I’ve often thought that photographs and poems have a lot in common.
Poems and photographs…..think about it.
But what, you ask, does this have to do with open car doors?
Open car doors, if you ask me, are pretty poetic in and of and by themselves.
They’re a framing device, a trick and a metaphor all rolled into one. If you drive
a car there’s always one around.
Over the years I’ve shot my fair share of open car doors.
My friend Guy Bérubé throws some interesting parties. I know this. That’s why I asked him
if I could set up a photo studio at one of his bashes.
I was given a room that measured 10 x 18 feet where I set up a seamless backdrop and a light.
Around about 9:00 p.m. folks started showing up. A line formed outside the studio/room and
over the next 4 hours I photographed 27 people/groups. That’s one “sitting†every 8 minutes.
It was easier than it sounds because the people wanting to be photographed were ready, willing
and able to act snappy, follow directions and make way for the next person/group in line. Plus,
the vibe was better than good and every thing and body seemed real fluid.
The next day I started rooting through the images. I did one edit (down to 20 photos) which will
be shown for one night only at Guy’s gallery: Gallery La Petite Mort (September 23rd, ’06, 7 to 10).
I didn’t want to publish those images here so decided to throw some out out takes onto tonyfoto/drool.
That’s one of the swell things about having a blog: it’s a place for rejects, Plan “B”, BIGFUN and research
and development.
After I put together the 10 images below I started to think of them not so much as out takes but, really,
just another bunch of shots from one room one night.
(click on images to enlarge)
Last night Ben, my new assistant, mentioned in passing that I was a workaholic. I’ve never thought of
myself as one. I love naps and can be a total slug given half a chance. I walk Wilkie (my dog) through a field or
down by the river every single day. I watch TV and read 3 or 4 novels a month.
This Sunday morning though, as I write this at 7 o’clock, it may be difficult to deny.
My name is Tony Fouhse and I’m a workaholic.
Here’s my last week (and if you hate lists just know that I was very, very busy and skip to the next paragraph):
– 3 clients (2 editorial, 1 commercial)
– 6 days of shooting
– 12 locations
– Dressing sets 8 o’clock at night to be ready for 6 in the morning starts the next day
– Doing post production at 1 in the morning and 7 in the morning too
– 7 Models, 1 artist, an ethicist and 2 museums. 1 hotel and 2 restaurants. Shot them all.
– Other stuff
I was out shooting a personal project until 1:30 this morning. Now, as I mentioned, it’s early Sunday morning and
I’m sitting here writing this. I woke up because I really wanted to look at the shots I did last night and I finally (in
my sleep, I guess) got an idea for this week’s blog entry.
This is it.
I’ve never liked alchohol….it makes me feel wrong. I guess I like workahol. (And, if you ask me, taking pictures
is like a drug.)
Here are a few shots from last week.
(click on images to enlarge)
