The Year In Review

 

It is What it is... Photo: © Stan Banos

What's that? Too early? Yeah, suppose so, nevertheless... Last year round this time, I was all frettin' and a fussin' that I couldn't possibly survive another year of empty streets, no travel, etc etc and that the year had to change for the better- no matter what! I was tired of making lemonade outta lemons and had pretty much depleted my emergency bag of photo taking alternatives. In other words, like everyone else- I just wanted a return to normalcy or some small modicum of semblance thereof. And just when we thought that maybe, just maybe, we were finally...

Well, here we are in 2022, right back where we were in 2021- except we gotta vaccine, but not everyone's taken it (voluntarily here at home, involuntarily word wide where they still can't get it). Those who haven't gotten it can die, and even if ya got it, you're not really immune. And while I'm all for "following the science," taking your mask off only to eat and drink while indoors in public is nothing but a mockery of said science! We were also steered into getting a booster for Omicron, and they're soon coming out with a separate vaccine just for Omicron- which I'm sure we'll also be encouraged to take... And this is how people's trust can break down, in a reasonable kinda way- not a Q Conspiracy Whacko kinda way.  No, I'm not an anti-vaxxer/anti-masker by any means- but I do kinda sense a wee tad of mission creep, if not outright greed starting to rear its ugly head. But lord knows Big Pharma would never do anything just for money. And who'd ever thought one could miss a sweaty, crowded, city street in August?

To Be, Or...

Photo: © Stan Banos**

 

 

Last weekend, I attended the Right To Life rally in San Francisco. I went there solely for the possible photographic opportunity, and I was rewarded with my one. Full disclosure- I was actually pretty anti abortion when I was younger- yeah, you could say that 12 years of Catholic schooling had something to do with it (probably the last vestige of Catholicism I shed). When I began to more closely examine those on either side, I rather quickly realized that I had a (whole) lot more in common with those who were Pro-choice, than the other side.* Why was that? I then gradually evolved the position that I've held to this day- abortion's one pretty nasty thing (to say the very least), but as long as women choose to have one (and it is their choice), then it should be as safe as medically possible. I also think that they should be properly informed (ie- not indoctrinated or browbeaten) of all possible choices/alternatives before getting one- again, the actual choice being most certainly the woman's prerogative. Too many woman have died needlessly painful deaths at the hands of incompetents throughout history, a history that cannot be allowed to repeat.

*I honestly think (most) anti-abortionists have their heart in the right place- just that it's fixated in-that-one-place. Once that baby is born (of their will and legislation), most wash their hands of any responsibility faster that Pontius Pilate in Olde Judea Towne! In fact, many willingly endorse laws and policies that will directly contribute to that child (particularly those of color) growing up with predictably subpar: housing, food, healthcare, schooling, environment and every other opportunity necessary for a decent life's outcome. Many end up in the criminal justice system, and those pro-lifers are the first to scream death penalty! Mission accomplished?

Must be said, what was also rather unsettling to see in that crowd was so many clergy (eg- priests, monks, brothers, sisters) of all Catholic denominations (eg- Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, etc) most of them so ridiculously young (early twenties) and can't help but say... incredibly nerdy looking- all enthusiastically ambling about in their capes and robes like teenage Cosplay fans, looking for all the world as if they had the collective maturity and life experience of a twelve year old! Where are these young enthusiasts when it comes to rallies trying to save the very planet their entire flock toils upon?

** It's curious, whenever one sees a child participating at a demonstration or march to which one is aligned- one's initial thought is anywhere between how they're so cute, to how truly well informed and brought up they are by such wonderfully concerned and devoted parents. When it's a child of an opposing group, we automatically think of how abused and brainwashed that poor child is!

I've never really concerned myself with the thought of photographing famous people although I would love to take Greta Thunberg's portrait, what possesses a child of fifteen to realize the one basic truth that somehow escapes the vast majority of adults- that climate change has doomed our entire planet as we know it? Hard to believe she is now nineteen...

This little girl brought her to mind, though they likely started at opposite sides of the political spectrum on more than one topic- granted, I would most certainly hate to be remembered for my beliefs ("political" or otherwise) at her tender age.

Book vs. Zine

I have now self published thirteen publications on Blurb- 11 books, 2 zines. I'm proud (if that's the proper word) of all my children, and all concern various themes (as do most books, duh) except for Learn To Swim, which was simply a conglomeration of various images made to celebrate my first color images made in decades. As I've said countless times before, the reproductions are satisfactory at best and the end products themselves serve basically as dummies of the books one dreams of making. Nevertheless, I went on somewhat of a self publishing bender the second half of last year, and fortunately, as a result, P-A-N-D-E-M-A-N-I-A! was selected for a self publishing exhibit, although I liked Trump Derangement Syndrome (made shortly thereafter) more.

I then went hog wild crazy and made my first two zines; the first, Commitment March (I'm sorry to say) did not pay its subject justice. And the reason is simple, at only fourteen images- it's really on the flimsy side. Still, the potential was duly noted. Say What? comes in at fifty-six images and thirty-two pages, and with the larger zine page dimensions, it gives one more room to play around with the format, placing two nicely sized images on a page here, and slightly larger ones on their lonesome there (you luck out Big Time if you shoot verticals). The reproductions are every bit the same level of mediocrity as per their books, the paper stock is not as thick as their book stock though thicker than most old timey magazines (ie- can't complain) but... the truly great thing about Blurb zines is that unlike the usual $35 soft cover, $50 hard cover (I usually average) which no one is gonna pay- you can make a rather handsome, thirty plus page, 8.5 x 11in publication for under $10 bucks! That at the very least is reasonable, feasible, and what self publishing should be about!

Four Seasons Total Landscaping

Photo: © Brian Rose

I recently received my copy of the above named zine by Brian Rose and must say it was $15 well spent. It documents the area of the Philly suburb made famous by one Mr. Rudolph Giuliani who staged a press conference there, (very) mistakenly believing the soil of the landscaping emporium to be the grounds of the hallmark hotel emporium. A self imposed irony truly beyond modern day parody.

The photographs consist of a series of urban color landscapes that (while not directly dealing with the outright clown show described) are in and of themselves both a visual delight and an insightful look into just one of the many nooks and crannies of modern day Americana. And it must be said, the quality of the reproductions contained within the two page spreads are nothing short of amazing! Mr. Rose, traditionally a large format practitioner, continues to impress with his handy dandy Leica Q whose first results he published In Time Of Plague.

"Everything Has A Reason And A Purpose"

Indeed it does, and if nothing else explains why a reanimated, resurrected JFK, JR, or... JFK himself didn't show at Dealey Plaza recently to announce and introduce Trump's 2024 campaign- this, sure as shit, does!!!

Seriously, ya gotta give these people some serious cred- every single time you think they've finally reached the absolute nadir of any semblance of sanity... they somehow manage to reach down deep within themselves and sink another full sub basement lower! That just can't be easy...

Speaking Of Interesting Websites...

It's amusing, I know- and way crazier (ie- way crazier) than you think. Michael The Black Man is a (dangerous) living cartoon with 'theories' and agendas that make Trump look sane and mellow. So... how could a Black man openly support someone with a proven racist background? 

Easy. You're thinking... logically- and that's your problem! That doesn't fly anymore in our "alternative fact" age where you get to choose and live your own reality- despite... reality! Just go with your feeling! How else could you explain an Afro-Latino Henry "Enrique" Tarrio as chairman of The Proud Boys. Did his heart soar with pride to see his fellow protestors triumphantly march with Confederate flags on 1/06/21, calling cops the N-Word? You no longer need drugs to "escape reality," it is now whatever flavor of cray cray you wish to believe.

Interesting Website!

 

Yeah, I know it's "not Christian" to mock, belittle, or speak ill of the dead- but... I don't think the vast majority of these rather outspoken individuals had any problem mouthing off to anyone who disagreed with them on this topic, or any other for that matter. And then, one should really consider all the other victims they actively influenced to suffer similar fates! Some remained true blue throughout their ordeal (you can call it brave if ya want- I'll call it something else), although I'm sure even they must have had some small, however minuscule, inkling of doubt towards the bitter end...

Lora Webb Nichols

Photographers are constantly trying to see things in new ways, and you, me and most anyone would have indubitably gotten considerably closer and snapped away at these guys in landscape mode for a decent group shot. But not Lora Webb Nichols, uh-uh- she saw it different, she played it different. And dang if it don't get your attention- brilliantly surreal!

And if ya think this plays off the previous post of lines, poles and composition.... you'd be right!

Photo: © Lora Webb Nichols

 

The Woodlands

 

Photo: © Stan Banos

Now, I've ambled past this stretch of piers quite a few times before, but never, never, never had I ever seen (errrr... noticed) that particular patch of old growth telephone poles! Telephone poles? What kind of dinosaur... who ever utters such a discontinued term of yore? Sounds downright nineteenth century, let alone twentieth. But these particular individuals are certainly the tallest darn specimens I ever did see!

Second thought was, this is a job for a view camera- yup, gotta straighten out all them verticals and what not! That thought in mind, I whipped out the ol' GR and set to explorin'. And if ya can't align things all prim and proper like, well... then throw the whole house asunder and see what ya get- and in this case, I think things settled out rather nicely! 

Yeah, I'm sure there are those that'll still whine and kvetch about the tilted horizon line (never mind the verticals), and to be sure, that little trick doesn't always save the day. But that composition is one beautifully dense amalgam of lines, shadows and geometric shapes up the gazoo! I just discombobulated 'em and made sense of the whole mess- minus the in house tilts and shifts. Thank you very much.

 PS- And speaking of telephone poles...

For Your Viewing Pleasure Only...

 

Home Fires, Vol 2: The Present

 

Photo: © Bruce Haley

I reviewed Home Fires, Volume 1: The Past by Bruce Haley a year ago; recently he sent me Volume 2: The Present, and in full disclosure, Mr. Haley was kind enough to gift me both books which in and of themselves make for quite a collection. Vol. 2 is both a more massive undertaking, and the more accessible of the two as it takes a more photojournalistic approach. This second effort contains: people, interiors and of course, landscapes- something for everyone in his now signature, near monochromatic color scheme. While I loved the first volume as a whole for its desolation and outright bleakness, the latest volume has many individual shots of note to both ponder and appreciate. 

There is one shot taken from behind of cowboys herding cattle, as timeless a shot as possibly imagined; other than being an in camera color image, the only other clue that exposes its modern day origins is the slightest contrail just barely visible, and so seemingly, impossibly high and beyond reach in the vast Western sky. As Mr. Haley imparts, "they (the photographs) are simply a reflection of what I find interesting," and very much part of an America that most no longer think of as The Present.

It's All In The Details

Most photographers like to think of themselves as pretty good observers, or at least... strive to be. I like to think I'm fairly decent, but I manifest my major failings on an all too regular basis. I miss not only in terms of composition (which is exasperating enough), but also in terms of content (nuance is not my cup of tea)- the latter something that can often separate a master "street" photographer from your weekend warrior. Yeah, it's all in the details, as they say...

Photo: © Stan Banos*

Occasionally, I've taken rather close up photographs of graffiti, etc on various sized poles (for lack of better description) with wide angle lenses. A millimeter to the left or right can completely unbalance the background and entire composition, and that is more understatement than exaggeration. I also think that so many people crop after the fact because while they pay excruciating detail to what's going on in the center of the frame, they tend to downplay, if not totally ignore what's going on throughout its edges, almost as if they're an afterthought- they're not!

The video below is not on photography, but it does concentrate on... the details! And it's fascinating to observe how detail can be taken to such a minute extreme.  I love vintage watches, at least a very certain variety- but mostly I just look (as I look at Leica M's and Q's), I don't have hundreds to throw on photography, let alone watches (or Leicas). But a certain aesthetic of vintage watches sends me into another time period, another realm of experience, another level of appreciation. 

The video concentrates on the details and intricacies of spotting vintage fakes. One can fairly easily spot the more obvious, but again- it's all in the details.** 

*Sure not to everyone's taste, but I like it. How close? On the edge of switching to Macro Mode close. Took me about 6 takes before lucking out to an angle that works, and I say luck, because w/o that boat on the left arriving when it did, where it did for balance- still no shot.

**Another watch aficionado was able to spot a high end fake by noticing the lack of separation in the upper half of the fives in the "55" of the minute dial.

The Countdown Begins...

 The annual one- for the first keeper of the year!

Photo: © Stan Banos 12/31/2021

The Year In Non-Review...

Well, I was gonna expound on my personal (photographic) accomplishments this year of: 2 books, 2 zines, and having one of the above accepted for show- but in all honesty, that all pales to not having stepped in a fresh pile of human excrement in San Francisco! Don't know how I managed to pull that off yet again, but yeah, my proudest accomplishment two years running- although I know the clock is ticking...

There are so many problems in this world at the moment (local and global) that one doesn't know where to start; I try to draw attention to them here on an individual basis throughout the year, but, well, yeah...

And as I've often said before, enjoy this 'respite' while it lasts- before climate change hits the entire planet like the runaway global freight train that we are unabatedly making it. Meanwhile, can't end the old year and start the new on such a dour note, so I'll sign off on this one with well wishes towards all and... someone who does know better- much better. And he's got it down pat, to-the-very-syllable. Why we are, where we are- and there's plenty of blame to go round on all sides: politically, economically, socially.

Every American should hear this, better yet, actually listen...

2 Movies I Hate W/O Seeing!

The latest Matrix iteration. God it looks awful! The first edition was an all time Sci-fi masterpiece, the second... meh, the third- pretty damn good. Maybe I'll catch it online and prove myself wrong- be nice, but in this case- doubt it.

The second is the over hyped, over exposed to the Ever Lovin' Absolute Max... Licorice Pizza. Maybe it's great, maybe I'd love it- BUT... I'm so damn sick of hearing all the advertisements 24/7 about: just how good it is, how much the critics love it, how much everyone loves it, that it already has me vomiting on cue- BASTA!

Rockwell Automation Overload!!!

Well it's too late to order one of these smooth operators to coordinate all your basic household needs in time for this Christmas. But while you contemplate ordering one of these little multi-syllabic humdingers for next holiday season- you can certainly make the best use of your remaining time by ordering a can of WD-40 to gently quiet its myriad of hatches...

Gets hardcore at 0:50 (with the opening of the first latch).

Good Run...

 While it lasted!

Planned Obsolescence...

 

 

Just last morning I was listening to a program on NPR discussing planned obsolescence. For instance, Maytag dishwashers are made to last 2 years without servicing (before the spinning mechanism gives out). The same afternoon, I see this video on TIMEX, an (economy) brand name since years gone by. I love vintage analog watches (of a certain styling), they're kinda like film noir- a very retro, minimalist, yet singularly stylized aesthetic. TIMEX were also (rightly or wrongly) known for their reliability- "It takes a beating and keeps on ticking!" 

It also offers insight into another question I've always asked- "Doesn't it cost more or less the same to design something cool looking, as opposed to something... fugly (from a strict design, not material sense)? TIMEX watches were fairly stylish- even if a tad conservative. Look at that recessed crown of yore in today's modern, vintage rerun, the California Marlin- Absolutely- Gorgeous! The Dauphine watch hands, the entire dial with its unique mix of Roman and Arabic numerals and markers; clean and elegant, classic, yet modern- and that green band just sends the entire ensemble to another level... And I'm most definitely a fan of domed acrylic crystals.

But I ain't buying for $200, especially after reading the reviews of their frequent breakdowns (it contains a tiny crap movement in a plastic shrouded casing)- though I'd take my chances for $150 (it looks that good). Fortunately, I lucked out with a '61 Bulova of very similar styling* for $200 in great condition on eBay- and it's an automatic!

*It also has a similar sized 34mm case, as did many a vintage man's watch (and most WWll Dirty Dozen watches)- unlike the MEGA-HUGE Atom Smashers that encase many a modern wrist.

How Bent On Suicide Is Humanity?

As we find ourselves plummeting down the road to environmental, climate induced disaster, we not only continue to excuse what initially caused the problem(s), we insanely devise yet even more ways to exacerbate our demise... like novel, so called 'eco-friendly' approaches that require the cutting down and burning of trees that not only destroy the environment twice over by first eliminating a primary carbon reducer and transforming it into harmful carbon emission, but by also making the local populace sick in the process...

Big Ed!

Seen a bunch of flicks in the past coupla months (some even in an actual movie theater); have meant to "review" each and every one, just haven't got 'round to it. I'm happy to say I'm finally over my Bond fixation, finally gotten over my original childhood movie action hero at my ripe old age- how embarrassing is that!? Saw a rather amusing little fantasy called Lamb (mistakenly advertised as a horror flick) which had one of the coolest closing shots ever; a morality tale called Azor on how a meticulously scrupulous banker at first haltingly, and then enthusiastically, abandons his lifelong, professional tenets for the fruits of success; and most recently- Eadweard! Who knows how accurately it depicts his personal life (as opposed to his professional exploits)- but it does note that he was the last person to kill his wife's lover in cold blood, and get off scot free in a court of US law simply because he was... "justified." It also ingeniously displays a rather magical scene in which Muybridge presents the walking image of an elephant on his Zoopraxiscope. You actually experience the absolute wonder humans must have experienced upon first seeing the complexity of such lifelike movement reproduced in such astonishing detail- in the convenience of one's own home. He was most definitely a man obsessed with the wonder and intricacies of motion and movement, and how to dissect and display all of it in part and in whole.

American Geography- Matt Black

 

 

American Geography is one handsome, well thought out, well put together book. The images are striking, the reproductions superb and the content, American poverty as it exists today, as topical as it gets. The inside covers graphically list a long and seemingly endless list of the towns and places visited. The photographs are a combination of somber, digital, square format photos that focus on the landscape of the dispossessed and those attempting its navigation, interspersed with the occasional X-Pan panoramic scenic. Extra visuals include two page typologies of: crushed cigarette boxes, plastic spoons and forks, wire hangers and "Anything Helps" signs. And to guide ya through the sights, you get a constant thread of anecdotes, that read like verbal snapshots, more observational than definitive. Taken together, the book holds up and then some, considerably more intact than the territory it reveals.