Spanish Moss and Buds
We are heading North today after an amazing, recuperative stay in South Carolina. Spring has arrived in full force; trees are budding out and the weather has been beautiful. / I got a ton of work done on the suitcase project while here. The American Society of Picture Professionals is featuring the project in a story in their next publication. They are the first to have focused on the preservation aspect of the materials since many of their members are curators. I am so happy to get this side of the story out. And I have sent six images to the Exploratorium that they will be using to produce postcards to sell in the museum store. Finally, today I got a nice email from Yvonne Boots-Faubert who looked at some of the fabric/sewing based contents of the cases and wrote a nice post on her blog. Check it out. I am so happy when people look at the photographs and are stimulated enough to get creative and apply it to their own interests. Thanks, as usual, to all of you who are following this site.
Backlit Shell
I loved the way this little shell was translucent and backlit by the sun. / We are winding up out time here and I am really going to miss the beach.
South Carolina Beach
Cris and I celebrated our 25th anniversary yesterday with a very long walk on the beach. It was a beautiful day and the light was perfect for me. And as you can see, it was mostly deserted.
When we walk, I am constantly stopping to take photos. She usually just keeps moving but I eventually catch up.
Some of these guys are really tiny. The shell on top with the red bit was no more than an inch across. The guy above was probably 3 inches.
I have only occasionally seen the above type of shell. Reminds me of an exotic African cat.
This shell was very small, but so beautiful.
There is usually quite a bit of plant matter laying about. We saw what was left of a huge palm tree at the high tide line. I am not sure if the plant above is a water or land based plant.
Sand dollars are somewhat rarer this year. We didn’t see any until yesterday.
I say it to people all the time when I am complimented about my photographs, because it is important for me to give credit where it is due. I absolutely could not do what I do without the constant support and encouragement from Cristine. Not just emotionally, but in practical terms as well. She works very hard at a demanding job to provide us with all the things that a photographer with a spotty income could never provide. For that and the last 25 years I am more grateful than I can say.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Cris and I are in South Carolina for a bit. My brother and sister-in-law generously invite us to stay in their place down here and it is amazing. We usually come in January, but since Cris is on sabbatical this semester we decided to come down in March. We were walking on the beach the other day and talking about flotsam and jetsam. I was spouting off about the distinction between the two. A few minutes later Cris looked down and saw this. It was clear that it wasn’t just dropped on the beach; it had been in the water a long time and was quite near the water line having just been washed up. It is completely dead, but we couldn’t help wondering about the life of the owner. 21st Century jetsam (or is it flotsam?)
Talk of the Nation Audio Link
I had a very nice time on Talk of the Nation today. Ari Shapiro was great and it was fun to talk about the suitcases. My heart was beating a bit as I was being introduced, but once we got rolling it went really well. Here is a link to the audio. The studio was interesting. NPR no longer has a broadcast facility in Charleston (I’m down here for a bit of a late winter break.) so they sent me to an independent recording studio that does this sort of live feed on a regular basis. You can see by the picture that it was a comfy little space. / Pardon the repetition for regular visitors to this site, but if you are new here and just want to see the suitcase posts, here you go. Some other links are here, here, and here. Comments are always welcome. Thanks for all your support and interest, and big thanks to Ari and A.D. at TOTN.
Talk of the Nation
Ari Shapiro, who is guest-hosting NPRs Talk of the Nation saw the Slate piece on the suitcases and thought it might be a good idea to have me on the show. So, this coming Monday at 3.40 pm Eastern time I will be interviewed, and there will probably be some time for phone calls. I am so pleased that the project is getting so much positive attention. / Welcome to all the recent guests to this site. I would also like to add a note to all of you who have taken the time to comment here, or send me email. I am really touched by the stories of your own connection to the asylums and to mental illness. I always attempt to respond to you all, but lately I have really been inundated with mail due to the recent attention the cases have received. Over the next few weeks, I will be cutting back on my other responsibilities to focus primarily on this project. So if you haven’t heard back from me yet, I’ll hope to be in touch soon.
Petey’s Summertime Seafood and Bar
Welcome to those of you who have found this site through the Slate article. I am very grateful for the job David Rosenberg did, and the response that the suitcases are getting. It is a bit overwhelming at times, but I am so pleased that the project is reaching so many new people.
I had a shoot in Exeter, New Hampshire for the Old House Journal today. Peter is home for a bit and he came along to hang out with me and continue our fried clam odyssey (See more here). After working, we drove to Rye, NH to check out Petey’s Summertime Seafood and Bar. The clams were fantastic; among the best yet. / It is always somewhat surprising to come upon the ocean after a short two hour drive from Western Massachusetts. Today it was beautiful.
Slate Magazine
Slate Magazine ran a really nice piece on the Willard Suitcase project. Here’s the link. Big thanks to David Rosenberg for his interest and doing a great job choosing and laying out the photos. / When I was recently in San Francisco I stayed at this place. It is a great old building and the staff are loads of fun.
Printing
On Thursday Peggy came over to help me edit for the Exploratorium exhibit. We had a very productive day and nailed down our final choices. I started printing yesterday morning and have worked pretty steadily until a few minutes ago. I still have some that I will probably reprint tomorrow, but for all intents and purposes I am done for now. All my prints are 12 inches wide, and my great friend Alex Ross has been printing the seven or eight 36 inch wide prints. It feels great to be so close to putting everything into a giant fedex box and sending them to San Francisco.
Green Liquid
I am back in Brockport shooting at the College for a few days. The people here are always so nice and pleasant to be around. This beaker was in a lab in the department of Environmental Science and Biology. I didn’t ask what was in it, but the green color was quite lovely. It was in a bar in San Francisco last week and saw a small martini glass filled with something that looked just like it.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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