Spring. The Ties that Bind.

This is an image I shot in-studio of a wrapped bundle of spring flowers. I focused on the raffia tied around the stems rather than the flowers.

The tie that binds. It's a comment on the connections we hold dear and the value of the simple and, sometimes fragile, things that hold us together.

Poppins

One day as I was out roaming with my camera, I happened upon a broken umbrella next to a large metal lampost in Savannah. I could almost hear the "Clung" as I stood there with my attention arrested. I took the shot as this news story unfurled in my mind.

Victoria Magazine

I put a post on my Facebook page yesterday that spoke of Victoria Magazine. I think they need me but that's not what this post is about.

If you aren't aware of this magazine... it was a Hearst publication back in the late 80's and 90's. It was laid to rest in 2003 but only with an outcry from people who knew something magical would be lost. My mother sent me a subscription every year for many years. She loved it. So did I.

Several years later, Phyllis Hoffman revived it. She's done a masterful job of keeping it the same so the long time fans would still love it but she's had to update it. Print magazines have a hard time in the digital age. Print magazines that appeal to women who don't sneer at being feminine are really struggling. But Phyllis keeps at it. I suspect it's now a labor of love rather than a lucrative publication.

I think this is a crying shame, not only for the magazine but for the millions of young women who have no clue about their own feminine magic, allure, power, and mystique. They lost so much when they twerked away their appeal.

The magazine's founding editor was a fabulous woman named Nancy Lindemeyer. The literary quality of the magazine and the breathtaking use of words created a mental and emotional retreat. Reading it each month was nothing less than a series of affirmational moments strung together like smooth, natural pearls. The beauty of the magazine was portrayed by a talented photographer named Toshi Otsuki. (He is now retired and living in Japan. Fan Note: He survived the tsunami and devastation in 2011.)

His body of work arrested us, soothed us, and helped us dream. Other photographers did beautiful work in the pages of the magazine but his set the tone for how we interacted. From a branding standpoint, his work is the one that taught me how important it is to tell a visual story. I went back to photography school in 2003 and I brought pictures from Victoria Magazine. I said to my teacher that if I could make images like this, THEN (and only then) could I call myself a photographer.

Of course, my teachers taught me to make pictures for every need. Fashion, Products, Journalism, Lifestyle. I found I liked shooting still life, food, and homes. I like Fine Art imagery and images that engage the emotions...positive emotions, anyway.  Of course, I found my own style but I remained inspired by Toshi Otsuki's work.

Then, recently, I found a post on Buzzfeed that was insulting the magazine.  I gasped right in my heart. Not only for the "Mean Girl" jeer at my glorious mentor but for the Mean Girl herself. The hateful littleness.

She didn't get it. She completely missed it. Hard, like a swan dive onto concrete and it hurt to watch. 

Yes, she got the smallness. She understood the fun of deriding an old, fusty magazine. She poked nastily at the silliness of Being Feminine. She dropped an F-Bomb for the shock value. (Honey, we know all about it. Yawn) The Vintage clothes. The blue and white dishes. The gardens and the wisteria, which she ignorantly labeled as violets. The romantic bed that she was sure no man would want to visit. (Ahem. Nakedly revealing that she knows not one THING about men. Guys perhaps, but not Men.

I feel sorry for her and I realize that that poor girl is lost in her own coolness. Really. Lost as in ignorant of so many of the basics of being a woman. Like OMG Totes. (Where is her MOTHER?)

One day, it'll hit this girl-child the way life hits us all and she'll find herself wanting a spa moment just to chase away the hurts, sickness, losses, fears, and worries that are always embedded in real life. A child of her heart will hand her a drooping rose and she will begin to understand the soul of a rose. A note from her childhood is in an old box somewhere. She'll find it one day and understand the value in old written words.

So. That's her issue.

But. BUT. 

Here is something women need to do. We need to link hands and share what we know so this kind of ignorance is educated out of existence. Life Ignorance is just awful to watch.

We need to keep Victoria's spirit alive.
So go order a subscription and send it to your daughters, nieces, and grandchildren. Share and link it on facebook. If you own a female-oriented business, advertise in it.

Just do it.

Paradox Valley, Colorado

Outdoor Photographer Magazine produced a feature on Black and White landscapes this month. Black and white landscapes are most widely known by Ansel Adams.

I'm not a fan of Ansel Adams... probably the only person that isn't. Actually, I'm not a fan of the Zone System that he used to produce his images. But I do admire his eye for composition and the translation of said composition to film.

Black and white images have never floated my boat. They seem chilly. Even now, it's rare that I can produce one without warming the tones, which I've done here.

Nonetheless, being able to produce Black and White images is a task no photographer should ignore. It's not a matter of removing color or sliding the desaturation button on a digital image. Whether it's a story of majesty or simplicity, the story must still come to life. It must be saturated with the poignancy that is often missing from color images.

This shot is from a driving trip to Utah and with a return by way of Paradox Valley, Colorado. It is a beautiful route on highway 90 in Montrose County. We often end up in Telluride before heading back.
Photography in and around Telluride is outstanding. At least in the summer. (Snow is but a slight  acquaintance of mine. Been there. Done that. I spent a few years in Wisconsin and that taught me all I wanted to know about Snow and skiing… and living in a cold place. Not for me.)

Cadillac and Ford

Business Insider finds that Ford has destroyed the Cadillac commercial. The "arrogant" one that talks of American values and exceptionalism. Except that certain people think it's really about a rich guy spouting off about his own coolness.

So, Ford enters with a parody of the commercial that takes a swipe at self-absorbed rich men. It uses the founder of Detroit Dirt, Pasho Murry, and her plan to make the world a better place with Urban Gardens and locally grown food.

The problem is that back in August of 2013… well before Ford came up with this snarky little gem. GM had developed the Cadillac Urban Garden Program in Detroit. GM…who makes Cadillac... is a contributor to Detroit Dirt. You can see a photo of Pashon Murry in the below image from the GM Website. Detroit Dirt lists BOTH Ford and General Motors on their website as contributors:

ASTRO COFFEE
BODMAN PLC
CARHARTT
CASCADE ENGINEERING
CITY OF DETROIT
CONTINENTAL RAIL GATEWAY
DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

FORD MOTOR COMPANY
GENERAL MOTORS
THE HAJEK FIRM
MOTOR CITY BREWERY WORKS
SOUTHWEST SOLUTIONS
TEAM DETROIT

Here's the thing. In their ad, Cadillac didn't put down one person or lifestyle. No insult was delivered to anyone. Ford's ad, on the other hand, was specifically designed to mock the Cadillac ad. N'est–ce pas? Of course, Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio described the video as “lighthearted.”
“I don’t think we’re mocking a competitor. We’re trying to showcase positive work being done in our community,” she said. (Think again, Sara.)

Personally, I don't care for snarky swipes like this or the brand of thinking that grants itself permission to take those shots. The word "Lighthearted" is spin, not truth. The ad is clearly mimicking Cadillac's ad and the "lighthearted" intent isn't to applaud Cadillac or the people who purchase their product. The intent is ugly, not lighthearted. Mature, professional people simply do not put someone down to make themselves look better. (For the record...I didn't like it when Apple did it either.)

So, time to turn in that F150, Gentlemen and get yourself a RAM or a Chevy because I don't think Ford much appreciates your hard work or your exceptionalism. (Wait. Come to think of it, I know two women that own F150s. So PEOPLE…get yourselves a different brand.)

And Pashon?
I also don't much care for people who bite the hands that help to feed them. It's manure.

#Cadillac
#pashonmurry

Womanbrandity

First published September 2013. Updated March 2014

Oh for the days of Cadillac's Kate Walsh commercials.

Compared to:

This or the "sexy long version" commercial with a James Bondish looking fellow.

No Comparison! 

What do women really want?

Far beyond connection to the brand, validation is really (really) important to brand loyalty. 

March 10th 2014 Updates:

This new Cadillac commercial is driving some people nuts. There's even petition to have it removed! No Kidding.  

American Exceptionalism is BAD because some people might feel bad that they don't have the same opportunities. In a comment I read, a protester actually said "Some people might work 3 jobs at fast food places and can't afford a nice car like this." So, in conclusion, they realized this commercial should be taken off the air since it is offensive. 

By the way… there's a new Barbie. She is described as "average" because old Barbie might make some women insecure about their bodies. 

The underlying messaging is horrible. 

Reach for the Stars has been replaced by Reach for the... Meh.

All in the story.

A well done story to promote a british food mix.

Cranky Apples = Angry Orchard

I recently ordered my first Angry Orchard Hard Cider. I've always been fond of apple cider until I found out about the arsenic. Huff Post might think low levels are acceptable but since the stuff builds up over time, I'm going to hold back.

I WAS anyway.

Now this:

(An eyePhone snap)

 It's good and it tastes exactly like cranky apples from an angry orchard.

Then, I went to the website. It's brilliant and fun. Scrolling sideways from morning to night and down into the root system of the orchard to discover the origins.


The product is fine. The Marketing is wonderful. From the whimsical name to the Fun website...

Two thumbs up.

Masculine Virtues Rock

In defense of men... Camilla also rocks.

Quote from a recent interview in the Wall Street Journal.  

"Ms. Paglia argues that the softening of modern American society begins as early as kindergarten. "Primary-school education is a crock, basically. It's oppressive to anyone with physical energy, especially guys," she says, pointing to the most obvious example: the way many schools have cut recess. "They're making a toxic environment for boys. Primary education does everything in its power to turn boys into neuters."

Politically correct, inadequate education, along with the decline of America's brawny industrial base, leaves many men with "no models of manhood," she says. "Masculinity is just becoming something that is imitated from the movies. There's nothing left. There's no room for anything manly right now." The only place you can hear what men really feel these days, she claims, is on sports radio. No surprise, she is an avid listener. The energy and enthusiasm "inspires me as a writer," she says, adding: "If we had to go to war," the callers "are the men that would save the nation.""

A Man's Man teaching an older woman how to shoot. (skeet) She nailed it time and time again. 

Waxing Moon

In South Carolina, the state flag is a Palm Tree on an Indigo background with what appears to be a waxing moon in the corner. I thought it was the coolest flag. Alas, while researching the indigo article, I found that it wasn't a moon but was, instead, a gorget. (A plate of armor that was worn around the neck)

The waxing crescent moon, however, will always been my preferred fiction. It simply fits this amazing place. I took this in early October 2013 for my Halloween greeting card. I was standing on a bridge getting eaten alive by tiny winged vampires but what a beautiful night.

Mason Murer

The art work was hung in the gallery with care with hopes that Atlanta soon would be there.

These are a few of the images that were juried into this show. Mine are the Railroad Tracks because you know I have a love of the rails and the Foggy Dock next to the rails because fog is beautiful and hard to get right. Plus, I had a transportation theme.