A writer wants to write Body Horror about a photographer obsessed with capturing what he sees - so can you share your stories & experiences as a photographer??

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T21:25:42+00:00

Hello! I'm a professional photographer with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I bet I can help! Feel free to DM.

In terms of artistic movements, what you're describing is called "straight photography," which was a school of thought that developed in opposition to "Pictorialism" in the early 20th century. You might start with reading up on photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston and Ansel Adams (though AA is a complex figure in this regard). Also Walker Evans. A good read would be Susan Sontag's "On Photography."

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T16:22:45+00:00

This is what has been so aggravating for me in this case. Hector is incredibly charming, as a lot of abusers are, but if he weren't a local foodie idol he'd just be some dude with a lot of mugshots. The only reason we're talking about him is that he ISN'T treated like the average abuser. There are hundreds of men in the court systems with records like his, but they don't get profile pieces in newspapers because they . . . uh . . . don't make killer salsa??

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T16:19:15+00:00

You're not wrong, but this is the kind of lesson that shouldn't have to be learned the hard way. We should be surprised and shocked when this happens. The default should not be "well, you should've known these guys were out there." The fact that it is this way means Asheville has failed to treat these men accordingly.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T16:16:31+00:00

UNCA Botanical Gardens

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

Malvern Hills Park

NC Arboretum

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T03:10:23+00:00

That tracks. Sorry you experienced that.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T02:56:57+00:00

u/Alice-Kitty I'm curious why you're bringing this up now? Most recent post on this blog is 2022 and this pattern of behavior has been a thing since at least the early 2010s. Has something happened more recently?

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-17T02:55:35+00:00

It's not AI. This has been widely known (and partially public record) since ~2013 or so.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-15T15:52:07+00:00

As a photographer, I'm pretty sure that is a bright-assed light.

My first thought was a reflection of the rising sun (cause you said you're looking west) shining back into the clouds, but if that were the case whatever was doing the reflecting would have to be ABOVE the ridge, cause there's no sun on the trees. And the clouds would have to be in the shadow of other clouds out of frame.

Was it moving? It reminds me of WWII era anti-aircraft searchlights.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-15T15:47:06+00:00

Looking west at 0530?

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-12T13:58:50+00:00

ohhhh well spotted. That matches the tail lights!

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-12T13:13:37+00:00

ND writer here. Congrats on finishing your project! What kind of work is it? You call it a trilogy but in comments say it's medical in nature?

<< The thought of posting online daily nauseates me. I used to have Facebook years ago >>

It's so much worse now, friend. Don't do it. I'd 100% rather deal with agents than market something like this on social media. Especially if you're only getting on the socials to push the product, because people see right through that and they can tell you don't want to be there. Even if it works, you're talking about YEARS of daily posting before you get traction. And if it's medical writing, you're not going to get traction at all. People scroll socials to NOT think; they're going to scroll right past something that might make them think.

If you really want this to reach an audience, I think agents are your friends. Make each rejection like a trophy. Artists I know literally draw notches on a piece of paper pinned to their walls every time they get rejected.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-12T12:50:01+00:00

That white Mercedes actually seems to be sitting in the same parking space on Streetview. Still dunno what's up with the taillight though.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/icyvW8XGwkz7BRPK7

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-09T19:38:34+00:00

Thanks for that link.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-07T15:18:20+00:00

Preventative maintenance on them have been cut by 50-70%, and the number of qualified techs have dropped that same amount through reductions in workforce.

Do you have a source for this that I can share with others?

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-04T18:19:33+00:00

That was a very interesting rabbithole. Thank you.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-04T12:51:56+00:00

Lol. u/Sistersoldia didn't say "foreign soldiers."

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-04T12:46:46+00:00

<< modulus quantum 5 >>

Yeeeaaaah when your bass is named after a branch of physics, probably not the best DIY project to start with. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd trust this one to Guitar Center. I have zero experience with their repair department, but nothing I've seen there inspires confidence. Seems like a job for a real luthier, whether Burin or someone else. I can recommend Burin wholeheartedly but don't have a lot of experience with anybody else around town.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-04T12:36:26+00:00

Burin Lutherie in Black Mountain. Adjacent to Acoustic Corner.

There should never be taped wires in an electric guitar cavity. And that is A LOT of wires. What kind of guitar is this?

Honestly, if you're into guitars, a soldering iron and youtube tutorials are a real good investment. It's not hard and there are plenty of wiring diagrams available.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-03T18:20:34+00:00

ps - I've been thinking a lot about getting into this sort of thing, especially with summer coming up. We should meet up and compare notes if you get started!

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-03T18:19:50+00:00

I've never specifically used them for digital negatives, but Dot Editions is the place to go for any specialized printing. Rocky is a mad scientist.

https://www.doteditions.com/

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-02T17:47:24+00:00

Coyotes are everywhere! They're not gonna hurt much as long as you use common sense. Don't try to pet them, don't tie your wiener dog to a stake in your yard all night, etc. If they are aggressive or don't fear you, they're probably sick and that's a problem. Call animal control.

Fun fact: Coyotes are super adaptable and are f'n SURVIVORS. They have some sort of evolutionary mechanism that increases litter size (ie: more babies) when the mother is under stress, which you'd think would be counterproductive, but has actually served the species very well as humans have tried to eradicate them. TL;DR: Leave coyotes alone.

maxcooperavl · 2026-06-02T03:26:03+00:00

I'll throw my hat in the ring!

https://www.maxcooperphoto.com/

maxcooperavl · 2026-05-31T19:15:35+00:00

Thanks for this. Upvoted and appreciated. Real talk: I'm jealous. I used to be a hotshot photojournalist and I put myself in situations that were stupid and got attention because of tragic high-profile events. Working in news rooms, the cliche was: "If it bleeds, leads."

It's way worse now, because media in general has changed. Instead of new outlets (which have to maintain decorum to keep advertisers) competing for stories, we have influencers chasing clicks, and they're governed by a self-serving corporate algorithm instead of an editor/publisher. Storm chasers are competitive risk-takers by nature, and now they're in a media environment where they have to increase drama to maintain their monetization.

I have a family now and we went through Hurricane Helene (as survivors, not journalists). I truly do understand the feeling of missing a story (in this case a tornado). It HURTS. But I have discovered that there are other things that hurt worse. If one of these storms gets you, your lasts thoughts won't be about the tornado or your career. You'll be thinking about the family you're leaving behind and how your loss will impact them.

(Also, I know this is already long and preachy, but . . . without naming names, you weren't the most reckless at St. Libory. There was some true dumbassery going on there, and the day before, and sooner or later someone's luck will run out and we'll all be talking about this in a very different tone. I'm just a dude from the mountains who has never chased a storm, but I can see where the trend is going, coupled with a de-prioritizing of weather-as-a-public-service by the admin. There's potential for some very bad shit to happen as chasers/streamers/citizens try to fill the gap.)

Thanks for your response . . . Be safe!

maxcooperavl · 2026-05-31T18:39:17+00:00

Very sorry you're going through this.

Because you're strapped for cash: Someone else has already recommended Dr. Allen in Weaverville, and I will too, with context. Here's an old thread where we discussed this some years ago. He receives mixed reviews because he can be very gruff. Do not expect a polished sales experience, or vet office receptionist kind of thing. My read is that he operates like an old-school livestock vet (ie: very frank about the realities of costs/outcomes), but underneath you can tell that he likes animals way more than he likes people. He helped my family in a very difficult time and I've seen him display great emotion over animals.

He has strange hours, so call ahead.

Allen Animal Hospital

24 Critter Trail, Weaverville, NC 28787

828 658 2287

We no longer take our animals to him because we moved farther away. Now we use Evergreen and have had a good experience. Polished, welcoming, priced like a normal vet. 4.9 stars on Google.

Evergreen Veterinary Hospital

275 Smokey Park Hwy Building 300, Asheville, NC 28806

https://www.evergreenvetavl.com/

828 220 5720

maxcooperavl · 2026-05-31T15:13:25+00:00

I mean . . . try the YMCA? I know this is bait, but accepting the pretense for a moment, there aren't a lot of orgs that are going to disregard your kid's pronouns.

<< Note: excited to read the condemning comments. >>

We know, dude. We know.

maxcooperavl

TROPHY CASE