In spite of the large amount of time taken up with printing, mounting, installing and fundraising for my Newburgh Exhibition, there is time left for domestic bliss in the form of stewed red currents, as done by Mrs. Beaton, accompanied by a glass of Sauternes. The dog belongs to Sandy Saunders and is a friend of our dog Louis. He comes for visits at the week-ends. His name is Hansel.   

Raymond Carver

Today is his birthday. He once said, "I am beginning to feel like a cigarette with a body attached to it." Not about this photograph but spoken to his very first interviewer in 1977, as reported in the introduction to Conversations with Raymond Carver, edited by Marshall Bruce Gentry and William L. Stull. I took this picture in about 1985 in his garage at his house in Syracuse, NY. A print of it is now in the permanent collection at The National Portrait Gallery, DC.

Soothing moment at MOMA

His friend seems to understand the strain of being a photographer. He had had enough... or was it just the place, the people and the exhibitions that had got him down?

Upstate street party

Sometimes I go to events that I have a particular dislike for; a place I would never go to or a function I would never attend. Street parties and barbecues are on this list. But there are people at these events, and you never know where you are going to find subjects.

Hands on Hips 2

Mike had a garage and parking lot across the street from our loft on Lafayette Street, New York. We used to watch him from our window on the ninth floor as he parked the cars. One day I went down to the street with my camera and asked him if I could take his picture. As usual with busy people they always have time.

Hands on Hips 1

The Cold Spring restaurant, Riverview, is run by Jimmy. Actually it's a partnership with his wife.This woman is Jimmy's mother. He is a man who has inherited his mother's strength and presence. When I saw her as I walked by she was gardening with her grand-daughter. But I knew at once that I must take her alone. She planted her feet astride, put her hands on her hips and said, "Like this?" I said, "Exactly like that."

Off duty waitress

I was lucky. In a normally busy place there was nobody except her, the proprietor and one customer. She sat on the stool, tucked her leg under her and looked at the lens. My Rolleiflex, God how I miss it! But I'm addicted now, foully addicted to the damn digital life.

Woman sitting with one shoe off

As I walked by I said "Don't move you look wonderful like that." Immediately she moved - people almost invariably do. You have to say it very quietly and slowly, if possible accompanied by a gentle gesture that implies: "Stop". She put the can of beer down farther enough away, she thought, not to be in the picture. She returned to her pose and forgot, possibly, about her only wearing one shoe.

Caroline filling a gap

I had been filling gaps in the garden due to the excessive rainfall. Certain plants had rotted in their pots, notably borage. Caroline agreed to fill this gap. She said she did not want to be a permanent stop gap, so I found some lovely pink phlox last weekend at Gowanus Nursery in Carroll Gardens, and although they do look nice, I thought Caroline did the best job.

Grandmother at McDonald's

This week I am posting three pictures of women. Two were taken in Fishkill, New York and one in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Because we were asked to dinner with some friends in Connecticut on Saturday night, we did not go to Brooklyn this weekend. It would have been too far and we wanted to enjoy our dinner.

We did, however, do a bit of shopping at Sam's Club and Walmart where we found two of the photographs: the grandmother with her charge at McDonald's in Walmart, and the sales person at Sam's Club. The young woman in the window was taken in Williamsburg, the weekend before last, from the sidewalk of Bedford Avenue, outside one of the many cafés with windows open to the street. I'm surprised when people sit in the window seats and read books or text their friends. You would think they would like to look out at what is going on.

Salesperson with purple nails

Nobody likes to be greeted by sales people on store floors, when, as I had done, you come to buy one particular thing and want to get home and play with it. In this case, it was a dehumidifier for my new office and storage space for my prints. She greeted me as I came in, but when she greeted me on my way out again, I said, "Let me take your picture, you are the best dressed sales person I have ever seen." It was not far from the truth and it apparently pleased her as she stood quite still and said, "Only if I can have a copy."

Nurse Temptress

As I walked down the street I noticed a girl who was standing with a group of other people. I stopped and said hello. It turned out she was with her sister and nephew and their neighbour. The neighbour wondered if what I was carrying was a telescope. I told him that it was a tripod for my camera, and I use it to ensure the pictures come out nice and sharp. I extended the legs of the tripod and screwed the camera on the plate to demonstrate. Then I asked the girl if I could take her picture and she agreed. We had to cross the street and walk half a block to find some shade. She told me her name was Temptress and that she was a nurse at the local hospital.

To see more photographs of Newburgh click here.