Will Knott

This photo was taken on Monday. Wednesday’s cold snap and sleet has turned this rose in to a browning collection of former petals. Yup folks, winter is back.

take care,
Will Knott

Dear Grannymar,

I don’t want you getting lonely, so would you like a toyboy to keep you company. One you can actually play with?

Meet Tommy. He’s a bit flash and a little slow… oh sorry that should be “he’s a bit of Flash“, and he’ll take more poking than a facebook account. He also seems to be allergic to shirts. Tommy is the “breast awareness guy“; the focus of a special website and starring in a tongue-in-cheek video which is also on YouTube (and embedded below).

The point of the video and the site is to teach you how to examine yourself for breast cancer (which also effects men, so its not quite as silly as it seem), and if you donate via his site he (OK, a server in Cancer Research UK) will send you an exclusive digital desktop calender featuring photos of Tommy. Shirtless naturally.

I wonder if the Irish Cancer Society would do something similar?

OK, its a little less pink than usual, but it almost fits the bill for Pink for October in Ireland.

take care,
and don’t play too hard,
Will Knott

Rebecca Lipkin tells her story about breast cancer.

Simply and boldly told. Slightly surprising given the source.

take care,
Will Knott

Well its very early in the morning and I’ve finally gotten around to changing the theme of the site for Pink for October.

The new theme is called PINKatic [download link], its a child theme of the Thematic theme designed by Pat Dryburgh.

I’ve just had to hack the php and the css to get things right, but let me know what you think. It will be gone by the end of the month.

take care.
Will Knott

Yesterday I blogged about the obstacles with doing the pink portraits event as a way to raise funds as an Irish twist on the internet’s Pink for October.

Image via Wikipedia

However the words of the worlds most unlikely guru, Pat Phelan of MaxRoam came to me.

When asked about doing a business idea he said “Just [effin] do it”. (I’m censoring)

The application has been dropped in. I’m waiting for PinkForOctoberIreland.org to resolve. I might end up meeting the four horseman of the internet, but I’m going to do it.

It may end up being a small quite pairing off of photographers and models rather than an officially sanctioned flash mob of people getting wonderful portraits taken, then those prints get donated to the Irish Cancer Society shop for display and sale. But something is going to happen.

Want to help?

Want to join in?

If this is unofficial, I want photographers and willing models. If you want to be part of this, then comment below, and I’ll contact you when the site is ready to accept people. While I’m looking at making this a sanctioned and not illegal event on September 20 2008 (I’m trying to get the use of Daunt Square as it is almost beside the Irish Cancer Society shop on Castle Street, the collection would make a great photosynth), there is nothing to stop a blind date between a photographer and a model. The web site will allow that.

You don’t have to be in Cork. If you are willing to create an event (and ask your town/city/conty council for permission. Do it. This is a charity event (where no money changes hands at the event) so it possible that the authorities will permit it. If you are willing to briefly pair up, (I can see more photographers agreeing than models) then something a little less official is always possible (blind date style). However a local organiser or administrator or coordinator is needed.

Even if approval is not given, its an excuse for a photowalk.

Don’t get mad: Volunteer.

If you’re willing to help out with a Joomla based site: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to pose for a photoblogger and then buy a print of that session from an Irish Cancer Society shop: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to take portraits of the above volunteers, modify the shots, create prints and donate them to an Irish Cancer Society shop: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to organise a meeting of photographers and models: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’ve been touched by cancer and are willing to be interviewed by a blogger : Comment below and volunteer (or blog about it yourself).

If you want to see a difference, you need to make  difference.

Let’s see if we can change the world,
Will Knott

update September 3 2008. The 2008 Pink for October Ireland portraits won’t be happening. Details in this post.

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Dear photobloggers. I want you to do something. Raise cash for the Irish Cancer Society!

Most of you are at least aware of the internet phenomena that is Pink for October. This is a breast cancer awareness programme, where websites and blogs go pink for the month, and photobloggers show pink photos for the month.

However, it occurred to me that the one thing this internet outreach does not do is actually help cancer charities. So lets fix this.

Last time I was in Cork city I called in here…

my local Irish Cancer Society shop. I’m not sure if the Castle Street shop in cork city is unusual, but they tend to have big window displays. So I chatted with the manager (nice lady) about making a window display using pink photos for October. In Cork, the Jazz festival will have its own display, but since she hadn’t planned anything from the start of the month until the festival, she is willing to display the photos.

However it might be worth going one better… donate the photos to the charity not just for display, but to be sold and raise money for the charity.

And while photos of pink objects might sell, portraits will sell, to the subject at least.

My plan is to go to the streets of Cork with model release forms and approach people wearing pink (anything pink from a splash of pink lipstick, to a pink bow in the hair or a pink tie). Explain to the subject why I’m taking the photos and if they would be willing to pose and (under no obligation) buy the photo (I’m thinking €5 at most) from the Cancer charity shop and have the photo displayed online. With a bit of publicity I suspect there would be volunteers lined up on the streets.

Personally I would like to perform a selective colourisation on the photograph so that its a black and white photo with only the pink coloured, but that isn’t a requirement.

Then in the middle of September, present the collection of A4 printouts to the charity shop for display and sale.

So what am I asking you to do?

1. Go to your nearest Cancer Charity shop (In Ireland it’s the Irish Cancer Society, I’m not sure what it is in Northern Ireland let alone the rest of the world)
2. Ask the manager of that shop if he or she would be willing to accept the donation of photographs as part of the “Pink for October Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign“, display and sell the photos. You might have to explain the Pink for October story and that model release forms will be produced.
3. Take the photographs. Print the photographs. Yes some time and expense will be involved. Anything worth doing involves a bit of an outlay.
4. If you wish, do put some identifying marks (like a web address to the online version of the photo) on the printouts. A Pink for October logo and link should also be included.
5. Present the photographs (and at least offer the release forms) on (or around) Friday September 19 2008 to the charity shop so that the manager has time to display the photographs. (I can see Kilkenny photoblogers being a little later if they want to include a Podcamp Ireland photowalk)

So, is this a dumb idea?

At the moment I’m looking for a little help with this. Could you help me with…

• Commitment to join in. You have over two months to do something this year
• The wording for the model release form. I’m not sure how it should be worded and what details are required.
• Would I (or anyone else doing the street portraits) need a licence of some kind? If so where and how would I go about getting one?
• While I’m willing to print out my photos myself, does anyone know of a willing printer?
• Anything else I should know about?

Happy snapping,
Will Knott

update September 3 2008. The 2008 Pink for October Ireland portraits won’t be happening. Details in this post.

pink11 bags
Originally uploaded by cork_host

Well it’s pink for October, and its for Breast Cancer. Supervalu are selling these “pocket” sized bags for the Irish Cancer Society.