Finding Vivian Maier

1979- 1982 Imagery

These images are from college. 2 of the images are from my final senior show.

No spot toning. These are straight from the scanner. It was good to see the hair and dust again. Reminded me of the snap, crackling and pop of an old LP. Why I chose to post these was to see how little my approach to my subject have changed. I'd love to revisit this series to see what more it could tell me. I remember Jim Norton, my college professor, asking what I had learned from the work/series I spent doing for over a year and i was nearly clueless. When I have time maybe I'll post the whole show. I'd love to see what has come through after all these years.

Bragging Time

I have received recognition. Yeah!

The Lucie Awards are part of The Lucie Foundation. Go here to learn more.

These images above were given a Honorable Mention in the Portrait Category of the IPA 2010.

And these images have been selected for 2nd and 3rd prize in the Children Category.

Roberts Western World is hoppin' in Nashville tonite

Don't Wake the Baby

Here is the film a friend asked me to DP. After the film I now can consider him dear. Thank you Elvis for the incredible vote of confidence and the opportunity to seeing a dream come to fruition.

The Good Travelers

The world that takes place in a car attracts me in a voyeuristic way. I am drawn to watch but guiltily. These windows are an invitation. I am frustrated beyond normal to see cars with their tinted windows or Semis too high to see in. I struggle, bobbing my head, squinting my eyes, speeding up to catch a glimpse through the windshield to see what is hidden from me.

Other things that happen on the road that drives me to distraction is traveling at the same speed of a person passing on the sidewalk while their face remains blocked by a telephone pole or a parked car. I've nearly rear ended cars trying to change the sync we are in.

The recent inspirations that have brought this obsession into awareness have been the movie by Abbas Kiarostami about a woman's life in her cab, called Ten. The other was the photography-transvoid. In Abbas Kiarostami movie I have been made a passenger. And Roderik Henderson has given me the liberty to look into the car without shying away. I do not have that uncomfortable feeling as if I have been caught in the midst of spying. In transvoid, the subjects have engaged me. It is like they are waiting for an answer from me. In Ten, I am in the front seat right along with the driver waiting for the answers, asking the questions, driving in anxious silence.

As an adult traveling with my companions I have spent productive hours deep in meaningful and honest conversations, worked out difficult issues, read inspirational books aloud, listened to educational radio shows and explored areas of the country lost to most in the world. As a child I was trapped. Car sickness, boredom. My imagination was honed in a car. And I became the good little traveler.

Memphis Revisited

There is an urgent need in me to record areas of Tennessee that are rapidly disappearing. Each city in the US seems to be whitewashed and gentrified. Memphis is holding on to it's own, maybe.

Andrew Moore and Requiem for Detroit

Thursday I returned to Memphis to record some dying places in the city and this morning I discovered the Flak Photo (very late, I might add) of Andrew Moore's work. His work on Detroit is absolutely beautiful and haunting. I am compelled to record the areas of Memphis that are neglected with the same love and respect. "Detroit Disassembled" Andrew Moore's motivation I would imagine is recording a dying city but to bring awareness to what is happening right here in our country. Many artist are heading to Detroit. It is a "man-made Katrina" happening right under our noses. Blocks of Detroit are vacant as if it is a war zone. I had been wanting to go to Haiti and after seeing a special on Detroit's economic straits I was thinking that my help could be used north of me instead. Here is "Requiem for Detroit" at The Green Changemakers.

American Natural History Museum-Dioramas

A visit to the American Natural History Museum brought me these little jewels. Just today I was perusing the blog sphere and found this at Mrs. Deane. More of Richard Ross's work here if you'd like to peek into the world of museums and dioramas.

Yard Sale

Summer Mornin' Cartoons

Remnants of the Flood

As I was biking to my mothers I sometimes go through a subdivision known to Catholic Nashvillians as Little Vatican. It is a neighborhood built in the 60's right under the shadow of St. Henry's. It is a quaint little neighborhood. The lots are smaller, the homes are smaller. When it was first built the demographics was youthful and, of course, Catholic. So there were lots of children. This was a destination for me and crews of kids from across the highway on a few Halloweens. A lot of ground could be covered in a little bit of time. We'd be dragging our candy laden pillow cases by the end of the night.

Anyway I go through the hood sometimes on my bike because the streets are quiet, and curvy and gentle. Something always seems to grab me.

This little neighborhood is potential photographic series I'd like to investigate. How many does that make now for me? Twenty? But for now I couldn't help but stop here and shoot this den on the road. It might actually have nothing to do with the flood; maybe just a group of teenage kids' project for the summer.

Summer Testing

Dennis Hopper - Photographer

It was not until I bought the CD of Maria McKee's "You Gotten Sin To Be Saved" that I learned that Dennis Hopper was a photographer and only with his death have I learned he also directed "Easy Rider" while listening to an archive with Terry Gross at Fresh Air aired again a couple of days ago here.

If the interest is there to see more of his images at artnet go here.

Soon stay tuned of Flood Recovery for Nashville Musicians @retunenashville.com

Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain is such a strange place. White, barren and blistering on top of the rock. We had a beautiful day though. If you really lost yourself up there you'd think you were on the beach. At just the right angle, you'd swear it. Whenever I see Stone Mountain I think of Ayers Rock in Australia. Weird, just weird. All of Australia seems weird to me. Everything is just a bit off down there.

Best cup at http://ping.fm/RzLzF http://ping.fm/Ykw3A

"Home Improvement" for flood victims-Interested? http://ping.fm/rDg5I

Images from week one in flooded west Nashville http://ping.fm/hpzij

Nashville Flood Week One

The flooding of middle Tennessee hadn't personally effected me since I live on high ground. All around me, though, is the Harpeth River and the Cumberland is less than 2 miles away. I see the devastation up-close and daily. I spent Thursday walking one street of a severely hit area just soaking the experience all in. There is nothing that can really bring the enormity or reality of the situation into focus as to being there personally. Friday I returned to the same street to sling a stick - doing my part in demolition. I can't just take pictures I have to give something back.

Walking down the streets of the flood destroyed areas of Nashville is like going into some weird world. Above are a few things I've seen this past week.

Fotofest Recap (Sort Of) and Rosalind Solomon

Last month and the beginning of this month I was in Houston for Fotofest. Wait a minute...

Let's see, how do I want to continue? I have had a hard time coming back to this blog b/c it just seems my time is being eaten up and this is just more food on my plate. It seems to be feeding my ongoing fear of not getting enough. How can it be a true benefit to me? What good is it doing for me? So rather than waste my time explaining what went on at Fotofest, which was a lot even though I had only one day at The Meeting Place, I think I will make this a journal entry of sorts or I will make a list of more things I need to do to stay relevant in this world of photography. That was the big word for me at Fotofest, btw. Relevancy.

1.) Shoot more

2.) Shoot more

3.) Shoot more

To keep my head on straight and not get too deep in the muck of negativity I have to remind myself that I must shoot what I know, what intrigues me, what is my world. I have to stop chasing the world and be in it.

While there at Fotofest I found myself comparing my work with all the wonderful work I saw the other participants showing. While seeing so much work can be daunting I did learn much.

1.) Be concise

2.) Be consistent

3.) Be considerate of the viewers interest.

Reading all the blogs and looking at countless sites of other photographers can be discouraging for me. Much of what I am doing seems to be done already and who needs another viewpoint. I see so much redundancy out there already.

So why go out and shoot more? Why add work to my life? Maybe that is my answer? It shouldn't be work; it should be my passion. What is my passion then?

A link was sent to me by a photo friend of mine and it is as if he knew where my mind was. It gave me an answer to the above question. It is a validating and comforting interview and if you are not familiar with Rosiland Solomon's work I think the interview at AmericanSuburbX might be a good introduction.

In the interview she states, and I am not quoting exactly here, that looking at other photographer's work is not good for her. She found inspiration in the other arts.

I went to the opera last week and I was so happily inspired. There was no pressure I put on myself. I simply let go and enjoyed it. Maybe I will plant a tree today.

FotoFest highlight for Sunday the 28th "curatorial symposium- curating contemporary photography". Much history and an interesting debate

Addition/Addiction

I am experimenting with adding imagery on my site that reflects my desire to be an "Artist". I shoot so many things that are more an experience than anything. The images seem to serve no other reason than to give me something to do while doing it and an incredible addiction to collecting things. (I think collecting things is a tendency of people born under the sign of the Moon). So I have put these images together to get them out of the filing cabinet and into the light of day. These were actually shot with film. Finding them again has inspired me to bring out the Fuji 680. I'm glad I didn't sell my film cameras. I'd use them as a doorstop before selling them for the price people where willing to give. I guess this mentality goes along with my collection addiction or as I like to think about myself-incredibly loyal.

Henry Horenstein - New Book - Show

Looking at Henry Horenstein's work makes me love black and white photography. There is something so nostalgic or classic or just plain direct about his work. It is refreshing. "Show" is his new book published by Pond Press.

Mile Marker 98

So we took a drive down I 40 for a small job out west Tennessee way. You never know what you will come across. I guess that is why I am the "yes girl". Many opportunities await you if you watch for them. It is the journey, isn't it? That's my feeling anyway. I've always wanted to explore this weird dead spot . The timing was perfect. The light was in my face. The trees' shadows reached toward me. The ice added to the scary factor. I don't know what has killed this little patch of land, but with each passing I always told myself "something is so magical here, Tammy." The area is rich with possibilities.

The Mighty Mississippi

I shot this years ago and since I don't typically shoot landscapes for money I tend to hide them away in a file somewhere. But this image kept resurfacing around my desk and my memory. All my images are up close of people. Maybe this year I will run an experiment by moving away from my subjects. I think to become more competitive as a photographer I need to shoot more babies on seamless and rent more cherry pickers.

A New Year-A New Decade-A New Time

Time is an illusion. The only real thing is now. Let's all be more present in the now, starting now.

I am reading Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now", and I really have to be present to read it.

New years depress me. It is a reminder of time passing. Much of my life has been consumed with the awareness of our finite selves'. The preoccupation of time is stealing my life. It creates discomfort for me in the only thing I truly have and that is now. So in the new year I am working on becoming more present in the moment. I am practicing in watching my thoughts and visiting the clock and calendar for only necessary planning. Remember that life is intrinsically good. Pain exist in perception.