Saw Solomon walking down Columbia Rd. Got this picture of him getting splashed by two girls on a bicycle while simultaneously being cut off by a car.
[Constantly in hope that I stumble across some excitement.]
I was exhausted from insomnia and stress today, stayed in bed til 3pm. Woke up, started laundry and walked to Adams-Morgan for some food. Of course I took some photos, that is always the object of my waking moments. I met some very pleasant, beautifully-minded diplomats from Nigeria. (Maybe Cameroon too?) Great weather!
[This is a busy intersection of neighborhoods, 18th and Columbia Rd NW.]
I spent most of the day trying to decide how I could better react when authorities infringe on my rights as a citizen and a photojournalist. I haven't had too much time to work on it, but figured joining the ACLU was a good start.
[This is a pumpkin on my neighbor's porch. Like a Cinderella carriage my freedom turned into a pumpkin at the strike of a Nazi-fied Patriot Act.]
The Secret Service had me erase my camera's memory card today when I took a picture of them kicking a psycotic man off the steam grate in front of the Corcoran Gallery. They actually used force against me! It was somewhat scary, not that these guys were going to do me any physical harm. (The two that had ahold of me couldn't have run a block without stopping to catch their breath.) It was scary to see the rights i supposedly have, vanish by the hand of two should-be rent-a-cops!
[I felt trapped so I surrendered my fake (or Constitutional) rights as a U.S. citizen. I was caught by surprise. Hopefully next time I'll be better prepared to argue my rights . . . if I find I have any! This cop also tried to compare his being in the Secret Service to being in the Marine Corps. He said that Al Queda was going to come after him and his family if I took his picture. Pointless Fear or Abuse of Power? Either way it's frightening!]
Hung out with ol' Cory Riggle, a fine art photographer. We went visiting some African art exhibits for a class we are both taking. The class is okay, i don't agree with the teaching methods and ideology. They might be compared to a schoolmarm's in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. (Didn't they do away with instructors like that at the end of WWII?)
[This is Solomon spinning, he had the same instructor a couple years ago and says her old-fashion teaching is like a novelty at the school.]
Today started out rocky on account of a disappearing magician. He even gave me a conformation call 3 hours prior to his 2pm meeting . . . never to be heard from again. Hopefully I will remember this as an elephant would, and learn from it! (Elephant are always learning from stuff like that.)
[Took this on 19th NW. Went to get some grub, mirrors, and a sewing machine with Solomon and Susan.]
It feel like I skipped a couple months ... November already?! Here's a picture looking west down H St NW toward the construction site of a new Word Bank building. I inquired with the site manager about doing a picture story on some of their equipment operators. The woman in charge informed me that it was a publically-sensitive, government project that couldn't be photographed.
[The sky was beautiful this Halloween evening and the forecast calls for good weather all week. Highs in the upper 70s, I'll put up with that.]
Had a good show at the Corcoran's White Walls Gallery. A lot of feedback. Friends whom I didn't expect to show up, did. Almost surreal, but isn't life? I decided to walk home up 18th St and saw some friends at the Asylum in Adams-Morgan. I ended up there for a good deal of the evening. Girls with painted-on costumes came in to Trick or Treat!
[Remember to watch out for the safety of others during your Halloween Holiday, especially children!]
Joseph Perez, bicycle messanger and his girlfriend Catherine Slye, computer specialist meet each other midday for a cup of coffee at M. E. Swing's Coffee Shop on 17th and G St NW.
[Want to learn more about Joseph and Catherine's relationship? Then go to the Corcoran student photojournalism show opening in the Corcoran's White Walls Gallery, 6pm to 8pm Thur., Oct 30. Who knows, they might show up!]
This is a picture of my Digital Darkroom professor, Alex Jamison. This class seems to be getting better as the semester drags on. The course started out basic, but now we are covering techniques that bypass some extra steps that I've used in the past. Slowly the students in the class are becoming more personable. (Or maybe it's just me? , I'm becoming more personable.) It is thanks to Mr. Jamison that we owe our new outlook on Photoshop, and life ... "Here, Here!"
[Another fine day to be alive and taking pictures.]
