Standing Guard

This is a blatant shout out to Christopher Morris's project, My America. I don't deliberately emulate other photographers style's. Morris's series presents such a distinct and uncanny vision of the edges of the neo-con legacy, it really leaves a deep impression. So much so, that I now have a sort of unconscious radar for images in this vein.

Nooksack Pow Wow

The Coolest City on the Planet...

Vancouver!
For my weekend (wed. and thur.) I went on an adventure up north. I took only my camera with a 50mm lense, my sleeping bag and a book, with no particular plans in mind, only an openness to what might happen. Nothing "happened," in the eventful sense of the word, nothing you could take a picture of and call news. But a lot of little mundane and yet slightly exotic miniature happenings filled my field of vision for about six hours of layperson anthropology (read as people-watching). At the risk of being anti-climactic, or perhaps methodologically bankrupt, I've already posted the conclusion of my ethnography between the title of this post and its opening. I won't go into great depth, but Vancouver transcends my notions of 'city' (or 'citiness") in these ways: people are nice, helpful, aren't shy eyed (will look you in yours), the streets are easy to navigate, framed by natural splendor, the most diverse city that I've been too, culturally and ethnically, yet it feels the least segregated. Although I have some ethical objections about resorting to stuff like this, I've decided to post mail order groom adds in all the major Vancouver newspapers. I love my country, but not enough to keep me from moving 50 or so kilometers north of it.

In Search of Spartina

I followed these folks around today on the mudlfats of the Nooksack Delta as they taught a workshop on spartina identification and removal. I got my shoes muddy and returned with a sunburn, which made me feel as if I'd put in a hard days work, when in reality I walked through a surreally beautiful landscape all day and took pictures.

From the Pit...

...an area circumscribed by a mud-caked track where people race round-and-round in miniature cars.

Hidden Jewels

Are these not the finest group of abandoned toilettes that you've ever set your eyes on? Man oh man.

Working on my Footwork

Where my feet dearly miss their daily affectionate contact.
Where my feet are very gradually softening up to, and maybe even my heart a little bit too.

So, I'm wondering if you guys could help me out and let me know which you prefer (and why) between this image and the last one I posted. They are both from the same location with roughly the same lighting, but with different elements/arrangements.

The Fairhaven Boardwalk

3on3 Tourney

First Day on the Job

Well, my first day on the job consisted of hovering over other photojournalists shoulders watching them shoot, and process there images. One more day of this and I will most likely achieve mastery. But in all earnestness, my co-workers are great. Work feels as homey as work can feel on the first day. Also, for the last hour and a half of my shift my editor told me to, "go, explore the town." I can do that, I said. And I could. I did. In fact this image came from my exploration--down at the boat yard. This woman, Kelly, was masking lines on her boat in preparation for a new paint job. She had a serious case of what she described as "fivefootitous". Its that terrible malady in which sufferers forever long for boats five feet longer than the ones they have. Poor woman.

Fourth from the Porch!

Its actually a balcony, but I enjoyed the convenience of a mere step through my roommate's open window in my bare feet to view the show.

The New Job

I start work for the Bellingham Herald on thursday, so I should have more assignment work up soon.

The New Diggs

Two Views of Wildgoose Island

I'm interested in the ways in which our experience of national parks are pre-packaged and institutionalized. The awe-worthy views are designated by yellow signs with camera icons. Millions of dollars are spent every season maintaining scenic byways with pullouts so that we can ingest a concise cliff notes version of the park, composed of only the most relevant points of interest, in a single afternoon's drive. Constant Live View cameras are set up at various places in the park, so that one can check in on say "Half Dome" on your lunch break. I think that these trails, roads, resorts and institutions all make national park experiences more broadly accessible they encourage a sense of awe and homage to the natural world. Thats great, but I also think there is a very sweet and rich irony involved with the manufacturing of awe for the natural world. Our daily perceptions are always structured and regimented, but I believe that in these lineal spaces where human interests meet "natural" extra-human places, such as parks, we get a clearer idea of where these filters and mechanisms are at play.

Seeing the Same Thing from the Same Place

There are no places on this earth that touch me so deeply as Glacier National Park. When I leave, I long for it like hopeless romantic's long for lover's that were never truly theirs. I often flash through my catalog of memories of shared moments of awe and quiet in places like the one above with friends and family. Without even exchanging words, in moments like that I can feel so deeply connected to another human being just by knowing that in the most simple and yet profound way we are affected by the same place. Sure, we're each inevitably carrying with us a life's worth of fairly unique experiences and impressions which frame our vision, however places like this force you to get over yourself and just drop the shit--to see without a frame. And maybe its just a faith based assumption, but I believe that with certain people who are open in this way to the landscape, we share in this frameless, ineffable, connection to that which is beyond us. And for you philosophy majors out there, this in no way fits in with Davidson's meaning triangulation theory--I'm talking extralinguistic perception here--philosophically speaking, I'm speaking complete non-sense--practically speaking, I'm speaking from the heart. For me, that's part of the power (and the therapeutic value) of spending significant periods of time in nature. On my third day of a backpacking trip all the clutter that I, by default, add to my perception becomes translucent, the awful din, an occasional cackling. I've got more to say about this, and much more to say about my trip back to Glacier, and the place photographed above, and my first few days in Bellingham, but I'm trying to stick with the short and sweet blog post format. No one comes here for an all you can eat buffet (I promise, Brendan, that is not a jab at you).

Beyond My Design

Right now, I feel a lot like the guy in this image (oh, and that was me too) must have felt--a small viewer on the cusp of something so far beyond me in scale and comprehension, a particle carried by large movements and processes, a bit daunted, also chilly. I'm talking about being part of a life, specifically my role in this one. I've been blessed with the opportunity to work as a full time paid photojournalism intern at the Bellingham Herald in WA for the next 6 months. I know that this is small stuff compared to the loud noise I was talkin' earlier in this post, but what its done is to remind me of how little sway I have when it comes to directing the course of my life. For months I've been sending out portfolios, my best hopes and efforts of directing the ship, and despite receiving some encouragement and praise, had to settle for the pro-bono variety of internship. But just when I had settled into the idea of rooting myself in Boulder for a bit, paying my dues unpaid, I get this wonderful offer to move somewhere that’s also apparently wonderful. Although exciting, this is a bit of a jolt. Not how I planned it, lets say. But that’s what’s got me in awe right now--the uncontrollability of a life, the frailty of my agency and will, and the gentle and steady dance of all things beyond me with which I too am learning to dance.

Grinnell, Revisited Again

Here are a few more from my return to Grinnell. Also, I've posted a gallery of images from my visit here. More or less an extended documentary of small social gatherings over graduation weekend (my favorite people are also my favorite subjects).

Walking and Hopping

Animal Cruelty