Month: October 2016

Where To Find The Light

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Where To Find The Light

On Saturday, October 29th begins the new cycle of the Torah reading. It starts with, “In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth – when the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep, and the Divine Presence hovered upon the surface of the waters – God said “Let there be light “ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated between the light and the darkness” (Genesis 1: 1-4). And then “God made the two great luminaries -the great luminary to dominate the day and the lesser luminary to dominate the night, and the stars. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, to dominate by day and by night, and to separate between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:16-18). After the Earth sprouted with the vegetation and trees, and water and land, it became populated with living creatures. “And God said “Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26). This last sentence summarizes the whole purpose of the creation process. Humans were created with the ability to act like God, i.e. to be able to choose between the light and the darkness and between good and not good. God said, “Man has now become like one of us in knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:22). Toward the end of the Torah reading cycle, which was just a few weeks ago, the idea of separation and choosing is repeated again. After years of many challenges, travelling through the desert, receiving God’s commandments and life teachings, the Israelites, led by Moses, are about to arrive at the Promised Land. Shortly before his death, Moses passes on God’s message.

“I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so that you will live, you and your off-springs” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Since light is associated with life and darkness with death, the choice is clear – choose light. Often the question is “where?” and “how?”

Sometimes making a decision can be challenging. Take, for example forthcoming election. The results might be joyful for some and disappointing for others. Regardless of what they are – there is always going to be light and darkness. When it will get dark, stop worrying, just go to sleep, the next morning the sun will appear again, even if the sky is covered with clouds and it is raining (which helps to bring life).

Of course you can create light just by turning on an electrical switch. But if you want to witness the arrival of the light at the sunrise, this requires more efforts. You either have to get to a higher point or to find an unobstructed location facing East. You also need to get there before the show begins, dress in warm clothing and be patient. If the sky is cloudy or foggy, do not despair, keep coming back, when light will appear, you will realize why choosing light/life is the true purpose of living.
Enjoy and Share.

P.S. Leaving my home at 6.30am (at this time of the year) and arriving at the top of Mt. Davidson twenty minutes later is the opportunity to witness the miracle of the creation. I will share with you images of the sunrise in a forthcoming story about Mt. Davidson. Meanwhile, these four images show how the light of the sun creates a new visual reality.

Since the word “photography” means “drawing with the light”, you can have light at your disposal at any time, just by buying my book “42 Encounters in San Francisco”. You can do it.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
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Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

The Wait Is Over

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The Wait Is Over

Do you know that elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals? Their pregnancies last for more than a year and a half. When I started working on what became my first in a series of photography books, “42 Encounters in San Francisco” at the beginning of 2015, I had no idea of what this project will become. After I limited the number of images to forty-two, I had some “extras”, which lead me to start working on the sequel book, “42 Encounters with Couples in San Francisco”. This pattern continued with many more images, so I decided to produce forty-two books over the next 21 years, in other words to produce two books per year. The third and fourth installments, which will be out in 2017 will be “42 Encounters with Dog Lovers” Part One and Part Two. During the process of creating the books, I’ve also learned about book making and how much it might cost. For example, to print 1,000 books cost $15,450 or $15.45 per book. After adding all other costs it comes close to $20.00, not counting my time, materials and return on my efforts. But if I will sell it in bookstores, they will take a 40% cut or $9.60, leaving me with $14.40, which is less than the cost of printing. If I sell it online, then the shipping cost is $3.09. Thus, buyers will pay $29.00 for it, and will necessitate frequent trips to the post office. Who will pay for this unproductive time? But I wish these problems for myself. After all, I have great fun putting this project together. And there is another pay-off, which I want to accomplish. I want to create a non-profit foundation or to contribute the profits for an organization which will teach people (especially the young ones) to see and capture the beauty of the world through the lens of a camera or smartphone.

To do this, I will cooperate with like-minded young (and young at heart) photographers. But first I need to sell 1000 books to raise the money for the second book, which I want to be ready before Christmas. Thanksgiving is next month, and it’s a time to say “thank you” to friends, colleagues and relatives. In my view, the best way to express it is to give someone a book, especially if it is “42 Encounters in San Francisco”.

Another way to cover my book-making budget is to refer me a client. I can assure you, the money will go to a good cause. To order a 42 Encounters book, go to encounterspublishing.com or you can order through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Please send this letter to anyone on your list, or share tweet, or facebook with your exciting comments, of course. Enjoy and Share.

P.S. When I received the first shipment of 50 books from the Moquin Press Company, the company that printed my books, my heart was filled with joy. Later, 950 books were delivered to our storage. In my four images you are witnessing those moments as well as the cover of the book and the last (bonus) image.

 

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

Folsom Street

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Folsom Street

When I decided to write stories about the streets of San Francisco last month, Folsom Street was not on my list. The only thing I knew about it was that it is a commercial street where I would come to buy electrical fixtures during the remodeling of our house years ago. It is also the one-way street to take to the Embarcadero.

But then a friend asked me if I had ever photographed the Folsom Street Fair. I usually do not go to fairs. But when my friend told me that on one of the visits there a few years ago, he witnessed a woman performing oral sex on a stage, he got my attention.

The street was named after Joseph L. Folsom, in the quartermaster’s department of United States Army in 1848-1849. He built a fine residence on the northern corner of Second and Folsom Street. It is difficult to imagine what would be his reaction, if he found out that over 130 years later (in 1984), there would start one of the largest outdoor spectacular events to celebrate BDSM, a variety of erotic practices involving bondage, discipline, submission and sadomasochism. I learned that Folsom Street has been the center of San Francisco’s leather community since the mid-1960s. When I announced to my family that I’m planning to visit and photograph the event on Sunday, September 24th, I received a stern warning from my wife and both of my daughters. In the past, this yearly event attracted 400,000 visitors, and my family was concerned about my safety. Of course for me this sounded like telling a fox stay away from the chicken coop. So at noon, on one of the hottest days in San Francisco, at 80F, I took the Muni underground to Van Ness and I walked a few blocks, and paid the $10.00 entrance fee, and I got to my destination. The Fair covered five blocks of Folsom Street from the 8th to 13th Street. There were many naked or partially clad men and women, some with various leather straps crisscrossing their bodies. On the first stage, I witnessed three women performing a sadistic act. Next to it was the area where men and women would lay down on an X-shaped wooden platform to be spanked. It was very hot and many were seeking the shade on the sidewalk, while consuming barbequed meat with glasses of beer. Then I came to a stage, which was blocked by a huge crowd of men with their cell phones pointing up in the air. When I pushed myself closer I witnessed seven men engaged in group sex, with the eighth one walking around with the microphone making comments. After making enough clicks with my small camera, I decided to quit. San Francisco is a very special city. It was always on the forefront of liberal self-impressions. As far as I am concerned, I visited Folsom Fair twice: my first and last time. And though I might use one of the images out of the 300 that I photographed on that day for one of my “42 Encounters” books, I realized that my family was right. Sometimes the threat is not outside, but rather inside the person. Not all experiences are worth experiencing.

Enjoy and Share.
P.S. Though I had plenty of images of naked bodies, you can find plenty of those online. The four I decided to share with you show people who were more creative with their attire.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

Can You Watch My Words?

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Can You Watch My Words?

In my recent conversation with a client over the phone I made an inappropriate joke, to which she laughingly retorted: “Watch your words.” The next day I called and apologized, but this little encounter got me thinking. But “How can we watch what we are saying?” After all, words are sounds, which we listen to, not watch? The answer came in a San Francisco Chronicle article on August 31, 2016 titled, “Good Boy! Dogs Understand What You are Saying.” For the dog, it is not so much important which words the owner uses, but rather how they say them. “…the dog is looking at your body language and your eyes, and perhaps starting to infer that “stinky mess” is a word of praise, if you are saying it with a happy voice.” Apparently, the reaction in dogs like in humans has to do with the evolution of the brain. “As with the people’s brains, parts of dogs’ left hemispheres react to the meaning and parts of the right hemisphere to intonation – the emotional content of a sound. Perhaps this is why I do not like to communicate with my clients (or anyone else for that matter) through social media, but rather prefer to meet them in person whenever possible.

The article pointed out that the study of dogs who were trained to enter a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, confirms the 7% rule.
In 1971, Albert Mahrabian published a book, “Silent Message”, in which he discussed his research on non-verbal communication. According to his observation, 55 percent was assigned on the speaker’s body language, another 38 percent to the tone and music of the voice, and only 7 percent on the credibility of the words. Since then others have challenged the assigned percentages, but the fact remains: when it comes to humans, 7 percent can still build or ruin relationship. Therefore, watch what you are saying.

In the recent weeks I’ve published two stories about dogs. One of my readers sent a very interesting comment…

Regarding dogs, based on my experience, I agree owners need training. Most owners anthropomorphize their dogs. This can be a serious error. Dogs are pack animals that follow a very rigid hierarchy protocol. If you don’t understand dog protocol and follow it explicitly, you can have a lot of unwanted problems, particularly with larger dogs. For example, people usually like it when their dog seeks attention to be petted, like putting their head under your hand. If you pet the dog, a positive thing for you, the dog also sees it positively, but not the way you think. The dog sees it as submission by you. This tells the dog they’re alpha and the behavior exhibited by alpha dogs who’re encouraged to be alpha can be very problematic. The best book I’ve read on this, and it’s an interesting read, even if you don’t own a dog, is The Monks of New Skeet. They’re a religious order of monks in New York who breed and train German shepherds.

Enjoy and Share.

P.S. People love dogs and often spoil them by treating their pets as children. Those four images will end up in my forthcoming (probably next year) “42 Encounters with Dog Lovers.”

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature