Something for Everyone

Spied while walking around the city today:

There's a Hooters, so why not, really?

Puttin' Up With Ritz

Anyone out there work for Ritz Camera or something similar? Tell me, is it a particularly high-stress job? Because I gotta tell ya, all the signs I’ve seen indicate that it’s on par with javelin-catching, presidential bodyguard, working the assembly line at an ammunition factory, lion taming, air horn tester, or being Charles Manson’s attorney.

Is it because of the one hour photo bit? It’s simple: if you can’t produce the photos in an hour (to quote George Carlin, “what’s so nostalgic about 5 minutes ago?”), then don’t advertise it and burden your employees. If that isn’t the cause of their meltdowns and surly mutterings, then I can’t imagine what else it is. All I know is that when I go in there, all I can hear is Bruce Dern saying “that was about a nine on the tension scale there, Rube”.

Another thing I noticed about photo places of this type is how they’re capitalizing on the Digital Craze. I spied no fewer than ten accessories that are specifically marketed for digital cameras, when in actuality the same accessories for a film camera would fit the bill just fine. One of the more ridiculous ones I saw was a 5-pack of multicolored camera straps “for digital cameras”.

Surely the technology that goes into a ½ wide nylon digital camera strap is much more extensive than the film camera version. Better pictures, better health, and better breath are most likely engineered in there somehow.

Missing Links

I decided to add a bunch of links in an an effort to turn readers onto something they may have otherwise overlooked or didn't even know about. And, I guess I was just looking for an excuse to post a picture of Izzy, Pinky, and Spike, respectively. Their eyes are locked on a couple finches at the feeder.

This was shot with a digital point-and-shoot Fuji, a rather radical departure from my usual "shootdevelopscan" method.

Adventures in Photography

If I was waiting for a reason to embrace winter, I think I may have finally found it.

On Sunday LF and I made an impromptu stop at a park that was formerly a mill so I could shoot a couple rolls of film. It was very windy, probably about 20 degrees or so, and the sky was crystal clear. Ice lined the banks of the river, and there were some really beautiful waterfalls as well. I didn’t expect to be out there too long, so I left my hat and gloves in the car. Very quickly the cold became too much to bear, so LF lent me her hand-knit alpaca mittens. They were *just* warm enough and afforded me the dexterity I needed. They were a little slippery, however.

Around Christmastime, I finally sprung for a real camera bag. My needs were simple: I needed something that could carry two cameras (I like to have one loaded with color and the other with black and white) and an assortment of lenses. Now I’d finally have everything with me, right where I need it, and I would no longer lament leaving a particular lens or camera at home. The bag has a lid held shut with two buckles, and this fact will resurface later in the tale.

I bopped around the area, trying different filters, vantage points, effects, etc. I made sure I was super-careful with everything, ensuring that as I swapped lenses and filters that no windblown detritus got into the camera or optics. I’m actually kind of a freak about that and often lose sight of the fact that photo journalists put their equipment through a hell of a lot worse stuff than I do. As I kept switching out gear, I distinctly remember thinking that I need to get into the habit of buckling the camera bag anytime I was wearing it, no matter how inconvenient it was to do so. During this time, LF was scouting out the area for me for particularly interesting stuff to shoot. She led me to a pond that had a very old, felled tree in it. The pond, fortuitously, was frozen.

Why fortuitously?

I decided to use a telephoto for this shot as the wide angle just wasn’t going to cut it. So, I reached into my bag (I was wearing it) and pulled out the telephoto. I didn’t buckle the bag afterwards. Within seconds, I lost my grip on the super-smooth telephoto body because of the alpaca gloves I was wearing, and it felt like I was juggling the lens for ten minutes trying to get it back under control. I ultimately lost the battle for control and into the air it went. As I tried to reach out and grab it, the lens and contents of the bag dumped onto the riverbank and rolled onto the ice.

*insert slow-motion “nooooooooooooo!”*

An assortment of lenses and accessories laid strewn about, and if that pond weren’t frozen, I’d be on eBay right now angrily looking for replacements. Expensive replacements. LF and I were able to retrieve the items using a very long branch, and when we were done, I didn’t even care about the shot anymore--I’d had enough excitement for one day.

Beach Monitor

Some of my favorite things to photograph are items that are completely out of context. For example, a rowboat in the middle of the woods or apples floating in a river though there are no apple trees for miles; things that make you wonder just how they got there.

The photo you see here is an example of such context, but in the most unfortunate way. On Nauset Light Beach, someone actually dragged an entire computer system onto the beach and proceeded to smash it to bits. This example is more a commentary on human nature than anything else, and doesn’t help the case in my constant battle with misanthropy. I tried to be artsy, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a shattered monitor that the earth and ocean never asked for.

Coolest Prop Ever (for me, anyway)

I recently did a photo shoot for my friend Josh's band, Medina Sod (it's an obscure reference from The Big Lebowski). They're a super-talented and great bunch of guys, and I highly recommend checking them out. They do shows on the east coast, so it's pretty likely they're playing near you sometime. Anyway, these are a couple of my favorite shots.

This first shot is from the inside of the singer's Volvo. I don't know what year the Volvo is, but it's old, lovingly restored, and cooler'n hell.

Go Ahead and Shoot.

Well I’ll be damned. I’ve actually taken up photography.

I come from a family of great photographers. My grandparents were into photography. My father is a great photographer and by osmosis has bestowed the gift of being able to look for the detail in things. My brothers also have a great eye for detail, and it’s evident to me that close up, intricate detail is our shtick.

Now with a family chock full of photo folks, you'd think it'd only be natural that I’d want to pick up the hobby as well. Well, that was never the case. I just figured that my brothers and father are so good at it, how could I or why should I compete?

I had one of those 2AM, lying-in-bed-wide-wake revelations that it doesn’t need to be a competition. My little bro has inspired me to start shooting for no reason other than my own enjoyment. What a most novel idea. So thanks, Terzo.

And of course, this yet another shining example of being five minutes late for something.

I shot my first roll over the weekend. I rather enjoy black and white because to me it often speaks better than color, but that could just be my ignorance talking. I’ll probably change my tune in a week, because as years press on, I’ve discovered that I’m largely full of shit most of the time. Regardless, the photo to the left is one of the better ones from this weekend’s session.

Coming from a family of photographers has afforded me a most abundant set of tools, most importantly knowledge from the best teacher around. Watch this space.