This represents my first blog posting to my newly launched Ipernity account.  Still familiarizing myself with Ipernity which as a result of an ongoing issue with Flickr regarding the restricted status of my Flickr account which, efffectively, defeats the purpose of why since April 2005 I have uploaded such a large collection of images to Flickr with the intent that, for the most part, my body of work at Flickr would be easily accessable to the general public ... one of the features that I like at Ipernity is the blog.

My hope is that the ability to create collections will soon be added.

Let me began by saying, right from the start, my photography and writing are documentary in nature.  With that having been said, since my interests span so many different things while the images that I post to Ipernity will reflect and document my life journey ... my writings will shed light on my personal story as well as report on and bring attention to cultural events and social matters that are of interest to me.  Or that I have documented or captured in the course of my life journey.

Though I have tried my dambest, over my entire life, to let the racism that I have experience flip off my back when something as simple as flying on planes, driving a car or picture - taking could land me in jail ... due to the fact that I am a black man ... flipping racism off the back of my shoulder is not an answer nor option.

While my phtography will provide a visual documentation of the times in which I have live, my writings will shed light on the personal story of a 50-something gay black man who, over the years, practiced integration.

Still familiarizing myself with Ipernity, while in the past I have uploaded my Fort Lauderdale images to Flickr I decided before coming down that my July 2008 Fort Lauderdale collection will be featured at Ipernity.

The above image depicts a Capo Di Monte Porcelain Rose that sits on an end table in the apartment of a dear friend whose apartment I always stay at when visiting Fort Lauderdale.

He puchased it in Naples between the years of 1992 and 1994 which was when he worked in Naples.

Perhaps, if it had not been cloudy this afternoon with an appearance of a pending rain and the fact that we were still recovering from a night and afternoon of partying at The Club House II and The Club ... perhaps ... I would have embarked on my ritual Sunday Photo Walk during which time I explore the city or town that I am currently in.

Maybe tomorrow.