I will probably not be coming back here again after the last edits/gallery clean-ups, so I'm bidding you all goodbye. I'll miss you.
BIO I was materialized in 1987 when two aimless Dungeons & Dragons players screwed up the last verse of a spell that was supposed to make them both rock stars. They adopted me as their own and moved to Strafford, NH. Secure in my anonymity, I await the apocalypse, in which I am to join the unholy army of disgruntled angels and demons for their final assault on the realm of man. Until then I plan to sit around and not do much of anything with my life.
EDIT: not making fat jokes anymore.
EDIT: ...or ageist jokes.
On other sites I go by numol, meatwad, aphid, yhigte, Lexa Todd, Andrea Todd, your hair is good to eat, and prungus.
*** A note on deletion, courtesy, and owning your own bullshit ***
The lead-in is about these subjects in general, but about halfway down (starting at "Now on to a related incident:") is where I apologize for my head-scarf girl images ("Eidolon" and "Eidolon Typography"). EDIT: Also want to apologize for the Riker-with-Aguilera's-Body pic that was my image here for a while, because I realized it could be insulting to trans people -- the "butch guy's face on hot chick's body" meme does seem to be making fun of you, which isn't something I'd thought of before. So I'm sorry for being an asshole about that, too.
EDIT: ...Aaaaaaand for the numerous examples of "OOOH *EXOTIC*" tropes showing up in my old Photoshops. It's disgusting and I'm sorry.
Recently, I've been going through my journal and my posts and cleaning up some language I don't use anymore. I still swear a lot, and sometimes (well, often) use gross metaphors, and don't think there's anything wrong with that, but there are some words I used to say that were pretty nasty re: being neurodivergent and/or having certain types of disabilities. I'd never even given it much thought, and it's only recently that I've been hanging out in parts of the Internet where people actually talk about stuff like that talk about stuff like that a lot, hurtful language and such, and it's right out in the open because the people talking [usually] don't have to worry about careless dicks [like me, thank God I didn't open my mouth in those places back then actually i did and i'm sorry for that and also for lying] and bullies [EDIT: also like me]. You know, safe spaces. I mean, calling someone an asshole is just calling them an asshole, but using words that tell people [even indirectly] they're worthless because they may be neurodivergent or because of their disabilities is not okay, period.However, there's also the subject of how deleting something you said = hiding the evidence. The only way I could think of to remove the hurtful words without burying them in the backyard was to take them out and then add an edit that declared that I had taken them out, as well as giving some hint as to what they were without actually repeating them (wherever possible). Any suggestions of better ways of doing this would be appreciated -- this was just a way I'd seen done before that seemed like a decent compromise.Now on to a related incident: a couple of years back, I made a couple of images with a woman wearing a head scarf made to look like an evil goddess ("Eidolon" and "Eidolon Typography"). The woman in the stock photo was White, so I didn't see a problem (my ridiculous "Muslim = brown person" association was such that I didn't even consider white Muslims)... even after the woman herself suggested that it might be a problem. I figured that because she was, I assumed (in my disgustingly bigoted way), not Muslim (I did not, and still don't, know her religion, if any), she didn't know what she was talking about, but later I realized that she was right. Also, in one of the images I made with her stock photo, the colors of the whole picture were darkened so it did look like she had a brown face. So yeah, pretty racist/xenophobic [wait a minute, there's plenty of Muslims in the US] AND anti-Muslim on a number of levels -- the fact that it was an accident doesn't excuse it.Even worse, my solution to this was to hide the evidence. I figured that no one should see the image(s) because depending on who they were, they might be hurt by the racism/xenophobia anti-Muslim crap, so I deleted them... without leaving an acknowledgment of my assheadedness in their place. Because although by that time I'd learned enough to know what I did was wrong, I hadn't learned that my attempt to fix it was also wrong, as well as dishonest and cowardly.Well, this is my acknowledgment. This is my apology. I am sorry. If you saw one or more of those images and were hurt by them, if they made you upset because they were just another one of the many, many messages sent again and again that tell you that you're evil or monstrous because of your race, ethnicity and/or religion... I am sorry for doing that to you, and also for covering it up afterward. I apologize for contributing to those memes because just perpetuating that bigoted crap in itself is hurtful, even if nobody who saw it was upset. Nothing can excuse what I did.I'm not asking to be forgiven. I know from experience how forgiveness can be very much like an excuse, a "pass". I also know your forgiveness is none of my business, and I'd have no right to ask for it. I just hope my apology lessens the hurt.And to anyone inclined to defend me or excuse what I did: DON'T. I do not want to be defended. What I did was wrong and should not be defended or excused.EDIT: "Xenophobia" wasn't the right word -- lots of Muslims in the US. Editedit: Also "____-phobia" used to describe bigotry is ableist appropriation.EDIT: I mean the whole "Muslim = foreign" meme is hideously common enough without me buying into it, hot damn I am fucking up today.EDIT: Clarification -- added parts between "parts of the Internet where people" and "I mean, calling someone an asshole". People do talk about social stuff and language in places I frequented back then, including here, but I just didn't see those conversations because I was lost in my own colon and wasn't looking for a way out at the time. Editedit: ugh changed this paragraph because I basically blamed the moderators and trolls for my own willful ignorance.ANOTHER FUCKING EDIT: Since my last edit I read the dictionary definition of another mental-ability-related word I used in this entry, and although a lot of people will tell you it's not a slur, it sure sounds like one when you read its definition (link), so I took it out. And yes, I realize the irony of my using it here. So I'm sorry for fucking up about that, too....And another Edit: Clarification -- I don't know what religion, if any, the lady whose stock photo I used subscribes to, and the way I put that before kinda made it sound like I did know, so I re-worded that. Also, I realized that I should be apologizing for saying/doing fucked-up things regardless of whether or not anyone was actually hurt by them, because saying/doing those things in the first place is shitty, so some of the apology shit got re-worded too.
Yep another EDIT: Changed the "on to a related incident" paragraph for clarification and to remove the "Muslim = brown person" association that ironically persisted in my fucking apology. And changed "head-wrap" to "head-scarf" (the term was recommended on another site). And took out the phrase "because nobody ever called me on it" -- it was disgusting entitled excuse-making on my part. Also changed "using words that tell people they're worthless [even indirectly] because they have a psychological condition or use a wheelchair" to "...because of their disabilities" -- the original was stereotyped and not inclusive at all and I'm also not sure whether "psychological condition" is an ok term. And also added to the "I apologize for contributing to those memes" sentence.
another edit: added stuff about neurodivergence because just saying "disability" isn't good enough either i think, because what people call themselves and their traits varies a lot from person to person, obviously. sorry again. and that's probably not good enough either, and there are a lot of other problems with this, i will try to fix it all later. i am sorry.
Edit (June 24, 2016): I removed the image "human piano" because I fucked up really badly there, making people's skin look lighter and extremely creepy sexualization that follows/promotes racist gendered stereotypes. Normally I'd leave the image up for accountability's sake, but given that the way I did the image is exploitative, it felt wrong to leave it viewable. I've been having mental issues and am not yet functional enough to do a proper apology that explains everything wrong with the image. I am very sorry for all of this.
Comments (10)
Mousson
Adorable portrait !
mickeyrony
You know you it post like a black spot, therefore have can not to miss it. You know It is a little like: To make a presentation of a bouquet of flower but that you would have to add a complete nudity female form a little at side where you thinks that the eyes will move in first lol ...... Ben yes towards the bottom naturally. I leave you a smile But a superb stereotype. Bravo and mile mercies ((5++)) Tu sais tu le postes comme un point noir, donc ont ne peus pas le manquer . Tu sais c'est un peu comme :Faire une présentation d'un bouquet de fleurs mais que tu aurait rajouter une forme féminine nue intégrale un peu à côté où tu pense que les yeux vont se diriger en premier lol......Ben oui vers le fond naturellement . Je te laisse un sourire Mais un superbe cliché Bravo et mile mercis ((5++))
MrsRatbag
Excellent composition and tonal work; I like the intensity of the eyes. Nice shot!
DAVER2112
Perfect shot!!!
cannonn
i felt fears,excellent composition!!!
RobyHermida
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROBY ;o)
babuci
I would clone a bright spot out of her/him back, also a grass hang in to the fur and crop it for a portrait format( vertical). I know would lost a bit of space from the left and a tad from a cat back but I think this way I would have more focused on a cat and its beautyful eyes. I would not change a sepia tone, actually quet like it in this tone, would saturate the yellow /gold eye color a bit. Sorry if I was harsh.
uubale
Actually, one of the things I like about your work is that you leave in the imperfections, like the wide blade of grass crossing into the cat's fur. Some of your pond images have little bits of "junk" that at first seem like they should be cloned out; odd bits of dirt or grass, etc. But, upon further reflection, I think these elements add a reality to your work that is unusual. I personally would have cloned out the litter in your heron shot, for example, but instead you embraced it and it was more "real". I think that is what makes your stuff so personal. I hope you have another black cat to show us for Halloween!
anahata.c
acs, if I were to give constructive criticism here, it would be vague: that you have a fine picture in here and I think clarifying more of the cat's detail would bring it out. Clarification could come from several more shots at the time, or from post-work. But it was a quick session, a surprise session, and frequently photographers get mixed results in such sessions, going with some and not with others. So does critique apply here? In my experience, you have a fine enough inner eye that almost any shot you do will have that eye in it—this is axiomatic in the arts, which I say not to be nice but from over 50 years of experience in the arts, both as a 'maker' and as a student of their history, etc. When the artistic presence is deep in someone, it will come out regardless, even when the artist isn't trying. That eye is present even in your plainer shots, and I hope you feel & see it if you don't. I'll put my life behind the assertion in any case. But this shot? It's simply 'plainer' than some in your collection, however it's a casual capture and still enticing to my eye. I will always see your eye in your work, and I see it here. I'd try to capture more detail in the cat's fur, shadows, etc. Easy said, of course, I wasn't there in the moment you had to shoot. But that's what I feel missing. Otherwise, it is a nice shot; and I like the detailed comments you got, incl. uubale who has critiqued this piece beautifully. A wonderful critique.
Chipka
This is an excellent image and there really isn't much that I'd change. I love the composition, the grass on one side, providing a more jumbled, attention grabber. There's a lot to look at in that half of the picture, and yet the composition as a whole goes far beyond that, which works wonderfully. The selective coloring works perfectly as well, but I'm curious as to how different this image would actually be if you tweaked just a tiny bit and brought out a tiny bit more red in the sepia tone; I only say that because I think it would darken the cat just a wee bit more, without sacrificing any of the details of the fur. Having said that though, I can also say that there's really nothing in this piece that I'd change. It's a great piece of photographic art that carries a fantastic, almost playful mood. And, as a friend of mine once told me...once you have 10 black cats in your life, things'll be really, really good. Great work.