Thanksgiving Weekend 2010 (1901)

I dint have much to do for thanksgiving as my family is abroad so I thought of doing something different. I went back in time. I took a couple of photographs from the hat project and I traveled in the New York of the early XXth century, I think it was around 1901, just at the turn of the century. Very cold that year in November. I had an exact address. I went to the Camera Club of New York, on Twenty-ninth street. Mr. Steichen, the photographer, happened to be there so I met him, I told him about the hat project and I showed my prints. He didn't like it at all but he told me I could at least improve the printing. You know, I went with a digital print! very flat and no texture. Mrs Steichen was then working with the gum bichromate printing technique which I loved. He took a picture of my prints with his large format camera and we printed the shots using this cool process. Please see the result below.
Before coming back I got a coffee from a street cart, very nice.

WORD: ASKEW

Askew:
To one side; awry

WORD: LUST

Lust:
Intense or unrestrained sexual craving

WORD: SPEECHLESS

Speechless:
Unexpressed or inexpressible in words

Week 18 (October 17)

WORD:

Week 18 (October 16)

pensieri

He stood still, chose his words carefully and then proceeded to speak in an eloquent, courteous tone.

"The wild beasts that roam over Italy, have their dens and holes to lurk in, but the men who fight and die for our country enjoy the common air and light and nothing else. It is their lot to wander with their wives and children, houseless and homeless, over the face of the earth. And when our generals appeal to their soldiers before a battle to defend their ancestors' tombs and their temples against the enemy, their words are a lie and a mockery, for not a man in their audience possesses a family altar; not one out of all those Romans owns an ancestral tomb. The truth is that they fight and die to protect the wealth and luxury of others. They are called the masters of the world, but they do not possess a single clod of earth which is truly their own."
Tiberius Gracchus, Roman consul. Roman forum 133BC

Week 18 (October 12)

WORD: "HYPERBOLE"

Hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect

WORD: "GENUINE"

Genuine:
Actually possessing the alleged or apparent attribute or character

WORD: "POTENTIAL"

Potential:
The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being

WORD: "MISSING"

Missing:
Not able to be found

Week 16 (October 5)

WORD: "SMILE"

Smile:
A pleasant or favorable disposition or aspect

WORD: "DOTYK"

Dotyc (polish for 'Touch'):
To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel

WORD: "CREATIVITY"

Creativity:
The ability to create

Week 14 (September 20)

WORD: "EMPATHY"

Empathy:
The power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings

Today I tried something different. I shoot the subject like I always do, with the dark jacket and the white shirt but then I tried to shoot him like he came into my apartment/studio: with his t-shirt on. Today I still prefer the 'classic' shot but I think I will keep doing that for a while and see what I prefer.
The original idea of this project was to have everybody look the same, just the face different. With no eyes of course. I listened to some critiques and I decided that this project can evolve... I am going to keep the hat and the lighting as a unifier but try different look. That may be interesting as it can reveal more about the personality of the subject. I am still not sure thought. I still like the challenge of creating interesting images changing only the expression (with no eyes) - the eyes are the mirror of the soul... I want to get the soul out without showing them!

Any feedback? anybody out there?

I love today's word.

Also, I shot a beautiful portrait of the same subject. He is a writer and I think it shows in the photo. Also, the eyes are closed, and you tell me if the soul is not showing!
It is not part of the project but I want to show it anyway... cos it is nice, and I guess it is a nice break from the 'hat project', the eyes are not showing anyway! F