“Scott Speck” I became interested in pinhole photography about four years ago. My cameras are made of wood and metal, and they contain no lens — only a small pinhole in the front of the camera. My camera uses no electronics, is completely manual, and does not allow me to look through the camera to compose a photograph — everything is done external to the camera. I use medium and large format film for my work in both black/white and color, and my exposure times range from 1 sec (bright, outdoor scenes) to 1 hour (dark interiors, like dimly lit cathedrals). The pinhole’s unique optical characteristic is that it affords infinite depth of field, whereby all parts of a scene, no matter how close (0.5mm) or how far (infinity), are equally in focus. This permits one to explore perspective, dimensionality, and an intimacy of texture. My large format (4×5) pinhole camera affords an ultrawide field of view of 160 degrees, with no edge curvatures as occurs with a fisheye lens. My favorite subjects are architectures, portraits, and landscapes. I have had my work published in books and magazines, my work has won awards in juried competitions, and I frequently show my work in galleries, by invitation. I also conduct interviews and pinhole photography seminars. Prints of my works are available for sale upon request, and I enjoy doing commissioned pinhole photography for individuals, couples, music bands, etc. Through the pinhole, I create the surreal from the real. No other form of artistic expression has ever felt so right to me.

Here are some examples of his amazing photography…

Tags: VIC DAMICO

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Tags: Vic Damico, Poems, Poetry, Writing,

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Bin Laden Is Dead.  What Does This Actually Mean?

At this moment, most people living in the free world have been made aware of the fact that Bin Laden is no longer among the living.  Various feelings, emotions, and reactions are represented by all who have received word of this newest information in the ongoing fight against terrorism.  Some feel a release of ten years of anger and pain, some feel a sense of closure, and some have a deep feeling of relief in that justice has been served in that dark corner of the world.  A representative of darkness, hatred, and pure evil has been erased from the face of the Earth, and we should feel a sense of accomplishment, but we must have a clear understanding that this is a milestone in our continued efforts to combat terrorism as it dances across the globe, and it is not to be perceived as an ending to a fight against the invisible force of terrorism.

Although the death of Bin Laden represents a sense of victory in that we have removed a component of the hatred we are fighting daily, we must not lose focus on the fact that we may have also escalated the threat level and a new stage of terrorism may be in the making.  I feel confident that Bin Laden had made arrangements for what would transpire in the event of his death, especially in the manner in which it took place.  The main point I am trying to make is that although we have succeeded in removing a main component in this world of hatred, the hatred will continue, and possibly get worse.  What we have done is basically to bring down Al Queda’s world trade center with the death of Bin Laden, and their response may be much as our was on that September day in 2001.  We cannot dismiss the possibility of another action of hatred to take place on American soil.  I certainly hope I am wrong, but that possibility is worthy of consideration.

A message was sent to the world with the death of Bin Laden.  That message is that those who represent pure evil, and are willing to inflict that evil onto the people of America are not out of our reach, even if it takes ten years to find them and bring them to justice.  We should feel a sense of pride with this accomplishment, and we should also be made aware of the power of the military and our special forces that do what they do for a reason.  This is not an accomplishment that should be viewed as a victory for a specific portion of America, but for America as a whole.  A threat to the goodness of the world has been removed, but many remain who are willing to take over right where Bin Laden left off, and they will do just that.  Our fight is by no means to be considered over at this point.  There is a great possibility that retaliation is in the making, even as you read this.  There is a vast difference between winning a battle and ending the war, and we have only accomplished one of the two.  Our battle will continue.

vic damico 05.02.2011

Tags: Vic Damico

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A Conservative Viewpoint On Social Programs

My goal here is to finally get something straight in the minds of those who constantly misrepresent to conservative side as it apples to social programs. 

First of all, I can only speak for myself on this issue, but I am not going to allow this continued misrepresentation of he conservative views to go unchallenged.  I understand as well as any liberal that there are people who truly need assistance with their lives in order to survive.  There are people who have mental and physical disabilities who need help.  There are the elderly who both need and deserve help.  There are also those who have fallen upon difficult times and have the need for “temporary assistance.”  It is misleading to hear day after day that the conservatives not only do not understand this, but do not care.  It simply is not true, and even those who make these claims know it to not be true. 

My dispute, or that of the conservatives is not with any of the above listed examples.  It never has been.  My concern, and the concern of many of the conservatives are with those who are manipulating the system and do not fall into the above categories.  There is a tremendous amount of fraud and corruption that is involved with the assistance that is given out to those who simply are unworthy of that assistance.  Financial assistance should not be available for the simple fact that life is not easy at all times.  Those who believe in individual responsibility do not seek assistance and then look for a way to adjust their lives to the setbacks they may face.  The first step is to see if you can improve the situation on your own, then if needed, get the assistance until you are able to lift yourself out of the setback. 

There are people who claim to be disabled and have actually been through the system to be classified as disabled, but are just as healthy as anyone you may know, and have no mental or physical setbacks that would prevent them from living a productive, self sustained life.   I have done research for a book I am working on, so I have examples.

  This one individual is considered disabled, so once each month, he gets his disability check.  I offered this individual a job, but he declined because I would not pay him in cash, under the table.  He said it would mess up his disability benefits.  This individual does now work, doing hard manual labor that many could not do.  He does get paid cash, so his disability benefits are not threatened.  This is an example of the abuse, and it is funds that are being given to someone simply because they know how to manipulate the system.  It is fraud, plain and simple.

There is also this couple that I know that are the ultimate example of fraud.  They are boyfriend and girlfriend and they lived in separate apartments within the same complex.  Both of them have their rent paid by the Housing Department, and both get food stamps, and they receive all medical attention that they may need.  Neither of these two has worked in over ten years.  The guy is 45 years old and the girl is 38 years old.  Nothing is wrong with them, mentally or physically by their own admissions.  The girl was evicted from the apartment complex, but instead of leaving the complex, she moved in with her boyfriend, which is something that the Housing Department would never accept.  So now, we have the couple living together, getting housing assistance, food stamps, and medical care as they continue to manipulate the system for all they can get. 

Then there is yet another individual, a man, who was let go from his job almost two years ago because of economic reasons.  He immediately applied of housing assistance, food stamps, and unemployment benefits and got all three.  You would think after about two years, you would find a job of some kind to support your family.  He told me there is really no need.  He has everything he needs right now.  The government has literally removed the need for this individual to strive to be a productive person in providing for himself, or even his family. 

The examples that I have given are far more common that many believe, although some will never consider believing my words to be related to the truth.  I say that those who do not see this as a problem are in fact a part of the problem.  Once again, there are people who truly need financial assistance, and no one believes differently.  I am not speaking of those who fall into that category.  I am speaking of those who take advantage of the system and are getting a free ride simply because of the fact that they are lazy, manipulative, and deceptive.  We, the people need to stop rewarding the people who simply make choices to not strive to take care of themselves for less than admirable reasons. 

We (both sides) need to come to an understanding of what many of our social programs truly represent.  We are not giving these people a temporary fix to get their lives back to a sustainable position.  We are converting these people into a life where they will be forever dependent upon the government.  Ask yourself this question.  “When the government helps the poor, do they become not poor?”  No they do not.  They maintain the same level of dependence on the government, and that is what the government wants.  Those who depend upon the assistance will continue to support those who are willing to keep them there, as long as they continue to promise to allow that assistance to continue. 

We cannot allow ourselves to continue to be numb and believe that all that the government does, even when they say they are helping us, is in fact helping us.  When all is said and done, the poor will remain poor, because the government is giving them just enough to remain poor.  The assistance does not help them.  It traps them.     

Tags: vic damico

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A Simple Explanation Of What Is Wrong With America

Have we actually forgotten the fact that it is the people who are the ones who are meant to determine the direction of this nation?  The concept of how our nation is to be operated has been completely reversed and out of the 300 million plus people who make up the nation, I am beginning to think that there are only a handful of people that understand what has actually happened.  We, the people, collectively are supposed to be the ones who determine what we want, and how we will get it, but that is no longer the case.  We have elections on a regular basis, and the very purpose of these elections is to have true representation of the people.  These representatives are our voices, not our leaders.  These representatives are meant to speak and perform on our behalf, not to manipulate the system in a manner that is beneficial to them, as opposed to the people, themselves.  The people are of no use, nor are they allowed to contribute to the good of the nation.  Our soul purpose, as viewed by those who are supposed to represent us is to simply vote and to allow them to remain in office, as they continue to ignore our voices.  We, the people are the United States Government.  Those in Washington are people we have hired to operate the nation based on a combination of the voices of the people and the United States Constitution.  Both are being ignored.  This cannot be worded any simpler.  And yet, most people will never understand that this is the very component that has created most of the problems we face, as a nation today.  The very foundation of our nation has been manipulated to benefit exclusively the ones whom we have placed our trust in to represent us, as a people, collectively.  Until that foundation is repaired, we will not see our nation move in a positive direction.  “A government of the people, by the people, and for the people” no longer exists, and it is because of the ignorance of the people.      

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America…Destined To Fail

I honestly believe in the back of my mind that as a nation, America is destined to fail.  I love my country, and my basis for my statement is that the people are no longer willing to fight for truth and honor.  We, as a society are willing to set aside truth, common sense, and even morals to blindly support one political party over the other.  In most cases, the people are blind as to what the chosen party even represents, much less what the actual goals of the party may be.  It doesn’t matter what those in Washington (either side) say, what they do, or how they do it.  The unconditional devotion to the party will continue, and that devotion is not only unearned but also based on ignorance and lack of understanding of the true agendas by both parties.  Look at where we are as a country.  Our economy is at it most vulnerable state since the great depression, and we are just one step away from reaching another depression.  There are factors that could easily cause us to wake up and find the same situation that was present on the cold day in October 1929.  And yet, our main priority remains to make sure our chosen political party is viewed as being superior to the other.  Only a couple of months ago, I stated that the inevitable hyperinflation was coming, which was actually a re-post of a writing from over a year earlier.  Since that time, gas prices have increased by about one dollar, which is inching its way toward my predicted $5 per gallon.  I said that the same hyperinflation would greatly apply to groceries, and that is well on its way.  If you have been watching the prices at the major grocer chains, you can see what is happening.  Prices are increasing rapidly, but it is far worse than first meets the eye.  Not only are many food products increasing in price, but the size and quantity of the items are being reduced.  So basically, you are now paying more money for less of a product.  This will get much worse, and it will happen this year.  You certainly were not compelled to believe my prediction, but you can easily see the proof by simply visiting the grocery store of your choice.  The government has told us that the worst of the recession is over, and I have made it clear since that statement that I simply did not believe it based on the natural process of economic recovery that has not happened at this point.  And still, the unconditional devotion to your chosen political party continues.  Washington has been trying to convince us that the unemployment rate has bottomed out and it should gradually start to recover.  It simply is not true, and you need to look no further than those who are still losing jobs on a daily basis and the small businesses that are closing.  The government is misleading us, which is basically an illusion to make us think that they are actually helping the situation.  Facts do not lie.  And yet, the unconditional devotion to your chosen political party continues.  The government is telling us that the housing market is improving.  I cannot imagine what they are basing the statement upon, because foreclosures are still happening at an alarming rate, and the banks are afraid to make home loans with the current economic situation in America.  And still, you continue to have unconditional devotion to your chosen political party.  For the 74^th time in the history of this nation, our debt ceiling has been raised.  Are people so ignorant as to not see with this happening for the 74^th time, that our government has a history of spending beyond our means and can only result in higher taxes?  We have seen proof 74 times that the federal government cannot be trusted with a budget, or to have anything resembling common sense when it come to disciplined spending.  And still, you continue to show unconditional devotion to your chosen political party.

America is not the superpower we once were considered to be by the rest of the world.  America is not a leader as it applies to our economic standing in the world as we once were.  And as sad as it may sound, America is not respected as it once was by every other country in the civilized world.  We are a nation that is showing the rest of the world what you should do if your goal is to fail as a nation.  The government is not the problem.  Our government structure is in tact, but those we have chosen to represent the people no longer do so, and this applies to both the Republicans and the Democrats.  We, the people have reached the point that we will vote for anyone that is representative of our chosen political party, even if we know absolutely nothing about the individual at all, or even if we disagree with their overall opinions on issues.   We are only interested in making sure that our chosen political party is in power, even if we do not know what the overall goals of the party may be.   Our nation cannot be sustained or even survive with this blind leading the blind mentality that drives this nation.  We can continue to show this unconditional devotion to our chosen political parties, even though most do not understand what the parties represent, what their goals are, or how they will take us there, and we will all be able to look back and wonder what happened to America.  Most of what I am saying here will be immediately dismissed because it speaks against the unconditional devotion to your chosen political party, and we know that this is all that matters.  We will fail because we, the people are ignorant and blind as to what is happening and the fact that we are willing to place party devotion above the good of the nation.  Have we simply forgotten that we are the government and those we have placed into offices in Washington are there to represent our voices, collectively?  Our elected officials represent themselves and their own selfish goals, and we are merely an afterthought.   If you are unwilling to fight for truth and honor in Washington, you will never see it again.  We are not represented by Washington…We are controlled by Washington…

Tags: Politics, Political, Government, Vic Damico

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She Watches From Afar

Her beauty is overwhelming

And she has no knowledge of that reality

In fact she exist only within the minds

Of those who choose to see her

She is summoned by the thoughts

Of those that have deep emotional needs

By those who are lost within themselves

And are simply looking for an answer

She moves with the gracefullness of the wind

And as quickly and silently as the light

Drawn to the weak-minded and lost

And those who are troubled in their daily lives

Standing at the edge of the world

Hearing endless voices that sift through the silence

Though her eyes are closed

She sees all that happens

Even before the events occur

Her mind is consumed by pain and sadness

And emotional scars, if only for a moment

As she absorbs the world negativity

It is taken from the ones who first were concerned

Then all at once she releases it into a vast space

And it quickly vanishes forever

Serving as a medium in which to cleanse

The ugliness that moves within us all

Searching for nothing, all seems to gather

At her side and be taken into her heart

Never does she consider the actual sources

And it would not matter to her anyway

No, this has nothing to do with her wishes or her will

It is simply what she does

When you find closure or dismiss sadness or pain

She has visited if only for a moment

The very concept of the sights and sounds

That consume her as she just quietly waits

For that next uncertainty that will engulf the mind

Of someone she does not even know

As she unknowingly searches out the abnormalities

Of the human spirit that will surface

Ready to send them into the darkness forever

Where they will surely will be trapped always

So as we dance wildlly through an existence

That is both clouded and full of confusion

She watches and listens to the very makeup

Of who we are and what dwells within us

Asking for nothing with only the goal

Of vanquishing the less than good that intrudes

And then she waits patiently for the next signal

That her services will be needed again

Representing the beauty in all of us

As she continuously removes all that is not

Vic Damico 04.11.2011

Tags: Vic Damico, Poems, Poetry, Writing,

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Waiting For You

Tags: Poetry, Poems, Writing, Vic Damico

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Am I dreaming, or am I awake
Or am I dreaming that I am awake
Reality and the unknown have collided
I no longer can tell the difference

My dreamworld has taken over
It seems to draw me to it nightly
I dread opening my eyes each morning
Real life has become quite boring

Subconscious images control my nights
Transporting me to my comfort zone
Removing that which I run from daily
In the night, that part does not exist

During the day I long for the night
At night I have escape from the day
My mind seems to take notice or all
And as I dream it removes the trash

My dreams reveal a separate me
One that has access to all that is in me
Memory agents of moments in my life
Are shuffled and distributed with care

Sometimes I awaken to disappointment
As though I was not finished with my dream
And yet my mind starts the process over
Taking in the day to supply my night

As I sleep voids interrupt normal thought
My subconscious fills the voids as it pleases
Creating thoughts filled with confusion
Even though the thoughts are my own

Then comes daylight a new beginning
With my dreamworld behind me I face reality
With my awakened self I accept all before me
I have no choice; it just happens

Then at last comes the night
I lay my head on my pillow
Awaiting the REM stage of my sleep
That is when peace returns to me

Am I dreaming or am I awake
Or am I dreaming that I am awake
Reality and the unknown have collided
I can no longer tell the difference

vic damico  19June2K10

Tags: Poetry, Poems, Writing, Vic Damico

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