Unbearable lightness of coincidence???

Those who follow this blog know about two of my friends here, Carla and Valya (follow these links to read my Proust interviews with them).  Valya modeled for me in June and helped me follow my art in a new direction.  Carla is a long time friend of this blog. 

The coincidence - Carla's old alias was UL or Unbearable Lightness which comes from one of  her favorite books, The Unbearable Lightness of Being.  She used this alias for years at her blog, What We Saw Today.  This morning, Valya published a post with the title Unbearable Lightness of Being along with a photo of her posing in an amazing yoga stretch position that communicates strength, flexibility, and grace all in one.

As a part time scientist, I believe in "pure coincidence" as well as the opposite of it.  For now though, I like seeing two parts of my life intersect, however briefly and potentially coincidentally. 

Congrats to Carla

Campo di Fiori Statue

Blog friend Carla, aka UL and Dr.L, has outed her identity.  So many of us in this area of art and culture hide behind aliases because we are afraid of what may happen if certain groups in our public lives knew of what we created and thought.

Last year I shared my first name, Karl.  In that post, Carla wrote a beautiful and true comment.

Good for you!! I wish I could do the same. It is a disgrace we have to fear exposure as creators of fine art nudes. No, it is not a disease, but it is a passion. 

Today, Dr. Carla Johnson went all in and showed her cards to those who tried to leverage her anonymity.  I think she won that hand magnificently.

Earlier this year I interviewed her for this blog.  Please take a moment to read it and get to know her a little better.  I also recommend reading her fine blog.  She is a true sensual beauty, inside and out.

Piazza Navone

Photo notes - Carla was an inspirational guide to Rome.  I retraced some of her steps and got to know her better through it.  Here are links ( Part 1 - Part 2) to my post about walking in her footsteps.

Others' words.

I am enjoying a clear morning break after days of rain and gray.  I love the dark days and the rain, but the sunny Berkeley morning is nice too.

My friend Valya posted one of our harsh photos on her blog and wrote a great bit of prose that summarizes our work.  I highly recommend you visit her blog.  Her work can be soft and sensual or rough with jagged sharp edges, and everything in between.  Her words are important and used sparingly to keep from overstating the point.  One of my goals is to work with her again in the next year.  She is a true artist.


Alex wrote a powerful post on erotic imagery, pornography, and a potentially new form of racism.  I guess one purpose of art is to push boundaries and expose truths in society.  Too bad some of those truths still live.

My Pixel Forest Numbers Were Wrong.

Our friend Dr. L just wrote a post following on my post titled, "Thinning the Pixel Forest".  After reading hers I questioned the accuracy of my first post.

I double checked my facts on the number of photos on the internet and I was wrong.  I got the 10,000,000,000 (10 billion) from a conference lecturer last year.  According to the internet trending site Pingdom, in 2009 there were:

• 4 billion – Photos hosted by Flickr (October 2009).
• 2.5 billion – Photos uploaded each month to Facebook. (964 per second)
• 30 billion – At the current rate, the number of photos uploaded to Facebook per year.

I was wrong.  My 10 billion number was way too low.   The overwhelming part for me is those are the numbers (34 billion) for two sites in 2009.  I will assume then Facebook will get at least another 30 billion images this year, totaling 60,000,000,000 in just two years.

I believe this gluttony of images has the same cause as the gluttony of food in developed nations.  Technology has made the production, processing, and distribution of both food and photos much more efficient, easier, cheaper and individualized.  For under $10, I can easily buy 10,000 calories.  A century ago, the cost of a calorie was much more, even after adjusting for inflation.  The same ease of use and consumption is true for photography.

We have to accept that photography publishing is no longer a medium/tool of the few deemed good enough and important enough to be publicized.  We all could take photos with our little Kodaks a few decades ago, but we had no way to mass publish them.  Most of the photos ended up in shoe box and a few ended up in an album or framed.  With new technology I can instantly publish any image for the world's online consumption, quality be damned.

I can reminisce about the good old days.  They are gone and we are not going back.  We (as a culture) eat too much and publish too many photos.   I can not turn around that global tide of gluttony.  I have to accept that so many will consume too much food and create too many photos.

My power is in what I can do with my own habits.  As with food, I can choose my nutritional and photographic diet.   I choose to ignore the trivial photos (both mine and yours (plural for rest of humanity)) and only consume the truly nutritious and important ones.  As I stated in my old post, I also choose to only publish my good stuff (both writing and photos), in a limited fashion.

After reading a comment from an anonymous reader I am thinking of holding back more photos for future uses that can earn me money or at least form the basis of my life's work.

When you get to the high end photographers such as Carrie Leigh, Kim Weston, Leonard Nimoy, Lucien Clerque etc...you will find that they post very few images.
You know that they are holding back for print, exhibit and collector value.

I've met and learned from Kim Weston.  He is a very generous and kind man.  He also knows a good bit of making sure his art gets to those who truly want it and can afford it.  My art is not at that level yet, but I have to start treating it as such.  If I don't I am just adding to the overly populated Pixel Forest.


NOTE - I just deleted over 70 less-than-stellar posts from this blog.  I have them backed up elsewhere, but since this is their public outlet, you wont have to read or see them anymore.  They live in the pixel forest's burn pile.

Getting to Know You... Mrs

One of the first blogs I started following was Any Fucking Day.  I could spend all day praising its quality writing and photography.  Both are deeply personal and deeply... deep.  Both can be said for the two creators of it, Z and Mrs.

They are a married couple living in a small US city in the east.  If you read it for awhile, you get to know the two creators as intensely private (for very legitimate reasons) observers and thinkers.  They are a unique team.  Z writes, publishes books, and photographs.  Mrs models and provides a complex presence to the writing, images, and overall existence of the blog .   Together, they make an interesting balance of passion, love, pain, happiness, frustration,  and lust as they work together to create art.

Mrs has always been an intelligent, beautiful, erotic and strong-willed enigma for me as I've followed this excellent blog. While it is easy to recognize Z's influence on the blog through his writing and images he shares, it is a deeply rewarding endeavor to get to know and feel Mrs' aesthetic breath shared in the life of their art.  Through her modeling, mood and visceral presence in every post, I feel their collaboration become a complex mosaic of two very strong minds.

Mrs' modeling is complex.  The first thing I noticed was her erotic beauty of course, but after seeing her modeling in so many different environs, you can feel the silent solitude and private world these two artists share.  You can also sense her emotions, feelings and beliefs, though appearing subtle, are strong and formidable.  Through Z's writing and these images you get to appreciate their never-easy, but damn rewarding, relationship filled with every lustful, creative reward and challenge thrown at them.

I was both honored and excited when Z emailed me telling me Mrs wanted to answer my questionnaire.  I feel it is like getting to touch a rich abstraction that I've started to know through digesting and reflecting on all of their photos and writing.

Here are Mrs' answers to my questionnaire.  I love her direct answers and appreciate her sharing a bit of herself here.

1. What is your favorite word? Amsterdam
2. What is your least favorite word? Networking
3. What turns you on? horses
4. What turns you off? crowds
5. What sound or noise do you love? a far away train whistle
6. What sound or noise do you hate? motorcycle
7. What is your favorite curse word? fucking asshole
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? thoroughbred horse industry
9. What profession would you not like to do? sales
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the
11. Pearly Gates? You can return to earth and this time you can have your horse.
12. What is your idea of perfect happiness? life on a small farm with horses and dogs
13. What is your greatest fear? death of loved one
14. Which historical figure do you most identify with? hmmm?
15. Which living person do you most admire? Barack Obama
16. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? fear
17. What is the trait you most deplore in others? self - admiration
18. What is your greatest extravagance? I once spent way too much on a pair of shoes
19. On what occasion do you lie? sick days 
20. What do you dislike most about your appearance? my scowl
21. When and where were you happiest? on vacations
22. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I wish I had the courage not to care what others think
23. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? I always wanted a brother
24. What do you consider your greatest achievement? my marriage
25. What is your most treasured possession? our cabin
26. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? serious illness
27. Who are your heroes in real life? people whose life work is to make the world better for everyone
28. What is it that you most dislike? self-centeredness
29. How would you like to die? with gratitude
30. What is your motto? I hate mottos

Any Fucking Day is a private blog.  Contact Z at mycapote@gmail.com to request an invitation if you are interested in learning more about it.

Getting to Know You... M Sarki

 

M Sarki

 

There are artists who are one-trick ponies like me that create works in one artistic medium or genre.  On the rare occasion, I get to enjoy the works of an artist who creates amazing pieces in multiple areas.  M Sarki is one of those rare creative talents with strong branches into multiple artistic outlets.

Sarki is a photographer, poet, screenwriter, and a painter (I am probably missing a few others).  The thing I appreciate most about his works is the complexity wrapped up in each one.  Whether it is a photo or piece of writing, you can't just stop at the surface interpretation.  Each one sucks you in as you try to figure out how each element connects to the next.  It took me three weeks to properly read and digest his book, Diary of the Modern God which is filled with his photos and poetry.  Do not take Sarki's work at face-value, you will be missing his genius.

One of the first pieces of Sarki's that I learned about was the movie he wrote, Alphonso Bow.  I've watched a few trailers for this movie and am anxious for its West Coast premier.  Below is the trailer.



Below are Sarki's answers to my thirty questions.  I highly recommend you go to his hub page site and learn more about him. 

1. What is your favorite word? Beverly
2. What is your least favorite word? hopefully
   
3. What turns you on? well, for one, an extremely good book
4. What turns you off? anything mediocre
5. What sound or noise do you love? the soft, warm wind through the trees
6. What sound or noise do you hate? high shrill sounds
7. What is your favorite curse word? probably fuck, although if I am mad and want to fight I love to use the word cocksucker.
   
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? short order cook
9. What profession would you not like to do? anything that demands the wearing of a uniform.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You're in the wrong place, son.
    
11. What is your idea of perfect happiness? being blissfully lost in play.
12. What is your greatest fear? not being able to breathe.
13. Which historical figure do you most identify with? daniel boone.
14. Which living person do you most admire? barack obama
15. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? my resistance to change
    
16. What is the trait you most deplore in others? self-righteous intolerance of others
17. What is your greatest extravagance? fine hardcover collectible books
18. On what occasion do you lie? the most frequent lie would occur in order to protect ones feelings. but i am not above lying to protect my person either.
    
19. What do you dislike most about your appearance? the extra pounds I gained since I stopped swinging a hammer.
20. When and where were you happiest? at the great Lake Huron on vacation with my true love.
    
21. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? to rid myself of fear; become totally fearless
22. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? their unwillingness to communicate honestly with each other.
23. What do you consider your greatest achievement? my assembling of things, most particularly my words.
    
24. If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be? a riverboat captain.
25. What is your most treasured possession? a Gordon Lish lavishly inscribed one-of-a kind handmade boxed hardcover edition of his novel Dear Mr. Capote.
26. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? the loss of ones child.
    
27. Who are your heroes in real life? still living? Jack Gilbert, Cormac McCarthy, and Gordon Lish
28. What is it that you most dislike? murderous child molesters.
29. How would you like to die? in my sleep peacefully.
    
30. What is your motto? I do what needs to be done.

Getting to Know You... Joseph Crachiola

Uncle Lionel's Birthday Party

A few weeks ago I introduced this little questionnaire and had the honor of introducing Dr. L. from the blog What We Saw Today.   Today I have the honor to present Joe Crachiola, another writer for WWST. 

Joe is a top-level photographer.  He's spent many years living as a photojournalist, art photographer, musician, sailor and sailing boat captain, father, and recent addition to the life of New Orleans.  Every time Joe posts photos from his life in New Orleans, I intentionally put on some good music and take the time to see his photos and read his accounts.  Both are very important to the complete post.  Joe inspires me through his fine art, his openness to following his dreams, but mostly from his kind spirit he shares with all he comes in contact with.  I highly recommend you got to WWST and read of his life and the photos he shares. 

Here are Joe's answers:

1. What is your favorite word? I don't have a favorite word.
2. What is your least favorite word? See above.
3. What turns you on? intelligence, beauty
4. What turns you off? ignorance, narrow mindedness
5. What sound or noise do you love? Canadian Geese in the morning
6. What sound or noise do you hate? a loud car stereo playing hip hop
7. What is your favorite curse word? I don't have a favorite.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Grand Prix race car driver
9. What profession would you not like to do? Accountant
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome home.
11. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Doing the things that I love with the people I love
12. What is your greatest fear? senility
13. Which historical figure do you most identify with? I can't think of just one that I identify with. I'm fascinated by Vincent Van Gogh, but I also have a great interest in the American revolutionaries, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin, in particular
14. Which living person do you most admire? Can't think of one off the top of my head.
15. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Being disorganized
16. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Manipulative behavior
17. What is your greatest extravagance? Spending 500.00 for dinner on New Year's Eve in Paris
18. On what occasion do you lie? I try not to do that, but I will withhold speaking the truth to avoid hurting someone.
19. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I'm not sure. I don't look at myself very often.
20. When and where were you happiest? Right now. Right here.
21. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I wish I were a better sax player.
22. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? I don't know. I love my family.
23. What do you consider your greatest achievement? I've survived this long and I'm not in jail.
24. If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be? I have no idea.
25. What is your most treasured possession? My mental and physical health
26. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Being in a state of hopelessness
27. Who are your heroes in real life? My grandparents (They're all deceased now.)
28. What is it that you most dislike? See number 4
29. How would you like to die? at the ripe old age of one hundred, in my sleep
30. What is your motto? If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space.

PHOTO NOTE FROM JOE - This picture was taken last week at Uncle Lionel Batiste's seventy-ninth birthday party. He is a New Orleans Icon and co-founder of the Treme´ Brass Band. I had the distinct honor of being invited to sit in with the band at the party. Lionel is the guy in the right. On the left is Roger Lewis, one of the best sax players I've ever heard, and without question the best I have ever played with.

Getting to Know You... Terrell Neasley

I often find great blogs by looking at the one's  recommended by other blog friends.  One such found treasure is Photo Anthems Blog created by Terrell Neasley.  I greatly appreciate his blog for its blend of art, photography, great writing and humor.

Terrell is the closest (geographically)blogger to me.  He lives in Las Vegas, NV.  That may sound like a trivial fact, but  I feel a western US bond to his work, stories, and history.   As I read others' writings about the art scene, weather, and stories of the northern mid-west, east, and south, I learn about their special corner of the country.  When I read Terrell's camping stories, see his photos of  women and the the scenery, I get a feeling of familiarity and home since I've shared similar experiences.

Terrell's life is an interesting story and shows in his life beliefs and art.  I highly recommend you go to his blog and website (photoanthems.com) to learn more about him.  It is well worth it.  His photography is beautiful and a highlight of my online perusing.  I hope one day to get to meet him on a trip to LV.

Here are the questions.  Thanks for the answers.  They are greatly appreciated.

1. What is your favorite word? Altruism
2. What is your least favorite word? Normal
3. What turns you on? A naked woman
4. What turns you off? Clothes!....kidding...People who don't take responsibility for themselves and pass the blame.
5. What sound or noise do you love? Bacon sizzling in the morning would be the least crass answer
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Its a tie between a high-pitched nagging voice and an alarm clock
7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Probably acting, but I used to dream about playing football
9. What profession would you not like to do? There are plenty but I'm going with Nursing. I've got much respect for them, but its not my gift.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Come on....Get your butt on in here!
11. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Traveling the world with boundless resources and a model that I photograph everywhere, all the time
12. What is your greatest fear? I honestly can't say I have one. I mean, I certainly don't want to be eaten by an alligator or fall from the empire state building but they are not fears of mine that I think about all the time. 
13. Which historical figure do you most identify with? Galileo Galilei, just because he's the only person I can think of who was also misunderstood.
14. Which living person do you most admire? Other than family....Billy Graham, Chris St. James, and Bill Cosby (How can you stick with just one?)
    
15. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Procrastination
16. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Lack of integrity
17. What is your greatest extravagance? I spent $400 on comic books once, but I've since sold my collection and not bought another since 1994, I think.
18. On what occasion do you lie? When I have to take into account someone else's feelings and the truth is not worth the heartache or when I need to be polite because I need the business.
19. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I'm actually cool with myself. If I had to say any one thing its that I look mean when I am not smiling.
20. When and where were you happiest? Christmas at Mama Carrie's as a kid
21. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I'd be kinder to people and more understanding
22. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? Me. That's all I have control over.
23. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Jeremy and Cassie
24. If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be? As a person: A white female, just so I could experience the opposite of my current self. As far as a thing, I'd want to be a star just for the billions of years galactic experience 
25. What is your most treasured possession? My faith
26. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? A disapproval of yourself because of someone else's opinion
27. Who are your heroes in real life? My Mother, 
28. What is it that you most dislike? A coward
29. How would you like to die? Old age preferably, but if not, then on my feet in a way that makes it count
30. What is your motto? Stay alert, Stay alive! Hooooah!

Getting to Know You... Dr. L.

Unbearable Lightness

by Jim Young

On Inside the Actors Studio at the end of the interview the host James Lipton asks the guest actor ten questions.  In Vanity Fair, they ask famous people a series of questions as well.  Both of these are a take on Proust Questionnaire names after the French writer Marcel Proust.

The Sensual 7 Seconds has decided to "borrow" both of these sets of questions and pose them to readers, fellow bloggers, artists, models and anyone interested in completing them.  My goal for this series is for me and the readers to get to know some important people a little better.  Today is the first installment of this new series.

Let me introduce the ever elegant, gracious and graceful, intelligent, artistic, and truly sexy beauty, Dr. L.  She was one of the first to post a comment on this blog and is a valued commenter, artist, social and artistic commentator, academic, advocate for the sensual,  friend, and all around great lady.   She co-writes the blog, What We Saw Today, contributes to many other online and print publications such as Carrie Leigh Nudes and has written a book or two or three as well.  I highly recommend you visit her blog to flesh out the answers she provided.

Here are the thirty questions and her answers.

1. What is your favorite word?  dog
2. What is your least favorite word? rejection
3. What turns you on?  the light
4. What turns you off?  The Seven Deadlies
5. What sound or noise do you love?  car traffic on a brick street
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  rap music
7. What is your favorite curse word?  f--- you
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  acting
9. What profession would you not like to do?  anything corporate
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  You've got some great gams, girl.
11. What is your idea of perfect happiness?  swimming in a spring-fed lake on a hot August day
12. What is your greatest fear?  people obsessed with control
13. Which historical figure do you most identify with?  Anne Boleyn
14. Which living person do you most admire?  my 93-year-old uncle
15. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?  None.  I've accepted them all.
16. What is the trait you most deplore in others?  superficiality
17. What is your greatest extravagance?  Great coffees
18. On what occasion do you lie?  When other people's feelings are at risk
19. What do you dislike most about your appearance?  The effects of gravity on a masterpiece (each human body is a masterpiece, by the way)
20. When and where were you happiest?  In the present moment which changes quite often
21. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?  Nothing.  I've accepted it all.
22. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?  My father would still be here in this world with us
23. What do you consider your greatest achievement?  My self knowledge and self acceptance
24. If you died and came back as a person or thing what do you think it would be?  A prima ballerina
25. What is your most treasured possession?  My dog
26. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?  Losing your freedom
27. Who are your heroes in real life?  All people who fight for rights and risk their lives for others
28. What is it that you most dislike?  People who never fight for anything that matters
29. How would you like to die?  I wouldn't
30. What is your motto?  What's the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof?  Just staying on, I guess.

Gracias Dr. L.  Your honest and interesting answers are greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in answering these questions, email me at sidebphotography@gmail.com.

To be... Cognoscor Ergo Sum

How many pointless Twitter/Facebook updates do you get that say something like, "Had great dinner at Wendy's, now a beer."? I hate those. I am also guilty of writing a few as well.

Above is a little clip from the Colbert Report commenting on online social networking. Is the only reason we play on Facebook, My Space, write blogs, and Twitter is to be known?

"Cognoscor Ergo Sum - I am known, therefore I am."

At what point am I sharing stuff just so people know that I exist? Am I afraid that I am such an insignificant dot that I must wave my hands and publish all this stuff about myself so I have meaning?

The answers are complicated. I write, create art, and do most everything I do for myself. I appreciate comments, praise and criticism, but it is mostly for me. I hope my stuff entertains, pleases, angers, and makes others think. I guess that is the boundary point then. There is a part of me that plays on these social networking sites to draw attention to my existence, but I also do it to hopefully give my audience something of value. I hope my audience gets a nugget to think about, an image to ponder on, or something to chuckle about.

I guess my intent then is both self serving and hopefully of service. That is like most things we do in our existence. We do them because we all get something out of it.

A New(s) Cause

Photographer Unknown

America is in a shouting match and now there is a new screaming cheerleader. From the New York Times.

Sarah Palin to Contribute to Fox News.
Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel.

This is not a post to rant about Ms. Palin or Fox News. This is a free country and as much as their views go against mine, they have a right to spew them. This post is about my supporting the news outlets I find of value.

The conservatives have Fox, Rush Limbaugh and many other broadcast or cable outlets. They also have numerous print and online offerings as well. Through these outlets, they are able to effectively get out their core message through simplistic sound bytes and yelling to their core audience and those sitting on the fence on many issues. By being the loudest and most entertaining, many viewers absorb and believe what they say. They come to believe that these are credible news outlets. As Ms. Palin said:

“I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News. It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news,”

The progressives have the small radio group of Air America, which can be as vitriolic as Limbaugh and crowd. They like to do the shout down as well. I guess MSNBC also has a left lean and is an interesting sparring partner for FOX News. There are many left-leaning online and print outlets that are potential resources.

The problem though is that so many of these outlets take the issues the conservatives are raging on and fight back. That may be of value, but so much news is getting neglected by both sides.

Our country is getting too distracted by all the yelling and losing sight of the facts. The conservatives are the best at finding one little point and then blowing it out of proportion as a major speaking point. If someone disagrees, they are yelled down and labeled as "unpatriotic." I can also say the same things about the yelling liberal media as well, except the label is probably, "fascist." Why are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by the grain of sand issue at the cost of ignoring the whole damn beach?

Personally, I try to avoid these sources for that reason. I need more news, less viewpoints from pundits. Online, I like to read SLATE. It, and its sister sites, cover everything from news, culture, science, entertainment and politics. I also get a chance to read Doonesbury as well. They have a good news aggregator that collects the headlines to other news sources with links to the stories. My main source of news though is National Public Radio.

My local station is the San Francisco flagship KQED which provides both PBS (television) and NPR, radio. Through listening to NPR during my commute, I feel I am getting a liberally slanted news source that cares about the news. They do offer some analysis and opinions, but mainly news. I also appreciate how they also broadcast the BBC news so I can get a little bit more of a global view.

I am a pretty smart guy. I know I don't know everything, but I do know I need to learn more before forming my own opinions about things. Too many people listen to the pundits as news, not the news then the pundits, as their information resources. We need to learn the facts and sadly we aren't.

"..."

Many may feel that this ignorance of issues does not affect them. It does. While so many are happy to watch Simon Cowel anoint the next idol we must worship, things are getting done by those who follow the news and use our distraction against us. So much of the sick stuff in the Patriot Act is buried in the language. The same goes for 2257 and other forms of censorship. Look at other personal rights issues and you can see so much happened "under the radar", but hey, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga are singing next.

This is why I just became a financial supporter of KQED. If I don't support what I ... err... support, then my words are meaningless. I just read Dr. L's post about the need for print media and how Carrie Leigh's Nude magazine is succeeding. I plan to subscribe to that as well. Information is not always free, I am proud to support it through work or money where I can. I suggest you do the same. If you find content that feeds your needs for information, support it so it does not disappear under all the yelling from the mainstream.

One Year On

It Started with Leila

December 15, 2008 Mission and Vision of the blog

I am pulled to simple messages, photos, images, sounds, and art. Sometimes the simplest things say the most things. The sensual world around us is so sweet and simple, yet will mess with our mind for days and make us wonder "what the fuck was that?" Those are the delicious moments I live for.

I am going to post my writings, photos, thoughts, moods, or whatever is needed for the time. My spelling is nominal, my grammar is almost acceptable. That will not be my point. I will also share works of others (and of course cite them) that I find important for the moment. This will not always be a daily blog, but I hope to contribute things that took some time to create or find and not just post something to show I posted.

What it was and what it became:
I was searching for clarity about what I wanted and desired in my art, creativity, sensual needs, and tried to create an outlet for all of these. I wrote some half-baked, long, sort-of haikus, sort-of poems, and rambled on about being randy. Now it feels like it focuses more on art and less on other life stuff. It has kind of reversed over the year.

I look back to the early days and see an edginess that I really like and kind of miss. It was much more raw. My writing had a yearning to express things I had never shared in my life. I also was trying to find my writer's voice. I dabbled in everything, especially sex and art. I am not sure if I regret the evolution of this blog to where it is now. I miss the old reckless abandon of the early posts though. I wonder if these changes reflect my efforts to avoid alienating readers with unpopular topics and imagery or just said all the wild things I needed to say?

Some of my most personal blogs shared a story of a friend's suicide, my bi-sexual curiosities, and a certain erotic story from Galicia, Spain. I still feel a bit raw when I read them and wonder of their value.

One of my favorite series of posts came from a comment someone left disparaging Katie's beautiful abundance of underarm hair. Dr. L wrote some great posts about it and that issue kept creeping back a couple of times. I hope some good came out of that discourse. My preference for women and body hair, if you are happy with it shaved or fully grown, then I am too. Both are sexy because the woman hopefully feels sexy with or without it.

I noticed many posts were inspired by reading others' blogs. Some of these bleed-over topics included censorship, sex, artist's anguish, and erotic imagery. I want to thank those who helped me carry on a conversation they started. I hope my additions pushed the topics further or in new directions.

Thanks to this blog and the many appreciated comments, I am starting to understand my artistic voice. I am not sure what the future of this blog holds. I appreciate the outlet and the many readers I've learned from. You kindred spirits are very important to me.

Resting

By the numbers:
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First photo of mine uploaded: 1/25/09 Leila and Hana (Ying and Yang)


Date of first comment: 1/24/09 Chris St. James Also first follower!
Date of last comment: 12/10/09 Dr. L.
Followers: 20

Holding the Precious

Can't Go Back

Katie 110809 - 1
Photo by Karl

Six years ago this month I went into the woods to photograph Katie. You can read about our photo session here. That session yielded many great photos that I enjoy working with.

A few weeks ago I scanned all of the 35mm negatives from that day. A few days later, I took a drive through the Berkeley hills trying to find the location. I drove by it twice before finding it. After parking along the curvy road, I walked the thirty or forty yards to the location. My heart sank. Almost all of the trees have been cut down, the dead snarls removed, and the brush cleared out to reduce fire danger. I felt my heart sink because I wanted to sit there and reminisce on the session.

I've tried contacting Katie to see how she is doing and hope she would want to model again. Shortly after I photographed her, she transferred to UCLA and the trail disappears. I want to let that pursuit go. She has moved on with her life and I am honoring that.

Katie 110809 - 2
Photo by Karl

So, the model and the location have moved on. As I grow older, I am learning that I can't go back. Whenever I go to Montana, I am feeling it slip away as a home. I get the same feeling when I look at old photo albums from my high school and college years. So many of those people have children going to college now and we have all lived a whole life apart.

Last Tuesday, a friend that I had lost touch with in the last year died of prostate cancer at age 60. Angus entered hospice care in early October when his doctors said all treatments had lost efficacy.

I regret I spent more time trying to recapture a moment from six years ago than taking a moment to say goodbye to a friend. He was a good man with a kind heart. I am guessing that as time goes by, my memories of his infectious laugh and sparkling eyes will slip away as well.

A few years ago I heard a presentation from an eighty-something year old woman. Every year she swims a race from Alcatraz to San Francisco. The race is over a mile long in cool waters with a current pulling the swimmers out into the Pacific. She told us that during the race she flips over and backstrokes to rest and use other muscles. During that time she looks back at where she came from, Alcatraz. She has learned though if she becomes to fixated on it, the current will pull her off course, so she has to continually look around and forward again to keep her bearing. Before she ended her talk she gave me some of the best advice about living.

"It is OK to look back at the past, just don't stare."

____________________

Photo note - A few unseen ones of Katie from that day. Angus was a photographer and appreciated beauty, including women. I feel he would have liked these photos.

Hi... My Name is Karl and I Photograph Nudes

She Runs My Life
Photo by Karl

I am tired of the SB (Side B) name. I took on a nom de plume to keep my anonymity. If they want to dig far enough, they will find my work anyway. I'll keep my last name private though.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been a part of my family for over three decades. I am very familiar with the anonymous part of stating, "Hi, my name is (insert first name here) and I am am alcoholic." Where upon every one replies, "Hi (first name)." I find it interesting that I am seeing parallels between admitting an addiction and owning this blog by saying I photograph nudes. Is creating art that scares puritanical fucks a disease? (Maybe I am overstating my work's value calling it "art", but I've seen worse.)

Maybe this admission is related to where I live. Living in the San Francisco area has to influence my perceptions of "living in truth." A person very close to me came out to her friends last year and to her ultra-conservative Catholic family last month. Her friends accepted it and most supported her. Her family reacted... like shit. By being her friend, they informed her that she, I, and all others who support her are marching in "Satan's Legion." I hope I am in the marching band, I did that back in high school and college.

So I guess I am slowly coming out of the closet to admit, "My name is Karl and I am an artist." My latent self-identification issues are boiling up. I wonder if I will share my fondness for fondue next. Why should being an artist and photographing nudes have any more stigma than my penchant for sticking food items into melted cheese.

Above and below are a few self portraits I did for my photography class. We could decide whether the intent was commercial or artistic. I went artistic. You may recognize my little ceramic lady from another photo series I put up here.

So, tomorrow I will return with a photo of a woman or two to help balance out all these male photos here today. Whenever quoting or referring to my blog, feel free to use "Karl," unless you feel you need to use "SB."

You Want Some of This?
Photo by Karl

The Real Me
The Who

I went back to the doctor
To get another shrink.
I sit and tell him about my weekend,
But he never betrays what he thinks.

Can you see the real me, doctor?

I went back to my mother
I said, "I'm crazy ma, help me."
She said, "I know how it feels son,
'Cause it runs in the family."

Can you see the real me, mother?

The cracks between the paving stones
Look like rivers of flowing veins.
Strange people who know me
Peeping from behind every window pane.
The girl I used to love
Lives in this yellow house.
Yesterday she passed me by,
She doesn't want to know me now.

Can you see the real me, can you?

I ended up with the preacher,
Full of lies and hate,
I seemed to scare him a little
So he showed me to the golden gate.

Can you see the real me preacher?
Can you see the real me doctor?
Can you see the real me mother?
Can you see the real me?

First Contact

Then He Turned
Photo by SB

Today was the first time I have met someone through this blog. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Stephen Haynes who writes the blog, Magic Flute Fine Arts Nudes.

We met in the quaint South Park neighborhood in SF at a little coffee shop/restaurant. We chatted about food, wine, his book, the law, traveling and many other subjects. Sadly, I had to get back to work. We finally started talking about art on the walk to my car. Maybe next time we can start on that and expand because that is what is a major part of both of your lives.

I hope he enjoyed the SF MOMA and the Adams/O'Keefe and Avedon shows.

--------------------------------------

In other news, CalTrans is closing the Oakland Bay Bridge from tonight until early Tuesday morning. If you have not been to the Bay Area, the Bay Bridge is the most heavily used span of all of the eight bridges. It is the main bridge connecting the East Bay to SF. I cross it twice every day for work. Tomorrow, I am going to work from my home and then Saturday I am going to have to cross it catch a flight to London. It will be perfect for my wanderlust. I will write more about that whirl-wind trip later.

Photo Note: This is probably my favorite from my photos of Andrea. We watched an Avedon documentary in class last week. I practiced his technique for getting his subjects to slip into moods. He would not say, "Look sad." He would guide you to think about something heavy and dark, like your own mortality, by leading you through deeper questions while he quietly clicked away.

Andrea recently broke up with her boyfriend and we talked about how it went. I asked her to think about how she had watched him turn around and walk out of her life and for her to think about her first emotion at that moment. She was quiet for a couple of minutes. Andrea is a tough woman and this was the most emotional photo I took. After the entire photo shoot, she requested to see that one photo. She said it hurt to think of that moment, but she needed to start working through the end of that relationship and this was a small step.

I tried having her think of happy things, angry things, arousing things, and many other emotions. The best photos came from the happy and the break up guided moments.

I am curious on how other photographers and models have gotten into various mood for photo shoots. What worked for you?

Men Take the Light

Sean Connery

Photographer unknown

"You've heard the saying, 'Men take the light'?" my portrait photography instructor asked.

We all looked confused. He then smiled and showed a few glamor photos of male and female models and celebrities.

Danny Glover
Photographer unknown

The first were of Paul Newman both older and younger. Then he showed us Robert Redford, Sean Connery and Brad Pitt. He asked us about the lighting for each.

Paul Newman
Photographer unknown

Paul Newman
Photographer unknown

There was usually one strong light source that was angular, and maybe a fill light or reflector. We also noticed darker shadows emphasizing the contours of their faces.

Robert Redford
Photographer unknown

We then looked at photos of Marilyn Monroe by Richard Avedon followed by the iconic Farrah Fawcett bikini photo. We ended with photos of Angelina Jolie. He repeated his question about the lighting.

Marilyn Monroe
Photo by Richard Avedon

The lighting was subdued and diffused, less angular and more fill lighting from multiple sides. This was true for almost all of the glamor photos for women.

Marilyn Monroe
Photo by Richard Avedon

Six years ago I took a photo of my friend Melinda. She is a very sexy beautiful forty something with long red hair. I photographed her in her living room by the big window with my new Hasselblad. When I got the photos back, she looked beautiful because they showed the life in her eyes. She looked at them and was disappointed. "I guess I look that old."

Men can take the light.

Men are allowed to age and show wisdom and sexiness through their aged faces. When you looked into Paul Newman's eye, you saw a handsome man, no matter how old or how wrinkled he was. The shadows just accentuated his manliness. The same goes for Robert Redford, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, and many other handsome men.

Brad Pitt
Photographer unknown

Women are not allowed to show their age. Glamor photographers use softening techniques like light diffusers, softening lenses, editing changes, and other tricks to make the women look younger. I have never erased wrinkles, although I have hidden pimples and razor burn a few times. Through all this trickery, we get a silly ideal that all beautiful women look 22 and have absolutely perfect skin. Sadly then, so many women go under the knife and then inject botulism into their faces to keep their youth.

Robert Redford
Photographer unknown

I think Robert Redford is still handsome. Yes, he has wrinkles and sun spots, yet when you look in his eyes, you still see that boy spirit brimming with life. I am saddened that I can only think of a few beautiful older female celebrities that are proud of their age and are sexy as hell, Helen Mirren, Sophia Loren and maybe Madonna. Mirren, 64, still performs nude in some of her movies where she is amazingly sexual and sexy. Sadly though, most female models and celebrities are not allowed to age, so they are forgotten.

Helen Mirren
Photographer Unknown

UL and Mrs. break this trend by celebrating their age, wisdom, beauty, and sexual attractiveness. When I look at them, I know I am not looking at a twenty year old starlet, I am looking at sexy women that have twinkles in their eyes from erotic histories that makes them even sexier.

Angelina Jolie
Photographer unknown

Maybe I should be comforted that I know many beautiful older women who are not shunned by celebrity and live among us common folk. They look beautiful whether in soft or harsh light. Sadly popular culture does not see it.

Monica Bellucci
Photographer unknown

Monica Bellucci
Photographer unknown

I understand we all want to look good for our portraits. I don't like photos of myself because I've found few people take good ones. Maybe this is the reason I don't like doing formal portrait photography. I love creating honest beauty from the person. Unfortunately, it all goes back to what a female photography instructor said to us, "It is easy to get a pleasing picture of a cute young woman."

So, in this age of celebrity and youth obsession, remember this... "men take the light."

Angelina Jolie
Photographer unknown

Photo note: I found this sexy photo of Angelina Jolie where she is in harsh light. Good for her and the photographer.

Please also take a moment and look at the quality of lighting for all these photos.

Halle Berry
Photographer unknown

Helen Mirren
Photographer unknown and probably is paparazzi, but Helen looks stunning.

Prerequisites and Post Modernity

Dunes Oceano, 1936
Edward Weston

Below is a comment by UL in her blog's post on Defining Art and Erotica. What Dr. L says about the "prerequisite" pretty much summarizes one of the core philosophies of the Post Modern movement.

I am going to say something that will be very dangerous because it will affront some - but we should just assume technical greatness as a PREREQUISITE for great photographic art. The technical cannot in and of itself create great art. The great art comes from what you talk about, Joe - the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts.

I learned some interesting things from my photography teacher this summer. We were looking at photos in SF MOMA of the contrast between life in southern Spain and just across the Straits of Gibraltar in northern Africa. She asked me what I thought of them. Having spent time in that part of Spain, I appreciated seeing the life of it again. She then asked, "How about the technical aspects?"

I hemmed and hawed because I did not want to say, "Overexposed, poorly printed and the colors are kind of flat. They look like snapshots." I thought that if it was in a museum, it must be good and my impressions must be wrong. I told her a mild version, something like, "I don't get why he overexposed the photos and printed them like this."

"Because his technique is bad." was her reply.

"Maybe the message of the photos is more important than the quality of the print." I said.

She looked at the photo once more and nodded. "He does convey the message well. That is what makes it post modern." she responded before we went to the next photo.

Beth, my instructor, is an amazing woman. She is a brilliant photographer with an amazing artistic sense of capturing the quietness of scenes so that you can feel it. Her photos are post-modern. She also knows art and art history. I guess that is why she is teaching Art and Photography.

I learned two key things from her that day. First, one of the major philosophical differences between modern and post modern art. Second, it is OK to be critical of work in a museum.

Wall Street, 1915
Paul Strand

Through Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Ruth Bernhard, and many other masters of the photographic Modern movement, we learned of the true art of technical greatness to create amazing beauty. Look at their works. The technical aspects of contrast, composition, print quality and many other areas defined what an art print should strive for. They created art to capture the beauty of the subject without using the painting art techniques of the earlier Pictorialist photographers. These men and women pioneered the fine art print.

Drug Store, Detroit
Photo by Robert Frank

The post modernists though felt the subject of the photo is more important than the print. Robert Frank's prints were very good, but a bit rough compared to those before him. He cared about the people he photographed and wanted to tell their story as art. His book, The Americans, is considered by some to be the last Modern Art book, by others as the first major Post-Modern Art book, and by yet others as the bridge between the two. Follow this link for my in-depth look into Frank's work.

Andy Warhol believed there were enough photos out there. Why create more? Take an existing one and make it say something new about the subject.

Unknown Warhol Piece at the New York Museum of Modern Art
Photo by SB

In every lower-level photography class or workshop I've attended, there is always one of them. The student that has a beat up simple camera, usually with a light leak. They can barely afford paper to print on so they do not make many test strips or trial prints. When they are done and present their photos for critique, you can easily see the haste and thriftiness of their technique is evident. That doesn't matter. The photo they took is art and speaks to your soul. As Dr. L said, "the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts." They did that.

I agree with Dr. L that in today's art world, mastery of technique is expected. I strive for print quality and try to implement good composition, appropriate contrast, and other artistic components to my photos. I feel for my art technical quality is a mandatory part or its success.

On the other hand, sometimes technical quality is not needed. It is "the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something..." that makes it art. It is the soul of the image that makes it art, not necessarily the technique.

"... the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts." I think that is one of the things that separates erotic art photos from porn. I will write more on that another time.

PHOTO NOTES - Paul Strand's Wall Street gives me goose bumps when I see it. It is amazingly beautiful and powerful to me. Edward Weston's Dunes Oceano shows his mastery of finding human contours in nature. Have you ever seen as sexy and sumptuous sand in your life??