Monday, May 26, 2014

Favorite Pic of the Day for May 27th

Above:
-See More Below-

Check out today's birthday boys HERE:

The Bottom Line

Spring Cleaning!

Palpitations


I used to bemoan the fact that Ryan Murphy has brought me some of the best hours of television I have ever watched, and also some of the worst. I have come to a point where I can simply appreciate the great hours (season 1 of Popular) and ignore and not try to love the worst. (season 2 of Popular). I will not have time to really sit down and watch The Normal Heart until the weekend. Good or bad, with some of my favorite actors, speaking the words of play write Larry Kramer, I am sure it will be powerful.



Just Because: Oh Daddy?


Now I am not implying the image below had anything to do with Tatum's future struggles, but it certainly couldn't have helped... Just sayin! I came across the image (equally horrific and fabulous) while researching another story, but knew instantly it deserved one of it's very own.


Tatum and Ryan O'Neal were ahead of their time. Billy Ray and Miley, and Will Smith and family, may be today's most well known celebrity parent/child dysfunctional families, but they were far from the first! Tatum's struggles, and her relationship issues with her father, are well documented and have provided tabloid stories most of the last five decades. They even headlined a failed reality show on Own. Come on Oprah, The O'Neals? Lohan? Really, not two your best ideas...


In all honesty, I have never seen a Ryan O'Neal movie, although watching clips of Ali McGraw emoting in Love Story do make me giggle. Most of what I know is from what I read about his relationship with Farrah, none of which painted him in a favorable light. While researching images to accompany the father/daughter shot, I must say at one time he certainly was purdy!


Thanks to the recommendations of FH readers, I did finally see a Rock Hudson movie. I loved Magnificent Obsession, even though it was initially hard to get the image of Jane Wyman as that old crow from Falcon Crest out of my head. If anyone has any suggestions for a Ryan O'Neal movie to try, I welcome any suggestions!


Wild Rovers


Oliver's Story

Reese: Lend Me Your Eyes...


'Lend me your eyes, I can change what you see. But your soul you must keep totally free.'


I have had a sort of odd relationship with tumblr. In some ways, tumblr reminds me of how I felt when everything started coming out only in DVD format. I had invested seven years in collecting VHS tapes and as much I could see the advantages of disc, I dug my heals in. Blogger is in many ways very retro, in reality it began behind the times. Although it still has yet to reach MySpace status, I fear it will in time.


I have started dipping my toes into tumblr though. My initial nose snubbing at the ease in which you can 'right click, save and the post the work of others went against all the values and rules I set up for my own site. Obtaining consent from copy write holders is almost laughable on tumblr, is outright discouraged with ease in which they allow you to post is mass.


It is that mass that most alarmed me. With pages and pages with dozens upon dozens of images, how is a really great photo ever to really able to be seen, felt and appreciated. The answer of course is tumblrs created and run by the artists themselves. Several of my favorite photographers now use tumblr as a way of displaying their work. Run by the artist, the content can be displayed how they choose, images after image quickly posted, or slowly unveiled at their own pace.


There is friend of FH who has written me often, with suggestions about content, ideas for artists and models I may want to feature on the blog. They often include images, based usually on my writing, of subjects they think I may connect with. A few weeks ago, an image came to me, the last one posted at the bottom of this piece. It was sent on based on all my stories and writing of my passion for images which include windows. I won't repeat why I connect so much with images featuring windows, it is all well documented on many previous features and stories. I will say however, the image at the bottom has become one of my all time favorites and I think if you spent a few minutes with it, it will become one of yours.


'Pretending I’m on a nude beach today. Sun-dried, sandy, and salty.'


The image, a self portrait is luminescent, almost spiritual. The artist and model, Reese, manages to create such beauty through pose and light. The orange coming through the blinds, the specs of sun dancing on his body and sculpted backside are breathtaking. Reese uses shape and silhouette to create tranquil, sometime sad, but always incredible moments in time.


The degree of emotion Reese is able to capture, even when his soulful eyes and beautiful face are covered or obscured, is remarkable. Resse's images confirm for me that a camera is just a toy unless the person behind and in front of it, have a true vision of what they want to capture. The artist's tumblr is a beautiful place to visit and I am so glad I was sent an invitation.


My favorite images from Reese are of course the ones under, beside or near a window, even when it is just a peak. The window confirms, that although the artist may be alone in the room, there is something on the other side which powerfully affects what happens on the flip side of that glass. Whether it be the heat from the sun shining through, the light or even possibilities of what is, and what will be. Windows may reflect and illuminate, but they don't allow one to hide.