November 29, 2006

What I Miss...

Music | Must be Dreaming by Frou Frou

I'm sitting at a newer café I'm starting to frequent and am enjoying the new digs. A change is always a good thing, keep moving, keep experiencing something new. I'm not sure if this is a Portland thing, but I just noticed women here don't often wear a scent. It came to me suddenly when a petite, attractive woman who just took a seat nearby and is wearing a very familiar scent. They say aroma is the strongest sense which often brings back memory the clearest. The moment she sat, the waft of the familiar hit me strongly. For some reason though, I'm only reminded that I just know this scent, but cannot place it. I feel good though, so I know it comes from a good place.

It is just heavier than the air that it shares in this space. Only when someone comes thru the door and when she moves my way can I get another whiff. It is Cathy who wore this same scent! Now I remember. She worked in the same studio that I worked in, way back, a long time ago. She wore this scent the same way, light and airy, almost subconscious.

Nice...

Life

And randomly the times of modernity does work. This was thoughtfully sent by a woman I've never personally met, but have known now for a few years...

A wonderful Message by George Carlin (Whose wife died recently):

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but
shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years
to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but
have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered
outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better
things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small
character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of
two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These
are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.../

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares?

George Carlin


I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.
~Bob Dylan

November 27, 2006

Portraits of power | FORTUNE

Music | Medley: Stardust, I Can't Get Started, Lover Man by Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet

Portraits of power | FORTUNE


Albert Watson... I don't need to say anything else.

November 26, 2006

More Movie Stills...

Music | Beauty is a Rare Thing by Ornette Coleman










Last Life on the Universe 2003 Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
The Project 2006 Ted Mishima
Monsoon Wedding 2001 Mira Nair

November 21, 2006

Beauty in the Breakdown

Music | Lots of Frou Frou

After seeing Garden State for the first time a few days ago, I have to say the soundtrack to that movie is just great! I all ready had In the Waiting Line by Zero 7 and Lebanese Blond by Thievery Corporation. There are others songs on that album that are impressive as well, but what really got me going was Frou Frou's song. I had that song stuck in my head for days and I finally went searching for it. But no where could I find anything about Beauty in the Breakdown. With the exception of some band from Everett, WA., nothing... Towards the end of the day and maybe my fifth try, turns out I got the title wrong... Idiot? ...yes. So the title of the song is Let Go. The album, Details, is 4 years old. There is so much great music out there! Anyway, as I finish this last sentence, I'm playing Let Go for like the 10th time since I got it a earlier this afternoon...

November 17, 2006

So Long...

Music | I Miss You by Julia Messenger


My access to the Studio is soon coming to an end... I'm disappointed that I did not take advantage of it more than I did.

November 14, 2006

Investors Zoom in on Photography...

(Fortune Magazine) -- If you had wandered into the New York location of Christie's auction house in 1996, you could have purchased a print of Helmut Newton's "Two Pairs of Legs in Black Stockings, Paris" for about $2,300.

Then you could have spent the next decade eating, sleeping or lounging beneath the image of two models wearing only black lingerie and black spiky heels.

Had you decided to sell that 1979 photograph at Christie's for $38,400 (as its owner did last month), you would have enjoyed better price appreciation than a comparable investment in an S&P 500 index fund, General Electric stock, or ten-year Treasury bonds. And Newton isn't the only photographer whose prices are on the rise.


... more

November 12, 2006

The act of cultivating...

Music | Time is a Healer by Eva Cassidy

A few important things happened to me today... along with the exercise below, I went awry of my usual solutions to lighting and took the advice of Sean Kernan. I've kept things pretty simple for a long time. As described earlier, and in musical terms, I decided to expand on my "one note lighting" to something with more layers and sophistication. I didn't let my frustration stop me from pushing my "experiment" to only fall back on old faithful. I felt confident that I could follow up with something different for me. EA was my subject for "100" and also sat for me for a portrait. I had a great time working things out. I've accumulated enough tools for quite a bit of unusual lighting, but I kept the simplicity aspect in check. All these years shooting, I'm again realizing some things need and take time. Lessons are being learned, again...


100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, or...

Music | Carrion by Fiona Apple

100 exposures with a normal lense, set wide open with the focus racked to minimum distance. Photograph one subject and no matter what, you can't change the focus. This was the learning assignment I took on and I know there is wisdom in these photos. The idea is to give up all of your technique, "your usual solutions", to form new ones. I wish I could record my brain as I was shooting these 100 exposures. These are just a few images edited out...


and horizontals...

November 09, 2006

S L O W D O W N ! ! !

Down Shift to 1st

...more Schoolhouse Supplies

Music | Les Nuit by Nightmares on Wax

I'm conscious of the fact that clients that hire many photographers often get the same results, which leads to monotony. The first time I was asked to shoot an event for Schoolhouse Supplies I was very aware of that fact and decided to deliver everything in Black and White.

The beauty of shooting with SHS is that there often is no agenda, other than documenting what is going on during the event. This time I decided to work with lots of contrast and deliver the images as squares, a form which has been lost since photography has gone digital.



What makes these types of shoots so enjoyable for me is getting something out of context. AA, one of the employees is actually discussing some facts about SHS with some of the guests. This shot however looks like it could have come out of a movie.

November 08, 2006

Random 10

1. Bondade e Maldade (Yoruba Soul Mix by Osunlade Album Version) by Cesaria Evora
2. If I Were A Bell by Mark Murphy
3. Monaco by Kenny Dorham
4. Boplicity by Miles Davis
5. A Y by Albert Ayler
6. The Freedom Suite - Movement 1 by David S. Ware
7. Christmas Song by Dave Matthews
8. Love for Sale by Cannonball Adderley
9. A Night Like This by The Cure
10. It Don't Have to Change by John Legend

November 07, 2006

Collaborating...

Music | Walking on Fire by Evolution/Jayn Hanna

It been a long time since I've had any collaborations with anyone. It has been either a very lonely or independent last few years.

I made a huge step the other day in starting a brochure for my business. It is one of probably a thousand things I need to do to make a move to the next level. Collaboration is not the right word for this post, as my counterpart gets absolutely nothing out of the deal... I'm writing copy to describe what I do, what I offer and why you should hire me. My good friend Tim M. gracefully put sentences together for me to more eloquently get my message across. He knows me, and has an idea of what I want to communicate.

I bitch and moan about photographer wanna bees taking photos and bringing down the level of photography and yet, I try to write my own words, where clearly, I am no writer. My bad...

November 04, 2006

2046

I came across some stills from one of my favorite films...









November 02, 2006

Ramblings...

Music | A whole lotta John Coltrane

I'm up early this morning... I had a rare and brief burst of brilliance (at least in my head) and came up with some copy for a brochure I'm putting together for myself. I'm using a template design, but at this point, having the ability to work on something for myself is a lot more than I've done in awhile. I will have a very nice brochure to start sending out to prospective clients, something I've never done. Marketing genius... Not.

I've had some great dialog with a few other creatives this week. Joni is a fantastic photographer who is always shooting. I think she is the most prolific shooter I know. She has been playing around with some wireless flash and expanding her repertoire. This leads me to an article I read about comparing music and light. I think I have a decent understanding of light and how it works. Simplicity has always been a mainstay in everything I do. But a quote, that read something like, "Expand your abilities to more than a 1 note lighting scheme..." got me to thinking. John Coltrane, a giant among jazz musicians has had his music described as Sheets of Sound. Listening to his music, you can just see a rain of notes coming out of his sax, and yet there is a cohesive bond where out comes some sophisticated sound. It is the first time where I was able to see music, much in the same way we feel light. So anyway, having the inspiration of Joni and this quote of expanding your abilities in the back of my mind, I pulled out a few flashes and tried to work them wirelessly as well. Simple, but new for me, another approach...



Time for my morning café. Ciao...

Rock Star Angel...

 
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