Diary Of A Teenage Girl

No moralizing here, we're watching this develop from the mind of a fifteen year old girl who wants to grow up fast, and finds herself ensnared in a world she cannot possibly begin to understand or fathom- not that any of us can at any age. And Diary of a Teenage Girl does a bang up job of showing just how confusing, hypocritical and thoroughly maddening adults have made this world we live in, and in so doing, defy our offspring to do better.

Age Old Truisms, Part...

Photo: © S. Banos

Granted this no doubt has an overwhelmingly greater philosophical (and humorous) impact in your twenties, than in your fifties. That said, it's the kinda thing that'll no doubt continue to provide insight and entertainment... for generations to come.

Super Hero Identities Exposed And Revealed!

Photo: © S. Banos

 A fellow photographer calls 'em my "dick pictures," guess I can't argue much there. They say you are what you photograph, so... I... errrr... Yeah, really don't know where to go with that either...

Photo: © S. Banos

Photo: © S. Banos

For the judgemental, at least ya know what ya get with these guys, unlike all the closeted, "straight laced," Gay bashing Republicans. These photos are taken at predominantly Gay, S&M "street fairs" in San Francisco that occur twice a year, in a closed off section of town ($10 entry). And since I'm neither Gay, nor into S&M, I suppose I am operating strictly in the capacity of voyeur, telling myself I'm a photographer who must document for posterity and understanding- not to mention the inherent humor of it all. Perhaps, the fact these images challenge us to more closely examine ourselves as a species is validation enough.

What I definitely can say is that they are nice enough to let me do my thing, while they do theirs...

Photo: © S. Banos

Terry Richardson = Major Dickhead Supreme

I gotta admit, years ago I thought that maybe (just maybe) there was a bit of possible (penis) envy involved when it came to Terry Richardson. Here was a middle aged four eyes with a plaid shirt, one major sleaze bomb of a pervert looking guy shooting, partying and scoring beautiful 20yr old models galore. Hey, he's doing it- you're not! Get over it, and cut the guy some slack for livin' the dream...

But over the years, the Lance Armstrong factor came into play big time, and just kept building... There are some guys where the sleaze factor finally reaches critical mass because they've been getting away with it for so damn long, they really don't give a flyin' anymore. They think themselves invulnerable.

Then along comes this claim (amongst countless others)... And to all those who say she could have simply said, "NO." Yes, very true- someone with a little more gumption would have simply bit his dick off and told him to, "Photograph this!" Or simply walked out... But there are others who when put in high pressure, threatening (yes, shoving your dick in someone's face is threatening) situations simply comply to get it over with, particularly when they're in the perpetrator's home court, surrounded by his collaborators. Aggressors know when they have someone compliant in hand, usually because they've done it so many times before. And he's damn well smart enough not to try it with someone on an equal power level. That's how he gets away with it, time and time again.

By now, everyone should be aware that even innocent people can be made to confess to the crime at hand (even murder raps) when aggressively interrogated- just to get the ordeal over with...