Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A Soccer Story
I played indoor soccer today with my regular group of Mexican dishwashers. They are all in their 20s and all seemed to have been born with soccer balls in their mouths. They are always super welcoming and tolerent of my "style" of play. While they make crisp passes and always know where the ball should go I tend to be more of a bruiser. My wife has watched me play and she finds it odd that I am the only one who seems to be in perpetual motion and tend to be the only one who runs full speed at people when on defense.
Today I was guarding a guy half my age as he shouldered me into the boards on the way to scoring. The next time he crossed in front of the goal I dug an elbow into his kidneys and drove him to the ground. He smiled as I gave him a hand up. He had on a matching blue jersey and shorts from a Mexican pro team and seemed like the guy in high school who always had his pick of girls while I always actually had to talk to them if I hoped to get anywhere.
A few minutes later play stopped suddenly. The head dishwasher came on the field in street clothes and was yelling an inch away from my blue jersyeed friend. They started referring to each other and their friends as the N word. It was not meant as an insult and I was the only one who thought it was strange half guys on the field were lighter skinned than I.
I wanted to make a comment about the healing effect our new president had on the nation. Or maybe a random ,"Can't we all just get along" but thought better of it. Apparently the head dishwasher was accusing my buddy of stealing a cell phone at an earlier game .
Eventually the two moved off to the side and seemed to make up in the end. Back on the field, play resumed and I tried not to get too wide open so it wasn't so obvious that they wouldn't pass to me. The universe was put back into harmony and all was well once more.
Today I was guarding a guy half my age as he shouldered me into the boards on the way to scoring. The next time he crossed in front of the goal I dug an elbow into his kidneys and drove him to the ground. He smiled as I gave him a hand up. He had on a matching blue jersey and shorts from a Mexican pro team and seemed like the guy in high school who always had his pick of girls while I always actually had to talk to them if I hoped to get anywhere.
A few minutes later play stopped suddenly. The head dishwasher came on the field in street clothes and was yelling an inch away from my blue jersyeed friend. They started referring to each other and their friends as the N word. It was not meant as an insult and I was the only one who thought it was strange half guys on the field were lighter skinned than I.
I wanted to make a comment about the healing effect our new president had on the nation. Or maybe a random ,"Can't we all just get along" but thought better of it. Apparently the head dishwasher was accusing my buddy of stealing a cell phone at an earlier game .
Eventually the two moved off to the side and seemed to make up in the end. Back on the field, play resumed and I tried not to get too wide open so it wasn't so obvious that they wouldn't pass to me. The universe was put back into harmony and all was well once more.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Website Changes
I have made a bunch of to the main website. I took out a bunch of the post heavy work and have added a lot of the newer large format pictures.
See changes here.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Stream Trail: A photograph is enough
I shot these two images at a park about a mile from my house in Oakland. There is a path called the stream trail where I go hiking and I shot there last week.
I used to think I had to travel to far away places and then use a lot of post production to make a successful photograph. I think most commercial photographers (and art directors) fall in love with what a retoucher can do and as a result I think a lot of imagery used today in advertising does not connect with its intended audience. Since its inseption photography has had an ability to capture and transmit emotion in a very direct way. By adding the unreal element of retouching the connection between the photograph and viewer is broken and by extention the bond between photographer and audience is broken as well.
Of course I am nor swearing off retouching forever and I know that it has its place and am sure I will use it again soon. It's just that it occurred to me as I was standing in the rain with the same basic tools (a lens, a box and a piece of film ) used by the first photographers, what a gift photography can be. Unadorned and simple. A photograph is enough.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Happiest Place on Earth
I have found the happiest place on earth
I am part of a community that really gets me
I can say anything without fear of judgement or reprisal
I am accepted by people who would normally not take my calls or have blocked my email address in the past
I can engage in behavior that previously has been characterized as strange or "stalking" (whatever that means)
Everyone is always in a good mood and is witty, charming and never incontinent or flatulent
Where is this utopia?
Here.
I am part of a community that really gets me
I can say anything without fear of judgement or reprisal
I am accepted by people who would normally not take my calls or have blocked my email address in the past
I can engage in behavior that previously has been characterized as strange or "stalking" (whatever that means)
Everyone is always in a good mood and is witty, charming and never incontinent or flatulent
Where is this utopia?
Here.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
CTWWWTB
TA calling me out on this blog:
"Just reminds me how totally lame it is that you abandoned that potentially rich project just because someone frowned at it at Review Santa Fe.
This was your opportunity to do something great.
What's going on with "Closer To Where We Want To Be?" Are you going to revisit this way of seeing?"
I think Review Santa Fe was an incredibly intense and productive experience for me. I came out with the understanding that the series did not hold together as a coherent body of work and that I needed to start over.
When I tried to explain to the reviewers that I was trying to divorce the imagery from content and make pictures that dealt more indirectly with feelings of alienation and loneliness regardless of what the camera was pointed at -I was met with almost universal confusion.
In addition , after spending many hours looking at the work of my fellow attendees it became clear how far my work had to go before I could even call it a project. It lacked a clear cohesive structure.
I learned a lot while working on CTWWWTB. I learned how I wanted to deal with space within the frame, what kind of light and color I am interested in and the emotion I want to communicate. Now all that is left to decide is what to shoot.
I have been sidetracked by the Florida pictures, making a living, raising a family , the office project and most recently by Sunday Morning. But I have not forgotten about what I learned at Review Santa Fe. Soon I will take out the big camera and sit and wait for that sliver of light and time and will once again try and make something out of nothing.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sunday Morning #2
Shot another version of this series I am working on . This time with Archibald dream team member Suzy Poling as the model.
Friday, December 12, 2008
APA Party and hiding in plain sight
I went to the Annual APA party last night. I spent most of the night dodging vendors trying to sell me stuff I didn't want to buy. I limped around the cavernous space doing laps among the different rooms.
Earlier in the week I started playing pickup soccer after a 20 year hiatus and was pretty sore.
On the first day I felt like I was going to pass out after 20 minutes and after 30 I thought I might throw up . I stepped off the field and onto the side walk looking for a secluded place between the cars in case I needed it. After a few minutes I felt better and went back in the game.
"You back for good this time?" The leader asked.
"For sure. I haven't played for 20 years and am doing my best."
These same guys played twice a week and I knew if I quit they wouldn't let me play again. But if I kept running at full speed for another 40 minutes I wasn't going to make it.
Gasping , I went up to a big heavy set guy and asked him, "This guys is a maniac. No breaks!"
"You've got to find a place to be on the field where you can catch your breath" he replied.
"Hide me. You"ve got to hide me. I think I'm going to die."
"I usually hide in the goal but you've got to wait your turn."
Eventually I learned the best place to hide was to make sure I was as far away as possible from the ball at all times. That way there was never a foward to be guarded or a ball to be chased down.
The next time I played I only limped for 24 hours
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday Morning
Here are couple scans of contact sheets from the other day. I need to pick another image for Archive and am leaning towards the shot with rain gear.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Quick Editorial Shoot Before Turkey Meets His Maker
Photo/SirFenn
Today we shot a quick editorial job before Thanksgiving. I asked the subject to wear dark clothing and the PR woman said she would go shopping. I figured she would just go to the employee gift shop and pick up a black t-shirt. Instead she and an assistant went on a Pailin like shopping spree. The subject liked none of it for the photograph and insisted on wearing his own grey suit. As we were starting to pack he threw on a sports coat she had bought for him. We all agreed it fit perfectly and hung on him like Corinthian Leather . We shot a few frames and sent him on his way. He packed up the jacket and sweaters she bought and headed out ladened down with swag. It was like that last day Woolworth's was in business and people grabbed what they could off the shelves. It turns out the jacket was made with baby cashmere and cost $7000.
There is a whole world out there I know nothing about.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Today we shot a quick editorial job before Thanksgiving. I asked the subject to wear dark clothing and the PR woman said she would go shopping. I figured she would just go to the employee gift shop and pick up a black t-shirt. Instead she and an assistant went on a Pailin like shopping spree. The subject liked none of it for the photograph and insisted on wearing his own grey suit. As we were starting to pack he threw on a sports coat she had bought for him. We all agreed it fit perfectly and hung on him like Corinthian Leather . We shot a few frames and sent him on his way. He packed up the jacket and sweaters she bought and headed out ladened down with swag. It was like that last day Woolworth's was in business and people grabbed what they could off the shelves. It turns out the jacket was made with baby cashmere and cost $7000.
There is a whole world out there I know nothing about.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
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