September 28, 2007

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Music | You Again by Kate Havenevik

I love my kid so much! I had mentioned more than once that all of the regrets I had in my life before the birth of my child I could easily live with knowing that particular path led her to me. She has brought so much joy, not only to me, but many people she knows and happens to meet. She is an amazing kid with huge amounts of creativity, compassion and love.

Friday afternoons she only has school for half the day. Often, we go on field trips which can cover bike rides, photo excursions where we both shoot, or like today, a trip to the museum. We spent some time out where a huge submarine is docked, hanging out resting from the hours we spent in the museum. She of course could have stayed longer, I was wiped out...

September 27, 2007

When Things Work...

Music | Daughter by Vienna Teng

I had just come back from 2 days of camping with my daughter and her classmates. I wasn't taking a lot of photos, but I did want to photograph the kids and document some of the goings on. I took over 100 images I was looking forward to editing, but when I pulled the card to view the images that I had clearly seen on the camera lcd, there was nothing to view at the computer. This is what constitutes a nightmare for a photographer, especially when there are big jobs coming up within the next few days.

I love the internet! I posted my situation on a forum where photographers gather and hoped to find a solution. I wasn't giving much hope to my dilemma, but fortunately did not re-format that card. Within the hour, one of the members suggested trying Klix. He spoke highly of the product and I was able to download the software for a trial run. The recovery of my corrupted card worked 100%. I was able to retrieve every image after purchasing this saving program.

I'm writing about this product at 1 a.m. because it isn't often a product just works like it says it will. Especially under some dire stress! I had all but given up hope of ever seeing these images, but within minutes, I got everything back and confirmation that my issues was not with the camera itself!

September 21, 2007

visions and vignettes...

Music | A Case of You by Diana Krall

...

The intriguing part is the imagery you bring up with your vague words,
and yet I'm taken in. The vignettes running thru the shadows of my
brain and I barely see the dark table in the corner that you speak of,
quietly talking about the things you wouldn't tell your best friend.
I'm hoping that the Bill Evans song on the juke box in the corner is
the longest song he has ever played because I kind of want this moment
to last...

Paris, Chicago... NY, Tokyo... There are tomorrows and more late
nights in dark booths, but something in this scene, on this evening is
wavering in my soul...

September 20, 2007

A New Discovery...

Music | Ode to Tip by Fred Anderson

When I lived in Chicago, a friend declared that if you could name a neighborhood, I could name a pizza place. Since moving to Portland, I've gotten to know a good amount of cafés, mostly in North Portland, a section of town that is shared with NE, NW, SE and SW Portland. I've lived in NOPO since moving here and have come to be quite comfortable. What was once considered the downtrodded part of the city, NOPO is upping its reputation.

Here is my latest discovery...



The Little Red Bike Café opened up a few weeks ago. Though I've driven past this little treasure, thru a friend of a friend, I decided to stop in. Their lattés are finessed with body, rich in flavor. A basic blue berry muffin satiated my yearnings for something a little sweet. The next day, I came back to test the waters to see if it could be another office away from my office, which didn't quite work out as the place is a bit small. But I got my latté again with a delicious almond croissant. I hear they serve amazing breakfasts over the weekend, which I hope to experience, soon!

September 18, 2007

Scent from the Past...

Music | In The Temple of Hadjarim by John Zorn

Coming up on a year, I wrote about What I Miss. Over the weekend, I had a commission I was working on. It was time to get one of the subjects out to a location for one of the shots. I went into the house to get her but became overwhelmed by a scent of my past. I immediately knew the fragrance of Oscar de la Renta. Long ago, I was with a woman who wore this perfume and I became so passionately in love with the bouquet (the woman didn't work out...), I bought a bottle for myself and just held onto it for decades!

When my subject came out, I just said to her, "Oscar de la Renta". She smiled and was astonished that I knew.

September 17, 2007

Beauty in a cliché...

Music | Six Underground by Sneaker Pimps

I know these shots have been done to death, another cliché in the land of blogs, but, I wanted to show how fantastic my latté came to me earlier today...



btw, this is an example of the basic 50 I talked about earlier. I love this combination!

Outside the Box

Music | Rain by Joey Fehrenback

Sometimes to literally step out of the box, you find interesting subject matter you would otherwise never find.



What is inside, what is outside, what is a reflection and what isn't? Some of the most amazing photos are given to you, but if you aren't open to them, you'll never see them...

State of Relaxation...

Music | Over Our Heads by Zero 7

I was just writing to a friend of mine that I'm in that rare state of being totally relaxed. It's nice to be here and know it because I can appreciate it all the more. I woke up and went thru my usual morning routine, with a work out at the fitness center added. My plan for the day was to edit down 2 commissions while getting out of the office and spend my late morning early afternoon at a café. Here I am listening to great music, having a beautiful latté with an almond croissant that is to die for. I just felt the need to write about this moment, documenting it for me to read later when I'm all stressed out over the inane.

September 07, 2007

DAVE!

Music | Eh Hee by Dave Matthews

For those of you who have iTunes, there is a free video of Dave Matthews latest. Simple in execution, but filled with ideas and concepts. Dare I say a Great Video!

One Observation, One Epiphany

Music | My Mirror by Tina Dico

As we get older, time seems to move faster towards the end. I've found a way to make time slow down... Get on an Eliptical Machine and set it for any amount of time. It will always seem much longer than what you think!

My observation is, There aren't too many things that feel better than anticipation, with the exception of the outcome, especially if it concludes the way you think it will.

September 04, 2007

Basic 50 II

Music | Father Father by Karma

When I write a post, I usually have itunes running or Pandora. My last 2 posts I've been listening to Pandora which is somewhat random. I find it interesting that as I started to write my last post, the name of the song was Daughter. As I started to prepare to write this post, the name of the song was Father Father. I must be running along with the music gods right now and I shall ride it for as long as they allow.

I was looking over more images I shot today. Since I have a child and not a kitten, I've shot hundreds of images of her, often testing this or that, or just because... I have to say I often get a winner out of each occasion I point the lens at her.

So here is another shot to ad to the basic series...



I'm really loving this combination of the 5D and 50mm lens. The more results I see, the more I'm sure I'll fall in love. The photo was shot at f:2.0 at 128th/sec. The fall off of focus is not created, but straight out of the camera. The mojo has landed!!!

Basic 50...

Music | Daughter by Vienna Teng

To begin my series of going back to the basics, I'm using my 50mm lens on a 5D. The beauty of this combination is that you can't get any more simple... one lense, the perspective that closest resembles what the eye sees. Also, it is extremely light and manageable to carry around, whip out and shoot in a moments notice.

My daughter was having a play date with her good friend in the park where I had to pick her up. I brought along the camera and actually slowed her down enough to get this shot.

Square

Music | Pieces Of The Past (For Joseph H. Lewis) by Vandermark 5

I don't even know how long ago it was that I bought this plastic camera called a Holga. You can still buy these cameras for under $30 at most camera stores. They use 120 sized film and because of their "Low" fidelity qualities, the images are often dreamy. I think it was over 2 years ago that I finally bought some film for the camera to shoot. I was planning on shooting the 12 exposures in one late afternoon, but never got around to finishing the roll. So finally, I had good reason to pull that film out to process and see what I had taken. I only remember that I shot mostly in the Cathedral Park area near the St. John's Bridge. A friend's daughter is interested in photography and wanted an unusual camera to take with her while she went to school in Rome. I gladly offered mine as it was just sitting. Well, now that I have seen the fruits of my past labor, I want one again!!! Anyway, here are a few images from that session, 2 years ago...







All images scanned off 5x5 inch prints. No retouching has been done to any of the images...

September 02, 2007

Back to the Basics...

Music | Sentient Compassion by David S. Ware

"Old school, back to the basics, the way things used to be..." As I get older, I use these phrases often enough to realize that I use them often and to the point that I am writing about it now! I don't know what it is about age that pivots our direction back to the past and not so much to the future like when we were younger. Maybe we contemplate more as the world moves faster and faster. My Dad never told me about having to walk 20 miles barefoot, under oppressive heat in the summer and way below freezing and 5 feet of snow in the winter to walk to school everyday, then work 10 hours when he was 7. I don't think I preach, but I do certainly think a lot about making things simple again.

I'm having a difficult time focusing my attention to work on a personal project. I do have a lot of work that I need to catch up on and proceed with my work schedule. However, creativity feeds the mind and I'm not pursuing my personal vision, which at this time seems to have gotten lost.

To find it again, I'm going back to the basics... One camera, one lense, a prime lense, a 35 or 50mm lense. I'm going to shoot portraits, objects, urban decay, industrial abstracts, anything that catches my fancy. I've been doing pretty well lately of setting a plan and sticking to it.

I've been talking to a fellow photographer about shooting more, personal photographs, photos that we take for ourselves, things that have meaning to ME! I'm going Old School like in the days when I was in college. I've written about shooting for the joy of it before, walking the streets, stopping on the side of some back road, discovering art in the most inane places. I look back on images I've done, even within that last 2 years, not so, "The way Things used to be" times. This is recent as well as way back. I look at those images and I get to feel like I was creating again, being a part and capturing life for no other reason other than I felt like hitting the shutter at that very moment to capture a scene within my little view finder.

End Music | Corridors and Parallels by David S. Ware

September 01, 2007

Brother and Sister

Music | I Like It by Moby

 
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