Larry and Jim, Gay Americans

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some shots from the Outer Banks of North Carolina near Nags Head where Nick and I joined some family for Thanksgiving this year. We all rented a house for the week to enjoy the holiday from neutral ground. We explored the area yesterday and took in some sights including Jockey's Ridge State Park, the largest sand dunes on the east coast. Very cool. I hope that everyone is enjoying a great holiday this year.

Sebastian Junger

I saw on my facebook page this morning that my friend Reid Callanan, the director of the Santa Fe Photo Workshops, is organizing a fundraising event with Reza and Sebastian Junger on December 4th in Santa Fe to benefit Photo Teens, a really great cause. Information for the event is located on the workshops site, linked here. It all reminded me that I had photographed Sebastian a while back for Manhattan File, which was such a great magazine, soon after his book A Perfect Storm had been made into a movie. We shot this at the bar in his restaurant, The Half King, on West 23rd Street, near Tenth Avenue in Chelsea, NYC, which is still such a great place to eat and hang out if you're ever in the neighborhood.

John, Gay American

Brian, Gay American

Maine and Massachusetts Visit

Last week I went up to Maine and Massachusetts for some some more Gay America shoots and really enjoyed my time up there. I met and photographed some very interesting guys including a psychic medium, a high school principal, a retired air traffic controller, a substance abuse counselor, a real estate broker and amazing photo-realistic portrait artist. The medium also did my reading, which proved to be a wonderful experience. I was a bit of a skeptic before, but am amazed at the details this guy gave me about my life, surroundings and loved ones. My grandmother came through loud and clear and had lot of messages for me. There were other relatives that came to talk too, but she was by far the most vocal. I also have lived over 50 previous lives, am intensely connected to Rome and am a bit of a psychic myself. My book will be published in 2009/10 and is one of three major projects that will also published in my life. As far as spirit guides, I have six photographers, a couple of philosophers and a Native American warrior with me at all times. I found it really fascinating , would definitely do it again and recommend it to anyone. It's amazing who this project puts me in touch with and it all is so very cool. Some shots along the way from the Androscoggin River.

Bob Barletta, RIP

Some recent events have made me think of those loved ones that have passed on and I wanted to share this shot of my partner Nick with his father, Bob, who died earlier this year after a long and tough battle with Alzheimer's. I took this snapshot at a small celebration last year for my partner Nick's 46th birthday at his parents house, which is around the corner from our weekend place. I know that he is in good company on the other side and is patiently awaiting the reunion with his wife Edith, who still has a lot of life left in her before she joins him. He was 90 in this picture, if you can believe, and definitely passed along his good looking genes to Nick. RIP Bob, you were a wonderful man and are greatly missed by us all.

© Norman Jean Roy Group Shot

Here's a shot from famed photographer Norman Jean Roy of the students that took his workshop last year in Santa Fe, myself included, second from the left. To watch him in action and create this out of practically nothing was great. You can see more of his work regularly in Vanity Fair and other Condé Nast publications.

Nutopia Group Show

NUTOPIA - THE SHOWNIGHT

K & M Studios Gallery
385 Broadway, 3rd Floor

Thursday, November 6th – ONE NIGHT ONLY!!
7.30 pm – 10.00 pm - BYOB

Participating Photographers:

Andreas Laszlo Konrath, Mike McGregor, Andrew Hetherington, Pari Dukovic, Glenn Glasser, Steven Laxton, Mauricio Quintero, Grace Doherty, Cailla Quinn, Sara Macel, Wesley Belknap Rose, Jami Saunders, Heather Courtney, Nick Rapaz, Jason Robinette, Scott Pasfield, Jennifer Trausch & Platon


"Nutopia has no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people." John Lennon

You are invited to the one-night-only inaugural group exhibition of the Nutopia Forum. Conceived by the famed photographer Platon, the Nutopia Forum is a collective of young photographers who meet regularly to discuss their photography and share new work. In the spirit of 17th-century French salons, the Nutopia Forum creates a democratic environment for photography to be discussed and celebrated in all forms and genres.

In order to maintain the intimacy of a small social gathering, the Nutopia Forum meetings operate on an invitation-only basis. The ShowNight will be the first time we open our doors to the general public to view our work as a collective. Bring friends & countrymen along with a healthy supply of booze & good spirits for an evening of photography & debaucheries.

Spread the word & the love.

www.nutopiaforum.com
www.nutopiaforum.blogspot.com

Jim and Nile, Gay Americans

Here's another shot that I just love from my Gay America project of a couple in Palm Springs, CA and their story.

We were both products of what we call the ignorant generation; the one that could not even discuss SEX, much less sexual orientation. We both are products of very rural areas; KS and MT. Both followed the dictates of societal mores and married and had children. Jim, the furry one, was married for 27 years. Me, Nile, for 21. Yes, we have pretty cool relationships with our respective families. Jim's is a bit more proactive. We both survived one previous post-marriage relationship. Each disastrous in their own way. It will be 13 years this December for us as mates and CA registered partners for over 8. As gay men, our joint philosophy has been that we neither flaunt it nor apologize for it. Our life hope is that by example we touch folks' lives in a way that they may reach an acceptance and understanding of what the reality of being a gay man is really like, and that accepting Diversity really is just fine. We're pretty plain, low key men. lolol