I really love these images Emmit Gowin made of his wife, Edith. They have just such a serene stillness about them, as if they were taken as a secret was being told. I imagine it must be a challenging thing in some regards, to photograph one’s family, most especially one’s wife. But Gowin does it beautifully. A wife is a body, a persona, and a personality that one becomes intimately familiar with, and so often it seems that this familiarity breeds a certain apathy of vision.  It are the things we see everday that often escape our attention. Yet here, it’s as if he’s seeing her for the first time- a sense of rediscovery. As if his vision stumbles upon her unexpectedly in a posture of quiet repose, and his imagination is at once sparked and his attention captivated once again. I guess for that reason, every image has a certain quality of ”watchfullness” to it. He’s regarding her again as if it was that first night he spied her across the room at a crowded party. There is a certain distance and aloofness implicit in that gaze, and as a result it is made evident in the photographs, but the love with which that gaze is tempered makes for what i think are some very arresting and intimate moments.

It’s good to be back home once again ladies and gents. So good.

Belgrano, oh how i’m done with thee. Finally. Ladies and Gents i head back to the glorious state of MS exactly 48 hours from the time that i’m typing this, and i could not be more excited. School finished up well. Good grades all around. Spent the week seeing what little i haven’t explored around the city (i hit all the main attractions at least). All that’s left is to figure out the physics of prying everything i’ve accrued over the past few months into my suitcases. Should take a bit of figuring, but definitely doable. And then it’s off to the airport. 24 hours later, 4 planes, and 3 layovers later i’ll be cruising through the memphis airport, oh sweet lord hallelujah. Lots of pictures that i haven’t shared yet that will soon be uploaded to the nearest blog/facebook/social network as soon as i can get around to it. Got two rolls from my holga again. once again they cut the negatives wrong- and this time i’m sure it’s there fault. but oh well. Just means i need to get to it and learn how to develop everything myself.

Other news. WUBA has just posted my latest/final article for them. Check it out here. Had a lot of fun working with those guys even if just for a little bit. Be sure to check out ZZK records if you ever feel like dancing to a little latin rhythm. Good stuff.

Well, that’s the last of it i suppose. I’ve got a lot more on the brain that i’d love to tell/share. New photographers i’ve found that just blow me away, new music, new thoughts and life directions that i’ve only shared with a few. But at the moment i’m just content to let them slide unspoken tonight. Come and visit me once i get into town. Or better yet go meet me at the gate- i’d love to see your face. We’ll talk about it then, fo sho. But until then, ciao. I love you all.

Dan

We watched this puppy fall in real time in El Calafate this weekend. Just to give you some scale, those ice walls you see are close to 200 ft. tall. Massive.

a smattering of things that are perpetually scattered among my desk here in Bs.As.

I just got back from another weekend of travel. This time to Calafate. So far that makes a straight month of weekends spent traveling: Iguazu, Mendoza, Calafate, and on and on. I’ve already written down some stuff for myself recounting the various trips and places i’ve been. And though i’d love to share them with you here, i’d just rather not. I’d much prefer you, me, and some quality beverages of your choice to sit down and have a little chat. I’d love to tell you all about it. But i think i’ll spare myself the repetition of what i’ve already kind of processed in my brain. Lots of pictures, though. Just haven’t found time to edit them yet. I once thought digital pictures offered instant gratification. I now know that this is false. Yes you can see the dang thing the second after you press the shutter. But if you want a good photo, and by that i mean real quality, there is no way to do it without paying the toll. With film it’s the waiting-the finishing the roll, the chemicals, the developing, the scanning, the posting. With digital, it’s hours slaving away at a computer screen. With film, photos are a process of chemical reactions and physical processes. With digital, photoshop or your editing program of choice takes the place of that physical process. When it comes to quality digital photography, photoshop is not an afterthought but a necessity (or so it seems at times). That being said, i’ve got to much to see and do without having to worry about processing photos for hours a day. Though i’m sure you’d enjoy the increase in postings, it’s just not going to happen at the moment.

I’ve got one week left in Argentina chicos. One week. Best to make the most of what time i’ve got left. After that it’s back to the other south and sweet home Mississippi. How i’ve missed it. I’m stoked about all that i have waiting for me once i step off that plane. And quite frankly, time can’t pass quick enough. But until then, I’m going to act the tourist and hit up all the places i’ve been meaning to see in the city in between final exams and such. Wish me luck. I’ll see you all very soon. Ciaou