j e z b l o g

Last Person Out Please Turn Off The Lights : Wall Street : NYC

2008-10-09T22:48:03Z

Last Person Out Please Turn Off The Lights : Wall Street : NYC
Whether you are speaking in Arabic, French, Russian, Icelandic, German, Mandarin, Italian, Swedish, English or what ever........... Economics seems to have pretty well the same meaning to all........... Deutsche Welle Radio the German broadcasting network that broadcasts in 30 languages was airing a piece showing a Chinese woman living in Beijing who had invested her life savings into the American Banking institution Lehman Brothers ........ She has lost her retirement money with its collapse....... This is a terrible reminder of the possible downsides of globalization ......... sadly the poorest people will inevitably suffer the most ....... Clearly the collapse of Lehman Bros does not only effect the billionaire executives that ran it.......... Now the markets are still dropping losing another 7% today alone....... The wheels seem to be coming off the worlds financial system....... Apparently the exposure of the top British Banks and the Swiss Banks in hugely greater than their entire countries GDP............... hmmmmm tricky.

Cheers Jez XX

Cheers Jez XX

Cooter at Home on his Porch : Washington : Virginia

2008-10-08T23:22:34Z

Cooter at Home on his Porch : Washington : Virginia
Here is another one of Ben 'Cooter' Jones on his home turf or rather his front porch ....... here he is....... looking more like all the old Dukes of Hazzard fans would expect............ Ben has a great place with different houses on the property....... each place reflects something of his character ....... his historic home is fantastic and pristinely immaculate for him and his lovely wife....... the beautiful rebuilt barn is the thespian and congressman's library......... the Japanese style Zen Pavilion for the Zen aspects of this Redneck and his family as they look out at the timeless mountains ........... and then there is this place pictured above........ his office.... which is the archetypal Red Neck style home ........ packed full of fun crazy nic-nacks and silly keepsakes like a crazy joke shop ......... so many strange things.... this is pack rat city...... most unnerving thing for me being a life size speaking and fully animatronic head and shoulders of Elvis that talks to you and tells jokes its face is watching you....... following you.... as you move round the room ....... freaky.......... This place has no trace of Congressman down here....... No....... This is the place ...... where Cooter can be Cooter......... hehehe..........

Here below is a lovely piece of correspondence I received today from Crazy Ben 'Cooter' Jones himself ....... :

"Re: Crazy Cooter on Jezblog
Date: October 8, 2008 8:08:52 PM EDT
To: jez@jezblog.com

Hey Jez
That's a very cool shot. And thanks for the kind words. You are
welcome out here any old time. Sit on the porch, take your shoes
off, and talk to the dogs, the cows, and us.....Ben"

What about that! ....... Fantastic! .....Yeah.... What a brilliant bloke ! ........... Cheers Jez XXXXX

PS....... Don't forget you can check out the amazing Ben 'Cooter' Jones life and times in his new autobiography........... Red Neck Boy in the Promised Land

Ben Cooter Jones at home : Washington : VA 11th St

2008-10-08T00:03:29Z

Ben Cooter Jones at home : Washington : VA 11th St
I went to visit and photograph Ben 'Cooter 'Jones at his home in Virginia last week. Here is 'Crazy Cooter' in a thoughtful moment........ he is thoughtful more often than you might think if you only think of Ben Jones as the character 'Crazy Cooter' from the 'Dukes of Hazzard'....... in fact if you don't know the story of Ben Jones life you might be completely amazed....... I know I was ..... on taking a peek at his interesting...... funny and moving new autobiography............. Red Neck Boy in the Promised Land ............most surprising to the poorly informed : Ben Jones was elected to the United States Congress from the Fourth District of Georgia ......... and he's a Democrat !! He is a proper redneck with all those Southern Boy's sensibilities ....... he really is a Red Neck ........who is comfortable with Confederate Flag ........ but he is certainly not a racist ......... and he is a serious supporter of Obama.... and is actively campaigning for him.
You know what...... Ben 'Cooter' Jones is a great guy............ you can read more in The Times UK by my old mate Ben McIntyre. MacIntyre writes about Jones his politics and the position and politics of the so called Red Necks...... if you look at Red Neck Boy in the Promised Land you know that Jones is the perfect person to interpret rural Southern working people and their culture to the East Coast urban Crew of the Obama campaign ....... which has been part of his importance to the Obama Campaign.

Cheers Jez XX

Football Terminator Composition : Portsmouth : Rhode Island

2008-10-07T13:34:46Z

Football Terminator Composition : Portsmouth : Rhode Island
Im sorry not to have been attending to my blog... weirdly it's not cos Im on the road...... its cos Im not..... I just finished putting together and edit of 6342 images....... I think it's an all time record..... I was up till 3AM finishing the edit last night...... so I haven't worked on new stuff to put up ...... but I just got this crazy thing in my inbox from the art director who is manically waiting for this mega huge set ......... thanks Beta ....... You will be glad to know that all the material is ready and rolling ....... Thanks for sending this...... its very cool....... and I can honestly say..... Thats exactly how I saw it at the time...... hehehe...... when I turn on the geometric golden rectangle in my head you can normally tell as I start to say..... : "I need to speak to Sarah Conner" and "I'll be back!" in a low voiced Austrian accent ....... hehehehe........

Seriously........ Composition is seriously my thing......... its very interesting to see this analysis applied to a rapidly composed action picture....... Not the usual does it work? but this has an element of ..... why is it working? ......... thanks Beta.......

Cheers Jez XX

Introduction to American Football : Portsmouth : Rhode Island USA

2008-10-05T01:25:40Z

Introduction to American Football : Portsmouth : Rhode Island USA
I guess if you hang out in America long enough you are finally going to see an American Football game........ I have literally only ever seen clips on TV..... mostly showing in bars or on some airport TV.......... I had never attended a game...... so today was a new experience........ I was at a big High School game........ only for the first half...... but I was there on the line......... able to see Football US style in all its incredible spectacle and pageantry with it's amazing machismo, comradery and threat to health and well being ......... I had no idea what was going down......... but it was incredibly intense ......... just fantastically gripping ....... I could see immediately its appeal to both players and fans ........ but wow does it look dangerous .....

It is like watching Knights of old strapping on their armor then taking part in a joust........... like those old style tournaments they have set piece moves where they stop plan....... then charge into each other ......... yeah...... its basically a team joust ....... some players never handle the ball but spend the whole game crashing into their opponents .........

The home team in red were powering to victory when I left the game........ I had to roll to do some work on something else otherwise I would certainly have watched it to the end........ I have a feeling I will be watching those bar and airport TV's with increased interest and respect.................. :-)

Cheers Jez XX

Is She Crazy or is it Just Me ? Palin Bidden TV Debate : Portsmouth : Rhode Island USA

2008-10-03T03:09:37Z

Is She Crazy or is it Just Me ? Palin Bidden TV Debate : Portsmouth : Rhode Island USA
Is She Crazy or is it just Me ? Joe is wise not to try and look into her eyes....... Well, she appears to have done enough........ Seemingly done enough on domestic ........ and just about almost enough on overseas policy........ not to look totally out of her depth...... Anyway no real mega mess ups that so many had predicted ...... so Republicans can all breath again...... the releif was obvious on the faces of Republican commentators.....

Cheers Jez XX

My feet on a 165 ft Vertical Ladder : Portsmouth : Rhode Island

2008-10-02T02:08:11Z

My feet on a 165 ft Vertical Ladder : Portsmouth : Rhode Island
Wooow it has been a hard day....... over 12 hours solid on my photographic assignment...... not so different from usual I hear you say ....... except this bit above........ 165ft straight up vertical ladder......... up a wind turbine...... these things are just huge ........... the view from the top was amazing and is part of the set for my clients ...... so will not be on this blog today....... this shot gives you a hint of what it is like to climb that ladder which was an incredible experience in its own right ........ I always think that I am not afraid...... I am always happily willing to do whatever is required ...... until I start to do it........ this thing is a seriously heavy duty ladder ....... you set out casual....... but half way up your legs and arms are killing you ....... it is a seriously long way down...... and you certainly start to feel afraid........ like I say those wind turbines are huge...... it was an incredible climb the view from the top and the sense of achievement at having reached the top made it feel all worthwhile in the end ....... It was amazing to be on the top of this awe inspiring structure with no railings or safety fences....... With space only for me and my excellent friend pictured.... His confidence, experience and humor kept me going on the ladder.......... I felt elated to be on top of the world .......... With the slight edge of 'I have to make it back down that ladder' before this is over.

Cheers Jez XX

Black Day at the Capitol : DC : USA

2008-09-29T22:33:37Z

Black Day at the Capitol : DC : USA
Well......... it was all a bit of a disaster up on the Hill today....... Nancy Pelosi's $700-Billion speech ?........ The most viciously partisan attack just before everyone is supposed to come together.......... For the good of the Nation ! .......... Then the House Republicans who voted against just because they were insulted? They voted against the bill because they were insulted? Their own personal pride over the good of the Nation.......? Well, Im not sure that is the true narrative......... half the Democrats did not vote for it either ......... and Im not sure I even really support $700-Billion bailout for bankers myself ........... but the spectacle of the promised and announced rescue package that was then voted down totally destroyed the markets today..........

"NEW YORK (AP) -- The failure of the bailout package in Congress literally dropped jaws on Wall Street and triggered a historic selloff -- including a terrifying decline of nearly 500 points in mere minutes as the vote took place, the closest thing to panic the stock market has seen in years.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 777 points Monday, its biggest single-day fall ever, easily beating the 684 points it lost on the first day of trading after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

As uncertainty gripped investors, the credit markets, which provide the day-to-day lending that powers business in the United States, froze up even further.

At the New York Stock Exchange, traders watched with faces tense and mouths agape as TV screens showed the House vote rejecting the Bush administration's $700 billion plan to buy up bad debt and shore up the financial industry."

.................. Whatever it is they should have done up on the Hill today........ may not be completely clear ........... but .......... What they actually did.......... Certainly was not it..........

Cheers Jez XX

Andrew Sullivan : At Home In DC : USA

2008-09-28T22:29:55Z

Andrew Sullivan : At Home In DC : USA
Andrew Sullivan Columnist and blogger extraordinaire.......... his political blog is fast and insightful ........ his is one of the most influential and groundbreaking of all the political blogs......... I love the meat of the politics...... but I also love the slight garnish of the artistic and off the wall photography.......... and he always has an eye for great humor........ he is killing Sarah Palin by making her the 'I can do that woman' from Catherine Tate (Brit comedienne) ............ it is always worth checking out www.andrewsullivan.com ........... anytime....... but especially if you are interested in killer cringing Sarah Palin comedy......

Here is Andrew photographed in his DC place for The Sunday Times UK.

Cheers Jez XX

Moth to the Flame : Belfast : Northern Ireland

2008-09-26T08:47:36Z

Moth to the Flame : Belfast : Northern Ireland
Well I had a bit of a debacle on Wednesday night attempting to shoot that Apple sponsored event......... in the end having got chucked out......... I ended up sitting in the bar across the street ......... with a big pile of camera gear sitting on the bar .......... sometimes having a big pile of cameras can create unwanted attention and hassle........ sometimes they are a draw to fantastically interesting people..... who just come over to chat .......like Edward Bennett and MinhTu Van and a group of their friends.........

Edward is a musician and media entrepreneur MinhTu a model and actress.......

MinhTu was discussing the www.themoth.org and talking about story telling events that she has attended they sounded really cool........... She said that these gatherings were authentic old style New York..... I love spoken stories myself....... I love short bursts of really intense stories........ Thought processes around tiny fragments of happening........ Moments that seem to be telling or cathartic........ Rites of passage......... incidents that are life changing........ Or just moments that are seemingly nothing but are overlaid with meaning. I really enjoy tales that are relayed in the spoken word....... I love that weird NPR (radio) show 'This American Life' with those odd stories that mean you end up sitting in your rental car rather than returning it to Hertz ........ just so as to hear to the end.

MinhTu told me that most story telling evenings are themed....... the last one she had been at was titled........... 'Cross the Line'......... she asked me if i thought i could stand up and tell a story ....... with the Cross the Line theme........ I said i thought I could....... (Id had a couple of beers)........ luckily she did not require me to do it....... but I thought immediately of being in Northern Ireland in 'The Troubles' standing with the Militarized Police the RUC behind an Armored Land Rover ......... the officer in charge is pointing to the burning car 1000 yards down the road............ half way between them and it...... is a street light......... he says I should go no further than that lamp post :

" Anything happens this side of the line of that lamppost we will come and help you..... but anything that happens to you beyond it you are on your own......... because no matter what happens we are not coming in after you if you cross the line "

............ they are clear that this is an IRA trap....... that if they go in they will be fired on........... so I wonder down to the line feeling incredably exposed and sheepish ........ I hesitate at the lamp post........ but I am not really close enough to make any decent pictures......... so I cross the invisible line I know the cops are tutting and laughing grimly at my foolishness.........I feel them watching me down their telescopic gun sights........ I have crossed the line....... Im on my own......... I walk down into the republican Short Strand district of Belfast towards the heat of the burning car......... young men are gathered in the alley ways off ....... I really am on my own.........

Cheers Jez XX