My two top photo books

Money is tight this year so I  had to be extra selective.

No. 1 - Vivian Maier - Street Photographer. We went to see the exhibition and was a little let down, but this book just makes me feel there is so much more to be seen. Very much like "you ain't seen nothing yet". What is in the book is well worth seeing. Just keep "seeing" :-) A great book.

No. 2 Swarm - Jonathan Saunders.Not sure if it was published this year . . . . but. It's a book that I cherish. Jonathan has a way of combining his stories and his photographs that makes me feel like no other, it's like a beautiful giant puzzle . Unique talent and it's so good to see Contientious finally picking up on him. It's not the book in review. I have ordered it and can't wait to get it.

I did buy a couple of others but these stand out for me at the moment.

Ken

I've managed to grab a few minutes just to wish everybody a very happy Christmas. I'm a useless fella for getting cards and things out at the right time. As a small (S) token of my appreciation (and a groveling apology) I am posting this

All the best x


Sean & Diane

An old suitcase full of photographs

When I was a little kid my parents had an old suitcase filled with Dad’s loose photographs  and I would spend many a time looking through them. They were good photographs and this was before I’d become interested in photography and I wonder if seeing them had an influence on me in the future. I think it has.

I’ve recently started scanning and cataloguing my Dad’s negatives. It's a time consuming process and time well worth investing. Over the last couple of weeks I have found that I’ve become closer to my Dad than ever before. Of course it is too late now to have a chat with him about the photographs and the people in them. I have chatted with Mum and last night I asked her if she still has that old suitcase full of photographs and she said she did.

These two photographs of Mum, Dad and my sister Kina are from before I was born taken in their tiny one bedroom flat in the centre of Bergen, Norway. I have only spent one Christmas in Norway and that was back in 2003. It was a good time. I did have a feeling that that was going to be the last ever Christmas my family had being all together. And I was right.

My thoughts are especially with my Dad this Christmas.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful new year.

 Dad - Christmas in Solheim, Norway 2003

Ken

Proud

(I'm working on my Christmas post.)

Anyway, I am really chuffed with the way K&K has turned out over the year. I really am. I've had my downs, too many, but I hope things will look up next year.

Kras & Keane are always optimistic and I hope some good stuff will be along the way.


Ken

Natalie

I've always loved this time of year. I've plenty of reasons not to as I've some rough old Christmas's under my belt, but they've never dampened my Christmas spirit. Natalie turned 23 yesterday, we dropped a present off for her at the hospital. She's been sectioned. She hasn't been taking her medication for schizophrenia. She will not see anybody but her mother and sister at the moment,
but we'll keep on coming until she's ready. It's important she knows that she has family that love her

She has a Daughter named Nevaeh



Nevaeh is Heaven Backwards


We'll make sure Nevaeh always loves this time of year and do all we can to ensure Natalie never spends another Christmas without her


A quiet and peaceful Christmas to one and all


Sean

Dead fish

(In case you couldn't tell, I'm a massive fan of this film)

Ken

Hark now

Cake and tea

And fine wine.

 

Grandparents

It was a rare meeting for me with the grandparents. I reckon it was about 4 or 5 times in my early life, before 10 years old and I remember them both.

One of those times my Granddad spoke English, "No drugs, no alcohol" . . . I still hear his voice in my ear at times. I wear his wedding ring (I twist it and remember), I have a shot of us together on Westcliff Jetty. I have cine film of us racing round on a trike in the Westcliff garden. It was only later I realised how hard his life was being a fisherman from up North Norway, fishing the Iclandic waters.

My Grandparents

Ken

Never mix your drinks

Mum and Dad

I never knew my Dad without a beard, he looks good.
Been archiving my family's stuff this time and come across these two shots. Circa 1959, 1960.

 Mum by Dad

Dad by Mum

Ken

Edit: Latest scans can be seen Here

Grace

Not the kind that allows ladies to walk while balancing a book on their head. The real kind. The kind that keeps on going, come what may. With no complaint or self pity. The kind that brings patients and kindness

The kind that crosses your path maybe once in a lifetime, if you're lucky.

For Diane

American Nomads

"I just gotta keep going until I lay down and sleep. And then I might cry myself to sleep
or what ever else, happens, but, I mean, my dreams get crushed on a regular basis."


Do not miss it, it's a beautiful thing








Sean

Not all...

      Not all pictures belong on your wall

     The ones that say the most of all

       get bent and scratched, taint and go faint

        stuck in an envelope with a picture of a saint

         clutched in your hand as the blue light flashes

       Put on the sideboard next to your ashes

           But never ever on the wall, they're no good there

        Not at all

I thank you