Get Ready

I hope I am as meticulous as I start selecting images for a new portfolio...

photos

After receiving some voice of grievance about not having posted photos from my G5 from one of my contemporaries, as I promissed, I went out this afternoon and walked a part of the industrial areas of the city.





The G5 has amazingly good detail in the shadows, though noisy to say the least. The full res file is reminicent of Tri-X, even though the file was shot at iso 200. The camera itself is just a joy to use. The ergonomics works, and all important controls are easily accessible.

The Hotel sign I found weeks ago while scouting for a location for another shoot. I can't imagine how old it is, but it looks like it has been there for many decades.

I love the ladder shot, though obvious with it's symbolism. I think we all have been in situations where our goals seem out of reach.

Spur of the moment

Having some down time between ceremony and reception, I had lots of time to "play" with my clients. I've been on a roll with Isolation Portraits, where I find or create a simple, nondescript background and shoot. Out of context, the bride, groom or whomever I photograph becomes a description of the person and less about an event. The location where we were at for the reception had these beautiful panels. From a distance, the feel was of metal and rust. As it was, the shot I knew was a keeper when I hit the shutter. With some additional techniques, I came up this...

Moving on...

David S Ware, a critically acclaimed Sax player making his way since the early 70's talks about his life briefly in his biography on his website. Knowing how important it is to keep up with the times and view the changes not only in our industry, but the world itself and with the over indulgence of what the internet has to offer, I was hit with a description of Mr. Ware about developing as an artists...

Rather than compromise his musical vision, Ware chose to be patient. "I drove a cab for 14 years. I stayed out of the scene until I was ready to do my thing."

Driving a cab in the NYC area! Dedication like this can easily be called lunacy, but I respect his point of view. His early contemporaries have moved on to be giants in their own right, but thru it all, Ware stuck to his guns and is creating music of depth and passion and is unlike the songs of complacency.

I'm sure Mr. Ware had his demons to deal with, but if he spent much of his time bitching and griping about "Complacency", I don't think he would be putting out the music he has and is. Choose your battles well, otherwise your sure to loose everytime.

I take heed in the wisdom of Mr. Ware and his views of a developing artist. Here is to moving forward...

Choke / Do You Know this Man?

Yesterday, I got to photograph this gentleman of World Renown. I didn't know much about him, but as I did my homework, I became more mesmerized, and beginning to get a little intimidated. I was told I was only going to have a very short amount of time with him to photograph, and unfortunetely, that stuck in my head. I lost my focus and just let the gentleman take the lead. He followed direction well, and had I listened to my surroundings, I would have known he was giving me all the time I needed. But my focus was time and not "MY" photograph.

I'm happy with this shot, but I know I could have done much better. As I drove home, all the ideas that would normally have a clear path to my brain, came rushing thru. The chance to photograph him won't be happening any time soon, if in this lifetime again. His good naturedness, location, all seemed to line up for perfection, but I lamed out.



This evening, I went to the hall to hear him play. I was thinking about all the people who came to see him and how they knew this man inside out. How they looked upon him the way I would look at Coltrane or Mingus. Out of the blue, here I get the chance to not only to photograph him, but meet him and talk to him. Being a photographer can be cool, and so much cooler when you don't lose your head...

Aging and the slow demise

After 11 years, I saw a good friend of mine from the days back in the hood. Our lives are so different from what they once were. Besides the fact that we both put baby fat in fashion again, it was very nice to be reminded of our lives removed from 11 years ago.

We had a wonderful Thai dinner at Typhoon with great conversation reminiscing about the past and future. Todd has been with Cindy for the past 8 years, and there is often banter about the fact that she is 8 years his senior. When I pulled out my ipod to show some photos, Cindy pulled out the reading glasses. We both had a good laugh at her expense. Later, Todd pulled out his drivers license because Cindy insisted that the photo was not him. The photo was taken years ago, when we both were at least 30 pounds lighter. I guess the strain I was showing, trying to read the license prompted Cindy to give me her reading glasses. I insisted it was the light. I could not believe that all of the sudden, I could read everything on the card, regardless of the light, or size of the lettering. I bet if I looked with a little effort, I'd be able to read thru the card! All of the sudden, I was facing a head on collision with the train of aging.

First my back, then my knees and other joints, but I could live with those. I haven't been working out and if I did, my little maladies would go away. But at the flick of my wrist, twisting the glasses on and off, I saw reality and a reality with a crutch. I always felt proud that all my siblings, including my parents wore glasses by their teens. Without admitting, I am much older than being a teen and lived without having to wear glasses all this time. My dominance of being on that thrown is tumbling down.

I think Cindy felt a little bad about being the one to bring on this epiphany. While it is true that I will tell this story for years to come, I can't think of a better situation of finding that time does move on and waits for no one. Great friends, great food and drink, and the always creeping slow demise...
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#1

...and here is my first processed photo with the G5. It is going to take me awhile to get used to the controls. Though my fingers are not Johnny on the Spot, yet, I know this camera will be easy to learn.

G5

I've wanted this camera for even longer than I've wanted my slr I'm been shooting with. Because I thought it was more of a novelty of owning the G5, I never thought I'd be able to justify having one. Not that this camera is at all a toy, but I couldn't use it for work. But with some timely ebay sales and finding this unit on ebay for a great price, I have it in my hands today.

I've coveted the G5 since the day it came out. With its nostolgic shape of cameras of old, the beautiful black body and the fast lens, I really wanted one. Though the G5 has been replaced by a more organically shaped G6, putting out bigger file sized image, the G5 was always the camera for me. It is not much of a compact point and shoot. It is also a little heavy for its size. But the feel of this camera in my hands may be the closest thing I'll ever get to shooting with a Leica M3. Yeah, I know there are no comparisons to the 2 cameras, but it is my fantasy.

I hope to carry this camera with me as often as I can and photograph whatever that interests me. It is small enough where people won't take me too seriously. I tried carrying my slr with me for months, and though I had it with me quite a bit, it became a production just taking the beast out of the bag.

Anyway, here is a photo of my used/new camera...



Hopefully I'll be posting lots more photos!