Jupiter!

I've officially put 6,000 miles on my car in a month, and what a great month it has been. From St Paul to Boston to North Carolina to Rochester.

Headed to The Emerald City (Seattle) and Vancouver next week to see some of my favorite people in the world.

Until then, watch Aidan recite the planets;

Everywhere I Go...

I am amazed at the life, the thinking, the learning, and the laughing. Listening to The Black Keys on repeat for 1/3 of my 12 hour drive back.. set me free.

It only gets better from here.





Mark Haskins August 2010 - The Upper Peninsula of Michigan

First Aidan Video

I do not have a video camera but I do have a few videos to share, which would give you a better idea of the character and personality of my little angel.

"It's Waves Right There!"

Aidan said his first 4 word sentence i've heard while looking at my phone and the beautiful pictures of Shi Shi. I'm so proud of him. He keeps excelling by leaps and bounds.

I have been looking for philosophy to read lately (as it has been far too long) but sometimes I should look at the simple philosophy in front of me. I could take something from living in the moment with Aidan and apply that to my own personal life and the goals in it. Why focus on 10 years down the road when living in the moment feels so much more amazing and real? It seems that people tend to get too focused on worrying about what they're going to be doing in ten years, or what their life is supposed to be compared to everyone else, which is really society's fault. "Figuring yourself out" is a process of life but to get too focused on it you really lose sight of the important things right in front of you and some have been the entire time...

Marine life;


One of the most brilliant sunsets ive ever witness captured by a crappy phone but I remember it very vividly...


Tide Pools;



Sea stack;


My heaven.

Grainy Baby

I am currently sitting in a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere upstate New York waiting on 10:30 shoot. I've had a productive trip. I havent been here before and I noticed a few things, it's huge, it's pretty, and there are a lot of colleges, businesses, and just interesting things here. Corning glass, Cornell, RIT, Kodak... yeah a non existent Kodak. I was shooting with a guy who explained he used to work at Kodak in Rochester and explained he had a 4x5 camera with film just sitting in his fridge. I went down to look at his darkroom and was amazed at how much equipment he had as well as the fact it was organized.. almost too organized...

He then explained he hadnt used it in quite some time and how he bought most of the equipment at yard sales. Including his $3000 enlarger for... $100. Yes One-hundred dollars. My jaw dropped to the floor. We are really transitioning out of this medium and I just cant believe it. Film makes me think. I operate on the fact I really think about the image before I click the shutter. None of my cameras have a "cloudy/sun/people" setting on them. They dont think for me, they force me to think. Not to say everyone uses digital cameras that way and film is better I just prefer the f-stop, shutter speed, and iso setting... and well that's it. It literally forces me to think about my shot after I have the idea or see the image in my head. I create better images this way. It's for me... I can only hope it will last another 50 years but I digress...

I also watched an Annie Leibovitz documentary last night. She grew up a lot like I did and thought the same way I did. The way I saw a picture was through the square image of my dad's window on his 1982 Chevy Silverado due to moving constantly from his welding life. I remember thinking how I wished I had a camera to document our lives....we loved it. My dad had a polariod and I started using that. I acquired a 110 camera from my uncle at age 10. Photographing my sister crying because I wouldnt give her my camera to get her way.

My mother asked; "why did you photograph her like that? She is crying not smiling!" I simply said; "because that is who she is."....

This is probably my favorite portrait of the most important person in my life waking up. He is so beautiful when he wakes up and I am inspired now to document even more than I have;



taken with an Agfa 6x9. Tri X 400.

Intolerance

I had an experience tonight that made me think a lot...

I was in a restaurant tonight with Aidan's father, his friend and her 11 year old daughter. Aidan was very hyper sensitive and I quickly remembered why I didnt take him out in public places due to the reaction of most of the people.

He was swinging the cord on the blinds, jumping up and down flapping his arms in the booth, grabbing the bottle of sauce and making noise with it on the table etc. All I kept focusing on was calming him down. We all understood at the table but no one else did.

These sorts of things make me angry that I have to teach a child who doesnt understand empathy, social behaviors or the repercussions to act like he does as a routine instead of educating the masses of him.

But I digress..

On a happier note an 11 year old understood him more than 99% of the adults in the room. He kissed her of course.



His scribbles to me...

Irony Flower

I had a very emotionally traumatic day yesterday at the funeral. You just realize someone who was a symbol of your belief; "no matter religious belief, being a good person is who you are." My 2nd dad....was gone.

There were many bouquets but the combination of two on the coffin were of his immediate family and people who I feel have taken advantage of him....