NOW WHAT

This just in…..

The Ottawa Citizen art critic Paul Gessell takes a look at Ottawa’s year in art
and makes a list:

“Best artblog of 2008 belongs to Tony Fouhse:

Fouhse produces some of the best social documentary in
town with his camera. His blog contains samples of his
ongoing projects alongside provocative text. This is one
timely, mischievous and inspired blog. A must read for
anyone interested in street people, amateur porn stars,
assorted kooks and those who lovingly photograph them.”

(link to original article here)

Now what? How do I live up to that? Where do you go from “best”.

And here (nothing personal Paul G.) I have to add my usual caveat: If you
believe them when they like you, you’ve got to believe them when they don’t.
So when stuff like this happens I giggle a little bit then get on with my life,
which includes a fair amount of skepticism about “best”. I think I prefer the
word: “favorite”. (But I do like the occasional pat on the back. Who doesn’t?)

Anyway, I just try to make my own way, feed the beast, get shit done, move
forward and squeeze in as many naps as possible.

feeding the beast: screen grab of finished files from a recent commercial shoot

But this accolade did make me think about blogging. So below, with some
USER photos from last year and this year interspersed, are some of my
thoughts about my career, so far, as a photoblogger……

Since I started drool in August, 2006, I’ve posted 225 times, every Sunday
morning (with a week off at Christmas). During this time I almost died from
kidney failure; I’ve been bored and challenged, both, beyond belief; I’ve
thrown together fast posts that meant nothing to me, using images from
my archives and I’ve spent time and emotion posting words that no one
seems to care about.

Sounds like life, if you ask me.

Laurie, this year

Laurie, last year

People seem to think it’s a lot of work, doing this week in and week out.
I suppose it is, but I don’t see it as work. I see it as a little project I get
to do each week. Photographers (or, at least photographers who actually
photograph) always end up with bits and pieces, stray images, groups of
shots taken while barking up the wrong tree, side projects and so on. It’s
been big fun having a place to throw up these odds and ends. Along with
thoughts, theories, and other assorted things.

Bubbles, this year (contact print)

Bubbles, last year

When I started drool I really had no idea what it would turn into, what I
would write about. In fact each week, still, I don’t really have much of
a clue. Mostly I get up Saturday morning, go food shopping with Cindy,
come home and pound out a post.

Of course, from time to time through the week, my brain turns to drool
matters. I think about what I’ve been thinking about, what I’ve done, what’s
happening, what I’ve seen and what I’m into. Then it all flows from there.

Piece of cake.

I know that some weeks drool bores some people. Heck, some weeks it bores
me. In that way it’s kinda like photography……not every shot you take is gonna
be, as they say in the music biz, a hit single. I also know that what interests one
particular person will be of no interest to another. So be it.

To me the process is the most important thing. And I intend to keep processing
my life and dropping it into drool.

Jonathan, this year

Jonathan, last year

PRINT GIVEAWAY

To celebrate drool’s 126th post I decided to have a print give away.

All you have to do to enter is post a comment that includes a way
to contact you. Next Sunday a winner will be randomly chosen
by picking one of the comments posted.

(If you don’t want your e-mail to be picked up by bad robots, use,
for instance: yourname(at)gmail(dot)com. And, no, sorry, I won’t
be able to send this off before Christmas.)

The print, below, was featured in drool a while back. It’s a 12×12 inch
pigment print on archival paper. I shot this in Ohio in 2005. If you’re
the lucky winner I’ll send it right to your door.