B&H

For as long as I can remember, I have ordered all my photographic supplies from B&H in New York City. Always has a great price, and ships promptly. They really do a great job, and I wondered why they succeed, when others in the electronics world fail. I recently read an article that explains why, and I thought you might enjoy it!

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090501/why-circuit-city-failed-and-why-bh-thrives_Printer_Friendly.html

Jason Dean

(PS - Have a great weekend!)

Libraries, and why they shouldn’t have their funding cut.

The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are both looking at significant budget shortfalls this year, like many cities across the nation. It’s good to look at ways to cut spending in areas - but Libraries should be kept open, if not expanded in this troubled economy.

Why? Well, this article:
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/august2008/RettigEconomy.cfm
has several good ideas on why we should not cut library funding. Write your mayor or your council-person, and tell them we should not cut library funding!!

- Jason Dean

Photographers

I love photography. There, I said it. You all know I've been trying to keep it from you, but I love photography. It's been a passion of mine for nearly two decades now, and I was recently thinking about photographers who inspire me, and whose work I admire. It seems that these thoughts would make a great post for you, o faithful reader, so here it is:

Initially, I loved the breathtaking landscape work of Ansel Adams. Beautiful work, visually stunning, and highly technically competent. He is still inspiring to me in how he made photography a widely accepted art medium, and how he was an activist for environmental causes through his work. However, as time went on, I realized that landscape photography was not for me - it was highly saturated, and it was difficult for me to express myself through landscape work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoDY9j7UoWI

Another photographer I discovered early on was Craig Varjabedian. To me, he is one of the inheritors of the photographic and artistic legacy of Adams. He is a great technician, and I think much more expressive in his subject than Adams was. If you are so interested, here is a link to a site with his images.
http://www.craigvarjabedian.com/GRmovie/movie.html

More recently, I discovered the work of Larry Towell. He is immensely inspiring to me, both as a human, as well as an artist. I love his images - how they so infuse the people, or subjects with a sense of identity. He is an activist for landless people - those exploited in the world, and he also seems to be a great father to his family. All of this while producing some of the most moving images I have ever seen. His intimate and moving portraits have influenced my more recent portraits of my family, and my wife.
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/frontporch

There are three other photographers about which I wish to write - two of them famous, one not. The first one is Richard Avdeon - the famous fashion photgrapher. I am not terribly enthusiastic about his fashion work, but his fine art portraiture is amazing to me. The honesty of these portraits is breathtaking to me. On the surface, they seem very simple, but are actually very perceptive and revealing images of the subject - something which I hope influences my work. One of the greatest works I have ever seen is his series In the American West, which was commissioned by the museum where I work. Lyrical, moving, and intimate are all good words for that body of work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQHn0EEvHl0

Another famous photographer whose work I admire is the work of Annie Leibovitz. It seems to me that she has managed to do something very difficult for most photographers - express herself artistically while working commercially. However, her personal work is the most moving - the images of her children, and of her partner are especially moving to me. Being the documentarian for my family is something that is missed by myself, and Leibovitz inspires me to document while being artistic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRhbqtV6RcA

One final photographer whose work I recently discovered, and very much enjoy, is David Bram. He does great work with a Hasselblad - a lovely blending of modern and traditional.
http://davidbram.com/

And finally, the photographer that has had the most profound impact on me as a photographer is my grandfather, Stan Blevins. He initially taught me the fundamentals of photography when I was twelve years old. He let me read all of his photography books - technical and artistic, and gave me the confidence to continue in photography as a medium of artistic expression. It was his initial time and effort that set me on this path - and he who I would like to thank now.


- Jason Dean

Things we will miss about London.

Ten things Jen will miss about London:

1.  Walking everywhere combined with public transport. 
2.  Mastering the Tube stations.
3.  European babies.  I have never in my life seen such adorable babies, especially the tiny French ones.
4.  The sense of history and perspective I felt.
5.  Fashion - how it adapts to the environment, always looking pulled together.
6.  The assimilation of different cultures into London.
7.  Interracial couples.
8.  The city's obvious reverence for the past and future alike.
9.  The London sky, whether it's rainy or sunny, always beautiful.
TEA!!!!!!!

Ten things Jason will miss about London:
10. Beautiful architecture.
9. Incredible museums.
8. Watching parents teach their kids how to ride on the tube.
7. Being able to have a decent cup of tea pretty much anywhere.
6. Not having to drive anywhere.
5. Wonderful green parks.
4. Beautiful skies.
3. Hearing bells tolling the hours.
2. Healthy, locally sourced food.
1. Being there with Jen.

London – Day Four

Renamed Day of Glory and Sadness in my notes

Tuesday was our last full day in London therefore, this will be my last daily blog post tracing our steps through this delightful city.

The morning began with a visit to Sir John Soane’s Museum located at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, another lovely little area. The museum was a quirky ensemble of Soane’s collected treasures. Each step promised a new item to observe and many of the rooms contained a skylight or views of the park. With memorials to Soane’s wife and dog, the museum gave insight into this peculiar architect’s life.

Following the museum, Jason and I walked around Lincoln’s Inn Fields and then made our way to Harrod’s to dine on smoked salmon bagels. Cause we’re fancy.

After a walk through the food area and the Diana/Dodi awkward tribute area, we decided to head over to Jermyn Street for some real window shopping.

It was a bit misty and chilly so our time outside was somewhat limited resulting in a shortened amount of time window shopping. We did, however, make one stop to purchase a Mother’s Day gift for Jason’s mom. It was her favorite lotion that can only be found in London. (She really liked it!)

Seeing as the temperature was a bit on the chilly side and we had spent the last couple of hours walking, we decided to make our final venture into Fortnum & Mason. We walked around, looking at all the teapots and varieties of tea. I did not purchase a teapot for my collection however; I did make it home with a Breakfast Blend and a peach tea, which have made each of my mornings incredible since back at home.

Jason and I dined on teas in addition to mini scones and a carrot cake. Jason enjoyed the last bites of clotted cream and I enjoyed the cake, a treat I so rarely have. Oh, London.

The weather seemed quite bearable as we left F&M so we decided to make our way over to the Thames for a nice walk. On our walk we saw boats, the London Eye, the Tower, St. Paul’s, and a place or two from Last Chance Harvey, a movie we recently watched. It was a nice end to the afternoon.

For our last dinner, we joined Jason’s old roommate, Josh, for a great dinner at Inamo. A fan of the future, Josh recommended this restaurant for its delicious Asian fare and the ability to order all items directly from your table via projected menu and drag and click options. I had the cod. I recommend it.

The evening ended with a Stella accompanied by Josh. There was more talk of the future and how lovely London is.

One more thing, I fell down the stairs in our hotel room when we got back. And all I could think about was how sad I was to leave. Location over tail bone, I think I enjoyed this trip.

- Jen Dean

London – Day Three

Readers, I lied. I lied to all of you. It is a sad day but I would like to explain myself. I told you that we visited the inside of St. Paul’s on day two of our adventure however; we actually only saw the outside, as it was a Sunday and services were being held. It was not until day three that we walked amongst the ridiculous amount of memorials. If you seek to sever this blog friendship due to my inability to get my facts my straight, I understand. And you may do so at this time…pausing…pausing. I hope most of you are still here. Let us proceed!

Day three of our vacation begins with Jason and me visiting the inside of St. Paul’s. (Wait, did you know I was going to say that?) We also had tea and scones at a little place called Tea, just around the corner from the cathedral. It was quite good but really, when do I complain about tea?

After St. Paul’s we made our way to Westminster. It was cold and rainy and we found a large crowd of protesters near the cathedral however; we made it! Westminster was EuroTrash Land, Part 2 but with so much history and overall brilliance that I didn’t care at all. The dark Gothic interior had something to offer at virtually every corner. It was a wonderful experience and in no other place did I feel so much of a connection to the past.

Our next stop was the British Museum, a tiny little place with just a small bit of art.

Oh no, I’m concerned. I may have lied to you again. The British Museum is not tiny. In fact, it’s quite large. And it contains pieces such as the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone – as well as a replica you can walk up and touch. And no, I didn’t learn Spanish, French, and Italian by touching the stone.

However, you know what I did learn? I learned that every day is made better with a tea. And fancy ones are lots of fun. We had today’s afternoon tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. A beautiful old building that still had tiny orange trees on each table, Jason and I enjoyed tea, scones, cucumber sandwiches, and cakes. It was a feast!

After leaving the Orangery we walked around the gardens and through Kensington Palace. Both were equally beautiful.

Monday night included a place on the Jack the Ripper London Walk. A former detective for the City of London who has written extensively on Jack the Ripper was our guide and wove us through parts of London where we saw places where each of Jack the Ripper’s victims were found. Aside from it being mighty chilly this was an intriguing experience. Jason even purchased our guide’s book and he, Donald, recognized Jason from his attendance on a walk years before!

The walk and a pizza dinner conclude our third day in London. Check back for Day Four!

- Jen Dean

London – Day Two

Prior to our trip to London I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “I like St. Paul’s more than Westminster.” Or, “Are you going to St. Paul’s?” Or, “Are you going to climb to the top of St. Paul’s?” For those of you who know me well and have ever stood inside St. Paul’s Cathedral you know darn well that I would never climb to the top of St. Paul’s. However, to answer the other questions, yes, day two in London began with a walk to St. Paul’s and, while gorgeous and towering, it did not measure up to Westminster in my mind.

So, Sunday in London began with a walk around our little area near the hotel in order to find our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral. We walked through Smithfield’s meat market around the corner and stumbled upon a delightful little area wherein rested St. Bartholomew Church, better known as the Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great. St. Bart’s, built in 1123, is one of the oldest buildings in London and a survivor of not only the Great Fire but also of bombs dropped during both World Wars. The outside a mix of dark grays and whites, the inside contained a service of which we heard singing as we passed by. Due to the day, the area was quiet and I truly delighted in the sense of history you feel as you walk the narrow streets.

After leaving our quiet corner we found St. Paul’s which, oddly enough, sits almost in the middle of a center next to a store called Blacks. It really is a strange juxtaposition. However, once you leave the closed-in center and stand in front of the cathedral it is something to behold. It is hard to get a sense of scale from photos and St. Paul’s ended up being a good bit taller than I had imagined. We walked around the perimeter as well as inside. The thing that puzzled me the most were all of the memorials in the crypt. It seemed almost to counter the ground level. You expect this sort of thing in a royal church but not as much in St. Paul’s.

Being good little tourists, Jason and I decided to brave the London Marathon path and make our way to the Tower of London from St. Paul’s. It was a beautiful day, the sky absolutely stunning – blue sky interspersed with delicate white clouds. The walk was a bit long but rather enjoyable and not as busy as we were made to believe.

We arrived at the Tower where we viewed various towers and, of course, the crown jewels. The torture display area was intriguing in addition to the carvings made by prisoners preserved in the walls. I renamed the Tower EuroTrash Land after our visit due to the large amount of self absorbed, stinky Italians and Eastern Europeans. Let me make a disclaimer and say that I know there are exceptions to every rule however; the majority of Tower visitors fit this description. I imagine all the lovely Italians and Eastern Europeans were off doing something less touristy. (Thanks for leaving them with us, guys!)

After EuroTrash Land it was off to the London Transport Museum! This museum really was a lot of fun. Jason and I enjoyed all the exhibitions, the hands on nature of the museum, and especially the gift shop with old Tube posters. However, to show our spending discipline, the only thing either one of us bought on the trip were a mug each at the museum and some tea later on in the trip. True story!

Around mid-afternoon, Jason’s boot laden feet were tired and we were in need of a pick me up. So, we ventured to Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea and scones. My all-time-favorite custom in London, this always helped me feel warm and fuzzy inside. We split two small scones with clotted cream and jam and each had our own beverage – I the Breakfast Blend and Jason the Jamaican coffee. Oh my, how lovely.

Ready to press on we walked to St. James Square where we found the London Library. The area was quaint and beautiful and perhaps one of my very favorite places, as we returned once again before the end of our trip.

A viewing of Piccadilly Circus – a more modest version of Times Square – and we were on our way back to the hotel.

Dinner was at the recommended Hix Oyster and Chop House just around the corner from our hotel. A small venue, we sat by the window and dined on truffles and rabbit and chops. I said it, rabbit and chops! It was a nice, relaxing meal and we left not quite wanting to turn in for the night but knowing we better.

- Jen Dean

London!

As usual, I made notes each evening during our trip so that we could remember the events and thoughts of each day. London so far was the pinnacle of our vacations and, like so many, has inspired change within us both. Without further ado, here is a brief outline of our vacation, beginning with Day One. Enjoy!

Day One – London

This day begins after a ten-hour flight from DFW in which we spent the last half hour bouncing up and down as we circled London Heathrow Airport and watching two young girls vomit into bags due to the turbulence. I should also add that I had my seat kicked by a very restless young boy sitting behind me for almost the entirety of the flight. Could I blame him? No, I wanted to perform a series of high kicks myself by that point and I’m in my thirties.

So, we arrive around 8 AM, London time! We progress through customs, obtain our luggage and proceed to our hotel via a very lovely driver and car. Our hotel, The Rookery, was a charming old building on a small lane within the city limits of London, just on the outskirts of the Financial District. Arriving so early in the morn, we did not expect our room to be ready but instead asked to use a restroom to change clothes and perhaps wash our tired faces. The staff was accommodating and not only prepared our room within a matter of minutes but made sure we had a pot of tea and biscuits to welcome us as well. At this moment I realized, this is my kind of city.

After a quick cleanup the mister and I proceeded to the nearest Tube station to purchase our Oyster cards and make our way to Marble Arch. At this stop we were able to walk through Hyde Park and up to the Knightsbridge area where we viewed Buckingham Palace, Horseguards, Number 10 Downing Street, Banqueting House, Westminster, and Serpentine Lake. While interesting to see Buckingham Palace, Horseguards, and Number 10, they felt more like requirements. Westminster, however, was a most delightful experience. As we approached, we noticed that the cathedral was closed to visitors and we were unable to go inside. Due to this, we walked around where we stopped to watch people exiting the cathedral after a St. Georges Day service whilst the bells tolled up above. It was a truly incredible experience.

We tried our hardest to get through the National Gallery however; at about 3 PM we hit a wall and could not absorb anything else around us. At that point we retired to our hotel for a brief lounge and then a dinner at Wagamama for some delicious Asian fare.

As I look back at the notes I made on the hotel notepad, I can remember just how the air felt. How the day began with plenty of clouds and then cleared. How the wind was crisp and cool as we turned corners. I remember how we passed residential blocks and I began to wonder what the residents of these magnificent old homes did to acquire such things and how they spent their days. I remember how I began to daydream, almost as if I was a child again. I forgot about grocery lists, and workouts, and to dos, and online banking. I don’t remember the last time I truly forgot about these things. Perhaps it was years ago. And perhaps this is why I will always remember my first trip to London and wait ever-so-impatiently to return to a place that actually made my forget my daily routine and embrace each moment as something new.

Jen Dean

PS - Check out the photos from London we uploaded on the “Our Photos” page, and also check out the photos Jason is uploading to his London Flickr photoset at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eloquentlight/sets/72157618412657286/

Oops!

Ah, the Library of Congress. The cynosure of all things library related in the United States. The creator, and enforcer of general cataloguing policies for all libraries. Before I began work at the Amon Carter, I really had no ideal how much sway the LoC had over libraries in the United States. They made the "standard" system for call numbers for libraries (no, not the Dewey Decimal System), create the standard terms for cataloguing books, and create the original cataloguing records for many of the works published in the United States.

In the course of my personal research into the workings and products of the LoC, I came upon this article.

I was really very stunned. I know the LoC has a massive collection (approximately 33 million books, and 139 million total items), but I felt sure that they had a modern, efficient system to they know where their volumes are at all times. All libraries have some version of this, most of them are electronic and accessible online. At the library which this would be most useful, the LoC, though - they still use paper slips. What? How can you justify this - the LoC has some of the most important, and most rare works in the world, so they keep track of them with paper slips?

No wonder there are so many misplaced items. To be fair, there are many places that books can be in a library - in the reading room, in a special collection, out on Inter Library Loan, out for conservation, and as sometimes happens at the Amon Carter, out in an exhibition. Or, it truly could be checked out to a patron.

This highlights an important trend in libraries today - how do libraries keep track of, and catalogue, all of the different types of information libraries collect? Thinking for the trend towards digitization of information, how will libraries keep track of, and catalogue the information that is not in a physical format? Is this task simply too much for one library to handle?

And, in the end, how do libraries ensure that all of the information they posses is readily available to those who need it?

I really have no answers to this, but it is something I feel sure will be discussed in my MSLIS classes, and it's a discussion I look forward to sharing with you.

- Jason Dean

Yo-Yo. Ma.

I think everyone has the one album or record that they can remember being so important to them, in some way. It might have turned you on to music, it could have been an album that helped you through a really bad time in your life. It might be associated with some very powerful event in your life – falling in love, loss of a friend, or something else. Everyone I have talked to about this agree that there is some extremely important piece of music in their lives, one which they hold very dear to their hearts.

The most important piece of music in my life are Bach’s Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, performed by Yo-Yo Ma.

I first heard this piece on a TV special about Yo-Yo Ma on PBS when I was a young teenager. The music was beautiful, and I really wanted to hear more. I went out and purchased this album, and listened to one suite each night. Never before had I understood classical music – but this was just the one solo cello so I could focus on the music itself. The music is very moving, at times joyful and playful, and at other times very sad and almost depressing. Ma has truly mastered this music, and has made it his own. It also belongs to me, I think. This album has almost become the soundtrack to my own life. I listen to it a great deal – while writing, in the darkroom, and in many other situations. There are certain memories of mine attached to specific movements in the suites, so that when I listen to them, I can call up those memories.

If you like music, I’d say give it a listen. It might not have the same effect on you that it does on me, but it’s a wonderful album.

- Jason Dean

Thanks, and have fun running the country.

Last week, my wife and I went to Barnes and Noble to browse new books. I say browse because we have approximately 12 books on our unread books list that are sitting on the shelf, waiting to be read. We call it the new book moratorium policy. While we were out, though, we found this book, which I ended up purchasing and reading in about half an hour:

Thanks And Have Fun Running the Country

Much has been written about the election of Barack Obama, but I really do not think any of it is as insightful as this simple collection of kid’s letters. I have picked out a few to share with you, to give you an idea of the many types of letters that are in the book. First, the cute:

Dear President Obama,

I want to tell you hi. Do you work with Santa Claus? Can I meet you in your house? Can I say bye to you after I meet you? And then can I meet you again? And then again after that?

- Sergio Mangana, age 5, San Francisco

The heartwrenching:

Dear Mr. Obama,

Please take care of your family. Bring your family peace.

First you should bring peace to the world.

Second thing you should do is stop the wars.

Third thing you should do is stop the killing.

I live in San Francisco, it’s a good place but it’s too cold. It’s too violent.

I would like to live in White House because you have a cool hot tub. I would have a comfy bed.

Your friend,
David

PS – I wish I was your long lost son.

And the serious:

Dear President Barack Obama,

First of all I am very happy you were elected president. When I was watching television on November 4, I started crying because I was so happy. Everyone in my neighborhood kept honking their cars, yelling, and texting their friends about how you had been elected the forty-fourth president. My friend’s dad is going to open a new ice-cream store right in front of my house and they are going to try and open it on January 20 in honor of you. :) My family and I have been talking about when you become president it is going to be very hard for you because of the economy. Don’t worry, you have me, my family, my friends, and St. James School to support you.

I have some questions, and I would really love for you to answer them back. OK, here they go. How will you help all the US immigrants? How will you help us students in our education? Will you try to make the U.S. a more environmental place? Well, those are my main questions.

I just want to say that you are going to be a great president and don’t worry about anything, just remember that you have two wonderful daughters that love you and a wife that loves you too and remember that she is as beautiful as a rose. I hope, Mr. President, that you won’t make the same mistake as Mr. Bush about the war. If we want peace in our world, we must at least start somehow. We end up getting so mad about how we want peace in the world when we end up making hate.

My dream is to become a veterinarian or a zoologist because I love animals and I think I will get more connected to our planet. I have dreams that I want to achieve that are why my parents, my brother, and I immigrated to the United States with our American Dream. My neighbors think I am just another Latino that is going to ruin her life. But they are so wrong. I want to go to great high schools. I want to graduate from college and show my mom that I worked my butt off.

Well, thanks, and I hope you have a great time running the country. :)

Sincerely,
Yoselin Teresa Martinez Xonthe, age 13, San Francisco

Regardless of how you feel about the presidency thus far of Barack Obama, I think you would agree that kids are much more insightful than many of the pundits on television. As I read these letters, something became very apparent to me that there are three key items that children are searching for.

First, they want to make sure their family is safe. In almost every letter, the kids families are mentioned, whether it is because of concern for the well-being and livelihood of their own family, or their concern for the well being of the Obama family – family is key. I would imagine many of the kids that wrote these letters come from less than perfect homes- but their family is still extremely important to them.

Second, they want to make sure that the adults are leaving the world a better place than when they got it. Whether it be peace among nations, improving the environment, or just being more socially responsible, the kids are holding the adults to a high standard of improving the world – something I hope we adults can live up to.

And third, they say that kids like to have fun and enjoy themselves. Even in the more serious of letters, the kids remind President Obama to enjoy the job, keep his optimism, and have a little bit of fun. I think that applies to everyone – try and have fun at your job, and don’t bring your job home with you – kids see firsthand what happens when their parents hate their work, and bring that bad attitude home with them.

Of course, the kids that wrote these letters told us a great deal about themselves without knowing it. I nearly cried when I read “David’s” letter above. Clearly, things are not going very well for him – but in the end, he’s still positive, and tells the president what he can do to fix it.

Maybe that’s the important point to take from these letters, that despite all of the things are going on in your life, stay positive and if there is something wrong, find out what you can do to fix it.

-Jason Dean

For your viewing pleasure, here are some of the authors reading from the book:
(I think the kid in the white polo is great!)

St. Vincent

St. Vincent

One of my favorite musical artists is the group St. Vincent, headed by Dallas native Annie Clark. I’ve seen her in concert twice, and was very pleased both times. Her debut album is very inventive and creative, and I would recommend it to you.

But, that’s not what I am writing about today. A single from her new album was released recently, and I wanted to share the video with you, and let you know this is the album I am most excited about this summer.

Without further ado, here is the video, I hope you like it.

- Jason Dean

Amtrak

For our honeymoon, Jen and I went to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. We took the Cascades Express train between the two – and really I think that if you have the time, there is no better way to travel than on Amtrak.

The cars were clean, and the staff was very pleasant. Our train arrived on time, and we got to Seattle at the scheduled time. There were no security checkpoints, and we didn’t have all of the other restrictions of air travel. To me, the only real drawback is that it takes longer, but you have great scenery to watch.

I’d heartily recommend it!

- Jason Dean

We’re back!

Hello faithful blog readers - Jen and Jason have returned!

We are working on a basketful of blog posts, and many, many photographs - which we will share with you quite soon. We had a phenomenal time, and are already planning our next trip to London.