On Vivian Maier - Jerry Saltz / Vulture (Sun 30 Jun 2014)

An Observer (*) - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
Jerry Saltz (*) writes On Vivian Maier (*):

She was a servant of her talent (*), compelled to use her servitude (*) to make what she needed to make. [..]

Bells go off when you look at her pictures; you become witness to something big. Proust talked of "the apogee of the particular." That's here. This gives Maier's work psychological and philosophical force, something deeply observant. At the same time, she also has an outsider's (*) view of the world. She's one who watches, silently observes (*), is alert to the tiniest disturbance in the visual or psychic field. [..] The valor of being alive comes into focus.

via Jerry Saltz on Finding Vivian Maier: An Invisible Artist and the Man Who Found Her (*) by Jerry Saltz (*).

On Black and White Photography - Mike Johnston (Sun 14 Mar 2014)

Rainbows everywhere - Alexandria (Sat 29 Mr 2014)
Mike Johnston (*) writes Black and White (*) and Colour (*):

doesn't everyone take it for granted that black and white is far richer, more communicative, and more nuanced as a medium for expressive photography than color is?

via What a Great Comment! (*) by Mike Johnston (*).

On Street Photography - Haris P / Eric Kim (Sun 23 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - Oxford Street / London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)
Haris P (*) writes On Street Photography (*):

[..] tips I would give street photographers would be the following:

1. Search for the light (*),


2. Search for the place (*),


3. Search for the character(s) (*),


4. Wait for the moment (*)..

And if you find all these things– don’t be satisfied with mediocrity.

Not-ordinary photos are nice but not enough. Extra-ordinary (*) photos are your target.

via Photographs are Everywhere: The Extra-Ordinary Street Photography of Haris P (Xaris P) (*) by Eric Kim (*).

On The Photographer - Gustavo Minas / Eric Kim (Fri 28 Mar 2014)

The Photographers Shadow - Regent Street / Ultimo (Tue 25 Mar 2014)
Gustavo Minas (*) writes On The Photographer (*):

It’s not about the photographs, but about the photographer.

via Capturing Space, Color, and Light in Sao Paulo: Street Photography by Gustavo Minas (*) by Eric Kim (*).

On Progress - Seth Godin (Sun 23 Mar 2014)

Untitled - Trigor / Croatia (Thu 01 Aug 2013)
Seth Godin (*) writes On Progress (*), maybe:

It's almost always easier to roll something back (*) a little than it is to push it forward (*).

via Compromise, design and the literal edges (*) by Seth Godin (*).

On Instinct: The Good and The Bad - Tony Fouhse (Fri 01 Nov 2013)

Heart - Oxford Street / London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)
Tony Fouhse (*) writes On Instinct (*):

In my experience (*) most people's good instincts (*) are remarkably similar, while their bad instincts are often particular. By embracing your good and bad ideas (*) and impulses, by figuring out how to incorporate them into your life (*) and your work, you somehow become more yourself. Plus, you'll probably end up in unfamiliar (*) territory, a place that will engage (*) you in ways you can't imagine (*), make you feel more alive (*).

via Follow your Bad Instincts: Dos and Don'ts of Tony Fouhse (*) by Colin Pantall (*).

On Learning - Jorg Colberg (Tue 24 Mar 2014)

An Apple - Ealing / London (Thu 14 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes On Learning (*):

If apples are like apples, and oranges and like oranges, what can we learn (*) from comparing apples and oranges?

via The Photobook: A History Volume III by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

Thanks Jorg. I have really been looking for a reason to post this photo of an apple which had fallen from the apple tree in Eileen's (*) backyard.

On Succeeding - StreetShooter (Sat 22 Mar 2014)

Reflection - eljeiffel House / Alexandria (Sat 22 Mar 2014)
StreetShooter (*) writes On Succeeding (*):

Find your photos out there [..] and bring them home and process them as only you can. Find yourself in what you do and others will too. Hopefully at some point in the near future you can sit back and say,

“I am very satisfied with what I’m doing and getting and I will continue to improve and carry on.”

Do not be one of those that say, I am not satisfied with what I’m doing..

via March 22nd, 2014 ….. Fuji XP1 & 23mm … Definition Of Success! (*) by StreetShooter (*).

Always worth making your way through StreetShooter's Posts (*) to find the heart of what he is trying to convey. Love it.

Let the Flow be with You - Max Bervy / Sports Are 80 Percent Mental (Fri 21 Mar 2014)

The Flow of the Crowd - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
Max Bervy (*) talks about The Flow State (*):

The Flow State is a place where the impossible becomes possible, where time slows down and a perfect moment becomes attainable,

via Achieving The Rise Of Flow: An Interview With Steven Kotler (*) by Sports Are 80 Percent Mental (*).

I have known and experienced this state a number of times. Help organising Jenny and Tim's Funerals, particularly Jenny's (*). I felt it in the 500m Master Mixed Final in Prague (*) and funnily enough a couple of posts on this blog [here (*), here (*) and here (*)] that came from nowhere and were written quickly with no review or refinement. I have no idea how I created this video tribute (*) for Joanne, but it is probably my greatest online and creative achievement - it just seemed to flow out of me.

I think I have a few more of these moments in me, but the beauty of it all is, that I can't tell you how, why or when.

Let the Flow be with You.

On Compositional Framing of a Photo - Jorg Colberg (Thu 20 Mar 2014)

Bond Street (*) - London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes on framing (in the compositional sense) [*]:

photographs are as much about what they show as what they imply, what they don’t show, what’s outside those frames. There always is a balance going on [..]: The photographic facts in the frames work with – hint at – all those facts, assertions.

via W. Eugene Smith – Dr. Ceriani, 1948 Smack out of the golden age... (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

Another wonder and insightful post by Jorg Colberg (*). Reminds me of a Post (*) by Mike Davis (*) from a few years ago, that I think of often when taking photos.

Blue on Black - Barcelona (Thu 08 Aug 2013)

Black and Blue - Barcelona (Thu 08 Aug 2013)

On Remembering - Colin Pantall (Tue 18 Mar 2014)

Remembering Jenny (*) - Two Months on .. World Champions (*). How? I don't know, but.. - Prague (Sun 30 Aug 2009)
Colin Pantall (*) writes On Remembering (*):

It's strange how one remembers things without being aware on any conscious level of why one remembers or how one remembers.

via A Happy Post for Happy People (*) by Colin Pantall (*).

As the Green Day (*) lyrics for Time of Your Life (*) go:

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf
in good health and good time

On Confidence - Seth Godin (Sun 16 Mar 2014)

Street Portrait - Haymarket (Fri 14 Mar 2014)
Seth Godin (*) writes On Confidence (*):

Effective confidence comes from within, it's not the result of external events. [..] The confident leader points us to the places we want (and need) to go.

You succeed because you've chosen to be confident. It's not really useful to require yourself to be successful before you're able to become confident.

via Confidence is a choice, not a symptom (*) by Seth Godin (*).

On Happiness and Sadness - Trent Parke / Guardian Photo Blog (Fri 14 Mar 2014)

Street Portraits - Thomas Street / Haymarket (Fri 14 Mar 2014)
Trent Parke (*) writes Happiness (*) and Sadness (*):

I find happiness (*) in sadness (*) in a strange way – there is something that uplifts (*) me and keeps me waiting, looking for the next thing.

via Trent Parke lets his camera play God in inspired new street portrait series (*) by Alex Needham (*).

On Suspense - Anton Corbijn / moreintelligentlife (Fri 14 Mar 2014)

Street Portrait - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
Anton Corbijn (*) writes On Photography (*):

I like the tension of not knowing exactly what you have.

via THE TRI-X FACTOR (*) by INTELLIGENT LIFE (*).

Found this photo amongst the ones I shot that day (*).

Street Portrait - Dark Tranquilli - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)

Street Portrait - Dark Tranquilli (*) - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
StreetSooter (*) writes On Photography (*), Life (*) and Light (*):

I felt like THE LORD was shining a light (*) for me to make a photo….Oh man, what a feeling…it was like an experience that one should remember for eternity. I raised the Leica with the 35cron and just as I put it to my eye….

I kinda heard a voice in my head and I thought it was THE LORD as he said….Schmuck, your shooting TRI-X.

Those are the kind of experiences (*) that effect your life…or not! For me things like that leave me open to the possibilities of what ever life throws at me.

via Fuji XP1 & 35mm Find The Light … and Some Other Things (*) by StreetSooter (*).

The light (*) in this beautiful old passageway, a couple of blocks off the more touristy boulevards, had lined up to be directly along its path. I remember standing to the side and quietly taking a few candid Street Portraits (*) that day (*).

On Photography and Life - StreetShooter (Tue 11 Mar 2014)

A Candle for Jenny (*) - Estrela Basilica (*) / Lisbon (Wed 14 Aug 2013)
StreetSooter (*) writes On Photography (*) and Life (*):

if you leave your self open, the possibilities are endless.

I mean, for me…it’s about responding (*) to life (*).

It’s about making photos and when looking at them, feeling excited (*) for the next breath.

Yeah, guilty as charged….I breathe photography (*).

via Fuji XP1 & 35mm Find The Light … and Some Other Things (*) by StreetSooter (*).

Maybe I could tell a story about this day (*), which I remember clearly through this photo, but I won't ..

Broken - George Street / Redfern (Mon 10 Mar 2014)

Broken - George Street / Redfern (Mon 10 Mar 2014)
Will add to the top of the previous post (*).

A Message To The Broken - You are not Without Hope - Doug Miller (Sun 11 Oct 2009)

Broken - George Street / Redfern (Mon 10 Mar 2014)
Doug Miller (*) writes On Hope (*):

Hope (*) is a thread that exists in our lives. It has been there since the day we took our first breaths. It has existed alongside us as we built our lives. It exists now in the shattered reality of brokenness. Though we are broken, hope remains strong. In our weakness Hope rises as an unbroken thread stretching out into our uncertain (*) future (*), beckoning us to follow and explore the potential that lies dormant and hidden by our pain. Hope waits. Ready for us to reach out and grasp its firm hand. The question is not if hope exists within our brokenness. The real question is if we are willing and able to allow ourselves to stretch out of our brokenness, our preconceived attitudes, and self imposed assumptions and grasp hold of the only hope that exists, the only hope for our brokenness, our humanity and very existence. There is hope and healing and a future no matter what our circumstances. It is true. I have seen it. There are many others that have shared in it as well and testify of its existence and power and potential. Lift your eyes out of the brokenness and glimpse it, it is before you. You are not alone.

You are not without HOPE.

via A Message To The Broken (*) by Doug Miller (*).

An amazing piece of writing. All the more so, if you know the motivation (*) behind it.

A Rainbow always brings Hope - Alexandria (Sun 09 Mar 2014)

On being an Observer - Mike Peters (Sun 09 Mar 2014)

Sydney Central - Broadway / Sydney (Fri 07 Mar 2014)
Mike Peters (*) writes On Being an Observer (*):

I like the fact that I’m still on the outside (*) looking in, and isn’t that what being an observer (*) is all about?

via With regards to my previous post... (*) by Mike Peters (*).

Mike I know how you feel. I receive a similar email each year (*).

Same Same but Different - Jason Kottke (Sat 08 Mar 2014)

Space Needle - Seattle Center (Sun 10 Apr 2014)
Jason Kottke (*) writes:

Everything was the same as it was before, except that everything was different. Does that make sense?

via When Kurt met Courtney (*) by Jason Kottke (*).

I flew into Seattle from Sydney on the day that Kurt Cobain's (*) body was found in the loft of his Garage on the shores of Lake Washington. The first I heard of the sad news was on the radio when I woke the next morning in my room of the Seattle Youth Hostel I was staying.

I would wander the streets of Seattle and ride a bike along the shores of Lake Washington the next few days randomly viewing the sights as I have always done. I even attended an impromptu memorial for Kurt Cobain at the Seattle Center a day later. I did not know about it but just stumbled upon it at the early stages.

It was eventful few days in Seattle, I was at the Boeing Production Site in nearby Everett to witness the maiden test flight of a Boeing 777 in the colours of El Al Airlines. To finish it off I would watch a game of Basketball in the same Stadium as Bill Gates. I would almost walk into him as we all the left the Stadium post game, and I mean literal walk into him :-).

I had forgotten about all of this until I read the few words above at kottke.org

Writing Skills - Ultimo (Wed 05 Mar 2013)

Writing Skills - Ultimo (Wed 05 Mar 2013)
They both just appeared out of nowhere.

Crates - Harris Street / Ultimo (Thu 06 Mar 2014)

Crates - Harris Street / Ultimo (Thu 06 Mar 2014)
Could not walk past this without a photo.

On Photography as a Witness to Life - Kirk Tuck (Tue 05 Mar 2014)

Premier Open 200m Final - 2006 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Champs - Nagambie (Sun 16 April 2006)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes:

The images are self contained historical artifacts that I use to prove to myself that I've lived and experienced (*) the things I have. [..]

We are all on a journey (*) through life and the only important thing in my mind is to understand (*) where I've been and where I might be going. The camera helps me keep track of my progress.

via The mindset of one photographer (*) by Kirk Tuck (*).

On Nostalgia - Jorg Colberg (Tue 04 Mar 2014)

Markings - Madrid (Sun 11 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes more On Nostalgia (*):

the beauty of nostalgia (*):

It’s easy to admire something that was popular in the past (*), because you already know a priori you’re in good company.

In other words, you’re basically putting yourself into a company you admire.

via PROJECT PROFILES: Juan Aballe’s Country Fictions (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

On Photography and Nostalgia - Jorg Colberg (Tue 04 Mar 2014)

Untitled - Madrid (Sun 11 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes Nostalgia (*):

Photography is the medium of nostalgia (*): any photograph by construction shows us the past (*).

This is a time of nostalgia: regardless of where you look, we have become backwards looking, rehashing what was there in all kinds of ways [..]

We can’t let go of the past because we can’t stand the present (*).

Is that what it is?

via PROJECT PROFILES: Juan Aballe’s Country Fictions (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

On Spontaneity and Luck - Philip-Lorca DiCorcia (Feb 2014)

Street Portrait (Hands) - Atochia / Madrid (Fri 09 Aug 2013)
Philip-Lorca DiCorcia (*) on Spontaneity, Luck (*) in Photography (*:

I am very conscious of taking an image and that does take some of the spontaneity out of it. Where the spontaneity comes back in is that I always leave room for luck (*) - the random occurrence that you can’t make happen. There is always an element of chance.

via Arts Preview: Philip-Lorca Di Corcia, The Hepworth Wakefield to June 1 (*) at the yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk (*).

A Familiar Path - Doug Miller / A Single Path (Sat 19 Sep 2009)

Skate Cones - Hyde Park / London (Sun 18 Aug 2013)
Doug Miller (*) writes On Life (*):

A single step (*) repeated hundreds and thousands of times would eventually arrive at the end. It did not take superhuman (*) strength (*) or a talent (*) that most do not have. It took a steadfast commitment (*). Step by step as the miles added up and the challenges (*) slipped by. Today just like those days on the trail, is another step. Tomorrow yet another. I walk this journey (*) in anticipation (*) of the end, but I also know that there is much to learn (*) in the process (*). It is the process (*), no matter what the hardship (*) where great beauty (*) and adventure (*) can be found.

via A Familiar Path (*) by Doug Miller (*).

I found this today in a search for a friend. It was also for me to remember the path we have taken, and how far we have come, over the last 4 and 1/2 years. I said this once before, about the blog this quote came from, that is the single most moving piece of writing (*) I have ever read. It still is and I am glad I looked for it and found it again today.