Blog Archives
Irv’s grand gesture
This guy? It’s legendary Chicago gossip-columnist Irv Kupcinet, gesturing across the river to the former location of the Chicago Sun-Times, where he worked for more than 50 years. The statute (Preston Jackson was the scupltor) was installed in 2006, on what would have been Irv’s 94th birthday.
Chicago, Illinois
photographed 6.27.2022
the importance of hydration
If you were here yesterday, you saw my great confession about how I’ve totally pissed away a lot of photography years by refusing to photograph people.
And I am still sticking with that assessment.
Chicago, Illinois
photographed 6.30.2022
the photographers
This is the story of one thing I got right and another thing that I got wrong.
Almost from the beginning of thinking of myself as a photographer, I was steadfast in my refusal to photograph people. I just…didn’t. What I pretended was an Important Artist Decision™ was mostly just me being an idiot, being too afraid to try, being afraid someone might notice me or challenge me or yell at me or whatever. That’s the part I got very, very wrong.
The part I got right was that I needed to be in places that were more populated, where there were lots of people out on the streets doing their things. Lubbock is not exactly a pedestrian-friendly place, so on top of not being a huge city, no one is really outside and it’s hard to find subjects and harder to blend in, to be patient about waiting for something photo-worthy to happen.
So, earlier in the summer when I was in Chicago, I went for a photo walk with a street photographer that I’d met on Instagram, and he was kind enough to share his favorite locations with me. And then, later in the week, I ventured out on my own and discovered that street photography is, in fact, something that I can do.
Now I am trying not to think about how many good photos I’ve missed over the years because I was too afraid to push myself.
Chicago, Illinois
photographed 6.30.2022
tongue
The other evening, I went over to the industrial side of town and did some shooting with a new-to-me 135mm lens. I usually shoot a 28mm on this particular camera and you know what? There’s a BIG difference between the two lenses! Really, who could have even predicted that. Other than, like, you know, everyone?
Anyway, I found this parking lot that was full of what looked like FEMA trailers, all lined up and pointing toward the setting sun.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 7.15.2022
gourd
I spotted this gourd vine, creeping across the hard and dry ground the other day. As far as I know, gourd vines do not find drought-summers to be too hot or too dry to flourish. Maybe we ought to shift our thinking and decide they would make lovely landscaping plants, instead of the always-need-water sorts of plants that we tend to believe we have to have in our yards.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 7.15.2022
One Day | One Image 