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...
15-JUN-2008
Hellaine & her father, Mr. Bell
On Friday Hellaine Bell brought this framed photo of her father to the Quality of Life group meeting at Hannan House Senior Learning Center. She said the original was in very bad condition but she'd taken it to Walgreen's drugstore and they had restored it beautifully. I asked her when and where her father had been born. She said he was born in Georgia and she thinks it was in 1898. "We never know for sure," she went on to say, referring to how persons whose ancestors were slaves often lose their family history. The things I take for granted.
Happy Fathers Day to those of you who are fathers!
14-JUN-2008
my new friends
Today (Friday) was my first day at Hannan House, the Senior Learning Center where I will be starting a photographic essay I'm tentatively calling "Elders In Action." I was introduced at the weekly Quality of Life group meeting and received a warm welcome from all the participants at the table! Bertha, Mae and Laura are in the front row from left to right, and Hellaine, Thelma, Ronnie and Velma are standing behind them. By the way, Velma is 94 and still gardens and paints in acrylics! She is a dynamo...as are the other women too. Such life, energy and optimism! I love them already!!!
13-JUN-2008
another slant on the subject
Many wonderful comments about my most recent gallery,
"my morning toilette." Deep gratitude to all who have taken the time to view it. I'm taking in all that people are saying and filtering it through my lived experience. As you can imagine, this is a very personal subject, one I'm struggling to express photographically. For some, my efforts seem to be successful; for others, not. I'm not sure what I think of it myself. As I said yesterday, it is very much a work in progress.
This morning (Thursday) I took more photos and posted five of them. I also deleted one that I'd posted yesterday.
CLICK HERE to see the updated gallery.
The image I've posted here does not appear in that or any gallery--it is an experiment I created in response to a comment I received by Anna B., an exceptional photographer I've met on David Alan Harvey's
"Road Trips" blog. This is what she wrote:
"The work you've posted gives me a glimpse of what you SEE when you emerge into the world each morning. It's very literal and a bit too obvious for my taste. That said, I would love to see more of YOU and your "embodiment" (your word) in this project. I don't feel like I'm accessing YOUR heart, YOUR body, YOUR struggle. I want to know what it's like to be YOU. Not you pre 46... you NOW. I feel as though images of your scooter are a constant barrier, tertiary to the real meat and potatoes, camouflage.
As far as I know, you are the only one in our group who can tell THIS story -- you're truly an INSIDER. What is it really like?
Anna B."
When I sat with her words I realized several things:
1) my scooter and I are one. We cannot be separated. She is my legs, my feet, my everything. Without her I would not be who I am nor would I be doing what I do. So when I photograph my scooter it is as much of a self portrait as if I were photographing myself.
2) Anna's right. I'm not sharing my deepest feelings in this series, at least as I originally posted it. So what DOES it feel like to exist in a world where you cannot walk, where you're always at risk of falling, where your hands can do few of the tasks expected of them. For me it means I see the world as a dangerous place, not in terms of threats from other people, but as a place where I can never be sure of myself, never count on my safety, never really relax. When I write that it surprises me, yet I know it's true. The image I've posted here reflects that reality. It speaks of my anxiety about transferring safely from my bed into the seat of my scooter. It was that transfer that landed me on the floor at 3 a.m. a couple weeks back and necessitated my calling 911 for help getting up. I want that scooter seat to look just this large and welcoming in real life.
3) But the truth is I'm at a loss as to how to express what I really feel about living like this. That's why I've put off addressing it until now.
So how does all this sit with you? Does today's image look like a gimmick, a trick, a photoshop ploy? Or does something in it ring true? Please give me your honest opinions. As you can tell, I'm struggling here. I sure could use your help. So what do you think?
12-JUN-2008
from my new gallery, "my morning toilette"
CLICK HERE to see my new gallery, "my morning toilette," in which this image appears.
I've tried several times to offer a glimpse into what life is like for a person with a disability. It's not an easy subject. First of all, there's the danger that any photos showing a less than able body will elicit feelings of pity in the viewer, and pity is the last thing I want from anyone. Secondly, there's a special challenge in tackling this issue if you're the subject and self portraits are called for. What do you choose to show and how do you manage to do it? Your point of view is not only a physical/emotional/spiritual consideration but a technical one as well.
This time I chose to focus on the morning tasks I perform to prepare for my day. Simple things like getting out of bed, using the toilet and taking a shower, getting dressed and going downstairs. Things everyone does; maybe I just do them a little differently. By the way, this series, like my life, is very much a work in progress and I'd be most interested in hearing your feedback. Constructive criticism is most welcome. Again, you can
CLICK HERE to access the gallery. I thank you ahead of time for your time and comments.
11-JUN-2008
playing for graduation
Today (Tuesday) was graduation day for the fifth graders. It was also my last day at the school where I've volunteered in the art classes for the past seven years. On Friday I'll be introduced to the seniors at Hannan House, the Senior Learning Center where I intend to work on a new photographic essay. Endings and beginnings. Both good and necessary, and each with its particular challenges. Today it was feelings of sadness that washed over me as I looked at these children I've loved so dearly. But it's time to move on; I know that's true. It's still hard.
When Susan Briggs, the art teacher with whom I've worked all these years, announced my retirement from the stage, I could hear something like a collective groan from the fourth graders in the balcony. She then held up a plaque she'd created using a shingle from the school's roof. On it she'd printed, "2001-2008, Miss Patricia, Maples Elementary School." There was also a small book full of signatures and notes from the students with whom I've worked every Thursday this year.
CLICK HERE to see a photo of Susan and me that was taken by the physical education teacher, Kathy Barker, immediately after graduation. In it I'm holding up the plaque.
10-JUN-2008
like a poppy in the sun
As many of you know I'm one of those PBasers--and there are lots of us--who are ALWAYS out there shooting, and if we're not out there we're sitting at our computers editing, and if we're not sitting at our computers we're thinking or reading about photography. Some call it an obsession; others wish they had the time to do the same.
I have no hidden agenda with my photography. I don't do this for any reason other than it's the only way I CAN do it. It's just who I am. I have no illusions about becoming a "well known" photographer. All I want is to keep growing, keep pushing the envelope, keep thinking outside the box, keep honing my skills and listening to my Intuition, and keep working at becoming the very best that I can be.
So it surprised me to hear from a respected editor of a respected photography mag that he loves my work. Not only loves it, but GETS it! That's what I learned today during a lengthy telephone interview with Brooks Jensen of
LensWork. Having them accept my unsolicited
Dualities portfolio for publication on Lenswork's July/August Extended DVD was enough of a kick, but to hear what Brooks had to say about the work, the idea behind it, the execution...well, I'm left breathless. Just knowing how highly he respects my work is enough to give my confidence a much-needed boost.
So now I'm anxious to keep going, growing and learning. In connection with that I've signed up to take a weekend workshop with
Mary Ellen Mark at The Center for Photography at Woodstock (NY) in early August. Now THAT should be an experience!!! One that I'm sure will give me much to ponder and assimilate, as well as a great big kick in the pants!! But now I feel ready to receive her critique without losing confidence in myself as a photographer. That's the gift Brooks Jensen gave me today, and it's the gift I've received from so many of you here on PBase. It was your encouraging comments about my Dualities series that gave me the nerve to submit them to LensWork in the first place. Wherever would I be without you? Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
09-JUN-2008
the relational moment
For Henri Cartier-Bresson it was the decisive moment; for me it is the relational moment. As I took photos on Sunday at the Detroit Festival of the Arts, I realized what I was after was the moment when people--or in this case, creatures--connected. That split second when energy or heart or humor passed between them. For me, this means clicking, clicking, clicking...and hoping for the best. Thank god for digital cameras!
08-JUN-2008
watching Hillary Clinton bow out
We may have been at an all-day singing workshop on Saturday but that didn't keep some of our women from watching Hillary Clinton's speech live on an iPhone during lunch. For many of these women, Hillary's historic bid to be the next President of the United States came as a direct result of their decades-long struggle for women's rights. In our midst were some of the grandmothers of the women's movement both in Windsor, Ontario and in Michigan. Whether or not we supported Hillary Clinton politically--some did and some didn't--we were all gratified to see a woman come this close to getting the Democratic Presidential nomination. And now we are united in our commitment to seeing Barack Obama become the next President of the United States of America!
07-JUN-2008
Norma Luccock, composer & song director
This weekend is very special for my singing community, the Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin. We've brought one of our favorite composers/song directors, Norma Luccock, into town from Vancouver, British Columbia. Our weekend started tonight (Friday) at the Ojibway Nature Centre in Windsor, Ontario where Norma led us in song for two hours. Tomorrow (Saturday) we'll have the entire day with her at a church in the metro Detroit area.
I think this candid shot gives a pretty good sense of the energy and inspiration Norma brings to her music and to her work as a director. When I took it she was leading us in her song, "Peril and Promise," the lyrics of which are based on
The Earth Charter.
And now I must go to bed. My alarm is set for 6:45 a.m. and it is going to go off all too soon!
06-JUN-2008
Susan Briggs, art teacher extraordinaire
Once a week since October 2001 Susan Briggs has welcomed me into her art classes at a K-5 school in Dearborn, Michigan. From Susan I have learned how creative and inspired youth art classes can be. I have seen children encouraged to tap into their imaginations and work with a professionalism I would have thought impossible for their age. Of course not all of them took advantage of this opportunity, but enough did to help me see what is possible.
After having taught art to adults in a community center, I know how many of us carry wounds from childhood art teachers who made us feel we didn't do it "right," whatever that is. I don't believe any of Susan's students will carry such wounds into adulthood. In Susan's classes students learn that "right" is more about process than product. She is all about effort and attention rather than perfection. Originality always takes precedence over set ways of doing things. What lucky children to have such a start! And how fortunate I've been to learn from Susan as well.
Today (Thursday) was my last day of classes with Susan and these children I love so much. Next week I'll be starting my work with the elders at Hannan House, a Senior Learning Center in Detroit. The director and social work staff have accepted my proposal to take photographs of the participants in their classes. I'm anticipating these photos will become a new portfolio of work. I am very excited about this opportunity, but it's still hard to say goodbye to Susan and the children. Ah, transitions...
05-JUN-2008
a boogie woogie morning
One sign that my sweetie is feeling better is when he plays the piano, especially boogie woogie. So when I heard him playing this morning, I knew he was in a good space. And I was right. He'd slept well for the first time in awhile, and had gotten up on the right side of the bed, if you know what I mean. To give you an idea of what kind of man I'm married to, here he is still walking with a walker, still dealing with pain, still going to physical therapy three days a week, and yet he went to visit one friend at the hospital yesterday and another at a nursing home today. A true prince of a man.
04-JUN-2008
our neighbor Nancy
So many people enter our lives. Some become permanent fixtures, some stay with us for awhile, and others just pass through. But what about those we see every day but know little about. Our neighbor Nancy fits into that category. She and her sister moved into the house behind ours probably about fifteen or twenty years ago, yet I know so little about them. All I know is that Nancy is a widow, a former teacher, a caring sister and a woman who loves to garden. I see her out my back window--where my laptop is located--every day that the weather allows. She always wears a hat and often has a rake, a hoe, pruning shears, a watering can, or a shovel in her hands. I suspect this activity has given her special pleasure since her sister has been ill with Parkinson's. When I stopped to talk to her yesterday, Nancy said that her sister had moved into a nursing home in April. There is now such sadness in her eyes.
03-JUN-2008
waiting for a bus
I was scooting from the post office to the bookstore when I saw this lovely young woman waiting for a bus. I've learned to just ask if people are OK with my taking pictures of them. I mean, the worst they can say is no. But, happily, Lamia said yes. Not only did I get some shots I liked but I was able to see how the bus handles scooters. The answer is very well indeed. That's a comfort to know.
My task today was to choose and prepare entries for
B&W Magazine's 2009 Single Image Contest. The CD had to be postmarked by June 2 (today) so I was down at the post office at 5 p.m. putting it in the mail. It's a cool contest because the winners' photos will be published in a 244-page Special Edition of the magazine next February. Sure would love to be part of that. Let's hold the thought...
01-JUN-2008
taking a flying leap
Saturday was a gorgeous day here in Detroit, warm, sunny and windy. So what did I do? Spent much of it in front of the computer. Silly me. But at least I went for an after-dinner scoot down to our lakefront park. That's where I saw these boys playing on the beach. I do love summer and it hasn't even begun yet. I'm like a kid--I want it to last forever! So what's your favorite season?
