Crazy

I don’t think crazy is a thing that can be avoided.  It’s not something that falls on others.  It is not an object/disease/illness/thing  that other people have but we DON’T. 

This is a well-formed lie to make us believe that we are something we are not.  Crazy is in all of us.  It is all of us.  We all have varying degrees of it.  It is a slippery slope… something that slowly takes over unless you keep it at bay.  Enter image: little blue house with white trim on the edge of the Amazon jungle with a little pasty-white man mowing with a little bubble mower in plaid shorts.

This is why old people are crazy…because they get tired of fighting it off.  Those who are crazi-er are those who don’t have what it takes to fight it (we all have our strengths.  yours isn’t fighting the crazy off).

 

“The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad” -Salvador Dalí

“What frightens us most in a madman is his sane conversation.”  -Anatole France

to cheer you

People

I think the most enjoyable thing to view in photographs are people.  But that is also the most difficult thing to take pictures of.  I’ve decided that it is time to lose some of my sensitivity to others when it comes time for pictures.  If people object, of course, then I will certainly comply…but I want to start shooting more images of people (including you when you come over).  Asking permission will usually ruin the shot you are wanting.  I’m not really interested in portrait photography, with a few exceptions:  Nude photography and pregnant nude photography.  I’d like to do both but honestly haven’t quite found a way.   How do you just ask someone if you can take pictures of them naked?  It’s hard to explain to someone that nudity adds an amazing element to photography that isn’t about the VAGINA or privates or being turned on.  It’s not about sex.  It’s about everything else.  I mean sometimes it is for some photographers, but I’m a married guy who just enjoys beauty and finds it in many places.  I guess I’ll eventually meet those people.  Most of my friends don’t want to be seen naked, let alone their picture taken, and I understand.  I certainly don’t want mine.

Oh I don’t know.  Maybe if you wrapped me in a feather boa I’d consider it. : )

It makes me think of Donavan, who did an entire series on model vs. photographer where he photographed himself in the same poses he required his models to pose as.  Pretty funny.  I don’t really care for his photography honestly (little more dirty than pretty to me), but it was a funny series.

reading

birds

I I love their curiosity.

Contrast

Without contrast there is no beauty. It is what makes blue so blue and red so red. Colors come alive and passions rekindle at midnight. Contrast keeps us humming when work becomes insane. It is the keeper of laughter and the turnkey to sex. It is what makes fucking worth fucking and laughing worth squirting grape pop out of your nose.  Death requires Life….Requires death. Contrast. 

We fight it and curse it and hate it and love it and push it and keep it and want it and would burn it out if we could find the source.  And those rare precious moments when we remove it the silence is disturbing.

“What happened? Why is this so boring?  Why are you so like me? Where are the colors?” 
“You made me like you because that’s what you wanted.  There is no more contrast between us.  No more fighting. No differences.”

Families.  Friends.  Lovers.  Divide.   Over contrast.

Families.  Friends.  Lovers.  Embrace.  Over contrast.

It proves love.hate.hope.doubt.

Hide your eating.  Hide your purge.  Hide your passion.  Hide your urge. 
Hide your hate.  Hide your dreams. Hide the blood stains under your jeans.
Cut your hope.  Cut your shame.  Cut yourself to keep you mamed.
Contrast is the god you hate.  Contrast is your only fate.
Keep yourself tucked away.  No one knows your name today.
Love comes out when you return.  And hate will kiss your cheek and burn.
Contrast is your savior now.
Swallow what you’ve learned.

 

Attention photo junkie.

That’s right, you know who you are. Spring is springing sprigly (?) and it’s time to start thinking about submitting your photos. The everyman photo contest is now open until september 1st. It’s free to submit and a wonderful service. The idea is that ANYONE can take great pictures. So be sure to submit. Another one that I can’t find advertised is B&W’s contest. They don’t have anything on their website but in their april edition it shows a single image contest for 2009 that started last week and ends june 2. I can’t find anything on their website about it, except the rules for last year. (it does cost $25 for first image, $10 for each one after that)

There are a lot of bogus contests out there or contests where it’s free but they have exclusive rights to the images you submit. But these two are legit, and if you win one of the 170 merit awards for B&W you might want to be prepared to get calls, because it would get a lot of visibility.

Anyway, please please please submit. I’d love to see one of y’all get an award for something. And if you know of any other legit contests, I’d love to hear about them!