Well haven't posted on here in a while.. for good reason. Never been the journal type and so there's no catharsis, and no one reads this shit anyway. But in my effort to be interesting.. A wonderful book I read not long ago is "Just Kids' by Patti Smith. It's a glimpse into the life of artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith and their experience together. It's such a beautiful story and amazing how 2 people with different sexual orientations can experience true love together. Imagine that.
The weather down here in LA this time of year fucking rocks. Living by the bay it makes me wanna up and move here.. this town is alright. Enjoying a real vacation finally.
Well 2010 is coming to a close Thank God. At the moment I am doing last minute things around my apt. before I am supposed to fly out to the east coast to see family tomorrow. Looks like my flight may be canceled though due to the weather. All the flights into Philly were canceled today supposedly.
Initially I was supposed to fly out on Friday but I changed the flight because I had spent so much time car shopping and I wasn't ready for the trip. Still haven't bought the car (BMW 635csi) and now I might go down to LA and check out one down there.. maybe fly from LA. My mom gave me loan to get this thing and now she's hysterical. All these people keep telling her bad things about BMW. She keeps talking now about her blood pressure,, I think when I get over there I am going to give her a medicated piece of chocolate (like a pot brownie) I've had sitting in my freezer. Damn she needs it. It should have a doubly positive effect b/c she should stop giving me so much shit then for working with it myself.
Merry Christmas to all.
Initially I was supposed to fly out on Friday but I changed the flight because I had spent so much time car shopping and I wasn't ready for the trip. Still haven't bought the car (BMW 635csi) and now I might go down to LA and check out one down there.. maybe fly from LA. My mom gave me loan to get this thing and now she's hysterical. All these people keep telling her bad things about BMW. She keeps talking now about her blood pressure,, I think when I get over there I am going to give her a medicated piece of chocolate (like a pot brownie) I've had sitting in my freezer. Damn she needs it. It should have a doubly positive effect b/c she should stop giving me so much shit then for working with it myself.
Merry Christmas to all.
Flames that Yielded Endless Cold
Dancing by night over bogs, brakes and water meadows, the flamelike luminance called ignis fatuus, or "fool-ish fire", once was common throughout northern Europe. Although the learned would claim that the flames were caused by marsh gases, country folk knew better, and tales of mishaps made them wary.
The strange light was given myriad names- "will-o'-the-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern", "fox fire", "elf-light". In Wales, the flames were called "corpse candles" and appeared just at the level of a raised human hand when a ghost walked invisible; they were thought to presage the death of those who saw them. Germans said the lights were the ghosts of those who had stolen the land. For Finns, such light was a liekkio, or "flaming one", and was believed to be the ghost of a child who had been buried in the forest.
In any case, the dancing flames were dangers to the living. Wayfarers who mistook them for the lights of a far off shelter sometimes strayed into thickets where the ground grew shifty and sucked them down into the depth of bogs. Those who followed ghost lights, people said, were led to join the company of Death.
Dancing by night over bogs, brakes and water meadows, the flamelike luminance called ignis fatuus, or "fool-ish fire", once was common throughout northern Europe. Although the learned would claim that the flames were caused by marsh gases, country folk knew better, and tales of mishaps made them wary.
The strange light was given myriad names- "will-o'-the-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern", "fox fire", "elf-light". In Wales, the flames were called "corpse candles" and appeared just at the level of a raised human hand when a ghost walked invisible; they were thought to presage the death of those who saw them. Germans said the lights were the ghosts of those who had stolen the land. For Finns, such light was a liekkio, or "flaming one", and was believed to be the ghost of a child who had been buried in the forest.
In any case, the dancing flames were dangers to the living. Wayfarers who mistook them for the lights of a far off shelter sometimes strayed into thickets where the ground grew shifty and sucked them down into the depth of bogs. Those who followed ghost lights, people said, were led to join the company of Death.
Murder by Spectral Proxy-
In Iceland, ghosts could be made by magic from a human bone. Called sendlings, these ghosts were used as murderers. But they could be defeated. Once for instance, there lived a handsome widow who was much sought after as a wife. She refused all her suitors, however, including one who was skilled in wizardry.
After that proposal, the widow, a prescient woman, put herself on guard.
Her fears were realized one summer afternoon, when she was alone in her larder, preparing her farmhands' supper. All was still, but after a time, some sixth sense made her turn toward the door. She saw a shadow, as black and soft as smoke, save for a white spot in the center. It slid around the door and across the wall of the larder. She knew it for the wizard's sending.
When it came near, she struck with her knife at its one vulnerable place- the white spot. Instantly, knife and shadow vanished. In the morning, however, she found the knife in the yard, it was stuck through a splintered human bone. Bravery and a metal blade had done the trick, and the woman was disturbed no more.
... a bit from this awesome Ghosts book, and I would credit the writer but I can only credit the editors of Time Life Books circa 1984 cuz that's all it says.
Here's some really cool artwork by Mark Bryan shown here in Oakland.
In Iceland, ghosts could be made by magic from a human bone. Called sendlings, these ghosts were used as murderers. But they could be defeated. Once for instance, there lived a handsome widow who was much sought after as a wife. She refused all her suitors, however, including one who was skilled in wizardry.
After that proposal, the widow, a prescient woman, put herself on guard.
Her fears were realized one summer afternoon, when she was alone in her larder, preparing her farmhands' supper. All was still, but after a time, some sixth sense made her turn toward the door. She saw a shadow, as black and soft as smoke, save for a white spot in the center. It slid around the door and across the wall of the larder. She knew it for the wizard's sending.
When it came near, she struck with her knife at its one vulnerable place- the white spot. Instantly, knife and shadow vanished. In the morning, however, she found the knife in the yard, it was stuck through a splintered human bone. Bravery and a metal blade had done the trick, and the woman was disturbed no more.
... a bit from this awesome Ghosts book, and I would credit the writer but I can only credit the editors of Time Life Books circa 1984 cuz that's all it says.
Here's some really cool artwork by Mark Bryan shown here in Oakland.
I finally made it over to the Apple store with my mini and got it tuned up a bit. It is definitely faster now. And supposedly all the shit I have on my desktop slows it down, so maybe it will get even faster. It's funny the Genius bar guy pointed out the desktop problem using this analogy- "It's like if you have all your clothes and stuff all over your floor and you can hardly step anwhere. You can't get any rest because there's always something in the way, or you can't find something". Didn't tell him it's funny that is exactly what my room is like. Despite having added a few shelves to the room. Well I suppose I could start by making better use of the shelves.
Well shit, what the hell else do I have to speak of. I think nothing I don't want to jinx so that would be it for now. I know, I'm really good at this...
Well shit, what the hell else do I have to speak of. I think nothing I don't want to jinx so that would be it for now. I know, I'm really good at this...
My computer has been freaking me out a little... waaay slower than it used to be. And the slow internet just fucking pisses me off of course, because I know that it's slow just because AT&T slows it down to make more money. I wonder if the net neutrality thing will ever make them change that. Fat chance I guess, at least in the next few years.
Looks like I might be trading one of my F3 cameras for a pretty sweet scanner. Minolta DiMage Elite Scan II it be called. It maxes out at 2820 dpi and l'd love to get the 5400 but I don't see any online and I wouldn't be able to afford it anyhow. I'll finally be able to get these images scanned now that I need to put on my website... the never ending project. I guess they are all never ending projects I'm involved with.
I've been shooting a lot the last few days, street photography stuff. I shoot Tri-X so even if I do get the scanner the whole process is so time consuming that I dunno how much I would post here. Props to people who do waaaay more links to photos and videos. And thank you's, yeah thank yous to the ladies for posting a little extra for us.
Tomorrow I'll take in a game at the A's stadium against the Orioles (at least there are a couple teams they can beat). But win or lose, yay for a sunny Sunday afternoon at the ballpark.
Looks like I might be trading one of my F3 cameras for a pretty sweet scanner. Minolta DiMage Elite Scan II it be called. It maxes out at 2820 dpi and l'd love to get the 5400 but I don't see any online and I wouldn't be able to afford it anyhow. I'll finally be able to get these images scanned now that I need to put on my website... the never ending project. I guess they are all never ending projects I'm involved with.
I've been shooting a lot the last few days, street photography stuff. I shoot Tri-X so even if I do get the scanner the whole process is so time consuming that I dunno how much I would post here. Props to people who do waaaay more links to photos and videos. And thank you's, yeah thank yous to the ladies for posting a little extra for us.
Tomorrow I'll take in a game at the A's stadium against the Orioles (at least there are a couple teams they can beat). But win or lose, yay for a sunny Sunday afternoon at the ballpark.
OMG it feels so good to have some cash and be able to pay some of my bills. Now if I could get laid... Well at least I can pick up some much needed camera equipment. In fact I already purchased my first Voigtlander Bessa, the finderless Bessa T. Maybe I'll post a photo below since it is in such nice shape It is also a Leica M mount camera, so I have dangerously entered the realm of uber expensive Leica gear. Fortunately Cosina/Voigtlander makes so many great products and near Leica caliber lenses (as did Konica in recent past and now Zeiss for the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder). Of course that is still some seriously expensive shit. But for right now I will be happy with a used 75mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Heliar. It is not really regarded as one of the best CV lenses but it's a much needed focal length for the work I'm doing (documentary people stuff in tight quarters- great to pair with my F3 and Nikkors). And one day when I am rich and famous, the Leica 75mm f/1.4 Summilux will be mine. Oh yes.
It is a great time to be a film shooter. A lot of fine photographic equipment you never thought you could afford is attainable. Especially I think with the economic down-turn now, if you are not unemployed of course. Rangefinder forum has tantalizing deals on their classifieds every day- custom black paint M3's, minty Konica Hexars, etc. They are a bunch of wealthy gearheads on there, so stuff is usually in excellent shape and more than fairly priced. If only I could afford more than 1 lens and a cheap, finder-less M mount camera. Here she is though, sitting pretty...
WTF???? This pic is not really that big. I hate how web stuff makes a photag feel retarded (sorry all you PC readers). I was impressed with SGs auto-resizing- auto-sharpening jpgs until this point. This is just annoying.
It is also a Leica M mount camera, so I have dangerously entered the realm of uber expensive Leica gear. Fortunately Cosina/Voigtlander makes so many great products and near Leica caliber lenses (as did Konica in recent past and now Zeiss for the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder). Of course that is still some seriously expensive shit. But for right now I will be happy with a used 75mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Heliar. It is not really regarded as one of the best CV lenses but it's a much needed focal length for the work I'm doing (documentary people stuff in tight quarters- great to pair with my F3 and Nikkors). And one day when I am rich and famous, the Leica 75mm f/1.4 Summilux will be mine. Oh yes.It is a great time to be a film shooter. A lot of fine photographic equipment you never thought you could afford is attainable. Especially I think with the economic down-turn now, if you are not unemployed of course. Rangefinder forum has tantalizing deals on their classifieds every day- custom black paint M3's, minty Konica Hexars, etc. They are a bunch of wealthy gearheads on there, so stuff is usually in excellent shape and more than fairly priced. If only I could afford more than 1 lens and a cheap, finder-less M mount camera. Here she is though, sitting pretty...
WTF???? This pic is not really that big. I hate how web stuff makes a photag feel retarded (sorry all you PC readers). I was impressed with SGs auto-resizing- auto-sharpening jpgs until this point. This is just annoying.
SEPTEMBER 2011
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