Trump: UGE penis size more important than the issues

(Photo: It’s UGE!!! by Robin Ay)

Will penis size become a standard talking point? How will Hillary handle rebuttals with lack of “hands on” knowledge?

I’m sure there have been past instances of candidates defending their manhood, but I have yet to find one where actual penis size comes into play. Somehow this type of speech has become acceptable, as Trump’s poll numbers continue to rise.

Marco Rubio isn’t the first person to poke fun at Trump’s tiny-hand-to-large-stature anomaly; Graydon Carter described Trump in Spy magazine as a “short-fingered vulgarian” 30 years ago when editor of Vanity Fair magazine. 

The kicker to all of this is that Trump just won’t let it go. With all the problems America is facing his penis size should be on the bottom of his discussion list, but this narcissistic, misogynistic, habitual liar continues to spew his self righteous hatred all under the guise to “Make America Great Again.”

The saddest part of the story? The one Republican candidate who should be leading is trailing in last place, and that’s John Kasich. Kasich opposes planned parenthood but admits humans contribute to climate change- if ever you wanted to swing those independent voters dear Republicans, Kasich is the man to do it.

Ted Cruz is still the candidate trailing close behind Trump, but many fear Cruz is more dangerous than Trump. I am one of those people. Until Republicans start voting with their minds and conscience- and not their anger, Trump will remain the frontrunner while the Republican party continues to split at the seams.

Stop this madness. Join the fight to overturn Trump and his penis by teaming up with John Kasich. Or better yet, give Bernie Sanders a try! As an ex-Republican I can assure you the grass CAN be greener on the other side! There’s still a chance to stop The Donald, no matter who you choose you must act now.

Heroin: the epidemic continues

Heroin runs rampant in small town communities initiating new treatment method laws in the Senate.

(Photo by Robin Ay: Clarity, uses a Barbie doll and syringe to create awareness about the US heroin epidemic.)

Heroin is a growing epidemic in the US. So much so The Huffington Post has written a story near-weekly for the last 6 months. CBS’ 60 Minutes covered this growing problem with their documentary Heroin in the Heartland, and CNN has also covered the heroin problem as it begins to take hold on New Hampshire. 

Yesterday, the Senate passed a bill into legislation that will “bend drug policy away from punishment and toward a public health approach.” Instead of quitting cold-turkey, addicts will be given medication assistance (a method proven to be more effective). But the problem will not be completely rectified just by this bill alone. Medication treats the physical drug dependency, but not the underlying psychological problem creating the addiction in the first place. 

(Photo by Robin Ay: Transcend, isolated lighting above a posed Barbie doll.)

During an interview with Vice, Dr. Gabor Maté explains addiction can be a result of a number of things: past experiences, an inability to cope with the real world, even genetics can play a part in one’s addictive behavior.

Until therapy and one-on-one counseling is offered to those sick with addiction the cycle will continue. Addicts will continue to leave treatment centers only to return to old habits. Without addressing the underlying problem that causes drug use, addicts will return to using because it’s the method that numbed the pain in the first place. There’s a reason people become addicts- because it works. 

The good news is with the introduction of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), and continued coverage by the media, there is a raised awareness to the heroin epidemic. Now is the time to take action by writing your House Representative to let them know CARA is just the start, states need to offer comprehensive rehabilitation and therapy services to addicts so they have the best chance at living a happy, healthy life.

The New Order

The Republican candidates battle it out Darkside style in Thursday night’s debate.

(Photo by Robin Ay: titled The New Order created using gelled backlighting, strobes with snoots, and Photoshop.)

After the GOP debate Thursday on Fox News Channel I couldn’t help myself and had to order in a new table top podium. Watching the debate was just like watching a new Star Wars installment, where Stormtroopers gain ground in taking over the evil ruler of the Empire- except instead of light sabers and laser guns words were used as weapons. 

(Photo by Robin Ay: V for Victory, was inspired by Trump’s utter disrespect for women and created using gelled backlighting, hot lamps, and Photoshop.)

Trump was of course the main event, he locked horns with Rubio and Cruz more times than they discussed actual issues. Name calling, accusations, and just plain disrespect for each other dominated most of the 2 hour debate. 

Ben Carson bowed out of the debate, and as of yesterday has called it quits. Cruz is leading the votes in Maine and Kansas today, while Kasich hangs on for dear life. Can Cruz take the lead over Trump? Does Kasich have a chance in hell? The sky burns red as tension builds, will there be a New Order? It seems the actions of the candidates are beginning to come into play when voters are making a choice.

As the campaign marches on only the voters can decide who is best fitting to run again Hillary or Bernie. If you are a Republican it is your time to get involved and choose the best candidate- go to their websites, read their plans, choose the person that best fits your values and morals, not the candidate who is the most entertaining on TV.

Super Tuesday votes are in: Trump dominates

Despite the name calling and insults, Trump remains the GOP leader for presidential candidate.

(Photo by Robin Ay: titled Trump Wall was created using actual bricks, gelled back lighting, dolls, and Photoshop.) 

Super Tuesday, the biggest presidential primary election of the 2016 campaign, was full of surprises thanks to Donald Trump. Once again Trump left his competition in the dust, winning all states except Texas, Alaska, and Oklahoma (won by Ted Cruz), and Minnesota (Marco Rubio). It was a very close call in Vermont with a narrow win over John Kasich, Ben Carson’s turnout was much like his personality- expectantly uneventful.

Trump gave his thank you speech in Palm Beach, Florida in front of his angry flock who say they’re sick of establishment politics and want to see real change. Trump reiterated his plan to send back illegal immigrants, and to build a wall to keep future immigrants from entering the US.

The states participating in Super Tuesday were: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado (with caucuses), Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota (with caucuses), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. Alaska and Wyoming also held Republican caucuses, American Samoa participated as well.

An over-dramatic, over-rehearsed Cruz wasted no time to begin attacking the Donald during an interview with Hallie Jackson on MSNBC, stating Trump’s candidacy would be a disaster, and that the Cruz campaign will beat Trump using the “Reagan coalition”- whatever that means. As of now it looks like Cruz’s “Reagan tactics” are doing nothing to knock Trump off his golden-door-emblazoned wall.

Sachs Collection, MOMA teaches, Lightroom for Android, and more

There’s lots of exciting happenings in the photography fine art world, here’s just a few!

(Photo by Robin Ay: Untitled, created using strobe with snoot, high angle, and diffusion.)

THE PHILADELPHIA Museum of Art is excited to announce their showing of the Sachs Collection from June 28 - Sept. 5. This is an impressive collection featuring a large number of the most influential artists over the past 50 years. Sculpture, painting, photography and video art- there is a wide array of visual interests to enjoy. Artists include Steve McQueen (yay!), Richard Hamilton, and Charles Ray, just to name a few. This exhibit will surely not disappoint, further information can be found on the Philadelphia Museum of Art Website. I highly recommend attending if you’re able, the photographs shown will be sure to move and inspire you.

UNFORTUNATELY the Julie Saul Gallery exhibit of Zeke Berman, Still Life Photographs: 1980s ended on the Feb. 20th instead of the scheduled 29th, no reason given. But the good news is you can still view his work through the gallery website. This is a must-see for any aspiring still life photographer, Berman’s works are excellent examples of Still Life photography that any photographer will find inspiring- go, see, absorb! 

(Photo by Robin Ay: titled Eye Sea created using Holga, colored gels, movement, and long exposure.)

MOMA launches a free online photography course: Seeing Through Photographs. As stated by MOMA: “this course aims to address the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing a diversity of ideas, approaches, and technologies that inform their making.” Trained eyes will always “see” better, this course is very useful for aspiring photographers, as well as active photographers looking for inspiration. The class can be started any time, and you are allowed to complete the course at your own pace. I can’t put into words how much school has refined and improved my creation process, I can’t recommend this class enough.

(Photo by Robin Ay: Sticky Gallows, was created using gelled back lighting and strobe, then edited in Lightroom.) 

ACCORDING TO Tech Radar “Lightroom for Android 2.0 delivers raw power to your smartphone camera.” Lightroom is such a versatile editing tool for photography, one of the main perks is all your adjustments synchronize automatically to your main image library via Adobe’s Creative Cloud. This new and improved Android app is a must-have for any photographer on the go- especially my fellow bloggers!

CANON RUMORS shares Sigma’s announcement for a new 50-100mm F1.8 DC Art lens for APS-C (crop sensor) cameras, stating the “50-100mm is the first constant aperture F1.8 telephoto zoom.” Mid-range zoom lenses are handy to have for portrait settings, the lens length allows for crystal clear portraits without any distortion or face elongation. This little beauty offers high performance at an affordable price, the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 is most definitely a welcome addition to any photographer’s tool box.

From exhibits, to free classes, to new and improved technology, it’s a very exciting time to be a photographer. The possibilities for creativity are endless: inspiration from an exhibit, new techniques learned from a free class, refining your editing techniques through new software, and perfecting those portraits with a new lens.

I say do these things. Don’t be afraid give them a try! Visit a museum or gallery near you, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Take advantage of free classes, I mean, come on… it’s free! Try the Lightroom software and bring out your work’s true potential! And most of all- have fun!

Art as Communication: Still Life or Constructed Reality?

I say both! Each genre has its benefits, here are just a few.

(Photo: Pieces of Me by Robin Ay)

Still Life photography is the art of making the inanimate psychologically animate. This form of photography can speak subconsciously to the viewer while awakening memories. The photo above titled Pieces of Me was created from a broken porcelain doll laid out on a black background. This simplicity leaves the viewer room for their own interpretation, to see parts of the artists, parts of ourselves, or both. 

(Photo: Embryonic by Robin Ay)

Still life is the transcendence of the everyday into something unusual, or the revelation that an object could be more than it is. It’s an amazing experience to see the curvatures of the human body in a pepper, Edward Weston started this trend in 1930, and we have been yearning for more ever since. As we see above in my photo Embryonic, I used a red pepper, reflected strobe lighting and shadow control to create a “humanesque” figure. When viewing this image we begin to ask ourselves about the similarities of life forms. We see a beauty in the mundane. No matter your experience, there is no right or wrong!

(Photo: Led to Slaughter by Robin Ay)

Constructed Reality photography takes Still Life to a whole other level for me, and I hope for you as a viewer too! Constructed Realities have a message that is more specific than Still Life photography. Take the image above, title Slaughter for example. In this image I constructed a scene of little pigs herding themselves toward a McDonald’s arches sign and an American Flag (to give you an idea of size, the flag is on a toothpick!). What does this say to you? Are the pigs being led to slaughter? Do the pigs represented obese Americans feeding on their only affordable food source in a failing economy? Just like Still Life photography (and all art for that matter) there really is no right or wrong, only the desire from the artist- this artist in particular, to make you feel.

So yes, both Still Life and Constructed Reality can be used for communication. Both forms of photography make use of metaphor, but Still Life delivers a softer message than Constructed Reality’s “in your face” attitude. In each genre the possibilities are endless: imagination and personal experiences are key.

I highly recommend that you visit local museums and art galleries for your own personal inspiration, no matter your career choice or lifestyle. Viewing Still Life and Constructed Reality photography up close and personal can speak to you in many different ways. Please take some time for yourself and enjoy all that these art forms have to offer!