I’m also daydreaming about new projects and seriously considering buying a new used film camera. More on this as things “develop” pun fully intended.

I love the juxtaposition of my photograph with the classic Coney Island image by Marvin Newman!

In other news, big thanks to whomever nominated me for the Center Santa Fe Prize…I am honored and appreciative. Congratulations to winner Jessica Ingram!

Little surfer little one
Made my heart come all undone
Do you love me, do you surfer girl
Surfer girl my little surfer girl

I have watched you on the shore
Standing by the oceans roar
Do you love me do you surfer girl
Surfer girl surfer girl

We could ride the surf together
While our love would grow
In my woody I would take you everywhere I go
So I say from me to you
I will make your dreams come true
Do you love me do you surfer girl
Surfer girl my little surfer girl

The prize went to Benjamin Lowy, for his series “Iraq/Perspectives.” These photographs, made through Humvee windows and night vision goggles, present an experience of the Iraq war mediated through an impediment. Yet they maintain an immediacy and visceral quality, and perhaps gain intensity because the information presented is not immediately accessible (for him or the viewer). Congratulations Ben Lowy!

Outlaw, a project concerning family (particularly my husband’s) has been added to the website. I’ve been working on it for about a year and a half and it seemed ready enough for public viewing.

I have been working on a Right Coast page update. I am struggling a bit with that, as I am really happy with the array of images and their sequencing on the current, non-updated page. The new images that I would like to add are quite strong but it is a challenge to slot them into the whole. Additionally, I think some weeding out of old images is called for and that is never fun.

Here is a new goody to whet the appetite.

Wags, 2010

In other news, Bob Shamis, former curator of photography at the Museum of the City of New York, has been kind enough to include a Right Coast image in his forthcoming book with Abrams. I’m not totally sure if this is the title, but it will be called something like “New York Color.” While my photography has appeared in magazine editorial and museum catalogs, it has never been published in a book, let alone with a major publishing house, so this is very exciting. Thank you Bob (and thanks to Sean Corocoran, current MCNY curator, for referring my work to him).

Finally a big thumbs down to both Kodak and Fuji. Kodak discontinued 400VC, my favorite film. They had offered 400 speed film in both a NC (natural color) and VC (vivid color) version and now just offer one film that seems to split the difference between the two. I have about 45 rolls of 400VC in the fridge, so that should keep me going for a bit. I will be a very very unhappy photographer when that stash runs out.

Fujifilm, following a complete shortage of their cut sheet color printing paper (which was due in part to Kodak discontinuing all cut sheet paper–thumbs down again Kodak), reissued their cut sheet paper with a different formulation. In my opinion it is hideous. Muddy and without the full rich color of the old formulation. They do offer my preferred paper in roll form, so it looks like I will be standing in the dark slicing sheets individually if I want to make even work prints. Given that my work is known in part b/c of my care in printing, I have to make this extra effort to get the prints to look right. One more obstacle for the few of us who are still working conventionally. When medium format digital backs become affordable I will consider switching over, but until then I am clinging to my sinking ship.

turned our tv room into a camera obscura and photographed along the way, to share with my students:

http://cooler.mpora.com/news/summer-place-show-susannah-ray.html

I also got a “f*** yeah” from Desillusion out of France. If only I was radical enough to live up to the endorsement.

http://www.dslmag.com/v4/post.php?inf=photo&id=349