Knuckledragger

Dubya wanted to be the Baseball Commissioner. In the running for the most WTF thing I have ever posted here.

No problem. I'd go check it out and try to photograph it myself when I head out there next month, but I'm afraid it's on private property. Up Island has become the Hamptons of the Vineyard. Tangent: For about a decade now, I've wanted to run an web-based record label out of Chilmark, MA called "Chill*Mark" that specializes in downtempo. Unfortunately, Chilmark is the most expensive town on the Vineyard, for a host of reasons (not the least of which is that it has the only nude beach on the island.) Even getting a PO box is a Herculean task. Most of my MV relatives are either dead or have moved off island at this point, but when I asked one of the few remaining relations about getting a box there, she laughed at me.

Sup, Heads? My radio show is on the air right now for a special Bonus Beats session, in Case you wanted to listen.

When I posted this originally, I forgot to include my notes on it. It's Midtown Manhattan (durr) in 1939, taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. It shows a profound knowledge of architectural photography as well as great skill in composition, exposure and printing. You can see just a tiny bit of shadow in the upper right corner which is the result of the image circle provided by the lens failing to cover the entirety of the film frame. This is a result of pretty substantial lens shifting in order to produce correct perspective. Notice how the skyscrapers appear to be standing bolt upright and not falling over backwards? That is the result of careful adjustment with a 1930s large format technical camera (or as it was known at the time, 'a camera.') Eisenstaedt had quite a career as a photographer, and he's really not known for his architectural work. He photographed the moment Hilter and Mussolini met for the first time: That historical moment would the make a name for any photographer, but it's still not Eisenstaedt's most famous frame. That'd be his iconic V-J Day photo: Even people who know nothing of history or photography recognize this shot. Old Alfred was born in the end of 1898 and lived until 1995, spending his later years in my stomping ground: Martha's Vineyard. Tisbury, MA, 1969. This is to say nothing of his glamour shots in the 50s (Marilyn Monroe, etc) and countless other works. His final photographic subject was the Clinton family, vacationing on the Vineyard in 1994: If I live to be twice as old as Alfred, I'll never been 1/10th the photographer he was, but it's good to have icons like him as a source for inspiration.

The main reason Lambo makes 4WD drive models is an attempt to control the insane amounts of torque that their V12s produce. Of course, no amount of engineering can counteract driver stupidity. As soon as something is made idiot proof, a better idiot comes along.

I'm repeating myself, I know.

All this and no Pintrest.

Posted in honor of CJ ...after seeing pix of his sister.

One does no simply Hodor into Mordor.

A shame about the quality of the print. This shot shows off one of the real strengths of large format. All lenses are tilt/shift. NSFW ...and very French.

Decidedly NSFW.

Is the XDA-1's price now lowered to $200 permanently or does it go back up to $250 after the sale ends? The way I'm reading that ad is that the 10% off coupon (which doesn't apply to the XDA-1) expires on the 18th, but the XDA's $200 price doesn't.

Last night I found out that a woman I've known since second grade died of cancer earlier this year. She was scarcely a month older than myself. She left behind her husband and two young children. I hadn't seen her in years, but I'm pretty saddened by the news.

There's large format, then there's really large format. Taken by some friends of mine a few years ago.