Superfuzzy

Gay Parade New York 2008

George Takei + Brad Altman, originally uploaded by Atomische.com.

Get soaked, steam a little, dry, repeat.

Despite the rain, or perhaps because of it, I had a very enjoyable time at the 2008 Gay Parade. Instead of our usual spot we decided to head uptown a little — 27th street — and found a great area on the corner where we could take photos head-on. It was a lot easier to engage marchers from behind the barricades. There was plenty of room too, so no standing motionless for hours. More photos coming soon!

Gone Green

Just got my 2007 Green Power Certificate, which shows how I bought 4858 kWh of wind-generated electricity last year. That’s just a little over 13 kWh per day, which isn’t so bad considering I work at home. I haven’t been tracking the exact costs over time, but despite the small premium paid for wind power, my bill has actually been lower. Probably had something to do with the new refrigerator. I only wish Con Edison Solutions had an ‘account billing history’ page to keep track of these things.

Wind power is already available and isn’t as disastrous as John McCain’s national park drilling plan.

Other People’s Art: Jesse Burke

Starting a new series of posts where I share photographers and artists that I admire a lot. Hope you enjoy and also discover new artists! Please send me a note if there’s a photographer you think I should look at.

Today while checking out the shows at Humble Arts Foundation I came across the photographer Jesse Burke.

I don’t often do portrait photography, mainly because I’m not naturally comfortable with people in general. The process of getting to know someone takes me a long time. Even with people I know very well, the photo shoot itself becomes awkward and unproductive. But see a lot of potential there, and really hope that with a lot of practice I can eventually get good at it.

Jesse Burke’s photos really speak to me. Partly because it’s familiar: the faces and scenery remind me a lot of my time in Wisconsin. But also because the emotions he brings out in his subjects are those that often stay hidden.

Folsom Street East 2008

Yesterday I went to the Folsom Street East fair — New York City’s little cousin to the famous San Fransisco event. It was a great day for a kinky event. Hot enough for the exhibitionists to feel comfortable wearing next-to-nothing, sometimes just a smile. The rubber and latex lovers didn’t duck for cover during the brief downpour.

Mermaid Parade, Coney Island, 2008

Yesterday I went to the Mermaid Parade out in Coney Island. Hugely crowded. In fact, so crowded that I skipped the parade itself, and so missed the song-and-dance part of the show. I did see many amazing costumes in the staging area though. Which is the main reason I went. See my Mermaid Parade page for all the photos in one place.

Cylons explain DRM

It’s Not Too Late: Impeach Bush Now

On June 9 Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) spent 4 hours reading into the Congressional Record 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush. Interestingly, those articles (63-page PDF via Coral CDN) include not just complaints about signing statements and the war in Iraq, but also charges that the President “Sp[ied] on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment,’ ‘Direct[ed] Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens,’ and ‘Tamper[ed] with Free and Fair Elections.’ These are issues near and dear to the hearts of many here, so it’s worth discussing. What little mainstream media coverage there is tends to be brief (USA Today, CBS News, UPI, AP, Reuters).

Upcoming Show: As We See It

I have three photos hanging in the group show “As We See It” currently on display at The Center. The show runs all summer, but the opening reception is Thursday, June 12th at 6pm and you are invited!

Visit my profile on the NYCPhotoClub web site to see my artist statement and other information.

As We See It
Fourth Annual Photography Exhibition
June 9 - August 21, 2008
Opening reception: Thursday, June 12, 2008, 6-8 pm
The Center, 208 West 13th St, 2nd Floor, NYC

Tel Aviv Photo Safari

Had a very successful walk-around in Tel Aviv today, and saw much graffiti including stencils, tags and a few murals too. Erez is helping me translate some of the text. Processing them is a pain on the laptop so the rest will have to wait until I get back to NYC next week.

Succah in the Desert

Just got back from the far south … stayed in this hut near Mitzpe Ramon in the desert, with no electric or plumbing.