Markus is headed cross country with cameras and I’m sure that the idea was to post images as he went along.  The idea is to do something let’s say, in the spirit of Robert Frank (which is where the name comes from).

I had a similar idea with the blog when it began.  I had read and re-read the Walker Evans journals, and that was what gave me the idea of doing the online journal before there were many blogs kicking around (first post was Christmas Day 1999).  But I immediately ran into problems that Walker Evans didn’t have to deal with.  His was a private journal.  He could sit down at night, and jot down some of the most private things that had happened during the day, without the feeling that there was an audience looking over his shoulder.

He could, and did, edit what was included in the journals before they were published.  And he certainly didn’t have to worry about writing every day.  Or that his lovers, or friends would be reading his work as he wrote it.

And the idea of the “live” transmission from the road, presents those problems, and more.  You are caught between wanting to publish something, either some notes of what went on during the day, whether anything interesting happened or whether you have an idea for a post or not; and even harder, wanting to publish a photo, whether you have something worth publishing or not.  As opposed, for example to Robert Frank who did his shooting in one or two phases, and then went through the creation of the book, or the exhibit etc.  You see my point.

To some extent, you need to decide whether you are doing a documentary of your trip; or working on a new themed collection.  I don’t know if you can do both at the same time.  I couldn’t, anymore than I could write about anything particularly private in these blogs.

His last post touched on issues with having to lug around the equipment necessary for processing and sending from the road.  I had similar issues even in the old days in terms of what could be left in a hotel room and what should always be with me.  Even in those days, I traveled as light as possible, and except for the hundreds of rolls of film, and the tripod (which I didn’t always need), I was able to walk around with my equipment and a few lens with me at all times.  Now, what if I were dealing with a laptop and other things to process digital on the road etc.  Couldn’t do it.  Would have to trust that to a hotel room.

The other issue, at least it would be for me, is that I need to remain in a place (my long suffering readers know this) for a very long time, to get anything “good.”  When I did travel, I would pick a town or a spot, and generally stay there for at least a week.  It would give me a chance to let the tourist stuff float by and shoot for real.  I currently have a few thousand negatives, 35mm and medium format from my three trips to Paris, and one that went around the perimeter that I haven’ posted here.  Of course, knowing me, it does take a while, even with digital to decide what should / could be in the store.  And I came back and went through the negatives, marking what should be printed someday.  But I think I’ve only put up two or three in this store because I wanted to keep it about New York.  But yes, there’s a boatload of negs. from those trips that should at some point get their own showing.

And frankly – there is even a tie-in with the Walker Evans journals because he did most, and probably his most prolific writing, while living in Mexico, i.e on the road, so to speak.  Not that he was traveling that much in Mexico.  But he was documenting the adventure.

Anyway – I follow the site wondering what is going to pop up next.

http://www.theamericans2010.com/