MakingHappy

Foot (Distorted by Passing Water)

This print is up tonight at 9:00pm EST.

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Someone was kind enough to send me live recordings of Elliot Smith in Los Angeles. I had a hard time with it on my first few listens. It's hard to hear him speak and one of the songs I really like sounded miserable. It's growing on me though. I'm slow like that.

Jay (Lunch)

My brother decided he didn't want this picture on the internet so I took it down.

Southern Belle

"I met a lady who wrote a book about plants, but she's not old or anything. She's actually pretty!"

The daughter of a woman I know told her class this when they were doing a unit on how a book gets made. I laughed about it for a few minutes before it suddenly occured to me that small children think I'm a lady. I'm a LADY!! And this coming only a day after a crazy woman in a clothing store acted all funny (like I was going to arrest her for being kooky or something) and said I "...looked very official." I suppose this shouldn't come as a shock because I taught art classes to kids while in university. I once asked the class how old they thought I was and the guesses ranged from 16 to 60. I was in my early twenties at the time. And one day around the same time I was sitting in class and thought to myself, "How old am I?" I couldn't remember. For a moment I thought I was a teenager before it occured to me that I was actually 23.

I like being in my thirties and have absolutely no interest in going back to the evil twenties but I do sometimes forget that I am in fact two years past thirty now and that means something more to some people then it does to me.

I have noticed lately that I've entered that bizarro world where bank tellers give me some tiny measure of almost-sort-of respect (like they actually want to help me) and older women talk to me in public bathroom line-ups like I'm just another average "lady". I'm not a scary subversive type of unknown age and origin anymore. Oh no. There are no more wary sideways glances in my direction. Now we (myself and other women) exchange gripes about the wait, and knowing glances that say, "We are the same in the suffering that is public bathroom misery." Underline, capitalize, and bold SAME.

It's moments like that when I wonder, "Whoa, when did I start fitting in?"

Dresses

Davin brought home a few rolls of film from the lab last night. Work is still a morning, day, and night affair but I couldn't resist slipping in a couple of scans while writing. I'm desperately longing to get out and take pictures. I carry the digital around with me on errands (I need it for work) but it doesn't satisfy that need in the same way. I caught myself without any camera at all once last week and that sucked.

We're going to New York City in SIX DAYS!! If you'd like to attend the event please be sure to RSVP by Sept 30.

Guelph

I took this picture in The Ward, a neighbourhood in Guelph. I lived in Guelph many years ago in the year between ages 18 and 19 and then again the summer after my first year of University. I didn't live in The Ward but I recall walking by this corner house many times. It had little horse tchotchkes lined up in the window. They're gone now but the building is pretty much unchanged.

Visiting Guelph was a reminder of how sentimental I can be about a place. I felt a little teary on the bus as it pulled out of the downtown and drove up Gordon Street and made sure to look for all the little memory-laden landmarks of my time there; a park where Davin and I sat on swings, the canoe rental place, the L'il Shortstop, my apartment at the bottom of the hill, the convenience store attached to my building where I bought a single box of Cherry Blossom nearly everyday... I wish I could have stayed longer visiting with my friend and taking pictures but I had to get back for work. Blah.

Mail

The Ladyfest event is still on for Saturday. I have to go shopping for all the fresh fruit this afternoon.

I've uploaded a copy of the invite to the New York event here.

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I'm auctioning off this print in hopes of raising some money for a memorial tree and plaque we are buying for Sakura.

And on an unrelated note we've had the first cold morning of fall today. Please don't leave me summer.

Hotel Europa

I'm still in the middle of total work insanity but I didn't love that last image and having it up there on the mainpage for such an extended stretch was bothering me. I guess I'm more of a perfectionist than I will admit to.

The above images are from our Niagara Falls jaunt last spring. Hotel Europa is pretty awesome from the outside but I'm guessing not so much on the inside.

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If you're in the Guelph area I'll be conducting a workshop on growing plants from grocery store bits at LadyFest Guelph. I'll be covering a number of usual and unusual plants and fruit trees and there will be lots of interesting fruit to sample (gotta get the pit out somehow). Saturday, Sept 24 (University Centre) 3:00 pm.

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If you're in the New York City area and enjoy wine, food, and/or gardening save the afternoon of Oct 5. If you're interested email me for details and an invite.

Portraits

I have a thing for these kitschy spongy fabric printed portraits. I consider having a classic "Touch of Class" portrait done every year but I always cheap out.

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Unfortunately I am going to have to take a short intermission from posting here. Work is really crazy right now and I have no free time. The Eggleston event on Wed was my last day off for a long time. I'm not fishing for sympathy here. The work is stressful but fun.

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I'll be speaking and showing some photos at the Apple Store along with a group of Toronto Area Photobloggers this coming Sunday Sept 18th, from 7 - 9 pm. Apple Store, Yorkdale. More here.

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And if you're in the Guelph area I'll be conducting a workshop on growing plants from grocery store bits at LadyFest Guelph. I'll be covering a number of usual and unusual plants and fruit trees and there will be lots of interesting fruit to sample (gotta get the pit out somehow). Saturday, Sept 24 (University Centre) 3:00 pm.

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If you're in the New York City area and enjoy wine, food, and/or gardening save the afternoon of Oct 5. More to come soon.

This month is madness!

William Eggleston

Yesterday, I went to see a documentary called "William Eggleston in the Real World" and William Eggleston's video footage from the early 70's called "Stranded in Canton." The whole event was a strange mix of mind-numbing slow torture and super crazy excitment.

I'm not certain I would have enjoyed the documentary if I didn't love Eggleston's photos and have an interest in his process. It was VERY slow with huge blocks of time devoted to following him around with no sound as he took pictures. However there were a few points made in the film that I stored in my mind. The first was a line at the beginning of the film stating that photography shows or reveals but doesn't explain. The second was about taking photos and how Eggelston had to come to terms with the intrusion into a person's personal space in order to photograph them.

Jared and I were lucky enough to get our books signed with William Eggleston just after coming out from the first film. I don't get excited when I see celebrities but apparently famous photographers turn me into a big dorky fan girl. IEEEEEE!

Here are the pictures taken by myself and my brother of us having our books signed.

Public School Fountain

This time of year feels like the New Year for me. I try to force it in January but it's just not the same. I've been trained by years of back-to-schools, and a lifetime of changing seasons and winter preparedness to associate fall with the end and start of a cycle. It's good. That feeling of shifting and change is good. Right now is good.

Watch the Worlds Collide

I know this has made the rounds but it's so relevant to what's been happening over the last few weeks I thought I'd mention it. So many people seem to be afraid to say this is about race (thankfully many still aren't), but class and race intersect in some pretty huge ways in North America. I wonder why people are afraid to call it out?

Some that I thought were poignant:

• "Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually stupid.
• Being poor is having to live with choices you didn't know you made when you were 14 years old.
• Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.
• Being poor is knowing you're being judged.
• Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.
• Being poor is running in place.
• Being poor is seeing how few options you have."
-from John Scalzi "Being Poor"

I don't believe that money buys happiness by any means, but it does buy certain kinds of choices and opportunities.

The first book I bought (not read) by bell hooks is called "Where We Stand: Class Matters." It's an interesting read about the politics of class and the intersection between race and class. From the preface:

"Caring and sharing has come to be seen as traits of the idealistic weak. Our nation is fast becoming a class-segregated society where the plight of the poor is forgotten and the greed of the rich is morally tolerated and condoned."

I don't want to give the impression that I'm getting up on my moral high horse here because I am not special or better than anyone else when it comes to any of this. I just hope people keep talking about class, about race, and about this culture we live in, shape and create.

At the Temple of BINGO

Extra super bonus thanks to Jared of Crossbones Style who secured us tickets to William Eggleston in the Real World. I tried for a day to get through to the damn online ticket sales portion of the site but it was down, down, down and I was pulling my hair out and cursing the screen and hating on the Film Festival and their ridiculous url and their confusing site that says a lot while also saying nothing.

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FLICKR Katrina Relief Auction: Yellow Chair.

All the Various Stuff

It's almost midnight but I'm working late -- trying to catch up on all the various stuff. I have found it hard to sleep some nights recently worrying about the stuff and catching up to it. I hate being behind although come to think of it I can't recall a time when I was ever caught up. There's always something.

This photo was one of the first taken with the big 120 lens. For years I have had the habit of going into corner stores just to see what strange, older items are in stock. The older and dingier the store the better. I particularly like to check the hardware/stationery/hair products/giftcard section and any walls backed by pegboard. Lots of gems to be found in these places although the nuggets of goodness have been rapidly dwindling over the years. I once found drinking glasses with hairy, naked 70's era men decals for 99 cents. Another time I bought little Gi-Joe kleenex packages and a set of Hotwheels keychain holders (meant as birthday goodie bag prizes). I know of one kicking store in the city where I sometimes drop by to purchase little tin lithographed broaches shaped like songbirds and cicadas. I bought a pin shaped like a pigeon there too. I think it was really meant to be a bird of prey but I think it looks more like a glittery pigeon. That place is a visual goldmine -- worth the trip just to marvel at all the stuff. One day I will get up the nerve to ask to take pictures. It's only a matter of time before that place is gone only to be replaced by a *new* store filled with crappy *new* stuff.

Back in the day when I used to go on roadtrips, I would always beg whomever was driving to stop at as many convenience stores along the way as possible. American stores are particularly good because they tend to have odd candies (Boston Baked Beans, Cherry Bombs, etc) that say "Say No To Drugs" inside the flap, or tiny boxes of miniature explosives for kids. I love that kind of shit.

Constant Christmas

Silly. About as silly as the fact that I am still addicted to Elliot Smith.

Help. Me.

This evening's post is brought to you by "Division Day" from Live in Portland.

Designer's Nightmare

This one is a polaroid but I cropped out all the guff.

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FLICKR Katrina Relief Auction: Yellow Chair. They're now allowing non-FLICKRers to email in their bid.

Concession | Lemonade

I'm feeling a little regretful about missing a day jaunt to the CNE this year.
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The new faves are "Angeles" and "Pretty (Ugly Before)" by Elliot Smith. I know, I know.

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FLICKR Katrina Relief Auction: Yellow Chair.

Zipper

I went on this ride at a Lion's Club carnival once when I was a kid and absolutely hated it. My best friend at the time was a very aggressive child who took some pleasure in making others squirm (specifically me). The Zipper is a somewhat user-controlled experience and she made our little "cage" spin circles wildly. Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.

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My Yellow Chair print is still on auction as a part of the FLICKR Katrina Relief Auction. They have stopped taking new auctions until the first round finishes (Sept 15) so I'm too late to add a second print. However, I have prepped and printed Soft Coffee to be auctioned off. I'm really pleased with the result.

Things Fall Apart

I've been a bit out of the loop on world news lately. I've been living in my own bubble just working away here all day or out on the bike running errands. Last night Davin brought me up-to-date on some of the insanity happening in new Orleans. It's hard to believe but also easy to believe. Horrible situations either bring the best or the worst out in people. I can't imagine what it is like to lose everything. Even if that everything is very little I can't imagine the sense of despair and hopelessness that people must be experiencing right now with their city drowning around them.

I got an invite to the FLICKR Katrina Benefit Auction this morning and it looks good so I've added a print of my Yellow Chair photo to the auction. I'm thinking I'm going to try for a second image but I need to find some time to do test prints first. I never scan my film more than 5 inches on a first run so it will take me some time to decide on an image and do all the obsessive dust cleaning I seem to require when printing.

If you'd like to bid, all the relevant info is here.

I've opened up comments for suggestions on a second possible image.

Dancing Hands

All the pics in a row

The story: While taking photos of this year's favourite ride, The Himalaya, I saw these two kids dancing in their seats. They reminded me of myself at their age going to Darien Lake or Maple Leaf Village unescorted by adults -- that freedom that I felt with no parents around and the adrenaline rush from all the rides. When I was younger we'd run from one ride to the next, but at that age we gave the impression of not caring while still hustling to get on as many rides as possible.

I asked them if I could take their photo.

Kid at the Back: Are you a professional photographer?
Me: I take the pictures. (My usual dumb and sort-of meaningless response)

After I walked away a female carny worker from the "Sweet Spot" concession stand came over.

Her: Are those black people dancers?
Me: I don't know. They're kids having fun.
Her: That stuff they were doing was creepy.

I didn't hear the last part because I was already walking away but Davin related it to me later.