"Garden Of Air Delights by Flam Chen (with The Missing Parts) at Barrio Brewing Company's Tea Room, May 17th, 2012, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks
Flam Chen playing with their food.
Would have liked to have tasted that fiery dessert but I was busy at the time.
Thanks to Paul for the all access pass, and to the owners and managers of Barrio Brewing for letting me shoot from behind the bar.
Image: "Queen Esther Baptist Church, Lancaster, Virginia" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks (Just down River Road from Victoria's house. Love that luscious red carpet. And for you nocturnals out there, it was handheld. Rare for me.)
In this time of making photos on iPhones and Macbook Pros and only looking on screens, I forget I'm a old-school guy. I make a 8 1/2 x 11 work print on archival paper of EVERY image I make. EVERY one. It's the only way, for me, to accurately check for color shift, density, composition, etc. I really like my iPad screen but it's no way to make a good print.
And I have hundreds, if not thousands, of work prints artist proofs at my studio.
If you see an image of mine on The StuBlog or on my old website or on the Fezziwig Press Store or in any of my books, there's a beautiful small print in a box somewhere, perhaps with your name on it. And since I'm organized, I can find it.
Many of you can't afford my larger prints. I understand. I don't have an extra 50 or 100 lying around either. But I do have an extra $20 for stuff I really like.
So if you see an image of mine on any of my sites or in any of my books and you want it, it's yours for $25, shipping, handling and tax included. (I believe in paying taxes, sales and otherwise.)
Just email me at my facebook page or through the StuBlog or at stujenks@gmail.com, and tell me what print you would like or just pull the jpeg and send that to me.
I was just watching the Tarhells lose today in basketball, working on images at my computer when I thought, 'I bet people don't realize I have boxes of work prints here.'
You all do now.
Love and light,
Stu
p.s. Ignore the catagories belows. The computer went wacky. Another reason why I prefer a print in the hand as opposed to an image in The Cloud.
"Tucson's All Souls' Procession: 2011" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks
I didn't take that many photographs at this year's ASP (All Souls' Procession), but that was more than OK with me. I was helping managing the photographers backstage and around the Grand Finale site, and I walked with the Urn, as well, through much of downtown, just because. Then the bagpipes called like me they always do and I walked with the Seven Pipers until I got to the Finale site.
What makes the ASP so powerful to me, among other things, is it's both a very large public event and a very private personal one, all at the same time. I can be surrounded for tens of thousands of people, but a single tear may fall from my eye when I hear Amazing Grace on the pipes, or when I think of my dead mother and sister, all while drummers, dancers and celebrants in dead face walk through my hometown.
Anyway.
To see some amazing work by the MMOS (Many Mouths One Stomach)/ASP photographers that had special access, just go to my Facebook page and to the ASP FB pages and browse around. You'll be bedazzled. The photogs you'll see on my Facebook (and at other FB pages as well) break the stereotype of the obnoxious photographer. Talented, wonderful folk all, besides being great imagemakers, they are also some of the most respectful, kindest artists you'll find anywhere. Thanks, everyone who had a photo pass (and many of those who didn't have passes,) for being such wonderful photographic ladies and gentlemen.
And below of my images from All Souls' Procession. I was going for grainy yet sharpish. And I seem to have been drawn to the faces of those around the Urn, and the faces of those who worked so hard to make this all happen. Thanks, Alphonso, Jefe, Paul, Heather, Moises, Nadia, and on and on and on. Literally, too many to name.
And I had to take some pics of fire too. I am a Zippo man, after all.
"I'm not afraid of The Blur" - Jeff Smith.
Nor am I trying to be.
I took a second look at the images I took last Sunday and found these three, which at first glance didn't seem to measure up. I was wrong. These blurry images work just fine.
And again, heartfelt thanks to all the souls who participated in last weekend's sacred event.
All Souls' Procession: Jellyfish Crane Rehearsal: October 29th, 2010 (c) Many Mouths One Stomach & Stu Jenks
Simply go to the StuTube (my YouTube page) and select All Souls' Procession: Jellyfish Crane, and you can watch a little video, shot yesterday, of the All Souls' Procession Finale: Jellyfish Crane Rehearsal, in the Hook Crane Company's yard. This is just to give you a taste of what will transpire in a little over a week, in Downtown Tucson, on November 7th, 2010.
What struck me, during the rehearsal, was the perfect blending between the solidity of Rome's powerful drumming with Aurelia's floating silk work, and the performers in-between creating a visual bridge between the earthiness and the airy. But isn't that what Death and Dying are all about: The polarity between losing this grounded existence and the hope, afterwards, of flying with our angels? It is for me.
This Earth can be both wonderful and horrible, sometimes in the same day. I visit a dying mother. I watch dancers in the sky. And that was yesterday.
I can always use a little air.
I hope this little video whets your appetite for the visual, spiritual and emotional feast that will occur a week from Sunday.
Love and Light,
Stu.
p.s. Don't forget to choose the HD drop-down on the StuTube. It'll make the video extra-special sharp, you know.
From The 2009 All Souls' Procession, Tucson, Arizona (c) 2009 Stu Jenks
[All images by Stu Jenks, except the bottom one of me in a kilt, taken by Tom Willett]
"Flam Chen at Arcosanti, Cordes Junction, Arizona" (c) 2009 Stu Jenks
"Flam Chen Performing at Flowing Wells High School, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2009 Stu Jenks
"Flam Chen at the Ronstadt Transit Center, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2008 Stu Jenks
[My first shots with my new 70-200mm f 2.8 Canon lens. After the performance, Paul called over and asked how'd it go. I believe I said something like "It's a new day." Yes it is.]
"Adam's Spiral" (c) 2008 Stu Jenks
[Taken at a Flam Chen performance last Saturday night. Adam Cooper-Teran is a very talented artist and quite the visionary if you ask me. And as important, he's a very kind and good man. Also, his mother is about as sweet as they come, and a great artist herself. I'm happy to know Adam, and happy, as well, that he loves the spiral as much as I do. Hell, he's more committed to the swirl than I, for I haven't tattooed a spiral on my body. Yet.]
