Well we made it. And not a moment to soon! I was a little bit nervous that morning. I still wasn’t over the rampage that took place at the capitol building, and to be honest it may take a long time.  Early on in my career I spent two years working there on the Senate side. I spent a lot of time in all the buildings that make up the campus. I knew them all along with the tunnels, and many of the special places and hidden nooks. It was a better time on the Hill then. Democrats and Republicans disagreed but they worked together when it mattered. Members of both parties got along and didn’t view each other as the enemy. Staffers had lunch together, played softball for the fun of it and hung out at bars. In many ways it was a better time.

I was worried that there would be some type of violent activity in or around Washington, DC, and at state capitols. Thankfully that didn’t happen. Instead there was a peaceful transfer of power, though for some that may take a while to get over.

I wasn’t at the inauguration, but felt very much a part of it.  And so it was important for me to memorialize the event by capturing the feelings I experienced as I watched it. I was happy, relieved, yet deeply concerned about the incredible challenges facing all of us as we begin to move beyond this very dark time. Now we’ve made a start and I am hopeful for our future.

Stay safe,

Michael

Think about the thought process you use when you make a photograph. In my case sometimes it will be representative or relational to something that is happening around me or something to be memorialized. It may be a part of a thematic project, or it could just be a spontaneous capture of something that captures my eye on the street. Here’s something. Can your photographs hold a longer and deeper meaning for you, so that you will come back to them over and over again to consider not only what you were thinking about when you made them and the experiences of the day on which they were made, but what more they can say to you on other levels or about other things that matter to you as time goes by? Finally, can they inspire and perhaps change you for your work to come?

This week I will be thinking mostly about the peaceful and thankful transition of power to Joe Biden. As I write this I am filled with apprehension about what will happen leading up to and surrounding this historic event, not only in our nation’s capital, but also in state capitals and other places across the United States. I also have considerable fears about the open hate, extremism, and potential for violence that is likely to be with us for sometime to come. But I also have a sense of optimism. The raging virus can be cured and what else afflicts America can be repaired in great part, because I believe that most Americans are so much better than what we have seen in recent days.

I have a picture I made several years ago on Flag Day. It had meaning for me then and it has even more meaning for me now. In Bucks County, not far from where I live, the Delaware Valley Vietnam Veterans organization holds its annual Flag Day Veteran’s remembrance event at one of the many Bucks County community parks. What makes this annual event unique and amazing is that volunteers plant nearly 65,000 small American flags, as well as 5,000 small black flags in the park ground commemorating Americans that gave their lives during Vietnam or other conflicts, or are missing in action, yet to be recovered – all placed in the shape of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. I went there that day, saw all the flags, listened to the heartfelt speeches by veterans and local officials and spoke with those celebrating the event. I will always remember that fine day; what it meant for my photography and my life by being a part of it.

As this week unfolds, as the Inauguration takes place and the days follow it, I will look at the picture I made and continue to think about it from time to time – because it had meaning for me then and so much more now.  I will think about those that who have fought and died for our country, those that believe in the promise of America, the challenges we face, and what America can be truly become if we all work hard to make it happen.

Stay safe,

Michael

I thought I had seen it all in my lifetime, from the assignations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, to the Viet Nam war and the Kent State shootings, Watergate, 911, and the last decade of police atrocities against black Americans. I traveled the world in service to my country, to places like the Soviet Union and China where democracy did not exist, but nothing prepared me for the shameful acts that played out before our nation on live television on January 6^th.  It was the inevitable conclusion of the last five years since Donald Trump declared his candidacy for the White House.  In the end our democracy remained intact as law and order was restored and Congress came back in session to certify the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

It will take a long time to get over this.  But be thankful for the good that America is and what we have. Work to nurture it back to health. Help to repair what needs to be fixed. Photograph it. 

Stay safe and stay vigilant,

Michael

Well, gosh damn, it’s 2021 and most of us made it across the finish line. I say this because nearly 350,000 Americans lost their loves during 2020 … many unnecessarily. It didn’t have to be this way. It really didn’t. For those of you who lost a loved one or friend, you have my greatest sympathy.

Yes there was a hoax in 2020, but it wasn’t the pandemic or collusion, or all the so-called fake news put out by the mainstream news media. No, it was the cruel joke perpetrated upon those who somehow believed there was a true president and a functioning government during the past four years that cared about this country and the American people. But the good news is in less then three weeks our long national nightmare will be over. And yes it won’t be easy. One of few accomplishments of Individual 1 was to sow discord in our nation in ways that few could have dreamed possible.  We will all have to work at this and better times will be ahead!

Okay, so what about our photography?  2021 is going to be a great year if we decide to really live a fully “photographic life”. The vaccine is coming but we will still need to be careful during the coming months. But dammit it’s a new year so let’s make the most of it!  Commit to doing whatever you need to do to keep your head in the game until you feel comfortable about making the types of photographs you normally do.  And if the virus isn’t a problem for the subject matter you focus on, then get out there and make pictures!

But wait, there’s more!

If you’re not doing anything but reading this and thinking about all the great things you could be doing, get off your chair and do something … anything! How about this? Sit back down, grab a pad or journal if you keep one and write down a plan of everything you want to do this year. That’s right; write it down!  Here are a few ideas. For starters learn some new things from most convenient knowledge source readily available to you … the Internet, and then go through you photographic library for inspiration. What about the library? It’s open on a limited basis. I was just there this week doing research for a project. Same thing for galleries and museum; you can safely visit them.  While they’re also open on a limited basis they also have a lot of great information available online. Buy some books you have wanted for a long time. I just did! Get your camera equipment serviced if necessary.  Now how about giving your darkroom a good vacuuming, and clean it of any unnecessary clutter. It’s not your messy bedroom, it’s a neat and dust free working space. If it’s not being used get rid it. Sell the stuff or donate it to someone that can use it. Are your film speeds and development times correct? Are you caught up making your proof sheets?  Have you even gone through your recent proof sheets to see if there are some keepers worth printing?  What about going through your older proof sheets to see if there are some hidden gems you never printed? Have you thought about printing at all?

Now define some achievable photographic goals. That way there can’t be any excuses. A couple of long-term projects and some shorter ones that can be more easily accomplished might well make sense. And of course be open to any random opportunities you learn about or that just pop up from an impulse you have. Try to keep things within two hours of where you live. No need to travel far. Forget about it another potential for an excuse. Think hard and creatively! There’s plenty of good stuff nearby if you open your eyes and heart to all the possibilities! Write it all down!

There will be plenty of ups and downs in 2021. Sure there will. But we can live truly photographic lives right now. Things will become more normal and we will be making the types of pictures we love … normally. Yes, 2021 is going to be a really good photographic year. I know it will be for me because I want it to, and I am going to do all I can to make it so! I hope it will be the same for you!

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and photographically productive New Year.

Stay safe,

Michael

So by any account 2020 has been a miserable year, perhaps the worst year I have witnessed during my lifetime. There are so many reasons, mostly related to the virus and the individual who has occupied the White House for the last four years. Here’s the thing; life could always be so much worse. If you are reading this, no matter how bad things are, you’re probably in much better shape and have more opportunities then most of your fellow human beings.

I have thought about this, and all things considered I think I have much to be thankful for in 2020. The question is did we take advantage of all our opportunities and good fortune? There are so many excuses why we could not have lived a photographic life this past year. My hope is that you didn’t have very many and used very few. In my case, I joined the Da Vinci Art Alliance and participated in a members show. I entered and was a prizewinner in the 27^th Annual Phillips Mill Photographic Exhibition here in Bucks County and was selected in the 2020 Photo Review International Competition (Covid prevented me from meeting the great Emmet Gowin who juried the Phillips Mill show … I guess you can’t have everything!).  I founded the Monalog Collective with six members and helped grow it to fourteen members as of this writing. As an intended benefit I made some damn good friends! I also started some new long-term photographic projects and completed a shorter one over three-months documenting the empathy and determination of people where I live during the virus. Doing this project was somewhat outside my normal photographic aperture and it opened up my thinking to new and exciting opportunities for the future. Now that’s exciting!  And making lots of pictures meant that I spent a lot of time making prints. Great!

So in the end, 2020 was a pretty damn good year for me. As bad as things were, living through the pandemic helped me focus on what is truly important … doing what you love, being a good friend, and making sure those you love know it.  All and all, not a bad outcome … photographically … and in life!

I hope your year had more ups than downs, photographically and in life. If not, be positive and open your eyes to all the possibilities that lay before you. And let’s make 2021 a banner year!

Stay safe,

Michael

Daniel Milnor recently posted a great entry on his website entitled Response to a Young Photographer.  I have been a long time fan of his earlier Smogranch website and the latest incarnation, Shifter. Really wonderful stuff! Milnor is a great photographer and writer. There is an unvarnished truth to his photographs and words. He also posts some really terrific and entertaining videos.

In this post Milnor said: “I’ve never once been stuck without ideas or directions to follows. Never once. If I had to provide ONE concept that makes this a reality it would be the concept of   curiosity. If you have it you will never run dry. I love the elderly and feel that how we treat our elders is one of the most grievous ills of our society. The elderly who thrive into those seemingly untouchable years are those who never lose their curiosity.”

Think about this for a moment. Curiosity is essential for both your photography a long and productive life. And now more then ever!  We’re in the midst of the second wave of the virus and even with the vaccine coming our activity will be highly restricted.  So what are you going to do … veg out, mope around, watch way too much Netflix, or try to be productive in some way?

Letting your curiosity run rampant will fuel you with new ideas, if you’re open to it and let it happen! Milnor talks about what a fan he is of going to the library to get juiced up. Okay, so we can’t do that right now, or if we can it’s pretty restricted. How about the Internet?  Beyond the bad stuff the Internet does and is responsible for, it’s the greatest invention ever.  One moment I can learn as much as I like about a great photographer I never heard of before and the next I’m touring the Sistine Chapel.  I walk about six miles a day, first by myself and then with Sparky. No phone, no music. You can’t imagine how many great ideas I get that I want to explore for my photography and life. As soon as I get home I write it all down in my journal so I won’t forget. I may not be able to act on what I have written for a while, but I’ve captured my thoughts and now I can come back to them when the time is right.

Nothing is sacred and everything (within reason) is in bounds.  My curiosity has enabled me to start thinking about what I can learn about what fuels other photographer’s drive to create? What motivates them, what is it they are passionate about, what are the stories behind their work? Then what are others doing during Covid to “keep their heads in the game”?  This curiosity had led me to start working with my Monalog Collective colleagues to see if we can launch some virtual events for photographers to explore these areas. More to come on that, but suffice to say I’m very excited because I am curious and I know there is so much I will learn, which in turn will fuel my photography even more! Damn, I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

Milnor is 100% right about curiosity and meaningful photography. I am quite certain all the great ones had it.  They had a rage to photograph, I’m sure in great part because they were curious about everything around them. Take Gary Winogrand. One of my favorite Winogrand quotes, and perhaps one of my favorite quotes of all time is all about curiosity … “ I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed.”   And here’s another great one from Winogrand. “Sometimes I feel like . . . the world is a place I bought a ticket to. It’s a big show for me, as if it wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t there with a camera.”

So there you have it. Let yourself be curious. Open your heart and your mind’s eye. Be a kid … go ahead!  It will make you happy, because of the work you will create and the life you will live.

Stay safe,

Michael