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Turn of the Millennium

Jean-Philippe

Some views of the people I knew and places I'd been at the turn of the millennium in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. Yes, it was not merely the turn of the century. It was the turn of the millennium. Fortunately, contrary to forecasts of doom, the clocks didn't stop, and not only did life go on, it went on memorably.

 

"Welcome to the Millennium," a song for the millennium, was written and performed by one "Curly Oxide." I first heard it in a bar that no longer exists. The Right Bank Cafe, or more correctly, Café Right Bank. Or whatever. It was "The Right Bank" and it was that unknown place where everybody was somebody, even if they didn't know your name.

 

Some of the story of Curly Oxide and his Right Bank rockin' life experiment can be found in an NPR audio interview. A flick is in the works, but that's been the story for a while now.

Giants of the "Burg"

Small talk over a beer or two.

"La Dolce Vita"

On a budget.

Be careful what you play with.

Life .. where ever you find it.

Room with a view.

Beautiful eyes.

"To die for."

Friends

The runway.

Brooklyn gothic.

A rockin' time and place.

COMMENTS
Leftofcenter said at 6:58 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
it starts off Fellini, there's a bit of Woody Allen's Manhattan, not to take away from your own style, very interesting portraits, definitely the "in-crowd" like Mama Cass sang, artists, musicians, painters, photographers? I hear Billy Joel singing the "piano man" in the background... <3
LatentE said at 7:14 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Not a consistent theme, other than time and place.

Unfortunately I don't have a shot of a piano man. There was a great one at the Right Bank in those days but I didn't have a camera then. The Reverend Vince Anderson, who played with Billy Campion (the guy in the peach floral shirt) as Billy and the Reverend. It was the most energy I've ever seen. "The Reverend" is like a combination of Tom Waits and Jerry Lee Lewis and Campion is an energy match, though their singing styles are very different. The best entertainment I've seen - and from ten feet away with a Stoli in my hand.
William44 said at 7:43 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Really fine work. Great pictures, great theme.....
Noe said at 7:46 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Really interesting shots... very nice work!
Wlk68 said at 7:52 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Awesome!! It all seems very Bohemian and "living in the moment".
LatentE said at 9:36 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Wendy, there's probably something of an exaggeration of reality in some of the images. Sure a few are of burlesque performers. Burlesque, in small time format, is making a comeback in NYC. It's nothing like the clubs with continuous nude dancers so with the "modern times" it seems almost quaint. The woman with the ax is a burlesque performer but was helping with an artist's gallery opening. The woman with the mask was also working as an attention getter at a gallery opening. I don't think she's a burlesque performer. Some of the other images are from Halloween and so the attire and behavior appears more outlandish than normal.
Wflorence said at 10:36 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Very full of atmosphere. Which one of these pictures is of you?
Pkeener said at 10:46 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Wow The Factory meets Lou Reed meets Rocky horror meets South Side Johnny meets Studs Terkel meets Jack kerouac meets...LatentE!!!! this is KILLER.
I recognize a few of your images from earlier. love your dialogue, love your shots. Great story telling, Mr raconteur. BRAVO
LatentE said at 10:48 p.m. on Dec 18, 2007:
Gotta laugh! I'm the one holding the ax. Oh wait. Not the ax. The camera. But then maybe I'm the guy that looks like Fabio. No such luck. Nope. Not in any of these shots. Not even the one with the camera on the road. Wouldn't even try that now with a DSLR. Used my old Canon G3 with the flip screen for that one. I have had women give me their phone numbers on notes .. to pass on to "Fabio."
Abking said at 12:52 a.m. on Dec 19, 2007:
Love this collection of people doing what people do best: be people! These are full of life, color and atmosphere. Fine work.
To1n3tt3 said at 1:12 a.m. on Dec 19, 2007:
very cool collection =)
Pkeener said at 2:07 p.m. on Dec 19, 2007:
this is so great. i like the portrait of the biker with the headscarf...the pool shot is also good. I wish I could go there.
Chiloedream said at 2:47 p.m. on Dec 19, 2007:
MAGNIFIQUE, TALENTUEUX, ENVOUTANT, du grand art, BRAVISSIMO
LatentE said at 3:06 p.m. on Dec 19, 2007:
Merci bien Thierry. Vous êtes très gentil.

[My Pimsleur French, with research too -

http://forum.wordreference.com/archive/index.php/t-182521.html

Looking at the reference I should clarify that "bien" is NOT being used sarcastically.]

Thanks Pam,

The 60's ish Easy Rider cyclist was taken with my first digital camera, a Minolta, which had much more muted color. More realistic too, but we've become accustomed to saturated color images. The top three images were also taken with that camera along with the very noisy blur shot of an "over a beer" conversation. The shot of the two young women laughing was another Minolta soft color image. The Minolta didn't handle long exposures well, generating lots of noise.

The pool shot under the shaded lamp is a favorite of mine too. Actually, the two pool shots (different bars) are of father and son. It was a bar league competition, which meant there was an official reason to bar hop. :P The burlesque performances took place at just about the far side of the pool table - same bar. As I mentioned, small time burlesque. Little more on view than at the beach.
Hhwind said at 3:28 a.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
Good portraits and great tabblo loved the commentaries you have given. thanks
TavarES said at 7:03 a.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
I like the environment that tabblo shows us! Visual images of places which I appreciate, to drink a "glass" with friends! Very... very good!
Decoy said at 10:25 a.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
Interesting tabblo!! I read here: "this is people being people" - and that is the feeling I get too. It's so full of life and atmosphere.
Memotions said at 11:36 a.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
This does evoke a myriad of emotions. I've looked at it several times and am strangley drawn to the images. Does Jack Kerouac meets Rocky Horror Picture Show make sense to anyone other than me? Quite like this free spirited Tabblo!
Memotions said at 11:38 a.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
Well...I just reread a few of the comments and doesn't it figure Pam felt Jack's presense here too!
Photosfornow said at 5:33 p.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
God, I love your work. The young man at the bar for me is the shoot that involves me, that has me looking more at what is happing with this shoot. It is a study of that person. I love your work, you are the only photographer in long time who's ever image moves me. I wish I could do work like you. If you ever come to west to San Francisco I would like to work with you and learn from you.
Photosfornow said at 5:37 p.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
The man at the bar mid way down is what I mean.
LatentE said at 7:07 p.m. on Dec 20, 2007:
Thanks again Annelies, Laurentide Bill, Noe, Wendy, USAF Bill, Pam, Allan, Toinette, and Thierry.

Thanks Teo, Afonso, Anna, Patty and Tony.

Tony, in this tabblo most of the pictures are straight on camera flash. In a few cases I was using an old Vivitar external flash with a white board reflector to give a little more 'roundness' to the light. So lighting wasn't a matter of any great skill. Mainly it was interesting and attractive people that I was lucky enough to photograph.

The shot of the man seated at the bar with the vodka bottles in the background was available light. It was that special fleeting light that's so sought after - late afternoon soft warm tone pre-sunset light. I happened to be there with camera and took the shot.
Royceufc said at 10:37 p.m. on Dec 21, 2007:
You do such a nice job of finding interesting subjects and making the most of them. Some really great shots here. Very inspiring - Thanks!!
Pkeener said at 9:55 a.m. on Dec 23, 2007:
Had to have another drink of this one. just love your way with people.
Swedfinn said at 6:42 p.m. on Dec 23, 2007:
I like that guitarman with home- made axe. great shots!
LatentE said at 7:31 p.m. on Dec 23, 2007:
Thank you Swedfinn for the kind comment. Unfortunately I'm not sure which guitar man picture you mean. I can't quite figure out the homemade ax. The man with the cowboy outfit and speaker behind him was from Baltimore, a city a couple of hundred miles south of New York City. His band had two forms. One in Brooklyn and the other in Baltimore. The blue image with the sparkles is of the same band. It was a camera malfunction. No intentional digital manipulation. The gentleman in the center is more a writer-poet than musician. I think his instrument of choice is a banjo. The blurred bowing gentleman is also from Baltimore. He was playing a harmonica at the time though there is a blurred guitar in the background. The guitar player with the flowery shirt is Billy Campion/Vic Thrill, formerly of the band "The Bogmen," which I understand had some level of fame. Campion is a gentleman in every sense of the word. The buxom woman holding the ax was there to help give a festive atmosphere to an artist's opening. Believe it or not I was most caught by her red eyes, which she explained were theatrical contact lenses. The red eyes of the bartender in the image near the top were due to standard camera flash red eye. When I originally removed the artifact I found the image to be less interesting. The red eyes matched the freshly added lipstick.

Thanks Mike (royceufc) for the kind words.

Thanks Pam for the extra support.

C'est vraiment gentil de ta part.
http://french.about.com/library/express/blex-gratitude.htm

.. though I read it as "It's truly nice on your part."
Shenresi said at 1:56 a.m. on Dec 24, 2007:
wonderful pictures and nice memories. I wish you a nice christmas and a very good new year
Mirella said at 12:50 p.m. on Dec 24, 2007:
Immagimi fantastiche. You show us a wide stimulating world. Have a good year 2008.
Gerardfotografeert said at 10:29 a.m. on Dec 31, 2007:
Awesome tabblo and what a beautiful people, great
ViqiFrench said at 7:35 p.m. on Jan 1, 2008:
What a fun bunch you've captured. Very cool shots and even cooler people.
Pkeener said at 1:08 p.m. on Jan 2, 2008:
de rien
ElZorroTOX said at 4:40 p.m. on Jan 2, 2008:
What a collection!
Marranei said at 12:33 p.m. on Jan 14, 2008:
WOW! Really beautiful!
Anjad said at 5:08 a.m. on Jan 20, 2008:
Wonderful variety of people and photo's! A definite favorite!
Charlespop said at 8:15 a.m. on Feb 21, 2008:
As always.......really , really good !
Welshchick said at 1:27 a.m. on Mar 3, 2008:
Interesting friends~~~people capture my attention with their uniqueness!
Thyme2dream said at 6:11 p.m. on Apr 18, 2008:
Absolutely fascinating!
RudydeRightBank said at 5:43 p.m. on Dec 30, 2008:
there's a time-irrelevant osmosis happenin for me in these vibrant Willyburg fotos that even awaken the memory synapses of my olfactory lobe...can smell that now legendary Right Bank well soaked deep dark wood of the bar at which I parked my corporeal and spiritual self for so many years of zany communal interaction with an embryonic miracle of family building in the shadow of the steel -cable- singing -in-the-wind Williamsburg Bridge as Mr. Whitman's spirit hovered above it all and nodded in approval...those two "giants of the Burg" I know & love well and indeed they still grace those now very altered streets in the icy winds of a New Years Eve 2008-9...I wander these days in a far off other worldly place & each day still bring up images of 1986 thru 2001 on that hallowed Brooklyn ground...the eternal CREATOR of the Right Bank Dimension, the still-chasing-his-adolescent-dreams while carving his very eccentric story of blue collar bohemian exploration, the one & only Mr. Kerry Smith, still contacts me and we chew the fat in both past & present tense...the "giant of the Burg" on the left gifted me with this link to a glorious space of images of free spirits of which I know, remember, & still love quite a few...I can reach "into" some of these shots..some with heavy heart as in one of the pool-shooter's poses..others with yearning for re-contact as in a certain "Tony & Anika"...and there, of course, is one of THE Masters of Ceremony of those days, the sweeter than sweet critical mass of energy, Vic Thrill.....deep gratitude for maintaining this site after all this time & to the mysterious photographer, whom I believe i also love as one of the family, ..RudydeRightBank
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