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Fashion myself a reinvention

2010-10-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have been frustrated lately.

Creatively, I’m not going anywhere; my photographs are stale, they say little about myself or humanity. So, for the next two months, I will shoot with disposable film cameras.

The inspiration for this project comes from Torsten Kjellstrand’s Cycle Oregon 2010 iPhone pictures. He writes:

[B]ecause the camera is so simple, so limited, I had to MAKE these photos…I had to look a little harder and think a little harder and live with a little more failure.

In form with this, my idea is to forget about trivial matters like shutter speed, f-stop, ISO, color balance. The goal is to embrace a simple tool, accept the uncontrolled, and re-learn photography as a medium of communication.

I have no clear subject or content at the moment, no vision. I plan on always having a camera by my side, to shoot what’s most interesting, most important, to find visual evidence of self and others in the everyday.

More to come.

Old Material, Pt. 7

2010-09-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

Old Material, Pt. 6

2010-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Inspiration, Pt. 1

2010-09-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Driftless: Stories From Iowa

by Danny Wilcox Frazier

Great use of multimedia. Beautiful black & whites. Strong narratives. All-around, good.

US Troops in Wardak

by Adam Ferguson

Ferguson shows the quiet, everyday as well as the violent moments. Very strong story, and well shot at that. He has a removed, observant style that gives the viewer a good sense of what’s happening without over-complicating things.

Patagonian Cowboys

by Mustafah Abdulaziz

Short and sweet, Abdulaziz’s Patagonian Cowboys tells the viewer all they need to know without superfluous images. Very lovely black and whites, the contrast and edits are always perfect.

Fault Lines: Turkey East West

by George Georgiou

Looking here and there, Georgiou effortlessly moves through Turkey, providing physical evidence of important social issues.

Three

by Ed Kashi

Kashi cleverly pairs three of his images. It’s fun to see little stories play across the frames.

Pets On Parade

by Landon Nordeman

Nordeman has a unique way of seeing: his subjects are telling, his compositions layered interesting and layered.

Old Material, Pt. 5

2010-09-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Old Material, Pt. 4

2010-08-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Old Material, Pt. 3

2010-08-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

Inksie Shop Launch!

2010-08-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

You may not know this, but I work as a Creative Director at the design and culture brand Inksie. We’re launching our online shop in the next few days, so be sure to check it out.

In the meantime, you can see our landing page with some content and info on the brand and a countdown to the site launch (designed by yours truly).

Old Material, Pt. 2

2010-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

All My Favorite Frames…

2010-08-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Are trash.

I’m sorting, sorting, sorting last summer’s project. It goes like this:

Drop 600 frames in a folder.
Find the best ones.
Put ’em in a contact sheet in InDesign.
Decide the “best” ones really don’t tell any story at all.
Throw them away.
Repeat.

Take this picture, for instance. I find it poetic, an allusion to work, time and humanity – notice the faint boot-prints. (The serpentine curves are from a electric cable that sat in one spot long enough to show gathered dust.) The color isn’t too bad, either. It’s a nice stand-alone, but doesn’t work with any other frames from the story.

This is the most bothersome thing, I’m finding, when trying to get pictures to speak in unison, tell a story, do something together. It’s frustrating to no end, because all my favorite frames won’t make the cut.

Editing for story is a grand adventure. You paint characters, you are cinematographer and screenwriter. You can’t get too attached to anything, your story will be better for it. But, be an artist: create, find something good. Run with it.

I say this not knowing what, exactly, I’m doing. Ah, but, isn’t it fun?

Annex Sort.

2010-08-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

Sorting through some old material.

Old material.

2010-08-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

No Idea Who This Is…

2010-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Editing material from last summer, I came upon this bloke. No idea who this is, where this was taken.

I don’t care much for the frame, our smoker’s slit eyes don’t say much, except, perhaps, that he’s enjoying his smoke. He’s cheeky about it, too: “Look at how cool I am, smoking.”

But, it demonstrates a point. A good friend told me I need get closer to subjects. “I want to see pores.” I’m always so removed. This is a step in the right direction, but closer – closer still. Something to work on.

Art Direction

2010-08-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Working on some art direction for Inksie. I like to write out thoughts before moving to the computer. Hand-drawn type is also fun. (Click for a larger, better view.)

Print Shop

2010-08-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

From a shoot at a print shop. More here.

Not Your Mom’s Pictures

2010-08-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sorting through some old stuff.

PDX by Night

2010-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Impromptu Fútbol Match

2010-08-02T19:00:00.001-07:00

Geese V. Car

2010-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Seattle, Briefly

2010-08-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Good Light

2010-07-31T15:30:00.001-07:00

Inksie’s Juice

2010-07-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

I helped make this piece for Inksie’s Juice, a free playlist available online. I’ve never worked with texture, so it was interesting to experiment with digital and analog means.

Recent Images

2010-07-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

Back-logged

2010-07-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

I think it’s been a month since I’ve edited a single picture. Here are some not-so-recent images from when my brother visited. Cheers.

Recent Pics

2010-06-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Up The Gorge!

2010-06-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

A few friends and I went up a cold, little river.

Golden Hour

2010-05-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

This is easily the best picture I’ve taken in months.

Website Work

2010-05-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on some design concepts. Busy, busy.

Sans Persone

2010-05-21T01:46:00.000-07:00

Here’s some recent compositional studies. The evening light has been fantastic lately.

Solid Rock’s The Way Event

2010-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Below are some images from last week’s The Way event at Solid Rock. It was a difficult but fun event to shoot. Enjoy!

Portland May Day Protests

2010-05-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

Thousands gathered in the downtown Portland’s Park blocks on May 1st to rally for immigrant rights.
“Do not fuck with the immigrant.”

This image sums up the entire rally.
The crowd chanted, “Sí, se puede.” (Yes, you can)

It was an all-ages event.

Solid Rock: 24 April

2010-04-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Volunteers set up equipment for Saturday services.

Volunteers ready equipment while the band warms up.

We had a chance to explore the upper areas of the church.

Ben climbs down from the bell tower.
Spencer, Ben, Brett and Shawn explore First Baptist’s roof.
Volunteers prepare snack platters in the kitchen.
One spot in particular has nice light during the first service.
Pastor John Mark Comer reads from Mark 12:28.

Compact Logo

2010-04-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

I worked on a logo with Dave LaChasse tonight. Check her out:

Compact is a pithy short-form blog with a focus on literature and the arts. We’ll plan and design the site next.

Solitary Moment

2010-04-21T02:38:00.000-07:00

I’m sorting through some recent Solid Rock images. This frame is from a small gathering on Monday night. It’s a solitary moment, something atypical.

Recent Pictures

2010-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Russ & Noel
Russ, Painter
Robby, Pioneer Square
A homeless person and a bank

Chopstick II: Study

2010-04-13T01:14:00.001-07:00

Found!

2010-04-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

After a night of searching on the Oregon Coast, Rachel finds her car key.

Group Hug

2010-04-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

John, Ben and Ryan hug Nate on a warm Spring afternoon.

Monday Protests

2010-03-31T01:47:00.000-07:00

Demonstrators gathered at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland, OR on Monday evening to protest against recent police shootings.
Demonstrators break through a police horse barrier at the intersection of Columbia and SW 9th Ave in downtown Portland.
Demonstrators ran through a street late Monday evening in downtown Portland, OR. Police forces contained the demonstrators for several hours.
A resident photographs demonstrators outside her building on Columbia and SW 9th Ave in downtown Portland.
Police officers carried zip-ties, handcuffs and pepper spray.
Approximately 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland, OR Monday evening to protest recent police shootings.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland, OR Monday evening to protest recent police shootings.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland, OR Monday evening to protest recent police shootings.

Some Driving

2010-03-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

A mountain pass on Wyoming’s I-80 was nearly covered in snow early Saturday morning.
My parents’ trusty Honda made the approximately 1300 mile trip without any hang-ups.
The Saturday sunset in Utah along I-84 was more stunning in person.
Eh, why not…
Refueling just outside of Rupert, Idaho.
A dreary Sunday morning on I-84 in Oregon.
I stopped by Vineyard Christian to see my good friend Adam Rothrock (the man with the guitar on stage).

Evening Thoughts

2010-03-26T23:19:00.001-07:00

My father’s colleague invited us to her home for dinner. The men talked religion and politics; the women looked through family pictures. Afterwords we drove through Denver.

Denver’s great. The city has a lot to offer: interesting places, entertainment, sports, etc.

My parents’ two-bedroom apartment is in Parker, Colorado. Parker is Squareville. It’s a bedroom community filled with tightly packed, replicate homes and condos. Denver’s professionals (along with cat, dog and the kids) quietly waste away in Parker. The houses all look the same, the roads are ridiculously wide and it smells like ass. It’s suburbia on acid – without the acid.

There is a length of bike path that meanders through neighborhoods, parks and what remains of a wilderness. I went for a run – I promised myself I would train once in Colorado – and I heard animals yelping. I even saw the silhouette of a coyote running against the white snow. It served as an interesting contrast to the rigid civility of the surrounding community.

Everything is packed. We leave tomorrow at 9:00 am.

Some Moving

2010-03-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Alright, chaps. By sheer luck there’s an unprotected wireless network around my parents’ apartment. Here’s some images:

Colorado had a storm on Wednesday that deposited 6 to 8 inches of snow.
The restrooms at Denver International Airport double as tornado shelters.
Moving.

My mum.

Denver-Bound

2010-03-26T00:43:00.000-07:00

I leave Portland for Denver tomorrow morning.

Last July I helped my parents move to Parker, CO, a suburb 20 miles outside of Denver. They’ve decided to move back to Oregon, so I’m flying out to help them pack.

View Larger Map

I have a one-way ticket; I’ll be driving their Honda Civic back. I plan on updating my Twitter regularly, and I’ll upload photos when I get back on Monday.

Daily Diptych Launches!

2010-03-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Maggie Hudson and I (finally) launched our collaborative photography project, Daily Diptych. Every day we make a photographic diptych from our images. We each select a picture from the day at random. She’s on the right, I’m on the left.

We put a lot of time into the project. I spent evenings and weekends sketching logos and drafting website compositions. Countless hours were logged in Portland coffee shops (mostly Backspace) talking about the project.

We both want to see how far the project will go. Current talk: social media presence, press releases, gallery showings and a year-end book.

The current design is rudimentary; we simply wanted to put something up and showcase our work. We’re planning for a bigger and better version in the near future. In the meantime, check out our work and follow us on Twitter.

Blur of Activity

2010-03-21T11:08:00.001-07:00

These last few days have been, well, hectic. The week was a blur of activity and, of course, photos.

My parents are moving from Colorado to Oregon. I’ll fly out, pack a U-Haul and start driving back to Oregon.

Aside from work, here’s what the next few days look like:

Monday: Solid Rock project (Tony’s house church)

Tuesday: Solid Rock project (Jeff’s house church)

Wednesday: Late dinner with Sam

Thursday: Dinner date

Friday: Fly to Colorado

Saturday: Pack, drive

Sunday: Driving

Monday: More driving

Saturday Concert, Pt. 1

2010-03-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

I shot a little concert on Saturday. More images to come.

Dave and Mel versus Mel and Dave

2010-03-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

A little fun diptych, from the backseat.

Layouts & Compositions

2010-03-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to sketch some layouts for the Daily Diptych project. I’m not especially excited about any of the compositions, but they’re slowly moving in the right direction.

Functionality is undergoing some changes: focus is on the diptychs, and navigation must be robust. I would like to build in keyboard functionality so left and right arrows navigate forward and backward through the diptychs. I think that requires JavaScript and AJAX – things I have little knowledge in.

Forge on!

Saturday Services

2010-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

These images are from the Saturday, March 6th Solid Rock church meeting in downtown Portland. I started photographing the church last week. The project is slowly taking shape. There are lots of events to shoot and many people I have yet to talk to

I plan on going to a house church, a small gathering in someone’s house or apartment, tomorrow evening. There are two house churches downtown Portland, and they meet monthly.

The sound board is the heaviest item: it requires several men to muscle it up stairs and through narrow doorways.Volunteers fill disposable plastic cups with cranberry juice for Communion.
Crew members look on as the worship band warms up.
Tommy, a Portland resident, was baptized after praying with Solid Rock pastors. An open baptism session is held between services on the first Saturday of the month.
Pastor Phil Comer preaches to a full assembly at the 7:30 session. Comer’s message centered around the Biblical story of a rich man (Mark 10:17).

Saturday Coffee

2010-03-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

I had coffee with a good friend, Ron Graves. He pulled out some illustrations he’s been working on: I pulled out the camera.

The on-going design process

2010-03-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

More variation sketches on the Daily Diptych logotype.

Tuesday Evening Meeting

2010-03-03T02:11:00.000-08:00

I attended Solid Rock’s Tuesday evening prayer and worship meeting. Here are some images:

Chinese in Chinatown.

2010-03-03T01:11:00.000-08:00

Converting digital images to greyscale color space, adding too much contrast and crushing the blacks are cheap parlour tricks.

Solid Rock: Week 7

2010-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking about doing a documentary project on Solid Rock, a prominent Portland-area church, for months. The church made a push into downtown Portland back in January.

I contacted the downtown coordinator, Brandon Mosser, shortly afterwards. We had coffee on February 22th. The meeting went very well, and I shot my first function, the main Saturday evening meeting, on February 28th.

The whole idea of the project is something that I’ll write about in the future. In short, Portland is rumored to have the highest number of strip clubs per capita in the U.S. It is also known as a church graveyard. Solid Rock church pushes into the downtown area knowing full well these challenges.

All the people I’ve met are very excited about the church’s downtown presence. Their eyes light up when they talk about what they’re doing; its like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’m excited right along with them: I feel they have important things to say, and, moreover, they have action. I’ve never seen anything like it … but I’ll get into that in future writings.

For now, pictures:

Solid Rock members walk the streets of downtown Portland before the first Saturday service. They ask peoples’ opinions about Jesus and invite them to church.
The downtown group meets in First Baptist Church of Portland, located on SW Taylor St. and 12th Ave.
Solid Rock’s downtown extension offers 5:30 and 7:30 services on Saturday evenings.
The First Baptist Church of Portland was built in 1894. It has the eccentricities of older churches, including narrower doorways, wooden pews and stained glass windows.
Last Saturday’s message was about Jesus as Truth and judgement. Pastor John Mark Comer encouraged attendees to write their sins on note cards and symbolically throw them away. “Right here. Right now. We need to deal with sin.”
Solid Rock changes the space dramatically to suite it’s needs. Several volunteers spend a couple of hours cleaning and storing equipment after the second service.

Nutella Craze.

2010-03-02T00:38:00.001-08:00

I started a project for an art class when I was going to school. The basic idea: people and food.

I ask people what they love to eat – the food that they consume until sick, then continue consuming – and then get them to interact with it. The whole idea explores the American food culture, body weight and bingeing.

Andrew used me for a photography class project, so it was his turn to sit in front of the camera. Turns out, he loves Nutella. (Case in point: I bought too much for the shoot. After the shoot he starts eating it with crackers until he’s a little sick. Crazy kid.) The results are pretty fun:

The Busy Weekend

2010-02-28T23:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was crazy busy. I bused it down to Corvallis late Friday night to do a shoot with good friend Andrew. The original intent was take pictures that night, but the bus ran an hour late. We resolved to shoot Saturday morning.

Four hours later, Ben, Andrew and I ventured to Bald Hill to watch the sunrise. I haven’t seen one in forever; it was magical. The sunlight glows along the mountain line in the distance, and then – pop! – light punches through and everything glows golds and reds. Dramatic, really.

Afterwards: breakfast and photos. Bus it back to Portland. I shot my first event for a project on the downtown Portland church, Solid Rock, on Saturday.

Sunday’s been catch-up. Olympics hockey. Dinner with a friend. Sorting and editing. (Will post photos of Andrew and Solid Rock soon. They’re good: stay tuned.)

Greyhound Station, Corvallis, OR.
Andrew and Ben watch a sunrise in a field below Bald Hill.
Ben plays guitar in the Annex dining room. He came to Corvallis for the weekend.
Ben and Cory watch the final hockey round in the 2010 Winter Olympics. (What a game!)
Interstate 84 passes through the heart of Portland, OR.

More sketching…

2010-02-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Daily Diptych logo study

2010-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Photographer Maggie Hudson and I have been working on a logo for our project, Daily Diptych. Here are a few of my recent logo sketches:

Portrait Session

2010-02-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

Tyson Butler.

Guns & Love

2010-02-19T00:33:00.000-08:00

When you join the Marines you start referring to everything in jargon. Moonbeam is a flashlight. Camies are a uniform. Seventy-two is a 72 hour vacation.

My brother Kyle calls me in January to let me know he has a 72 over Valentine’s Day weekend. Two weeks out I buy him tickets. He leaves Palm Springs on Saturday morning and returns Monday afternoon.

Jacob, a high school friend, picks Kyle up from Portland International. Every time Kyle comes to Oregon he crashes at Jacob’s parents’ place.

Kyle’s main reason for the trip is Jeska. I’m not exactly sure how my brother met her. (I’ve gathered that it started with a long drive and a Jones Soda.) They’ve been dating since December. Rumor has it that she’s the only pretty girl on the South Salem High dance team. She’s the quiet type.

My brother is loud. He’s in the Marines, after all.

Two hours off the plane and Kyle is buying Jacob a rifle. A Mosin-Nagant Carbine.

The Mosin-Nagant is a Russian-made bolt-action rifle. The original design dates back to 1891, with many variants manufactured until the 1960s. Millions were produced: it is still a common weapon in the old Soviet territories.

This was the Russian weapon in WWII. Rumor has it that every Soviet soldier was given a five-round clip, but every fifth soldier was given a rifle. Unarmed soldiers would grab a rifle when someone died.

It takes 7.62 × 54R mm rounds. We buy seven of the store’s eight ammo boxes. The bullets are big, the gun loud. We had a grand total of three earplugs for Saturday’s round of shooting. After the first magazine we couldn’t hear a thing. Jacob – being the scrawny kid that he is – had bruising on his shoulder from the recoil.

A blast of exhaust comes from the barrel. You breath this in; you breath out gun smoke.

Whenever Kyle and Jeska are together they’re all over each other. They disappear to the guest room, the garage. He points the finger at her, exclaiming, “She distracted me!” We unload the car to go shooting; in five minutes they’re off in the woods. “Just shoot once when you’re ready,” Kyle says. “I’ll be back.”

Sunday is Valentines’ Day. My brother rents a room at the Phoenix Hotel, the fanciest place in Salem. He insists the room has a coffee table and couch. I don’t ask questions.

We drive to our shooting spot. We shoot. We drive back. Jacob and I drop them off at the Hotel.

Wandering the streets of Salem that night, a girl yells a telephone number from the window of a red Volkswagen bug. Turns out, its a car full of lonely, single females. Jacob engages them in flirtatious banter by phone, but when they check him out on Facebook they decide to leave.

Jacob and I drink vodka and watch Dirty Harry.

We drive to the hotel Monday morning to grab the couple and beat it to the airport. The room smells of sweat. Leftover Chinese in the mini fridge. Drapes drawn. Clothes on the ground. Military tensile chord tied to the chair. My brother, unshaven and shirtless.

The drive is mostly quiet. Kyle pulls up the flight info on Jeska’s phone and reads aloud: Departs 1:32 pm, March 15.

Shit. As it turns out, the 15th falls on a Monday in both February and March. I fucked up and bought the wrong 15th. My brother missed this too, even after looking over the email several times.

We have to change flights. We have to find a new flight. Southwest has one leaving at 6:30 for Ontario, about an hour away from base. My brother frantically calls everyone he knows, looking for a ride back. The flight cost $287. After the gun, bullets, the hotel and an unforeseen phone bill, Kyle is broke. I check the balance on my account: not nearly enough. Not to worry: I charge it credit.

I go to work to pick up my paycheck. It being Presidents’ Day, I resolve to deposit the check first thing in the morning. Jeska’s dad calls wondering where she is. Kyle and Jacob take her back to Salem.

Jacob, Kyle and I haven’t had a bite to eat all day, and it’s 4:30. Pit stop at my apartment, and we break into teams. Jacob cuts Kyle’s hair, I make them a quesadilla. Jacob and I check the route to the airport, Kyle makes me a quesadilla.

Traffic is sluggish on the drive to the airport. We arrive as we often do, thirty minutes before boarding. My brother always manages to slip through security quickly. Jacob circles the airport; I say good-bye.

Kyle calls me on Tuesday to say he made it back. He has a ten-dollar bill to last him until the next payday, two weeks away. “Shitty food, the chow hall, but its free,” he tells me. “We’re heading out to the field for two weeks, it won’t be so bad.” He goes off on the last time they went to the field – about flash floods, no armor support, and firing AT4s into the MOUT town …

When you join the Marines you start referring to everything in jargon.

Photos from last Friday

2010-02-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

Bus Ride

2010-02-09T19:29:00.001-08:00

Logotype Sketches

2010-02-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

A scan from a recent logo session. Converging: now. (Click for a larger version.)

Balcony View

2010-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

(click for large version)

Yuck.

2010-02-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Life has been so busy, I haven’t even had time to eat leftovers. Current projects include: logo design, website coding and album art. The near future holds: portfolio sorting, book layout, and personal identity system (including an extensive website). I’m also hoping to begin documenting a church that just started services in downtown Portland. (If they decide they don’t want me there, the documentary project shifts to: Chinatown! An In-Depth Photographic Examination of Portland’s Troubled District.)

It’s a lot to have on the plate.

Studio Move

2010-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

I helped a friend move studios yesterday. Here are some pictures:

Offhand

2010-01-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

Night In Chinatown

2010-01-21T00:17:00.000-08:00

What a Mess

2010-01-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

Guitarist Guy

2010-01-18T22:57:00.000-08:00

Some Colour

2010-01-16T11:56:00.001-08:00

Something Different

2010-01-16T00:21:00.001-08:00

Hand-drawn type specimen

2010-01-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

Designers in the Night

2010-01-12T02:43:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of hangin’ out with designers Christy & Michael.

Blazers Advert

2010-01-11T01:14:00.000-08:00

A continuation of the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens test. Turns out it ghosts/flares really bad. More on that in an upcoming review.

Lens Test, 2

2010-01-10T11:39:00.001-08:00

Lens Test

2010-01-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

Finally picked up a Nikon 35mm f/1.8. Tried it out in a very dark bar; results are okay. More test photos to come.

Local band Pine Language played Saturday night at Kelly’s Olympian.

Rock Out

2010-01-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Untitled

2010-01-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Andrew Soltis hugs Ben Baretich in a Burger King parking lot.

Go Slowly

2010-01-05T01:04:00.000-08:00

USMC Lance Corporal Kyle Reed applies face paint in a parked car.

I was lucky to see my good friend Andrew Soltis for a New Years Eve bash, and he returned my Nikon lens. Back in action. Portland-based photographer Maggie Hudson and I are starting a project; more on this as it evolves.

My brother was on leave during the past week, so I took quite a few pictures of him. There’s some great material, I hope, and the potential for a nice collection of images. However, I’m forcing myself to not touch the pictures for at least a month. Here is why:

In his book In The Blink Of An Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, editor Walter Murch (best known for his work on Apocalypse Now) explains the importance of objectivity when editing. Directors often feel very strongly about shots, he explains, because they know the struggles and efforts made in creating them. The editor does not know these exertions because the editor is not on the set. He or she is able to view shots without bias. Thus, the editor is able to pick the scenes, shots and takes that best construct a story. Murch explains that directors who also edit take time off after finishing a movie. They do something strenuous to clear their mind – like climbing the Alps – then return to cut the film with more clarity.

It was really great to see my brother. I was with him for six of is nine days in Oregon. Its an understatement to say that I’m emotionally attached to these photos. I fear that if I sort them now and I may not make the best choices or edits. I’m in no rush. His stay in here took an interesting twist, but we’ll get to that in a month or so. For now, I’ve got to find some mountains.

(Pick up the book if you do anything with pictures or motion. It’s cheap, a fast read and you’ll learn theory. Murch nails it. Well worth it.)

Thoughts…

2009-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

Photographer Martin Schoeller’s spread in National Geographic (December 2009) features portraits of an African nomadic group.

I just finished a story on the Hazda, a Tanzanian nomadic group, in National Geographic. It is beautifully photographed and worded. Author Michael Finkel has this to say about spending two weeks with the tribe:

There are things I envy about the Hadza—mostly, how free they appear to be. Free from possessions. Free of most social duties. Free from religious strictures. Free of many family responsibilities. Free from schedules, jobs, bosses, bills, traffic, taxes, laws, news, and money. Free from worry. Free to burp and fart without apology, to grab food and smoke and run shirtless through the thorns.

Finkel admits that nomadic lifestyle isn’t for him, but he explains that his perspective has been forever altered.

Here’s to a 2010 with altered perspectives. Cheers.

Holiday Window Adverts Series

2009-12-31T08:57:00.001-08:00

Check out this fun series I did on the Journal of Design and Culture. I’ll put up some outtakes when I get the chance

Basic Maths Review

2009-12-28T19:44:00.001-08:00

I just wrote a review on Khoi Vinh and Allan Cole’s WordPress theme Basic Maths. Check it out over at the Inksie Journal of Design and Culture.

I’ve contacted Vinh and Cole, who seem to be willing to talk about it. We hope to open up a conversation about the role of design in blogging. Vinh, the Design Director for the New York Times’ online edition, has some really great things to say. I will post links to future conversations and articles.

Business & Boredom

2009-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

These last few days have been both fast and slow, busy and idle.

My brother flew in from Colorado on Saturday. We’ve been hanging out but not really doing much. There is talk of exploration, explosions and hair-cutting but not much action so far. I’ve filled and deleted my phone’s inbox more in the past few days than I have in the past month. I also got to see a good friend whom I haven’t seen in months. More of this craziness to come, stay tuned.

Christmas Day: A visual history

2009-12-26T01:11:00.000-08:00

This is an out take for a project I shot on holiday window displays. Overall it was a difficult project, but I have some great stuff. I’ll post a link when the edits are finished.
I was fortunate enough to spend the evening with Ron and his family. I have more photos to post, stay tuned.
A very interesting visual contrast exists here: a strip club on the left and a women’s Salvation Army refuge on the right. This is not the best way to visualize it. This could evolve into another project, but I hear its difficult to shoot anything strip-club related.

Holiday Decorations

2009-12-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

A pair of doors into St. James’ Lutheran Church in downtown Portland are adorned with wreathes on Christmas Eve.

Walking Through a Photographic Process

2009-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

The photographic process can be divided into two parts: making the pictures and dealing with the pictures. Both are equally important for many reasons, something I would like to discuss later. I want to walk through the sorting and selecting process.

(I’m trying to be more consistent with this whole blog thing. The Inksie Journal is a major part of what I do for work. I haven’t done much writing, so this is good practice. Also, if I redesign the blog I need to be using it. You know all those people that start something but never see it through? And page views are dramatically up, which I find odd. Gotta keep ’em coming.)

I work for an apparel-embellishing company. The other day we received a large shipment of American Apparel boxes. Multiples can create a strong sense of unity in a photograph, which basically makes it more interesting to look at. This is what I was thinking when I picked up the camera.

The following images walk through my sorting process. I have included direct commentary that outlines my thoughts.

The first image is underexposed, as I didn’t care to meter. A quick look at the playback, and the problem is apparent. The fix:

This is witty, and plays with the edge of the frame. My coworker, Dave, is hauling the boxes into our warehouse. He doesn’t really want to make two trips with the box-roller, so he stacks the boxes one atop the next. (He also is keenly aware of me shooting away.) This makes for an exaggerated effect – a leaning tower of boxes – that I found photographically interesting.

I take some more images to check exposure and capture the environment.

These photos aren’t that great because they aren’t as interesting. People as a subject always make better photos. Also, a person standing next to the boxes gives a sense of scale.

There is one more box to add to the stack:

This is one of my favorite images from the set. Dave is caught in the perfect moment of action. This image speaks of the struggles of man versus box – of work. The only thing that doesn’t much work in this image is Dave’s foot at the edge of the frame. This creates tension and pulls the viewer’s gaze away from where it should be, the top box and Dave. I wish I had aimed the camera a bit lower.

The top box nearly falls, which makes for a decent image:

I can’t seem to hold the damn camera straight, which is the case in most of these images. Dave goes inside to open the warehouse door. I move in and try some more vertical photos of just the boxes, which don’t seem to work at all.

I step back to take some more, and am surprised to find something new wander into the frame:

Her expression of surprise makes the image. The photograph is simple: a person and a stack of boxes. Simple is good. The moment feels candid.

I photograph Dave opening the door. These images are more complex because the opened warehouse adds dimension to the image, but this dimension is visually confusing. Dave no longer stands out, which is bad.

Dave struggles with the tower and removes boxes from the top. I move closer to Dave and try and get into the action:

This doesn’t work so well. Dave isn’t isolated from the background, and the lights inside the warehouse are distracting. Also, the boxes have little context. The situation looks more impressive in other images because we see more.

I take a few steps back to capture Dave and all the boxes. I get this sequence:

Nothing stands out to me in this sequence. The lighting is downright bad. The tower of boxes looks more interesting in comparison.

I find that selecting a final image is a process of elimination. I like the image of Dave leaving the frame, Dave jumping, and the woman looking at the boxes. Dave leaving the frame is fun, but feels accidental and half-way. In the jumping picture the action is right but the foot on the edge is distracting. The woman in red isn’t horizontally level, but the expression is good. I feel like this one makes the cut.

In my process this photo goes on to the next stage of editing while the rest sit on a hard drive. I like to sort through photos some time after taking them; I find myself more objective after a week or so. And that’s that.

Have an opinion? An idea? A pulse? Leave me a comment! I want to know who you mysterious readers are. If you have any thoughts, don’t be shy.

Look What They’re Selling You

2009-12-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

For $19.98 and the price of protection you can start having sex again.

Obviously. There’s a pill for that. All you need is a pill, obviously.

Oh, Bad Photos…

2009-12-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

Some friends chat outside a local coffee shop Saturday night.

Holiday Plans?

2009-12-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

Recent Thoughts on Photography, Action

2009-12-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Lately, I’ve been frustrated.

I have no camera. (Well, no lens. I lent my Nikon 18-70mm to a friend who is studying in Ecuador. In exchange I took one of his favorite shirts.) I haven’t been able to make images, something I’ve enjoyed with consistency up until September. I reviewed the Canon 7D last weekend, and that was a bit of a release. Now: back to square one.

I have collected some concepts that I want to explore with the camera. I want to do something with mega-size churches in the Portland area. There are a bunch of homeless people that live in a tent village in the forests near the Portland area. Local mission workers bring them blankets and food. I want to explore that. I heard about marijuana growers down in Corvallis. People that rely on farming in the urban center interest me (and supposedly this happens in Portland.) I am interested in the persistence of the screen in culture (think: work and home, phone, computer, television etc.) I want to do a series on parking-garage attendants in the wee hours of the morning. Ah, yes, but no working camera.

Wrong. I have an old Canon AE-1.

I’ve become so familiar with the workflow of digital image-making. The process is so immediate, the results are immediate. However, this is a relatively new phenomenon in photography. For nearly one and a half centuries photographers couldn’t immediately see their images.

Unfortunately, I have let this mindset limit my creativity. Equipment shouldn’t limit one’s image-making. It will change the way a photographer works, to be sure. An 8×10 view camera and a pocket-size digital camera simply function differently.

They do both make images, and I have found this to be the important thing. It isn’t so much the how that is significant; it is the action that matters.

Clean-up

2009-12-10T01:45:00.000-08:00

I am seriously considering a re-design of the blog. Blogger’s themes are great and all, but I want to clean things up a bit, make it simple and highly visual. Here’s a little idea of what I’m aiming for:

(Click on image for larger version.)

Canon 7D Review

2009-12-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of reviewing the new Canon 7D and 17-55mm f/2.8 over the weekend. Check it out at the Inksie Journal of Design and Culture.

The 17-55mm f/2.8 is Canon’s APS-C workhorse. It goes great with the new 7D.

Testing

2009-12-07T18:38:00.001-08:00

I’ve had a Canon 7D to play around with for the last couple of days. (I’m actually writing a review on it. I’ll post a link once I’m finished.) Its a fantastic camera. The more I use it the more I enjoy using it.

This is Sam and Kasie’s apartment. I went over last night for some nachos and apple pie. Delicious.

These things…

2009-12-07T02:41:00.001-08:00

Fashion

2009-10-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

Frustrating.

2009-10-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

I have no lens. I have no computer.

This is the only visual thing I’ve produced lately.

Oregon State vs. Arizona

2009-10-10T01:27:00.000-07:00

Brief Update

2009-10-10T00:28:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I’ve updated. My apologies.

I have relocated to Portland, OR to live and work. I need to buy a new camera (the D2H is a bit outdated.) I plan on starting some new creative projects. More on this, that and whatnot when I have some time.

Move-in Day

2009-09-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

A handful of Antioch members moved in to the annex house. A few more will continue to haul belongings in the coming days. I intend the images taken in the next few days to be the conclusion of the project (I leave Corvallis on Tuesday.)

I’ve been working on the annex story for slightly longer than three months. It has been my first long-term project, and I have learned quite a bit. However, it is time to wrap it up. I have been asked to put something together for the members, perhaps a story book of sorts or an online selection. Several hundred images are sitting on a hard drive, so it will be a long management process. More on that later. Here are some shots from today:

Cory Hartman moves a friend’s desk up towards the stairs.
Ben Matthias carves out a hole for a door bolt. Ben drove down from Portland to help out with odd jobs for the day.
Two members living in the annex house, from the hallway.
Chief worker Ben Baretich attaches door handles Sunday afternoon. Ben will continue working on the house during the week.
Lights illuminate the annex house at night.