BAGMAN: "Yeah. Periodically. Right. Mostly those times when you're too damn lazy or insecure to actually go outside and try to photograph something new! When your passion is embracing a wheelchair and you're trying to rediscover it in your past instead!"
(Long pause while I take a deep breath. Bagman can sure spoil a mood. But I'll continue despite his criticism.)
Yesterday, I ran across two self-portraits from 1962, when I built my first darkroom with the help of my grandfather.
Now, Bagman is dancing around the room as I'm getting ready to post this, singing "Who wears short shorts.... da da da da da.... We wear short shorts. da da da...." Ignore him. It's an old song from around that time.
I do remember that my right leg and foor are at a slightly odd angle because my camera didn't have a timer or remote shutter release so I jury-rigged a black thread to the trigger, down the tripod leg and attached it to my sneaker so I could snap the shot with my foot, while pretending to be very very serious.
But I can't remember or figure out what I was pretending to be doing. Apparently reading in the first shot. But the second shot looks like I'm pretending to study two things at once. The stretched out roll of film, however, looks white, more like fly-paper than a negative, and the square thing looks more like a 4"x5" negative...and I know I didn't own that kind of camera.
It may not matter because I was really just posing and trying to look very professional and genius-like.
I really had a huge ego back then.
BAGMAN: "Right! As compared to now when you are so freaking humble?! If you think you've misplaced your ego, why are you now posting it?"
Embarassed silence.
BAGMAN: "Why don't you go outside and see if you still remember anything about taking pictures?"
I hate Bagman when he's right.
Hiarious, Mark!! Love the shorts, really I do. I used to have a pair just like them, but I think you have better legs.
ReplyDeleteall I can say is LOOK at those LEGS! - grand to be young isn't it? what a delightful glimpse at the young Mark (not the legs the inventiveness) I think that to have too great an ego is better then not having one at all, as I have been accused of. this is the difference,maybe, of thinking you can do anything versus fear of doing anything.....
ReplyDeletebagman is correct great photos arn't created in the lab but out on the street where the people are.
ReplyDeleteOh ya,I remember that song. He wears short shorts.
ReplyDeleteHH would not wear shorts because he had bowlegs and you know what they say about guys with bowlegs. He was afraid he would be attacked. I did attack him, after all. I promise it wasn't the bowlegs though.
QMM
Oh those legs!! And the deftly pointed toe ... Thank you for making clear why it was so beautifully posed.
ReplyDeletePrevious post was Ode to My Knees - this one could be Ode to My Legs OR Ode to My Gorgeous Blond Curly Hair.
Fun to think back on those days and recall what we were doing and thinking ...
Oh blessed youth! Didn't we all venture to conquer the world everyday? I love your photos, lol
ReplyDeleteAfter your ode to your knees, nice that we could now admire them! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's an insightful and yet humorous look into your past. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete