move the words around on the screen; while also contemplating images that may accompany them. On Saturday I received a call from my friend Doug. He informed me that he was in Thiensville, my home town, attending a funeral for a former student; Rick Borkin, 42 years old, a volunteer firefighter in Thiensville for 16 years, died during a training exercise 12/8/08. Firefighters from all the surrounding cities and towns attended. The appropriate photograph appeared from my attending this solemn event.

Click here for a slide show of additional images
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Good morning winter

“I think the main ingredient, or a main ingredient for photography is curiosity. If you’re curious enough and if you get up in the morning and go out and take pictures, you’re likely to be more lucky than if you just stay at home.” – Elliott Erwitt

home
with camera and shovel

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Our man won and fresh snow fell

“A good photograph can penetrate the subconscious – but only if it is allowed to speak for however much time it needs to get there.” — Ralph Gibson

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The first moment after MSNBC declared the first Irish-African-American winner of the 2008 presidential election.

first snow fell last night
this morning, cold, lovely and
new visions to catch

Grant Park — 40 Years Apart

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, Grant Park, Chicago Illinois: 70,000 ticketed guests, with who knows how many additional participants, gathered to listen to President-elect Barack Obama; elected just minutes before. This group of hundreds of thousands of young and old, rich and poor, of all colors, genders, and ethnicities gathered to hear our first Irish-African-American President inspire them with a message of hope and determination to make the country, and indeed the world, a better place for our children and grandchildren. While not there, I watched this event on a screen, through tears of great joy; shared with Spike Lee, Jesse Jackson and Oprah.

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Wednesday, August 29th, 1968, Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois: Just 40 years earlier; just 4 years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law; at the hight of the Viet Nam War and the military draft; as a twenty two year old photo journalist, I was in Grant Park with 15,000 others, including Jean Genet, Allan Ginsberg and William Burroughs (none of which lived to see today). Instead of tears of joy and hope; we had tear gas, clubs and blood to contemplate and record on film and in our memories.

Today the memories of 1968 blend beautifully with 2008 memories.
We wanted change then and we want it today.

Listen to Keb Mo’s America

photographs about secrets

“If I had to pick a single word to describe what my pictures are all about, I would say ‘secrets.’ As a child I always had a secret world and my favorite book was A Secret Garden.” — Joyce Tenneson

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Each time the shutter clicks I’ve always had that feeling; as if my little black box may have just captured something like a secret. Something no one else has seen. When I opened the above image I felt as if I’d stepped back in time, to those wonderful fall days, as a boy lost in fantasies of adventure, at the edge of land.