these happen every week, I just happen to go to them much less often. you might think ‘matt, these are serious draw-ers to go and do this every week’ and you couldn’t be more wrong. some of them are very good at their own style and have a lot of ability, I would never describe it as a serious endeavor. more like a social hour with some strongly encouraged creativity.
Each week, there’s a sheet that goes around as people arrive, and everyone writes down at least one thing to draw; things like ‘mystery liquids’ or ‘how math makes you feel’ or ‘feelin puffy’. I personally am pretty bad at drawing, but it’s fun to try to think of something within my abilities to fulfill the prompts.
Also, and this can’t be overstated, everyone there is just really rad? like encouraging and nice and strange in the best ways. Kawan, Kevin, Akhil, Auguste, uh… everyone else who’s names I don’t know or remember because my mind is like a collander that doesn’t hold names until I’ve heard them 50 times or can look them up online…
This one was the first night I had my new-ish 105 1.4 for the Z. Technically it’s for an F mount, but with the FTZ adapter it’s great on my Z too. I think all of these were with it? Snappy focus, very shallow depth of field, but sharp as hell too. Really dig this lens. It also helps that I figured out some of the AF on the Z8; letting face detect do its thing is super helpful most of the time. It even works in manual focus if you set the camera right, who knew?
I went in to see the woman singing at one point, and the person singing was just puring their heart into it. Just really emoting to a room of like, 10 people, only half of whom were watching. I took a few photos, and showed them to Kawan; he said something along the lines of “How did you see that? I was just there standing next to you, and I didn’t see that.” I mean, part of it is the lens for sure, but part of it is choosing the right moments. And, not to toot my own horn too much, but I’ve been doing this in some capacity for more than a quarter century at this point. If I couldn’t pull a rabbit out of my hat at least some of the time, it’d be time to hang that hat up.
Speaking of rabbits out of hats… I need to go to bed. I should figure out how to do these during the day, maybe I’d find that easier? When I’m not so exhausted? Nah, I always write best when I’m fighting to stay awake. It’s like a natural deadline, just means I have to push a bit.
Posted on 2024-03-26T08:04:52Z GMT
Today’s today in tabs had as its kicker a link to a list of “things that don’t work.” I won’t link to it because it has a certain smell about it, a smell of mixing things that are obviously true with things that are just one guy’s opinion and some that are just plain wrong. I read a few of the other things on the site and there’s a nasty undercurrent to the dude’s writing. That kind of smell. Anyway.
One of the obviously true things on his list of things that don’t work was “quality over quantity” (again that smell, generalities when talking about something specific). But the specific thing is this: you don’t make good art by just making one thing, you make it by making a bunch of stuff. Austin Kleon has it as “Quantity leads to quality” (my emphasis) which is a much better way to formulate it. Anyway.
All that to say, I’m gonna try to blog more? I certainly have the pictures. While there may be some stinkers in there, the practice is good for me. I definitely feel my writing get better and words come more easily as I do it more. Daily would be great but I’m not going to make that, there’s too much going on.
These are all from a couple days last november, before thanksgiving. I don’t know why I grouped them, but there they were in my edits. Just walking around the neighborhood.
Sidenote: when I see stuff that’s obviously just someone’s opinion stated as fact, I fall back on the line from The Big Lebowski: “Yeah, well, ya know, that’s just like, uh, your opinion, man.” I didn’t really mark it until I read Jeff Bridges’ book The Dude and the Zen Master, where there’s a whole chapter with that as the title, about non-attachment. The conceit of the book is a little hokey, but there’s some good stuff in there.
Posted on 2024-03-22T07:08:33Z GMT
I had to cut about 20 images that were basically variatons on the big group picture from this edit. I know, it’s a christmas party and I’m only now, in March, getting around to publishing the photos. What can I say. I either transmit them on the spot via my phone, or I do it months and months later, after agonizing over the edit for far too long.
Actually this weekend we were back at this apartment, this time for Jeff’s birthday, and I might post those soon, because I want to show off my new lens. I got a Noctilux!
Fun party though, good group of folks. I should really have a word with them about indirect lighting; top down is so unflattering most of the time. Couple lamps on dimmers, some art on the walls, maybe. Anyway. Onward!
Posted on 2024-03-19T07:34:00Z GMT
So, I was getting ready to leave to go to chicago, texted Kawan to see if he was going to drink and draw, and he said, no, I’m going to miss it tonight, it’s Day of The Dead in the city. I was instantly like, I should go and photograph that, even though I hadn’t packed and leave for chicago the next day. Yeah, these photos happened before the ones it the last post.
So I got to the mission about 7, 7:30, and start walking south on Valencia. I don’t really see much until I get to close to the 24th street BART station. I came to the tail end of a parade, there was a group of dancers (next photo).
Then I followed the crowds down 24th st, towards the park where there were other things still happening; art and live music and ofrendas (altars with pictures and other things that remind us of the dead, usually specific people). Food and flowers and pictures, candles and other lights.
Then I ran around a bunch and took the rest of the pictures here.
Posted on 2024-03-08T02:44:03Z GMT
