more...oh yeah, there's more.

How much of yourself do you put out on the internet? When did the real world start meshing with what's published online? When did the internet become a tangible thing through wireless internet on my bus to Google on my cell phone? The real world and the internet are crazy worlds to jump back and forth from. In real life your emotions are present, real, alive and in the moment. Online they're preserved forever. Whatever I write will be logged into some computer for annoymous readers that can go back and say on Friday, January 12th, 2007 Marc said and felt this. Crazy.

So what do I write?

I know I'm not the most important person on the planet. I get that. Finally. I know that my particular situation is not all that different or special from anyone else. I understand that I'm not breaking any new ground in photography or life. I'm not number 1.

Musicology by Prince is an amazing album and I've only heard the first song.

After people start telling you that your art is "good" you almost believe them. Almost. Then you start to think that everyone is lying to you. That they don't even know what good art is. But after a while you start to appreciate what people have to say. Every time someone says something nice you look in their eyes

I wish I was better with words. The other day we were in Boston and I had a surreal moment. Lucas, Michael and I were all walking around the entire downtown area and at one point we were in the middle of this really busy intersection outside all the massive tall buildings. There was crazy construction going on, traffic everywhere, people walking and an awesome city scape infront of us. We entered the wonderland like we were approaching a castle - with skyscrapers rising up everywhere around us. And there we were, the three of us in this crazy new town exploring like Curious George. I had my camera with me and that's where the surrealness came. Just being in a new place, a downtown urban environment like Downtown Boston, taking pictures that I felt like people were going to look forward to seeing. And I think I got it. I don't know how to put it in text but something clicked. (haha, get it? 'clicked'?) Just me, my camera, and my friends. That's why the pictures are "good", I think. Because the experiences and the stories that are behind them are so awesome.

I'm a lucky guy.

There's also some exciting news happening that I don't know if I want to bring to the "internet world" yet so come back sometime.

Peace y'all.
I appreciate

2007

Here's the new year's post. Are you ready for it? Can you handle it? Do you know what I'm going to say or will you be able to understand what I've said. Has it, will it, and can my words ever make sense to anyone else but me?

On a daily basis I wonder if I'm really a photographer. A real photographer. My style, if I even can claim a style, changes so drastically from one day to the next that I wonder if I'll always be a poor starving artist jumping from one project to another just barely "making it". And then I wonder too... is that's OK?

I mean, I love to shoot with my little point and shoot digital Canon Powershot that half the rest of world owns. I own a honkin' sweet professional Digital SLR but I hardly pull it out of it's bag. I switch the little setting on my camera to black and white mode occasionally even though most photographers will tell you that's the worst idea imaginable. I never use the flash, I let anyone "steal" my photos and I don't even know how to load a 35 mm camera. My shots are becoming more grainy and out of focus and candid than ever before. I'm breaking all the rules and not getting paid for it. My website's slackin', my fan base mostly centers around 15 year old girls thanks to High School Musical and I hate the stinkin' press. More people than ever have told me they love my work but I never believe them. What, where, and who am I in the photography world? A pioneer or a failure? A disillusioned hippie or an artistic genius? I have no idea.

Granted, I'm in the best position I've ever wanted to be in as a photographer - traveling around and seeing new things and trying to capture them but ... but ... something's not there ya know? Or maybe that missing whatever helps me be creative. I dunno. I'm not complaining, I'm not worried, and I'm not ever going to stop taking pictures; I just wanted to put my thoughts into words I guess.

So stick around. Apologies, but not so much, for a creative mind gone haywire. I don't know what I'll do, or what my next picture will look like, or even how I'll present it to you. But I appreciate you coming to my webpage . . . I've never had this large of an audience so many positive responses. So thank you.

Gotta go,
peace
-marc

Inspired

I'm sitting in my bunk on our tour bus traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to Washington D.C. jamming out to a little Listener Supported Dave Matthews. I ran across my brother Blake's blog and inspired by the guy like always I figured it was time to give a little written update on what's been happening in my life.

While every day blurs into the past or next certain moments stand out. Like seeing my family for Christmas and playing ping pong with my brothers and Dad. (probably my highlight of Christmas) Or seeing that one friend while I was back in town and appreciating how good of a friend she is and always will be. Or coming back to the tour and reuniting with my other family and taking note of how much we freakin' missed each other even if we were only seperated for 50 hours.

I'm changing for the better every day. I feel like writing a simple blog doesn't do justice to what I'm experiencing. Even saying "i'm changing for the better every day" is a weird statement.

I love being on tour though. How could I not? Did you expect any less? I love having everything I need always on me. Everything important to me is in my backpack or in my camera bag always feet away. Just the necessaties, nothing else. It's refreshing.

Alright...I've started and stopped so many unread blogs so I'll go ahead and post this one before I decide against it. Y'all have a good one.

Peace,
-marc

On the Road

We get wireless internet on our tour bus. How cool is that? It's 2:57 on this early Tuesday morning and we're somewhere between Houston, Texas and Tampa Florida. After another crazy day doing to tour business it's nice to unwind, watch a few DVDs, upload a few photos and videos, and draw.

I'd write more . . . but it's hard to describe life on the road. People who have done it live in a different world. A comfortable family environment that creates it's own set of rules and sense of time. It's fun. And I like it.

Peace out.
-marc

American flags

This was outside a Starbucks in Seattle, WA. Man I love this town. And while I despise the government I'm still proud as well as also humbled to be an American because these flags mean something different to every single person that lives here. And that's cool to me.
I've adapted well to the life on the road.

Peace,
-marc 

What am I doing?

I'm sitting on a brand new million dollar tour bus traveling 14 hours from Bakersfield, CA to Portland Oregon. A dark sea of nothing . . . or The United States is passing by outside my window. The past couple of days have been completely unreal. We hop cities so often it makes the days confusing and unimportant. Faces are becoming more familiar, the loud screaming at EVERY venue has become like a tiny ringing, and the masses no longer hold any secrets.

Specifics could get overwhelming. I could write about so much. I could tell you about the crazy cab rides in Bakersfield on our day off. or the entire "Show Day" in Stockton the day before that. I could talk about the psychology of different crowds of strangers every single night, or the friendships that are slowly evolving in a church camp like fashion. I could tell you priceless details of moments that happened in Las Vegas (but i can't do that), or the crazy parties that go down in the bus and hotels. But like I said, the specifics would get overwhelming...and I'd probably get sued by somebody so I'll keep the details to a minimum.

Right now I have this feeling I'm calling Creative Freedom. Financial burden does not consume me anymore. In fact, money doesn't exist...which is exactly where I want to be. My conscience is clear, my career is building, my relationships are stable and I have as much time as I want to do whatever I want creatively. Whatever photographic challenge I take is a challenge I give myself. Which is a challenge in itself, to challenge myself, but it's great. Knowing whatever I do, whatever I create is because I did it. No one told me to, no one asked me to, no one's making me - it's all me. And that . . . that freedom, that complete control over my own life and work is so surreal. It's a chance to not be lazy, a chance to not blow it, and a chance to create something really really good. Something powerful, something people will love, and something new.

So now is a real good time. A happy time in my life. I'm surrounded by cool people, I'm traveling the United States in rockstar fashion, and I'm on a creative streak.

For now though, I'm gonna catch some shut eye before a day off in Portland. Good times, good times.

Peace,
-marc

Along for the Ride - Now Online!

Check out: Along for the Ride
Now online!