I had plans to go out to the sand with Floofie for our shoot last week but catching a silly cold prevented that. So we stayed in and made some Polaroid Type 55 images. Yes, I still have a stash luckily. It doesn’t like to get warm so I have to press the film against the freezer wall right before I insert it into the film holder. It’s getting very finicky. I like the torn look and don’t really mind unless it’s messing with the composition. I’m glad to still be working with the film and thanking my foresight when it came to stockpiling it before the demise. For now I don’t need to start shooting regular 4×5 film and developing later. I like the on the spot developing. It makes me happy. I obtained a minute amount of solarization on this shoot and I’m super stoked about that. I usually get it easily with the Polaroid Type 85 I use with my Holga and Polaroid Back, so maybe the aging process is lending more funk to the film. I’ll take it.
Scott Sheppard from Inside Analog Photography asked for an interview a couple months ago and I was happy to give it. Nervous because I don’t normally like to talk – I hate my voice – but thankfully I didn’t annoy myself as much as I thought I would. What a relief! Thanks Scott! I think he asked some great questions and enabled me to give a good interview because of it. Inside Analog Photography is a gem of a Podcast. So many great interviews with some of today’s most recognized photographers. I’m honored to be amongst them all. If you love photography, even if you shoot digital, you should subscribe. There’s a wealth of information inside this podcast. You can hear me directly here. And you can visit Inside Analog Photography’s website and I’ll be there soon too. (edit 1.30.21) sadly Scott passed away RIP but a very thoughtful, Paul Green, saved all of Scott’s work on this podcast project here (you may trust this link): https://1drv.ms/f/s!AvOqXOkD01E3sNV3rP80kYBmyOPwhA
Please enjoy a photo from my last shoot in the desert with Meghan Claire. I have to work with her again soon. She’s amazing.
The le Nu LA show took off without me. I wrote the forward for the book and the show, curated by Astor Morgan, was a big success! Thank you to everyone at A&I again and to Astor. I missed the big opening night to be with my family for my grandfather’s funeral.
I was gone for a couple weeks down south, New Orleans to be exact. It was good to be home. It was sad knowing that they’re going through yet another tragedy. I went down to Venice, Louisiana so I could see the marshes and swamps one last time before they become a dead zone. I’m crying as I’m typing this. I can’t express how much I love Louisiana in words. I became who I am today there. I feel the hurt. Tragic beauty. That’s my city. Chicago doesn’t know the Blues like New Orleans does. Life is cheap there, and at the same time the most valuable commodity on earth. I don’t know why they always have the world punch them like it does, but as I’m trying to think on the positive side of things, their artistic expression wouldn’t be the way it is without all this tragedy. It doesn’t make it good, the people do. They are some of the strongest people in heart that I know. And their pain is my pain. And as the oil is starting to reach the shores of Pesacola, Florida tonight, I feel their pain too. I spent many days on those beaches. Knowing there’s no hope is absolutely heartbreaking. I can’t even begin to speak about the animals suffering or … I’ll end it there. Everyone please keep these people in your hearts. Let’s make them even stronger and more resilient.
