Goodbye, Kodachrome

Speaking of demise, Kodak announced Monday that the company will discontinue producing Kodachrome color film. After graduating from photography school, I had the opportunity to see the original 8x10 transparency of Mr. Penn's image (Theatre Accident, 1947) taken with Kodachrome film right beside another sheet of the same shot taken with Ektachrome film. After 50+ years since he took the photograph, Kodachrome preserved its color fidelity. It was truly stunning to see the image come alive under a light box. It was as if the film was delivered fresh from the photo lab. Sadly, the other sheet developed a bluish/magenta color cast.

Memories

Michael Jackson performing Billie Jean during the 25th Anniversary of Motown in Pasadena Civic Auditorium. March 25, 1983.


Michael Jackson performing Rock with You from the Off the Wall Album. (Released November 3, 1979, Epic Records)

While walking to the BART last night, I played Michael Jackson's music on my ipod. I spent a good part of my morning today viewing his live performances on YouTube. He brought back memories of my past in Manila. There was a time when my siblings and I repeatedly watched taped episodes of MTV for an entire summer. While waiting for the rest of the class to converge in a classmates' home to go to a party, we listened to his Thriller album. I remember people collectively shrieked every time the first drumbeats of Rock with You played in clubs or parties. Boy, we sang at the top of our lungs while grooving to his music.

I really felt sad when I heard the news that he passed away. Although scandals, health problems and financial woes marred his career later in life, Michael Jackson, the artist, and the music he created will endure forever.

Wandering: Cannes

Cannes proudly wears a deep affinity with cinema on its sleeves and visual references were seen everywhere in the city. There was a black and white portrait of French actress Catherine Deneuve plastered on the side of a local bus. I noticed a row of tiny director's chairs etched on the glass that wrapped around a bus shelter next to a portrait of American actor Gregory Peck on Boulevard de la Croisette. On the grounds of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, I found several hand prints from famous European and American actors and directors located along the Esplanade Georges de Pompediou. On top of the bus station close to Hotel De Ville, a trompe l'oeil fresco entitled Cinema Cannes featured 34 faces from the city's cinematic heritage. Inside a restaurant, a photo mural of George Clooney and Brad Pitt wearing black ties was used as a themed backdrop for a special event.
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On Rue des Frères Pradignac, located between Le Croisette and Rue de Antibes, I stumbled upon Ciné-Folie, a comprehensive bookstore on cinema that also sold movie memorabilia from the festival. Framed Posters hung on the walls while several boxes of postcards covered the top of the glass shelf directly across the front door. I randomly chose a box to browse and Wong Kar Wai's "In the Mood for Love" instantly appeared from the stack. I bought it out of nostalgia for the movie. I found a bench on the same street, wrote the postcard to a friend about the lucky find and dropped it in the mail.
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A gentle breeze blew from the ocean as we neared Boulevard dela Croisette- the main artery for tourist activity in Cannes. The light sweater I wore was just right for the stroll. The branches swayed from the palm trees that lined the boulevard while the sun held itself at a perfect angle casting a warm glow on the fine sandy beaches and the luxury hotels, boutique shops, restaurants and apartments facing the ocean. Jaguars and Ferraris sat on traffic along side buses, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrian. A number of large trucks were parked near the beach. Crews rolled out dollies shuttling audio and lighting equipment from the truck to the tents that were temporarily erected for special events tied to the convention while caterers wheeled carts filled with trays of hors d ouevres. Blue chairs dot the walkway, most where empty but a few were occupied by men and women huddled together in conversation and a sprinkle of locals and tourists basking in the afternoon sun.We saw dogs playfully sniffing each other as they crossed paths while conventioneers sat on the ledges while typing on their Blackberries. Instead of tanned bodies and parasols covering every square inch of the beach, a few boys played soccer on the sand, a juggler threw wooden shaped bottles in the air and a few romantic couples sat near the ocean.

Cannes also boasts of having over 700 name brand stores mostly concentrated on the boulevard and on Rue d' Antibes which runs parallel behind it. The boutique shops such as Dior, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton faced the ocean. People carrying shopping bags still abound inspite of the sagging global economy. Women wore high heeled boots and carried designer handbags while strolling with their friends and their perfectly groomed dogs. Gentlemen in dark suits were transfixed at the titanium cell phones at Vertu's window display. As we approached the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the same red carpet where celebrities and directors stood during the Film festival were replaced by a sea of men wearing dark suits and convention badges around their necks. Beside the convention center was an empty parking lot situated in front of Vieux Port where luxury yachts were docked. We walked further down the harbor until the sun dipped in the horizon and the sky turned purple and pink.
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At Marche Forville the following morning, I bought fruits from an elderly lady. She smiled from a far and pointed at the plate of sliced clementine oranges in her stall. I walked over, took a small bite and the sweet juice poured down my fingers. "Trois, madame." I said. I grabbed a packet of tissue from my back pack and wiped my hand while she added one more orange in the bag to round the total to one euro. I wandered around the open air market mentally reading the french signs and trying to guess the english translation of the locally grown produce or fruit on the table spreads.

A few blocks over, I headed to Rue Meynadier- a pedestrian street where the best selection of specialty foods were found. This turned out to be my favorite place in Cannes. It was a feast for the eyes and for the stomach. I went to Ernest and bought a slice of chocolate mousse, tried a pan au chocolait at Paul's and sat in an outdoor cafe sipping a cafe mocha while observing the locals and tourist go about their way. I marveled at the food packaging designs of specialty cheeses, chocolates, cakes and olive oil bottles sold in the local stores along the street. Late afternoon, I stopped by a boulangerie and bought a cheese and spinach quiche and another piece of pan au chocolat for dessert. My last stop was at a grocery store to pick up a liter of bottled water before heading back to the hotel.

A call to serve

©Stella Kalaw

I took my chances this afternoon and walked a block to the Moscone Center to try and catch First Lady Michelle Obama speak at the 2009 National Convention on Volunteering and Services. When I arrived, several flat screens in the lobby were carrying a live broadcast of the event. I could not believe my luck. The door on the right remained open and I had an opportunity to get a glimpse of her in person while she was giving the keynote address.

From the White House press release:

San Francisco – First Lady Michelle Obama and Cabinet secretaries are fanning out across the country today to participate in community service projects as part of the launch of United We Serve, a national call to service by President Obama.

Mrs. Obama will kick off United We Serve by joining California First Lady Maria Shriver and volunteers in helping build a public playground at an elementary school in San Francisco. Later in the day, she will make a call to action to more than 4,500 nonprofit, volunteer, and service leaders at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

United We Serve is an extended call to service challenging all Americans to help lay a new foundation for growth by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service. The Corporation for National and Community Service is leading the initiative, which kicks off today and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

In a video message released today, Mrs. Obama stressed the importance of service in her own life and urged Americans to go to Serve.gov to find local volunteer opportunities. “This summer, the President and I are asking you to make time and do your part…Wherever your interests lie - whether it's working with young people or caring for the sick and elderly in our hospitals, or helping to make the homes in your neighborhood more energy efficient - or any other issue, the most important thing is for you to get involved.”

Website: Serve.gov

Summer garden

©Stella Kalaw

Yesterday, we were at P's house and his garden was in full bloom. The sun was out and the cool breeze made the plants sway. I walked around with my camera and observed as the dappled light danced with the wind. It was mesmerizing. I pushed the shutter a few times, pausing every now and then to analyze the frames through the digital preview at the back of the camera. I did this for quite sometime until I thought I captured something that conveyed what I experienced that day.

At night

©Stella Kalaw

I walked towards the lamp post where the bus schedule was posted and ran my fingers down the list to look for the next arrival-- 9:15 pm. I retrieved the cell phone from my pocket and checked the time. The wait was 20 minutes. I dialed home to see if T could pick me up. She agreed and said she would leave as soon as we hung up. I swung my backpack to my chest and pulled out my camera. There was enough light left in the sky so I attempted to take a few pictures. I probably shot six frames before I heard a car honk at me. It was T. I ran to the loading zone, got in the car and we headed home.

Book: Ed Kashi's THREE

Three by Ed Kashi
Essay by Alison Nordström

From the publisher:

In a world inundated by visual imagery, our ability to take in more than one image at a time has become innate. In fact, our attention span demands it. Three, a book of triptychs by acclaimed photographer Ed Kashi, plays on the visual appetite of a hectic world. These triptychs span eras and continents, challenging our notions of perspective and the individual image. Contained in a format dating back to Christian art in the Middle Ages, Kashi’s images examine current issues of social and political significance, bringing together the joy, sorrow, destruction, and reconstruction of a world in flux. These triptychs compel us to see the relationships between extreme ends of the human experience and to appreciate the strange beauty inherent in that experience.

The grouping of photographs in Three is deliberate and provocative, asking us to read not only the individual photographs but their cumulative stories. The triptychs defy the confines of any single frame by presenting them in a lyrical, dynamic context, exploring the intersecting points when decisive moments converge, and opening a dialogue between images. A celebration of the language of photography, Kashi’s work layers color, form, and content, while allowing time to pass in the course of three images and offering multiple screens to order the chaos that surrounds us.

Publisher: Powerhouse Books
Clothbound Hardcover w/ tip-on, 11.25 x 8.25 inches, 162 pages (with 16 gatefolds), 87 four-color and black-and-white photographs
ISBN: 978-1-57687-461-5

Visura Magazine also featured this series.

Quote 03

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, It moves again since it is life.

William Faulkner

The wonders of technology

Glendalough Monastery

Wicklow, Ireland

It's my brother's birthday today and he, along with my two other sisters, are in Ireland enjoying a late lunch. They sent me these images via cell phone this morning after I made a call to greet him.

Wandering 55

Farmer's Market at the Embarcadero. San Francisco, CA.

Wandering is a collection of photographs from my occasional observations of everyday life. It is a means for me to reconnect to what drew me to the medium in the first place. And that's really all it is: my repeated attempts at recapturing that feeling which energizes me to continue taking pictures.

©Stella Kalaw

Wandering 54

Farmer's Market at the Embarcadero. San Francisco, CA.

Wandering is a collection of photographs from my occasional observations of everyday life. It is a means for me to reconnect to what drew me to the medium in the first place. And that's really all it is: my repeated attempts at recapturing that feeling which energizes me to continue taking pictures.

©Stella Kalaw

Wandering 53

Farmer's Market at the Embarcadero. San Francisco, CA.

Wandering is a collection of photographs from my occasional observations of everyday life. It is a means for me to reconnect to what drew me to the medium in the first place. And that's really all it is: my repeated attempts at recapturing that feeling which energizes me to continue taking pictures.

©Stella Kalaw

Quote 02

“Culture is the sea we swim in — so pervasive, so all-consuming, that we fail to notice its existence until we step out of it. It matters more than we think.”

Eric Weiner, The Geography of Bliss (2008)

source: Rolf Potts' Vagabonding blog

Wandering 52

Farmer's Market at the Embarcadero. San Francisco, CA.

Wandering is a collection of photographs from my occasional observations of everyday life. It is a means for me to reconnect to what drew me to the medium in the first place. And that's really all it is: my repeated attempts at recapturing that feeling which energizes me to continue taking pictures.

©Stella Kalaw

Pause and Review: Wandering

©Stella Kalaw

Eight months have passed since I began wandering with my camera around the vicinity near my work. I thought it might be a good idea to pause and look back at the images I've taken. After extracting the photographs that I thought were compositionally strong, my first instinct is look for some common elements or repeated patterns from another image and view them together. I came up with these five pairings. I don't know where this is going but I really like what I am seeing.

SF Camerawork: Ersatz Group Exhibition

Here are a few photographs from the opening of the show this evening.

(My mail piece at the group show)

This year San Francisco Camerawork celebrates 35 years of supporting the work of emerging and mid-career artists. In recognition of our anniversary and the launch of our new website, we would like to know who you are and put you in touch with others. Ersatz Group Exhibition uses the aesthetics and mechanisms of the postal service as means for an exhibition of artwork created by mail. The artwork is the mail and the way the piece arrives is how it will be installed in the gallery (envelopes won't be opened). All submitted mail art works will be exhibited. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog that will serve as a directory of international artists.

The exhibition will be curated by professional mail carrier Dennis D'Ambrogio, with assistance from co-curators Chris Fitzpatrick and Chuck Mobley, and will be accompanied by a catalog that will serve as a directory of international artists. This will be made available in book form from Blurb as well as a downloadable PDF on SF Camerawork’s website in July 2009. Curators Larry Rinder and Evelyne Jouanno have been invited to tour the exhibition and respond to the work in the exhibition catalog.

In the spirit of a creative exchange economy, once the exhibition closes all participants will receive a work from the exhibition to be redistributed randomly alongside SF Camerawork’s publication Camerawork: A Journal of Photographic Arts in September 2009. One work from the exhibition will be chosen for the cover of this special issue.

June 4 - August 22, 2009
Opening Reception: June 4, 2009, 5 – 8 pm

Advice

Mary Virginia Swanson shares her thoughts about entering competitions and attending portfolio reviews. Here is what she said on her blog:

My enthusiasm for your investing in portfolio review events grows as I become increasingly frustrated and in fact pessimistic about the value of entering many exhibition and/or publication competitions. The reproduction rights often demanded from the winners, and more often now from those who simply apply, are unnecessary and unfair. The physical space and the circumstances at the actual judging of the work can vary, possibly occurring within a physically environment that may not lend itself to optimum viewing of your work, or judges working remotely without a dialogue, or so few examples of your work presented that we can barely get to know your work. (My most interesting judging experiences of late have been being part of a team judging the 2008 Photography Annual for Communication Arts Magazine for three days straight, and reviewing entries for Critical Mass in the solitude of airplanes, with weeks to consider and re-consider the submission (ten images each). I also feel strongly that in this time of economic challenges, conducting research, making new work and meeting with industry professionals and your peers is the best use of your time, offering a rich dialogue from which to grow, rather than pursuing galleries for representation or collections towards print purchases in this economic climate.

Source: Upcoming Portfolio Events of note, including Fotofest 2010 Registration details

I met with a local gallery director last weekend and the face to face meeting gave me an opportunity to have a dialogue with her. We were able to connect while viewing the images together and she was able to relate to a personal experience based on a photograph that was in my portfolio. It was truly a valuable experience. Like Ms. Swanson, she highly recommends The Meeting Place at Fotofest in Texas.

Quote 01

Hierarchy is reinforced by exclusion; teamwork is reinforced by inclusion.

John Maeda/Twitter