In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

Shortly after I finished the hip hop feature on Monday afternoon, I went to work on the Holga Lomography feature. It was meant to run in the City section of SCMP.

I had written this paradoxical, oxymoronic, opening about how the contradicting the camera is. You know, I was doing that whole right hand, left hand, Radio Raheem Love/Hate thing.

I turned in the piece yesterday at 9am (after an all nighter) and was delighted to find the opening intact when the edited copy returned at noon. (The editor is known to rewrite openings)

But then I was notified later in the day that the story will run in news instead of City.

I picked up a copy just now and am quite giddy about seeing the story on the front page of the paper.

But the entire opening paragraph, the whole Radio Raheem thing, was chopped. Understandable, since it was used as a news story and not a feature.

That wouldn't be the only cut. I used the term Gweilo several times in the story, because that's what the creator of the camera called White folks. All the G-word stayed in the story even after it had been edited by the features editor. But the words have been replaced by "non-Chinese people" in the final news piece.

And now, the most disappointing....

I interviewed professional photographer Norm Yip and he gave this awesome line about how film photography is better than digital photography:

"A digital photography looks too clean, almost like a TVB soap opera look. The Holga photos have texture in them, it looks like a Quentin Taratino picture"

I love this quote because it captures the whole "oh I hate digital! analog will always rule!" mentality of most artists. If you talk to any audiophile, they will tell you that vinyl record sound better than CDs or MP3s. If you talk to a film buff, they will probably tell you a film reel from the 60s look better than blu-fucking-ray.

Don't argue, just accept their elitist snobbishness "old school always rule!" mentality. We all have a little bit of that in us, at least those of us who are passionate about something. I'll tell you NBA ballers from the 80s would shit on any NBA player today. Jack White insists on recording with equipments that are older than he is. I have a hippie friend--the "coolest/hippiest chick in HK"--who refuse to upgrade her ghetto Zack Morris-like mobile phone.

So yeah, back to the point. I thought the Quentin Taratino thing worked because not only is it a cool, pop culture reference, it's timely (Basterds is out in theaters) and the quote sums up why Holga pictures--flaws and all--are so popular.

But the line was cut from the final news piece.

And one more thing, since they chopped so many words, does that mean my cheque--I get paid per word--got chopped as well?

The left hand is kicking much ass, right hand is down. Love is hurt. But hold on. Stop the presses. Here comes the right hand. Love is coming back.

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BTW,

Away We Go. Saw the screening last night. HK Mag's Tim Pritchard calls it his favorite film this year. I wouldn't go that far--but it's damn good.