This weekend the Camden International Film Festival presented midcoast Maine with the world’s finest non-fiction documentaries.

Although I was not able to see as many films as I would have liked, I did have the opportunity to see The Way We Get By, Full Battle Rattle, and Red Gold. All of the films were visually and emotionally compelling, but Red Gold hit home particularly hard.

Taking place in Bristol Bay, Alaska, aka the home of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, Red Gold focuses on how plans to construct the world’s largest mine, the Pebble Mine, threatens to forever negatively impact the fragile, 300 million dollar salmon industry and more importantly, the livelihoods of Alaskans and the future of Pacific Salmon as we know it.

If and when the mine is created, toxic mineral waste, also known as tailings, will be generated as copper and gold are mined from the earth. When this toxic waste ever enters the salmon watershed, the fish will immediately begin to die.

I say “when” and not “if” because there is no question that no matter how many precautions are set in place and environmental regulations established, the toxic waste will at one time or another enter this watershed and have an enormous, forever-negative impact on not only Bristol Bay, but also the world.

What can you do to stop the world’s largest open pit mine from being created and in turn protect the world’s salmon industry? Head over to Save Bristol Bay now.

The trailer for Red Gold:

The NYT Feature:

After graduating high school in June of 2006, I headed to Vermont to study biology at the University of Vermont. While at UVM, I found myself walking around campus with a profound interest in the world that surrounded in all directions. I was more interested in photographically smelling, feeling, and seeing the world than burying my head in a book. I spent 1 semester at UVM and then left to pursue these interests.

I was first introduced to the work of Harry Callahan by Kate Izor, good friend and Photography Program Manager at the Maine Media Workshops. Kate and I became companions through an intense, 11-week Photo II class at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Kate was my TA and I was her student.

A deep connection immediately began to emerge between the photographs Harry Callahan had made and how I viewed the world.

Since that day I have had a vested interest in Harry’s work and I often find myself searching for his photographs, books, quotes, interviews, and articles.

Tonight I stumbled across a New York Times interview regarding the photographs he made of his wife, Eleanor.

“I never refused when he wanted to take a picture,” said Eleanor Callahan, the 91-year-old widow of the photographer Harry Callahan. “I never complained, whatever I was doing. If he said: ‘Come quick, Eleanor — there’s a good light,’ I was right there.”

Read the rest of the interview here.

What other photographer’s have had photographic muses? I am curious. Post a comment.

I am pleased to announce that the Pause, to Begin trailer to be released on October 6th will feature the music of El Ten Eleven.

I was first introduced to El Ten Eleven’s music in the winter of 2006/2007 while at a friend’s house in Rockport Harbor, Maine. El Ten Eleven’s “My Only Swerving” was emanating from his upstairs speakers while we sat downstairs sipping Jameson and watching snow fall into the harbor.

From the El Ten Eleven Wikipedia:

El Ten Eleven formed in 2003 after bassist and composer Kristian Dunn and drummer Tim Fogarty had played experimental music together in an organic/electronic four-piece group.^[1] They released their first album, El Ten Eleven in 2004 on Fake Record Label, and through Bar/None Records on September 20, 2005. Stylistically, they have been described as atmospheric, putting a much more ethereal spin on the southwestern post-rock/Americana movement than bands like Calexico or The Court & Spark, though less electronic and more organic-sounding than Tortoise or most shoegazer bands.^{[citation needed]} Comparisons have also been drawn to Sigur Rós and The Mercury Program, and has, so far, remained a primarily instrumental act. Spin, which picked them for Band of the Day, September 29, 2005, describes their work as “experimental instrumental music that’s both highly skilled and deeply felt.”^[2] They continue to play live shows in their native Los Angeles, California home, and were a showcase artist at South By Southwest on March 17, 2006.^[3]

Ethan and I are co-teaching Intro. to Digital Photography at the Maine Media Workshops this week. Tomorrow morning we are making a presentation on moving beyond the printed image and will be speaking about multimedia. Three of the pieces we’ll present are:Matt and Melissa Eich’s “Love in the First Person”, produced by MediaStorm.Alec Soth’s “Niagara”, produced by Magnum in Motion.Olaf Otto Becker’s “Greenland”, produced by Daylight Magazine.

Tom Dey and Coliena Rentmeester (a.k.a. Tom + Coliena) have produced a wonderful film titled “Autumn Album 5 Days in Prague” that highlights J.Crew’s 2008 fall clothing line.I find this short film interesting because of how well the locations, cinematography, and music work together.Prague is the location and includes numerous cafes, train stations, automobiles, vintage cameras, balloons, and of course, beautiful clothing. The cinematography is romantic, soft, and playful, and the music (Leona Naess‘ “Sunny Sunday”) is kind, loving, and youthful.Next week I will begin piecing together the Pause, to Begin trailer to be released on October 6th.Like Tom + Coliena did with their J.Crew film, Ethan and I are focused on specific tone and feeling for the Pause, to Begin trailer. We’ll be using footage for the trailer from our 10,000 mile road trip we made in May, 2008 to see the selected 15 photographers. Stay tuned.

Alan Winslow and Morrigan (Mo) McCarthy, two great friends of Pause, to Begin, are about to embark on a journey called Project Tandem that will take them bicycling across 10,000 miles of the American landscape over the course of 1 year.

Alan and Mo are not only traveling 10,000 miles to see the American landscape at 15 m.p.h., but more importantly to seek out, meet, interview, and publish unique stories about people in local communities doing eco-friendly things overlooked and unpublished by the mainstream media.

Both documentary photographers, Alan and Mo started Project Tandem because they “…believe that sharing the stories of everyday people stepping up to help the environment will bring awareness to the issue in a new way. You always hear stories in the news of people doing huge, amazing things for the planet, but we think that even the small actions need to be celebrated.”

What will undoubtedly be a nationally recognized endeavour, Project Tandem has already received sponsors from notable companies such as Smith Optics, PhotoShelter, Ortlieb, LaCie, B&H, Klean Kanteen, and Adventure Cycling Association.

But Project Tandem still needs your help.

Donate to Project Tandem.

Spread the word about Project Tandem.

Stay updated at the Project Tandem Blog.

Pause, to Begin photographer Brea Souders is having her first solo show, Time Between, running from September 6 – October 12 at the Abrons Arts Center, Henry Street Settlement, in lower Manhattan.

Time Between is the same project that Pause, to Begin will be featuring in our upcoming book and exhibition.

Here is a little more about Time Between:

In her most recent project, Time Between, Brea Souders interprets superstitions culled from various sources, including old texts, internet forums and word of mouth. Souders’ interest in the way superstitions reflect the human urge for story telling has manifested as its own visual story. She has said of this work, “superstitions act as portals to a childhood sensibility, and can transform an ordinary scene into a mysterious tableau, rich with new meaning.” Her focus on the formative nature of superstitions illuminates a force that is foundational, but elusive. Using both meditated and candid photography, Souders looks to capture the whimsy and tension that superstitions evoke in us, and to illuminate the scope of our collective imaginings.

Ethan and I are in the process of moving into new homes and starting back to our jobs, but stay tuned for Pause, to Begin updates and more regular blog posts during the coming weeks.

Sigur Ros’ new song, “Gobbledigook”, off of their forthcoming album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English: With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), sums up my excitement quite well regarding the coming weeks and months ahead. A long time listener and believer in the music Sigur Ros makes, it is fascinating to see them debut a song that is so different, yet so welcoming, from their previous creations.

May 30, 2008

We head into Manhattan. It is a beautiful day. We check out the Philippe Gronon show at Yossi Milo with our friend, Tom Starkweather. The show is excellent. The installation of the Philippe’s work is brilliant and the prints themselves are reproduced beautifully; Yossi Milo does it again. The picture below does not do the show justice.

In the afternoon we catch up with Tom Prior at his Brooklyn apartment. It is sweltering. Fortunately, Tom has an A.C. unit right in his room.

We speak with Tom about his work and he presents us with a great, sound interview. Everything is super mellow and we enjoy every minute of it. After, we head out for coffee with Tom at the local cafe and call it an afternoon.

Thanks for catching up with us, Tom. It was a pleasure to meet you.

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Unfortunately, we were not able to meet up with Brea Souders in Manhattan due to her illness but we look forward to catching up with her soon.

Our last night on the road. We see old friends, think about everything we have seen and heard during the past month, and soak in the city before heading North and back to Maine.

May 29, 2008

We hit the road and make our way back to D.C. Ethan has a chance to catch up with his folks for a brief bit and I catch up with my older brother, Ray. Perfect.

Ethan’s parents photographed in Maine, 2007, Ethan Aaro Jones

Ray, Grand Lake Stream, Maine, 2007, David Wright

We make our way to the city thereafter and get stuck in endless amounts of traffic. Welcome to New York.

Upon arriving in New York we hit the Surf Bar for a selection of seafood and then the Levee Bar for refreshments. Exhaustion sets in and we pass out a short while later.