Sunday, December 31, 2006

The Importance Of Being Idle.

Finally getting everything up to date. If you are reading this here, then you are on the new blog. If you are reading it here, you are on the old one, which will be phased out (sooner than later.) Basically, I have been quite idle, for quite a few months. The year has been a busy one, and many is the job that snowed me in and under; added to that, the various projects I have been involved in, and you have a recipe for backsliding. "But I don't mind, as long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine..." A lot has been achieved this year, and my work has been seen in a number of places, from the wall of The Bin in Cape Town, to the windows of every Levi's Store in the country, both alongside fellow Nighthawk Warren Van Rensburg. But there are still those that wish to see me sort my blog... Mark Hinch, Marc Morris, Paolo Mosca and others. So I had better get cracking.

From now on, whichever blog you visit, the updates (future and backdated, if I can get this new blogger to allow me to do so) will be posted here. The old blog, will have nothing new on it... consider it effectively
dead and buried. Or lying in state. Or something.

As it was, the old blog had not been updated since I left for Oppikoppi. At Easter. Next thing I knew, I was back from the festival... in August! One thing had happened in-between though, that put me off blogging. I had returned at Easter, stoked by the work I had done, and fired up to clear up some January backlog. I was editing a selection of photos for the Crazy Monkey people when I got a phonecall from my Mom... to ask if I had heard about an acquainance that had been shot dead in Cape Town. Brett Goldin had been killed, and I was busy with a photograph of him on the set of The Most Amazing Show when I got the call. A lot has been said about his murder since then, and I had no interest in having anything to say on the issue at the time... suffice it to say that there have been convictions, and all his family now can do is remember him.

Since I heard about his death, I had not really been in the mood to blog. Cannot say why, but I had things bothering me. But there's a new year coming now... and things inside my head seem to be back on track. I suppose it's relevant that I did at least make one update in the year (when you consider what it's about.) That said, I am on my way to meet Fokofpolisiekar, as they prepare to take on Pretoria. They are playing a New Year's Eve party tonight, and then tomorrow I will be in Mamelodi shooting a New Year's Day party that Oppikoppi's people are organizing. No rest for the wicked.

When next I post, I guess it'll be 2007. While it is important to keep looking forward, I will do my best to look backwards as well, in terms of updating (backdating?) the blog. This link will serve as location for details on updates. Every time
I add something new (old?) I will list it below. But I will make sure to also to post it under anything new that comes up, if there has been an update (back date?) at the time of posting.

And for now... I guess that's it until 2007. Happy New Year.

Later.


UPDATES/BACKDATES:

Monday, December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas, Mom.

Dear Mom. Sorry you had to miss Christmas in South Africa this year; though, as a Christmas goes, it was less of an affair than usual. No extended "Lynch" clan, no Keir or Liam getting irritated at all and sundry and no excessive drinking. Even though we bought Dad a bottle of Bushmills. There was, however, plenty of fruitcake. Gran outdid herself this year, and mine is still going strong; after every bite, I need to retreat and regroup before I attempt another one. Still, I know it's not cake, or extended clan, grumpy sons or booze you were missing this festive season. So here's Brigid.

She got quite a pile of presents this year... I would have been jealous, had I not also been bitten by the bug and splurged on her as well. I was even off on Christmas Eve, hunting out a guitar she had spotted during previous shopping trips (and other assorted stocking fillers.) The umbrella was from the neighbour, and the wading pool from Dad. Clearly her tolerance of cold is better than mine; while she is enjoying paddling around on what is a fairly cloudy day, I WAS NOT (as you no doubt will see from the photos Dad took, especially when she jumped on my back in an attempt to push me under.) Whether I was cold or not, I can only imagine it's warmer than the weather in Oxford, clear skies or no. Certainly better for swimming than London was in November.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas regardless. Hope you get to spend Christmas with the family next year, and hope that Keir and the latest Mrs Lynch (as Dad tells me she is now being officially seen) is up here as well. I know this year, you were certainly missed by the two Lynch females in evidence on the left... and your grumpy son behind the camera. Much love, and hope to see you soon in the New Year, Liam.

Later.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

"Don't Lie About The Medium."



So after I came back from Europe with Fokofpolisiekar, the drummer (Snake) got it into his head that I would HAVE to make them a music video of the trip (with no small amount of punting from my side, since I have been wanting to do something with the song in question ever since I heard the demo in January.)

The track is Ek Skyn (Heilig), from the band's latest full length offering, Swanesang. There's a fair amount of word play in the title and the lyrics in general, and in the narrative of the images in relation to them. For those of you who do not speak Afrikaans, it may be a bit hard to follow; if you are wondering about a line, connection or unclear shot, drop me a line, and I will explain if need be. All the images basically come from the European trip; London, Belgium and Holland all feature. The only shots that were done elsewhere, are the portraits that appear at the beginning of the video. These were made on the last day of recording the album, at the studio. Photos from this shoot were used in the album art and in a Sunday Times feature on the band, as well as Cold Caffiene In A Nicotine Cloud, the exhibition A Nighthawks Project held at The Bin in October this year.

The portraits at the end of the vid were taken on the last day of the tour, as a counterpoint, just before the band went on stage. Fatigue, anyone? Speaking of fatigue, early December turned into a slew of all-nighters, as Zander Blom (of Avant Car Guard fame, and fellow founder of A Nighthawks Project) co-produced it with me, handling the editing and coffee making duties, and ensuring that it came out good and proper. While I shot the photos to begin with, and had initially story-boarded most of it myself, there can be no doubt that working with Zander took it up many a notch. We have done our fair share of burning the candle at both ends together in the past, and it was a pleasure to complete this project the way we did.

Even if we almost went insane in the process.

Mk89 aired our video tonight at 7pm, and if initial reactions are anything to go by, we did good. Regardless, we're proud of it. You can watch it at the link above: let us know what you think of it.

Keep in mind though that the YouTube link is not of the highest quality, rendering or synchronisation; you're going to have to see it on telly to appreciate it proper, like.

Later.