GinkaFoto’s blog

Being a photographer that shoots a lot of teenagers, I've been watching the Miley Cyrus/Vanity Fair controversy pretty closely.  Everyone is talking about the bare-back photo and, honestly I don't get it.  I see more skin than that at prom.  Far more disturbing is the photo of Miss Cyrus and her dad, Billy Ray.  She is very suggestively draped across his lap with her hip bones jutting out holding his hand.  To me that photo is more representative of daddy using daughter to boost his career than the very empowering photo of her by herself.  Rebecca Traister on Salon has been the only journalist I've heard or read that noticed that little gem. 

As far as Annie Leibovitz's role in all this, she did her job.  It's any photographers job to push the subject matter as far as it is willing to go.  Some have said that Leibovitz exploited Miley for her own gain.  Not any more than her father has/did. A young girl coming to terms with her own sexuality is one thing. Being helped by her father is something totally different.

During my arduous trip to DC I was able to capture a few images.  Mina is always good for a shot.

DC_NYC04222008003

We just received an invitation to my husband's niece's college graduation.  It was addressed to "Mr. and Mrs."  My husband is a doctor and has been all her life. I was outraged.  My first thought was that under no circumstances was I getting her a gift.  Someone graduating from college should know how to properly address an envelope.  The kicker is, she's the one who bragged that she was marrying a guy that was slated to go to medical school.  After 12 years let's see how she feels when she gets a letter from a family member, no less, addressed to "Mr."

I've settled down a little and have decided I'll get her a book on proper business etiquette.  My goal when my kids leave home that they will have knowledge of proper manners.  Whether they use them or not is totally up to them.

I recently read an article (I can't remember where) about topless meetings.  Meaning, that all laptops and PDA's would be put in a basket when you walk in so that people could focus and the meetings would be more productive.

That sounds good in theory.  I always get irritated at a school meeting when a soccer mom constantly pecks away on her iPhone and the meeting takes longer than it needs to and I have a real job to get back to.  It could also be that I'm jealous because she has an iPhone and obviously a lunch date and my Blackberry sits silent. 

At my next meeting someone asked me for a phone number.  It was on my Blackberry.  We had to come up with a time-line for grant application submissions.  My calendar is on my Blackberry.  Every time I picked it up to check for the phone number or the calendar, the person running the meeting would say, "Ginka, put down that crackberry and get back with us!" "Quit checking your email and focus!"  I would explain that I wasn't checking my email, it was the calendar like she asked me but it didn't matter.

So what's better?  Banning all devises therefore banning information vital to a productive meeting or having the devises but being harassed for it?

April 28th is the anniversary of the death of Casey Jones.  One of the many local activities is a hobo gathering at Casey Jones Village not far from my house and, of course I'm going!  I've got to photograph the hobos!

A friend sent me this link to get me in the mood.  Now, I'm frightened.

American Vagabonds