Notes From The West Bank, 20 Years On...

Village of Dir Ibziya, outside Ramallah, The West Bank, July of 2002.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the time I spent in the West Bank so many years ago. Seems like another lifetime ago, probably because it was. So much has changed, and then again, so little has.

Twenty years ago I was naive kid with a camera who thought he had a decent handle on the way things work in the world who very abruptly discovered that was not in fact the case.

I won't pretend that I don't have opinions. I certainly don't have any answers, that I’m sure of. The death toll is nothing short of catastrophic. What really blows me away is the kids in these photographs are now older than I was when I made them. And here we are, still at it.

Resale Value Is A Scam...

I was wandering around the Castro, as I sometimes do, carrying my old Leica M2, as I almost always do. It’s what you might call a “user” camera. She’s got miles on her, built in 1962, acquired by me in San Francisco around 2008. I’ve got a Zeiss 35mm that basically never comes off on the front. It’s modded up and marked up with a white paint marker for zone focusing and aperture. It’s dirty and scratched and beat up and I love it.

It’s also a bit of a conversation starter, especially for the gear heads chasing the latest equipment that haunt the City. So it gave me a little chuckle the other day, when some kid strapped with the latest Sony A7 and some massive lens that looks like a howitzer struck up a conversation. He asked me what it was, and I told him. He asked me what I’d done to it, and I told him. Then he says, without any hesitation whatsoever, “man, you totally killed your resale value.” I laughed and told him they’d probably bury me with it.

For what it’s worth, here’s what I’m carrying…

Leica M2, built around 1962. Modified shutter dial and film counter. Aftermarket quick rewind crank. Original vulcanite replaced with grip-tac. Carl Zeiss Zm 35mm f/2.8 Biogon.

Leica M3, built in 1959, aftermarket quick rewind crank, original vulcanite replaced with grip-tac, Voigtlander 28mm accessory finder. Sporting either a Carl Zeiss ZM 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar or a 28mm f/2.8 Biogon.

Hasselblad X-Pan, build around 1999 / 2000. On the front is usually a Hasselblad 45mm f/4 lens, sometimes I use a Fuji 90mm f/4. The camera shoots a full panoramic 35mm frame as well as a standard 35mm frame, and can switch formats mid roll. Amazing little machine...

Not Dead Yet...

I was notified about a large spike in traffic to this website over the course of a few days a couple weeks back. I’m not talking server crashing volume, but significant, to say the least. I’ve been busy, not posting much of anything, sidetracked by summer and children and other obligations. Seemed strange that I should be seeing any traction online. After a bit of digging it wasn’t immediately apparent where the traffic was coming from; it wasn’t a link or some social media post or anything direct. With a little more research, I quickly determined that a fine art photographer based in Washington D.C., with a name very similar to mine, was killed in cold blood, and a bunch of the search traffic of his name ended up at my website.

C'est la vie. I suppose there is no such thing as bad publicity. My condolences to the family of Joe Shymanski.

Here is a photograph from Slovakia last summer, that does not necessarily prove that I am alive.

Still behind, as always, suffering from a perpetual backlog of unrealized photographs. Sitting on twelve roles of film from Paris in June. One day soon they’ll end up here….

I'm A Lousy Tourist...

I care little for churches or monuments, I think walking tours are silly. I like to wander around and sit in cafes and eat and drink and watch other, more serious tourists fumble about. Though I’m always with a camera, always looking for pictures.

View from Prague Castle, Czechia.

Prague, Czechia.

I thoroughly enjoy and embrace the pleasure of being idle. It makes me a lousy tourist and it drives my wife crazy, but it works for me…

A few snaps from Prague. Prints upon request.

There Is Something To Be Said For Trains...

It’s silly when you think about it, trains being so ubiquitus in Europe, and somehow still such a past novelty in the States, but there is something to be said for trains in general, a subtle romanticism, some small sense of adventure, even if it’s just a really big bus with a bar car.

Somewhere in Slovakia…

We arrived at the train station in Budapest at 9am for a 10am train, quickly realizing that the 10am was canceled and the only train to Prague that day left in 4 minutes. Running ensued, we literally stopped the doors from closing as we piled into the last car. We met a nice kid from Ukraine fleeing the war. It was an interesting morning.

Through Hungary, Slovakia, into Czechia and Prague, it was a long ride in the same car as a bachelor party that was traveling with a cooler full of what looked like high-proof cough syrup. Anyway, there is something to be said for trains…

I've Never Actually Been To Frankfurt...

Technically speaking, I’ve passed through Frankfurt twice, en-route to Budapest and back home again by way of Prague. I can say, in no uncertain terms, that I do not recommend Frankfurt International Airport. It felt like one of those older small airports that wants to be a big airport but just ends up being a poorly run bus station with no logical layout and everyone was completely, utterly rude. Avoid at all costs…

Running for a connecting flight, Frankfurt International Airport.

Budapest on the other hand was a riot… “took the waters” as they say, at the Gellert Thermal Baths, and a cruise down the Danube, wandered around the Great Market Hall, got a box at the National Opera House to see a Tchaikovsky ballet, and eventually found our way to some random collection of divey bars built up in an old factory while surrounded by chain smoking 23 year olds that made us feel just a little bit ancient…

Taxi ride into Budapest.

Szabadság híd Bridge, Budapest.

It was the first leg of a decidedly random but ultimately pretty epic little trip. In a few days we’d hop a train to Prague (an adventure in itself) for a wedding of all things. Never ceases to amaze me, the way things turn out sometimes.

Great Market Hall, Budapest.

More work to come… As always, prints available, upon request…

February...

Neglect is really the only word that comes to mind when I think about my work the last few years. Granted I’ve continued to shoot periodically, but the decision to stay home with our son, the catastrophe of COVID and lock downs and the general rule that life tends to get in the way has made it difficult, to say the least, for me to keep up with the rest of what’s involved in making photographs. Namely, developing, scanning, editing, organizing, printing etc., etc…

Thomas, age 3, Cathay’s Valley, California.

I’m not here to complain, I made choices and I stand by them, priorities shift and I don’t regret any of it, but it’s difficult when things get put in a drawer. So I’m slowly sifting through the work at the moment, trying to make sense of what I’ve seen the last 4 or so years. I’m unclear what if anything will come to light, but I’m hoping that in going back through the negatives something worth while may emerge.

Mission Street, lock down. April of 2020.

Things have slowed a bit, and I’ve managed to comb through some work that I haven’t shared previously. I’ve updated the gallery of street photographs to reflect more recent work, but still have lots to sort through. Additionally I’ve uploaded an entirely new take of portraits, figure work and the like, consisting of images from 2018 to 2022.

With a little time, I’m hoping to share more. For the moment, this is what I’ve got…

Model Society Magazine, Issue 16

Model Society Magazine was good enough to run a big spread of my work in the latest release, Issue 16. The entire issue is over 100 pages featuring six different photographers. There really is a ton of great work in this one. Check the link to grab a copy…
https://www.modelsociety.academy/model-society-magazine-16

Model Society Magazine Issue 16 Feature

Dear Students, Don't Do This...

Dear Students,

As the new semester approaches, might I offer some sound advice. Please, don’t do this. We know. We always know. Just please don’t…

My notes in italics…

original message - Sent: Sat, 20:47:53 PST

Hi Jo, (really, Jo?)

I hope you are doing well and having a great weekend (uh huh). I am just curious (curious, are you really?) as to why I received a D grade on the most previous assignment despite that I handed in the assignment prior to the dead line? If you could please get back to me at your earliest convince (spelling, sigh) that would be greatly appreciated thank you (buckle up, I’m gonna tell ya).

Kind regards,

xxxx xxxxxx

And my response…

xxxxxx,

Happy to break things down...

Assignments are due at the beginning of class. The timestamp on your submission is 9:58pm on the 18th, a full 5 hours after class ends. Technically, you're late.

Assignments should be presented during class for discussion, as we've done each week for the last 12 weeks. Participation is 20% of your grade. Additionally, your zoom camera was off for the entirety of class. As per the rules, I should have marked you absent. Students are required to have their cameras on to be marked present for class.

Your submitted images for this assignment are either grossly underexposed, or wildly over edited. Either way they read as quite dark, and not at the technical level that I would expect this late in the course.

The timestamps on your individual images submitted range from 12:51:04pm to 12:52:00pm, which tells me that you spent, quite literally, less than one minute shooting this assignment.

You have checked all the boxes in terms of minimum requirements for the assignment, and that earns you the grade of a C. Given the submission was late and not presented for discussion, you were marked down a full letter grade to a D. The grading criteria is quite clear, and was discussed on the first day of class, as was my policy on late assignments.

If all this seems heavy handed I apologize, I just want to be overwhelmingly clear. I understand you are not a photo major, and that photography may not be your area of interest. And while I keep things quite lax and informal in my class, I can assure you I take this course and the work quite seriously. You can continue to submit the bare minimum for the assignments, and you'll likely pass, but you should not be surprised about your grade.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Respectfully, your instructor, who is completely fed up with your BS…

~Joseph

So it's been a year...

Maybe longer actually. We got rid of the donald (for the moment), I turned 40 years old (only mildly depressing), mailchimp deleted my account, unbeknownst to me (apologies to my 12 email subscribers), and the United States continues to disappoint in terms of covid response (freedom isn’t free, I’m told, sigh…). I’ve viewed most of these events through the lens of their effect on a toddler, which is to say, he doesn’t care and continues to be a complete maniac bent on destruction. Life goes on. I’ve also spent an inordinate amount of time camping in the woods this last year. Not all bad…

Things are oddly looking pretty good in my little bubble. Case loads are way down in the Bay Area. Vaccinations rates are through the roof, especially in The City. Say what you will about San Francisco Department of Public Health, they stepped up and knocked it out of the park in their response to all this madness.

Attempting, slowly, to sift through the bit of work I did create in the last year or so. Hoping to get back to some sort of normal pace of making images again. Time will tell.

Call this a mic check.

Postcards From The City, Vol #1

So I did a little thing, call it a quarantine project, been on the back burner for a while, kept putting it off, but it’s finally done… I’ve put together a limited set of 10 - 4x6 inch postcards from the City, images made between 2015 and 2019. Limited edition of 20 pieces, I currently have 18 left on hand.

$17 bucks… ships free…

Had fun putting this together, think it came out quite well. Printed through 4by6.com, always been happy with their work, no exception this time. Will absolutely be putting more limited sets of postcards together in the future, stay tuned… The ten images from the set are featured below…

Find it in the shop or follow the link: https://www.josephszymanski.com/shop/postcards

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Pre-pandemic, who knows when, I was working with some folks in a new independent co-working, looking to bring in more creatives, hold workshops and seminars and so forth. Felt like the beginning of something really interesting to be honest, there is such a lack of community at times outside of the virtual world, and frankly I’m sick of instagram and facebook is a cesspool. Long story short we were moving forward with holding some lighting / portraiture / figure workshops and wanted to test the space, as it was kinda funky and not anywhere near what you’d think of as a traditional studio. The results were surprising to say the least. I didn’t have high hopes for the low ceilings, but it worked out, even with a 5’10” model. The available light in the space proved pretty interesting as well.

Unclear whether we’ll ever pick up where we left off, but here’s what we’re left with. A littler diversion if nothing else. Model is Willa Prescott, on location in San Francisco, January of 2020.

I really have no idea what day it is...

When all this started I knew it would be a massive disruption to our way of life for the foreseeable future. As an introvert I felt well prepared. I was wrong. This blows.

‘Stay Home’ - Eureka Street, early days of shelter in place, April 2020.

‘Stay Home’ - Eureka Street, early days of shelter in place, April 2020.

Lack of adult conversation is the biggest issue. The banter of a 2 year old high on goldfish crackers leaves me craving a bit more intellectual stimulation. Running out of projects. Thus far I have put together a set of 10 drawer flat files, built a decent size bookcase and a 5 watt tube amplifier. Also rebuilt an old acoustic guitar adding a spider cone resonator and an electric pickup. Going to build a ukulele for the boy next.

Venturing out, April 2020.

Venturing out, April 2020.

Have sporadically and briefly ventured out to try and work. Currently sifting through a few things to share, as well as some more escapist work to keep us all from falling into the pit of despair. Seems trivial, but feels important. Trying to make sense of it all…

Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Vote. We’re in this together.

Love In The Time Of Coronavirus

My hair is getting shaggy and I don’t get dressed until noon most days. My son, blissfully unaware of the goings on, is quite literally, at times, bouncing off the walls. Thank god we at least have a small back yard. Yesterday he ate part of a succulent plant.

It’s April, not that it matters, trying to figure out where the time went. Not complaining, I find the statement cathartic. I’m overwhelmingly fortunate.

My wife is a physician for San Francisco Department of Public Health and is currently in charge of a massive effort to move the staggeringly large population of homeless people off the streets and out of shelters to stem the spread of Covid-19. General consensus is it’s already too late, damage done, the losses will be catastrophic.

No. 0737_03A - Castro Station, September of 2019.

Attempting to reconcile the acute depression and lethargy with the fact that I should be on the street, making pictures. Responsibilities prevail.

Finding the leadership on a national level to be entirely lacking, as well as completely devastating. Thankful that I live in California. I worry for the nation.

Will be making an effort to roll out some new(ish) work that I’ve yet to share, in an effort to stem the boredom, to feel (moderately) productive and to (hopefully) provide some escape, if only temporary, to anyone out there who may be paying attention.

Be safe everyone. Stay healthy.

Word On The Street...

Sifting through a back log of negatives from the street. Here’s a few choice frames from the past couple months… More on the way…

#0713_29 - Muni Train, San Francisco

#0714_15A - Market Street, San Francisco

#0714_35A - Market Street, San Francisco.

#0714_07A - Castro Street, San Francisco.

#0715_02A - Market Street, San Francisco.

#0715_21A - Market Street, San Francisco

Signs and Other Grievances...

I’ve had a little project on the back burner for awhile now that I was calling ‘Signs’ but Lee Friedlander stole my title… can’t really compete with that. Drop me a line if you’ve got a good title you’re willing to part with.

#0504_16A

0513_24A

#0693_27A

Posted a few images to Instagram on a whim, haven’t really kept up with it at all. Promptly lost a bunch of followers. #blessedbythealgorithm

Slowing catching up on film and scans and editing. Have a few other projects in the works that I’m picking at. Watch for the signs project soon, or whatever I end up calling it. Seriously though, if you’ve got a good title…

July, July...

If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If I make a photograph and don’t share it on the internet, does it really exist?

While I continue to create new images, circumstances have kept me from the scanning of, editing and sharing of said photographs in digital form. Does that make the work any less relevant? Do we now base success solely on likes, presence, reach, and the ability to game ‘the algorithm?’

As someone who has shared the vast majority of his work online in digital form, this is something I think about a great deal, especially when it no longer becomes viable, interesting, or even entertaining…

The internet no longer seems to be the place for me, or my work, or for anyone pursuing a labor of love for that matter. Unless blessed by the algorithm, or enhanced by a marketing team, or backed by some juggernaut of the media industry, independent creators seem to toil away in obscurity the way we always have. Gone are the days of the weblog of the prolific artist, the unregulated world of tumblr, or even the simple chronological feed of Facebook or Instagram.

I see less and less draw to sharing work online, beyond a simple record, or to augment a ‘brick and mortar’ project. My photographs have always been rooted in the analog, the tactile, the three dimensional object. I will of course continue to share work here, though my interest lies largely in the printed image.

Not bitter, just realistic. I leave you with a recent image of the catalyst for this rant.

Thomas, 8 months old - 2019.

June Update...

Knee deep in re-writing curriculum, summer travels and 8 month old boy management, with little time to scan or print or post. I have a few things I’m picking at on the back burner, still in search of linear feet for a 35 piece show, looking to start work on a short series I’ve been developing…

#0140_35A - From the series Midnight, 2012

#0140_35A - From the series Midnight, 2012

For now, a small gallery update, from a little book project I put together some years ago entitled Midnight. Have a look in the gallery archive.

http://josephszymanski.com/midnight

#0183_01 - From the series Midnight, 2012

#0183_01 - From the series Midnight, 2012

#0416_17 - From the series Midnight, 2012

#0416_17 - From the series Midnight, 2012

StartUp Art Fair Post-Mortem...

Been completely MIA for the last week or so following the StartUp Art Fair. It was a ton of work and ton of prep and a serious grind for three straight days, but it was a riot for sure. Thanks to everyone that came out, met a ton of cool folks. Ran into Jason Andrescavage who was exhibiting with BAPC, we’ve kinda been internet stalking each others work for years but had never met. All in all it was a fun event, here’s a few snaps from my room, though it doesn’t quite do it justice…

Also did a goofy little Facebook live interview with Ray Beldner the event promoter… which is mildly entertaining given that I’d already had a couple cocktails…

Here’s the link if the embed doesn’t work: https://www.facebook.com/startupartfair/videos/2631681840239822/

StartUp Art Fair, April 26th-28th...

Hanging work for the StartUp Art Fair tomorrow…. I’ll be on the top floor in room 325 with roughly 30 pieces on display. Opening night is Friday, April 26th, 7pm at the Hotel Del Sol. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. With over 60 artist’s participating it should be a hell of an event…

#0705_09A - Lost Hills, Ca. 2019 - From the series “Unwritten Notes”