fine art photojournalism

Recently I became slightly enamored with the photojournalism cum fine art works of Nan Goldin and especially Mary Ellen Mark. Mark has a knack for portraiture that makes it seem as though the subject is so at ease with her there isn't even a camera present. People in her photos seem to be just sitting with her and not posing for a picture.

She takes exquisite photos of celebrities. From Cloris Leachman to David Bowie to Al Gore to please please go to her website (www.maryellenmark.com) and look at William H. Macy. Because of the way her website is configured, I can't link to specific pieces/photos in it.

Mary Ellen Mark, however, also capture the darker side of humanity, the pieces that are difficult to look at and some of her images can be very chilling. "Ward 81" documents the 36 days in 1976 Mark spent in the women's locked ward at Oregon State Hospital, a state-run mental facility. It's very much out of print, but all of her books are available on her website, complete with the accompanying text. "A Cry For Help: Stories of Homelessness and Hope" will break your heart.

labelbuddy

My label buddy came in the mail earlier this week and things have been getting seriously labeled over on Haskell Street. There will be zero confusion as to what anything is if you enter my house. Aside from the obvious ones-






-certain somebodies have realized themselves to be quite the label savant:

And I took some quality time to combine my new love of the label buddy with my re-flowering devotion to polaroids:

ROIDS cont.

Continuing my love affair with polaroids...

p.o.l.a.r.o.i.d.

I like polaroid cameras because you only really get one chance. No multi-shot photo sessions to make sure no one's blinking, everyone's smiling and shit is apprope for facebook posting. Polaroid photos are nice to look at because they are grainy sometimes and the colors are hugely contrasted and if you get too close they're blurry. The flash hides NOTHING - brightest mothereffing thing since lightning. Polaroid pictures show the world the way I see it - but just a little shinier.

a softer world

this is my new favorite webcomicish:
a softer world

chick takes photos + boy adds captions + courier font = sweet strips

DYMO

I just bought a label maker so I will soon be able to make seriously sweet labels like this one:



Details of my labeling adventures to follow.



(Thank gawd for amazon.com)