Simulacrum revisited

There are so many distortions here I don't know where to start. So I won't.

crows

They come as a swarm, literally hundreds of them, heading to the lake just blocks away from the house. It really is quite eerie.

Santa says...

Not much to say these days. I have a new camera arriving early next week, a little point and shoot but of a higher quality than most. At least I hope it is. Should be interesting to see how it affects what I'm taking pictures of.

Listening to Eric's Trip, Behind the Garage. It's an old one. I've been listening to a lot of older music these days. My days of walking into BeatRoute contributor meetings and walking out with a fist full of new indie music have dried up but two years of that means all the old stuff I have and neglected to listen to sounds new again. Oh yeah, and I still have your Smashing Pumpkins CD, if you ever want it back...

Monday with Sophie

I've meant to do a "day in the life of" series with Sophie for a while now. Today we did it. You can view the whole thing here as a slide show but I should warn you it's the kind of thing that may be more interesting to relatives. There's a lot of pictures there, a days worth I guess, but at least I'm not holding you captive as I get out the wallet full of photographs. We had a good day today. She walks a lot for a kid just over 2. And I could take a photograph of her eating breakfast every day for a week and you'd more often than not see her eating French toast. She's a good kid.

voyeur/surveillance

I suppose being a voyeur is an intrinsic part of being a photographer who likes to take less formal images focused (pun intented) on the casually observed. I mention Eggleston a lot in conversations about photography and it's a skill that he has sharply honed. Every photograph gives the viewer the anonymity coveted by the voyeur, the ability to sit and stare, to study the details, to linger on that which may be impolite or improper to notice in polite company.

This photograph is about being a voyeur but more about the act of voyeurism. It's an attempt to capture the act of voyeurism or surveillance, not about what is being observed or the observer. It's the inbetween space, the action, not that act or the actor. I don't want to take a photograph of William Eggleston, I want to take a photograph of his camera, or even better, if it were possible, I would like to take a photograph of the light entering his camera.

I've been feeling a little directionless lately when it comes to photography. I suspect this will be a part of an ongoing project.

ideas

So often it's not about the light but about the absence of light. Is it possible to take photographs of the voids?



And trees. I've taken these pictures before, some seven years ago even. Perhaps I will see if I can find them.

I've been in a funk lately. I might have been looking forward to the excuse of oppressive and incessant Vancouver rain but it's been sunny more often than not. The snow at Christmas stuck around for the better part of two weeks because of the lack of rain. There's still hints of it along many side streets, snow banks clinging to curbs.

Is there an equivalent to writer's block for photographers?

The last time I took a photo every day it seemed to sap my energy from time to time. Is the same happening now?

I don't know. But in the mean time Jennilee Marigomen is a good way to spend some time. And maybe I'll find a photograph today. Or maybe not.

Burrard Bridge

I spent some time walking around the other day. I'm usually walking across the Burrard bridge but this day I was on the Granville bridge and got a somewhat unique view crossing over False Creek.