We are Love

Happy Birthday To You…

My favorite panda, and one of my favorite humans.

From two years ago. Things change, but this love still stays the same.

All Things Linda.

DJ Hohme’s new mix: http://su.pr/1xWVFB 

And one of my favorite photos from Rio. 

Sylvia at Parque Lage.

Untouched and straight out of the camera. 

<3

Parque Lage.

When someone comes to visit me in New York, I pride myself in introducing them to my city the way I love it. The beautiful, off the beaten path, goodness that every city has to offer anyone that is excited enough. Times square is nice. Union Square at midnight is better. The Statue of Liberty is monumental. The Keith Haring murals all over the city are cultural artifacts. The Blue Note is classic and eternal. Fat Cat is one of my favorite places in the world.  Of course, the sites should be seen, but the city loves a little intimacy.

Sylvia showed me the best things in Rio. The kind of things I would share with someone looking to experience New York the way we do. Personally, and on fire for. 

Parque Lage is the kind of place I’m talking about. Many people I talked to that are from Rio have never even been there. The abandoned, greco roman style mansion that once belonged to a famous opera singer, now re-appropriated into Rio’s School of Visual Arts, was one of my favorite places. It sits on acres and acres of lush jungle, with ponds, waterfalls, a big outdoor aquarium, and art everywhere. The focal point of the grounds is in the middle of the old house. Classrooms surround the pool, enclosed by columns, and canopied by jungle mountains. We sat outside near the pool, drank espresso from the cafe, and watched people work on their art outside in the sun. The energy was right. I could have spent the entire day there. Parque Lage is truly a special place. 

Photos from the Nikomat. Cross Processed Kodak ES100.

The two people hugging come with a great story. They were cute. I noticed them. I might have even smiled at them. 

Later that day we ran into them again at a much more touristy spot. The Sugarloaf is a must do in Rio. I definitely smiled at them on top of this beautiful mountain, loving the opposite end of the spectrum encounter, and we went on our way. 

In driving to another spot, we saw them walking down the road. Three sightings of this hand holding, cutest, in love couple. Once we got to our destination by the water, in a small neighborhood, way out of the way of anything, we had a beer and some great fried fish treats. We were almost done with our beers, talking and watching the moon bounce off the water, when the couple walked by us with beers and their fried fish treats. The seating for this bar/restaurant was a wall across the street from the place bordering the marina. They sat about 10 yards away. I couldn’t take it anymore. Hugo and his girlfriend Julia were from central Brasil, visiting for the weekend. He poured me some of his beer while we talked about the coincidence of this third meeting, and got to know each other. Sylvia joined us and we all became quick friends. I now have a place to stay in central Brasil, and they a place in New York. 

Who’s coming with me? 

This life is good. 

<3

What a Day for a Daydream.

I’m in love with this roll. Cross processed Fuji Provia 100. Untouched, straight from the camera. 

These are a few of my favorites. 

Click HERE for a slideshow of the whole roll start to finish. There are a few more special ones from Ipanema and Prainha that should definitely be seen.  

My Last Day in Rio.

A beautiful day, a beautiful lunch, and a table full of beautiful Brasileiras. The best going away lunch ever. Saudades lindas…

<3

Barra. 

Sao Conrado.

She buys flowers here. 

<3

Sisters Berge Leitao Cunha Ramstad.

Bia Glow…

Luciana. <3

Hot Sister Love. 

Aninha.

Gavea.

Little Monster. 

Dan.

Carol! I told you, Carol. I told you. 

Time Waits for No Man…

But it might wait for Mia. 

I have all but one of my rolls back from Rio. I’m unbelievably excited. There is some real magic that was made in Brasil, but we’re all going to have to wait, because today belongs to one of my favorite people, who happens to be one of the sexiest, more bad ass people I know. 

For example: 

Happy Birthday baby.

<3

Just a Taste…

For now.

Ipanema. Sunset juggling. 

Marina de Gloria.

Santa Tereza. Maybe my favorite neighborhood. 

Can’t believe how well this turned out. Rio lit up from the Sugar Loaf. 

Sylvia lindona…

These and every other photo from Rio to come -

From: The Nikomat. 

No Place Like Home.

But then again, there’s no place like Rio. 

On my way to drop 7 rolls to be processed. I would have shot more if not a little inhibited by the fear of getting my camera stolen. As gorgeous as Rio is, I’ve heard my fair share of horror stories. Fortunately, I was treated and greeted with love and smiles, and all things nice. 

I’m missing a lot of things right now, but my life is better than anything I could ever ask for. Living right now is what dreams are made of. Thank you, Rio. Thank you, Sylvia. 

I think I finally and fully understand “saudade”.  

Saudades, Rio. 

Like This:

Rio is fucking amazing. 

Jam sessions, Ipanema(9 and a half), açaí, sunshine, smiles, and samba. 

I had ten minutes before going to Semente. Wanted to make it count. 

<3

Shaping Up and Shipping Out.

Vija and I have now officially ascertained that we are “And” kind of people. Not “Or” kind of people.

Tomorrow I ship out. So today, in honor of the “And”, some multiple exposures from the Nikomat. 

Debbie and Vija, and Debbie again. Triple exposed. Not entirely sure how it happened, but I love it. 

Amagansett 2010

Sunny is special. This is her on my rooftop, crossed with a beautifully lit flea market photo. I was excited about this flea market vignette. I lined it up, focused, and at my decisive moment, the shutter didn’t fire. I was at the end of my roll. Instead of giving up, I just wound it back a little, and fired again. 

I’m happy with the result. :)

Letters of Note.

I was introduced to this site yesterday by Colin Huggins, better known to some as The Crazy Piano Guy. He has several pianos he keeps around the city that he takes into parks and down into subways, via dollys and super buffness. He’s a great guy. It’s always a pleasure to run into him. Definitely some more to come on him down the line. For sure. 

He shared fantastic letter from an amazing site. 

Letters of Note  sifts through letters found from multiple sources, and handpicks the best ones for our reading pleasure. Colin shared a beautiful, poetic love letter from Charlie Parker. I ended up going through pages of this site before I had to get something done with my life. 

Gorgeous words for a gorgeous Thursday. 

<3

Via: Letters of Note

From the pen of the late-Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker - a veritable musical genius and one of the world’s greatest, most innovative saxophonists - comes an apologetic but undeniably poetic handwritten love letter, penned to long-term lover Chan Woods. Parker’s adult life was a turbulent one, his musical brilliance often affected by his addiction to both heroin and alcohol, and he split with Woods in 1954 following the death of their two-year-old daughter. Tragically Parker passed away the next year, aged just thirty-four. 

Transcript follows. 

Huge thanks to the lovely Mr. Nolan at Hard Rock for supplying yet another great letter; be sure to visit the Hard Rock Memorabilia website for endless amounts of similarly fascinating memorabilia, and follow them over at Facebook for related goodness.


Image Copyright © 2010 Hard Rock International, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Transcript

To you;

The way I thought was wrong, having not known, it was right. Here is the proof of my feelings, Don’t hate me, love me forever: — — — —

Beautiful is the world, slow is one to take advantage. Wind up the world the other way. And at the start of the turning of the earth, lie my feelings for thou. 

To you 
Shame on me.
I love you.

Four Days.

Sylvia. Freeman Alley. Muitos alleys in four days. 

<3 from the Nikomat. 

If I Could Do This, I Would.

I’ll be in Rio at the end of my work week. You might just get a flip out of me by Saturday. 

More capoeira please. 

Washington Sq. Park. From the Nikomat Xpro roll. 

We are Love goes We are LIVE.

With Bethany Barton and The Honesty Revolution. 

The finished product of our live painting of a 5’ x 4’ canvas in the middle of Astor Pl. Saturday night. 

I couldn’t have asked for much more from this night. We drank beer, stared technical difficulties in their face and sent them packing, made friends, developed haters, enlisted local talent, got naked, made something special that will exist forever, and documented the entire thing.

More stories as the documentation rolls out to corroborate.

For now, the finished product that is going to live above my bed.

I’m in love.  

“The Wings he has look small, but he has an extra set of invisible wings that kick ass and take him anywhere” “Gratuitous Sunshine”

“You are Love Enthusiast.” “Shit howdy Sunshine”

“Boredom is a Cardinal Sin”

“This is a MONSTER made of girls who have said “I love you” and she’s gorgeous and hiding under you bed.”

“The only evidence of hope is action.”

By Samuel Mark. Beautifully blended to our canvas from a Bronx bus map. 

“I hereby love myself. (good idea, me)”

We Are Love.

<3

I even let her get away with stealing my phone and hijacking my blog. (see below)

I love you Bethany.