Northern California

estallion.tumblr.com

i started a tumblr to document my northern california project, an homage to the flora and fauna of this region.

We lost a great friend and great mind yesterday. Robert Seydel, one of the most probing and influential professors at Hampshire College, passed away yesterday in the midst of preparing for a class from a heart attack.

What an electric soul he had. He possessed a kind of devotion and peserverance that could not go unnoticed. Robert was so deeply respected and loved among his peers and students.

I cannot express the pivotal presence that he had in my life. How I understand the world has been shaped by him. The passion and commitment I try to live my life by was introduced by Robert. I feel as though he shared with students a secret to life that is invaluable and rare. It was a privilege to see him step foot in the class, to see and feel the love he had for the gift of curiosity, for the nuances of poetry, for creation and for the mind. It was so so amazing. Ha, it was so hard to get into his classes. The room would be packed, maybe 20+ more people than he could actually take. Robert worked with such integrity and had high expectations for everyone. As a student, you knew you would learn a great deal from him.

I feel so fortunate to have known him and know so many other individuals who will understand what a great loss this is to the Hampshire Community.

great photo alliance lecture tonight at SFAI. doug dubois (a hampshire alum!) and mark mcknight presented work. axons ignited when they both made remarks on the role and presence their work has.... as gestures of poetry. so nice when you feel you that you may fall within the same school of thought or belong to the same tribe.

this week amounts to a lot of change in schedule. from being demoted at work to leaving internship to opening up photography time and inviting new people into my life (e.g. the bromeliad society). it certainly is what it is and i will welcome it with open arms and do my best to do as much photography everyday all day.

i walked half of san francisco yesterday in 6 hours. a good day of photography and pure looking after seeing the bresson show at the moma with my sister. downtown - china town - north beach - fisherman's wharf - aquarium park - fort mason - marina/cow hollow - alamo square - pan handle - haight/ashbury - and finally, golden gate park to meet with the bromeliad plant society.

i plan on attending all the plant societies meetings next month. looking most forward to bonsais, roses, and cacti and succulents!

library of congress, amazing

http://memory.loc.gov/service/afc/afc9999001/17510.mp3

inner peace at home



and john fahey playing on the record player

this epson v700 scanner is the best thing i've invested in all year. my next investment is in another 6x6 and/or 6x7 camera. renting a fuji 6x7 next week to see how i feel about a different frame size. i will also probably buy a more portable scanner for my stay in thailand.

at the moment i am importing images from my visit to a wolf sanctuary in the santa cruz mountains. i am hoping to clear some time by leaving my internships. i must think photo photo photo until i leave. and i must study thai until i am the best!

i met my muse earlier this week.

how do you answer a questions like

"What are you doing with your life"

entering the new year with new work

Paintings, like poetry or music, are essential nutrients that help people sustain healthy lives. They’re not recreational pleasures or sidelines. They are tools that help us grasp the diversity of the world and its history, and explore the emotional capacities with which we navigate that world. They illuminate, they humble, they nurture, they inspire. They teach us to use our eyes and to know ourselves by knowing others.