These photographs were taken by my late father, Frank W. Jennings, circa 1960. The first is of some of his buddies admiring a Yamaha 350 motorcycle — I am pretty certain that this was taken in Boston (corner of Gaffney St. & Commonwealth Ave.).

The family beagles, Peanut Butter & Sparky.

A cat in Iquitos, Peru. This rambunctious little cat hangs out at the Casa de Fitzcarraldo (Hotel Fitzcarraldo) in Iquitos, Peru.

Trouble is a microscopic Chinese Crested Dog.

I had this old montage frame laying around and I thought of an excellent set of images to place into it besides those typical (and usually boring) “family fun” photos when I came across a collection of Atomic Bomb atmospheric test photos from Los Alamos National Laboratory — a photo collection of our “Nuclear Family”.

The above was my first version. (The “graininess” of the image is due to the Canon S3 being used in low light and without the flash — I do not understand what is happening actually; is it not able to focus? or just some sort of camera limitation?)

This is version number 2 which I made for a friend. It’s your typical el-cheapo brand frame found in most any frame store — not exactly the ‘montage’ type frame with various sized, bordered or rounded corner openings that I wanted; but sometimes one needs to work in a hurry or within a budget. Then again, it turned out okay.

This third version I created for someone else as well. I forget the frame brand name. It has 2″ x 3″ plastic photo slots — available at most chain frame stores.

(Oddly, it turns out that the only place I could find the typical family photo montage frames — of various size openings with rounded corners, a couple ovals, etc. — were at those “Job Lot” stores and Christmas Tree Shop.)

I visited the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH, last June after I read that the tree said to have inspired some of his poems was to be cut down because it “posed a safety hazard.” A branch had already fallen from the tree.

According to the Boston Globe, “Wood from the tree was distributed to artisans, who have plans to craft it into walking sticks, bowls, furniture and other items.” A new tree is to be planted in the spring.

The view from the edge of the woods behind the house.

See more photographs, including the tree: Robert Frost Farm.

 
Sept. 15 arrestees win at trial
Government case collapses during trial — judge dismisses all charges

Judge Henry Greene of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia dismissed all charges against the defendants, who were accused of crossing a police line. The government’s case collapsed in the early stages of the trial during the the testimony of a witness from the Capitol Police.

The protestors asserted that the government and the Capitol Police had illegally and unconstitutionally sought to prevent demonstrators from engaging in First Amendment protected speech and assembly in an area in front of the Capitol building routinely kept open to tourists and others. This attempt to exclude people engaging in free speech activities could not form the basis for a lawful arrest or conviction for “crossing a police line.”

The government’s case disintegrated as protestors’ attorneys demonstrated that the government had withheld key evidence from the defense.

These are photographs from my family photo-albums. I do not know who took them, other than it was someone in my family using a 35mm camera.

These were taken about 1978. The car is a Nash–I do not know the year or model. The “pipe” is a gas canon that my brother Tom made–a 3″ dia. pipe with the end flattened and bent over, a sparkplug and coil as the igniter; just add some gasoline… It worked. That’s my brother Frankie pointing to it. (I do not recall what the small tube in his mouth was for.)

Picture New York » New York Times: After Protests, City Agrees to Rewrite Proposed Rules on Photography Permits

Responding to an outcry that included a passionate Internet campaign and a satiric rap video, city officials yesterday backed off proposed new rules that could have forced tourists taking snapshots in Times Square and filmmakers capturing that only-in-New-York street scene to obtain permits and $1 million in liability insurance.

This is really important. As I travel I am constantly stopping to take photographs. How could I possibly, if premits and insurance are required in cities and/or towns across the country, find the time and expense to seek out such permits everytime I want to take some photographs?

Many, perhaps most, of my most interesting photographs happen serendipitously, without planning; mostly when I am just walking around.

On Saturday, October 27, at least 100,000 people from all walks of life and in every part of the country participated in 11 regional demonstrations against the war in Iraq. Scores of other protests took place across the country.
October 27 : Fall Out Against The War
United for Peace and Justice

More photographs: Boston, October 27, 2007

This is the first set of a series of “City Profiles”. Each set will consist of four to eight printed and mounted (frameless) images, about 12″ in diameter.

These sets will be for sale with prices TBD.

I was not “supposed” to take this photograph. This is down in the Washington, DC, Metro (”The Great Society Subway”). The ceillings there are quite artistic looking. The “vaults” of the Metro were designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese. The design you see are the “coffers” used to simplify concrete construction.

But around and within the Metro there are many signs prohibiting the taking of photographs. Yet as I stood there in a vault “they” were taking taking photographs of me.

Again, the view of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — mostly of the Changing of the Guard — growing up was narrow, usually of a guard’s solemn face with his gun held before him.

However, the view one has as one walks up the path and to the barricade before where the guards pace… You see the guard’s humanity.

The day I was there I first saw the guard facing away.

I find that most views of Arlington National Cemetery — that is, most photographs are trying to “view” the place only to portray it in a narrow way — do not really show what the place is like.

When I walked there I found the place much different than the view of it I grew up with.

I have tried to portray it as it is — a cemetery.

Close-up, Drake’s Brook, Waterville Valley, NH.

As usual with water the camera and the eye see different; these brilliant, scintillating lights were not evident until I viewed the images on the computer.

This is my “The Environment” post/photograph for Blog Action Day.

The image is of a flattened plastic cup in the street. It is a really interesting shape, which is what caught my eye.

I know that this is not a blog about the “environment,” but many of my photographs are of the environment (see this post, and this post; and I started photographing mushrooms with my first digital camera).

Most of the greatest photographers ever spent much of their lives out of doors photographing the–our–environment.

Sometimes things just line up for the camera, and I sigh…

These are some photographs of the Answer Coalition March on Washington, DC, September 15, 2007. I have several more posted to my Panoramio portfolio.