Portfolio & Information & More

August 31st, 2009

A Special Action With Motives Unclear

I was as close to the stars as this plane would let me get. It was starting to spiral down. It was now over JFK airport and I was looking out the fake glass again in every direction I could except home.

Camera set to Auto. Software set to Auto.

This is not what was intended, this is not the story that was to be here now. I had reserved and been savoring the moment of this story’s posting for quite some time. It was a beautiful beautiful beautiful letter that will now most likely remain unmailed or saved for a time that is correct long after my correct time has passed.

One must learn to honor requests or one must learn to say no in choice of one’s own feelings.

These two sides of me fight each other.

Your side will most likely always win.

August 30th, 2009

An Afterward Forward

On The Hot Blue Texas Wind I Flew




please touch the image above to see and listen for 97 seconds

 

 

There was a hot hot blue blue wind blowing on me when I was just in Texas yesterday. There was also an emergency and the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. I was told to take a hold and breathe deeply and ignore the bag not inflating but instead for the first time in my life, amidst all my panic, I mistakenly pulled the emergency handle and jumped out a passage that I now believe or hope may not have really been there.

 

I miss that hot hot blue blue wind on my skin.

 

Looking out through the fake glass in these moments, I could still see the blue. Looking down at the floor around my feet, I could still see the blue. I could not however see the wind nor could I see the hot, this was shocking to me.

 

 

August 29th, 2009

A Forward Afterward


It is here, standing at this railing, looking through this glass, in these two moments that I felt a feeling like I never have felt before. I didn’t like it, it cannot be real and I know it to be wrong, I know it in my bones.

I am romantic like that and most likely I only hold on as strong as I am allowed.

Houston, TX | 8/24/2009 – 11:22:14 AM

Austin, TX | 8/23/2009 – 5:01:04 PM

August 28th, 2009

Papaya Park | XV

Waiting.

August 28th, 2009

Papaya Park | XVI

The waiting is about to end….

My Brother | My Mother

August 27th, 2009

Papaya Park | XIII

Waiting.

August 27th, 2009

Papaya Park | XIV

Waiting.

August 26th, 2009

Papaya Park | XI

Waiting.

August 26th, 2009

Papaya Park | XII

Waiting.

August 25th, 2009

Papaya Park | IX

Waiting.

August 25th, 2009

Papaya Park | X

Waiting.

August 24th, 2009

Papaya Park | VIII

Waiting.

August 24th, 2009

Papaya Park | VII

Waiting.

August 23rd, 2009

Papaya Park | VI

Waiting.

August 23rd, 2009

Papaya Park | V

Waiting.

August 22nd, 2009

Papaya Park | IV

Waiting.

August 22nd, 2009

Papaya Park | III

Waiting.

August 21st, 2009

Papaya Park | II

Waiting.

August 21st, 2009

Papaya Park | I

I went to Florida and starting waiting in a park called Papaya.

I waited 8 days for you to arrive here.

Watch me wait, twice a day, for the next 8 days.

August 20th, 2009

The Last Time I Was In Texas | I

August 20th, 2009

The Last Time I Was In Texas | II


August 20th, 2009

The Last Time I Was In Texas | III


August 20th, 2009

The Last Time I Was In Texas | IV

The National Shooting Complex

August 20th, 2009

The Last Time I Was In Texas | V


August 17th, 2009

I Recently Received Three Gifts

touch the image above to see and listen for 63 seconds

– – –

~tell_me_a_story: I broke up with a girlfriend in ’99. We were living together in San Francisco and the relationship had been on a year-long downhill slide. What finally happened was that I found out that she was cheating on me with someone she worked with–a particularly obnoxious guy at that. I immediately told her it was over and secretly I was relieved. We shared an apartment, so it was decided that she would move out. She found a room, but it wasn’t available for a week. We spent our last week together sitting down after work in the living room by the stereo, drinking beer, talking and listening to Summerteeth by Wilco, over and over and over again. We figured out where things went wrong and just how deeply incompatible we were, and mostly, how awful and unfixable we had made things over the last year. The music calmed us and seemed to steer the conversation. I saw her a few times after she moved out: a lunch, and I delivered a box of stuff from the apartment that was hers. The interactions weren’t the same without the music.

Hey, your photography rocks and your blog is a tremendous inspiration to me.

Thank you,
_____.

– – –

~tell_me_a_story: I did a search for Texas FITASC looking for a shoot and found your site. The SF stuff made me homesick and the portraits made me ache. Lovely, exquisite, any more adjectives will blow it.

– – –


Three unrelated gifts sent to me from across the internet.

Thank you, with all my heart. You know who you are.

August 15th, 2009

A Bullet Through The Wall

This is what it looks like on the outside wall of a room in which a firearm was accidentally discharged.

I did not do this, I was not present when this happen and no one was injured.

In a unrelated story, I heard the following recently from an ammunition company:

This year has been insane for our business, the new administration in DC has sold more firearms and ammo in the first 3 months for us than we expected to sell in the whole year.

August 15th, 2009

The Man Under The Rainbow

The Holland Tunnel approach, June 27, 2009 at 6:28:33 PM.

August 13th, 2009

It Would Seem I Am Officially Honorable

Hello Jonathan Saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ has advanced through the second round and is now in the third and final round of the jurying process. Your entry is now an official Honorable Mention of the 2009 International Photography Awards.

In addition, your entry is now competing for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place title. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18th.

Congratulations again. Stay Tuned and thank you for participating in the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Sincerely,

International Photography Awards

Hello Jonathan Saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘CJ | 1’ has advanced through the second round and is now in the third and final round of the jurying process. Your entry is now an official Honorable Mention of the 2009 International Photography Awards.

In addition, your entry is now competing for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place title. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18th.

Congratulations again. Stay Tuned and thank you for participating in the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Sincerely,

International Photography Awards

August 10th, 2009

Stories #5 | Now Touchable

Stories #5

Own a touchable copy for about $5

download a low res PDF | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

August 10th, 2009

When My Heart Fails

When my heart fails, this is who I want to save me:

I’ll confess right now, I have no idea what exactly Discovery Channel is saying, but if they see fit to turn him into a superhero, I am not going to argue or look it up. I will say however that I know one thing this is saying to me… I want my doctors to wear capes and have above normal abilities. While Dr. Fernandez may not really wear a cape, he should.

August 9th, 2009

#1RN | Two Visitors

Two visitors I don’t know well and that don’t know each other, a long time ago.

August 9th, 2009

Almost Chronological

August 9th, 2009

Someone Sent Me This Yesterday

touch the image to play 5 second video

Someone made me this after seeing my image yesterday for the first time, he had not seen the third story I ever put here and has never met the subject in my photograph.

August 8th, 2009

98,273,084 Seconds

The time between my first image of us and my last image of us was 98,273,084 seconds.

Today is 8/8/09, Happy Birthday.

August 8th, 2009

Daydreams Of Victory

August 8th, 2009

Texas | April 2009

Red flowers.

August 7th, 2009

Red Flower, Red Hair, Red Flower

August 7th, 2009

Three Men, Standing Alone

53rd St. | New York, NY | 7/10/09

three photographs in one minute and twenty-six seconds

August 6th, 2009

My Mother’s Errand | McDonald’s ®

Mission : Human Food
(I wanted a milkshake)

July 9, 2009 | Florida | Parking Lot

August 6th, 2009

My Mother’s Errand | Target ®

Mission : Miscellaneous
(I got beard clippers, batteries, 4 Magic Eraser®, Ziploc® bags, socks)

July 9, 2009 | Florida | Parking Lot, Inside, Sidewalk

August 6th, 2009

My Mother’s Errand | The Veterinarian

Mission : Pet Food

July 9, 2009 | Florida | Parking Lot

August 6th, 2009

Your Entry Selected For ROUND 1

Received at 6:32PM, Thursday, August 6, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ into the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Has been selected for ROUND 1 Judging .

Sincerely,

The Int’l Photography Awards

Received at 7:30AM, Monday, August 10, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘Billy Ray Cyrus’ has passed through the first of three rounds in the
jurying process and is now an Official Selection of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
If your entry passes through the second round, it becomes an Honorable Mention and is eligible
to compete for the third and final round to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in
each subcategory. The overall cateogory finalists go on to compete for cash prizes and Lucie
statuettes at the forthcoming Lucie Awards.

If your entry advances, you will receive an email from us on Tuesday. Congratulations once more.

Very Best,

International Photography Awards

Received at 1:27PM, Monday, August 10, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Your entry ‘CJ | 1’ into the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Has been selected for ROUND 1 Judging .

Sincerely,

The Int’l Photography Awards

Received at 1:27PM, Monday, August 10, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘CJ | 1’ has passed through the first of three rounds in the
jurying process and is now an Official Selection of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
If your entry passes through the second round, it becomes an Honorable Mention and is eligible
to compete for the third and final round to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in
each subcategory. The overall cateogory finalists go on to compete for cash prizes and Lucie
statuettes at the forthcoming Lucie Awards.

If your entry advances, you will receive an email from us on Tuesday. Congratulations once more.

Very Best,

International Photography Awards

Received at 1:29PM, Monday, August 10, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ into the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Has been selected for ROUND 1 Judging .

Sincerely,

The Int’l Photography Awards

Received at 3:58PM, Monday, August 10, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ has passed through the first of three rounds in the
jurying process and is now an Official Selection of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
If your entry passes through the second round, it becomes an Honorable Mention and is eligible
to compete for the third and final round to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in
each subcategory. The overall cateogory finalists go on to compete for cash prizes and Lucie
statuettes at the forthcoming Lucie Awards.

If your entry advances, you will receive an email from us on Tuesday. Congratulations once more.

Very Best,

International Photography Awards

Received at 6:00AM, Tuesday, August 11, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘CJ | 1’ has passed through the first of three rounds in the
jurying process and is now an Official Selection of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
If your entry passes through the second round, it becomes an Honorable Mention and is eligible
to compete for the third and final round to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in
each subcategory. The overall cateogory finalists go on to compete for cash prizes and Lucie
statuettes at the forthcoming Lucie Awards.

If your entry advances, you will receive an email from us on Tuesday. Congratulations once more.

Very Best,

International Photography Awards

Received at 7:00AM, Tuesday, August 11, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ has passed through the first of three rounds in the
jurying process and is now an Official Selection of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
If your entry passes through the second round, it becomes an Honorable Mention and is eligible
to compete for the third and final round to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in
each subcategory. The overall cateogory finalists go on to compete for cash prizes and Lucie
statuettes at the forthcoming Lucie Awards.

If your entry advances, you will receive an email from us on Tuesday. Congratulations once more.

Very Best,

International Photography Awards

Received at 9:00AM, Thursday, August 13, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ has advanced through the second round and is now in the third and final round of the jurying process. Your entry is now an official Honorable Mention of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
In addition, your entry is now competing for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place title. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18th.
Congratulations again. Stay Tuned and thank you for participating in the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Sincerely,

International Photography Awards

Received at 11:00AM, Thursday, August 13, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘CJ | 1’ has advanced through the second round and is now in the third and final round of the jurying process. Your entry is now an official Honorable Mention of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
In addition, your entry is now competing for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place title. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18th.
Congratulations again. Stay Tuned and thank you for participating in the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Sincerely,

International Photography Awards

Received at 12:00PM, Thursday, August 13, 2009:

Hello jonathan saunders,

Congratulations. Your entry ‘#1RN | Self Portrait’ has advanced through the second round and is now in the third and final round of the jurying process. Your entry is now an official Honorable Mention of the 2009 International Photography Awards.
In addition, your entry is now competing for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place title. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18th.
Congratulations again. Stay Tuned and thank you for participating in the 2009 International Photography Awards.

Sincerely,

International Photography Awards

August 5th, 2009

I Have No One To Stand Behind

It embarrasses me I don’t know anyone that can fly that small flag beneath the larger one. I have to do a very long six degrees of separation to find someone and those degrees end with someone I have never met. Most people I would assume don’t even know what it means… but I do. I don’t care about the politics of the large flag and why the small flag is being flown again, I care about the love in raising that small flag up a pole in the first place.

This is the same flag, two photographs, five seconds apart, from a moving car.

I don’t have a home where a flag pole is possible, but I daydream of one and I daydream of what kind of flag I will believe in enough to raise up it, declaring my love.

August 5th, 2009

Sigh, A Wednesday

Today, when I sat down to try and get to work, I got a little hello from Adobe telling me I am no longer welcome to use my own software I legally paid thousand’s of dollars for… I spent three hours on the phone today with Adobe costumer support in India only to be told in very hard to understand English, “Look on the internet for help resolving your issue.”


Maybe it was just today as at 5:30AM, all my video embeds stopped working across the internet on all my sites, by 6AM the fat raccoon popped with a bunch of dysfunctional links even though no settings had been altered in weeks, then at 3PM Adobe locked me out and at around 7PM, Delta would only give me one way flights instead of round trips and both phone numbers for Delta were busy for over an hour… As of this moment, 16h after all the trouble started, all seems resolved. Sigh, not how I wanted to spend my Wednesday.

August 4th, 2009

Monday, 10:18pm EST | Drive


* – press play for 2m 8s video

Tonight, instead of sitting at my computer, I wish I was on the road, in the dark, going faster then I should be, looking out the windows, looking inside, listening to music too loudly, racing towards a place I knew I’d be happy to arrive at all so I could simply learn how to tell a story like no other.


August 4th, 2009

My Mother’s Brother

August 3rd, 2009

Ongoing Story | Part F

August 3rd, 2009

Ongoing Story | Part G