Arri

Music | Life on Mars? by Seu Jorge

I met Arri 2 nights before I asked her to sit for me. She has a face that can change from pose to pose. I saw Claudia Schiffer, Drew Barrymore and Blondie all in the same evening. The great thing about her was that she was so willing to let go and lose herself during the session. I also try and do the same. My goal is to get lost and find my way back. Similar to my last shoot, I had trouble how I was going to light Arri. Though methodical, I ended up positioning my main source that logically looked haphazard. I really love the run off of light from light to dark. How sensual can blackness be?

Anna...

Music | Spring Vibes by Echophlekz

What influences you? If you were a movie, a director, a writer, a country, who or where would they be? I've noticed I have a lot a lot of loves, but they don't always affect my actions as an artist. If I were to create a piece using John Coltrane's, A Love Supreme, what would it look like? I'm starting to ask myself these questions, but formeost, I've been wondering what has been influencing me, lately...

I've been looking at a lot of photography coming out of Eastern Europe, mostly from Poland. The theme coming from there wreaks of imperfection, decadence, raw, but very sensual.

I did a shoot a few weeks ago. I brought my studio lights, and used them for 3/4 of the time I was there. I knew I wasn't getting the light I wanted. I turned them off and just went with the floor lamp bouncing off the ceiling. A little reflector here and there and I got the essence of what I was after...

Evolution...

Music | Build a Fire by Lida Husik

evolution – 1. any process of formation or growth; development

In preparing for a future ongoing project, which I'll divulge as the time to launch nears, I thought it would behoove me to get my personal work going again. In the midst of my commissions from over the summer and into the fall, I hadn't been producing anything for myself. Photography to fill the soul is important to me and I've been thru periods before where years would go by and I had done nothing for myself. I've been in the fortunate position of having quite a few profound discussions regarding art, life and the process of synthesizing the 2.

It hasn't been until relative recent times that I was comfortable enough to entitle myself an artist. Well now I have made some commitments to produce work that is me. From my heart and soul, my desires, dreams and yearning...

As I said, I've got a future ongoing project coming up and I have big shoes to fill. I've started shooting a series, of which I'll be posting soon. I'm excited about the new direction of commitment.

Nothing more to say...

http://www.fishki.net/comment.php?id=26844

Because Kilts are Bad Ass!

Music | Hundred by The Fray

Bonding with Plastic

Music | See the Sun by Dido

What costs $25, is made of 98% plastic and isn't ready to use brand new out of the box? Around the world, there is a cult following that takes pleasure in all of its flaws. You cannot predict in advance, no matter how much you plan and strategize the outcome of your endeavor when you use it.

The Holga camera is far from being a precision instrument. The viewfinder is an approximation of what you might get. There is but 2 shutter speeds and 1 aperture setting. The film chamber leaks of light, unless you tape the seams with black tape. Even the lense is made of plastic. When holding the camera in your hands, the pebble grain finish gives you the sense that you are in fact holding a cheap, Chinese made plastic toy.

I woke up a little early today, to start my routine. There was anticipation in the air as I was going to buy another Holga camera. Since seeing the results of my last Holga that I gave away, I looked forward to getting another. On the heels of needing to come up with some sort of creative jump start, I realized the Holga was going to be my new path.



The idea of using this camera goes beyond going back to basics. But I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with the Holga. I've decided to forage into the next 3 months and shooting with this camera to see what I can come up with. I've got projects all ready in mind that I hope to start very soon.

Roger Bannister

Music | Only Dancing by Flamingo Star

"Once you demonstrate that the jar actually doesn't have a lid on it, people start jumping out left and right."

as found on Seth's Blog

Photographer...?

Music | Moment to Moment by Eric Alexander

an email to a fellow confidant...

So I stopped by my café this morning to get a latté on my way home from driving Dara to school. The owner had brought up a conversation we had when I first met her and how I came to find the café in the first place. I was telling her a client of mine brought up their blog, which opted me to stop in. I remember telling her a client of mine and for some reason, that stuck in my head. I had thought if she had asked, I was going to say that I am a Wedding Photographer. Then, shortly after that thought, it bugged the hell out of me that Wedding Photographer was the first thing that came to my mind. It really bothered me!!! I guess I still have the stigma and negative attitude towards, Wedding Photographer, in the back of my mind. I know and realize that I have been entrenched in weddings for the past 4 months, but what happened to the title of, Photographer?

I know and realize the term, Photographer is used VERY loosely these days. But what has happened where my first response to the question, "What do you do?", comes, "I shoot weddings..." After a brief meeting with my cerebellum, I am first and foremost an Artist, and Photographer. I take those titles as a badge of honor. I've worked my ass off to gain those titles and did not accept those titles until my early 30's. I used to say I work in Photography or I am a Photographer's Assistant... And the title of artist has come much more recently.

I guess I have to work more so as an Artist and Photographer to make that the first choice that comes to my brain...

even more, Old School...

Music | My Foolish Heart by Lin Halliday

My buddy Randy Kepple and I go back almost as long as I have lived in Portland. Our backgrounds for photography are amazingly similar in how we came up thru the ranks and it shows in our appreciation for the finer points of photography. We are similar in age also, so we often have the same view on how photography has changed and how we talk like old veterans and how things used to be.

I took him to Blue Moon Camera a shop where the entire store is dedicated to the use of mechanical film cameras. 8x10, 4x5, Nikons from the 60's, to cameras where the film format has long been forgotten can be had. The real beauty of this place is that it brings back memories from my childhood. I saw a camera similar to what my Dad used to use when I was around 5. These pieces of history still work and show mechanical ingenious, often no longer found these days.

Randy was particularly interested in a beautiful German made medium format camera. The familiar scent of the leather used at the time was like smelling what it must have been like when that camera was made. It is familiar and we know it well. Our appreciation for this tool was apparent. And the thought of resurrecting the old camera I know was tickling in his mind.

I found that all these years, I've lived within a few miles of this great resource that actually has 8x10 film and they also process 8x10 film. This is fantastic news to me as I thought 8x10 film was very difficult to get. I now know I have this option to use my old Century Camera with Kodak lens. Cost will only get more prohibitive, but I hope to at least one more time, shoot with a piece of history.

Old School Revisited, again...

Music | Sweet Thing by Chaka Khan

I was working an event over the weekend where the music was fantastic. I didn't have time during the beginning to hang out and talk with the DJ, but I quickly noticed he was actually spinning vinyl! 2 turn tables and a mixer, though he also had an ipod as well. Like the photography world, DJs are going thru their own transition of leaving behind the analog world. It was so refreshing to see a DJ with crates of records, LPs, vinyl, whatever you want to call them. Watching him do his thing, not only playing music to the crowd, but pulling out the records from the sleeves and mixing the beat from the old song to the new and occasionally even some scratching! (wiki wiki wiki!) And unlike the drones that bring their big amps and speakers with a computer or even just an ipod, this guy obviously had skill. Not just anyone could go back to his booth and do what he was doing.

Though digital has made things a lot easier for people to do a lot more things, there is a point where the pro proceeds to move forward, and leaves behind the hobbiest, wannabee, amateur. Has it come to where only the connoisseur notices the difference in ability and quality and expects, great expectations?