happy halloween from megan senior

the amazing megan senior sent me this image today as a halloween card. i couldn't have chosen a better image if i'd tried. i love her pictures.

will govus/ 4

matthew genitempo

i spotted these two pictures next to each other on matthew genitempo's flickr page. i thought they made a pretty stellar diptych even if he didn't necessarily plan it that way.

chicken hut

while running an errand for work this afternoon, i passed by these doorbells on the corner of the street. the low afternoon light was hitting them so perfectly. since i've been shooting graffiti pictures recently, i naturally reached for my camera, but of course the only camera in my bag was my cell phone. i kind of love it anyway. especially considering i've been shooting black and white and the color in this photo is so unbelievable.

synecdoche

the word synecdoche has been playing on repeat in my head since watching the below preview for synechdoche, new york yesterday. there was an animated discussion about how it should be pronounced, and i couldn't for the life of me remember what the word meant or why it sounded familiar to me, and now i can't get it out of my head.

syn·ec·do·che
pronunciation:
\sə-ˈnek-də-(ˌ)kē\
function: noun
etymology: latin, from greek synekdochē, from syn- + ekdochē sense, interpretation, from ekdechesthai to receive, understand, from ex from + dechesthai to receive; akin to greek dokein to seem good — more at ex-, decent
date: 15th century

1: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships)
2: the whole for a part (as society for high society), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin)
3: the genus for the species (as a creature for a man)
4: or the name of the material for the thing made (as boards for stage)

— syn·ec·doch·ic \ˌsi-ˌnek-ˈdä-kik\ adjective
— syn·ec·doch·i·cal \-ˈdä-ki-kəl\ adjective
— syn·ec·doch·i·cal·ly \-ki-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

will govus/ 3

will govus/ 2

will govus/ 1

kendall core/ 3

kendall core/ 2

kendall core/ 1

kristin capp

a few years ago i came across a book of photographs called americana by kristin capp. i was mesmerized by the simple beauty of the subject matter reflected formally and admiringly in kristin's images. when i stopped into a local bookstore this weekend, spoonbill & sugartown, i chanced upon her earlier book hutterite in which kristin explores a secluded community of anabaptists in the northwest region of the united states.

i have an ongoing fascination with religious groups such as the hutterites. more specifically, i am intrigued by the idea that ritual can be a powerful mechanism in confronting life's milestones. i've been lucky to have had the opportunity to photograph three hasidic weddings that i found to be amazing displays of such rituals, but those experiences were at most mere glimpses into the secrets of that community. kristin delves much deeper.

these are simple photographs in both theme and execution, that is, simple in the best understanding of the word. kristin enters a community clear of the clutter of the modern world and focuses her camera on the most basic human themes of family and faith. most striking to me is how these photographs very much concern the strength of women and the roles women play in the home. women are not afforded equal status with men in the hutterite community, yet the women in her photographs exert a strength and confidence that implies equality can be achieved through alternate paths.

despite having published two books, kristin capp is not a widely known photographer. but, for me, both in mood and theme, kristin's images go directly to the root of why photography inspires me. her photographs are a pleasure that i return to again and again.