Could This Be The First Photo Of A Human? (NPR)

This image appears to show two people at the edge of the Ohio River. The photo was found in a set of daguerreotypes of Cincinnati from 1848, which would make them among the first photographed humans.

Almost Perfect.

I like the number 99 because I feel it's the epitome of "almost". I like it even more because as a written number, it actually looks more perfect and balanced to me than 100. One with OCD might even itch to rearrange 100 it so it would read 010. Of course, doing that would take away it's validity. Would it? Maybe not to the person who just fixed a very unbalanced item. I guess what I mean with all of this is that what's perfect to one person might not be perfect to another, etc, etc. I really have no idea where I'm going with this, and I'm not going to nerd out and start giving Latin root meanings of the word perfection. However, deeming something as perfect basically represents finishing or bringing an end to something. Therefore, if something is perfect...well, that's all. It needs no more work...no more improvement.

To me, imperfection is more desirable. Recognizing the flaws in ourselves and the world around us, being humbled by those flaws, and spending a lifetime making improvements are what help us to grow. We follow this pattern on individual levels all the time, and especially through art. Art is imperfect, but art can be beautiful. It can also be ugly, yet force us to think about why we feel it's ugly. If art were perfect, there would be no art. I used this picture to represent these thoughts. When I took the shot I got really excited because my first thought was that (at least) symmetrically I had taken the "perfect picture". In reality, it was just the way the scene lined up, along with the way the center line was created at that very second to make the single shot look like two separate ones fused together. I got lucky. Furthermore, though I still love this image, I can look more closely and find flaws. This is why photography is my therapy. Photography is never about the perfect photo, but about the perfect moment. I have to be given the perfect moment, no matter how incredible the subject may be. Therefore, so much of it is out of my control. Even when everything comes together to create an amazing image, it's still almost perfect.

Every now and then, our bulb just needs to be replaced. The amount of people needed to screw it in...now that's wherein the complexity lies...

Katie

I don't take enough portraits, and think it's definitely my weak point. This one felt a bit better, so I do believe some more practice is in order...

Governor's Island Ferry

Governor's Island

Hidden Central Park

If you are lucky enough to get lost in the untame Loch and Ravine in upper Central Park, and then find your way out - you will most likely emerge to this view. Once again, reminded that you're in the city you will recall the last 30min spent wandering aimlessly through woods next to a string of waterfalls. You will feel confused and amazed...

So Long Summer, 2010...I won't miss you that much.

For the first time ever, I have no problem with summer being over. I'm actually incredibly happy to see it end, and a bunch of friends expressed similar feelings for varying reasons. It really does bum me out to be so negative about such a typically wonderful 2 months out of the year, but the past 2 months have been the most stressful, life altering of my life thus far in terms of health and career. Through all of it I've tried to smile through and find the positive, but sometimes positive is over rated, and you really just feel like jumping in the car, blasting Sigor Ros & crying hysterically. At the end of the day, we're just human. We show emotion, and often it is not positive. I think the positive comes in recognizing the negative, embracing it, and admitting to it - Admitting to the darkness, the depression. That's how we grow. That's how we become better people. I guess, this summer has been good for at least that. For forcing me to grow a bit more.

Here's to the Sliver

This view is exactly what I see when I look up while sitting in my back patio. Just a sliver of sky between my building and a brick wall, interrupted by a loose power line. In NYC I am spoiled for having this, and even pay quite a price for it. Funny, in a way. I really do appreciate it though, and after a long day of work today I cracked open a beer and sat back here for a bit. Looking up at my sliver made me think of the rest of the world, and I couldn't help but think about how much I haven't seen of it. Luckily I hope to have about two-thirds of my life left to see more.

Going back a step, yes...I said work. After 10 months of unemployment I got a job in print photo production...and as many of you are fully aware, have had quite a time trying to adjust. There have been meltdowns, panic attacks...I am self-proclaimed stressorexic, if you will. I have planned escapes from said job and the city, as I often tend to do when faced with big change. I think it's in my nature to constantly think of the "what if" and ponder what else I could or maybe should be doing. And I may in fact leave, and truly feel in my heart that I should step back from city-life for awhile. However, me knowing myself knows that will still require a ton of planning. I wish I were more of a risk-taker. I wouldn't do it to run away from my problems, and I want to stress that. I'm always curious about experiencing other places, and I'm the only one who ends up preventing it from happening. I guess maybe that's the opposite of running from one's problems. Maybe I just create my own conflicts by staying in one place for too long.

A friend recently asked me what I would do if I could do anything I wanted - money aside. I said: "fly planes and own horses". This is completely true...but do I need planes and horses to be happy? Most certainly not. I don't think that "things" make us happy in the long run, and most of the people in my life seem to share this belief. Happiness is the most simply complex thing that I can think of...well, that and love...but that's another post for another time...

Interdependence Day?

In the U.S., Independence is celebrated once a year as one of ten bank holidays; A day to gather with people, eat, drink, blow sh*t up, then relax and watch fireworks. What I’m interested in on a smaller and slightly more selfish level is the question of what it is to be an independent person, because I think as humans, we’re actually a nice balance of interdependent. Therefore, to declare confidently, “I’m independent” is, in a way, a generally thoughtless statement when you think about it. If we were all completely and honestly independent, we’d be lost. By definition, to be interdependent is to be mutually dependent. I guess I just think it’s kind of funny that a holiday celebrating independence is typically spent gathering in large crowds, often on the turnpike...in minivans. I know, I know...The Independence Day we celebrate is of course more about being Independent as a nation, and the birth of Democracy. I’m not attempting to reinvent the wheel or anything, but in some ways I think it would be interesting to at least recognize the fact that nothing has ever truly been accomplished independently. In order to bring about change, whether positively or negatively, we have to come together as a mass of people working together towards a common goal. On an individual level, we need relationships with other people for a multitude of reasons. Without these relationships, we become mentally impaired. Just something I was thinking about, whether it’s ridiculous or not. More than anything, I’m happy to see people using the day as a way to spend time with others, recognize the good things we have, and “just be here now” as a good friend reminded me earlier. So Happy Independence Day!....just don’t be afraid to admit to at least some balance of dependence. It’s OK.

Somewhere on a Beach in Mexico..

Is (sadly) where I am not. This is exactly where I want to be right now. Especially today, when it's gray, raining, and about 50 degrees in May. Is there a gene in us that is a cause of spontaneity? I guess I don't have it or I'd be off on a plane headed back to this photo. And I would take you all with me...maybe.

Landmannalaugar, Pre-Volcanic Eruption

Just a memory of where I camped last July in Iceland, not far from Eyjafjallajokull. The black lava in this shot is from an eruption back in the 1400's.

Concrete Gratitude.

I was almost hit by a huge SUV yesterday while crossing my street (in the crosswalk, with the right of way). It was scary, and I made sure to cause a scene by cursing him out and being the complete opposite of zen. Sometimes you just can't control it. I forget that I can curse like that sometimes, but then again, my whole family is from NYC so it's just in my blood. I was grateful to have been spared and it was just another reminder to be extra cautious, because let's face it...this is now more than ever, a country full of careless people driving huge cars in small areas while fondling their technology (all interpretations are deemed acceptable).

Okay, I'm gonna unleash the hippie here for a minute..but I think it's relevant. I was in a yoga class last week and it's typical for the instructor to share a story, or read before we start. She started talking about gratitude. Not necessarily big things, but the things we don't usually think about. I thought about being able to just stumble sleepily into the bathroom in the morning, turn on the shower, and just have hot water...or have a shower at all. She then looked out the window and remarked on the beautiful sunny day we were having and how that makes such a difference in people's moods in NYC. "However," she said, "I lived in California for sixteen years, and there's sun almost every day. Suddenly it takes a lot more than sunshine to make people happy." She went on to discuss how unless she saw some crazy looking exotic bird, she would take no notice, but that here in Brooklyn she was amazed to see a Cardinal every now and then. I realized this was her personal take on California vs. NY, and that for her coming here made her appreciate the smaller, less frequent beauties. I enjoyed it, nonetheless...especially the part where she said that she was thankful for the cracks in the sidewalk. It's true, depending on how one looks at it. They can make you trip and embarrass yourself, but if you're lucky enough to trip and look down to see a flower growing up through one...well then...maybe a crack in the sidewalk is just enough to be grateful for. Still, I hope the guy in the huge SUV hits some slightly larger cracks in the street...

Shooting Someone Elses Words....

...can be funny sometimes too.

The World Is Bigger Than You

Three Amigos

A few of us were hiking down to Crescent Beach in Oregon, and we came across this bunch of Lillies on a bench. I wondered if they were left there as a memorial to someone who died. Against the misty gray background I couldn't help but feel a peaceful, beautiful, yet eerie chill across my bones.

Seattle, 7:52am