RIP Steve Jobs

What can I say about Steve Jobs that hasn't already been said?  He was an innovator, a visionary, an unapologetic "tech geek."  But to me he will always be the man who brought Pixar to life: seeing the potential of computer animation, and helping to create many of my fondest childhood (and adulthood) movie-going experiences.

He will be missed.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Goodbye, Irving Penn

(Photo from Yahoo! News)

Photographer Irving Penn died today at the age of 92.

I was introduced to Penn's work just a few short weeks ago after attending the Small Trades show at The Getty. Penn has since become one of my favorite artists. I've spent countless hours viewing his lovely black and white photos, which range from high fashion couture to everyday laborers.

I've also been inspired by Penn's amazing work ethic. He worked right up until his death, and was constantly in pursuit of the perfect print. Whenever I feel too tired to work on a project, I remind myself that Penn was 92 and still working hard. Certainly a healthy 25-year-old can do the same.

To honor Penn's memory I'm putting his book A Notebook at Random on my "To Read" list (I use the verb "read" a bit loosely here; the book is more visual than textual), and am planning another Getty trip before his show ends in January.


Autumn Distraction #1: The Getty (9/14/09)

And that's the way it was...

I wasn't planning on posting today, but I had to sign on and say goodbye to news legend Walter Cronkite. "The most trusted man in America" passed away just a few hours ago at the age of 92. Mr. Cronkite delivered the "CBS Evening News" for 19 years, covering the highs and lows of the 21st Century: the assassination of JFK, the arrival of the Beatles in America, the first man on the moon, the Vietnam War, the Iranian hostage crisis.

I am too young to have seen any of Mr. Cronkite's live broadcasts; he became the CBS anchorman a year before my mom was born, and left three years before I was born. Still, I've come to know him through TV clips, documentaries, and online videos. It is obvious from this plethora of tape that Walter Cronkite loved the news. He loved journalism. He loved America.

Goodbye, Walter Cronkite. The news will never be same.

Rule of Three

This week we lost three American icons: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. All three lead lives full of success and failure, both professionally and personally. While we remember the positive, it's impossible to forget the negative.

Still, the legacy left by each will never be forgotten. They will live on through video, photos, and music.

Ed McMahon was the perfect sidekick to Johnny Carson throughout their Tonight Show run. I'm not of the Carson/McMahon generation, but I do remember his commercials for the American Family Publishers sweepstakes. He never did come to our front door.

Farrah Fawcett was THE 70s sex symbol. My mom loved her hair so much, she even styled mine like it when I was a toddler. And mind you, that was in the mid-80s.


Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. No matter what you may think of him personally, everyone has a favorite MJ song or video. I remember watching the Thriller video every year on Halloween despite the fact that it scared the crap out of me. I still look forward to it each October.

Digital 1, Film 0 (But Paul Simon's the real winner here)

This photo's not Kodachrome, but it was taken with actual film.

Kodak announced today that it would be retiring Kodachrome, the company's oldest film stock, due to the growing prevalence of digital photography.

While I personally love using old school film, I find myself relying on my digital camera more and more. It's quick, convenient, and less expensive. But something about it also feels a bit impersonal. There's just something special about holding an actual physical photo; it's like touching a piece of the past. You just can't get that feeling from a digital file, even if you don't mind fingerprints on your computer screen. (Be honest, how many of your digital files actually get printed?)

Digital also makes it entirely too easy to destroy any photo that is remotely unflattering. Sure, you're Facebook profile may be full of lovely posed shots, but where's the spontaneity? Where's the fun? Film preserves the moments of our lives where we are most ourselves, even if we don't always look our best.

So am I ready to throw out my USB cord and step back to the pre-digital era? Nope. But I will continue to use traditional film. I may even use it more than I normally would. This truly is a "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" situation. Just ask Polaroid enthusiasts.

So what's Paul Simon got to do with all this? In case you didn't know, in 1973 Simon released a little ditty titled "Kodachrome," which celebrated the "nice, bright colors" produced by the film. You'll likely hear it or see it quoted in every news story about Kodak's decision to discontinue the Kodachrome brand (I heard it twice this evening, once each on the CBS and ABC evening newscasts). Still, I'll post a video of the complete song because it is pretty awesome (starts at the 13 second mark):