Apple of Knowledge, 2007 [from “Mavericks & Daydreamers”]
© Boru O’Brien O’Connell

If you haven’t already seen Boru O’Brien O’Connell’s lovely series of photographs entitled Mavericks & Daydreamers, then now is the time. Actually, I’d just go ahead and look at everything on his site.

Afterward, take a moment to read Noel’s interview with Boru from back in March.

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Robert Lyons has made some fantastic photographs throughout his career, but I absolutely adore the gentile, black and white portraits that make up his Early Works.

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

Untitled, 1972 (from “Early Works”)
© Robert Lyons

As Robert describes the photographs,

These images are from a much earlier time in my career, circa 1972. They represent some of my early forays into portraiture and somehow informed my thinking for my later work. I believe the direct approach, coupled with something revealed from the subject and myself have constituted my continual fascination and work in this genre. During this period I was using Polaroid type 52 film extensively, having become sensitized to the darkroom chemicals. All the images here are unique prints, approximately 4”x5” in size.

See more of Robert’s work on his website.

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Green Car, Brooklyn, NY, 2007
© Shane Lavalette

I’ll be visiting from Friday until Sunday or Monday, running around with Michael, checking out this Biennial thing and probably causing a bit of trouble with Christian. We’ll see what happens.

New York friends, give me a ring at some point over the weekend if you’d like to get together. I want to see you!

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Swimmer, Aspen, CO, 2007
© Shane Lavalette

I updated my website with some new work this evening. I was impatient and put it up early, so there will be more to come in the next week or two.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Grant and Alana, Wells, ME, 2007
© Shane Lavalette

I’ve decided that I’d like to occasionally post images from my archive that haven’t been used as part of any particular “project” but that I like either for personal or aesthetic reasons. This one is just a nice memory.

While going through photographs from a little road trip that I took with Grant Willing, Alana Celii and Grady O’Connor, I came across this shot of Grant and Alana by the ocean in Wells, Maine – taken almost exactly a year ago.

Oh, how time flies…

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Nine Polaroids, Champlain Valley Fair, Essex, VT, 2007
© Shane Lavalette

Last Spring I received a wonderful gift from Norman Beierle and Hester Keijser (also known as Mrs. Deane). The gift was a beautiful leporello from their private collection that included “12 different fifo quality photos” of Bad Homburg, a well known spa on the Taunus in Germany. See a few of those images here.

Along with the leporello, they also sent me a pack of Polaroid Polapan 100 Type 664 film. Brilliant! It was a while before I used it, but one day in August I took out the ol’ Hasselblad and shot the film at the fair that happens every summer in my home town in Vermont.

It was such a great feeling to make images that are one of a kind, to see them appear before my eyes and somehow very soothing to look at things in black and white. Shooting the Polaroids inspired me to also use some black and white film at the fair. Those images will be up on my website as a new series very soon.

To show my gratitude to Norman and Hester, I thought I’d share the Polaroids here. If you’re counting, you’ll notice there should be one more frame in the pack. I took the first shot of my little cousin standing in the morning sunlight on the front lawn of my mother’s house.

If you’d like, you can view the ones above a little bit larger.

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© Shane Lavalette

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© Shane Lavalette

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© Shane Lavalette

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© Shane Lavalette

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