I’m kinda stuck in yesterday because the above photo was made then and I just got around to posting it today and now the shooter time warp space continuum is all out of kilter. It’s not pretty I tellya, no…… not at all. See, now I’m under the gunn because the pressure is building to get this blog post out but it already has the flavor of yesterday and I have to keep it updated or I’ll fall behind and I have no idea what will happen if that occurs. I dare not want to find out either. I’m writing this damn post because I gotta meet the deadline and darn it, I will. My typewriter is getting oiled and I’m feeding paper to it at a fast rate. The hard part is waiting the Graphics and Images Dept to get me the photos. Who pays them anyway, they are always behind, sheeesh.

(stands, walks out the door, down the hall to the reporting and content department.)

So I have these thoughts and feelings, mostly feelings about metaphysical things. It’s not at all about depression, I mean I let the VA handle that shit. I don’t wanna address or bother with it. So I let my shrink do the depression stuff, I am just in thought about the CONNECTION that I have with the world and the thread that binds us together. I feel that it is the ZEN of life that binds me to it. I kinda do things my own way and it may not be right for anyone else but when I exit the planet, I’m going without fear or longing for the loss of things I never accomplished or worse yet, the things I never attempted to do.  I plan on laying on that marble slab and when THE LORD comes in to check me out I will say…LORD I am ready to go. I was blessed by you to live a life worth living by me. I accomplished most of the things I set out to do, knowing that YOU were my source of inspiration and guiding force and that is a blessing never felt worthy of. I am ready LORD to go wherever you send me without reservation but… ya know, if you could maybe spare me some more time, I think I’d use it wisely. Just sayin’.

So if in fact that is how I feel about life, why would I wait until death to realize it? Of course silly, I wouldn’t. So there is the roadmap with the emotions and thoughts that drives me thru the world. What’s this have to do with photography? Well, maybe nothing for you but it is the foundation of which I live so that makes it relevant to life as I live it and that means, it’s really about photography and how I live that.

Winogrand has a book called, “Figments From The Real World”. That book is mandatory for anyone that desires to be a photographer.

FORGET STREET PHOTOGRAPHY! Winogrand was not a street shooter, he was a LIFE SHOOTER. He plugged his eyes into life and the way it was effecting him at the moment. May genre’s could be said to contribute to Life Shooting. It also is a know fact that Life Shooting gave birth to Street Shooting. Street is not an attitude as many claim that it is. Having a Street Attitude is about having a tilt or slant on the subject matter. I don’t mean the camera either. What ATTITUDE does is, hides and covers up emotions and feelings.

Street is about life and death. Having your emotions and thoughts in your hand with your camera makes you a street shooter. You have to be in touch with yourself and that’s the only way to be in touch with life and the world. It’s not easy because your basically balls azz naked out there. The ladies of course are more refined and they wear lingerie at the minimum. It is easier for woman to be great shooters because they have no place to put their heart other then right out in the open.

They do this with their work also because they can. Men have to work harder and desire a different kind of approval of their work. It’s all ok, there is nor right or wrong way that means anything. What matters is that you recognize and practice your way.

So finding and capturing your photos that are really YOU out there is not often easy. If you can keep tuned into yourself and your eyes awake, images will form and you need to be  ready.

There’s just so much noise in our heads from Flickr, forums and the like that it’s difficult to get to a clean space with our selves. Maybe this friggin mess we cal life and reality is the meat of what we are looking for. I mean it’s easy to just fall in line and do as others do. Get the same cameras, computers, workshops, books, classes, chats, all the stuff pre-approved that will make us like everyone else. We get accepted easier, we hold up in conversations, we look like the others, we think like the others and ya know I bet that’s a damn fine comfy place to be. I bet it really is.

Look, we all have our own way of going to the toilet, getting a shower, choosing clothes, selecting food, eating it etc. We all are individuals in life. No 2 of us are the same. Even with multiple personality issues, they are not the same and the live with us in the same body.

So why on earth would anyone want to be judged by others that aren’t aware of themselves anyway? Even if they are aware, who cares about using their standards on our work? I don’t. I dont give a flying fuck.

There are a few fears out there. The big one is not working the street and getting close to people to mke photos. That’s the easy stuff cause it’s more physical then anything.

The one that kills is making photos and seeking judgement from others. Seeking approval, oh my The Horror!

BTW, the Olympus Pen EP-5 is a baad azz camera.

Seeya’s after the weekend…………………………..be blessed on your journey………………..