Archives for March 2012

“The purpose of photography is to capture energy in motion. Can this ever be accomplished? Only to the degree we think it can. The fact is that nothing ever stops vibrating. Snap-shots, therefore, simply reflect an attempt on the part of an individual to grab hold of the vibrational field that was extant at the time the photo was being taken. Even the vocabulary is interesting, take, these days, also being used as a noun.

Especially when documenting the lives and times of their fellow men and women, photographers often find themselves splitting infinitives right down the middle, that is to say, catching their subjects in mid-stream. Indeed, it is their wont to seek out unguarded moments while peering at us through a lens. In so doing, they are able to reveal certain aspects of our personalities while also catching the occasional whiff of soul, wafting skyward like smoke from a lit cigarette.

In Hollywood I was frequently caught on film, not only in movies but in thousands of still shots, many taken specifically to be distributed to the news media or mailed to fans. In them, you ask, was my soul able to make itself known?  In a word, yes ~ many times over. That is why some of you still find my photos intriguing ~ not because of who I was or what I once did. To this day, ma gueule (my mug) decorates any number of public places. Soul-full photos, just like soulful eyes, always have something to say, never going out of style.

The best photos are often the result of both photographer and subject being as relaxed and worry-free as possible. In such circumstances, an ease develops between the two, making it even all the more possible for beauty to hold sway.” ~ R. Valentino Guglielmi

“Balance is probably the most important concept in the Universe. Not the same as equilibrium, however, which is much more temporal and fleeting. Balance is a fuller word, an end in and of itself. (Addressing the author) You, Libra, know a thing or two about this state of being, a desired state, in fact, the most desired state, always being sought. Teeter-Totter; to get there we must stand between the dimensions, one foot in each. This is nirvana when it can be accomplished, bliss when we reside in both planes

That is what our book (“Going for Excelsior”) is about, getting to balance, becoming more alert to our opportunities to live in two worlds simultaneously. Why not? It can be done. I do it a bit myself when we write, also at other times, like when you have seen glimpses of my form. Balance necessitates an agility not unlike what is required in dance ~ always shifting your weight as conditions change, coming down harder on one side versus another ~ as warranted. And it’s not just a matter of having your feet in two dimensions; the figurative face can be inserted in either very easily. I do it, for example, to watch what you are writing, also to witness the joy that comes from our being able to communicate in this manner.” ~ R. Valentino Guglielmi