Thanksgiving, brought to you by Bessa

More to come!

Heidi

Bird

The movement series evolved... I'm getting closer (why do I always find myself doing this?) and mural printing these in the darkroom...

Wedding I shot just a few days before prop 8 passed

Rejected

This video is in admittedly a different vein, but I was reminded of it/inspired to see it again after seeing James' videos. A friend showed this to me when I was really sick a few years ago. It's dark and out there but has a childlike simplicity and humor... lifted my spirits when I needed it most.

see this movie. NOW.

You need to watch this movie. No matter how dead you are on the inside, this will inspire you. I've never seen anything like this film. The depth of human emotion is matched, if not surpassed, by the cinematography. Every second is a photograph I could only take in my dreams. It is magical ! I want to watch it 20 more times. Please, please don't waste another moment of your life without seeing this. 

you are what you eat

This burger is 12 years old. You never know if what you read is true, but the thought that it hasn't decomposed is pretty amazing and disgusting. This is not food! Read this. 

Persepolis

Just finished watching this movie that has been on my list for a long time. It struck such a chord with me. I loved it. It's about a young girl who grows up in Iran and moves to Europe after the revolution and overthrow of the Shah in the late 70s. The story parallels almost exactly my own mom's. Ive always been so curious about the stories she tells me, and probably more so, the ones she doesn't. It's amazing to be able to see this mysterious and intense part of life through the eyes of another little Persian girl, and confirms my desire to go to Iran. I think I'll find something there I've always been looking for. Great movie!! 

49 Geary Surprises

Spent some time in 49 Geary today, some great things to see, and as always, never enough time for all the work that's there. A few things really stood out for me. The 2 images above (Elins Eagles - Smith Gallery) by Chinese photographer Wang Ningde. I think they speak for themselves. Dreamlike, odd, and graphic. 

A Richard Misrach print (not this exact one but similar, couldn't find it to post from online) took up a whole wall in the Fraenkel Gallery, and the moment I saw it, I had a physical reaction to it in the pit of my stomach. It's beautiful. You feel like you want to jump in the photo and soak in it. You have to see it in person. 

I was surprised to find that this image was taken by Joel Meyerowitz (Robert Koch Gallery). His underwater diver prints were the obvious stars of the show, but this smaller print made me stop. It has such a different feel from the water ones, there's something about it I'm drawn to. 

Voigtlander Bessa

Here are some scans from film I shot with the Voigtlander Bessa this summer. I've always loved taking pictures of my family - I'm comfortable around them, and they're used to seeing me with a camera in hand, so they usually let me take their picture without posing, and it feels natural. My mom is Persian and my dad Belgian, and things like family, food, sitting at a table together are really important to us.  The photo of my grandma blowing out cupcake candles is on her 92nd birthday. We never really knew how old she was (she's been 88 my entire life), but a distant relative finally told us this summer! 

The rangefinder will definitely take some getting used to. I'm not as quick as I thought I would be with the focusing, but I'll get there, I just need to play a little. 

Some images from the summer...

my 3 month old nephew, gaspard. handsome, fat, sexy... 

Paula, Mackenzie's mom, lost her mother at 96 years old and asked me to photograph Mackenzie wearing her vintage dresses from the 20's. The dresses were beautiful and falling apart, but they fit her like a glove. It was great to see Paula's nostalgic and emotional reaction, so it made for a rewarding project.  

Just had this image of my dad sent to me by my uncle in Belgium. He would kill me if he knew it was on the internet...