Vivian Maier

Ever heard of Vivian Maier? She is a recently discovered master of street photography who died, unknown, in 2009. After a local collector came upon a trove of her negatives and realized what he had unearthed, things really began to take off for the legend of Vivian Maier. She was such an intensely private figure that there are still many huge gaps in her story, yet the work remains. A documentary is being produced about this remarkable artist.
One of many things that fascinates me about Vivian Maier is that such a private person was so tuned into the emotional lives of her subjects. You can see, in her photography, an intensely sensitive temperament that existed beneath all that armor.

Sadly, she was destitute by the end of her life, but some of the children she had once taken care of as a nanny made sure she had a comfortable place to live and that her bills were paid. She was injured in a fall in 2008 and died in 2009. But the work remains--the children she helped raise but also these amazing photographs that give us a glimpse into urban American life in the 1950's and 60's.

Hawai'i 2011

Here are the still photos I've uploaded so far from the Hawai'i trip.

You can see the set on flikr here.




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Steps at Canterbury

I've wanted to take this photograph for a long time. These are the steps leading to the shrine at Canterbury--much worn from Pilgrim feet. Pretty cool, heh?

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Some more pix of Henry

I love this picture. In the hospital--Betsy was ready to come home, but Henry had to bake under special lights for 12 hours to cure some Jaundice. The incubator was there to keep him simultaneously warm and naked--however it is a little freaky to see your baby in a plastic box like this.
Happy Grandparents
Betsy and Henry, home and happy

Some Summer Pictures

Betsy at 24 Weeks

It was Betsy's idea for me to stand in the smoke

At the helm on a beautiful day doing 6.5 knots

Sailing with some kids from church

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My Wife the Photographer

Unpublished icon w/ revetment, 14th cent (?), Benaki Museum

Betsy is finished with her language programme in Athens, so the second part of her trip (research) has begun. That means travelling, mostly by herself, all over Greece and into Macedonia (the part that is in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, not the province in Greece). You can read about the details of her trip on her travel blog.

Before she left we bought her a second camera, a discrete little point-and-shoot canon sureshot along with a small tripod. It honestly seemed a little redundant to me to bring two digital cameras, but they have turned out to be very complementary. For instance, when visiting sites she has often given a friend her point-and-shoot while she takes charge of the DSLR. Also, there is a lot of sensitivity in some places about looking too professional when you are taking pictures of the art. In low light situations it simply isn't practical or advisable to try to set up the DSLR for a tripod shot. The point and shoot, on the other hand, can be deployed quickly and discretely.

She has been taking hundreds and hundred of pictures of churches like this one:
Panagia Koubelidiki

as well as some more artistic shots like this one:
Lake Kastoria at sunset

I'm very proud and her and her pictures. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of them when she returns...

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It Makes the Heart Glad...

This picture just pleases me in a million ways. Look at that smile!

You can follow Betsy's Studies/Travel this summer of her travel blog...

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Captain Tay

Me as an 18th Century ship captain

A New Tripod

Kind of an odd day. Slept in some, then to work. In the afternoon I went with Kerrie to the Diocesan Offices. We had a meeting to pick up several boxes of youth and children's ministry resources. These have been sitting in a storage room waiting for a better home, which I hope the ARC will provide. Going through the boxes we saw some excellent books and materials. Tomorrow we'll bring them to the ARC's first home at St. John's York Mills.

Being at the Diocesan Offices meant having some other random but important conversations about other things. The place is especially busy right now because Synod is only a few months away. There is a lot to organize and plan before that. I've got things to do for that, as well, since my team is presenting one of the workshops!

From there it was back to church. Made some progress clearing stuff out off my desk. Then I had a conference call with the other members of the Stewardship Committee. I've never tried a church meeting like this before, but it actually worked quite well for all of us. All we had to do was call a certain number and then enter a code to get into the conversation. I wonder whether we'll ever get to video telepresence...

After that I stopped by Henry's Camera/Video store to get a new tripod for the church video camera. The old one is falling apart and was never very good to begin with. The new one has a much nicer "fluid pan" head. I ended up also getting UV filters for both cameras and a flash cap. Before doing the videos at Holy Cross this summer I may have to pick up some kind of better audio and light solutions. The Canon HV20 is a great video camera, and with the right microphone and lights can easily match cameras worth thousands more. Henry's is a really interesting place to browse--lots of wonderful toys!

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Photos From Holy Cross

I took these on our recent retreat. If you like mine, you'll love Randy's!

This wise old Oak stands between the Guest House and the Church.

A place to watch the river


The Bell Tower with the iconic angel weather vane

The Tabernacle in the Church

The Crypt Chapel--The Founder is entombed behind the altar

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Cat Scan Art

A medical student, Satre Stuelke, has been making art using a CT Scan. Here are some samples...




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Tay in Hawai'i - 1992

Continuing our Hawai'i posts, here are two pictures Meg uploaded of me in Hawai'i in 1992.
Just look at those chiseled calves!

My first game bird--damn thing was almost bigger than me!

The story of the turkey goes like this. Wild turkeys (among other edible beasts) roams the mountains in Hawai'i. They have no predators but breed quickly, so if they wander onto your property they are pretty much fair game. I was taking a nap when my dad woke me up and gave me the rifle. I took the shot from about 50 feet and killed the beast (not a very challenging shot--I must admit). Luckily, the rifle scope was not properly calibrated, so the bullet killed the bird cleanly but didn't make a complete mess of it. Dad helped me strip off the feathers and skin and we put in on the BBQ for supper.

I know, not everyone who reads this blog will understand why this was a great experience for me, but I do have a clean conscience eating meat from the grocery store knowing that I have no ethical qualms about killing animals for food. In fact, I'm much more ethically troubled by what happens on corporate feed lots and giant chicken operations than hunting fields.

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A Few Pics From Thanksgiving

Here are a few quick pics from our Francis and Ally's visit a few weeks ago...











Good times. Good times.

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PhotoSynth of Hagia Sophia

This is a PhotoSynth created by National Geographic of Hagia Sophia


I love how this technology makes it so intuitive to visualize the thee-dimensional space.

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More Pictures from Istanbul Adventures

The Chora Church -- Betsy in front of a Virgin and Child Mosaic

The Chora Church -- Me in the orans position in what was once the main chancel. Notice all the different kinds of marble used in construction.

The Chora Church -- Jesus turning water into wine

The Chora Church -- Jesus and the Miracle of the Fishes and Loaves

The Chora Church -- A Scene from the Life of Mary (the Registration for the Census)

Christ Church (Crimea War Memorial Church)--the main Anglican Church in Istanbul--with Hagia Sophia visible in the background

A Byzantine (liturgical) Chalice

A Byzantine Relief-Icon of the Virgin and Child

A segment of the giant chain that once protected the river channel known as the "Golden Horn" from sea invasion

Inside the domes of The Blue Mosque

Pictures from Ephesus

Of course, we took a few hundred pictures at Ephesus. But here are just a few...


The excavation of the residences on the hill near the library are extraordinary. They've spent something like 40 years digging these houses out and were rewarded with beautiful frescos and mosaics.
If you look very closely you can see Betsy in blue at the bottom of the frame. This is the fascade of the once-great library of Celsus at Ephesus
A closer-up image of the stunning carving of the library at Ephesus

Me standing very close to where St. Paul once preached (the Theater in Ephesus).

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Hierapolis and Selçuk Pictures...

Looking down the central aisle of the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Selçuk.
Check out the cross-shaped baptismal font in this baptistry. Steps lead into the water from both sides.
"St. Philip Slept Here"--in a manner of speaking. This was his martyrium (until it was undone by fire/earthquake). No word on what happened to his remains...
Me on the Synthronon (priest's seat) in the ruined Cathedral of Hierapolis. It's off the path from where most visitors to the site go, but the plan of the church and the baptistry are still clearly evident

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Some Pictures from Cappadocia

Seleme Monastery was once one of the largest monastery complexes in Cappadocia. Back then scaffolding and ladders would have provided access to these formidable cells. Channels inside the rock also connect may of these rooms and even provide special shelters in case of attack. The monks would roll large millstones across the tunnel to block it. The had ventilation and food and water enough to outlast would-be-plunderers.
One of the monastery churches at Selime--note that although the floor collapsed you can see the triple arch typical of Byzantine churches of the time. The space on the left was used for preparing the gifts. They were brought out the procession and then consecrated in the central section and then after the Communion brought to the section on the right.
We went trekking in the Ihlara Valley, once popular with early Christians who left behind something like 150 (no exaggeration) chapels and churches carved in the soft rock. Few survive, fewer still with frescos in reasonable shape. Here's an example.
the interior of a church carved as part of a HUGE underground city complex in Cappadocia