Bombs Over Bushwick

Okay, not quite. Maybe it's just a non-bomber kind of plane:


You had best prepare yourself, there's going to be a whole Bushwick thing going on here for potentially as long as 11 days.

NON-SEARCH RELATED SCREENCAP DEPT:

I saw this on the NY Daily News site last week:


I swear I thought it said "Hitler."

Okay, there's too many jokes to make and I'm too tired to get any of them out.

Nuzzling

Bottom right:


That's a nuzzle, right? A nose nuzzle? A nozzle? A couple of eskishmoes or something? I'll get to that VP 616 tomorrow. All sorts of running around today. Where did I run around to? Well that's for me to know and for me to know.

Did I put this picture up already? Yeah, it's from the archives (if you haven't figured that out already). I can't remember anymore, even though I do searches on the blog for such telltale keywords as "fisheye," "fountain," or "eskishmoes," and come up with nothing. Then again, there's nearly 900 posts on this thing so cut me a break, will ya?

Oh, today I overheard the following statement spoken by a homeless woman to some homeless men who were on line with a bunch of other homeless people waiting for alms:

"You niggas talkin' bout pussy ain't never get some!"

Words of wisdom Lloyd, words of wisdom...

Take a Picture,

Check the shot:


And repeat...

I'm hoping to have my act together tomorrow reasonably enough so I can develop this roll of V616 (yeah, I'm being aloof like that) I shot last week. And here's a preview. I shot it in Brooklyn. GASP! What was I doing in Brooklyn? Worse yet, I was in Bushwick! What the hell was I doing there? Of all places? I'm still not sure what happened. The photographic evidence will tell everything.

That's not true, it's just pictures of stuff. I have to go wash out a pot.

Nondescript Photo

...from the Occupy days:


I almost wrote "undescript." Someone needs to get some rest.

Me fail english? That's unpossible!

Engaged in Conversation

You can tell by the head tilt:


Boy, I sure do spend a lot of time shooting in Washington Square Park. I wonder how long it will take until these photos look dated.

Look at me trying to be profound. Yuck.

Judson and Clouds

That's what's in the picture there:


Yeah, when it comes to titles for these things, I sure am literal. I also sure am tired. Been hectic around here lately. Not hectic bad or anything, just a bit hectic.

Hectic.

Grimace

Well, I'm not sure it was really a grimace, I just caught her at that exact moment when her face was in flux:


I'd like this a whole lot more if it were in focus. I should probably keep an eye out for this lady once it gets warmer and thank her, since she's accounted for three separate entries on this here blog.

Can I stretch things or what?

PS: I'm going to refix another roll that was even more poorly fixed than this one, but don't be sitting on the edge of your seats or anything.

Jump

In a fountain:


When I first saw them, I thought they might have been Kris Kross, but they obviously aren't because they are not wearing their clothes backwards.

Arthur Conan Doyle ain't got deduction skills like that!

Needs Fixing

Or should I have said, "fixer?"


Can you see how it's kind of cloudy in the middle there? That's the unfixed part. At least I think it is. I'm not sure that would make the picture any better. I really need to get to developing more film. More and newer film. Shooting some might help too.

Posing for Two Pictures

Mine being the second, though I don't think she noticed. Either way, thanks for the shot Toots!


"Toots?" What decade am I living in? I must have picked up this sort of language from watching too much TCM. You see, TV does have an influence on our behavior!

Land of the Thieves

Home of the Debt Slaves. From back in the Occupy days:


It looks like I had some focusing issues with this one too. Or movement issues. Or an issue of focus and movement. I wouldn't be surprised if this entry has lost your focus already.

The DMZ

Back in the Occupy days:


I think there's a bit of a focusing issue with this one, or something going on with that center blur/mush. Then again, this negative was a bit cloudy (which is a sign of exhausted fixer), so it could do with another trip to Fixland (that's not only an official technical photographical term, but an actual place).

Eh, I'm not up to going to Fixland right now. That would mean having to put on pants, and that would take too much energy to endure at the moment. I'll just sit here instead; pantsless and unfixed.

You can take that any way you see fit.

White Guy Dreads

Holy crap, it's 1990 all over again!


Okay everybody, put in your Faith No More tapes and jam that shit!

Yellow Cabs in Redscale

From the archives:


So maybe I'm going to be developing new film tonight instead of last night or during the day today. But I'm not sure any developing will get done during Top Chef: Texas, or whatever they're calling it this time around. Although there is this new NOVA on tonight titled, 3D Spies of WWII. That might merit some watching as well. It's amazing I get anything done around here (how many times have I typed that sentence on this blog?)...

Happy Chanukah!

I think that's what it says...


I think the Shroud of Turin is clearer than this photo. Don't worry, I've got some new rolls about to get the developer treatment (new, non-vintage rolls), so you'll be seeing my usual, run of the mill photo fare soon enough.

Bowl o' Rama

In Texas, 1999:


These Texan backyards have everything!

Minetta Lane

Another view:


It's not quite as dramatic as when you're looking the other way with the bend in the road. I'll get back to you on this one, there's a football game on.

A Stroll in the Park

Right foot, left foot. Right foot, left foot...


Over on the right, if you can see in the dark there, you might spy a grand piano, and standing in front of it would be Colin Huggins. He's been dragging a piano to the park for a few years already to the delight of those within earshot. Lately he's been fighting the good fight against Bloomberg and the park cops. A few months ago, Bloomberg started cracking down on buskers in the park, equating them with vendors, basically shutting them out of the park (long story short. It's been in the news, look it up). He's defied these orders and has accrued plenty of fines, which are being fought in court. Ron Kuby's on it, so here's to hoping.

Outside there's a wind chill of 24 degrees (I know that's not super cold, but just go with me here), and in here it's a balmy 80.

It's official, winter has winted!

BY THE WAY:
I had the chance to meet Richard Benjamin some years back and didn't even ask him about Saturday the 14th.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING??????

Judson on Old Film

You can see it there, right?


I submit this photo as proof that just because you take a picture on old decrepit film doesn't mean it's necessarily a good picture. And that goes for pictures that are made to look like they're taken on old decrepit film.

Do you hear me all you Instagram Motherfuckers out there?

I suppose the big deal is Instagram now. I'm not really seeing the Hipstamatic thing getting any play so much anymore, at least not in my corner of the internet.

SEARCH OF THE DAY:


Someone's gotten me figured out.

Is the Developer the Difference?

You be the judge:


or


Both shots were taken the same day under nearly identical conditions (you can see the sun hitting Two Fifth Avenue on the left in the first shot while the second was completely overcast). Do you see a difference between the two?

Now both of these rolls were of the same batch. They were both that "No. 2 Brownie" marked film that was also marked 120. Remember when I said I'd see if I could find out anything more about that? Well, today I happened to happen upon this:


Now the film I got was unboxed, but the spools were all metal; not with the wooden core as featured in the 1930 model above. I don't know the date when they switched over from wooden cores to all metal reels. I'll get right on that.

I also know that to do true justice to this test, I have to shoot one roll and cut it in half (King Solomon style) and develop each half in different developers and see what happens. Though part of the fun of working with such old film is the unpredictability of it all. Or maybe I'm just trying to control the uncontrollable. But isn't that what life is all about? There's the people trying to control it all and the others who accept that they're really not in control? What the hell am I talking about? I need a ginger ale and a cookie.

Whiteface Dave

I think this is my first Number One Party post of 2012!


If I only knew how to shoot a really pale guy with a flash at night in the first place, then I wouldn't have to learn how to photoshop down the whiteness after the fact.

I saw a near fistfight break out after the last act of Tosca last night at the Met. The Fuck Yous were flying with wild abandon, along all sorts of finger pointing (and no, none of it was directed at Roberto Alagna. Or perhaps somebody saw Luc Bondy or Peter Gelb and was letting them know how they fucked up an otherwise wonderful Franco Zefferelli production). I was shocked at such low behavior in such a high place. I thought that sort of vulgarity only happened at the New York City Opera, which is basically falling apart, and which is a very sad thing. Seriously.

Making the Move

In Union Square Park:


I wonder if Bobby Fischer ever played using a closed cardboard box taped to an open cardboard box as a table.

Kneeling

In Union Square Park:


If I were in the psychic business, I'd greet everybody with, "I've been expecting you." But this doesn't really surprise me. I've seen rational looking people hand money over to people on the street claiming to be psychics with hardly any accoutrements, sometimes with just a cheap plastic chair, footstool, and a deck of tarot cards. Oh, and they'll have some poorly handwritten cardboard sign too. I think even if I believed in the whole psychic thing I wouldn't be giving my money to just anybody on the street. Then again, this broad does seem to have a crystal ball of sorts. And she's got that whole African thing going on. She's going to be putting him in touch with all sorts of ancient spirits speaking that click language. She should have a Coke bottle there so she could exclaim, "The gods must be crazy!!!"

Someone out there got that, right?

Bison Bust

Texas, Summer 1999:

Holy crap am I tired. Like seriously tired. Like I fell asleep sitting up while watching football tired. So why am I up now? I'm not sure. But I won't be for long...

Sunny Arch

On old old film:


I got four rolls of unboxed film that are marked not only as Verichrome and 120, but also as "2-Brownie." So far my research hasn't been able to figure out when this film was made. Going on the backing paper, I'm thinking 1940s. Maybe even the 30s. Verichrome was made from 31-56. According to another site, it said that the 2-film designation was done before they started using the 120 number, but they were using the 120 number long before Verichrome came along.

Let's face it, I'm too tired right now to deal with this. I'll dive into it another time. If I figure out what's going on, I'll let you know (I'm sure you'll be on your tippy toes waiting...).

Who Are You Going to Believe?

Me, or your lion eyes?


That's terrible, I know. Even more terrible because there aren't even any eyes of this stone animal featured in the photo. I was just forcing the issue (but since when is that news?).

Minetta Lane

In Greenwich Village USA!


It looks peaceful now, as it was last sunday afternoon. But in a few hours Van Halen (With DLR, without Michael Anthony) will be playing at Cafe Wha just behind where I was standing. Wha is only a 250 seat capacity venue, but I'm sure more than 250 people will be converging down there tonight.

VH is back! But are they better than ever?

On verra.
On verra.

Chestnuts

In midtown:


There's nothing like shooting uncovered lightbulbs at night, eh?

So I mentioned I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath for the first time. I'm finally catching up to 1939, and boy howdy am I hooked. The only other Steinbeck I've ever read is Of Mice and Men, but this thing is really unbelievable. That motherfucker could write. Also, it's full of sex talk! I'm surprised they'd assign this to high schoolers. I'd be curious to find out if it was ever banned in Boston (or anywhere else) because of the sex content (and I'm only 130 pages in).

Yes, I'm finally getting with the program 73 years later.

It's All Greek to Me

Okay, that's terrible:


Has everyone forgotten their 2012 resolutions yet? And wouldn't it make more sense if we made resolutions on our birthdays? And screw resoluting (yes, that's a word), just fucking do it. A resolution is just another way of putting off shit that you should be doing, either for yourself or for others (Or in the Buddhist way of thinking, if you're doing things for others, you are in turn doing it for yourself). So just do it already. Turn off that TV, pick up that pen, do whatever the fuck it is you've been stopping yourself from doing already. Get out of your own way for crying out loud.

Now if only I could do that...

A Bunch of Bikes

That's the technical term, "bunch."


The shot is a little busy on the left side, don't you think?

Battlements

Well, not really. It's just Central Park South:


Or then again, maybe you could show up in your Lord of the Rings LARPing costumes and have a blast. I'm in no position to judge.