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I'm going to blame the delay between posts to being busy, which is true. Between editorial assignments and personal work I've been fortunate enough to have one shoot after another for several months now. I have a quiet week this week so it's been good to work on some self promotion pieces (also overdue - I'm a month behind my 2009 self promotion schedule I made for myself in January) and to sort through the sessions I've been downloading and backing up ad nauseam. 

Inspired by Diane Arbus and her notebooks and personal project lists, I made a list in January of all the projects/essays I had been jotting down on loose scraps of paper, notecards, junk mail and notebooks. I approached it with a gung ho enthusiasm as if I only had one year to complete the list. Obviously that wasn't practical, but it was a great starting off point.  It would be great to explore (or to at  least begin) at least half of the list, which stands 15 projects deep at the moment. 

I just wanna shoot shoot shoot. I've never felt the enthusiasm and excitement for photography that I'm feeling right now. 

I began the first one on my list a few months ago. It's a peculiar thing when you begin a photo essay, where you start. The first location you choose can dictate whether you go forward or not - whether you are excited about the prospects for the project or immediately bored. Sometimes you get lucky, as you find out later on. The first location might end up being the best of the bunch (like in my Dirt Track Series. Duck River was the most interesting track of all the tracks I visited that summer - and the most unpredictable and dangerous. They allowed alcohol in the pit area. Need I say more?). 

Just another thought too -- have always been a big fan of Danny Lyon's work. Recently read a profile on him in the NY Times and was really inspired by it -- by his words, approach, philosophy, etc. 

I find that I'm more inspired by reading about photographers these days than by their actual work. What inspired them, what they had to go through, what was going on at that moment when they snapped the shutter, etc. Lyon's words inspired me even more. 

Pics, etc to follow. Feedback greatly appreciated.

-DMc