Sara Friedman (www.socialmomentum.org) threw a bit of a bomb in my creative consciousness when she suggested I get onto You Tube and then helped me get there. I went through the usual techno-nightmare of getting the right equipment. I tried a Flip but the lens was too small for me, I just couldn’t get wide enough. Then it took me a couple of day to get the JVC Everior working, and another day to get Imovie up and running.

Messed with my head also, but that is good. Maybe I was getting a little too comfortable with my still photo groove. Then, on top of that, there was dealing with all of the movie critics pointing out that the photos were narrow, or vertical, or herky-jerky. In America, not only can you get something for free, but it’s okay to whine about it too.My favorite was a woman who wrote that Lenore was “decent enough,” but the videos were of disappointing quality. She was right of course, and she can get a refund.  Lenore, “Decent enough?” Hmmmph.

Still, when all was said and done, the week was a triumph. I’ve taken about 20 videos, gotten more than 20,000 views in a little over a week. And more importantly, learned a lot. Technically, visually and literally. It is good for my still photography too, as it has given me a new way of seeing a photo.

I think the glorious era of the still photograph is changing, perhaps winding down. People expect images to move, and my own idea is that one compliments the other, and neither need to overwhelm. Talking about training Frieda is one thing. Showing Frieda being trained is quite another. It was a neat idea, I think, to read my new children’s book to Lenore, who enjoyed it. So did many other people, and my publicist was shocked and pleased.

Today I had yet another idea. Maria is doing her neat visual poems with her Ipod and camcorder and this inspired me to think of images in yet another way. So when I took the still above of Bunker Hill Road at sunset, I thought how cool to also offer people sense of what it was like to stand there, to hear my breath, the wind, the cards and actually see the sun setting. This sort of thing would have been unimaginable to a writer even five or ten years ago, and now it is an elemental part of my work, and also, yes, the marketing of my work.

I think the video needs to be thoughtful and not impulsive. People often misuse technology, confusing what is important with what is cool and possible. I want to be thoughtful about it.

There are lots of photos and images of sunsets on YouTube and elsewhere. Nothing original there. But it compliments my work in a way that is quite jolting and exciting for me. I’m eager to learn more and see where it goes.

So here’s another small step in my video evolution. Come watch the Sunset with me on Bunker Hill Road: