Last slides
I hadn’t given much thought to the last slides I shot. I knew I did not shoot film/slides after Dave’s high school graduation. Scanning does not have metadata. And my database… From my catalog, Dave, Eric and I were down the block on the west side near the Intrepid. Dave was mastering the skateboard. He never got good. But he could do a few tricks. I shot the last practice. It was the one and only. Last slides.
Looking back
Wow! I was another person. Different from today, better, it would be a hard call to make. But I did evolve. My photography has changed so much. I shot a lot of vertical slides – vertical image, upright vs horizontal. My horizontal preference is 99% now because it fits my computer screen without too much empty space on the side. Dumb! Composition is what it should be. Or not! My exposures and my focus were for the birds. Literally! What the…! I did have Nikon cameras and it did autofocus – not to very well and not very often. Available lighting kept me to one ISO and it was way too slow – the film. For the time I shot a lot of slide film. I did not shoot enough. And I did not get many memorable “keepers” at all. Who was i? What was I to become? Who did I become? At every point in time I was arrogant to believe I was perfect. I put myself in the best position with the best equipment. Little did I understand technique. Self taught, I regret that my kids were my grand experiment.
Looking back, I got some memories. I’d do it all differently now. No backs! Yeah. I been in the Louvre. Have you?
I spoke to Dave. His iPhone pics are in the cloud. … about 5000 critical keepers, about 100k images. He has traveled! And?! I have seen a small sample. Nice! Cloud? Not for me. I fear that the cloud could just disappear… poof, eh? sorry? I use redundant external hard drives…. that way they are lost forever in a fire or flood. Can you win? Today was a nostalgic look back to when the kids were little and I was not as smart. Perhaps i will never be…
Send money…
The bastards! They don’t tell you that you are out of memory on the website. You have to figure that out for yourself. I have exceeded upload memory and cannot post unless I pay more $ for more space. ….”we’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Done. Paid. Yearly subscription. Ego? Vanity? Whatever!?
Send money, Support the site, support my blog… kidding. After all it’s just me, Colleen, and the cats. We got food enough. So far. Ha ha! Yesterday was April fool’s. So truth today? Yup, you post, you pay. I quit…. I’m stopping… for today.
Another question
No, she is not on a cellphone call… Sarcophagus? Ok!? There was a room displaying the medieval art regarding sarcopaghus – sarcophoghi or sarcophaguses?
The question? Where did/how did the museum get them? Rob a cemetery? And where are the remains? Inside? Ok!? A lot more than one question….
So, the guide answered, somewhat bewildered and bit disdainfully – no remains! The sarcophagus was acquired when old families needed monies. Ok!? You’d sell out a relative? Anything is for sale at the right price?
I got a question
Question:
Most crucifixes show Jesus’ chest wound on his right side, which is opposite from the heart cavity. Do we know for certain where he was pierced, or is it a pious tradition that the spear entered his right side?
Answer:
John the Evangelist tells us that Jesus’ side was pierced (John 19:32–35) but does not say which side. Crucifixes are artistic renderings, not exact reproductions, so the depiction of Christ’s chest wound on the right side may be artistic symbolism. In Scripture, those on Jesus’ right are the ones to be saved (Matt. 25:32–33) and they are saved by the blood that he shed for them (Matt. 26:28).
There is much crucifixion art depicting a chest wound on the right side of the body. Ummm… the heart is on the left… But in this instance, there is no real info. But everyone has agreed the wound was on the right. Symbolic? Whatever! It was agreed and everyone does it that way. Did they want to kill him twice?
In the presence of greatness
Would you believe… I was in the room all by myself… with greatness. I mean there are millions of people in NYC. There was no one else but me in this magical moment.
The Hunt for the Unicorn – a famous series of tapestries in the Cloisters – were mine for a few precious moments. Go figure!
Iconic! The rest of the day the room was always full of admiring tourists. I have seen these tapestries elsewhere displayed on loan but never in the original location within the Cloisters. Amazing! Breathtaking, it was a wish come true for Colleen. What a day!
Two birds
It seemed a waste to drive to NYC in a round trip of more than 500 miles without getting more from the drive than a long ride in the car. So, we arranged to visit a museum Colleen has been wanting to visit. The Cloisters, recently affiliated with the Met (six years). It made it a lot less lonely than a solitary drive. She smiled the whole time we were inside the museum.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive? … bathroom.
Old friends
…Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be 70… Old Friends, Simon & Garfunkel
Andy is my high school buddy. Colleen? We met in the third grade and orbited together `for five years without truly knowing one another. But, I never forgot her. And, never will… Chicago, AANS national meeting. Ethiopian meal with the cousin. When did we lose our hair and get old and fat? Who’s fat!? American Gothic, Van Gogh’s bedroom? Classics! I have seen them?! I was in their presence?! Memories fade. Colleen still checks the weather constantly. Me? I forget to wear socks.
First last
I got a catalog. It has 500k images. That is a lot? I rate images and at least 133k have a 2 star rating or higher. The first and last are represented. It has been a journey. Quite the journey. Life changing?! I daresay there is much to come. It amazes me. I have been fortunate. Life has a way of moving in strange and mysterious ways. All true.
Right now I am in a good place. Best ever. It is like a dream you do not want to awake from. The beginning of this catalog was but a mere couple decades back.
Did I mention to you… “I love my wife.”
Download
I am old enough to remember developing film. I developed my own film in my own makeshift darkroom. No drug store for me. Usually it was long enough that I did not recall what or when the first frame/picture was taken. Ha ha!
Nowadays, I download images from my memory cards from four cameras. I am not daily nor even weekly sometimes. I just get around to the task and download to five redundant external hard drives. Yeah! I bet you don’t. mistakes happen 100% of the time. yes, capitalization?! I missed two days and forgot to download the memory card of those two days. I picked up the error eventually. I cringe at all the inaccuracy. I’m doing the best I can.
Christmas, New Year’s, it was not a long time between downloads…. A lot happened. Gnomes, carolers, groups, weather, oh my! Boring? Excitement? Day to day journalism.
Who’s it for? Me? Legacy? Family? Compulsive? Ha ha. I am justly detail oriented and keep a record. I do not trust that things last but am hoping this legacy will prove helpful to the grandchildren and beyond.
Quick
2019. Three years. It ain’t over. There are still statistics for deaths and hospitalizations. We are largely unmasked. Some places persist. Our vet. Our doctor. Halcyon Yarn store, Maine. Olsen House, Farnsworth Museum. Not much else. We are fortunate not to have had Covid though many family and friends have not been so lucky.
Over? Not so quick. Shots?! They worked for us so far. Colleen and I had the worst colds in years after our recent trip to ME and CA. Related? We cannot be sure. It took a long time to eat out again but we are not worried to much at the moment.
Quick? It took a few moments to find mask pictures in my catalog. Gee! I take a lot of pictures… most without masks.
Back up
Describe in a few words how you back up your photos –
Ha ha. Multiply redundant hard drives. I currently use five. Count ‘em, five! Hard drives fail. Cloud? Nope. It could go away tomorrow. It goes, you are outta luck. Database. Ya gotta keep a written record of where what is. Funny? Try Scotland, we were there when? Yes, you can search Scotland and find out “when” in a few seconds after typing in the key word. It’s not hard. It doesn’t take long. And I thank myself every day for keeping track of where my stuff is. And then, it still ain’t easy. Back your stuff up. All I did was search “copy a.” Look what I got!?
Getting around
We chase wildlife. Sheep, cows, it doesn’t much matter. We do fiber which starts with fleece and goes from there. I can now process a fleece to spun yarn. Actually, Colleen does it all. I help. But it is a fun thing. The family that works together…. Or, is it, the family that plays together…?
This year
It happened. Can it be? Covid – mask? Ukraine? Travel? Events? Forbidden?
Though many around us have been touched by covid – children, grandchildren, cousins and so forth….
We went to the museum to see the new exhibit. It’s on loan and traveling from Long Island. Photos forbidden. Oops! I already shot by the time Colleen pointed it out. Does this fall under street photography? It was illustrative that covid was still in our thoughts.
Taken at random the flower or the fish could have been anywhere. I needed the white gate to orient me. Aha! Winterthur – been there!
Random sunset. Or perhaps sunrise? It would depend on which side of the car windows I was shooting. Aha! Metadata?! 6:56PM.
Fine photography? No, nope, not hardly… but, fine by me.
Three star
I rate my pictures as I edit. Two stars – technically good, not outstanding, but a good shot. Three stars – a little bit better. I’m looking through three star edits. No worries. Good shots. Fun. Solid. Wow! They might make you smile. It’s not necessarily an easy shot to get. The smiles are real. I can admire my technical prowess sometimes. It’s like kids. Don’t you love them all? Equally?
With or without
I tinker. Don’t you? Picture? With or without moon? Person? (Colleen). Counterpoint?
I dunno. It ain’t a perfect world. Sometimes my subjects cooperate and can be moved about. Sometimes it’s just not that simple. And I suppose it is also a matter of preference. You can go both ways. Sure. But at some point you must choose. Or not.
CMCA – Discovery!
Center Maine Contemporary Art. Over at the Farnsworth a block away I saw the outdoor sculpture and inquired. “Nothing, just some gallery…” dismissively intoned the lady.
Oh! Damn! This was about as much fun as you have with your clothes on! I mean – a real discovery!
“Cheeky!” as the British might put it. Some things defy expectation. This was simply fun – then moving. The underground railroad, the slave trade were nothing to be amused about and the symbolism struck Colleen deeply.
The boat? Feathered. Sailing. Below were copper coin to represent the slave trade tearing people from native Africa. Moving!
A room of squirrels, trash hung from fishing line. I pondered how to tie the trash so accurately to the line in a geometric pattern….
Staid? The Farnsworth certainly has the “art.” Who knows? It takes all types of people… I was restrained by Colleen from collaring each person leaving the Farnsworth to tell them about this “Find!” merely a block away in plain sight.
Second chance
A lot about me is second chances. … a lot about us. Would you do it differently if given a second chance?
Colleen admired a painting and we sought a print. Nope! Nada! I’m not sure if a print was ever made?! A card, a tile, a puzzle, yup, all were for sale in the gift shop. A quest, an internet search, no avail.
Meanwhile we continue to have fun in the museum among the arts. Will I ever forgive my sister in law’s comment about our couth in appreciating museums? Ummm… I think not. I remain pleased with our creative inspiration among the paintings. Come to think of it… there is only one sister in law… oops, outed. Ok, ok, there are two. But (shhhh), we know of whom we speak.
Hunt
Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, Maine. 1976. Monhegan, Maine. There is a puzzle, a card, a book cover, but no print available. There was a book plate – sold out. Hmmm, the internet has everything; Amazon has everything. Has no one thought to make a print of this iconic painting. Is it iconic? Colleen loved it instantly. We actually saw it! Live and in person – in the museum. Um, special? Well, it is. You see art. You want a copy/print – to hang at home. It does not seem to have ever been done. That is different, at least for me? Find it? Nope. I am not accustomed to failure. In this whole wide world there is always something. We went down to Port Clyde. There is a gallery devoted to Wyeth work. Alas!
Matching
On occasion we wear matching clothes. It’s not intentional. For a while I would see matching Japanese tourists in NY. They wore the same T-shirts or whatever. It was oddly curious to see.
As you can readily see I can go both ways. It’s a joke not a gender insult or confusion. Otherwise, our museum antics would be considered schizophrenic. And hats? Why, of course!
Wicked
Wicked good. They say that in Maine. (It was where I first heard the term Tea Party in modern parlance too.) Meaning: it’s very (wicked) good. Great!
Museums inspire me to create. Huh? Why? It’s a story that goes back a few years. It was inspired by a know it all relative who tried to impress me with her erudition. Tried. It did not take. Long story short, I am inspired to spoof her in the museums we go. No harm. She will never know. Besides, she has no sense of humor. (And she doesn’t read this blog.)
Needless to say there are only so many poses. We do what we can to keep up appearances. Sometimes you win. If it makes you smile…. Oh! By the way… Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses….
One day
It depends on how you say it and where you put emphasis on the words. There are multiple meanings. Jane responded she liked the triplets. ?? dunno? Meanwhile, how much fun can you pack into one day?
We took the slow road up US 9 to get. Sometimes, it is about the journey and the scenery. One mansion and gardens, one farmer’s market, one museum, and dinner! Wonderful! Behind every great man is a woman – a great one! That’s what the tour guide said. Antics? Triplets?? Whatever! It doesn’t have to be good. It just has to be fun! And, so it was! Priceless!
Scheduled? No. Unplanned? We had a loose framework – tickets to Nemours and a dinner reservation at either end. In between we made up our own adventures. I love it when a plan works! I changed into khakis for dinner. You cannot see I am without shorts at dinner. Neat trick! Still, no socks.
Antics? Triplets? Photoshop for better or not gets us to an old trick which is amusing or not. Sometimes good and others not so. I just go with it. It fools some and not others. There was never any pretension of skill, only fun.
Sorry, I’m standing…
We go to museums. We have fun. The opportunity presents. I take advantage. We get something a little different. If this inspires you…. I don’t bother strangers. We pose one at a time and then the composite is done in post processing. Ok?! If not, sorry. It ain’t perfect. Does it matter? Too many questions. I smile each time I post these to the family. Some in the family may question my sanity. Since my head injury, I have not been in my right head. But, then again, I been doin’ this longer than that.
Disclaimer: No sisters were harmed in the making of these images.
Note: Rauschenberg did White panels in 1951, MOMA, worth $15 million in 2014. White paint on panels, imagine that!!?? He did black panels too. Whoa! Genius! The Emperor’s New Clothes, Hans Christian Andersen. I had to look it up….
Not just another day
Great sense of humor, laughs a lot, makes me smile, makes me laugh – I’m so lucky! Birthday wishes will come from many, far and wide, family and friends. I feel so fortunate to be able to hug you close and wish you one more happy day! … and, I try to be irreverent in each and every museum we visit. Need I remind you? We met and were even photographed in the third grade. Imagine that! They had photographs back then – black and white!
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