ANTHONY R. VIZZARI | ARCHTOGRAPHIST

all I ever wanted was to destroy myself. …but instead, I ended up destroying you. I was a battleship and you were a duck, a swan, a water bird of some kind. with your arms around my shoulders, I felt the weight of all my words drowning us both. and even while gasping for air, you held tighter. I was a battleship and you were silk to a cigarette. with the start of one small smoldering hole, the entire cloth was devoured thread by thread. ***For those who don't get it... this is not an autobiogrical work or post. This is indeed fiction, part of my ongoing series, "Polaroid Epitpahs". http://polaroidepitaphs.com

Booths & Bodies: The life and work of Anthony Vizzari from Philip Bloom on Vimeo . A few weeks back my good old friend Sarah Estella came to visit our studios with camera "rock star" Philip Bloom . It was great to see Sarah again, as always.... but it was also a pleasure to meet Philip, who is a machine (in a good way) in his camera wrangling. As a still photographer myself, it was fun to watch him move about, pan, twist, swap lenses, etc. As a subject, I felt like I knew Phillip for years, but just met him that day. The result was a well shot documentary short. (I wish my voice was cooler and I looked more like George Clooney, but hey... you work with what you got!). Philip literally has THOUSANDS of followers. I was on the road hauling photobooths from North Carolina to Chicago (AKA The Junkin' Trail). So, when my email box started exploding from the road, I was caught a bit off guard. The cool thing is that I'm not alone... other people also like vintage came...

I've unearthed some rolls of 120 from our trips to Mexico and Argentina... and, of course, some Wisconsin stuff. I've posted a few of the images in a Flickr set. Ahhh, it's nice to see film! (Camera: Fuji 645 Rangefinder ). Check them out....

House on the Rock: Spring Green, WI House on the Rock: Spring Green, WI Roadside:Cobb, WI I just got back some film from a few weeks ago. I've been giving my panoramic cameras a work out lately. We were up in WI this weekend, and I shot a lot of color film on the boat. It will be a few weeks before the fim is back. I also picked up a few nice Voightlander Bessa cameras that I'm in love with. So, more to follow...

Scrapbook Studies: The Burn Series: "Lipstick, Smoke Stacks & Pearls" : 8"x10" ( 1 of 1) Silver Halide Print/s; 2011 Scrapbook Studies: The Burn Series: "Yosemite": 5"x7" (1 of 1) Silver Halide Print/s; 2011 After a long break from the blog, an entry is surely due. The business has been going well. We hired a new group of employees this summer and they are fabulous. The new crew is great, all of whom are excited and working hard. Our in-house shop in Wisconsin is manufacturing booths at break-neck speed (thanks to our skilled and dedicated guys). We have recently had sales to England, Hong Kong, Spain, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, D.C., and New York... to name just a few. I also just refurbished some more classic chemical photobooths...bringing them back from the dead. We also acquired 30 more photobooths this summer (including 9 Polaroid booths secured for our friends at The Impossible Project). All these units and a TON of parts are no...

I've been slowly working on a new series of collaged negatives... But this time.... I'm mixing it up. I physically alter the negatives then head into the darkroom for printing. I then further work and collage into the final print. -This is a new for process for me. With this particular piece, I currently have 9 variations. Each one is entirely unique. I've also been printing on Kodak vintage paper that I got from a good friend of mine. Some of this paper must be at least 30+ years old . I just love the way it fogs and has a real antique feel. Technically, the paper going bad and the silver content somewhat fugitive. Nevertheless, I just love how inconsistent it is! On other fronts, the studio and store front is looking awesome. We now have all of our Impossible Project ("Polaroid") film out for sale. I'll be posting some images of the shop shortly. Tomorrow, I have another MRI. From there, if we see further growth and/or tumor aggression, we move toward chemo...

I've been working on some new prints. I'm not in love with this one, but it's still a work in progress. This is image is a scan of the negative, 4"x4". It's a mix of color 110 film and medium format. I've been working on getting the print right in the darkroom. I prefer to have a very muted gray, rather than try to correct out with variable contrast filters. I like how the color negatives give off that soft gray when printed in B&W. Overall contrast of black and white is not required for this work. Seeing as though I'm printing with distressed negatives, there is a splendid imperfection. No need to toy too much with trying to find a full range. Instead, I rely more on dodging, burning, masking, and exposure / development times to get the print right. So far, I'm still working on the masking for this one. It's been a while since I've had time to print in the darkroom. So, even if I'm not happy with this piece, I'm just happy to ...

A Door in Barcelona, Spain: Eqyptian Queen... Skullman: A doorway in Madrid, Spain... A Shop Window: Madrid, Spain... A Different Shop Window, Madrid, Spain... 2 years ago this week, I recieved my official diagnosis via a dry phone call. So, I've made it this far. The last two years have been overwheling. We've traveled to mutiple countries, expanded the business more than twice, bought a second home, and had a major surgery. It's absoluately amazing all that has happend in a short amount of time. When I have chance to get away a visit a new place, I can breathe and think. I know that it's time, once again, to regroup and take up the cancer reins again. For 4-5 months, I felt as if it were gone. But the reaity is, it is still there. Things may get worse before they get better. However, I will continue to move forward with a passion and pursuit for discovery and new exepriences. There are many more walls and streets and doorways to meander. Madrid was exciting... and ...

05 January 2011

I just started this series. Right now, they are just studies. While I was working with the LIFE mags, I picked up some photos in the studio. It's nice to have the photobooths up and running all week. Every night before I leave the studio, I've been spending a little time taking pics. We'll see what comes next. On another note... we booked our tickets to Germany (with a little side trip to Madrid & Barcelona, Spain - assuming all goes well in Bad Berka...)

I guess a lot can happen in a day...week, month, year, decade, century and so forth? Maybe that's why they called it LIFE? I don't think I'd want to relive any of it? One cover is a movie start, while another is the end of the world. It's hard to keep that up...

Posted in the Tribune Local: http://tinyurl.com/2aw85uo

I took a bunch of shots on my drive back from Connecticut to Chicago this week. I recently upgraded to the iPhone 4. The new camera is MUCH better than the 3G. I've never been a big fan of all the camera apps, but I must admit, I've been having a little fun with them. Adobe Photoshop has a decent app... Camera Bag and Hipstamatic are also OK. The filters are a bit over the top, but I do like that " instant " look like the old Polaroids. -It sure as hell is cheaper.

Woman Sleeping : Photographer & Subject Unknown (2001): Found 11/29/2010 (Oak Park, Illinois: Sony Cybershot 2.1 MP Camera). I purchased an old Sony digital camera yesterday for $5 from a local thrift store. There were hundreds of images still on the SD cards. Among the series of images, I found this one of someone sleeping... creepy or peaceful? I think creepy... I'm have an ongoing project collecting discarded digital memory cards, and saving and/or retrieving the images (deleted or not). It's amazing how we photograph the most mundane things, yet hold them so dear.

A few weeks ago, I found an old Argus C3 Brick Body camera in a Wisconsin shop. In near mint condition, I snapped it up for the fine price of $20. Without even clicking the shutter, the heavy metal body brought back a decade of images. The leather wrappers were perfect and the lens pristine. On my first trip to Italy, I packed that very same model Argus. Toward the oculus of the Pantheon in Rome, I aimed as it rained through the massive dome… I nearly slipped on the slick stone underneath my feet. When I was 19, I smuggled drugs from Tijuana across the boarder in the same camera. The pills fit ever so neatly between the shutter and film plane. I had spent that afternoon inhaling Tijuana street scenes; candid, dry, bright, dirty and cheap. It was a foolish expedition and that camera was my accomplice and confidant. In both cases, the camera was complicit in my exploits, strapped over the shoulder slung like a rifle. …it was the most perfect companion. ...It’s always nice to run across a...

Some recent "poses" in a photobooth (testing for an event...) I rock a mean ukulele... The beautiful Andrea... after the show, looking majestic as ever... Me at a show...scowling as usual. Andrea at the camera... These recent photos are proof that we are still alive...and, looking good! I’ve been laying low, avoiding the blog, phone calls and email…not in any particular order. I just haven’t had much to say and needed a good rest. At just about 7 weeks post-surgery, I’m moving around and back to work. I’ve lost about 10-12lbs, which I don’t really mind…. I’m still a little slow and limited to lifting 25lbs or less, but I’m feeling well. Andrea’s back is doing better too. I haven’t gotten out much since returning home after surgery. I’ve made it out a few times for social engagements, and a few times for work. Last week, Andrea and I went to the Museum on a whim, which was great. And lately, we’ve been watching the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup finals. Admittedly, I’m not a...

From the collection: 1908: I found this glass negative at a local fair. It's one of Chicago's first fireboats, sunk in 1908 at 16th & Canal. This was a great little score and piece of Chicago history! 03/22/2010: CT Left & X-Ray Right. Note the size of the liver in the CT and the 3 white areas in the X-Ray. Those 3 white spots are the wires used to clog the veins... (AKA - PVE) 03/22/2010: 3 CT sections. In the first image, you can see some growth of the left lobe. Note the center of the large tumor in the 2nd and 3rd images. You can see a bit more necrosis forming... at least, that's what I'm told it is. This could be via PRRT killing NET cells, or from the right lobe & tumor having a decreased blood supply? Or, both? The blog has been SILENT this week… That is not surprising, since all I’ve been doing is trying to get some rest (Spending a lot of time catching up on bad TV). I can’t stand it… If I have not returned your calls or emails, it’s because I j...

I found this photo postcard a few weeks ago at a local shop... I have no idea what this woman is doing. Circa 1915 -1920. Sunday was turning out to be a good day. Andrea and I were able to escape for a few hours to an Antique Fair (where I found some great glass negatives). After which, we went out for an early dinner (Indian food with lots of good veggies!!). When we got back home, I resumed some work at the computer. -I started to feel a pain in my side. Within a few hours, the pain had grown into an excruciating stabbing that radiated into my neck and shoulder. It got so bad that I couldn’t breathe, or, find a position that didn’t hurt. Even lying down was next to impossible. We contacted the on-call interventional radiology (IR) doctor Sunday night. He instructed us to contact them in the morning if the problem persisted. Well, after a nearly impossible night in bed, I woke up early and spoke with IR. The head nurse told me to proceed to the Northwestern ER. I was quickly admitte...

My Search: "What to do...with old Olympus lenses..." My Search: "Is it.... bad to do an international wire transfer..." My Search: "Is it dangerous.... to do an international wire transfer..." Ok, so life and the Internet are indeed interesting. Some folks out there probably want to know how I'm doing. The answer is, fine. I feel a little tired much quicker lately, not sure why... and still a little achy, but otherwise normal and doing the regular stuff that I do. But for me, the more pressing question is... What the hell are people searching for on Google??? I had a few questions of my own this week, and I was amazed to learn that others did too! When you type a question or search term into Google, it often automatically populates popular terms or phrases that others have entered. This is not news and I often ignore it... but after these last few entries, I was perplexed and could not keep my silence any longer! So, here is how we arrived at this....

A bull fight...a found photo, from the collection. Today was much better... The Fentanyl (pain drug) they gave me yesterday made me sick with vomiting and a nasty headache. It was like I drank a liter of Vodka. -And it was not fun. The only thing that seemed to help was mint chocolate chip ice cream. The mint and cold helped with the nausea. and of course, it's easier to throw up, since it melts on the way down. (nice visual, right?) When the drug subsided, it left me with a good amount of pain in the middle of the night. This morning I was sluggish, the pain has started to subside a bit. I got a good deal of work done via email, etc. so the day was not lost. I have a few meetings and obligations this week, but for the most part, I'm going to try and take it easy. I'm working to confirm the surgery date, which is now tentative sometime between April 19th - 23rd. I'll have to have a scan first to assess the liver growth. Hopefully 6 weeks will yeild enough growth for s...