Not So Still Life? Another Wedding Adventure?

I first "met" Danielle a few years ago over at the Photo.Net Wedding Forum (or maybe it was their Leica Forum?) before I got completely banned from Photo.Net forever, accused of becoming a cult figure simply because I was being helpful in sharing my photographic knowledge and wrote some interesting but true stories to illustrate my points. I wear my banning with pride!

Danielle was seeking both photographic and business advice as she tried to build up her wedding photography business. I even got Jon Sinish involved with some thoughts on advertising and promotion. Hell, even Monkette came up with a suggestion or two.

This morning as I was checking email before heading off to the annual North Miami Thanksgiving Day Parade I was assaulted by Danielle's Instant Message, we chatted for quite awhile, and Monkette and I never did get to the parade. The gist of the conversation is that she'd like to fly from her home on the left coast to Miami, "hang out" (her words) with me for a week or two, shoot a wedding or two with me, see how I work in the darkroom, all that stuff. If she's really on the ball she'd do an article for that trade mag of the wedding shooters "The Rangefinder" while she's at it. Hell I'D write the copy. Why not? Who knows me better than I do!

Anyway, her idea is that I'd shoot film, probably black and white. She'd shoot digital. Her half of the wedding fee would cover her travel expenses and Monkette just wants to get a pretty new dress out of the deal. This is all very much on the up and up, no hanky-panky, with Danielle staying in Monkette's bedroom of course. That leaves me with trying to find a wedding for us to shoot between December 25th and January 3rd where the bride and groom won't mind being featured in thepriceofsilver along with my usual tongue-in-cheek narrative, and at least a few set-up shots that would include a fifteen inch tall furry bridesmaid with a long tail. If any couples reading this, straight or gay, are interested, we can pick the date and get the ball rolling. You'll end up with a wedding album like no other, I promise!

The Teamsters And An Art Gallery ~ Neighbors

The word teamsters seems to conjure up images of big burly guys driving big rigs cross country, eighteen wheelers, big Macks and long horn Petes, and the smell of diesel exhaust. You'd hardly imagine that the headquarters of Local 769 would be in this newly renovated building in downtown North Miami. Right across the street is my dentist's office and thirty yards beyond that will get you seated at Jimmeys Place for a great meal.

Just to the left of the Teamsters is where Jaybo Photo was for years, a photo lab and photo supply. After several years of sitting vacant it's now home to Mario Flores Photography and his Suyu Gallery, which shows a variety of types of art including photography. I'll be showing some of my work there starting Saturday night.

I'm fascinated by shadow patterns, and under the word Teamsters is a circle of light on the wall criss-crossed by shadows of branches, sort of mirroring the stylized wheel in the Teamsters logo to its left.

Dragging Al to The Doctor's Office

Hi there, this is me, Monkette writing. I really enjoyed writing a blog post a few days ago but I really had to fight with Al to let me write more. Al hates going to the doctor but I insisted. He'd been acting a bit strange (Claudia, his ex, says that he ALWAYS acts strange.) Anyway, I called up and made an appointment for him to see Dr. Katz (Al calls him Larry) and Dr. Katz likes me. He's always asking Al how I am and why doesn't he bring me with him more often.

So I made an appointment for early in the day, Dr. Katz's second, because Al doesn't like to wait, and truth be told, Larry, as Al calls him, has a largely geriatric practice (read: old ladies) so there are no mini-skirted young lovelies to ogle. Also, there are never any magazines to read and he hates watching the TV. He'd rather sit there and look grouchy. He's got that part down pat. We only waited about 15 minutes. Dr. Katz said that everything checked out fine and Al could easily expect to be around for another thirty years. Al was so happy that he went home and shaved off his beard. (That doesn't make sense, does it?)

Well, a few days later Al had another grand mal epileptic seizure in his sleep, the first in several years. He has an appointment with his neurologist in a week or so but in the meantime we upped his doseage. Other than acting stoned out from the drug and disorientated from the seizure he seemed OK. A few days later KABOOM!, another seizure as he took an afternoon nap. I really put my foot down, yes indeed! "AL!" I said, "I'm writing the blog AND taking the photos until you get your shit back together!"

One of Al's photography buddies told him that he needed to become more of a Believer, not so much of an agnostic, and he turned him on to a really cool book Dudeism.com - The Church of the Latter-Day Dude and Al has been reading it. Until Al gets back on his feet I'm going to be doing the blog so all of our fans don't jump ship, or even worse, become Dudists themselves.

A Photography Exhibit At MOCA, North Miami's Museum Of Contemprary Art

It wasn't all that long ago that museums rarely exhibited photography at all, and then only the work of long established photographers, or at least somebody who already had the right credentials in the art world. Few and far between were people who collected photograhic prints as art or displayed the pieces in their homes or offices. All that has changed in the past few years.

North Miami's Museum of Contemporary Art had their opening patrty for a group photography show and I decided to check it out. There was a large variety of work shown, arranged so that each exhibter had their own space on the walls. Some of them liked to print large while others preferred smaller more intimate style begging you to get close to admire the prints. They were mostly silver gelatin prints but one of the photographers showed platinum prints. One showed prints mounted on aluminum, but conventional matted and framed pictures dominated the show. The food table seemed to be getting the most attention.

City Planning Running Amok

Well, first off, I'm hijacking my own post here. It was supposed to be talking about Mario's new art gallery and photo studio, how it's located where Jaybo's Photo Lab stood for perhaps twenty-five years, eventually expanding into a complete photography shop, everything from film, paper and chemistry to darkroom equipment and high end cameras such as Leica and Nikon. Be cool Mario! I have more photos, I'm impressed with your place, your work, and your plans, so I'll be revisiting you in upcoming blog posts.

What has me upset is the state and county road departments coming into North Miami and revamping our street system, creating a can't-get-here-from-there maze of one way streets and right-turn-only intersections. The on-street parking along here? Gone! Instead there's a small lot in back and a shiny new back door that looks like a front door. If you can find the place! Of course back doors along alleyways usually are massive ugly burgler proof things so a bad guy lurking in the shadows won't break in with ease. Now they expect the shop owners to have nice pretty glass doors in the alleys? Get real!

They may well be state roads or county roads, and they're the ones paying to upgrade them, even adding landscaped traffic islands, but they have no concept of reality. They're not doing the business owners, or the citizens trying to find their way around, any favors!

As for the term "running amok"?

Running amok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk), is derived from the Malay/Indonesian word amuk, meaning "mad with rage" ...

There are plenty of people trying to find their way around, or just a place to park, and they're mad with rage!

Little Gelatin Silver Gems at MoCA

I wandered in to North Miami's Museum of Contemporary Art mostly to kill some time until the monthly outdoor jazz concert got cranked up on the patio outside. I was pleasantly surprise to find that a couple of the rooms of exhibition space were full of black and white photography. They were the senior projects of five University of Miami students.

Even more surprising was that these weren't Photoshoped-to-death garishly colored digital images. No, they were traditional black and white images shot on real film, and the little cards next to the framed prints proclaimed "gelatin silver print". A couple of the photographers went so far as to realize that big wasn't always better and they exhibited lovely little gems that begged you to step closer.

Karl Georg Wolf's Photography Collection

More likely just part of his collection appears in this photograph. The six prints on the left are some that he purchased from me when he and his wife visited Miami a year or two ago. Scroll down two postings for more about about the pictures. It really does something for my self esteem to know that these photographs are being displayed and enjoyed in Germany. The simple matting and narrow silver frames really show them at their best.

Karl, I hope that you and your family and friends get much enjoyment from my photographs. These images were all taken in the 1960's and early 1970's, and most of the actual prints were made then too.

Thanks, Karl, and thanks for sending this photo!