A Moment Like This

In anticipation of many long, drunk nights of party photography, I expect many a capture to portray myself and other close friends in a light (or lack therof) that may or may not be too flattering. In fact, skimming through this here folder of almost every photograph taken with this like-new camera before Jeff did a somersault over an inexplicable concrete partition in the middle of a parking lot and did it in reveals just how unattractive digital photography + alcohol can make you. I mean, geez -- some of these results are just hideous. I look somebody dunked me in a bucket of mop water in one photo, Jeff's trying on his drunk fake-smile, everybody's eyes are all glazed over. Sheesh! Why do we continue to embarass ourselves like this?

Well, the answer to that is, we don't always embarass ourselves, since most of these photos will be seen by nobody but ourselves and those we allow. They will never end up on Flickr, Photobucket, Myspace, Facebook, or any other social repository where people are free to anonymously stalk you from hundreds of miles away. But the pictures are hilarious, and what's a funny picture if nobody's laughing at it, right?

That's why we have these moments, y'know -- the moments where you spontaneously decide to turn the camera away from you and your posse's own narcissistic photo-adventure and snap a droll bit or two of what goes on in the rest of the world. Often times these end up being of no use to anybody. But, however, is the operative word here. Sometimes you get those classic moments where some stranger makes an ass of him or herself and that golden moment can forever be cherished and shared with the whole world, since your little piece of photomedy (photo-comedy!) contains nothing that should make you look remotely stupid to anybody else (no matter how stupid we all know you and anybody else can be).

Point in case? A primer, for a hopeful series of candid posts to come, including, but not limited to, Gazing at the Circle K, a series of photographs capturing the essence of the neighborhood gas station, where cars full of old people root through trash and reek of marijuana, or where grown black men buy 79 cent Big Gulps and ride off into the frigid February night on a little pink girl's bike. Yes -- the amazing equation of Galesburg + Digital Photography really does equal "awesome."


I call this first one the "BwaHa Monster," since the look on her face signifies this specific type of laugh. You know, where that crazy person just belts out a "BWAHAHAHAHAHA." She's so amused right now. So am I.


I titled this second one "Enthused Asian Motorist." The only word I could conjure when dreaming up an inset caption was "clearly," which, I believe, struck a chord. Because, come on; "Clearly."

BONUS VIDEO: GUESS WHERE I LIVE