Approaching Jupiter

Not a Charley Bowers or Brothers Quay animation. No, earthling, this one comes from way out in space.

Time-lapse sequence from the approach of Voyager I to Jupiter, showing the motion of atmospheric bands, and circulation of the great red spot. NASA image.

Saturday

© Brian Widdis

© Brian Widdis

Boring Postcards - Michigan State University

This is my contribution to the Boring Postcard series. My collection features Michigan State University - my former university, employer, home, etc. I think, like most people who attend large Big 10 universities, my feelings about the time I spent there are somewhat conflicted. The huge classes and city-sized dormitory complexes would make me seriously consider not sending my own children there. Not to mention a social scene dominated by fraternities and sororities. But there was a small, surprisingly active scene that included record stores, a decent comic book shop and plenty of rental houses for basement punk rock shows. In my version of history, that sort of evens things out.

Student Services Building. The student newspaper and Financial Aid Office are in this building.

The State Room. A restaurant operated by the Hotel Management Students - never ate there.

The Library - went there a couple times.

Bessey Hall - generic lecture hall.

The Administration Building. Who came up with these crazy names, anyway?

How Many People Does It Take To Put On A New Roof?

© Brian Widdis

Friday Funnies - Charles Addams

April 15th!!!!

© Brian Widdis

Taxman Mr. Thief - Cheap Trick



Throw Some Money At It - Black Lipstick



Rich Kid Blues - Terry Reid

Alphabet Project

© Brian Widdis

I failed to mention earlier that I'm participating in a unique web-based project called The Alphabet Project.

"The Alphabet Project is a photography project that is taking place between March 2008 and March 2009.

It involves 26 photographers from around the world. Each photographer has a first name that begins with an unique letter of the alphabet, (see right).

Every two weeks the person whose letter of the alphabet it is sets a photographic task for both themselves and the other 25 photographers. The task that the photographer sets can be an adjective, a noun, a specific instruction, a verb etc but it must start with the same letter as the first letter in their name.

By the end of the year there will be 676 photographs with 26 individual interpretations of 26 tasks.

There are also 26 responding photographers who will also respond to each task set bringing the total number of photographs at the end to 1,352.

The hope is to exhibit the work in London and publish the work in a book."

I am one of the 26 responding photographers, and the photo above is my contribution on the theme "Broken".

A note about the photo above. I showed this submission to my wife, Kathy, who is also a trusted editor. She told me that she had seen the black balloons in our neighborhood and was going to mention them to me but had forgotten. I saw the balloons on a stroll through the neighborhood. I bring this up only because it points out how well my wife knows my photographic subjects and that I am entirely predictable. So, I am hereby declaring that I will no longer photograph black balloons tied to garbage bags on the curb. This is a new beginning for me. I swear.

Friday Funnies - A Brick Stuffed With Moom-bims

With only a few exceptions, I'm not really a big fan of comics. One of my all time favorite though is Krazy Kat. It is the best strip ever about a kat (Krazy) in love with a mouse (Ignatz). The mouse hates the kat and shows it by throwing bricks at her head. Ignatz, therefore is constantly pursued by the kop (a dog, Officer Pupp). The dog, by the way, is in love with the kat and shows no hesitation to put the mouse in jail to protect his love from flying bricks.

Fantagraphics is reprinting the strips in a beautiful series of books, each covering a two year period. The series of books is handsomely designed by Chris Ware, who all you hipsters will know as the creator of The Acme Novelty Library and Jimmy Corrigan.

Click on the page for a larger, more readable view.

From the Family Album

© Don Kieliszewski

So here's the story.

The crocodile ate the chicken bones that the man threw to him.
Then the crocodile ate the man who threw the chicken bones.
And then the crocodile ate the entire state of Florida.

Wonderful Subdivision

© Brian Widdis

A Photograph of New Jersey (or Detroit)

© Brian Widdis

For those of you in the South Orange, New Jersey area, you may want to check out the opening for the group show, “Is it possible to make a photograph of New Jersey regardless of where you are in the world?” The project is the brainchild of Laurel from the I Heart Photograph blog. The photo above is my contribution to this open question (and does nothing really to answer the question or give any clarity). The opening is Sunday, April 6 from 3-5 at Pierro Gallery. More details here.

I Have The Smartest TV Ever

© Brian Widdis

I'm not bragging, really, but my TV is so smart. I had no idea that I wanted to look at my flickr photos while watching television, but AT&T, flickr, and my 15 year old Trinitron knew that I did and they made it happen. They got it done. Hooray! Well done, gang! Now you can go on break.

Two Pair

© Brian Widdis