Thursday 30 April 2009

from an entry last summer...
Headed to the evil twin's to chat but also to ask what the Sackville snapper has that I don’t photographically.


-You don’t market yourself. How much do you spend on those cards you send out?

He then proceeded to list people who have published books for less.

To make matters worse in the Flower Studio window in the Hotel Newfoundland saw the book of a photographer up here that I know – puts the blurb/lulu stuff to shame.

The twin mentioned that I like books why not go all out.

Point taken it will be a contest to see who can procrastinate more on his book me or the minor CBC presenter.

i realise when i got a note from the post office asking what was wrong and that they missed me, and when harney was wonedering where the snaps were that so far i am imitating those “novelists” and cbc presenters who lurk in taverns saying their are working on their manuscript when in truth nothing is happening outside of the stock in the guinness group rising. i have been saving money as nothing has been going out but i also was no closer than the book of the people of the navegatio.

i have been stifled by a number of things. i was lucky with the colour snaps in the layout when i did the real clarke’s beach and not wanting to copy the formula have been trying to find a way to change it. with the cards i changed the layout yearly sometimes with modifications along with way. with the now comatose column - my fault, i made minor changes but none of them would work in a page layout.

i find the number of people daunting. it seemed with rolls of film and a darkroom, i was never really aware of the amount of people i document - well until about this time in the year when i would do a mad dash to get them all in before the next group. like climbing everest but never looking at the summit, i could see progress but not how far i had to go. with digital files i see the mountain - all the mountain - with the summit in there someplace and have had a hard time starting.

not true. have started a good six times now and stopped as the idea looked lame.

translation from the postcards using the formula from last year. but what background image should i use as i cannot use a map again.

loosen up the design a bit by not following anyone rigidly so that if i want a bled image so be it, a background image, fine. this is the way to go.

but the text. the succinct snarky statements don’t seem to fit anymore as most aren’t strangers anymore and the one’s that were, spent much more time chatting this time. it wasn’t simply a “lovely day” “yes b’y”.

thought of smothering the borders with text being as verbose as needed going into length the conversations we had.
well, halfway through this solution i decided that i was using the text as filler and , i have decided to go simple but now thinking two volumes. people of the navegatio in one, the land in the other. the only texts would be names and locations. sounds good so far if i can keep this resolve through the process...

Saturday 25 April 2009

two snaps i didn’t make

leaving from the dukedom somewhat early, i race toward the train station thinking that i’ll - for once this week - get home before dark.

heading to the platform i hear an announcement that all trains on the north line starting with the 17:35 will be delayed due to a fatality on the line - someone jumped in front of a train at rogers park. think about getting on the winnetka train as it seems that it will leave but realising it will do me no good head back into the station after i find out that the trains that did leave are parked along the tracks until the police come and look at the scene.

i have my laptop. it is a good time to work and this years version of clarke’s beach. head over to the caribou as i have a free drink coming. they discontinued the açaí smoothie but have passion fruit. sit down boot up and start to work.

the manager comes over to chat. it seems that caribou is run about as well as the dukedom. ask why açaí was dropped thinking it was due to lack of interest but no they sold out all the time it seems there was a woman who bought it more than i did. the manager then goes into the fact that the popular baked goods are being discontinued also. we chat about contemporary marketing in the states, the manager mentions that the big wigs don’t look at sales receipts to see what to sell they wait until costumers complain.

looks at the people on the computer from last summer’s navegatio.

the manger has to go back to work but takes my cup and comes back with it half filled with more of the smoothy.

left to see if the trains were moving without making her snap even with the nice soft lighting coming in through the window. don’t think it was the botch exposure with the taxi driver.

getting to the platform i see all the trains are delayed still chat with someone who usually is on the 18:31 as it is time for that train to depart. the 17:35 is still at the platform.

he heads out to a bar and i hear that the next train out to kenosha will be making all stops. race to find him.

don’t.

race to the train get. sit pull out the laptop and think that we are off.

the ninety minute ride takes three hours.

the corpse is still on the side of the tracks as we pass rogers park.

the person sitting beside me asks what i am.

i teach.

what?

photography

where?

i mention the dukedom

where’s that?

behind the museum. surprising for such a “famous” school how unknown it is.

he asks about its financial health what with who can afford to go to art school now.

tell him that due to the mismanagement of past and present presidents there was nothing to loose when stocks plummeted and thus we are in pretty good shape. but only if students come. as an example of the brilliance of our leader, i mention that he is perplexed that more alumni don’t donate to the dukedom. i guess they simply haven’t figured out what part of their wages from starbucks should go to the school after the rent and paying off the loans. he seems to forget that most money donated to universities come from the people who made this mess we are in and not from minimum wage struggling b.f.a’s.

we talk of the rampant fear of parents looking for something tangible when their children leave school so colleges and universities are turned into trade schools the powers that be not realising that learning a trade means that they will have to learn another trade in five years.

he agreed he was an art history major - he is now a lawyer. college taught him how to think and research has a longer life span than learning a trade. we chat more, he tells of a friend of his starting his second life down at columbia college, of his kids, that the fastest growing demographic on facebook are 55 year old single women.

i mention the snaps.
he gets down and again even though it is waning, there is enough light i forget to make his snap.

Saturday 18 April 2009

-you look like you’re having fun.
-yeah why not might as well try.
and since you spoke to me - as i lean into the open window on the passenger’s side of his cab - i have to make your snap.
-ok ok. as he flashes a sign
-no wait! as he reaches in his pocket and pulls out dollar notes.
-if you’re around here and see me if the snap turns out i’ll get you one.
-a couple left their nikon in my cab a week ago i didn’t steal it. got it back to them but your camera is better.
-well.
you’re a good photographer, i can tell.

as he pulls away in look down at the camera to find that i had set the camera incorrectly.

Wednesday 15 April 2009

a quick saturday outing into chicago to see what i could pick up at the make it your own d... self fair in bucktown. not going to the usual places and with five hours, planned walks along streets that would have the most promise. joãzão in tow.

i had to be efficient due to the time but had to make sure that i didn’t work myself into a rushing frenzy. down from the train at ravenswood trying ti guess if a walk along irving park would be more interesting than lawrence or maybe a zig zag. indecision left me starting through a neighbourhood so i took to the alleys as they are more interesting than the streets. this one had the added attraction of the el running over it and thus creating this no-man’s land between the road way and the property. a mix of the formal and things- basketball hoops, chairs, grills between parked machines.

misread the address for the printmaking workshop and headed down western thinking it was further south. wandered down slowly making snaps of the taverns and other façades that that potential missed the busy-ness of the former car lots that used to be here. once again chicago trying to clean itself up. i was six blocks off course when i looked at the address and retraced my steps as i was across from the gallery when i started to head south. crossed the street and photographed on the way north.

the only reasons to go to openings is to say hello to the artists and eat the food. did the second. the artists weren’t around. faced stuffed, headed back on a thankfully quiet brown line - disorienting from the lack of constant announcements - recalled the days before societal a.d.d. - for a quick stop at the dukedom - seemed that in fleeing on friday, i left my gloves, and glasses - then up to bucktown.

now making calculations on what is possible to do with the time - if the train takes 10 mintues i’ll have 15 minutes to hang around before catching the train back - i head to the blue line. which is slowed in the tunnel - recalculate time - then again with someone holding open the door.

the usual decision on which would be the most picturesque route - by default i took ashland to blackhawk - default for like the walk in lincoln square i had to decide that i couldn’t head in the opposite direction even if it were only a half block - so as not to waste time. these “forgotten”; neighbourhoods still hold promise there was reuse - many corner taverns now residences but fewer tear downs, more fire escapes, satellite dishes, postboxes, doors. denser habitations.

bought some stuff that i may or may not use but most stuff costing under a buck, i reckoned that i could think about their use later. two refugées from the dukedom, spoke a bit with art school girl then thinking it a respectable time, started the return trip with more time than i had allotted.

wandered alleys as alleys behind new constructions in bucktown - while they are as heavily fortressed as the street, have more interesting discards between the closed taverns and the discarded toys, i photographed until joãozão “caught” cold and refused to open its shutter. never wanting to make things easy i try to make it to central to buy some materials that i ‘ll need for the rest of the week-end. not the most efficient place, race by the owner, yell for him to memo what i am taking and calculate that if i walk a block a minute and don’t look up,i’ll make the train.

Monday 6 April 2009

catching up...

as, in my usual rushed state i haven't uploaded images for the postings.


a conversation in a midwestern photo department

- wow helen levitt died.
-who?

Sunday 5 April 2009

i have to go into chicago two days straight for grad idol, and trying to make the best of it, i attempt to make a snap that i have been seeing from the train for the past month - a homeless encampment where the bed is nicely sheltered and the belongings are far enough away that from the street no one will suspect that someone is there. on saturday there is a downpour. sunday is the first day of summer savings time and thus still dark when i pass by. having to be once again in chicago for the final instalment of grad idol, where it will only take a morning - you’ll be out quickly - fibre only took two hours - famous last words - and having to meet the skin and blister her boyfriend and my niece - that evening, i plan an afternoon straight line walk of modest length - along either belmont or irving park - from the blue line to the red line or brown line. here were two streets that hadn’t been cleaned up by the city, with small businesses - there are homeless encampments under the kennedy expressway at belmont - which for some reason it is tolerated whereas at north avenue and division street the area has been fenced off - seems that beemers and the homeless don’t mix. then a quick stroll in the near north until it is time to meet up. took joãozão for its portability and lack of pretension.

the two hour meeting lasts four, then am trapped being social and lo and behold i am in that awkward time where there is too little to make a real outing but too much to simply walk up to meet. never hold out much finding anything to photograph along michigan avenue am not winogrand nor any incarnation of the nyc street photographer. what is along the street has been so regulated that no chance of surprise is allowed. even the back streets in the area due to real estate values, are boring. an old dive bar the size of a bedsit in a single room occupancy hotel is now a restaurant in a days inn. the hotel my sister is staying in was a best western now it is a boutique hotel with the typical bad industrial music that has become the musak of these places.

but something did come of the walk, it was the day that teases midwesterners into thinking that spring is here. 25C people were trying to eat out on the pavement pretending they are in paris tables and chairs were brought out but not arranged as the bars weren’t quite sure.

back in chicago yet again on a sunday - the best day as there is no one around this time i do photograph the encampment that i see from the train, i am early enough to see someone arise from another make-shift home, pull down his space and greet the day. it seems that the period of missteps is over. now if only the my chemistry would come.