3 happy chappies with chappy sarappies

not much to say. went to work as usual. this kid, ori, that just got out of the israeli army has been telling me coincidentally that his brother was a music photographer that worked for rolling stone before he passed away from cancer very young a couple of years ago, leaving behind a young daughter. this breaks my heart as it is, but ori promised to bring in some of his brother's work, and i gave him the link to mine.

he brought in some magazines and gave me his brother's web-stuffs to look up later. his work is absolutely incredible. he's shot my favorite bands of all time, not to mention the fact that he shoots film. ok so HUGE radiohead, flaming lips, sonic youth, iggy pop, modest mouse, spiritualized, nofx, mars volta, red hot chili peppers, and death cab for cutie just to name a few. the images are amazing and totally inspiring for me to not get in my own way and start shooting film. OH and apparently, he was looking online with his dad at my stuff, and his dad asked if my work was his brother's. so that was really a nice compliment.

i realized 3 things tonight once i logged onto his brother's website www.subwaysleeper.com and inmemoryofdrewgoren.blogspot.com (maintained almost every day by a very close friend of drew's):

1) i try to analyze why i don't do shit too much instead of just doing it (i.e. i think and worry too much). which is why i should just go out and take photos and write songs and not give a shit and worry why i'm not doing it. just fucking do it! i mean, this guy just did what he absolutely LOVED every single day and was dedicated to it. i hate to contradict myself, but why is it not in my nature to do that? fuck. is it always so hard to find what you're passionate about more than anything? to create something pure and expository and transparent?

2) this person had people in his life that cared deeply for him that he would've gone to jail or died for. he cooked and barbequed and really cherished the people in his life. and he obviously showed them or he wouldn't have so much sadness at his death. this makes me really want to show the people in my life how much i care about them. i'm scared that i'm not good at being really involved and kind to people. that i'm too self centered and that i don't really care about anyone but myself. that's a very lonely feeling.

3) i should start shooting film. it's more me. no wonder i'm getting bored shooting digital. sure it's easier and cheaper, but it's not as authentic, and i'm so about authenticity and rawness and realness. so it makes sense. this is where taking photography classes comes in handy. maybe i'll re-think that path a bit later down the line. i'd like to get into color film stuff too.

plus, the whole process is so organic and a part of you. so the finished product truly is a labor of love, from the initial interaction between the subject and the photographer to the processing of the film, to the selection, to the developing. i love that about photography. and its my dream to shoot bands, because my favorite part about shooting people is to capture the humanity in them, the intention of their expression. anyway, that's what i thought about today.

now do it, sally.

love,

sally