Looking In The Mirror...

Validated

All Photos: © S. Banos

I was on a mission- find the bar I had accidentally encountered one long hot summer's day in Greenpoint on a rather prolonged walk from Williamsburg (Brooklyn) to LIC (Queens) via the Pulaski Bridge. I knew the approximate area but... 

Anyway, long story short, I was walking about taking note of all the latest tributes to gentrification writ large and small, when from a distance I saw the most surreal stone visage lording over its marbled domain. Hoping to get close enough take a decent photo, I noticed there were actually two imposing colossi of classical yet seemingly alien hybridization, and that the gates were wide open- I apparently had the entire area to roam free and unmolested (more like tentatively squeeze through the giant stone slabs, hoping they didn't collapse unnoticed upon me and become my own marble tombstone)! If only gentrification was a guarantee of such splendid surprises- instead of the monied banality it usually yields...

Much thanks to Dave Reichert for the tough love in editing, the first photo proved particularly problematic- considering my admittedly limited color/software skills. My "original" version proved an exercise in embarrassment of world class proportion!

It was a most magical interlude on my sojourn to reconnect with what I would soon come to know as The Achilles Heel, a place I could readily visit every day of the year. Within it's Depression Era, unfinished wood interior (unlike so many a newly minted "authentic Irish Pub" with multiple 90in TV screens), one could easily imagine oneself in any of the first four decades of the century past. Beer in belly, I continued unto LIC for a very nice (and free) encounter with PS 1, currently celebrating it's 40th anniversary with free admission to all NYC residents (still got me NY Driver's License). I hadn't been there in a good decade, and it was certainly good to see it still retained it's playful yet challenging attitude toward art in general. A most validating end to a most validating day in NY indeed...

@ the foot of the Pulaski Bridge

Science Rules...

An Inextinguishable Fire

Recently while in NYC, I ended up at MOMA on Free Friday (hear that SFMOMA... FREE!)- which is a good thing since it definitely wasn't worth anywhere near its $25 Regular Admission fee. In fact, the one thing, the only thing that really caught my eye was a vintage B&W video describing the evil that is... napalm. Nothing terribly "entertaining" to be sure, but I found it of interest on several levels, not to mention for its minimalist presentation and historical value, but mostly for its brutally honest narration that grabs your attention and forces you to honestly consider just how we absorb and interpret information- particularly that which records and documents the pain and suffering of others...

Still, I could in no way predict, anticipate or even contemplate just how this rather stark and straight forward accounting would culminate. See the entire video here...

One GR Anniversary

All Photos: © S. Banos

Today marks the one year anniversary of shooting (almost) exclusively with a Ricoh GR, particularly significant since I've been a decades long B&W, analog, SLR kinda guy (who can't tolerate the bulbous blobs DSLR's have become). Hesitantly forcing myself into the 21st century, I had first taken the digital dive with the much heralded Fujifilm XT-1; I lusted for it's compact, drop dead, gorgeous body- and the quality of the lenses and overall IQ certainly did not disappoint. I just couldn't stand looking through its EVF in contrasty and direct sunlight; it was like using an SLR in a much diminished capacity. So much for the grand experiment...

Meanwhile, every winter I would get increasingly frustrated by the shortage of daylight hours, while my digital cohorts simply upped their ISO whenever necessary. The last straw came while pointing out a possible indoor photo op to my wife, I decided to get the camera, tripod and maybe a light or two to explore the possibility. By the time I turned on the room light just to look for all the above, she had already made the shot, applied a filter and posted on Instagram with her iphone- and I was supposed to be the photographer!

The Kiss- 2016.

So how then did I settle on a camera that forces me to squint with my now aging eyes at a ridiculously minuscule screen in any and all kinds of light? How could I even contemplate a camera that removed all my beloved analog buttons and dials? Where was the fun to be had in any of this? Well... this time, I simply decided not to make the same mistake twice. My next digital device would not replace my analog SLR's- it would instead, complement them. Least, that was the plan...

 

I soon realized however, the freedom and potential this little gizmo offered- the ability to shoot various subject matter in a wide variety of situations using a wide variety of approaches: straight on, from the hip, in various aspect ratios, in all kinds of light! Even my trusty, compact FM3A looms large these days when pointed by persons unknown at an increasingly paranoid public. The GR has the visual imprint of the ever ubiquitous cell phone, thus making it considerably less threatening, and the user, considerably less conspicuous. The end result has been more than twice as many keepers this past year than any year previous.

 

Up Close and Unawares!

It's still not my do everything tool, then again, neither is any camera- but it is my new everyday camera. Admittedly, it took some time adjusting to that squinty little screen, and the lack of a traditional tactile interface (which to this day makes me sometimes forget to set the required settings). And I just didn't know if I could trust it at first; it looked as much toy as real camera. Was it capable only of haphazard results- or could it deliver consistently as a real and serious image making machine? Well, the IQ of the files did not lie- technically, it kept its part of the bargain and consistently produced outstanding results. And if you concentrated and took that little 3in space of real estate on the camera back seriously, it could actually reward one with some handsomely framed compositions. Respect it, and the damn thing respected you back!

Squared.

I was used to shooting B&W almost exclusively with a 20mm, love how it allows one to position disparate scenarios into one composition to contrast or complement. Could I live with a longer, fixed focal length? Actually, I had made a point of shooting exclusively with every focal length from 50mm on down for at least a year, decades ago; I was already familiar with and a fan of the 28mm perspective. Color adds considerably more info with its various hues, sometimes it can be a bit much with extreme wide angles. The Ricoh 28mm(e) was just right for color, and that focal length certainly worked out just fine for that Eggleston guy (not to mention numerous others). Did I mention it's tack sharp, corner to corner? 

ISO 3200- 1/30 f2.8

Still love B&W analog, and may even get a mirrorless ILC in the near future, but I have no plans on changing my new everyday camera any time soon. A lot of people suggest ways on how to improve the GR in its next iteration: more pixels, weather proofing, an EVF, a faster lens, and better this and that. Some of those suggestions would significantly add to its size- not good. I sincerely hope they do add a flip screen, that too would increase its depth- but not dramatically, and it would add significantly to its ease of use and stealth in the field!

After using analog exclusively for so long, using the GR has been like stepping into the future via warp drive- a palm sized, space age device capable of producing Big Time Results. It's been one fun ride thus far, and it's gonna stay in (and out of) my pocket for a long time to come...

Landscape/Action

A Moment Of Silence For ALL The Innocent Men, Women And Children Slaughtered At The Bowling Green Massacre...

And please... give with your heart- as if these people had really died. You'll not only be helping them, you'll be helping yourself to better make sense of the imaginary world we're now obligated to for the next four years.... 
(Thanks, Dave!)

A Tad Late (but hilarious nonetheless)...

Land Of The Lost

Photo: © S. Banos

When I took this photograph I was very much thinking of just how appropriate the label was for the area depicted- an area in San Francisco particularly rife with homeless people that have obvious drug and mental issues; an area that seems to have grown in size and density along with and despite of the myriad of monies associated with the influx of neighboring tech companies large and small.

But it wasn't until the arrival of our brand new head of state that I started to view that title on a "grander," national level...

Consequences..

Photo: © S. Banos

Sure, by now we all know not to believe anything that falls from Herr Donald's mouth in his never ending game of "now I say it, now I don't." Some even willingly accept this as the new "normal," least for him- some kind of fun, novelty past time... What did he really say? What does he really mean? When did he deny it? How many times did he deny what he repeatedly said? And then you can play the advanced version where you apply the same skill set to the interpretations of each and every one of his bickering sycophants.

But... truth is, these "keep ya on your toes with suspense" reiterations (so one has to constantly look at and listen to... HIM 24/7), this "you don't deserve a straight answer" doctrine can ultimately incur some very serious consequences...

Bizarro World USA!!!

Well, it's official. We are now in anything goes, make it up as you go, up is down and down is up Bizarro World. And if the US press doesn't get together, unite, put their collective foot down and outright demand a cessation to these "Alternate Facts" scenarios we are now only starting to see the beginning of... well, prepare yourself for 4 long years of "news" that we will have to individually inspect, analyze and corroborate like CO's anally inspecting incoming inmates. The FOX has gone from hen house to White House...

via NY TIMES

Hail To The Chief & May God Bless America!

The Gold Standard Get Out Of Jail Pass

From now on- no matter what I did, or how long I did it for...

"It-was-a-clerical-error."

Alex Webb @ Robert Koch

 

Photo: Alex Webb

A well known name for sure, Alex Webb certainly has his fans. I often end up feeling a tad claustrophobic whenever viewing his work however, many of the images partially ensconced in dark shadows that break up and fragment his images into competing segments, each a miniature visual fraction striving for attention. Of course, that is the genius of his work- it is also what makes it somewhat challenging to view when book sized, which is how most of his work is probably seen.

So it was quite the eye opener to see his work La Calle spread large on the walls of The Robert Koch Gallery where they finally had room to open up and breathe. One could finally appreciate all the precious little details framed within those shadows large and small, the various scenarios captured, highlighted and played against each other with their complementary and contradictory tales of life on The Street. 

It also contained two of my favorite photos by him...

Photo: Alex Webb

Trump = Berlusconi?

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and President-elect Donald Trump. (Tiziana Fabi and Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Press via Getty Images)

There's certainly enough evidence to indicate just that... 

(except one didn't have his finger on the button).

Fake Protest, By Fake Artist...

concerning offspring of complete fake... (the circle of life!)

I'm Not On Obamacare- I'm On... The Affordable Care Act!

Yup, right up there with the "Git the govmint outta my Medicare!" gal.

And yes, there's more... 

The Truth About Tillerson

 A career of working against US interests... and humanity in general.

So What's The Big Deal?

 
That's... The Big Deal!  

And yeah... It Gets Even CRAZIER!!!

40 Ways To Unmitigated Success!

You've bared your soul, thickened your skin- and even the mask has to come off at some point...  
Photo: © S. Banos

It's a brand new year- it's cold, it's winter (bbrrrrrr!), and you're at home: plotting, scheming, editing your way to success and fortune in the brand new year of 2017. You had the wrong plan in '16, the wrong attitude in '15, the wrong work in '14- but '17, ah yes, '17! Seventeen is gonna get ya through... Vision clear, no stone left unturned; ya finally got it down, learned from your mistakes, and planned it to perfection.

This is your year, your turn to shine- and nothing, I mean nothing, is getting in the way. You're gonna get that assignment, publish that essay, make that book! And you will not be denied!

You and several thousand others worldwide; talented, desperate, young and old, male and female, aspiring wannabes working hard and harder still! Yeah, good luck with that- good luck to us all...

The Rainbow Before The (Shit) Storm!

Amen...

2017 And Beyond...

Photo: © S. Banos

I keep trying to tell myself that 2017 has to be a better year, and by all reason it should be, being that 2016 was the absolute worst of my life (with 2015 not far behind)- and then, more than just a little annoyingly, 1/20 quickly comes to mind. We will soon have a "leader" whose concept of appearing Presidential is to parody people with disabilities (and NO- that can't possibly be repeated, reiterated or emphasized enough times ever), a person who needs multiple sycophants to "interpret" and divine what he really, truly means, all of which doesn't matter a single stitch since he's allowed to deny and restate everything anyway. 

And imagine, just imagine, if it had been Obama that said, "Just grab 'em by..." Oh, the universal outrage, furor, and righteous indignation! Can you spell... L-y-n-c-h that N-word on The White House lawn?

But hey, Senor Trump didn't force his way into our lives- "we" elected him. And that's the truly scary part. Working class people across the US of A voted in a billionaire born with the proverbial silver spoon, who made a career of screwing working class people everywhere he went. And he became El Jefe with the proven help (and approval) of... a dirty, filthy Commie! And I'm old enough to remember the battle cry of Conservative, White Republicans turning red in the face screaming, "Better dead than Red!"

So what does the photo above have to do with any of this? Simple. They made me laugh then, and have kept me laughing ever since... And right now, a good laugh is exactly what I need. Cause right now, they look the two sanest, most honest people in the entire fuckin' world...