On Jacket Holding, Photography, and the AGO (very long)

Imagine being told that you are holding your jacket improperly while perusing the art on display at an art gallery. That happened to me on Saturday, when I finally managed to check out the renovated AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). But first, this other AGO story:

I knew that I wanted to take photos of the Frank Gehry makeover, so I made sure that I familiarized myself with AGO's revised photography guidelines. My reading of this policy boiled down to this: you can take photos of lots of things, as long as it is not an installation or piece of art. Let's avoid, for the moment, the crazy and indefensible argument that there are copyright restrictions that prevent the gallery from permitting photography of its exhibits. Wait, let's not avoid that. Let me say that the AGO has no idea what it is talking about. Photos of exhibits for personal use or for criticism or study cannot be restricted by the copyright act and it is clear that this policy is really concerned with profit-making motives, from sales of postcards, etc. I have taken photos in the Met and MOMA with no problem at all. Clearly, there needs to be a no flash and no tripod rule.

Maybe this is a good place to mention that the current admission costs are crazy. $18 for an adult? I think that if the AGO lowered admission prices, they'd get more visitors. I might go more often.

But, back to the story. I took photos of the barnacle staircase, Walker Court, and the Galleria Italia, as permitted, even though the latter contains exhibits, which contravenes AGO's own policy! Whatever. After peering out a window, I turned around and saw a colorful wall. Here is part of it:


A security guard ran over to tell me that this was off limits to photography. Now, I took the photo because I thought it was an interior design element. Turns out, it was art. Who knew? After all, it fit the wall perfectly, and even continued into that little space above a door frame. In other words, it looked like wall paper. Which leads me to wonder why so many installations at the AGO are designed to perfectly fit available space. As such, some seem like artificial creations. I wonder about the idea of creating a piece of art to fit a gallery space exactly, like this one.

Anyway, Mr. Security gave me the lecture, which I already knew, but the dude wouldn't accept my explanation. He just kept going over it and over it. When he finally stopped talking, I ran ahead and to catch up with my two friends. Imagine my surprise when I saw people snapping photos left, right, and centre of all manner of exhibits, throughout our stay. The difference is that they all had point & shoot digital cameras or cell phone cameras. No security intervened. I even saw people in tour snapping photos with not a single word from the tour guide. These days, if you have an SLR, you are either a terrorist or some sort of copyright pirate.

I guess I should also point out that I had no intention of running around photographing every piece of art, but I would have taken shots of two or three things, if I could have, but that's it. I was there to look at the art, not photograph it. By the way, have you seen that advertisement for Prince Edward Island (or some other Maritime province) on TV that features the interior of AGO in contravention of AGO's stated policy? I guess if you have the cash, then copyright really doesn't mean anything.

So far, not so interesting, right? Well, two hours later in some other part of the gallery, a different security guard informed me that I was carrying my jacket improperly and in such a way that might "impact the art." Jesus! I passed numerous security personnel and no one had made such a comment. This guy clearly has issues. Besides the fact that I had never ventured close enough to accidentally come into contact with any art, I am a grown man and quite aware of my personal space. I considered insulting his shoes, but decided to continue on my way to a section with less anally-retentive, less authoritarian security guards.

But, back to photography. I would have thought that the AGO would relish the idea of someone posting a story on the web about a recent visit to the gallery, maybe with a few images, to show the world how wonderful it is. That would be good (and free) publicity. Instead, the AGO just makes a few people angry, who then write posts like this, which is bad (and free) publicity. If you follow the link to the photography guidelines, you will note that many of the comments are from people pissed off by the policy.

I am not sure what was worse: the restrictions on photography or the ludicrous jacket carrying policy. Whetever the case, it will probably be a while before I am ready to return and confront the praetorian guards.

(Oh, and I didn't mention the other incident, mostly because this is way too long already).

On Giving it Away for Free

People often want to use some of the photos that I have posted on Flickr. My policy has always been to permit not-for-profit organizations to use images (depending on the image) without charge as long as they provide a photo credit and a link back, if possible. I will ask if the org has a budget to acquire photos, and occasionally they do. If the organization is a business or some other money-making venture, then I will charge. Not everyone feels this way.

Too many photographers on Flickr, and probably other photo sharing sites, give it away for free, just to see their photo in print. A contact of mine recently allowed Parks Canada to use a photo in a national brochure for free! That's insane. People like this are doing a serious disservice to professional photographers. If we are all willing to give our work away, how can people who earn a living from photography be expected to stay in business? They are screwing their professional friends.

Recently, a very large Canadian law firm asked to use a photo of mine for some holiday correspondence. I negotiated a fee of $500. The law firm dude told me that he was searching for several photos, but that my price was OK with the company. I heard from this firm one more time, and then they evidently found a few suckers who were willing to surrender their photos to a huge corporation for absolutely no compensation. I am not really too concerned about the cash, though it would have been nice. I am really irritated that these yahoos don't get it.

Submitting a photo to a literary, art, or photography journal is different. Giving your photo to anyone who asks is wrong, especially if they are using it to promote their business and increase profits. Wise up, people.

Bondage

As promised yesterday, here are two shots from Nuit Blanche. I selected these as examples, just to give you an idea. There are others I like much better, and those will probably end up on my Flickr account. I hope these aren't too scandalous for a librarian's blog :-)

Nuit Blanche 2008

The bad news is that I started to feel very ill around midnight, and had to cut my night very short. Presently, I am dealing with a cold that has a horrible cough. But, I did enjoy some of this year's Nuit Blanche, mostly because the theme was nudity or, rather, partial nudity.

Early in the evening, I cycled down Bay Street and watched about 8 women (probably late 20s or early 30s) hurry out of a restaurant and attempt to flag down cabs. One slightly overweight woman tried to propel herself along on her little trotters but, in doing so, caused some sort of cascading ripple effect, a fleshquake might describe it. Her body rolled in several directions at once, hindering her forward momentum. It was not a pleasing sight, but then her strapless halter dress gave into the chaos and fell down, exposing both of her bare breasts. Drunkenly, she hoisted it back up, and raised her hand in the air for a cab.

Trying to expunge that from my mind, I soldiered on. Soon, I caught a performance of Japanese Butoh, an extreme form of dance featuring three topless women and a topless man, each wearing a sumo wrestling-like diaper and covered in white body make-up and black writing. I observed and took photos, some of which are very cool.

Much later, I took in my favourite unofficial Nuit Blanche event, which is an annual light bondage show. I got some great photos last year and some even better ones this year. Should I post a photo here? Would that be outrageous or offensive? Let me know if you'd like to see one or two. I also ran into a photography friend I hadn't see for a while at this event. That was cool.

Right now, I am sitting on my back deck with my computer and camera, watching a squirrel attack the grape vines and listening to the neighbour's air conditioner. It has run continuously since Lord knows when, and for no good reason. There is a nice breeze today, and I am more than comfortable. Oh, I am taking some time off, which I think I mentioned. I am just about to launch Photoshop and create a few masterpieces. Sadly, I didn't have the proper lens on my camera as I cycled past a groundhog today. He was a cute beast and rather chubby. I was within a few feet when he got scared and went back down his hole.

update: ...but, a neighbour just came out to smoke, and the wind is coming this way, which sucks. I have smokers on both side and I just wish they all f@&% off and stop smoking!

More on The War on Photography

And this is an even scarier example of what is going on in the USA:

The War on Photography (or, you can't photograph this and you can't photograph that)

I love the article Are photographers really a threat? Bruce Schneier of the Guardian sums up the ridiculous assaults on the rights of photographers by arguing:

The 9/11 terrorists didn't photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. Timothy McVeigh didn't photograph the Oklahoma City Federal Building. The Unabomber didn't photograph anything; neither did shoe-bomber Richard Reid. Photographs aren't being found amongst the papers of Palestinian suicide bombers. The IRA wasn't known for its photography. Even those manufactured terrorist plots that the US government likes to talk about -- the Ft. Dix terrorists, the JFK airport bombers, the Miami 7, the Lackawanna 6 -- no photography.

Indeed, and yet all over the west, photographers and normal citizens taking photos and videos in public spaces are being harassed by security and police. If you have 6 minutes to spare, have a look at this video of British police harassing a man for taking a video on public property:


And, it's not just in the UK. Photographers and tourists are routinely hassled in places like Washington DC, where there is a huge list of buildings that one is not permitted to photograph - even when standing on public property. Marc Fisher has written an interesting piece about that. The comments are interesting too. Americans have the right to bear arms, and maybe it's time to add the right to bear cameras to the constitution.

In Toronto, I have read about the stories of Toronto Flickr-types being confronted by security from the American Consulate for taking photos in the area, even when standing on public property. What is really perplexing is that there are photos of the US Consulate on the web (which can be found using a Google image search), not to mention satellite views using Google Earth.

And then there's this: Police appeal for bombing footage (!) First, they harass people for taking photos, and then they want the people to hand over the photos they didn't want you to take in the first place! This is ridonkulous.

So far, I have not been harassed, but I will be sure to mention the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it happens.

Doors Open

It's Doors Open time once again. Last year, I only managed to hit a small number of venues, but this year, I have mapped out my route and I will be far more engaged.

Yesterday, I purchased the Lowepro Fastpack 250, which can accommodate my laptop and my digital SLR plus lenses. I have room for cables, journal, mp3 player, charger, card reader, pens, cell phone, etc. I love this thing. For Doors Open this weekend, I will put on the pack, strap my tripod to my bike rack and head out. Tonight, I will be at the opening ceremonies at the ROM. I need to pick up a new compact flash card as well, maybe a 4GB card.

I haven't gone for a run all week. I am slow to get back at this full time. It's not like I am being lazy. After all, I cycle 15km per day, year round. On days when I run, that's 15km plus the run. It adds up.

So, back to work . . . I guess. It's Friday and my motivation is waning, big time. Apologies for the boring post. I wish I had something funny to say today. Maybe next week.

Bovinae


Some cattle, photographed by my mother when she was very young, with a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I prevented my mother from selling the camera in a lawn sale, and it's been in my possession every since. The trouble is that it was damaged some years ago.

After scanning close to 1000 of my mother's old photos, I am forced to consider the possibility that she is partly responsible for my love of photography. I am also forced to recognize that advancing technology killed any photographic skill she may have had. Most of her early photos were taken with a medium format camera, as you can see from the photo above. I love big square negatives much more than the 35 mm variety.

She dumped her clumsy camera for one of those compact cameras that used 110 cartridge film. The first kind used disposable flash cubes, and later ones had a built-in flash. This led, of course, to colour balance problems, grain, and generally bad photos and, eventually, red-eye. When I was eight or nine years old, I was gifted with a Kodak Instamatic 126, which was not much better.

Anyway, I like the cows.

A Barracuda plus Gorillas

I was once a top notch fisherboy. Here I am with the barracuda I caught in the Atlantic, just off the coast of Miami, Florida. It put up quite a fight, but I prevailed in the end.

OK, so on to gorillas. Wait...I have to run to a meeting now. I'll have to finish that story later. They were really dream gorillas, so it's probably not what you hoped for anyway.

Les Chaussures de Zydeco Fish

Some visual stimulation for your Wednesday. Size 9. Imitation Converse, purchased on Yonge Street about 15 years ago. Probably made in China. The only reason they are still in one piece, is that I rarely wore them outside because the soles are so thin, I could feel every pebble underfoot.

Another One Down

Tonight is the last class - the critique class - in my most recent photography course. This makes four down. If I take 6 more courses, I will get some sort of certificate, but I am not sure I want to do that, even though I have taken 2 of the 3 required courses. There is the possibility that the requirements of the courses displace the natural joy I would normally receive from the creative output.

For the last six years, I have been switching back and forth between writing courses and photography courses, unable to decide which I prefer. I seem to get into one mood or the other, hack away at it, and then switch. Some days, the creation of a blog post is pure magic; at other times, it is a labour most severe. I think the flipping back and forth offers the possibility of breathing new life into the art.

I have taken a few kernels from this blog and expanded them to some greater lengths in the hope that a collection might form, however randomly and incoherently. What I would do with such a collection is quite another story, but the idea of it is enough to convince me to fire up the laptop, from time to time, add a few paragraphs, consider the words, remember, reflect, enhance, embellish, and lie. I always wonder if my recollections of past events bear any kind of resemblance to the actual fact, but, having been trained in the craft of historical research and writing, I say that matters little for the value may be in my skewed perspective.

Perhaps I will take a course in deejaying. I'd like to get down and scratch some vinyl.

Technorati Tags: writing, photography

Me

Yup, this is me. My sister snapped this photo with a Kodak EK-2, better known as The Handle. It was a Polaroid clone, and was soon off the market when Kodak lost a lawsuit. The photo has faded over time, and I had to do quite a lot of reconstruction to get it to look as good as it does. Of course, having me in the photo really improves the scenery :-) Please note the bell bottoms pants. They were once de rigueur.

According to Bizarre News, January 24 is Eskimo Pie Patent Day! Yesterday was national (I am assuming in the USA only) National Handwriting Day, National Pie Day, and Measure Your Feet Day.

I did none of the above. My handwriting is so bad, I can barely read it. I have had to ask people to try to figure out what I wrote. The other problem is that I am far too cryptic. Just recently I wrote "blog - fruit." Clearly, this was an idea for a blog post, but I have no idea what I meant.

Technorati Tags: me, Zydeco Fish, handwriting

Self Portrait #7
(Self Portrait #6)

That's me.

Technorati Tags: self-portraits, zydeco fish

Photojunkie

I have been absent from the Blogosphere for a few days. I can't really say why, other than to say that perhaps I was afflicted with some sort of blogging malaise, or blogging indifference, or blogging boredom, or blogging fatigue. You get the idea.

On Saturday, I checked out the opening of Toronto Squared, a photography exhibit by Rannie Turingan (aka Photojunkie). It runs until June 6th at Le Petit Dejeuner, 191 King Street East, Toronto. Of course, I did not know anyone there, but then I found out afterwards that two of my Flickr contacts were there - I just did not recognize them. Also, the Accordion Guy was there, but I don't know him either. And, I got an email today from someone else who was there. We sort of cyber-know each other but we had never met in person.

I spoke with Rannie for about 5 seconds. We had never met before. I am considering passing along the URL for my photoblog. If that happens, my anonymity is completely blown.

So, I guess I will start posting again. Coming up: Trapped in the Women's Washroom: A True Story.

Technorati Tags: blogging, photography, photojunkie, Rannie Turingan

On Enthusiasm, Muscles, and Shirts

My interest in blogging comes and goes. That is, it fades and then reappears. I think I am in a relatively unenthusiastic mode at present. It's hard to say why. It could be the change of seasons, the alignment of the planets, or the amount of work I have. I have a lot of competing interests, and it is sometimes difficult to make time to post entries and to visit other blogs.

I recently started a photoblog, and that has diverted some of my attention away from this blog. I have other online projects, which all require some time.

Today, I wore a nice shirt. It's a favourite, but it is barely long enough to cover my midriff. If I have to reach up, I will expose parts of my stomach, which is ok, because I have a well-formed abdomen. This reminds me of my high school days. I used to do 500 sit ups and 500 pushups per day (Currently, I only find the time to cycle to work and back, which is roughly 11 KMs round trip). In high school, I would ask people to punch me in the stomach as hard as they could. I borrowed that from another guy - Craig - who gained some sort of popularity from the act. If your stomach muscles are strong enough, all manner of fists will just bounce off.

So, this shirt is a little short, but not too short. It's just a tad shorter than I would like. I'll spend the rest of the day doing the Picard maneuver.

Technorati Tags: blogging, exercise, muscles, shirts, feats of strength, photography

Because I Can't Think of Anything Else to Write About Today

- I have 28 cameras.

- I hate Fabricland. I hate everything about it, from just being in the store, to the acres of unappealing fabric. I feel nauseous and weak, especially in that one at Yonge & Bloor in the basement with the low ceilings and bright fluorescent lighting.

- I make tons of typos. In fact, let me just type a coupld of sentences to demionstrate how many typiose I make. It;s beacause I never learned how to tyupe properly in schoo.. I guiess IO figured that I;d never need to know how to type, so I didnlt take the couirse. Thanks heavens for spellc heckers. I think I typs with six fingers and I use the thumbs f rthe space bar, like verybody else. even fater I run evertthing through the spell checker first, I find errors. It's ok to let me know if you see one.

- Here is a picture of my bike.



Technorati Tags: Fabricland, typos, cameras, bicylces

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I planned to post a picture of my lunch every day this week, and always forgot. I forgot again today, so the best I can do is the empty container. You'll have to guess what was in it.

Yes, I am part Irish. My great great grandmother on my mother's side was born in Ireland. She married an Englishman and then they moved to Canada. In last year's St Patrick's Day post, I discussed imperialism and invasion and being oppressed. I really liked that post, but it seems few other people did.

The problem with St. Patrick's Day is green. I do have some green in my wardrobe, but I always make sure that I avoid it on St. Patrick's Day, except for that day in grade 5 when I forgot it was St. Patrick's Day and I wore a green shirt. I'll never forget it. There'll be no green from me on St. Patrick's Day.

What the hell is going on with Blogger? I don't know about you, but it's being very uncooperative. Hey, Jeff's blog is back now. Wait, it was for about 5 seconds. Some Blogger error killed his blog for hours and hours. That's all I have to say today. It's Friday and I am tired.

Technorati Tags: St. Patrick's Day, lunch, Blogger

Self Portrait #6
(self portrait #5)

One day - I am not sure when - I will post a real photo with no distortion. I promise.

Technorati tags: self portraits, photography

I Have to Ask Myself

Were my parents on drugs? Why else would they choose a tree that looks like this monstrosity? I remember the day we got this tree very well. I scratched my head then, and I scratch it now. It makes no sense. I know it wasn't the last tree on the lot. Why they didn't prune the bastard, I have no idea.

I'd like to know if there is some sort of rate-my-Christmas tree website, 'cause this would surely win in the ugly category.

I have decided that I either have to stop looking at old photos, or come to terms with the fact that my family is full of weirdos.

By the way, the cage at the upper left was home to the two dead budgies.

I'll pass on the opportunity to comment on the interior decorating.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Christmas trees, family