I wrote recently about watching the Terrence Malick film, "Days of Heaven" (1978). I've thought about the film endlessly since then. Those grasses, the light, the silhouettes -- there are so many reasons why I relate to the imagery. Not surprisingly its influence has crept into my photography.
I dream about open landscapes a lot these days. Quite a surprise coming from a person who used to feel bored by the idea of so much open vertical space. Going out to see "No Country for Old Men" over the holidays was all about those beautiful landscapes on a huge screen. I was not disappointed. I HAVE got to get out to the desert this year! The violence was a bit much though. I can't seem to stomach violence in film these days. I can't seem to disengage from the realness of it like I used to.
We watched another Terrance Malick film, "The Thin Red Line" over the holidays and I basically winced my way through the entire thing. The light and landscapes were beautiful again but I missed a lot having to turn my head or block my ears every few minutes.
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It looks like I am going to be in Austin, TX and San Francisco in the coming months (this from the person who announced, "No work travel!" in 2008 only months ago). I am looking for gardeners to photograph in their gardens for a body of work I am building called the Green Minds Project. Please email me if you know someone or are a gardener yourself and live in either city. Don't be shy!
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And on another note it looks like just maybe this site won't turn into That One Week in Cuba for the entire year. I am actually getting to the end of scanning my film from the trip. Another New Year miracle.