IT'S MUELLER TIME!

Photo: © Stan Banos

Been saving this photo for quite some time now, admittedly to herald the absolute and unequivocal Robert Mueller slam dunk concerning one Donald J. Trump. I am writing this on Saturday, before any of the report has been made public, other than that there are no further indictments- which in turn has fueled speculation that the report has no hardcore evidence substantiating criminal activity concerning our current POTUS. And perhaps as early as tomorrow, we will, in fact, know the substance of his report...

A life long Republican who Trump insists on calling "a Democrat," I don't see Robert Mueller, a man duly noted for doing seriously important work in a seriously impressive manner, as the guy who knowingly goes down in history as the chump who investigated someone for 22 months (with a hand picked, crack team of the sharpest prosecutors and investigators in the world), someone whose entire career has been bathed in criminality from the jump- and coming outta this shrugging his shoulders and saying, "I tried."  

For the last coupla years, we have repeatedly been subjected to someone who has lied, denied, fabricated and obscured his way through self imposed behavior and consequences that would have taken down the most honest and forthright of men. Let's give credit where credit is due... Donald J. Trump is the greatest con man many a generation has ever seen- full stop! He has done it through sheer force of will, and as with any and all con men- we have emboldened and allowed him to do it.

I don't know what the next few hours, days, weeks will reveal, conclusively. But I do know that Mr. Mueller, despite all his tenacity and expertise, was handcuffed in what he could actively pursue in this investigation (unlike Ken Starr). Wisely, he bequeathed what he uncovered in those areas to the jurisdiction of New York State, and that may be he his final and most redeeming legacy- having Donald J Trump found guilty in his hometown, where it all started, and where it will all end...

A Few Good Books and Photographers...

Two come courtesy of Photo-Eye Bookstore, another through Lens of The NY Times and one from Photograph. Jeff Mermelstein should be a familiar name, known for his street photography well before the term degraded into a video meme. The great photographers show us everyday things and occurrences in ways we haven't seen before, and that's exactly what Mermelstein's ARENA does- and at his age (as with Friedlander), it gives one hope to continue to see things anew and not rely on the usual tried and (truly over)done...
 

Photo: Jeff Marmelstein

Meanwhile, Ute and Werner Mahler provide an intimate and reflective look into small town life in Germany through their combination of portraits and environmental scenarios. This is the depth, power and poetry that B&W photos can impart when documenting a certain time, place, and the people within it.

 

Photo: Ute and Werner Mahler

Bruce Polin has received a lot of well earned accolades recently as he reminds us of the visual power and emotion that is still, and perhaps only, possible with the quality and technique of the view camera. His simple, direct portraits, devoid of artifice provide what is nowadays an other worldly intimacy made courtesy of photography's now oft neglected large format legacy.

Photo: Bruce Polin

Finally, there's John Lehr's Island Position. So many times, things catch our eye and we don't quite know how to make the best of it, how to frame it most effectively, how to draw the pure essence out and exclude the noise and chaff. So many of us have seen these very exact scenes, some of us have even bothered to take the occasional photo, and upon review- a boring storefront snapshot like a thousand million others, "Why did I even bother?" Well, John Lehr did- only he was able to transform your boring snapshot, my boring snapshot, into the the colorful, geometric dynamos that make up The Island Position. Brilliant! 

Which brings us full circle- showing the mundane in exciting, innovative ways...

Photo: John Lehr

 

The Street Photography Blues

I was contently perusing the high ground on You Tube (hey, I don't got cable), bouncing from: Robot Chicken, to Idiots at Work, to Russian Car Crashes, steroid addled body builders (M&F) and the requisite alien abductions when all of a sudden, I'm surrounded by a plethora of "Street Photography" videos by these hipster "photographers" of every possible persuasion and denomination. And they're all offering their personal, expert tips and advice based on what must be multiple w-e-e-k-s of actual hands on experience! And they do this while simultaneously mugging for the video- often in tandem with their street photo friends as they crack "jokes" and shove their cameras in people faces.

What passes for light hearted attempts at humor and frivolity is really enlightening us all as to how they "work the street" using their favorite camera kits and settings while spouting their favored photo philosophies and holding us captive to when they divulge their favorite software editing presets and workflow!

Of course, the real laughs are when you see the photos themselves- genuine replicas of mediocrities from decades past with well exposed shots highlighting and punctuating yet another super successful episode in their "professional" street shooting career; a career you get to learn from first hand- and please Click, Like and Follow...

Why let your photos do the talking when you can say it all on video...

I remember when I first viewed one of these street photo, life style videos of the hip and clueless a coupla years ago as the person in question paraded down a sidewalk, wrap-around shades and camera in hand (the serious, pro photo, shooting combo) with this shit eating grin that just begged to be smacked off his face ASAP. I thought that would be the end of such foolishness- instead, it has seemingly spawned an entire generation.*

There's one guy currently on Petapixel who's become a featured writer every week for a coupla months now. He kinda admitted being new to the game, not that that's in any way going to dissuade him from bequeathing us the keen insights he's thus far amassed. Now that's not to say there's anything wrong with a newbie (or anyone else) sharing their growth and experiences with whomever interested- I stand readily accused! But... it's a whole 'nother to actually monetize that experience of relative ignorance and inquiry into a pay to play workshop enterprise of supposed insight and education!

*Anyone know whatever happened to the guy who would jump outta doorways to photograph shocked passerby? At least he was "original," not to mention... amusing.

Why Repubs FEAR AOC

Ever wondered why Republican heads EXPLODE anytime AOC does so much as... Breathe? Sharp as a whip, White Repubs are absolutely incensed that they are forced to deal with this Latina as an actual equal rather than a hot, brown chambermaid they would consider worthy of propositioning, or worse...

 

Music A Go-Go!!!

This guy ROCKS! And as good as the horns are- make sure you listen carefully (very carefully) to the lyrics- because they're complete... gibberish! Nonsense syllables he manufactured to sound like American "English!" And damn good job he does of it- question being, who would have noticed?

75 And... STOP.

Actually, if (BIG if) all goes well, mediocre, as well as can possibly be expected, maybe 80- TOPS, then... pull the plug. Fast! Especially when you consider that Alzheimer's is going to TRIPLE by 2050. Like this author, my fear is not living long enough, it's... living too long- way past one's usefulness and general well being (was gonna throw in "happiness," but surely, you jest). People tell me I look pretty good for my age, and even if true, I know I'm slowly "dying" the proverbial death by a thousand cuts- that's what aging is, you don't: move as well, think as well, do anything as well... one-little-crack-in-the-wall-at-a-time. Until.

The author, however, goes on to state:

I have actively opposed legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. People who want to die in one of these ways tend to suffer not from unremitting pain but from depression, hopelessness, and fear of losing their dignity and control.

Speak for yourself, bub. People deserve the right to make that decision for themselves, PERIOD- whether in abject pain, desperation or both, particularly at such an advanced age! Curiously, he never does address what his plan of action is if he does manage to survive past 75 in a seriously debilitated state. And I'm not even going to get into how vastly diminishing resources are going to come into play once Climate Change goes Full Frontal!

Me? I'm for keeping all options open- we'll see when and if we get there...

Resurrection City- Jill Freedman

 

Photo: Jill Freedman

One of the first bodies of work that "inspired" me to take up a camera. Damn good then, arguably even better now, if only for its historical value. Isn't that what photography is for? And her photographs most definitely do the event justice. 

Then there's: Street Cops, Circus Days, Firehouse, etc... Jill Freedman, one of the truly undervalued (and fortunately not forgotten) photographic treasures of days gone by...

Sins Are Invisible

I really like this book, these images, this body of work; yeah, that's pretty much it... I-like-'em.

Awright, awright, I like 'em cause they're: square- kinda perfect little beings unto themselves; minimalist- don't have to answer to no one; different- never did anything like 'em, ever. That's right... and not one dick in any of 'em, so there!

Last Dying Breath...

Not yet quite there in age- but certainly in anticipation! And if Mueller doesn't get the job quite done... Letitia James will!

My biggest concern is--- will "Hamberder Man" live long enough to see justice done?!

Life Framer- BS Supreme

Last year, as previously noted, I entered several competitions in my quest to get some work shown. Didn't win a damn thing, of course, but I did get this email out of the blue on 7/16/18 from Amaury Antoine, one of the co-founders of Life Framer saying that he likes my work and would like to feature it in their online gallery. I had entered a few of their competitions, came up empty handed each time, so this was a nice consolation prize.

As you can see below, he informs me it might take as long as a month- to which I reply, "No worries- and thanks again..." I figure even if it takes 2-3-4 months ... what the hell, still better than nothin'!

Meanwhile, every coupla months I get updates from the site of who's added- I ain't nowhere to be seen. And as 2019 rolls round, I've pretty much kissed it off.  But on 2/26/19, after I get the latest update (again w/o my name on it), the alarm bell goes off unexpectedly LOUD in my internal Enough IS Enough, Time To Call BullShit Alarm! I send him a Whassup email. Nothin'. On 2/27/19, I wave my arms again- Anyone home? Nothin' X2!

On 2/28/19, well over a half year later, I sent the email farthest down.* It's one thing not to be selected in a competition- ya deal with it. It's quite another thing altogether to have someone pop outta the ether, say they're gonna do something for ya, then crawl back into said ether without doing shit... That takes a special kind of lowlife asshole altogether.

Jul 16, 2018 at 8:33 AM

Dear Stan,

Long time no speak.... 

I think the photos of yours attached here: xxx  are fantastic and we would love to showcase it (you can upload up to 20 images).

I’d like to invite you to create a Life Framer Profile to display this series, which we can then share on our Collection and across our social media channels. The aim of this is not to replace or duplicate photographers’ online portfolio websites, but rather as an additional tool for each artist to celebrate individual series. All entrants can create their page themselves, and we feature our favourites on our Collection.

If you’d like to share your work in this way, please create your Profile (you can do this from your ‘my LF’ page and it should be self-explanatory, but just let me know if not). Once you have done so, please let me know and we will import it to the Collection too.

Best wishes,

Amaury

Jul 17, 2018 at 3:29 AM

Wonderful! I am a big fan of your work.

Someone from the team will get in touch with you when it goes live... it might take up to a month as we have quite few inclusion lined up ahead of us already.

 Best

 Amaury

Jul 17, 2018 at 10:38 AM

No worries- and thanks again...

Stan

Feb 28 at 9:26 AM*

I take it you're either comatose, being held captive by an international terrorist cell, or just plain brain dead. At this point, I'm leaning towards the latter, and... my condolences.

Otherwise, it would've been a rather simple matter to just man up, own it- and at least try to make right the situation.  

Pity.

Daisy

Never (ever) thought anyone could top a Hal 9000 when it came to "Daisy." 

But damn this is GOOD!!!

Chris Dorley-Brown: The Corners

Photo: Chris Dorley-Brown

I was immediately blown away by the photos I encountered recently at the Robert Koch Gallery* in San Francisco. They were of fairly large size, impeccably printed (natch), highly detailed and precisely aligned compositions (think view camera) of various street scenes in England.  Large format or not, it was plain to see that this work clearly fit into the genre of street photography- the people inhabiting said compositions providing just the perfect balance, mystery and tension...

That's when the silent alarm buzzed my head; please, Lord, please- don't let these be multiple exposures where the right people are conveniently placed at the right place doing the right thing in the right way ie- please, don't let these be utterly beautiful, immaculate... lies. 

Now, there are those who will say a good picture is a good picture- what does it matter if it all happens in the field, or gets finished at home? Every photograph is a lie to some extent and bottom line, it's either good, or it isn't. Yeah, I get that; but no, I can't appreciate that. It just leaves one nasty lingering taste in my mouth. 

Now, Chris Dorley-Brown is not out to deceive anyone, he is perfectly forthright in what he does and how he does it. "Straight" photographs are hard enough to "interpret," and I'm certainly not gonna get into the whole history of how photographs "tell us nothing." But when we see a guy checking out a woman in a Winogrand photo, chances are, the guy was probably... checking out the woman in the photo (despite the usual plethora of other ambiguous, peripheral factors and details within said frame for us to ponder). In a Dorley-Brown photo, when I see a guy checking out a woman crossing the street, I have to wonder: was the guy really checking out that woman, was she even there, was he checking out another woman, a guy, a dog taking a shit? We'll never know! And while some may say that such a degree of image manipulation only serves to expand our perception of what's "real" and/or possible, it strikes me as merely allowing greater control of our own manipulation! When I look at a single exposure that truly works- I am left in wonder of how life sometimes (at least) seems to magically come together for the briefest of fleeting moments. When I see images such as these, complete in the knowledge of their artifice, I'm left with the wonder of... technology.

These, admittedly beautiful, images are highly choreographed fictions. Recently, an actor named Smollet was arrested for his deceitful fabrication, Dorley-Brown while perfectly honest with his fictionalizations, nevertheless exhibits them in the presentation and manner of straight "street," documentary photographs, and that is how they are viewed- and ultimately appreciated. Smollet staged and practiced his fiction beforehand, Dorley-Brown creates his fiction after the fact. Not exactly the perfect analogy, point taken- not to mention, one was done with criminal intent, the other without malice in the perfectly legitimate pursuit of artistic license. But if you allow me the initial premise, just as Smollet's deception will now unjustly cast doubt on every hate crime to follow, Dorley-Brown's fictions add to a growing list of photographers whose highly manipulated and seamlessly stitched collages continue to add doubt and mistrust as to the veracity of what we are viewing when it comes to photography, and reality, in this digital age. And perhaps, it's a lesson well learned to take nothing at face value- unlike with with, say... Jerry Uelsmann, whose highly manipulated photographs always welcomed us into a totally surreal otherworld of beauty and grandeur.

Understandably, some may see this as a trifling or even unfair criticism to what is a creative and much needed shot in the arm to a now stodgy and long in the tooth genre of photography. No one can say the results aren't impressive- just as no one can deny that it's inarguably harder to get it right in-camera!

*above photo not in exhibit

Portrait of Humanity

I thought (I really, really thought) I had a good chance of having one (1) photo included in BJP's Portrait of Humanity, after all, most (if not all) my work is... precisely-just-that. So, this one kinda hurt, particularly since there's not a weak one in the bunch. 

Anyway, it is what it is. I try to learn form every rejection. Sometimes I do, other times... This time, I'm telling myself that it (at least) seems that this particular competition was leaning towards celebrating a portrait of humanity concentrating on ethnicity, as opposed to what my portraits celebrate- Individuality! Perhaps... 

At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! 'Cause, like I said- not a weak one in the whole freakin' bunch...

All Photos: © Stan Banos

All Photos: © Stan Banos

The... AMC Pacer!!!

Always wanted to buy one of these, fill it with water (and goldfish)- and announce my avant garde artistic debut! Unfortunately, have never have bought a car, period (let alone waterproofed one)! And honestly, always expected to walk into some museum somewhere and discover to my utter dismay (and excitement) that someone had beaten me to the punch...

PS- Can't believe no one's done it to this day.

What R U- A Rocket Scientist?

Sure, lotsa teens shoot off model rockets, but nothing like what this teenage rocket scientist created- and not many get taken to Area 51 for their efforts!

PS- Unfortunately, one has to subscribe to Gaia to hear the conclusion (which is no disappointment, to be sure)... Let's just say that he's taken to see an engine, a very large and damaged engine, an engine whose technology (parts of which responded as if a living  entity unto itself) is thousands of years beyond our capability- and (if fully functioning) capable of powering everything on our planet, and much, much, more...

Atlantic City- Brian Rose

Photo: Brian Rose

Atlantic City is my favorite photo project (and book) by Brian Rose since The Lost Border, his epic tribute to the Berlin Wall. And there is more than a little correlation between the two in that both served as the doomed, temporary monuments to the ego and deception of those who so desperately sought to subvert the reality that created them. The East German regime ultimately collapsed under its own weight, just as Trump's Atlantic City casinos ultimately folded under their own facade of grandiose fraudulence.  

And it is in the photos themselves that you sense this, even if you knew nothing of the political/economic background that ultimately determined either scenario. In each we see landscapes inexplicably barren, separated, repurposed and eerily juxtaposed with busier, more ornate, real life dioramas. Dramatic and contradictory contrasts in natural landscapes usually portray the cataclysmic occurrences created by nature's wrath and fury, these man made portraits of landforms subject to geopolitical and socioeconomic upheaval leave similar traces of large scale  trauma forced upon the local topography. And while such nuanced visions of contrast and imbalance provide such a visual wonder to behold, they also carry the weight of history, as well as a sadness and remorse most palpable...

10 Years Ago- EXPIRATION NOTICE!

Ten freakin' years ago!!! Hard to believe, but true... A Puerto Rican in San Francisco via NYC teamed up with a bloke from Manchester, England named Mark Page (by the way, we could still pass each other on the street and not even know it, being that we've still never met) to form an online photography gallery/mag called Expiration Notice, whose aim was to provide exposure for "emerging photographers" who were still producing* serious, quality work, despite being overlooked and undervalued throughout their years.

Those were the artists we sought out- not the new, youngblood flavors of the month, not the already well established. We didn't know how long it would last, or how successful it would be; and despite that self imposed limitation, we could have continued monthly for three years (at the very least- instead of the three months we actually did) if we had had significantly greater access to all those we were so desperately trying to find and exhibit. 

Word did get out, but not quite as far and wide as we had hoped or needed. Towards the end, we even tried to get some commercial backing, not for financial gain, but in our quest to feature long deserving photographers we knew were still out there beyond our reach. It was not to come, and we decided to close shop instead of decreasing the quality of "the product." Ultimately, I'm rather proud two guys from opposite sides of the pond (with no real connections in either the art world or the photo biz) were able to provide even a short lived venue for some very deserving photographers, not readily exhibited elsewhere. It was something definitely worth pursuing some... ten years ago; still-is-NOW!

*Not to mention those retired, or just plain forgotten...

A Confederacy of Dunces...

The Governor previously wore Blackface, the second in charge is facing possible sex charges, and the third in the line of succession also wore Blackface! What is it with Whites and Blackface, anyway? And what's up with Virginia? 
But wait, there's... more!

Yeah, I'll Buy That!

Yeah! Weeks, months, years- life itself seems to be zooming on by these days and  

this seems as good an explanation as any other....

Jack Delano

Wonder what went through his head as he documented this idealized vision of colonization...

Ya think ya know something, until you realize how much you don't. Any student of photographic history is familiar with the name Jack Delano and his career with the FSA, where he joined other classic photo names in the making, while producing one of its most consistently remarkable bodies of work. What I didn't know was that he was born Jacob Ovcharov in Ukraine before immigrating to the states- and then settling in Puerto Rico later in his career where he continued to expand his Renaissance Man career. And the kicker for me is, looking at the guy then- the guy could (and did) pass!

My Hacked B&H Photo Account

So... I get a snail mail notice from FedEx asking if I'd made changes to my account. Odd, since I don't have a FedEx account. Called, verified, no account. Hhmmm...

Later that week, I'm paying my monthly AMEX, when I notice an order for- an 11in iPad Pro. Very odd- considering I never ordered any such thing! I go on my B&H account, see it had been shipped to my home address- and then intercepted by B&H in New Jersey, a half month prior via... FedEx!

B&H had known that my account and online info had been hacked and compromised- and they did nothing, as in absolutely nothing to notify me! You would think that they, that any legitimate business that had even the slightest pretense about caring for their customers, would notify them about such a potentially devastating breech! Nothing, nada, zip... They definitely made sure to do everything possible to make themselves whole- but pretty much left me to hang in the wind.

Changed my passwords, ordered a new AMEX card and spoke to B&H who said they have many problems with fraud, followed by much silence on their end of the phone before an admission that I did "seem to have a legitimate issue." Ultimately, someone "new" (don't ya know) got the blame; and honestly, since not a big customer, wasn't expecting much else, still... even a $25 discount on next purchase would have been a nice gesture towards saying- sorry, you had to cancel your AMEX card and have your private info exposed while we sat on it (like irresponsible assholes) and did... NOTHING!!!

Caveat emptor!