Tatau
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%27a
One of my students is making a film about traditional Samoan tatau – tatoo. The man pictured is her central subject. She traveled to Samoa to document the process of the tatau.
Around my neighbourhood
I walk my dog around my neighbourhood everyday at different times of the day – this is a delight. And I tend to take photographs on my way. I cross a bridge over a freeway – which is often busy and at a standstill. These pictures were taken on my phone – this evening I took some on my Canon – but was unhappy with the result…practice makes perfect…
Here is the dog
Making a documentary
Earlier this year one of my students interviewed an internet performer – a young man who embraced the web as his tool for communication five years ago.He began by making video posts on YouTube. As he developed his ideas and his skills, he made a ten part parody of a soap opera – he played all four characters, wrote it, shot it and edited it. Called Oh The Drama - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBDdzKisCOM – it is witty and illustrates his innate ability to use image making as his creative form. With no formal training he began to make many videos and vlog posts and used YouTube as a place to express himself and talk to an audience. At this point he has had 5 million views. He joined Twitter very soon after it was established and has 10 thousand followers. His name is Patrick, but he posts and performs and is PattyBoy. After meeting him and seeing my student interview him for her assignment I realised what an incredible person he was and wrote a treatment to apply for funding. The treatment and the ideas has had positive responses – but my first attempt at funding has been declined. I have received funding before, I have been declined before. After being declined three times in a row over 8 years ago I gave up. Over those 8 years it has become easier to be independent in terms of the means of production. With Final Cut Pro on my computers and a dslr, access to some other cameras, mics and mixers, and the use of social media I have begun shooting this film and documenting the process via the web.
I have been trying some approaches that I had only dabbled in before. The first interview was shot in a studio and with the assistance my colleagues, an interrotron was set up. What is it? http://errolmorris.com/content/eyecontact/inter527.html Two cameras each with an autocue. It works by reflecting my face in the interviewees camera and the interviewee’s face reflected in mine. This enabled the interviewee – PattyBoy to look down the barrel of the lens. I am hoping this will create an intimacy with the audience and is also and become an approximation of PattyBoy’s use of the internet – he speaks directly to his audience.
My walk home
I live in the city – and so I walk to and from work. One of the streets I walk down is a wonderful combination of galleries, shops cafes, clubs and sex shops. I will slowly but surely take photographs of the streets in my neighbourhood and the people who live and work in the area. Here are two shop fronts on the street.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karangahape_Road
The second picture is – http://www.starkwhite.co.nz/starkwhite.aspx
The Ukelele Player
http://www.myspace.com/uniherukelele#!
This woman is a wonderful, joyful performer
Who will ice skate
These are iphone 3 pix from last Friday evening,the subject needs slr treatment. – Coming soon….
This is my land – Taranaki – driving towards Waitomo….
Not so long ago, I drove in the early morning, well not that early from Taranaki to Auckland. It took around 5 hours. The morning was misty, cinematic. I stopped and took some pictures. There are times, when I stop, look and cannot believe the landscape before my eyes. The camera allows me to record what I see.
Welcome to Japhyland
http://sites.google.com/site/japhyland/
This is President Bobo of Japhyland – checkout the website to find out more…..
What is it?
Installation – Berlin
