Brad_

I think it's worth remembering that almost everything that's known about Vivian Maier is the result of a carefully assembled narrative crafted by a single individual. That story, about a mysterious eccentric woman who documented everyday Chicago life from the 1950s/1960s with camera in hand, was revealed to the public in the form of a movie and book(s?). I imagine both were instrumental in driving print sales. Maier was a good photographer. But for me, with a handful of exceptions, there's not much there beyond nostalgia. Not that nostalgic charm is an unworthy aspect - I love looking at old photographs of large cities, especially from the first half of the 20th century. But, beyond that, there's little that stirs my imagination or draws me in for a deeper look and consideration.

Options? Put some genuine effort into locating a museum or university to take and professionally/properly care for the collection. William Gedney's photographs being handled, and viewable to the public online, by Duke University comes to mind. Hmmm... I wonder if Chicago is big enough to have any worthy museums or universities? However, there's no money to be made simply handing the collection over. Needles to say, I'm very disappointed with most aspects of the VM story. Shameful, IMO.

I use my phone camera everyday. And haven't used my Canon dSLR or Fuji mirrorless cams in a couple of years. It's liberating getting away from the notion of "going out with my camera to make photos." http://citysnaps.net/2015%20Photos/Mr.%20Crow.jpg Ocean Beach, San Francisco • ©2017 Brad Evans

iPhone, 30mm. http://citysnaps.net/2015%20Photos/Tree.jpg

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iPhone 6, 30mm http://citysnaps.net/2015%20Photos/Jeanne%20Caltrain.jpg

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When I was working in defense/aerospace years ago at the tail end of the Cold War, it was "Too many commies, too little time."

Interesting. In a way, that dovetails with Claude Shannon's views and research regarding information and communications. Shannon, an engineer and mathematician who worked for Bell Labs, and was a professor at MIT, is considered the father of information theory. Many of the advanced technologies we today take for granted in our computers and communications devices, stem from Shannon's research from the mid-1900s.

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I consider huge contrast extremes (and resulting blown highlights) an opportunity. One of my most treasured photo books is by Kikuji Kawada. The extreme contrast and blown highlights of many of his photos work well with the subject matter and underlying narrative. http://citysnaps.net/2015%20Photos/From%20Below%201000BL.jpg San Francisco • ©Brad Evans 2017

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And with that, Phil wins the internet for the day. My photographic endeavors are similar. For me, it's about learning and satisfying my curiosities about people, neighborhoods, and their rhythms/interactions/dynamics.

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