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Kron's ship is finally ready. His organic components are then dosed with drugs that will allow him to resist Skaro's high radiation levels for a few hours.
He departs to gather firsthand intelligence on the inhabitants of Skaro.....
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
(Epictetus, Greek philospher)
It's a quote I heard in Serendipity, a movie with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.
I hope people think I am foolish and stupid...
On Mondas, A lone Cyberman watches Skaro from a viewscreen. He has been assigned to scout out this strange new world and is waiting while his small ship is being prepped for flight.
His name is Kron, he was once as human as you or I, but that was centuries ago, his life has been extended by artificial means, but those same means have also drained it of any value. His emotions have been inhibited and he can feel no pain, but niether can he feel any joy.
He can recall his old life, the Fleshtime, but it's like looking at snapshots from somebody else's photoalbumn. He has no emotional significance to attach to the mental pictures, they exist only as colorless, flavorless data which is rarely of any use to him these days.
Long ago, Kron had a family, but when they all sickened and died, he volunteered to be fully converted into a Cyberman to escape the curious emotional condition that was crippling him. As a Cyberman, he could at least be useful to his society, working on the massive Planetary Propulsion System on the barren and harsh surface of his world that would someday bring wandering Mondas back home. Even before he was converted, his logic had been impeccible.
In chamber deep below the city a Dalek named Dev monitors security around the city.
It has been 75 years since the Dalek space fleet passed beyond range of contact with Skaro. No ships have returned to Skaro carrying the spoils of war in all that time, sometimes Dev thinks the Emperor has forgotten all about the Daleks he left behind on Skaro.
Dev is one of the first generation of Daleks, and he constantly bristles with anger at being left behind. He dreams of destroying the lesser races of the cosmos beside his brother Daleks, as he once helped them exterminate the Thals long ago.
Surely, as one of the eldest of his race, his vast knowledge and experience could be of greater value on the Great Crusade to purge the lesser races than here, monitoring security on a dead shell of a world?
Suddenly, an indicator on his instrument panel lights up showing the presence of an intruder in the forest near the city!
. . of good and evil. Otherwise known as Pattaya, Thailand's very own version of Sin City.
Actually, the gardens of the hotel where Daniel and I stayed preparatory to an early morning shoot, and after a heavy days shooting of wooden temples and blue hour shots.
This is a 25 second exposure digitally blended with a 10 second exposure, taken at, yes, midnight! The moon, out of pic left, was almost full, hence the brightness of the image.
I've got a barrowload of images from the trip, it'll be no surprise that Daniel will have loads of great ones!
Worth seeing larger.
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Day 310/365
Self Portrait as John Cusack.
Tonights been a rough one... had another one of those nice existentialist crises, much like the one that led me away from Architecture classes and into photography in the first place... Anyway i've had this shot in my head for a while now...and being the mood I am in, seemed the perfect night to do it.
Well, it wasn't...38*F outside in the pouring rain, with freezing wind.... I destroyed my Westcott 28" Apollo, it took a hit tonight there is no way It will recover from... I'm also more then likely going to get some kind of sickness. The First session did not produce a photo that was 365 worthy, so I changed my shirt and went back out again and reshot it.
Strobist info:
Canon 580 EX II at 1/128th Power Camera Left at 50mm
Nikon SB80 DX at 1/16th Power Camera Right and behind to light raindrops.
Camera Info:
Canon 5d Mark II w/ 70-200 2.8 L IS
ƒ2.8 | 1/100 | ISO 1600
Dev takes to the skies on the gravtic disk, which also supplies him with power while away from the city. He searches for the alien filth that has dared come to Skaro!
The Children's Own Readers "Friends" Primer by Mary E. Pennell and Alice M. Cusack, 1936, Kansas City, Missouri. Illustrator Marguerite Davis.
Moth trap fun at Irish bumble bee recorders weekend, June 2025
Moth trap fun at Irish bumble bee recorders weekend, June 2025
English-Irish actor and model Max Irons (son of actor Jeremy Irons and actress Sinéad Cusack) attends the "Award Night" during the 14th Zurich Film Festival on October 6, 2018 in Switzerland.
Born as Maximilian Paul Diarmuid Irons on 17 October 17, 1985 in Camden, London
Film Highlights: Terminal (2018), Crooked House (2017); The Wife (2017); Bitter Harvest (2017); Tutankhamun (2016); Women in Gold (2015); The Riot Club (2014); The White Queen (2013); The Host (2013); The Runaway (2011); Red Riding Hood (2011); Dorian Gray (2009); Being Julia (2004)
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Portrait of Australian writer and playwright Dymphna Cusack, 1947. Her novel 'Come In Spinner' was produced as a TV series in 1989. Vintage gelatin silver print, State Library of New South Wales, PX*D 250 (v.3) collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/nvg8xa81
I realize we’re halfway through the music festival season so I should have posted this sooner but here in Chicago where I’m from, we’re gearing up for Pitchfork Music Festival to start tomorrow and in less than a month Lollapooza will also be happening. This is my third summer shooting music festivals including Pitchfork Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Hideout Block Party, and Coachella. I wish someone had told me a few things three years ago to help prepare me. I thought I’d share the love.
First, a disclaimer….you know that part in Say Anything where John Cusack/Lloyd Dobler proclaims: “I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.” Well, I sort of loved him for that even more than when he was holding a large boombox over his head. That said, I’m going to recommend some products here not because I want to encourage materialism and consumerism but because these are the things that have worked for me. The reality is that there are a lot of products out there that are not well made or will let you down and ultimately waste your hard earned cash. As most of us are just scraping by and not making $1000 a photo, very few of us can afford to waste our money on stuff that doesn’t work or is poorly made and will cost us a great deal more overall.
Some obvious things first:
1.Unless you are meticulous and not scatter brained in the least, you will need some extras of everything. I recommend bringing extra lens caps, lens cleaning cloths, memory cards, batteries, and a couple extra pairs of ear plugs. You are going to be exposing your ears to some really massive amounts of input. I don’t find the foamy earplugs to be very helpful for me. First, it distorts the music so that it feels like you are sort of just listening under water. Second, it’s usually not enough protection when you are up against huge amps. I highly recommend: earlove.net/. They are worth the extra cost, trust me!
2.You know those pseudo benches in a lot of larger photopits where you can take a rest, especially if the stage/band you’re shooting is running behind schedule? You’re going to really want to do it but do NOT set your bag down while you’re shooting unless everything of any value is around your neck. Fans steal bags and (I hate to say it) other photographers steal bags. I know your bag is heavy and, in this case, my only recommendation is this: suck it up! I’m so sorry but no amount of temporary shoulder relief is worth thousands of dollars. Also, I recommend using these Chrome Messenger backpack bags: www.chromebagsstore.com/messenger-packs-ranchero.html Yes, it’s a bag that costs nearly $200 after taxes, shipping, etc. but the good news is that you will never have to buy another bag again. I cannot tell you how much I’ve pretty much beat the heck out of mine and there are no signs of wear and tear whatsoever. It has two nice shoulder pads, a cell phone holster, and is extremely waterproof. Basically, it’s worth the investment. Did I mention you’ll never have to buy another bag to haul all your stuff around again? That’s important.
3.Drink water, not beer. Oh wouldn’t the beer just take the edge off? Make you feel relaxed, etc.? Don’t do it!!! Take all the money you would have spent on overpriced festival beer throughout the weekend and put it aside. When you’re finally finished with all photoediting on that Sunday night or Monday morning, buy yourself a nice bottle of champagne or Belgian and drink up to celebrate surviving. Also, I highly recommend bringing your own more durable water bottle. Most music festivals have stopped giving out free water to press OR they will have one tent set up that’s destined to be far away from whatever bands you are assigned in the media area which is not very helpful. However, quite a few festivals have fountains or opportunities for free water of some sort. I also recommend supplementing your water with electrolytes. This one works quite well: www.rei.com/product/779683. Also, don’t forget your Ibuprofen/Aspirin and vitamins!
4.Sorry to be gross, but you should bring some tissue or toilet paper and a little bottle of hand sanitizer. You should not count on the porta potties to have these things in full supply, though I’ve been happily surprised the last couple of festivals I’ve gone to.
5.Have you ever sat around and wondered how China became such a national super power? It’s probably because of this: www.tigerbalm.com/. Buy yourself a jar of it and rub it into your shoulders, neck, and any other part of your body that aches every single night. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better the next day. It stings a little and there’s an after effect that goes on as it sinks into your muscle tissue that might actually hurt a bit but let it work it’s magic.
6.You need suncreen (duh!) I am so pale I’m ghostly. If I’m out in the sun for even a half hour without sunscreen, I burn. That said, I highly recommend this Kiss My Face spray SPF30 product: kissmyfacewebstore.com/detail/KMF+1800403 You can pick it up at some Whole Foods but, because it’s a natural product, it isn’t usually available commonly at most grocery or convenience stores in the US, which means you might end up having to order it online. Why I love this product is simple…it works! Also, it is a lot less greasy, you can spray it on your back (for your facial areas, spray it on your hands then rub on your face.) and you should be able to get away with spraying it on once in the morning before you leave and not having to worry about re-spraying for the rest of the day. That’s really important because the last thing you’ll be thinking about when you’re photographing beautiful Karen O doing a backbend is re-applying your sunscreen, trust me. On occasion, I have gotten minorly burned around my shoulder straps as the suncreen has rubbed off in those areas. However, I burn excessively easily so if you’re like 99% of the rest of the population, you don’t have to be worried.
7. If it’s going to be especially sunny, consider bringing a small compact umbrella to shield you while you’re waiting in the photopit or photopit line. ( I learned that one from excessively wise and experienced Robert Loerzel: www.flickr.com/photos/robertloerzel/ who graciously held one over our heads during the two hour wait for Iggy Pop when we were suffering through Amy Winehouse at Lolla 2007)
8.I recommend you start every day of the festival by having a large mocha with an extra shot of espresso and one-two bagels (depending on your metabolism.) You want a complex carbohydrate that your body is going to have to break down over time through the course of the day. Make sure to obviously give yourself enough time in the bathroom after eating before taking off to minimize porta potty usage..besides, you don’t have time to go to the bathroom…you have bands to shoot! For quick sugar intake when you’re running on low, pack a couple of energy or granola bars. Plan on eating more after you’re done and waiting for your 4,000 photos to transfer from your memory card to your hard drive. Did I mention to make sure to take your vitamins?
9.If you are traveling to this music festival, I would recommend the following portable external drive: Smartdisk 160GB FireWire Portable Hard Drive …it worked very well for me when I went to Coachella. Don’t forget to bring your battery charger!
10. As Margarita Gonzalez stated below, make sure you wear your most comfortable pair of shoes! As Paige K. Parsons below added: Remember there's a BIG difference between shoes that are comfortable to stand in for eight hours vs shoes that are comfortable to walk four miles in. Most likely you will need the latter at a festival.
11.)Also by Paige K. Parsons: www.flickr.com/photos/paigekparsons/ Know not just the distances between stages, but the time it takes to move between them with large crowds of people about. You've got to plan your schedule with plenty of tolerances for travel.
12.)Also by Paige K. Parsons: www.flickr.com/photos/paigekparsons/ Scope out *all* the stages early. Talk with the security guys and/or festival coordinators and confirm which side has access to the photopit. Often it's different from stage to stage, sometimes it's different than you were told in your media info. If you arrive on the wrong side it can take an entire song to get from one side to the other if the crowd is large.
13.If you are lucky enough to have “scored” your pass without actually knowing anything about photography because your dad’s a CEO of a company sponsoring the festival or something, do us all a favor and actually try to learn as much as you can on your own. There are photographers who would give up alot for this opportunity so take it as a serious gift. Besides, the last thing I want to hear in the pit five minute before Daft Punk take the stage is “Hey, you have the same camera as me! Can you teach me how to use mine?” And yes, that actually did happen to me at Lolla 2007.
Now, some non-obvious things…..
1.Camera gear recommendations: I can only recommend what I know and I’m a Canon vs. Nikon user..that doesn’t mean Nikon is inferior at all, though! I use the 5dMkII with the Canon IS 2.8 70-200mm lens most often during music festivals. If this lens is too expensive, consider renting one, especially if you are planning on photographing bands you may never have the opportunity to photograph again (i.e. Leonard Cohen.) I should warn that this lens is excessively heavy. I actually prepared myself after its purchase by lifting weights while jogging on the treadmill. The Canon 15mm fisheye lens is also great for smaller stages and crowd shots. Paige K. Parsons has some great fisheye crowd shots with her Nikon D700 as well. Here’s a good example: www.flickr.com/photos/paigekparsons/3620173399/ If possible, bring an extra base as backup. Nikon recommendations by NickD: www.flickr.com/photos/_nickd/ : As nikon goes i'd recommend a d300 or (if you want full-frame) d700 with a 70-200 f/2.8 vr if you can get it, and a 50 f/1.4 for smaller intimate venues.
2.We’re unfortunately in a troublesome age in terms of photographer’s rights and what that means is that you may not be given full information about what restrictions bands are giving until the day of, even if you received a press release from the festival organizers detailing these restrictions…it doesn’t matter. Artists/musicians change their minds at the last minute about photography and unfortunately festival organizers don’t consider the idea that some photogs have actually made a huge financial investment to shoot that particular band on the basis that they’d *gasp* be allowed to. (Such was the case last year when Kanye West decided on the same day of his performance he wouldn’t allow photography from the pit even though the concert was taking place in his own city and he had allowed it previously at Lolla.) In addition, some bands/musicians may limit the photopit to only Wire service photographers. However, the trend I have seen (with Pearl Jam and Radiohead specifically) is to not allow any Wire service photographers into the pits. Another thing I have seen is a band decided to only let his buddy, a barely competent photographer, to shoot and bars every other photographer. It completely sucks and it’s extremely difficult to get a good shot from the crowd. The only thing you can do to prepare yourself for this is to read all press information and check in at the media tent of the festival every single day.
3.If you absolutely have to sign a contract that takes away all your copyrights, sign and date it so that you can argue it was signed under duress. Also, give your publication the exact number of photos requested and keep the others private/friends only if you use them. If you are not assigned that band and do not have to take photos but want to, strongly consider not signing because your rights as a photographer are way more important, trust me.
4.Some festivals, particularly Lollapalooza have “caps” on their photopits. In other words, they won’t allow past a certain number (in Lolla’s case, 50) of photographers to be in the pit. What that means is, for the larger bands, make sure to keep an eye on the pit and make practical decisions about time management. It’s a lot better to be #3 in a photopit for a larger band and miss out on shooting a smaller band you can easily photograph again than to shoot the smaller band, be #51 and not get into the pit for the larger band. Also, be aware for that more aggressive bands where there is an issue with crowd control, the festival could potentially lower the amount of photographers they are going to allow in the pit. Arrive extra early if you are assigned these bands. By extra early, I mean, check in atleast 2 hours in advance. Yes, I’m serious.
5.Make a special effort to photograph bands that typically play in darker conditions. (Pretty much every band I love fits this description.) If you know this may only be the only time you’ll ever be able to shoot this band without them being behind a heavy gush of smoke playing in what looks like the pit of despair, go for it! Also, make an extra effort to photograph international bands you know won’t come around very often.
6.If you’re like me, your deadlines are pretty immediate and you have to bike home like mad and start photo-editing as soon as possible so that you’re up until 4am or 5am working on your assignment. You are bound to grow really tired doing this and be all sleepy. What usually helps me stay up is re-watching the ending of Twin Peaks: (If you can fall asleep right after watching this, you’re a much braver soul than I am!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ0qHLAsS2w
7.Feel free to run like mad and shoot as many bands as your body and time will allow. If you have limited time to get across a crowded park and you are exhausted with way less adrenalin than you’d expected, it might be helpful to use a visualization technique. Usually, I picture a younger version of Hannibal Lecter in a sweaty Kings of Leon shirt running after me with a vicious look in his eyes…that often does the trick! However, with age I am realizing more and more it’s also important to listen to your body. Take rest breaks when possible and keep hydrated. Have I mentioned vitamins yet? ;)
8.Make friends! It is great to have a few people you can trust to update you when you are across the field to know how fast a photopit line is growing or if a band cancels or is running late. Texting is amazing in these cases and make sure to return the favor to your friend as well. In this age of concert photography when we are slowly losing our rights, it’s important to really stick together with the people who won’t let you down. I've been lucky to have a few good friends on my side at music festivals, like Sei Jin who texted me when he saw Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav was cutting hair at last year's Pitchfork Music Festival.
9.Play nice! Be fair! Everyone knows of that 300 pound behemoth (usually male, sorry men!) that always cuts everyone off in line and tends to have about 42 elbows while in the photopit. Shooting a festival with strict deadlines is stressful enough without these types of people but you’re bound to run into a couple. Feel free to be extra snarky when they hit on you later. I usually find, “I don’t have a name” does the trick.
10.Be nice to your security guards! They are working long hours in the hot sun for probably about as much pay as you are. The ones that seem the strictest are also the ones most on the ball that are going to end up protecting you if the fans get crazy and out of control.
11.Have you ever been at a music festival when it started to rain? I’ll exercise the words of legendary author Douglas Adams with this one: Don’t Panic! Especially if you have a waterproof bag! It’s good to keep some heavy duty plastic bags to wrap around your camera base and the contacts with the lens when this happens. Just exercise good common sense…shoot as little as possible in these cases in the rain with some heavier duty plastic bags wrapped around your camera then put your camera back safely in your bag. This is one reason, however, that I would recommend buying camera equipments with warranties. I usually request, “I would like the kind of warranty where I could basically go fishing with my camera and as long as I can pull it out of the water and return it, it will be replaced.” That said, I treat my camera bases and lenses with huge amounts of respect and don’t do anything stupid but it’s great when you don’t have that sense of anxiety over a freak accident or storm looming over you. Also, I know there are a lot of rain gear protections out on the market…this is one thing I have yet to try so if someone has a good recommendation, feel free to put that in the comments section.
12. Don’t forget to shoot the drummer! They really like it when you remember them! ☺
Above: the drummer for Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Aaron Sperske, at Coachella 2009.
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Model Shannon Cusack here: www.facebook.com/Shannoncusackmodel
This one - my first finished oil painting since january 2020... is based on a photo of the great @R J Poole www.flickr.com/photos/rjpoole/ called "Unadulterated" and featuring Ayleish Cusack & Miss McCloughlin
To the best of my knowledge this was known as the The Cusack Stand and then Devitts (The Cusack Stand). It would appear that “The Cusack Stand” has been dropped from the name.
©2010-2016 Laura Jane Swindle, all rights reserved
Muffin channeling his inner John Cusack ... that or Judd Nelson
Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief of The Hill, interviews Sen. Shelly Moore Capitol (R-W.Va.) during a policy briefing entitled “Digitalizing Infrastructure: Building a Smart Future” sponsored by ABB and The Hill at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 14, 2017.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is interviewed by Editor in Chief of The Hill Bob Cusack during a policy briefing entitled "Next Generation Cures: A Policy Discussion" sponsored by PhRMA, From Hope to Cures, and The Hill at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.
A tribute to one of the classic highschool movies from the 80s...Say Anything.
With my own spin it of course. Instead of a boombox, I opted to hold up my camera. :)
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Please like my Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/TAPPHOTO
Model Shannon Cusack here: www.facebook.com/Shannoncusackmodel
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is interviewed by Editor in Chief of The Hill Bob Cusack during a policy briefing entitled "Next Generation Cures: A Policy Discussion" sponsored by PhRMA, From Hope to Cures, and The Hill at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.
Vintage Illustration from "The Children's Own Readers: Book Two" by Pennell and Cusack. Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Laite
From a photograph hanging inside the station waiting room, photographer unknown.
CIE / MGWR Cusack D6 4-4-0 542 stands in Castlebar station with an Up special cattle train. The fireman is up on the tender pulling coal down while the guard passes up the single line staff to Manulla Junction.
Notice the water tank seen in my 2016 shot.
"The Children’s Own Readers - Book One" by Mary E. Penell and Alice M. Cusack, 1929, illustrated by Marguerite Davis.
For anyone who hasn't seen the trailer, or hasn't even heard of this instant-classic, click here.
For my show this weekend, I discovered that I had a 5"x5" gap in my Futurama layout. After having seen a lot of trailers for this movie, I decided to build the hot tub for that spot. :)
It's a little hard to tell here, but there is a yellow light-brick turned on at the bottom of the tub.
I make no claims as to whether this will be a good or bad movie. I find the concept hilarious, and the fact that John Cusack is in it is a definite plus, but don't hate me if it's bad. :)