Gordon Parks — Half Past Autumm from Chester Higgins on Vimeo.
Though the video above is 1 1/2 hours in length, it is an amazing documentary of Gordon Park's life!Friday, August 30, 2013
20th Century Black & White Photography
20th Century Black and White Photography from Philip Scott Johnson on Vimeo.
Photographers in order:
0:03 - Robert Doisneau
0:10 - Horst P. Horst
0:16 - Robert Capa
0:23 - André Kertész
0:30 - Ruth Bernhard
0:37 - Brassaï
0:44 - Werner Bischof
0:50 - Edward Steichen
0:57 - Weegee
1:04 - Irving Penn
1:11 - Henri Cartier-Bresson
1:17 - Harry Callahan
1:24 - Man Ray
1:31 - Don McCullin
1:38 - Paul Strand
1:45 - Cecil Beaton
1:52 - Elliot Erwitt
1:59 - Gordon Parks
2:05 - Shigeichi Nagano
2:12 - Edward Weston
2:18 - Manuel Alvarez Bravo
2:26 - Clarence John Laughlin
2:32 - Ed van der Elsken
2:39 - Margaret Bourke-White
2:46 - Arnold Newman
2:53 - Berenice Abbott
3:00 - Bruce Davidson
3:06 - Ansel Adams
3:13 - Walker Evans
3:20 - Imogen Cunningham
3:27 - Richard Avedon
3:33 - Dorthea Lange
0:10 - Horst P. Horst
0:16 - Robert Capa
0:23 - André Kertész
0:30 - Ruth Bernhard
0:37 - Brassaï
0:44 - Werner Bischof
0:50 - Edward Steichen
0:57 - Weegee
1:04 - Irving Penn
1:11 - Henri Cartier-Bresson
1:17 - Harry Callahan
1:24 - Man Ray
1:31 - Don McCullin
1:38 - Paul Strand
1:45 - Cecil Beaton
1:52 - Elliot Erwitt
1:59 - Gordon Parks
2:05 - Shigeichi Nagano
2:12 - Edward Weston
2:18 - Manuel Alvarez Bravo
2:26 - Clarence John Laughlin
2:32 - Ed van der Elsken
2:39 - Margaret Bourke-White
2:46 - Arnold Newman
2:53 - Berenice Abbott
3:00 - Bruce Davidson
3:06 - Ansel Adams
3:13 - Walker Evans
3:20 - Imogen Cunningham
3:27 - Richard Avedon
3:33 - Dorthea Lange
Music: "Lines Behind Walls" by Ehren Starks
Video made by:
Video made by:
By Philip Scott Johnson
Monday, August 26, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Communication and Philosophy
I often, unconsciously, talk about myself and the things I've done, experiences I've had. It's self-centered and not the most considerate approach in communicating....but, believe it or not, that's never the intention. If I spoke consciously from intention at all times, I'd probably be much quieter and quite a bit more careful about what I say.
The thing is I REALLY don't believe one person is better than another because of what he/she does for a living, what their background is, etc. Though it's much easier said than done, I believe in the concepts of tolerance and acceptance. Those are ideals of mine at any rate. Living by them, moment by moment, is not a sure thing......but it is always the goal.
I very much believe in open communication.....putting issues out on the table for resolution and then moving on ----not holding on and making ulcers out of them. This approach works pretty well in my marriage but that is because both parities believe in it and the goal is always to resolve any concerns.
It makes me a little crazy not to be able to express issues openly. I also understand that many, if not most, people don't take the same approach.
Though uncomfortable, I've actually taken this open communication approach in work discussions with a boss. There have been times when I thought it would blow up in my face but it actually never has. l learned more than once that my perceptions were wildly out to lunch. In the majority of cases, the boss in question, thanked me profusely and went on to clearly try to address my questions.
It's easy to fall into forming impressions of someone who makes you uncomfortable, perhaps to consciously or unconsciously even target that person because of some perceived wrong that person has committed against you. What would it be like to find out that the person in question is actually not at all how you perceive them to be?
But, is that what true kindness is? Offering a caring smile and a hand outstretched to help, never to hinder - a desire to bring together people, not to separate or isolate anyone. Wouldn't it be something to try to do that with no conditions attached?
I am far from angelic and stumble frequently. One of the strange advantages of being ill is that you come to realize how fragile life is and, accordingly, that putting focus on how we live each moment is really important. I am laughing as I write this because I can so easily be swept up by staggering depression at times that speaking of ideals is more wishful than actual.
Nevertheless, I know what I'm aiming for. I screw up frequently. Hopefully, before too much time has gone by, I re-set with my ideals in mind and go from there.
"To thine own self be true....." according to William Shakespeare. For me, this means to try to live according to my ideals. But, whatever those are, whatever causes I support whether it be saving elephants, curing cancer, finding my way through Parkinson's Disease with as much light as possible, I believe the ideal is part of a framework. How I act within that framework is what matters most -- in my day to day interactions with Earth, animals and other human beings. If my purpose is the overall expression of love, then at least trying to be kind in my interactions is a given.
Monday, August 12, 2013
August 12,2013-- World Elephant Day
The second annual World Elephant Day Aug 12 is here! It’s a day to bring people together to help elephants. It’s also a day to remind us that the world’s elephants are in crisis.
Since the first World Elephant Day one year ago, has anything changed?
Ivory poaching and trafficking crimes, and human-elephant conflict tragedies have continued to escalate taking the lives of both elephants and humans in Africa and Asia. In countries such as Sumatra and Sri Lanka, much of the endangered Asian elephants’ remaining precious habitat is being bulldozed down to make room for palm oil plantations or superhighways, all in the name of development. Although in countries from continental Africa and Asia to the USA there have been some poachers arrested, and tons of smuggled illegal ivory seized, this has made little impact on the multi-billion dollar black market industry that continues to drive the trade. It’s clear that enforcement policies and penalties are still too weak to make a difference to the kingpins behind the scenes. Meanwhile anti-poaching squads in African countries such as Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo bravely risk their lives to stop the poachers, but in many cases are no match for these heavily armed gunmen. Much about these issues has been reported by scores of journalists, advocates and conservation NGOs, from the big to the small. There are countless organizations that have been tirelessly working at all levels to bring attention to these issues and to what we can do about it.
At the political level, some government leaders are starting to acknowledge the impacts and scope of the illegal wildlife trade. Political will, policy changes, stepping-up law enforcement and cooperation between all the stakeholder countries is ultimately necessary to stop wildlife crime. Working through this complexity is going to take time but we must be aware that time is something that the elephants do not have.
Optimistically, one positive development that has evolved over this past year has been a steady increase in public awareness about the severity of these issues and the pending demise of not only the elephants, but many other animals such as wolves, rhinos, lions, tigers, gorillas, sharks, dolphins, whales, pangolin, pandas – and the list goes on and on. It seems that elephants evoke the deepest emotional response in people and brings into focus the urgency of these issues. Elephants are the beacon, the iconic keystone species that touches the hearts of people worldwide and calls attention to what needs to remain wild and protected from the accelerating demands of global greed.
While the big NGOs campaign against these atrocities and lobby governments to take action on the international stage, it is increasingly important to recognize the role of the ordinary person and what we can do to make a difference. When united, ordinary people become an unassuming army of passionate advocates who are free from politics and bureaucracies. Like the approach of a distant rumbling thunder, ordinary people have been independently and steadily building a grassroots movement to speak out for not only elephants, but all animals and nature.
Much of this grassroots awareness exists because of social media, where in this parallel universe of cyberspace information and sentiments can be shared across borders and time zones. If awareness, sentiment and corresponding thoughts are real things than these are the seeds of future action.
On October 4 2013 the International March for Elephants, as part of the iWorry campaign of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, will hold marches in thirteen cities around the world. On this day the awareness shared among thousands through social media will be transformed into peaceful action. Not since the “Save the Whales” movement of the 1970s and ’80s have people come out into the streets to stand up for animals on the brink of extinction. In tandem to the “official” iWorry campaign, also on October 4th there are independent marches planned in twelve other cities – and the list is growing. The most active is the March for Elephants San Francisco, the core group of dedicated and passionate advocates who are leading the way for a movement on behalf of the elephants.
What can you do to help bring about change on World Elephant Day? Consider looking at elephants in photographs and film, reading insightful literature and accounts of their behavior, learning about their nature and sharing it with others, especially children. You will discover that elephants are kindred spirits. They have many of the qualities that we should aspire to have ourselves. They are kind, gentle, powerful and vulnerable, and surprisingly respectful of us. You may be compelled to join this growing international community of concerned citizens who are the spokespeople that the elephants may be calling for – those who wish to protect the elephants and other animals from the crimes that are threatening humanity’s global natural heritage. It’s up to all of us across the spectrum of societies and nations – from government leaders to conservation organizations to ordinary people - to stand up for the elephants and their habitat and speak out for what we know we must save. Will the elephants know? We think they will.
Source: http://worldelephantday.org/news/2013/08/world-elephant-day-2013-stand-up-for-elephants
Since the first World Elephant Day one year ago, has anything changed?
Ivory poaching and trafficking crimes, and human-elephant conflict tragedies have continued to escalate taking the lives of both elephants and humans in Africa and Asia. In countries such as Sumatra and Sri Lanka, much of the endangered Asian elephants’ remaining precious habitat is being bulldozed down to make room for palm oil plantations or superhighways, all in the name of development. Although in countries from continental Africa and Asia to the USA there have been some poachers arrested, and tons of smuggled illegal ivory seized, this has made little impact on the multi-billion dollar black market industry that continues to drive the trade. It’s clear that enforcement policies and penalties are still too weak to make a difference to the kingpins behind the scenes. Meanwhile anti-poaching squads in African countries such as Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo bravely risk their lives to stop the poachers, but in many cases are no match for these heavily armed gunmen. Much about these issues has been reported by scores of journalists, advocates and conservation NGOs, from the big to the small. There are countless organizations that have been tirelessly working at all levels to bring attention to these issues and to what we can do about it.
At the political level, some government leaders are starting to acknowledge the impacts and scope of the illegal wildlife trade. Political will, policy changes, stepping-up law enforcement and cooperation between all the stakeholder countries is ultimately necessary to stop wildlife crime. Working through this complexity is going to take time but we must be aware that time is something that the elephants do not have.
Optimistically, one positive development that has evolved over this past year has been a steady increase in public awareness about the severity of these issues and the pending demise of not only the elephants, but many other animals such as wolves, rhinos, lions, tigers, gorillas, sharks, dolphins, whales, pangolin, pandas – and the list goes on and on. It seems that elephants evoke the deepest emotional response in people and brings into focus the urgency of these issues. Elephants are the beacon, the iconic keystone species that touches the hearts of people worldwide and calls attention to what needs to remain wild and protected from the accelerating demands of global greed.
While the big NGOs campaign against these atrocities and lobby governments to take action on the international stage, it is increasingly important to recognize the role of the ordinary person and what we can do to make a difference. When united, ordinary people become an unassuming army of passionate advocates who are free from politics and bureaucracies. Like the approach of a distant rumbling thunder, ordinary people have been independently and steadily building a grassroots movement to speak out for not only elephants, but all animals and nature.
Much of this grassroots awareness exists because of social media, where in this parallel universe of cyberspace information and sentiments can be shared across borders and time zones. If awareness, sentiment and corresponding thoughts are real things than these are the seeds of future action.
On October 4 2013 the International March for Elephants, as part of the iWorry campaign of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, will hold marches in thirteen cities around the world. On this day the awareness shared among thousands through social media will be transformed into peaceful action. Not since the “Save the Whales” movement of the 1970s and ’80s have people come out into the streets to stand up for animals on the brink of extinction. In tandem to the “official” iWorry campaign, also on October 4th there are independent marches planned in twelve other cities – and the list is growing. The most active is the March for Elephants San Francisco, the core group of dedicated and passionate advocates who are leading the way for a movement on behalf of the elephants.
What can you do to help bring about change on World Elephant Day? Consider looking at elephants in photographs and film, reading insightful literature and accounts of their behavior, learning about their nature and sharing it with others, especially children. You will discover that elephants are kindred spirits. They have many of the qualities that we should aspire to have ourselves. They are kind, gentle, powerful and vulnerable, and surprisingly respectful of us. You may be compelled to join this growing international community of concerned citizens who are the spokespeople that the elephants may be calling for – those who wish to protect the elephants and other animals from the crimes that are threatening humanity’s global natural heritage. It’s up to all of us across the spectrum of societies and nations – from government leaders to conservation organizations to ordinary people - to stand up for the elephants and their habitat and speak out for what we know we must save. Will the elephants know? We think they will.
Source: http://worldelephantday.org/news/2013/08/world-elephant-day-2013-stand-up-for-elephants
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)