Cameras in search of a moment

Generally a photograph is accepted as a visual documentation of a real moment in time.

Three boys, a dog and a cola sign, it was a “real moment” between me and these boys. It could have been a “set up,” the boys might have been actors hired to pose and the cola sign just a prop. Three boys, a dog, a sign and myself came together and parted, never to see each other again and this is a record of that “1/125 of a second’ moment.

Because of digital technology how we experience photography and photographs has changed.

Before digital a photographer could afford an excellent camera and lens, expose film, develop and print— The technology got better at a slower pace. With film you were aware of the financial cost of each image. In the 1960’s I rolled my own tri-x , 30 exposures on a roll.

When you approach Yasukuni Jinja the torii feels massively dominating.

With digital the cameras rapidly improve technologically and just as fast, the cost of the everything except the cost per image, I never think about it.When you buy expensive professional digital equipment it is soon out of date. And there are plenty of low priced digital cameras on phones that are very good quality.

The priest goes one way, the people another.

And its easy, no film to develop and keep clean, no darkroom, no waiting time.

For these Japanese, the photo being taken is an affirmation of their faith in the survival of Japan or maybe its just what you do when you are old and visit Yasukuni Jinja .

The phone has developed into a personal portable multifunctional computer enabling people to communicate more information more effectively and the camera is an essential part of that machine.

Its been over the past five months that much of these images are from Alameda Creek .

Make a photograph (or a video) and send it almost anywhere from a computer you carry around in your pocket— instantly. You can communicate more information than the receiver can comprehend in real time, is that communication? If you send more information than the other person can grasp they may only get part of the message, and you may not know which part they missed.

Digital has turned the world into a global village. Good? A global market can give more competition, more value, higher quality goods, lower prices.

Like in a small-town electronic media enables global gossip, hypocrisy, judging, fear mongering, bullying conspiracy theories and ever more bad behaviours.
Are these bad behaviors the natural result of people living in a small town? Or the effects of modern society which for social solidarity, requires individuals to repress their natural urges?—alienation from our true selves.

Which moments are more important? The ones in your photo album?; The ones you send someone else?; The ones that never happened?; The ones that could have happened? The ones that should have happened?

The moment inside you when the feeling of seeing the photograph is better than was the reality of being in the moment. And no one else knows but you.

Which moments are our true natural selves? Could photographs really be a visual image of ourselves?

We think a photograph is an image of a reality independent of us, an object separated from the subject, take care not to be all in the abyss of positivism,

Last week I walked by a blue heron standing intensely still —often they are bothered just by walking by them on the trail—I walked up a mile and back and the heron was still standing intensely still as I approached and then, Whack!! its beak struck itoa hole and came up with a mole, flew across the creek, drowned it and then ate. I had only seen that one other time in 27 years . ..

And then the next day as I approached the same place, the same bird intensely standing still again and then Whack!! again another mole, another drowning, another meal . . .

still most see the tranquility moments of Alameda Creek.

A San Francisco moment of truth . . .

A San Francisco moment of power . . .

A Jamaica Plain moment of family.

When I livd in Jamaica Plain this family used to pass by our house regularly to and from shopping.the man looked to be about the same age as myself, I used to wonder what kind of relationship he had with his family. What were his friends like? Did he like school? What kind of job did he work?

You may no me before you know me, isn’t that the truth.