2021: 35 Right Eye Dominant

September 4, 2021

So happy to reveal my latest project. Well, more than a project, really. Right Eye Dominant is the name of all my photo-related endeavors moving forward. I am still Nick Tauro Jr., I will still maintain this website, I will still produce work under my name. However, I’m going to release all outward facing projects out under the Right Eye Dominant brand. That means my new podcast is called: The Right Eye Dominant Podcast!! I hope you go check it out and subscribe so you’ll hear new episodes as they are released.

I have other grandiose plans that will see the light of day in a randomly assigned manner. My self-publishing (and hopefully future collaborations) will be released under the Right Eye Dominant imprint. What else??? Maybe workshops, maybe travel guiding, maybe exhibitions and curatorial efforts, maybe photo-related merchandise…maybe a multimedia empire. One baby step at a time. Why now? Why not! Life is short, while I’m here, I want to make keep creating. I hope you come along for the ride.

Minor White: Windowsill Daydreaming - Rochester, New York, 1958 — *Minor White: Windowsill Daydreaming - Rochester, New York*, 1958

2021: 34 Minor = Major

August 21, 2021

"A sequence of photographs is like a cinema of stills. The time and space between photographs is filled by the beholder … The spring-tight line between reality and photograph has been stretched relentlessly, but it has not been broken. … abstractions of nature have not left the world of appearances; for to do so is to break the camera's strongest point-its authenticity." - Minor White

I’ve been doing a deep dive into the work of Minor White this week. He was a major figure in 20th Century fine art photography, but oddly, he seems to have fallen off the radar somewhat nowadays. Perhaps if you were required to watch a short video about him before you get to your latest camera review video on YouTube, White would garner more interest. He certainly deserves it.

Minor White was part of the circle that brought legacy to the art of photography in the mid 20th century. He was a pal of Ansel Adams (I won’t hold that against him) and Paul Strand, and was heavily influenced by Alfred Stieglitz, both in style and in his theoretical approach to image making. He was the first editor of Aperture Magazine, a pillar of the art form since its inception. He was also one of the first photographers to consider the importance of sequencing his work. In fact, much of his body of work has been presented in groupings entitled: “Sequence…”

His photos ran the gamut from landscape and structures, very much in the style of his friend Ansel. However, it seems that only after he suffered some health issues, which precipitated an embrace of Eastern philosophy, that his work took a stronger turn toward abstraction and expressionism. Though close ups of ice formations and peeling paint might seem a cliche or trope nowadays, Minor White was one of the first to explore this subject matter with his camera. When one considers the prominence of the hand-held camera and burgeoning “street” aesthetic that was gaining ground when he was producing this kind of work, White should be commended for going against the grain, in a sense.

There are plenty of examples of this master’s work out there on the internet, though I do suggest trying to track down his photos in book form. They really do reward the viewer when seen in a more tangible format. The time gazing at a Minor White abstraction in a hardbound photo book is a short, meditative escape from the present world. Your moment of Zen awaits.

2021: 33 The Ocean

August 14, 2021

I live in the desert, hundreds of miles from any ocean. Sometimes, the distance is too far. Sometimes the wait to enter the wild waters of the ocean is too long. Being in water can be calming, invigorating, healing, meditative or exhilarating. Sometimes all of these things at once. I finally had the chance to return to the sea, and spend an extended amount of time enjoying the gifts that the waves and the wind and the sun can provide. Swimming in the waves at sunrise, with nary another person within sight… a gift that I cherished. I heard someone state recently that stepping into the ocean is actually stepping into wilderness. I had never considered it like this before, but it is true. An entirely different world exists out in the ocean, deep below the waves. A world of untamed life, and of unseen risks…for sure... but also one that is awe-inspiring and capable of providing unexpected transcendence. In a word: sublime.

2021: 32 Vacation

August 7, 2021

Beach times. See you next week.

2021: 31 Hero

July 31, 2021

Who do we look up to? Who do we admire? What qualities mark someone being a “hero”? Do heroes even exist? As a child, I had a few “heroes”… the astronauts who walked on the Moon, Bobby Mercer, an outfielder for the NY Yankees; later Bruce Springsteen, then maybe Robert Frank… then…well the list kind of peters out after that.

One man who I held in high esteem since he emerged on the pop cultural scene in the early aughts was Anthony Bourdain. Bad boy chef, former junkie, writer, tv show host, traveller, citizen of the world, and sadly, lastly…suicide. Bourdain had a profound impact on my adult life, encouraging me to become a curious, open-minded (somewhat) adventurous traveller and eater. More than that, he made middle age seem cool. He was the epitome of hipster cool, in the best sense of the words.

He was also a very sad, lonely man. Looking for love, finding it and losing it numerous times. A romantic spirit forced to live in the real world. A poet, a beat, a wanderer, a punk, a cynic, an artist. I saw the recently released documentary “Roadrunner” last night (in a real theater, no less.) The film covers the rise to fame and the journey to death at his own hands. It was a story I thought I knew a lot about, but I came away with a deeper understanding of the man, his public and private life, the costs of fame and the pressures of trying to be an idealist in a less than ideal world.

Was Anthony Bourdain a hero? To me, he was simply a human being. Same as you and me. A overly curious, yet surprisingly shy man, battling demons in his own head while trying to be a force of good in the world. Inspiring, infuriating, frustrating, comical and yet, profound. A cautionary tale of the pressures of fame and success. But also a guide: to a world of possibility that exists just down the road, just around the corner, or down some dark alley in a foreign country at 2am.

2021: 30 Lomography Film Swap; Part Three

July 24, 2021

Wow, I shot a roll of color, after it was exposed by Lomo-friend Shaiana in Hong Kong. Really wild, cross-global results.

2021: 29 Lomography Film Swap, Part Deux

July 16, 2021

I took part in another film swap, this time with troch, a great, experimental photographer based in BC. We had to improvise and sandwich two rolls together, but still really pleased with the unexpected complexity and fun to be found in this process.

Here are the results:

Music for a Quiet Tuesday Morning (or any morning)

July 13, 2021

I had the pleasure of creating a Spotify playlist for some old ABQ scenesters who run the up and coming coffee joint Signal Coffee Roasters in Alameda, CA. I would highly recommend trying out their beans. They deliver right to your doorstep and will most likely kick the ass of your current brew.

My curated playlist is the perfect soundtrack to while away a slow morning over a few cups of java and the morning paper (or online equivalent.) I hope it helps set a mood for your day.

2021: 28 Lomography Film Swap

July 10, 2021

I like to tell myself that I’d never join a cult, although the matching outfits does have some appeal. The closest I’ve come to this kind groupthink is in improv, and of course, in my passion for film photography. We film heads are niche dwellers, for sure, and there is a particular sect that I’ve grown extra fond of, the good folks who populate the world of Lomography. I’ve been posting my film-based work on my “LomoHome” for quite some time now, and I genuinely appreciate the audience there. In fact, it’s much more than an audience, it really feels like a community.

A few months ago I answered a call for Lomographers interested in taking part in a film swap. The idea is that one person shoots a roll of film, then sends it on to another person to run the same roll through their camera. After processing, magical, serendipitous double exposures are revealed. Of course, the chances of crystal clear, sensical images are next to nil. Instead, the overlapping images create their own unique look. And when you compound this randomness with the fact that the images are from two very different locations…well, that’s when wonders appear.

I was sent a roll of black and white film with a fellow Lomographer from Germany. Their location was a nice foil for the urban desert shots of my southwest US environs. I am pleasantly surprised by the number of “winners” we achieved on this shared roll. But even more satisfying was the opportunity to collaborate with a another like-minded film shooter, especially since our shared roll is part of a larger group of over fifty film shooters.

Enjoy the gallery below and keep an eye out for more to come.