My older brother was born on the 4th of July and when I was litte I used to run around saying that the whole country celebrated his birthday. I thought that was pretty cool to be born on a holiday. Of course as anyone born on a holiday will tell you - it really isn't so cool.
Wishing every one a happy and safe 4th, especially our soldiers.
See you back here on Monday!
Cheers.
I haven't been out in a while with my camera for the sole purpose of taking pictures. I always have a camera with me but in my day to day activities I forget to stop and take the time to look around and see what is there and so I seldom take it out and use it. But today I went out looking for pictures and I have to be honest, looking for pictures is harder than not. The goal was black and white, which always makes it a little more challenging because you have to see in black and white. You have to forget about the colors enticing you and look beyond that. But it also allows you to become more focused, and focused is good.
For more black and white goodness visit Maya at Springtree Road and join her 1st Of the Month in Black and White group.
Alviso, Nikond90, black and white 
Proving once agian that I have no imagination when it comes to titles.
( cross-posted at the Photoblog)
Masks, Mission Disctrict, Nikon D90, San Francisco
So this video is not anything new. It’s something I found a while back while I was looking for something else. But I like to bring it with me wherever I go. I did not know who Milton Glaser was before I saw this video but I did know his work. I’ve seen it around as I’m sure you probably have too. I love this video because I love what he says about art and the artistic life. Glaser is a graphic designer and though my medium of choice is photography I think that all art comes from the same place and that place is from within. To me art is an expression, a means to communicate with the world when words aren’t enough and it doesn't matter in what form that communication takes place.
Even if you have seen this video before it bears viewing again.
Milton Glaser 
826 Valencia located in San Francisco's Mission district is the brainchild of writer Dave Eggers to help kids ages 8-18 with their writing skills. In the front is a pirate supply store and the back of the store is where the workshops are conducted. I ventured in one day and was bold enough to ask if I could take some pictures. These are the ones that survived the darkness that was in there.
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"The pirate supply store was originally created through necessity. After being turned down for regular use of church basements and school facilities, the founders discovered an empty store for sale on Valencia Street. The city ordinances stated that any businesses in that particular area of the city must be either retail or catering, so the Pirate Supply Store was developed as the "legitimate" business front for the writing center." from Wikipedia
Mission Disctrict, Nikon D90, San Francisco 
I’ve been really good over the last few months about not buying any photo books or magazines. Well, good, if you don’t count that little trip last week when I went to buy the Sunday paper and instead ended up buying The Daybooks of Edward Weston , Part II and those 4 photography magazines. So if you don’t count those, I have been good. So good that it was time for me to be bad. And bad I have been.
On Saturday I ordered the zine "Things I Like About Texas " from photographer Allison V. Smith. And today I ordered Issue 13 "Road Trip" of Light Leaks magazine.
I will be sitting by my mailbox waiting patiently for the goodness to arrive.
