The Plaza

I haven't updated my blog in a very long time because I'm a slacker! Hah - that was for you Rob. I've been pretty crazy busy since the beginning of summer because we have had alot going on with the election coming up and all. So now I'm trying to get back into blogging and will do my best - only 20 days till the election - can't wait!

I shot this outside the Plaza in NYC a while back (I'm seeing if back-dating my blog works). I just really liked the big bulbs overhead and the movement of the city. I was kind of surprised there wasn't too many people on the street because usually it's packed. There is always something going on around the plaza and I see alot of fashion shoots while hanging out waiting for the Gov. I think I can be a fashion photog - hire 5 assistants who sit around and watch you, get a hair stylist and make-up artist, get a beautiful model, have them pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click, pose, click and that was the same pose for the same outfit. As a photojournalist it struck me as kind of funny because we have a split second to get the shot we need and, if you didn't get the shot, you can't ask your subject to do it again - not ethical.

Honey Do...

I looked on my fridge the other day and saw my to do list that Jen put up... there was something about that list I found visually stimulating so I took photo and decided to share...

By the way, that's where the stimulation ends...

Balls...

I was in NYC the other day driving down the West Side Highway and noticed these three people doing Tai Chi on the corner. We were sitting at a light and the traffic was just awful - thankfully I wasn't driving. Normally I don't think I would have given this a second glance but what was pretty wacky was that their hand positions were kind of in the same position as the lady in the bowling poster. So I grabbed my 70-200mm and tried to grab a few frames before the light turned green. Yup, I shot from the car. Yup, through the window. This might not seem odd to most people but as a photog, it's considered pretty f'en lazy! I would normally jump out of the car to grab the shot, but, like I said, we were sitting in traffic.

So I started editing the photo and thought it was pretty cool. Very surprised I had a very good angle considering I shot from the car over the driver thru the window - proves the theory that photography is 70% luck. Then I started thinking it would look pretty funny if the three people had bowling balls in their hands. I grabbed a bowling ball from the web, put it in each of the peoples hands and even manipulated a catch-light to emulate the catch-light of the ball in the poster. Hah hah - funny.

The Dead

I'm a huge Grateful Dead fan. One of my clients called and asked me to shoot The Dead Reunion Tour at the Izod center on Tuesday night - of course I will! And - I had tickets to see them again on Wednesday night - yeah baby! I was psyched. Shooting any band is ok - the good thing is they only allow you to shoot for the first one to three songs so you're in and out pretty quick. The bad thing is, if you really like the band, you are only allowed to shoot for the first one to three songs. Here's a couple of my selects from Tuesday night:




On Wednesday night Branford Marsalis joined the band. I didn't see him on Tuesday night. Branford Marsalis was incredible and added another dimension to the show. Pride of Cucamonga, Crazy Fingers, The Music Never Stopped, Ramble On Rose, Terrapin Station were all awesome. They did play alot of slow stuff but I did have a few "Oh Shit Awesome" moments and had an amazing time. I would go see them again. Warren Haynes was great too.

Wicker.

I was at my friend Erin's house while hanging in CT. We were letting the dogs out (I also passed out on her couch, it was really comfy (and quiet!)). They live on a pretty big piece of property in a wooded area - really nice and rural... away from city and noise, in fact, the only thing you can hear is Erin! This is her backyard - big fire pit and a lean to and her dogs Kasey and Jack running wild in the big, rugged outdoors - my testosterone was tingling - arrrrgggghhhh. But something was not quite right - yeah, there it was - this lovely, soft, comfortable, cushiony, pastel wicker set just castrating my lust for the big outdoors and wild animals. Oh well, Lemontini please?

Up, Up and Away...

I had the opportunity to fly over the state in a helicopter the other day taking aerial photos and here's a couple of my selects:




I'm not a big fan of flying but the day was absolutely gorgeous and the ride was incredible. This was the first time I flew in a chopper that had windows I could open and shoot out of - huge plus. One of the things I didn't think about was how much the chopper vibrated and you could see that in my earlier images. To combat this, I pushed my shutter up to 1/1000th of a sec and that seemed to help a lot. Anything lower was rather soft. BTW - no place to pee while in the chopper.

Todd and the Sugar Shack

This is Todd. And that's the Sugar Shack behind him, or at least was. Todd's one of my best friends and we were hanging outside the back of his house. The sugar shack was sitting there with paint peeling just screaming to be photographed. So I took a couple of images and the shack had really hard lines and I wanted to soften it up - that's where Todd comes in - he was my reluctant subject. I positioned him in front of the door and I was able to get three images off before he shied up and took off on me.

When I opened up the image I was impressed with how strong Todd's facial features were and what he was wearing, t-shirt with grey hoodie, also kind of strong. So I decided to soften the Sugar Shack instead and make Todd a little harder (easy now!). So the shack I used contrast topped with a little glow distortion - and then capitalized the strength in his face and made the lines a little stronger. Here is my Todd and the Sugar Shack. BTW - I really miss the old sugar shack - we had some great times in there.

Washroom in the Dog Run...

This is Jenny getting ready with Sophie at her feet. I don't know where mom is going but obviously the baby is not going with her. Hot night on the town maybe? I walked by the bathroom and it tweaked my camera's eye. It was something I would see everyday but outside was dismal and the light coming thru the window just gloomy. The scene kind of reminded me of a 1930's photo by Walker Evans or maybe a 1960's Diane Arbus image, although her images tended to be more provocative.

You can see distortion at the corners of the top of the image. I could have fixed that but you know the distortion kind of made my image a little more surreal. I like that. I also like how the lines bring your eyes all the way around and then inside the image.

Ooooklahoma

I flew out to Ft. Sill Oklahoma on Thursday - just a day trip. Actually, our day started at 5 am and it didn't end till 11 pm. Eighteen hours - I know, waaa f'en waaaa. We flew a KC-135 Stratotanker out of McGuire Air Force Base - that's it in the background. I normally listen to my Ipod when I fly but that plane was so loud I couldn't hear my Ipod on it's highest setting. So I listened to a pair of ear plugs - much better.

I love shooting military stuff - maybe because I am a Navy veteran or maybe because they have lots of cool toys. The above image was on the tarmac at Lawton/Ft. Sill Airport and it was rather warm. I wanted to do something different that screamed air force and tarmac so I went to the ground. The first shot had the line of people coming off the KC-135. My second shot had the line of people but a Major walked in front of me. Perfect. Gave my slow moving line some real opposite movement. Thank you Major. I just wish I had all uniformed troops in that line and not that one guy in the civilian clothes.

Jersey? Maybe...

I was in Jersey City today at the New Jersey City University. From the ground it look like everything else in Jersey City - cramped and close and busy. We had a press conference on the 2nd floor but, when I have time, I usually scout out different areas because I'm nosy. I looked out the window of the third floor and saw these ominous clouds - well this could be cool. I shot a couple of images, made sure I kept my power lines in and... here it is. Doesn't even look like Jersey City, eh? Could almost be homes in Iceland or someplace like that (I've never been to Iceland).

Man in Manville

I made this image in Manville yesterday. I was watching this guy, who was carrying a very large bag of something, while walking along the railroad tracks. He kept stopping every 20 feet or so and using his cell phone - I couldn't help but to wonder who he was. Was he a hobo walking along the tracks waiting for the train to start running so he could hop on? Why was he using his phone every 20 feet? Did he walk to the laundry and on his way back the train pull in and blocked his way back to his house so he had to walk all the way around the train? Maybe he was calling somebody to pick him up so he didn't have to walk around the whole train... is he Santa?

I know somebody is going to wonder why I left the power lines in the photo. Some photogs would take them out. I personally feel that if you digitally manipulate an image where you remove, add or swap an object it's no longer a photograph, it becomes an illustration. And, as a editorial photographer, it's unethical. I am also fascinated by the ugliness of power lines - and yet at times the symmetry makes beautiful lines and shapes. Just look around - it's almost impossible not to see power lines...

...the agony of defeat...or a win...

I shot the 2nd round of the woman's ncaa basketball tournament and I have to say, I love watching the coaches - so much so I sometimes miss the game action. Above is Auburn's (#2 seed) coach Nell Fortner, center, and her assistant coaches - so sad - they lost bad to Rutgers (#7 seed). That's the agony of defeat. Below is coach C. Vivian Stringer, or C-Viv, and that's the agony of a win.


I have to say Rutgers played great. They came out from the beginning strong and agressive (Be Agressive, B - E - Agressive (cheerleading chant I remember from when I played football as a kid)). They kicked ass. Below is the team with Judith Brittany Ray, left, Rashidat Junaid, center, Epiphanny Prince (10) and Nikki Speed, right, while they celebrate - Prince put up 27 points alone. Crazy.