For the life of me, I can’t figure you out. I don’t understand the fascination with watching people camp in blizzards. I know 99% of you will never do it, yet you’ll still spend an hour watching someone else try. I don’t understand you—maybe I never will—but I’m not giving up. Group hug. This film was supposed to be about one thing, then it veered in another direction and became about several others. I’ll let you know when I figure out what they are.
If you must talk about being authentic, you probably aren’t.
We get one shot at this life. That’s it. I heard a social media star say he posted more than 400 times in one week. That sounds miserable. The mission should be simple: do what you do as well as you can and contribute something. I heard two twenty-somethings interview each other, and all they talked about was money and getting rich. Neither seemed to know much about anything, though I think one of them was already rich. I saw a photograph that stopped me. It had energy. It was ten years in the making. It reminded me what’s still good, and what’s still out there if you’re willing to look. It wasn’t my photograph. It was one of the few images I’ve seen lately with that kind of punch. Most of what I see now is just content: seaside scenes and buildings shot in harsh midday light, filtered with presets, detached, built for views and likes. Couch filler, nothing more. Still, the blizzard thing puzzles me. I’m fascinated. One of my favorite YouTube creators just posted a seven-hour video. That’s my kind of person. He’s real. He stirs his coffee with the leg of his camp chair.
Comments 4
Watching on Shifter, not YouTube. Of course you didn’t talk gear. It was either personal chat, or no shit there I was… In any profession the people at the top of the pyramid either know each other, or know of each other. It’s a different world when they get together.
Still thinking about that next book. Working on motivation.
Author
Yes, real talk about life and how it interplays with photography. The after-party to the after-party.
Tent camp in a blizzard on purpose? No thank you. Out playing with one of my oldest friends and staying out an hour into actual blizzard conditions and having parents searching the neighborhood? I’ve done that.
Ah the glory of pre internet and pre cellphone life. Many my age look back and claim there was indifference and/or irresponsibility involved. I look back with fondness on a style of life and parenting that will likely never return.
I got brave and spoke to Greg Girard the other day at an event at the local photo gallery. I thanked him for inspiring me to go out at night with my camera, and we talked about access to the waterfront, and how that has changed since 9-11, and is still changing. Thankfully, he is a very nice man. The show is fabulous, and his magazine work from the 80s and 90s is amazing. Wonderful photos from the time of Tiananmen uprising. Also, great photos of the Vancouver area waterfront at a time when you could wander down to the docks and there were no Marsec Level warnings.
For anyone who is interested: (Please delete if external links not wanted)
https://thepolygon.ca/exhibition/greg-girard/