USER (less confused)

Well, there was a great response to last week’s post. The one about
me being confused. I guess people can relate.

I must fess up now and tell you all that, while I was (and continue to be)
confused, that’s totally normal.

You see, it seems to be a part of my creative process, especially when I
begin a personal project. I tie myself up in knots, second guess myself
and am full of doubts and anxiety. Obsessed, in other words.

Truth is, I know that it (confusion) will happen and I’m pretty sure that
I encourage and nurture it during the early days of projects. I believe
that the confusion, doubt and anxiety, the obsession, are all mental
tools that drive the process forward. (Of course, if you give in to these
things, rather than fighting them, they end up defeating the process
altogether.)

I’ve been back to the corner since that last post and can report that,
as expected, there has been progress. I’m beginning to understand
that the shots from this year will be more varied, in terms of their
look and feel, than those I’ve done here before, where I used a much
more strict and rigorous approach. But I’m finding images from my
most recent shooting that are pointing the way…..

This shot of Helena was pretty much a fluke (unless you factor instinct
into the equation). I love the mysterious, ethereal, spur of the moment
feel this shot has. It kind of reminds me of the shot of Joce, from last
week’s post, that I liked.

Helena, Ottawa, 2010

The next couple of pix are the direct result of the subjects making a request.

Deidre and Richard used to be boyfriend and girlfriend and are still friends.
They asked me to take a shot of them together, so I did.

The very similar shot below that is of Jeff and his mother, Lorrie. Jeff is a crack
addict and his mom is addicted to heroin. I had shot Jeff the first time out this
year and when I met him again I gave him a copy of the shot. He studied it and
started to cry. Later on he returned with his mom and wanted me to shoot them
together.

Deidre and Richard, Ottawa, 2010

Lorrie and Jeff (mother and son), Ottawa, 2010

I’m not too sure how I feel about how similar these 2 fotos are, but something
tells me that their vibe is different enough that their sameness might actually
be a good thing. We’ll see……

Finally, here’s a shot of Stephanie.

Stephanie, Ottawa, 2010

Some who have seen and studied this latest USER shooting have commented
on how similar these are to what I did last year: USER Men.

I get what they mean but to me they seem so different. While USER Men was
about jagged emotion and rough edges, with a nod to German Expressionism,
this year’s images are much more tender and lyrical.

I suppose the obvious similarity is the light. I’m so in love with the way the light
on that corner falls on and envelopes the people. But to my mind last year and
this year are different animals.

There’s lots more shooting to be done. I’m starting to see what I’m thinking and
how I can apply my strategies to make this year worthwhile. These past few drools
have been a way for me to think out loud, work shit out and get some initial feed-
back. I find that that, too, is an integral part of my creative process.

Thanks for bearing with me.

FOUHSE BECOMES PART OF THE SONY PROPAGANDA MACHINE

A few months back I won the WinInitiative 10BEST10 contest thingy.
Co-sponsored by SONY. Won a SONY camera and some other stuff.

One of the things the 10 winners around the globe had to do was a
shoot, and they had to provide SONY with some video footage of that
shoot. The powers that be then edited that footage and posted the
thing onto YouTube. Some form of social media marketing.

Here’s what they did from the raw footage we provided. I’m pleasantly
surprised that they left in one “motherfucker” and the bit about being
a part of “the SONY propaganda machine”. I’m also pleased to report
that the camera, a 550L, is quite swell.

CREDIT

I’m happy to tell you that the USER work being shot this year
is being supported by the City of Ottawa. I received a Senior
Arts Grant to carry on the project.

One of my obligations is to publicize that fact and to include
the City of Ottawa logo in published materials.

Thank you.