I love light. I like the quality of shadows.
I am not really keen on people, I like kids.
Vince my friend asked a bit ago if I'd take some pictures of his daughter Lila Rose.
to say the least, I was a bit intimidated, and underexperienced.
"yep" I said, I would.
Kids seem to be more adult than me, more knowing of what's going on. Despite the dickens and devil running in their blood.
At work, you never want to see kids or animals on the call sheet as talent.
Hard, frustrations lie ahead.
Lila Rose charmed me. and was smart about the lens. Looking, holding for the second or two that I needed to grasp the photo.
I was worried that it would take multiple visits even to get one semi-ok shot.
Its not like me to toot my own horn, but I am so happy how I got a bunch of good stuff.
And as a grip, I'm proud that is was all without electric.
No lights. Needed.
Vincent and his wonderful, daughter.
I do miss riding the Spring Classic, maybe next week.
I am 51, so my birthday this year makes me 52. Making my racing age for cross 53. I like that in two years I'll race 55+. I still plan on making it into the top 10 of the 45+ this year.
I imagined how stupid I looked. I weigh 156, dress in my kit, riding my bike.
Sitting up with my hands off the bars. Flipping the bird with my left hand.
I think he would of shot me if I said a word. I do. I just looked at him. His fast moving expressions of that old face, probably the same age of me, 51. Black skinned, muscled under, a done wrong, make it his world right, face.
I don't like trouble, I've never been in a fight. None. Despite all the punk rock days and my obnoxious mouth.
The hard people who live the fuck outta life, that will in a moment risk it all, they are the ones who are the most afraid to die, that don't want to die. Its not like you could go to a mental health center. Head to the suicide ward, and ask those locked inside, "who'd, which on of uses' want to make your family proud? This is no easy one, and you will most likely get killed, but we need you to go and assassinate the Socialist President of this small South American country to keep the USA safe."
More of the hard ones are lost.
and the soft ones, are afraid to live, or don't know how. The census, last taken, concluded that a lot of them go into television journalism. That the, most soft, go into talking about the weather. Meteorologist.
I waited at the light and got the green arrow to turn right, it turned, and I pedal my way across the Falls Bridge. A big black Cadillac SUV did not give me any way, and up into the ice berm I was pushed. I rolled on and I sat up and gave a Finger.
It waited for me on the other end of it.
"Asshole" he said.
"what the fuck, you want to die? you give me the finger?" He looked into my eyes.
"Fuck you" He said to me. and he was off.
Au contraire mon fraire.
Patti Smith - "Summer Cannibal"
The other day, I road out in the 34 degree rain. I don't know why but I stayed warmed. I headed home lucky not to go down on ice.
When I ride, I, am the king of the world.
I don't want to die. I do want to give you the finger. I shall in the future totally abstain, refrain, and concentrate on spinning my pedals, enjoying the air, sky, life.
Really I want to ride like a Summer Cannibal.
"the street beneath my feet descending into hell" patti smith
We have 5 cats, and once in a while they get a bird. Its a bummer. I found this little guy on the floor in our bedroom. Held him a bit. and took some pictures of him.
I got out, and just went. Walking. Its deep snow here. I trudge along with a light strong step.
I went to see if the beer was still stashed in the crypt in the graveyard.
To take pictures of Manayunk from up on this side of the river.
I walked for 2 1/2 hours.
It was nice to have enough, the trudging, to keep my mind full.
I've drank two cans of beer. So I've got 22 left.
the pinhole lens.
(w/ a bit of dirt)
I'm going to stick with two things. The pinhole. and the wide. I like big depth of field.
I keep getting on the single speed cyclocross bicycle.
Its cold out, and I just ride around my neighborhood. Up and down the hills.
and head home after a bit. An hour and a half.
My mood is high. Very good.
We lost power for a night. Heated the house with the fireplace.
I read by the light of a battery powered LED, I have for work.
If we had a small put put to run a bit of electric, I think we'd been fine for a long while.
I guess this cold, snow, bad riding roads, it don't have me down.
I look at the blue calm sky.
I pedal along, bundled up.
and I've found that the cheap ski gloves I bought at a discount store are far better at keeping my fingers warm, than any real sports glove I've spent my money on.
there is a small decayed staircase hidden on the right. I've found these bridges to be attractive, photogenic, but have not found the angle to shoot from. or time of day, or what day of the year.
The snow its all covering a suckling incitement. What do you think? 10 days to some nicer weather?
To be stupid pedaling along, nodded off back in, suckling along.
today I had to be out driving my car around.
It's not as good, to look, and drive.
As of reading Rockwell Kent, and Maynard Dixon, I'm drawing to the fixation of the grand open view.
When I think, the images in my head, they are now big open foreground.
A bit unconventional for a city. To find place to shoot such pictures, but that's what I seek.
open vista views, are empty parking lots to the large box stores. or razed homes, maybe the view across a river.
I'm buying more frames.
and I've put up Kevin Morby's postcard art in my closet.
You could live your life clipping cool things, looks, quotes, beers
but in the end you have to make it yours,
frame it.
and hang it on the wall.
That's Art.
I turned after Coltrane's house visit. and road up to the statue that's between the drives in and out of the park.
It has a nice patina to it. Vandalized, not the statue itself, but the plaques, that were on each of the 4 sides of the base. It look to be a fountain maybe. The plaque that once held the important information, pried off,... sold, or trashed.
On the far base as I circled laid an open encyclopedia, to a page with a picture of an cornet, being played.
I saw this film sticking out, from deeper in the pages. Pulled it out, put it into my panino pocket of my winter thermal riding jacket.
Used it a bit as a book mark. Decided it was art. Framed it up. and soon to be put in a package and mailed to an old lost friend. Roch.
