My Nazi Photo Violates Facebook Standards

Last June 18th, the day after a neo-nazi massacred nine people at the historic Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston, South Carolina, I saw a man sitting at the Colman Dock in Seattle wearing a swastika arm band and a black shirt bearing the letters SS.

I took a picture. The next morning I posted it onto my Facebook page. A number of people shared it. The Stranger ran an article about it, which was shared 45,000 times. For a couple of weeks, it generated a lot of discussion.

This morning, some 322 days after I posted the photograph, I received a notice from Facebook that the photo violated their Community Standards and that they have removed my post. They did not identify what community standard I violated. 

The notice from Facebook provided no opportunity to engage them on the question of removal.

I'm re-posting the photo below. Read the Community Standards. Look at the photo. Where is the violation?

McGill Killin' It.

54 Cameras

That is how many security cameras are on the Washington State Ferry M/V Wenatchee.

Here are my favorite dozen cameras.

Studio Tour

Jon Feinstein Feline

Monument to the Final Battle of Wall Street, 2044 

Their friends knew long before they realized it. 

How someone's great-great grandmother got from the Old Country to Ellis Island.

A special K.

The stories those teeth could tell.

If this threatens your belief in God, you really should question your faith.

Run away and join the circus.

Last time I was in Maui, it was the rodeo. 

This time it was the circus.

Wailuku vs. Bainbridge: Wailuku by a mile

Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Touching a nerve.

When James Franco showed at Pace several months ago, a great many precious people in the "fine art" photo world were highly agitated. In certain quarters Franco's work met with anger, derision, and mockery. That reaction, however, pales in comparison with the criticism that is being leveled at Sandro Miller's collaboration with John Malkovich.  Words like "stunt," "pointless," "total rubbish," "trash," and "barfworthy" are being bandied about.

(c) Sandro Miller

A great many aesthetes minimize the images by pointing out that Miller is a commercial photographer. That criticism is nasty, ignorant, class-based stupidity, implying as it does that a commercial photographer is necessarily incapable of fine art. Here's one word for you who think that this is a reasonable criticism: Avedon. He worked for a living, using his camera, to sell expensive things to and for rich people.

The criticism that Miller's work is "self-promotion" is facile and disingenuous. Any artist who puts work out there is engaged in self-promotion. Every artist wants her images seen by as many people as possible. Here's one word for you who think that self-promotion is a fair basis to criticize a work: Warhol.

I know of no photographer who would not want the kind of exposure Miller has had. All the people sitting in the stands, bitching about how this project would have gone nowhere without Malkovich, don't bitch about a movie "succeeding only" because it has a great actor in it. That would be stupid, no?

[Another argument that is raised against Miller's work is that it violates copyright.  Though I am a recovering lawyer (12 years "sober"), I'm not going to hold forth on whether this constitutes "fair use." Suffice it to say that one could raise a myriad of strong arguments that this work does not violate the copyright of the original artists.]


Miller has clearly touched a nerve. That nerve ought to be examined, rather than used as a justification for heaping epithets. But self-reflection isn't popular in the "art" or any other kind of world.  Heaping derision is so much more pleasurable than reflecting on why one is bothered by the work in the first place.

So what is the problem?

Here begins my speculation: The success of the Miller work threatens both the gatekeepers of and aspirants to the world of "fine art photography." They resent that it is has briefly captured the popular imagination. They resent that they had no hand in deeming this work worthy of praise. They resent that it conflicts with their sense of what kinds of images -- and artists -- ought to be celebrated. How dare Miller, in emulating or paying homage to the greats, get more traction than the "greats" he purports to celebrate?

They are annoyed that the Miller piece is getting some of the most fundamental images of the 20th Century canon in front of the world, when for years they have strained mightily to get anyone to pay attention to art photography. If any denizen of the fine art world were to gather up all 35 source images for the Miller project and put them out into the world as a blog post, no one, and I mean no one, would give a shit.

Miller's "silly stunt" has far potential to induce people to look at the original photos than 10,000 lonely MFAs waxing poetic about Arbus.  Miller's images have now been seen by more people than will ever look at Arbus. Outside of the the insular and rarefied world of fine art photography, who could even name the all 35 source photographers?

All of those source photographers are giants, true geniuses who strode the earth. Now here comes Miller to demonstrate that, in this day of Instagram and social media, he can capture the public imagination, using just a faint shadow of the original source material. That, my friends, is a raw nerve.

First Friday Foul: How not to treat an artist.

First Friday is the monthly Art Walk on Bainbridge Island. Normally a time to celebrate new art installations with openings at the nearly dozen venues downtown, it was anything but a celebration for Peter Kirk, despite the fact that he was on the verge of his first art show. 

Thirty minutes before his opening, he was informed that the venue, Eleven Winery, had taken down his work. Peter had hung it only the day before.  

Peter was at a complete loss for words. His show had been arranged by Jen Till, Peter's mentor, a painter who has shown previously at Eleven. In January of this year, Jen sent several photographs of Peter's work, along with a description of his aesthetic, to Eleven. The Tasting Room Manager responded "I loved his work. We would be happy to have him showcased here at the winery."

In the weeks leading up to the show, Peter and the Tasting Room Manager exchanged emails about logistics, scheduling, when to hang the show, and providing an artist's biography. As recently as 3 weeks ago, there was nothing from Eleven but enthusiasm: "I am really excited to have your works featured here at Eleven!"

Instead of hosting a reception to be attended by friends and family, Peter found himself in the parking lot, with his artwork in boxes. 

This is not how an artist should be treated. 

Jen sent an email to Eleven's owner, who replied that the problem was that Eleven needed a "better system in place for making sure that all art pieces provided for display in our tasting room locations are pre-approved, so that there are no surprises for either the artist or the tasting room manager at the time of the show." Apparently he forgot that the Manager had emailed Jen back in January that she "loved his work" and that "[w]e would be happy to have him showcased here at the winery."

In closing his email, the owner added this little bit: "My artist friends have told me that rejection is part of the deal with a career in art, and that ultimately this experience will make you stronger, blah blah blah.  I'm sure you don't want to hear any of that now."

No. He didn't want to hear that.

Peter Kirk's website: http://itsthemorning.com/

Get Real About Getty

What would you do if you were Getty Images? If you're a big player in the banana market, you get to call the shots on the price of bananas.

The decision by Getty Images to make 35,000,000 images available for free makes sense for Getty. Getty is responsible to Getty.

Over the last 36 hours, my social media stream supplied a reaction ranging from "photographers hate Getty's plan" to "a second nail in the coffin of stock photography" to "welcome to the new world order of stock photography." "Surprise" was not among any of the headlines.

There seems to be a great need to re-mourn the death the stock photo world and re-indict Getty for its murder.

If you are going to criticize Getty, what is your beef? Is it that they try to pay as little as possible for content? (Who doesn't?) Is it that they destroyed the stock industry? (Someone was going to figure out how to take advantage of the emerging digital market.) Is it how they have driven down the value of what we do? (Who hasn't?) Do you expect them to be looking out for our best interests or their own?

So, the smart professional photographer doesn't operate solely within the Getty universe. The smart professional photographer knew this five years ago. Slinging rocks at Getty at this point doesn't make sense for the profession.

Our time would be better spent advocating for professional photography to the people who need to hear it, instead of complaining about the price of bananas to all the other monkeys. 

My last 2013 Post: First 9 Shots of 2013

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

I've enjoyed sharing this trip around the sun.  

"Shoot my truck"

Last summer, my friend Jason (above) towed a 1968 Chevy truck from a field in Montana, where it had been sitting for 12 years, through blizzards and drought.  He was bringing the truck back to Bainbridge Island, where we both live.

The truck is from the island as well.

Jason, an architect, bought the truck from his friend Bob, a builder, who bought the truck in 1970 (Jason was born in 1982). It was Bob's work truck from 1970 until 2000, when it retired into the Montana field.

A new battery and a little starting fluid had the truck once again at work on Bainbridge. There were more than a few local tradesmen surprised to see "Bob's Truck" rolling around the island again. Now, when Jason drives the truck onto a work site, odds are close to 50/50 that some guy is going to say something about knowing "Bob's truck"

The truck is legend.

"I know it's not a Land Rover," he said, smiling, "but I want you to shoot my truck." He wanted me to take photos for two reasons. First, he plans to restore the truck next year and wants good "before" pictures. Second, Bob's birthday was coming up and he wanted to give him some nice photographs of his old truck.

I started asking Jason lots of questions about Bob and the truck. The moment I learned that Bob likes redheads, it hit me: this should be a pin-up.

It took approximately 7 seconds for Jason to agree with the concept.

Bob's birthday was last week.

He likes the present Jason got him the best.

Pin-up going up 1 Nov 13

It will be in the Projects section of jaytrinidad.com 

Image (c) Hollis Porter

Reflecting on how I shot Helen (the 2012 Range Rover Sport).

Reflecting.

Before I ever actually sat behind the wheel, I had story-boarded multi-shot sequences, unfolding beautiful image after beautiful image. There were going to be interlocking story arcs. I involved friends in casting and props and lighting. I introduced myself to random Land Rover owners on the island, seeing if they'd be interested in participating as extras and interviewed them about their own vehicles.

I had my afterburners on for serious in the two weeks before I got the vehicle. 

I wasted a lot of time doing these things. 

Fortunately, I realized this the day before I met Helen. (Helen is the name I gave the 2012 Indus Silver Range Rover Sport.)

What I realized is that I was constructing images of Helen with no actual knowledge of her.  As someone who shoots a lot of portraits, I should have realized much earlier that I needed a level of understanding of the subject if it was going to succeed.

So, I decided to let it roll.  I tossed the "script" and drove the car. Within 3 days (I won't say how many miles or at what speed), I'd spent enough time with Helen to create some great images.  The only way I could transmit any feelings about the vehicle were to have some feelings in the first place.

In the end, most of the shots would not surprise people who are familiar with my work.  There are trees.  There is water.  There are dogs.  Some are at night.  All are in available light.

Top 10 Rejected Concepts for My Land Rover USA Shoot

At the end of September, Land Rover USA invited me to photograph one of their vehicles for a week. I finished shooting a 2012 Range Rover Sport a little more than a week ago.

My assignment: No restriction or guidance. "We don't want to see anything we've seen before."

Here is what did not make the cut.

Top 10 REJECTED Concepts for My Land Rover Shoot.

10. PROVOQUE - an homage to Helmut Newton, featuring the 2013 Evoque

9. "CURRY" - a straight rip-off of the 80s Grey Poupon from the 80s, except with hipsters and curry.

8. How bullet-proof is my Rover?

7. The magic of side-impact airbags.

6. "PETA" - photos of PETA executives enjoying the intoxicating smell of fine leather and the pleasure provided by seat warmers, "executives" can include super models.

5. 101 English Bulldogs 

4. Pimp-My-Rover

3. 1994 Toyota Camry vs. 2012 Range Rover Sport

2.The Discerning Rover Guide to the Best Truck Stops in the Northwest.

1. "What happens in a Rover, stays in a Rover."  Two women dancing in the headlights of a Range Rover that happens to be sporting diplomatic flags of a certain former colonial power and the personalized plate "HARRY."

Recipe for Mother of All Cheese Sandwiches

Tonight's dinner.

Before I became a photographer, I was, among many things, a line cook.  I picked up this "recipe" while on a "follow shift" at Lark, a great restaurant in Seattle run by Johnathan Sundstrom (yes, it is spelled like that).  This was prepared for "family meal," as the staff meal is otherwise known.  This is a great recipe if you've ever found yourself with a bunch of small pieces of good cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Ingredients: A good french baguette and a bunch of different good cheeses.  If it's a hard cheese, grate it.  If it's a soft cheese, spread it.  Mix goat and cow.  Put in some blue.  Provolone is tasty.  Some grated low-moisture mozzarella (only a little).  

Split the baguette half, but don't cut all the way through.  Pry the bread open so it lays fairly flat.  Load cheese.  

Bake until GBD*.  Enjoy with a nice slice of apple and a glass red wine.

*Golden Brown and Delicious

A brief word about creepy photographs.

Untitled

I have, until very recently, taken the world as I found it in front of my lens. My work remains predominantly documentary style.

I'm now engaged in several new creative projects that depart from this otherwise straightforward approach. The above photograph is the first of a new series, Constructed American Dreams.

When I am confronted by an image that I find creepy, my first impulse, for the vast majority of my life, was to blame the creator of the image. The "creepy" photograph operates like a searchlight uncovering things that we would rather not have to reconcile or recognize within ourselves. Why? Because photographs are silent as to their meaning. If you find an image "creepy" that is as much about you as it is about the photographer.

Friday Dog of the Day

Cats seem to rule the Internet.

Every Friday, for the better part of the last two years, I have been posting my dog photos to my Facebook album, under the title "Friday Dog of the Day."

The time has come to ramp up my efforts against the predominance of cats on Facebook. Friday Dog of the Day will be launching its own Facebook page this Monday. Does the world need it? Frankly, yes. They are quite charming portraits, often with witty titles. I consider it a good kind of photographic graffiti.

Be a good boy/girl and repost/email this announcement, using one of the icons below this post. I'll give you a cookie. 

Ruby loves the beach, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

It was his grandmother's car.

She gave it to him when he turned 18.  The only body work it has ever had was the driver's side doors were pounded out.  Of course, it has been repainted. 

The owner smiled when I asked him about braking distance.  "I'll tell you this much, this baby can burn some rubber."  When asked the size of the engine, he said 420.  I looked suitably impressed.