30-JUN-2008
Spain 1, Germany 0
I rarely watch sports on television, but today (Sunday) I did. I just happened to turn on the set during the first half of the European Soccer Finals and realized so many of my online photographer friends would be watching, especially Paco Lopez in Madrid and Guenter Eh in Frankfort. It made me feel even more connected to my buddies around the world so I stayed with it. Well, even for a non-fan this game was amazing!!! What incredible athletes! And I must say, after young Fernando Torres got Spain's goal, I found myself pulling for them to win. After all, Spain hadn't won the finals since 1964. It was definitely their turn. And they did it! When the cameras went to Madrid after the game ended it was like the whole city was going crazy! And I'm sure my buddy Paco was adding to the celebration!!! CONGRATULATIONS to all my friends in Spain! And condolences to Guenter and my buddies in Germany.
28-JUN-2008
the hands of an artist
I met Mr. Freeman on my first visit to the Hannan House art class, but we didn't really talk until last week. Today (Friday) we continued our conversation.
Until his Cambridge, Massachusetts home and studio burned to the ground in February 2008, Mr. Freeman, aged 92, was still working at his profession as a master craftsman. His area of expertise was restoring porcelain figurines. Apparently, the Royal Doulton company and other porcelain makers would recommend Mr. Freeman to their customers so he never had to advertise. People would come to him from all over the country asking him to repair their valuable figurines. He was highly respected in the field and his work appears in a number of books and magazines.
On the day of the fire, Mr. Freeman escaped with his life and nothing else, not even one photo of his beloved wife who had died a few years earlier. Soon after the fire, Mr. Freeman came to Detroit to live with his daughter. Until he enrolled in the art class at Hannan House, he knew no one except his daughter here in Detroit. All his friends--and I gather there are many--are back east. Yet, there is not a trace of self pity in the man.
Today I learned that Mr. Freeman is also a musician. He started on the violin at a young age and later moved to the viola. He has played in numerous community orchestras. To make enough money to leave his native St. Louis, the young Mr. Freeman played mandolin in a band that would play 3-4 gigs a night where they'd pass a hat for donations. This was in the 1930s.
Each story I hear makes me more grateful that I started this project. These people are our national treasures and we must preserve their stories for future generations. I am committed to being part of this work.
27-JUN-2008
our intergenerational connection
At Hannan House today (Thursday) there was a special program called "What's In Your Attic?" It was co-sponsored by WDET-FM, Detroit's NPR station, and included youth from Covenant House (pictured here), students from Wayne State University and volunteers from the community. Each elder was to bring an artifact that held meaning to them and that had a story attached to it. This was all about oral histories. The youth and students interviewed elders and these interviews were recorded by WDET sound technicians. It was all quite professional and very interesting. For me, the timing couldn't have been better. As you know if you're a regular visitor, I'm planning to informally record the elders' stories myself just as soon as my digital recorder arrives.
By the way, these kids were great! They really got into the interviewing process and the staff fellow with them said they'd very much like to be involved in other projects at Hannan House. It's a natural connection. These youngsters are at Covenant House either because they are at risk and/or homeless. What better place for them to find loving "grandparents" than here at Hannan House?!! And I can already see the life and energy they'd bring to us. Another great idea by my old friend Pat Baldwin, the Program Director at Hannan House!
26-JUN-2008
Mary K. shares her great grandmother's story
Composite image created using my portrait of Mary K. Jones with a background image found on AmericanSlavery.com
The digital voice recorder I ordered had better come soon! Every time I sit down with any of the elders at Hannan House, their stories just flow. Today it was Dr. Mary K. Jones. Mary K. is a most interesting woman. She has a doctorate in physics and taught for decades. During that time she even spent a year teaching in the Soviet Union. But now that Mary K. is retired, she enjoys participating in simple things like gardening and the aerobics classes at Hannan House.
Today Mary K. told me about her great grandmother who had been a slave. Mary K. used to spend her summers on her great grandmother's farm on the shores of the Mississippi River in Arkansas. This land was originally the "40 acres and a mule" that was given to freed slaves after the Emancipation. Mary K.'s great grandmother and father had walked all the way from North Carolina to claim this land. Apparently her great-grandmother was very proud of the fact that her husband could read. He'd been what was called a "house slave" and would listen in when the tutor taught the young master. "My great grandmother loved to tell stories of her years as a slave." When I asked if she had expressed any bitterness, Mary K. smiled and said, "On the contrary, she made me wish I'd lived then!"
As Eddie reminded me when I told him this story, I am privileged to be spending time with the last generation to have direct ties with persons who had been slaves in our country. You know, I'm beginning to suspect the stories I'll be recording may well be the real treasure of this project. Yes, the photos will have value--especially after these amazing elders have passed--but it is their stories that will live on forever.
25-JUN-2008
sharing a breakfast giggle
I finally figured out that Eddie feels much perkier at breakfast than at dinner--the pain wears him down late in the day--so the past few mornings I've come downstairs to join him as he eats his corn flakes or oatmeal. It sure is sweet to hear him laugh again. Poor guy. He's been a good sport but this has not been easy. He had his six-week check-up with the internist today (Tuesday) and they've scheduled him for an MRI next Monday. Ed thinks it's an inflamed nerve. We'll see if he's right.
24-JUN-2008
morning at the Dorseys
What I'm finding in working on this new series is the need to become aware of moments and situations that are so ordinary it's hard to see them. Like Ed and me reading in the living room. Since his pain condition came on, Ed can no longer sit in his usual chair, but has to sit in straight-back chairs instead. Perhaps it was this slight change that helped me see this photographic possibility this morning (Monday). I am grateful to whatever opened my eyes, for I like this photo very much.
23-JUN-2008
Time to wake up, Patricia!
I'm working hard on my self portrait "assignment" from David Alan Harvey and this is one of many new photos I've taken since Thursday. I even have a tentative title for the book of photographs he's encouraging me to work towards: "Waist-high to a Grasshopper." It is an adaptation of "knee-high to a grasshopper," a favorite expression of my southern mother's that referred to a small child. Well, I'm no longer a child but, sitting in my scooter, I am still small. Not knee-high but certainly waist-high.
I'm finding this theme--my world view as a woman with a disability--seems to fit where I am in my growth right now. It's taken me awhile--20 years!--but I'm finally ready to spend time with this subject. For too long I just wanted to ignore it and get on with my life. I now think I can explore it without sentimentality or weirdness. At least that's what I hope. After all, it's a world view like anyone's, unique in some ways and universal in others. Hope my viewers can get past the pity that our culture encourages. There's nothing to pity. Life is life is life.
21-JUN-2008
94 year-old Velma pulls weeds
Oh my. I think I've died and gone to heaven. The privilege of taking photos of these amazing elders is giving me continuous goose flesh. I was shooting at Hannan House for five hours on Wednesday and five hours today (Friday). So far I've taken pics of the gardeners, aerobics class, art class and an artist lecturing to the Quality of Life group in the art gallery, not to mention candids around and about. Only one person has responded negatively to my project and I suspect she has a mental condition. Everyone else has been open, welcoming, friendly, interested and encouraging. So far I've downloaded over 320 images. And today the curator of the art gallery--and an excellent gallery it is!--asked if I'd like to have a one-person show of my Hannan House photos there next March. Of course I said yes.
Could a photographer's life be any better than this???
20-JUN-2008
horse of a different color
This is a self portrait I took to enter David Alan Harvey's SP "contest" on his
"Road Trips" blog. This blog has become very important to me both as a photographer and as a citizen of the world. It's quite interactive--400 comments for each thread is not unusual--and like PBase, the participants are photographers from around the world. What I'm finding most stimulating is the opportunity to discuss an incredible variety of issues/ideas relating to all things photographic. I'm also consistently blown away by the quality of photographic essays these folks create. Most of them are photojournalists and many are professionals.
And what can one say about
David Alan Harvey, or DAH as he's often called? The man is not only a superb photographer--belongs to Magnum, four photo books published, work seen in National Geographic, NY Times, etc.--but he is a committed mentor to what he calls "emerging photographers." Last year he set up an Emerging Photographers Fund that in 2007 awarded $5000 to Sean Gallagher for his "Desertification of China" photo essay, and in 2008 will be awarding significantly more money to deserving photographers. David gives workshops around the world as well as mentoring countless photographers online. I am honored that he has taken me on and just today posted a comment responding to my
"From the Inside" gallery of photos. In it he said,
"ok, my dear, you can do and should do a book....
you are a long way from being finished or maybe even from being "started", but you have all of the "tools" and "grist" for creating a body of work that will sing sing sing....
it was interesting to me how the picture you submitted as a "self portrait" was quite different from all of your other self portraits in the form of "daily life"...hmmmmm...well, no matter....you are "on to something"..
your big decision and question is this: do you want to have yourself in every picture or do you wrap in the "view from here" as part of the narrative??....
in other words, do you need your specific circumstances in every picture?? for example, in a book layout, it could be really provocative for the viewer to go on for a long time not even realizing your "special place" on this planet...
the sequencing, title, and overall feel will be so important..i would not make an attempt at editing just yet....not important now....
this is something that will require lots of thinking...in any case, surely your book will be a continuous self portrait overall, but you might want to think how you would see "out" and "in" simultaneous....
at some point we will need to meet...i cannot do online what i can do with you in person...do you live in Santa Fe?? for some reason that, or somewhere southwest, sticks in my head... but wherever you are, perhaps i can stop by on my cross country sojourn this summer.....
now, i think you should do whatever you may want to do for your book as an assignment here....a good way to begin....try things...reject things....push push and push....i know you have faced many challenges...this will be another, but totally symbiotic with your life....
ready to go to work???
Well, what do YOU think??? Of course I'm ready to go to work. As you know, I never stop working, but this will be different. This time I'm thinking BIG. And this time I have an experienced mentor to walk with me, give me a kick in the pants when necessary, keep a close eye on what I'm producing, how I think about it, how everything fits together, the editing/selecting/sequencing of the project.
Oh my gawd, I am too excited for words!!! I can't believe this is happening. It is beyond my wildest dreams. But it feels right. Somehow it feels right.
And don't worry. I plan to stay here on PBase. Can't leave you dear people! And I'll be continuing my Hannan House "Elders In Action" project too. I am committed to that! But I am going to be one busy woman, so please forgive me if I don't respond to your kind comments, visit your galleries, or remain faithful to my daily PaD. Yes, my life has just gone to a new level and things are going to be different indeed.
18-JUN-2008
Eddie after dinner
I love low light. Somehow it imparts an air of mystery to the most ordinary scenes. One of the things I love best about my Canon 40D is its ability to get pretty good resolution in low light situations. When I bought this camera last October I also bought the Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 lens. I have rarely used any other lens since then. So what's YOUR favorite lens? And how do you feel about low light conditions?
17-JUN-2008
off to the park
I've just posted fourteen new images to what I originally called "My Morning Toilette" gallery. I have now renamed it "From the Inside." That refers to my commitment to showing from the inside my life as a disabled woman.
CLICK HERE to view this gallery.
I'd like to thank all of you wonderful people who sent me birthday greetings. This is such a loving community, one to which I feel privileged to belong. My day was made very special by you. I also need to offer yet another apology for my negligence in viewing your recent images. My only excuse is that I am again obsessed with my latest series of photos. The work I'm doing to try to show my view of life from the inside of disability is something I've wanted/needed to take on for a long time. And finally I have the tools to do so. Please bear with me.
16-JUN-2008
looking into the future
Today (June 16) is my 66th b'day. I'm feeling very good about the coming year. New things are in the air...