I’m in Seattle for the Blurb Road Show.
I like Seattle. It’s beautiful, industrial and you can legally buy a pound of Jamaican Thundercloud and get so baked your face comes off. Consequently, there are A LOT of people sitting around. Consequently, Seattle would be a grand place for something like street photography. The problem is, as you know, I suck at street photography.
I need ingredients people. Like the embassy being overrun. What embassy? Any embassy. You give me that and I’ll make some images. Or how about a gang fight like in Anchorman. Yep, I’ll nail that every time. But you give me random city and sidewalk and I’m powerless. I can’t make MY photographs. Now, give me a guy with a snake, a Dr. Pepper and some meat on a stick, and well, ya…I’ll shoot that but it’s more because it’s there and not because I think it’s a grand, once-in-a-lifetime snap.
But yet this is what the photography game is all about. Walking, waiting. Putting yourself out there IN CASE something goes down. I did see a guy with a sign that said “I need a fat bitch.” I don’t really know what that means, but the sign looked worn and well used, so I think it’s led to success of some sort. I can’t be sure however, we didn’t speak.
The Pacific Northwest is a splendid region. Yes, I just said “splendid.” It is. Water makes the city, and watching the sun go down over the sound, or whatever body of water that is, is remarkable. Range up on range tickle the edge of the horizon, real ranges too. These aren’t hills with scrub. These are places where Sasquatch lives. Did I ever tell you about my parents taking me to see the movie “Sasquatch” when I was in elementary school? It didn’t end well.
We have much on tap over the next few days. Letterpress classes, photo-walks, meet-ups and even an cocktail pairing, which will be lost on me because my drinking days are behind me. But I’ll be there watching others and talking book. These Blurb trips always end up as adventures and allow me to hear from bookmakers, image makers and all around creatives. More later..