Stolen Prophet

Some unwiped a**holes came by and stole two bicycles from us. I am upset, frustrated and want venegance, even despite knowing to Whom venegance belongs. Thus sadly this sin against me has caused me to fall further into sin. My bike was a cannondale prophet. I will miss it; the other bicycle stolen was my stumpjumper -- a classic mountain bike. So long good prophet and stumpjumper, you guys served me well! If my insurance allows me, I will consider replacing my prophet with a good touring bike. But we shall see. For me the lamest part is that things are financially tight and paying the insurance deductible may not be possible now; and presently the weather is clearing and becoming suitable for after-work rides. Hence another of my frustrations.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Over and over again

The lead singer in this group has yet to admit that he is David Byrne's son, but the admission seems imminent for those with ears to hear! Enjoy:>

TV On the Radio: Wolf Like Me

These guys absolutely rock! Here they are performing on Letterman:>

Leica Shots

I have decided to post some snapshots I have taken with my Leica M5 and IIIc over the last month. I am pleased with these results; I hope you will enjoy these images, too! They are available light shots, as I refuse to use any form of flash.


This is a copperbeech tree near our house. I shot this while out walking Echo, my husky. Below is a shot of the extremely heavy snowfall we endured and enjoyed in early January. I opened the aperature and slowed the shutterspeed down in order to retain a sense of the snow's falling motion. It was taken at night while the snow was piling up on our backyard patio.

6 word story

Write a six word story for this snapshot:>

Herzog Exhibition

On Saturday Ramone and I took our kids to view the Fred Herzog Photography Exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Herzog was born in Germany and emigrated to Canada after WWII. During the 1950s he began to chronicle on film the life of Vancouver. Seeing the snaps brought back so many memories of the "ah, yeah, I remember that!" variety. The old buses, the prices of foods, the shape of cars, and the many coca cola images brought on some of the strongest recollections.

As a huge admirer of street photography, Herzog's work captured my imagination. One of the notable aspects of Fred Herzog's work is that he choose to work in colour Kodachrome.
Though my preference is usually for the subtly and suggestiveness of black and white film work, I found that Herzog's Kodachrome shots were somehow more full of vitality; the snapshots somehow show the time period more effectively. Yet I cannot say why.

The exhibit is on the third floor of the VAG and I highly recommend going. Especially interesting for those who have lived in Vancouver, it will still be full of wonder for those who haven't. My daughter found the old fashions interesting, whereas my son found the way the buildings looked in the photographs compared to now to be very interesting. The differences got him thinking.
That in itself is a good thing; as thoughtfulness is always to be preferred to being thoughtless. Another thing my kids found out about through Herzog's images concerns the concept of inflation. Take a peek at the prices at the Paris Cafe on Main Street. What would one pay now in 2007 for the same meal options?

I had to chuckle at the cheesy Santa items. That poor fake tree; how much more tinsel could it take?

How many of you remember the Pepsi-Santa advertising association? Through all of Herzog's work he does a fine job hazing out those aspects peripheral to the subject of his image. This is called 'bokeh'. And Fred Herzog's images use bokeh to great advantage.

Flies, Rivers and Bright Eyes

Starting to think about casting my flies. This wonderful shot of the Capilano R. does not indicate where I will head. It does indicate, however, why I will head out. Look more closely if you do not see my reason.

It is there.

In other news, a student of mine gave me a copy of Bright Eyes' album "Fevers & Mirrors"; I have given it a good listen while farting around during this evening. I enjoy the album as a whole but the tracks 'Something Vague' and 'Movement of a Hand' are the catchiest tunes initially. The album shows the perspicacious thoughts of the song writer for the band. 'When The Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass' is a tune that has a haunting series of aural images which captured my attention and got me thinking. The harsh phone-off-the-hook sound initially bothered me, but I think I get the point. It plays into the 'fevers' motif of the album; those things which keep you up at night, calling your conscience, etc.. The Fiddler on the Roof inspired 'Sunrise, Sunset' is steadily growing on me; it has the notion of futility and the circularity of the day wrapped together in a most curious way.

Ramone is home. Time to chat.