Tuesday, September 28, 2010

When does a place become sacred?



© 2010 bridget batch

We found a magical place. Actually, it was more Kevin who found it. I sat in the passenger seat desperately working on my laptop, working on what I call the "real" work -- as if making art were actually always fun. We commonly look this way, me hunched over, squinting at an lcd screen I can barely see; him driving along, never finding a place that is actually good enough. Today I made up a version of Goldilocks to describe him -- "this forest is too dark," "this forest is just right." Two days ago, he drove his Subaru, "Adele" up and down several tortured forest service roads in the wilds of Idaho. He had made up his own song, "it's too thick for any use" to complain about the forest.

I found these thick, musty woods seductive, an enchanted fairy world. Our experience began in the Yaak -- in the far northwest of Montana where the elevation is low and the constant rain inspires too many things to grow. We were socked in for the entire 5 days that we stayed there for the job. But I was trying to be a good assistant, and to stay up and finish my other tasks, and I didn't take advantage of the enchanted misty woods as I should have. The terrain changes daily, you cannot ever let the opportunities slip away,

Kevin was looking for a vantage point, some vista that revealed something other than endless reams of light-sucking conifer velvet. We didn't see this fire tower at all until we were right under it. We had just enough water and food. But it was amazing and we spent two days there in complete solitude.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Stop it with the mosque controversy already

I am going to join the blogosphere on this one.

Could everyone just stop being so hypocritical about the Constitution and SHUT UP about this mosque already? Build the damn thing and move on. Freedom of religion on private property is a cherished American right and that religion is any damn religion that decides to exist. Stupid as they all may be. Yes, I said that.

A lot of people agree with me, they simply do not happen to scream as loudly or make for as good of news copy as the so-called "right" wing (i think i am going to start calling them the "wrong" wing. Why should they get away with that bit of PR brilliance anyway?) And, when have the likes of Jerry Falwell and grandstanding ultra-conservative ministers been proven "right" about anything? ANYthing?

Enough of a tirade for today. I am on the road again, with the boy. We drove away from anxiety into freedom. September 11 came and went and we were in Minneapolis where the grief is, of course, a little more muted. It was a gorgeous day too. The event deserves real commemoration, of course. But nearly ten years on, many are going to forget. Just as all war events become forgotten paragraphs in history textbooks. How many of us contemplate the horrible tragedies of the War of 1812? How many of us even know that the Star-Spangled banner was written then? I am sure the widows of those young American and British soldiers were pretty upset about it at the time.

They have a right to the mosque and this country purportedly stands for religious freedom. For you non-New Yorkers, envision the number of cabbies and street vendors trying to say their prayers on the street downtown at noon. Not a one of these men has done any American any wrong -- if you can forgive serving over-greasy schwarma, They could use a house of worship (i suppose). The mosque is not on, at, facing, or even within a block of the World Trade Center site. Save your ire for a real crime.

Who trumped up this controversy in the first place?

Monday, September 6, 2010

Spirit in an apartment

I've been shooting interiors for an architect named Carolyn DiCarlo. She designs and constructs interior spaces using the principles of sacred geometry. Her attention to detail is riveting. In many of the apartments, her creative immersion extends beyond reconfiguring the space, or making a nice kitchen, she has even designed the furniture, the linens and the rugs. I have been enjoying the task.

We decided to do a spirit photograph in one space.



© 2010 bridget batch

I would love to end up making photographs that are as artistically beautiful as those by Julius Shulman — the great architectural photographer of the California mid-20th century International Style.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Longshot Magazine

http://one.longshotmag.com/

Longshot takes 48 hours and lots of sweat to create. Based out of San Francisco, they decide on a theme, and we content producers have 24 hours to come up with something for publication. Pressure!

Cut to their editorial team, who must be crazy in the best way possible. In a mere additional 24 hours, they go through the submissions, make their selections and then, design a magazine. The magazine is available in print form. You can purchase here.

This is issue one. One of the photographs from my Poignancy series is on the cover. I'm including the picture here, but please check out Longshot!




© bridget batch