Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Larchmont, NY is showing two small prints of mine in

I’m teaching History of Photography for the first time this semester. It is really all consuming. My bathrooms need cleaning, there is nothing in the fridge but film and condiments, and I’m dreaming about my lectures, but nonetheless I’m really enjoying this new teaching challenge.

The biggest challenge for me may be lecturing on the nude. I just feel absurd discussing the female body as a mere arrangement of form or as the manifestation of not so secret desires. I found myself really beating around the bush (find a pun if you wish) when trying to handle Weston’s nudes in front of a room of college students. Even his “Artichoke, Halved” had me commenting awkwardly on its bodily equivalent.

Meanwhile, I find Weston’s most unabashed nudes the most fascinating. They are awkward, lovely, terrible (in the best sense of the word), and simultaneously psychologically transparent and opaque.

Emmet Gowin, Elijah and Donna Jo, Danville, Virginia, 1971

On the occasion of Emmet Gowin’s retirement from teaching at Princeton, the Princeton University Art Museum will show Emmet’s work in tandem with the work of students from his 36 years at the University. (http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/events/Extended_Pages/Gowin09/) I am very excited to be a part of this show, in no small part because it is an opportunity to get together with fellow Princeton artists who I haven’t seen in many many years, as well as a time to meet other students who preceded or followed my time studying with Emmet.

I always loved this image of Emmet’s; it was part of one of our spring portfolios (where we all made prints to share, and it being Princeton and Emmet’s class, we had to mat all the images and store them in archival handmade canvas covered portfolios). It will be in the upcoming show and I am embarassed to admit I have misplaced it. It got stored away during a move and I cannot find it despite numerous searches. My mother assures me it will surface and since she is a Mom and she Knows Things, I’m taking her word.

Late last year I sent Emmet my Right Coast book with a note, and received his and his son’s book Maggie, and a note in return. Emmet wrote generously regarding my work, words of praise that I do not take lightly and as a teacher of many students, ones I hope  someday to give.

The hurricanes started coming in August. Every late summer I get a jumping feeling in my stomach, knowing that real swell is on the way. Hurricane Bill was the real deal, providing triple overhead waves in the early morning hours. This first image was made mid-morning, the waves still huge, but not so unforgiving as to prevent a crowd in the water, not to mention along the boardwalk. At one point I stood up on a bench and got a good view of the throngs that lined the railings for tens of blocks. The ocean was under the boards and had washed out many sets of stairs. I’ve made crowd images before but I’ve never been happy; I think I’ve got it this time and certainly owe a visual debt to fellow photographer Travis Ruse. His image of subway riders waiting underground is on my wall and I look at it everyday.

Travis Ruse

Amber, as lovely as she is brave.

I have a great old Nikonos waterproof 35mm that I took out after a long hiatus. This was a small day, easy for shooting from the water.

Ghostly Thomas

Thomas, again