Betrayal

This is a word loaded with emotion and blame. Betrayals of confidence, of love, of commitment, of self have all gone into the thumbed and famous pages of history. I now feel some forms of it casting haze over my own life, and I regard one in particular that finds its roots in that most fundamental to the human condition. The betrayal of the body to the mind.

My memory has me dancing and running and being a dedicated, hard training athlete, of overcoming peril and other such comparable acts as my super hero imagination will allow.

I now find that I feel able to do these things during the onset of the idea, but the disconnect comes with execution. Am I, too, apt to suffer the cruel fate of age and decay? I suppose answering my dramatic self would require an emphatic, obvious-stating YES!

I am now gaining the new super powers of patience and managing limitation with the same ol' carpe diem crossing my lips.

Here's to keeping rust off the wheels and keeping the faith! Getting through photo sessions as a convert, here I hope to come!

Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown 1966 Halloween Part 1 Of Three

amazing artist Charles M. Schultz, a lifetime love

Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown 1966 Halloween Part 2 Of Three

... and...

Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown 1966 Halloween Part 3 Of Three

... finale!

Steven Meisel in the 1983 film "Portfolio"

Preparing to Zoo

I am getting very excited to shoot an editorial spread in the San Francisco Zoo this coming week, and these amazing images are encouraging the enthusiasm for my backdrop. The artist is Nick Brandt at: http://www.nickbrandt.com/.

The Garden went Twisty

My botanical landscape was not quite the floral pastel quality of some Tim Walker inspiration but rather lent itself to a graphically focused arrangement for much of the framing and composition. The grounds were filled with funny little outcroppings and niche areas. I could not resist their charm and contrast; viva el rojo.

If You Build It, It Will Come...

... To your mind, hopefully. The imaginative American artist Tony Duquette certainly found in way of seeing a precious world to build the amazing founded on beauty, not luxury. He holds the honor of the first solo American artist to be housed at the Louvre, and since that time in 1951 has used found objects to dazzle the eye and invite the mind to play and build on his worlds. In my own pursuit of set building and scene creating photographic capture, I find his way of marrying artifacts into the unique space of stunning dreams to be most inspiring. May I have the good fortune and prop closet space to house my own growing collection of just such found objects of desire from attractive discards to natural wonders.

Enamored of all his work, I am especially stunned by his holiday windows. There was nothing everyday about these dream boxes. Now, where to find and how to build with red coral, antlers, anxious monkey statues...

English Garden

Tea party, tree shade, Tim Walker... I am reaching for ideas to plan for next week's shoot at the botanical gardens and floristry grounds of a college here in San Francisco. Immediately I go to my beloved Avedon's long-time assistant who now leads the British Vogue syndicate in fanciful and elegant spreads. May these images conjure up some beauty befitting the botanical wonders we are sure to behold!

To the Victor, the Spoils

Searching to see the game I missed between Spain and 'us,' I was wondering just how to feel about the results.  A victorious USA should make me feel an unfettered sense of pride in my representative team, and yet the celebration is a bit spoiled by this year's investment in the fan pride of Spain and her riveting teams.  The damage can be viewed herein...

Now, to wait for Brazil.

USA VS Spain soccer Hilight (2) - 24-06-2009

Art is everywhere as I work on my Italian

My favorite classic diva sings in full regalia, which I can never hear enough.  I found this record in Sevilla in a charming and well outfitted shop as a single with her love-lorn face beautifully photographed on the front.  I didn't purchase it, and I have been kicking myself thusly for the past two weeks.  Now freshly back in the States, I am reviewing some language skills including Italian and thought to start with a translation of this beloved song...

Tu amor mio 
Chi ti ha amato in questo mondo, solo io 
Io, invece io 
Sono stata troppo amata 
Ma noi due, amor mio 
Che siam poco, insieme siamo un po' di pi. 
Tu, tu sei tu 
Pi qualcosa che ti arriva da lass. 
Amor mio, amor mio 
Per amico c' rimasto solo Dio. 
Ma Lui, Lui lo sa e sorride 
Lui ci guarda e sorride. 
Amor mio, basto io 
Grandi braccia e grandi mani avr per te 
Stretto al mio seno freddo non avrai 
No tu non tremerai, non tremerai. 
Amor mio, basto io 
La la la la la la la la la la la la la 
No tu non tremerai 
Al riparo del mio amore 
Guarda sul mare 
Il gabbiano leggero che va 
(coro)vola felice e sereno paura non ha 
Guarda quel bimbo che corre, guardagli il viso 
Tanto felice che sembra sia in paradiso 
Amore, adesso tu ridi, il fuoco si acceso 
Amor mio, basto io 
Grandi braccia e grandi mani avr per te 
Stretto al mio seno freddo non avrai 
No tu non tremerai, non tremerai. 
Amor mio, basto io 
La la la la la la la la la la la la la 
No tu non tremerai 
Non tremerai. 

<http://www.metrolyrics.com/amor-mio-lyrics-mina.html>

Mina - Amor Mio (Live da 'Teatro 10', 1972)

Art is everywhere.

Up Again

I am always ups with thoughts when it is time to be quite and down for the count to dreamland.  Tonight's distracting adventure involves the wide world of information on the internet as I shuffle through photography resources and drool over my favorite inspirations of ongoing and newly forged obsession like Eugenio Recuenco or Roland Bello.  Thinking of all the ways I myself might navigate the stormy seas of artistic commercial success in this economic drought reminds me of a lovely quote from the provoking movie (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) I recently took the the time watch:

"Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss."

As I endeavor to seize what presents itself and forge as many opportunities as I can, I must also have faith that I am missing the ones I may not need as much as those that came to fruition or that I must try harder to be shaped by opportunities I create rather than forfeit.  Well spoken, narrator and protagonist Pitt.

By the way, the ending images shown as an account of all the characters were lovely and enhanced in such a romantic way.

Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona 2-6 HIGHQUALITY HIGHLIGHTS

game highlights, delicious. better video to come.

A Shameless Imported Fan

A shameless fan of Casillas, the goalkeeper for Real Madrid, I have had been fortunate enough to access all futbol channels here.  My, my, how can I not also save some admiration for the triumphant Barcelona.  After watching their victory over Manchester, I was much the glad recipient of a recent match featuring RM and Barça.  Such a silky way to move the ball, I would call it art...

loveliness and rest

Loveliness oscillates with quiet rest in this place and I drink in the harmonies and luminance of Sevilla.  Meanwhile, I think of those dear whose eyes and hearts I would love to fill with what I encounter.  Cheers to you; you know who you are ;)

Great Heart of a Music Hall Without a Face, Passing Time in Sevilla

Standing there, I realized all at once that I became entirely self-conscious like I was looking at God. The quiet marble floors stretched out to stone that climbed in triumphant ascension to hold the structure and give parameter to the inner secret of it´s uncovered music hall unpeopled but alive with sunshine. This treasure that sang though vacant of its certainly countless performers awaited entrance on an unassuming street near the walk from the river I visit everyday here. This taciturn recognition is markedly the general sentiment that surrounds me in Sevilla. She is hushed though full or accompanied by music as at home to this place as the yellow ground that founds her. I am self-aware, searching and lulled all at once. My March visit produced many photographs that I am now motivated to revisit with the plans to weave a quilt of furthered experiences and to give warming life to new adverntures.... So, photos to come :)

Alice

This incredible remake of one of my favorite Disney classics, for which I was often teased growing up a blonde "Allison," was shared shared by a classmate Walt. Long Live Lewis Carroll!

Good Morning, Beautiful

I even heard birds chirping as I awoke at 8a Sunday morning.  Like every morning, I set water to boil, fed my angry and attractive beta and filled a spray bottle for my orchids and tenacious little potted rose bush, which always receives the last of the mist and then gets dumped on (thirsty little guy).  Much to my surprise, the green buds from the night before had produced two elegant blossoms of a vibrant yellow color I had forgotten.  Knowing that roses are typically anti-pot and prefer to deeply root in the ground, I was doing mental flips.  I busily set to my photo set up wearing a smile.  Three hours into preparation my model arrived beaming with a sparkling attitude.  A well-traveled woman with perceptible humility and kindness, she gracefully transitioned into character during makeup and hair.  Interesting and eager, she offered patience for an intensive pinning of juice cans for makeshift hair rollers, and we made it through almost 2 hours of transformation.  Shoot time that day meant total equipment failure.  Utter optimism and a plan B could never have carried our shoot to fruition without her generosity and flexibility.  She drove me to exchange rental lights in full costume, helped me move the couch that had been totally blocking the entrance to my flat and gave her Mother's Day dinner time to achieve the shot.  She was one of the most beautiful people to work with inside and out.   Like the blossoms to which I woke, she was the most colorful and lovely surprise I could have hoped to have.  Many thanks go to Shelina and the people who provide me fodder for faith in fellows.  FFFFF-antastic.

Muppet Show - Nuclear Powered Shaver

Beaker is the Awkward Muppet

In my constant undercurrent of admiration for Jim Henson and his parallel and metaphoric magic, I must follow up my contemplation of awkwardness by celebrating Beaker, my end-all, be-all of The Muppet Show characters.  This bewitching orange entertainer in a lab coat is anything but a dandy and embraces all of the bumbling that lab or life's experiments could endearingly encourage.  I would like to believe that my appreciation for the tender survival of unexpected outcomes was what Mr. Henson had in mind with this mostly wordless character.  While his role as guinea pig may not afford much time for analysis and opinion formulation, he is never lacking in new experiences.  Perhaps his meeps would render more protest, but instead his communications yield constant albeit timid interaction with the possibilities.  Never sure how to proceed and ever propelled by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker's awkward fortitude never lets us down; his trepidation palpable, he always shows up ready for the next test.

On Awkwardness

First of all, when do two w's split the attentions of a k?  Listening to my beloved friend lumbering over some words of endearment as we caught up on the phone, I came to know that awkwardness is one of my favorite experiences, to have, to encounter.  It is so human, the natural, unending learning curve as it arches.  It is real, and it is to what I gravitate most when editing my own imagery.  That raw moment of searching without placement, not knowing what to do or say or think...  It nullifies the reaction in a situation and leaves only action.  Postured in the brief pre-adaptation phase, we are able to just be.  It occurs to me that having to be without the shroud of premeditated response is to really be.  Just be.  Anticipation can be full of expectations, unwieldy predictions.  While anticipation is invaluable in the fluidity of my work, I take this moment to celebrate those glimpses of the absolute striped down exposure of not knowing 'what next.'

To Celebrate THE dress and THE model who wore it so well...

A quick shot of the amazing woman who wore this show-stopping dress, which by the way stands up on it's own...  I could leave it out, though I feel remiss leaving out the two designers' names, for which I am currently searching.

Our "Little" Fashion Show

Nothing was small scale at this year's Academy of Art University Fashion Show, and I had the great privilege of a backstage pass for the festivities.  Not only was I deeply impressed by the finished and avant garde works I saw, but I was touched by the positive attitudes of those worker bees making the show such a sweet success.  Everyone's attitude was as lovely as the wearables, and I had a blast taking snap shots of such loveliness without worrying about staging or setting up lights :).  Here are some of the excessive photos I could not help but take...

Two Thumbs

Thinking about these little digits of mine that have so much to say and do so much of the work.  I often find myself donating approval with the words "two thumbs."  They are way up, they are unique and indispensable members however off to the side or underneath the towering heights of other fingers, and they always lead the show.  Evolved dexterity, having a grip, catching a ride...  They are party seeking, war waging (count to four) and holding on to it all.  They guide with the rules of thumb, opposable yet so agreeable (see again, two of them), green and growing, deliver fates.  They are the instrument of my instrument.  I salute you; two thumbs up.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD...  SOON TO BE ADDED HEREIN!