Today on drool……reactions.

HOLY SHIT (THE STARE)

First, a video reaction from Greg, one of the addicts I photographed
a week or so ago…..

Greg, Ottawa, 2009



I WAS CRYING

Next, because the video camera battery konked out on me, some
writing, outlining David’s reaction to the picture I took of him.

I have to admit, I was a little bit nervous about how he would react.
After all, the shot is kind of heavy duty.

David, Ottawa, 2009

I handed it to him, he looked and said: “I was crying”.

I asked him why, and if he thought it represented, maybe, how
he sometimes feels.

“Yes. When you took that picture I was thinking about my father,
he’s dead, and about how my life goes some days. This picture
reminds me of that…….”.

Then he told me that he was going to put this picture up on the
wall, beside his bed. So he would remember.

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And now…..my reaction to the self portraiture of

JEN DAVIS

Untitled. copyright Jen Davis

Let me start by writing in broad strokes.

It seems to me that, while some men do it, self portraiture in
photography seems to be mainly practiced by women.

I have no idea why this is (or even if it’s true. Maybe I just notice
or bump in to women’s self portraiture.)

Anyway, when I saw Jen Davis’ photos of herself I was immediately
struck. Struck by their beauty and by her honesty. There’s just
something about her approach, about how she allows us into
her most intimate moments that, somehow, make these images
stick to my guts.

I suppose, too, that I like these a lot because of their constructed
reality. Now, all self portraits, by definition, must be constructed
by the photographer. But these, the milieu they define, the look
and feel of them, just plain remind me of, well, they remind me
of the way I see things. They show me what I know. And that’s
a comfort.

Please see more here.

Fantasy #2, copyright Jen Davis

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Finally……let’s end on a lighter note:

NEWMAN

I went to photograph Don Newman and his wife, Shannon Day.

Don is the recently retired senior parliamentary editor for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Been around federal politics for
decades, totally connected.

As I ring the door bell a thought comes to me, a plan is hatched.

So, okay, I ring the bell, Don opens the door and I say, with as
much venom as I can muster: “Hello Newman“.

Don doesn’t miss a beat. Just looks at me and says: “Jerry”.

Don Newman

Shannon Day