Annalog

A few weeks back there were torrential rains in Cape Town. Townships and rural areas flooded, sink holes formed in the middle of streets, and I bought Wellington boots. The boots have unfortunately proved to be pretty much useless. The skies have cleared for the most part, and it only ever rains in the mornings or at night. When I was covering the Berg River Canoe Marathon, I saw a couple patches of lily plants growing, thriving, on the edge of the water in a now flooded vineyard. The petals and leaves were touched with raindrops. Despite the days of rain, the flowers looked perfect and unscathed.

Several weeks ago, the cable cars that carry passengers to and from the top of Table Mountain were taken down for maintenance. In the meantime, a number of my friends, eager to climb the mountain, have been deterred by the ominous task of having to climb up and then walk all the way back down. A couple have left Cape Town never having climbed Table Mountain. But now, the wait is over. Today, the second cable car is being reattached. (more…)

Ashwald and his two-year-old son Breyton stand on the front porch of the house in which they were both born and raised. In their hands is a photograph of Ashwald taken when he was two years old in the house he still lives in. The story is about people who were being evicted from a housing complex in which their families have lived for generations. They showed us their homes and where they played as children, old photographs of them in the houses they now occupy with their own offspring, and eviction notices. (more…)

I woke up later this morning, around 9:30. Anna and I were supposed to get our hair cut, but she wasn’t feeling too well, so I postponed the appointment. I slowly got dressed, wondering what I was going to do today, and so enjoying the feeling of freedom. I took the elevator downstairs to Mugged to work on the redesign for my web page.

It feels good to just get out of the flat. I gave myself the mission of learning how to install a script on my website that will allow me to assemble photo galleries. I found a script I like, but I have spent the last few hours trying to figure out how to properly configure it for my website (i.e. learning how to use scripts). (more…)

The last few days have been slow—one assignment, if any. Today I drove to the Royal Cape Yacht Club with Jeffery to make a photograph about two new engines that had just been donated to a sea rescue organization. When we had finished, we lingered for a bit and looked at the waterfront, as the mid-afternoon sun hit the water that was covered with white and blue yachts. It reminded me so vividly of Southern California, Newport Beach specifically.

In that instant, I missed rowing. I could imagine stepping into a shell with my oar secured in the oar lock and shoving off the dock. Warming up by pairs, adding in the feather after the first few weeks of practice, the last few weeks on the water when the arm finally turns warm. (more…)

So early in the afternoon and yet, so little to do. Sometimes I welcome slow afternoons. Once I’m out in the car though, I feel totally different. Every car trip becomes an adventure, something to reflect on later in the day, and time to think about potential images.

After the past few days, I look forward to going home and reading, sitting in Mugged and getting a cup of lemon ginger tea, and going through some of my photographs from this summer. I think I need some time to reflect on the work I have done and how to make it better. (more…)

I am sitting in my flat, listening to music on my headphones, getting a bite to eat before tonight. Above the sound of the music I hear, all of a sudden, what I think is an F16 fighter jet. It strikes me: When was the last time I heard the sound of a plane engine or saw the familiar trail of exhaust across the sky? I draw a blank. (more…)

Over the past few years, daily newspapers have been becoming more focused on doing in-depth, long-length feature pieces. Wire services are replacing newspaper bureaus on hard news stories all over the world. There is an increasing amount of attention paid to the subsections of papers, such as the Travel, Business, and Health.

An article of note: In an article in the science section of The New York Times, “Mirrors Used to Explore How the Brain Interprets Information,” Natalie Angier writes a beautiful lede, referencing myths and Shakespearean drama. The article, at first read, sounds a bit like a book review: beautifully woven, elegant yet not flowery language. (more…)

I photographed a change of command ceremony in Simon’s Town today. The captain of the ship went through the ceremonial motions when he handed command of the ship over to the new captain. After the speeches had ended, the old captain got into a row boat and was rowed around the frigate he had commanded, so that his crew could say goodbye. (more…)

“Stare. Pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long,” declared Walker Evans.

From a young age, I was taught not to stare, not to eavesdrop, not to take obvious notice of the offbeat, but beautiful, details of life. To do so might embarrass whomever I was taking note of. But Evans, a photographer for the WPA during the Great Depression, advocates a more observant way of seeing. The better Evans could “see,” the more he was able to accurately convey what was going on in his images. (more…)