What Next Caligula?

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On December 3rd former US Army Major Nidal Hasanis is scheduled to be executed by firing squad, by order of our make believe Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth and endorsed by who is now unmistakenly the worst person to occupy the White House in our Nation’s history. James Buchanan … Andrew Johnson … Herbert Hoover … Richard Nixon … no comparison … not even close.

If it proceeds as planned, the spectacle will be streamed live and available to anyone, including children. Yes, you read that right!

What’s next? Is the National Zoo going to be emptied of its lions, tigers and bears so they can be brought over to Nationals Park? Afterall, it won’t be used for much now that Nat’s season is over. Perfect place for gladiator events and execution of unwanted individuals. We’ve already had UFC cage matches on the White House lawn, so why not go all the way? There’s plenty of immigrant detainees being held in detention centers around the country.

We have a modern day Caligula running our country so anything’s possible.  The infamous Roman emperor was known for his extreme cruelty, erratic behavior, and tyrannical rule. Sounds familiar? Hmm, just this past week he made a Faustian deal with his bromance buddy Putin to buy Russian diesel fuel in order to try to lower US diesel prices prior to the midterm elections. This, because he can’t get out of the idiotic and illegal war he started with Iran. So much for a democratic Ukraine … we’ve abandoned it. This flies in the face of our sanctions, helps fund Putin’s war, while undermining NATO and our national security.  Besides, there’s money to be made and what’s a little corruption anyway? So what’s next? Options on prime beach front property in exchange for Taiwan’s security?

The list goes on and on. Here’s a highlight. His gutting and budget slashing of USAID with the assistance of his able ward Elon Musk is estimated to be responsible for the loss of as many as seven hundred thousand lives so far.

Pathetic creep.

His sycophants carry out his every wish, no matter the legality. His enablers in Congress look the other way. And the Supreme Court makes sure almost anything goes and has ensured that he won’t face criminal prosecution for any of his horrible acts.

So what to do? Election day is just over three weeks away. Who knows what shenanigans he and his followers will try to pull up to and after the polls close. Do not be deterred! VOTE!!!!!

Our lives, our democracy and much more we take for granted depend on it!!!!

Stay well,

Michael

A Bit About My Photograph … “Gorilla, Buffalo Zoo”

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Yet another photograph made early on at the Buffalo Zoo. Like the rest of my zoo pictures I think of them as environmental portraits, just like ones I have made of people in their homes or at work, etc. As previously before, I felt as though several of the subjects were looking at me as much as I was looking at them, their eyes penetrating right through me!

I feel that the pictures I made that day had a power to them that was and remains compelling to me. The subject aren’t people … in this case a gorilla … but it doesn’t matter to me. Maybe you have to be an animal lover as I am to think about them as you would people … and about the feelings they have. I’ve had five dogs in my life, each a true friend and companion.  Honestly, my life wouldn’t be the same without them. I’ve often felt better about them than many of the people I’ve known. So these pictures mean a lot to me and I visit them often.

As per previous entries, I used either my Nikkormat or Nikon F2 I finally was able to save up for.  The lens used was a Nikkor 50mm … either an f/2 or the f/1.4 I got with the F2.

These pictures were made over fifty years ago. And while my recollection of exactly what camera and lens I used is a bit fuzzy, my memories of that most important day are not!

Another meaningful picture that had a significant impact on much of the work to come.

Stay well,

Michael

Is Labor Day Weekend the End of Summer?

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Do you feel like the beginning of September is the end of summer, and do you stop making photographs then?  I’ll bet a lot of people do. What about when summer is officially over like it was last week? Do you stop making pictures unless you’re a leaf peeper into capturing the color of fall foliage? Yeah, I’ll bet a lot of people do.

I’ve actually been pretty busy making pictures in September and I expect to continue. And why not? Note to self … the Asbury Park Zombie Walk is next Saturday! It’s not like good picture making opportunities stop once the temperature drops below eighty degrees!

I actually have a number of things planned that will take me through the end of the year. And if they don’t work out at least I will be making a good faith effort. That of course will leave more time to decide what to print and getting it done. My backlog of negatives from the year has been growing so more darkroom time is coming.

Bottom line, enjoy the fall and the winter that will be coming soon enough. There’s a lot out there! Go get it!

Stay well,

Michael

Second Chances

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Hot on the heels of my recent Coney Island outing, I decided to head over to Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore before everything shut down after Labor Day. The Saturday was a picture perfect day so out I headed! I love Asbury Park, but like every beach town with a decent pulse, it now is changing. Old buildings being torn down, high rise condos going up.  I fear for all the murals along the boardwalk.  So I go a couple of times a year and enjoy it for what it is now and hope for the best.

Anyway it turned out to be a great day to photograph and I think I got some good ones. As per my usual, I start at one end of the boardwalk and walk all the way to the end. Then I turn around and walk all the way back. Great exercise and great for taking in some good scenes. I had to wait to almost to the very end to make what I thought might be one of the most interesting pictures of the day. Turned out to be the last frame on a roll of 120. So I sat down on one of the scattered benches, unloaded my film and started to head back towards the car. Only I saw the same scene from a different angle. Same people … but different.

By this time I’d been walking for several hours. I know a lot of folks would have packed it in. Too much of a pain to load another roll for one more picture that might not be there when you return.  Fortunately I don’t operate that way so back I went and I’m glad I did! A much better picture I think, but the proof sheet will tell the tale. And if it’s not I gave myself a second chance to do better.

After that I headed back, walking again down Fourth Avenue past the Asbury Lanes bowling alley. Funny thing, while walking by it the first time I didn’t see the picture, but this time I did! Another second chance!

Two in one day!  Not too bad.

Stay well,

Michael

Jay Maisel, 1931 – 2026

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Back to photography, but on a sadder note … this past week the great photographer and teacher Jay Maisel passed away at the age of 95. I first learned about him when I was a teenager reading the wonderful Life Photography Library series of books that I still own. He had an amazing career making countless memorable photographs like the one on the cover of Miles Davis’ seminal album Kind of Blue.  But perhaps more important, he lived life on his own terms. You can read about much of it in a great obit that appeared in the New York Times  … https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/arts/jay-maisel-dead.html

The story ends with a note about a 2018 documentary about made about him called Jay Myself. “Near the end of the film, Mr. Maisel said: “There’s a quiz I give people. Do you like photographing or do you like photographs? Choose one. And you learn a lot about yourself by choosing one or the other. Some people like photographs. I like photographing.” He added: “The act of photographing is what it’s all about.”

Thanks Jay, you were so right!

Stay well,

Michael

Big Potatoes and a Tiny Spud

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This past week El Jefe was asked about the status of the Iran war. He said it was really just “small potatoes”.  I was driving home from Buffalo when I heard the story on the radio and almost went off the road!

Maybe he had other things on his mind this week, like whether to bulldoze the Kennedy Center, getting the rubber stamp from the Supreme Court to go ahead with the ballroom, starting work illegally on the obnoxious arch, being the only living president to have his image a coin (gold and illegal of course), his childish behavior with Canada, working with the Postal Service and the Supreme Court to restrict mail-in voting, and other stupid stuff.

Eighteen American servicemembers killed (not to mention the thousands of innocent Iranian citizens who have died), billions of taxpayer dollars squandered and the adverse impact to our economy and national security.

No, this is BIG potatoes!

Small potatoes? Perhaps only in the mind of a small potato.

From now on I will think of him as Tiny Spud!

Ok, we’re in the home stretch to perhaps the most important midterm in US history. Make sure to vote well, and if at all possible to vote in person. If we all do that we can begin to turn this thing around!  And that will be BIG potatoes!

Stay well,

Michael

My Coney Island Experience

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I decided I would go up to Coney Island last Monday to photograph the beach, amusements and surroundings before things shut down after Labor Day. I got up early and arrived there before 9am. The lifeguards don’t show up until 10 and the amusement park opens at 11, so it was pretty quiet for a while.

I brought my Plaubel Makina 6 X 7 rangefinder which is a great travel camera when you’re taking the train and subway. It’s also perfect for this type of outing and I went through two rolls of film by the time I was done around noon.

I enjoy going to Coney Island to photograph, but also the experience of getting there and just hanging out, and this time was no different. Monday was chosen because the weather report looked promising after several days of rain.  Uncharacteristically the weathermen got it right and it turned out to be a great day to make pictures!

The sun was out and the sky was blue. I was happily walking around and when I strolled by a spot where there was a fountain built into the sand spraying mist in my path. Good time to put on the lens cap. From there I decided to check out the long stretch of boardwalk that extends out into the water. Perfect day for fishing too, so it was lined with people and their poles propped up against the guardrails waiting for something to happen. There were a good collection of people that morning so I decided to wait and see if something interesting might happen.

Soon enough a boy about 10 years old caught what had to be the smallest sea bass on record, not much bigger than size of the sinker attached to the end of his line. Nevertheless he was very proud and was willing along with his brothers and sisters to be memorialized with the trophy catch.  I happily made the picture and walked back to the main part of the boardwalk several minutes away, then looked at my camera and @#$@#$%^&@#$%!!

I left the lens cap on when I made the picture #@$%^&*@#$%^!

I hadn’t made a boneheaded mistake like that in years but chose to do it for probably the best picture of the day! Things like this bother me a lot and it took me a long time to walk it off. It’s funny … or sad … depending on how you look at it, but I still remember that image a week later. Oh well. Hopefully I won’t make that mistake again, but these kind of things can happen. You just have to push on. The good news is that I didn’t let that blunder ruin my day.  I got a few other good images elsewhere along the boardwalk, the beach and the amusement park, and despite my stupid mistake I had a wonderful time!

Every outing is an experience. And sometimes writing about it helps make it complete.

While I lost that photograph I will always have a fond memory of what I saw.

Stay well,

Michael

World Photography Day

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Thursday, August 19th was World Photography Day.  While I couldn’t go photographing, I did think about my photography a lot and the type of work I want to do for the remainder of the year and beyond. While I wasn’t out there this was important … and meaningful for me!

Being out there is always best, but it can’t always happen.  Thinking about what you want to do and making plans, with the notion that you actually are going to do it is the next best thing! Of course being in your darkroom is a pretty good thing too, but this wasn’t my day for that. Not only did I think about and start to make plans, but I also started do research for the continuation of project I started several years ago. I thought it was done, then I had a little epiphany in terms of making it more expansive and better for me.

When I think about projects or photographs I would love to make I often envision them in my head. When this happens I know I’m on to something and really get excited. Now I know it’s time to get moving!  I also thought about what camera(s) and format I would be using and even whether I might knock the cobwebs off my tripod and give it a spin!

Doing this sort of thing is all part of my living a photographic life!

All in all a very stimulating and productive World Photography Day!

So if you weren’t aware or forgot about World Photography Day, mark it on your calendar for next year. Make it a special day … and a part of your photographic life!

Stay well,

Michael