CHEAP CAMERA/10 SECOND TIMER SELF-PORTRAITURE

Friday, May 29, 2015

Fill in the Blanks


(Checking to see if I have service on my shell phone)










(All pics. snapped on 5/29/15, using a Sony Cybershot, and edited on iPhoto)

Those of you who used to follow The Big Ugly waaaaay back in its glorious (albeit short-lived) heyday, are no strangers to the fact that although I truly do love to write (ad infinitum during certain particularly verbose periods in my checkered blogging past), a series of unfortunate circumstances awhile back, literally and figuratively - left me speechless. Gone were the days when I was free to brazenly, and vividly recount the stories that accompanied my self-portraiture adventures, for fear that I might incriminate myself yet again…and wind up in a deeper pile of doo-doo than I already was. 

That being said, there is also a part of me that prefers to allow every viewer to draw their own conclusions when observing my drawings, paintings, and photographs. And that is precisely the reason that I never title anything that I create…I would rather have an onlooker decide for themselves what they perceive the work to be about, rather than force-feed my own personal slant on the piece(s) in question.  

I guess what I'm trying to say is, that although it was (and still is) terribly unnatural for me to have to curb my verbal enthusiasm most times…I do think that there are instances where a "less is more" approach is completely appropriate, perhaps even optimum. And I believe that as far as the story behind, and being told in the group of selfpics above is concerned? It's gonna havta be up to you guys to fill in the blanks…Have fun!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Baby's Got Back in Action


(Snapped on 5/28/15, on the shipwreck Pamead, in Road Bay, on Sandy Ground, Anguilla, BWI - using a Sony Cybershot, and edited on iPhoto)

I went into the shipping container that sits on my yard beside my little shack here on Anguilla yesterday - searched for, and after digging through one box after another, I somehow miraculously unearthed my poor, neglected Sony Cybershot. I was on a mission to locate, dust off, charge up, and ultimately set the timer on the derned thing, in order to be able to try my hand at taking some selfpics for the first time since last April (see outtake from that shoot below…a rawther dreary contrast to today's pics., dontcha think?) 


(Snapped on 4/14/14, in Frederick County, Va., USA - using a Sony Cybershot, edited on iPhoto)

And just what exactly could've possibly compelled me to come out of my self-imposed, presumed permanent exile from self-portraiture, you might be puzzling? Welp…although it's probably gonna sound pretty silly, the reason is this: Elvis' Beach Bar (my most favorite haunt on the island) announced on their FB page a few days ago, that they wanted folks to take pictures of themselves, their friends, and/or their loved ones - sporting Elvis Beach Bar attire…and the person whose photo ends up garnering the most "likes" by June 30th, 2015 - will wind up to be the proud winner of a $100 bar tab…(Incidentally, if you'd like to help my chances of winning, visit Elvis' Beach Bar's FB page, and then please "like" my submission photo - found in the comments, Thank You so much!)

Never one to pass up on a photo challenge (nor one to forgo the possibility of being issued comped cocktails), I felt that I simply couldn't not participate. And after mulling over a few different ideas, I decided to stage Elvis' Beach Bar attire-inspired selfpics on the Pamead…not only because upon first sight many years ago, I've been particularly fond of the shipwreck for her photographic comeliness, but also because I knew that if I aimed my camera over her starboard side, I might chance to include Elvis' Beach Bar (or roughly thereabouts) in the pics., which I reckoned would make my submission that much more relevant. So there ya' go.


After gingerly hurrying back and forth numerous times between camera and pose, across the rusted out deck that crunched, and crackled, and threatened to give way which would've sent me plunging through jagged rotten metal to the level below - I packed up my gear and disembarked what's considered to be a landmark for some (like myself), but sadly on the contrary, an eyesore to others - I then set up my camera so that I might snap a next set of pictures with (the majority of) Pamead's likeness in the background. Only 3 frames into my second set of self-portraits however - completely without warning, and to my utter surprise - my dear friend Frankie came tromping out of the sea and up to greet me - and (naturally) he then promptly ask me for a cigarette, haha! 

He sweetly obliged when I petitioned him to first pose in a few pics. with me, and after reviewing them all, I ended up liking this ^ one the most out of the lot. Thank You, Frankie - for being so willing to collaborate with me, you absolute doll, You!



Anyway, so here's the new deal…I am suddenly and very inspired to resuscitate my love of self-portraiture, in an effort to document my new(ish) life here on Anguilla. The pictures won't be as racy, nor nearly as dark and depressing as the ones that I used to take back in The States (at least I think they won't be)…but I'm looking quite forward to charting new waters here on and around my favorite rock on the planet, for the sake of revisiting an art form that I've dearly missed, since I begrudgingly gave it up a year ago…