What's a few months between posts? :)
I wanted to share a couple of visual things which just "take me there"...I tend not to share a lot of this stuff, but I was surprised by how powerful both of these vignettes are.
The first is a slideshow called "A Day In Varanasi" with photos that are uncommonly good, don't linger on the "usual" photos you see and really make you feel like you've spent a day on the river banks experiencing all the little things. It comes via The Travel Photographer who manages to share the work of a tremendous number of great photographers. Have a look:
A day in Varanasi from Matjaz Krivic (www.krivic.com) on Vimeo.
The second is sort of a highlight reel of a day spent jumping off cliffs! VERY different than the Varanasi scenes, but something which nevertheless, puts you at the feet of these daredevils. My first reaction was that I'd love to see this on a huge IMAX screen and maybe even in that Hang gliding ride at Disney's California Adventure. Have fun and don't get too scared!
Last Walk Around Mirror Lake - Boom Bip (Boards of Canada Remix) from FroschYankee on Vimeo.
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Photos that Changed the World
I can talk on and on about why some photos really strike a chord with me, but this 6 minute presentation at TED from earlier this year does a great job and connecting the dots.
(via Digital Wedding Forum)
(via Digital Wedding Forum)
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Passing of a Photography Legend
A photographic legend died a couple of days ago, and I'm sorry I didn't even know about him until his passing. If you've never heard of Jim Marshall, I'm sure you've seen his work. Anyone familiar with musical legends like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, or Thelonius Monk has most likely seen his work.
Whether you like his work or not, the guy had amazing stories about his adventures at the crossing of music and photography. He was like a musical Forrest Gump! Just amazing stories about how he ended up in situations to take such iconic photos of musical legends we all know.
The guy had been places and seen things.
While I wish I had known more about him before his passing, I'm happy to have learned about him nevertheless. Have a look at his work. Even if you don't love the photos, I'm sure you'll find something really interesting in the stories behind the photos.
RIP Jim Marshall.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Moving (and Paying) It Forward
It's been so long since I last posted on this blog. More than 15 months, in fact. A few weeks ago, someone even asked me if he could take over this domain. And I immediately thought...well, I've still got stories to tell! Just because this blog has been dead doesn't mean there haven't been stories and thoughts running through my mind.
2009 was really a year of transition as far as I'm concerned. Figuring things out. Making (sometimes) tough decisions.
2010 so far has been a year of movement. Moving forward based on decisions made. And Paying It Forward to others who may benefit from my experiences and decisions.
Perhaps the biggest decision of last year was one related to my photography. Photography has been a huge part of my life for a number of years, and in the past couple of years it has perhaps been more a part of my life than either me or my family would like. The number of weddings I photographed and the time spent dealing with a bustling business really added up to a lot. Too much.
So I'm no longer booking any more wedding photography.
No more getting up at 6am and returning at 1am. No more missing my daughter's ENTIRE day. No more leaving her sleeping and returning to her sleeping.
And while I thought it would be tough to step away from the photography that I love, it's been so utterly and surprisingly easy. It's been a huge load off my chest. I feel like I can breathe again.
I feel like I can spend a day with my family just...doing...nothing. Or maybe go fly kite. We did that a couple of weekends ago. Or draw chalk on the sidewalk with my daughter. I did that yesterday. Or plant an herb & vegetable garden. I did that tonight.
Amazing, huh? It's the simplest things that mean so much.
And believe me, this decision was simple. And it has meant everything.
So what of my photography?
In many ways, I feel like stepping away from weddings has really let me mind wander and find creative images. I'm still doing professional photography...children, families, and couples, but avoiding all day affairs like Indian weddings really lets me concentrate my creative efforts in the span of a few hours and spend more time away from photography thinking about new ways to use my equipment. I'll avoid the technical stuff and just say that the engagement portraits I did yesterday felt so refreshing because I spent the last 2 months photographing things completely different: cupcakes, sunsets, fog, oak trees, mustard blooms, rain, wet streets. It's not as if this is the first couple I've photographed in months, but I really felt like all that other type of photography helped me to actually focus on this couple is such different ways.
What's more, now that I've stepped away from the weekly schedule of spending all weekend at weddings, I've realized just how much I've learned from photographers around me (in real life and virtually). So I've decided that this is the time to pay it forward. The people I've learned from would have no expectation of being paid back. I know they would prefer that I pay it forward to others who may learn and benefit from the same types of things.
So I'm trying to take a lead with a group of photographers. Telling them my "secrets" of people photography. I set up a wiki to learn about photography last month. I lead a free portrait workshop yesterday. I don't know what knowledge I'll impart next week, but I know it'll be my way of helping everyone to improve their own photography and to capture their own memories.
11 weeks into this year I know this: This is my time to Pay it Forward. This is my time to Move it Forward. These 3 months have been just the beginning. And there's a lot more yet to come.
2009 was really a year of transition as far as I'm concerned. Figuring things out. Making (sometimes) tough decisions.
2010 so far has been a year of movement. Moving forward based on decisions made. And Paying It Forward to others who may benefit from my experiences and decisions.
Perhaps the biggest decision of last year was one related to my photography. Photography has been a huge part of my life for a number of years, and in the past couple of years it has perhaps been more a part of my life than either me or my family would like. The number of weddings I photographed and the time spent dealing with a bustling business really added up to a lot. Too much.
So I'm no longer booking any more wedding photography.
No more getting up at 6am and returning at 1am. No more missing my daughter's ENTIRE day. No more leaving her sleeping and returning to her sleeping.
And while I thought it would be tough to step away from the photography that I love, it's been so utterly and surprisingly easy. It's been a huge load off my chest. I feel like I can breathe again.
I feel like I can spend a day with my family just...doing...nothing. Or maybe go fly kite. We did that a couple of weekends ago. Or draw chalk on the sidewalk with my daughter. I did that yesterday. Or plant an herb & vegetable garden. I did that tonight.
Amazing, huh? It's the simplest things that mean so much.
And believe me, this decision was simple. And it has meant everything.
So what of my photography?
In many ways, I feel like stepping away from weddings has really let me mind wander and find creative images. I'm still doing professional photography...children, families, and couples, but avoiding all day affairs like Indian weddings really lets me concentrate my creative efforts in the span of a few hours and spend more time away from photography thinking about new ways to use my equipment. I'll avoid the technical stuff and just say that the engagement portraits I did yesterday felt so refreshing because I spent the last 2 months photographing things completely different: cupcakes, sunsets, fog, oak trees, mustard blooms, rain, wet streets. It's not as if this is the first couple I've photographed in months, but I really felt like all that other type of photography helped me to actually focus on this couple is such different ways.
What's more, now that I've stepped away from the weekly schedule of spending all weekend at weddings, I've realized just how much I've learned from photographers around me (in real life and virtually). So I've decided that this is the time to pay it forward. The people I've learned from would have no expectation of being paid back. I know they would prefer that I pay it forward to others who may learn and benefit from the same types of things.
So I'm trying to take a lead with a group of photographers. Telling them my "secrets" of people photography. I set up a wiki to learn about photography last month. I lead a free portrait workshop yesterday. I don't know what knowledge I'll impart next week, but I know it'll be my way of helping everyone to improve their own photography and to capture their own memories.
11 weeks into this year I know this: This is my time to Pay it Forward. This is my time to Move it Forward. These 3 months have been just the beginning. And there's a lot more yet to come.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Snap! Crackle! Found! The Image is Found
There's so much interesting stuff I find on the web and just get pulled into. Sometimes I hate myself for wasting time. Other times I just smile the whole time I've browsing. I'm smiling now and it's because of a photographer's blog. Or shall I more grammatically state it as..due to the blog of two photographers?
the image is found photography makes me smile for various reasons. They've obviously got a great eye (err...two great eyes...um four great eyes!), but I see lots of great photography all the time since I'm always looking for it. What kept me going about their work?
The fun.
Not just in the photos or in the way they write their own blog. But in everything they do. Wedding photography can be taken way to seriously sometimes just because love is supposed to be romantic and all that jazz.
Okay, no, I'm not jaded. Just because I see weddings all year long doesn't mean I find weddings to be boring. Quite the opposite.
But as I was saying to one of my brides last week, they've gotta have fun with it. It'll show on their faces, their guests' faces, and ultimately in the photos. And the bride I was talking to definitely agreed with me, but sometimes I feel like our couples don't really believe it when they hear it. Nate and Jaclyn from the image is found seem to be getting across to their clients.
And it leads to great shots that are not only beautiful, but they're romantic, fun, and memorable. So have a look at their galleries, but also take a look at their blog. Just great stuff all around.
[By The Way, just like I use "Snap! Crackle! Click!" for posts about my own photos, I'll use "Snap! Crackle! Found!" for posts about wonderful photography that I find on the web.]
the image is found photography makes me smile for various reasons. They've obviously got a great eye (err...two great eyes...um four great eyes!), but I see lots of great photography all the time since I'm always looking for it. What kept me going about their work?
The fun.
Not just in the photos or in the way they write their own blog. But in everything they do. Wedding photography can be taken way to seriously sometimes just because love is supposed to be romantic and all that jazz.
Okay, no, I'm not jaded. Just because I see weddings all year long doesn't mean I find weddings to be boring. Quite the opposite.
But as I was saying to one of my brides last week, they've gotta have fun with it. It'll show on their faces, their guests' faces, and ultimately in the photos. And the bride I was talking to definitely agreed with me, but sometimes I feel like our couples don't really believe it when they hear it. Nate and Jaclyn from the image is found seem to be getting across to their clients.
And it leads to great shots that are not only beautiful, but they're romantic, fun, and memorable. So have a look at their galleries, but also take a look at their blog. Just great stuff all around.
[By The Way, just like I use "Snap! Crackle! Click!" for posts about my own photos, I'll use "Snap! Crackle! Found!" for posts about wonderful photography that I find on the web.]
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sheer Joy
Wedding season is warming up again so I was covering a wedding reception this past weekend. As I've said to friends, most weddings tend to be very similar to each other, but there http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifare usually one or two elements which set each event apart.
In this case, the unique thing was the last 5 minutes of the night and it really made me smile. The DJ had stopped playing music for the night and, as usual, the crowd wanted just one more song. This DJ stuck to hus guns and didn't start things up again, but the dhol players were happy to oblige. So they started to hammer away and everyone started dancing again.
Something about the crowd's attitude just had a different feel than the rest of the night and a different feel than most dancing and other parties. People are usually just into the music and enjoy it for what's it worth. However, with the lights on and the DJ packing up I think everyone realized just why they were on the dance floor. They were celebrating the bride and groom!
The smiles on everyone's faces. Everyone hugging the bride and groom one more time. Everyone picking up the children on the floor. It just made me smile.
And once again, I knew I'm in this for the right reasons.
In this case, the unique thing was the last 5 minutes of the night and it really made me smile. The DJ had stopped playing music for the night and, as usual, the crowd wanted just one more song. This DJ stuck to hus guns and didn't start things up again, but the dhol players were happy to oblige. So they started to hammer away and everyone started dancing again.
Something about the crowd's attitude just had a different feel than the rest of the night and a different feel than most dancing and other parties. People are usually just into the music and enjoy it for what's it worth. However, with the lights on and the DJ packing up I think everyone realized just why they were on the dance floor. They were celebrating the bride and groom!
The smiles on everyone's faces. Everyone hugging the bride and groom one more time. Everyone picking up the children on the floor. It just made me smile.
And once again, I knew I'm in this for the right reasons.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Snap! Crackle! Click! India Wedding Photos
The excuse for us to go to India was a relative's wedding. And being a wedding photographer, I obviously took photos during the events. It was actually more difficult getting shots that are different than I usually take during a wedding gig. While I'm always trying to be creative on any job, I usually take some stuff which is standard across the board since the clients are looking for certain things at a minimum. So I tried to stay away from those typical shots this time. And since I wasn't a lead photographer I had the chance to roam around and not capture every little thing. Even then, I kept thinking about all the different shots I could get of the ceremony details. So I had to stop myself from falling into that "rut".
What I tried to do is thinking about the wedding from the perspective of a guest, which I rarely do. Even when I attend a friend's wedding here, I'm always looking over at the photographer or videographer. I annoy myself sometimes with not being able to take my mind off that stuff...I'm sure I annoy my wife much more offten :)
Anyways, so I tried to stay in the crowd as much as possible and stayed away from taking photos of the bride, groom, and their parents. And here's a few of the shots I took....click through to see more about each on Flickr.
Mandap Mandwo...with a little zoom action. No Photoshop!
Trying to get the feel of the rush through in an image. Touch is such low light.
More baraati rush.
Onlookers
Captured Photographers. Notice the second guy talking on his phone even when events are going on.
There are more in Flickr so head over there to see the rest.
What I tried to do is thinking about the wedding from the perspective of a guest, which I rarely do. Even when I attend a friend's wedding here, I'm always looking over at the photographer or videographer. I annoy myself sometimes with not being able to take my mind off that stuff...I'm sure I annoy my wife much more offten :)
Anyways, so I tried to stay in the crowd as much as possible and stayed away from taking photos of the bride, groom, and their parents. And here's a few of the shots I took....click through to see more about each on Flickr.
Mandap Mandwo...with a little zoom action. No Photoshop!Trying to get the feel of the rush through in an image. Touch is such low light.More baraati rush.OnlookersCaptured Photographers. Notice the second guy talking on his phone even when events are going on.There are more in Flickr so head over there to see the rest.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Snap! Crackle! Click! A few shots from Mumbai/Bombay
I'm a bit lacking on words right now, so I'll just mention a few photos I took while in Mumbai...click on each photo to go to the Flickr page for more description and to leave comments
The Taj Hotel in Mumbai on a sunny day. I wish I had my wide angle lens. Given that it was my first day in India, I really regretted not bringing it and thought that I'd really miss it. But in the end, I rarely thought about lens selection the entire trip since I had a good all round lens on me.
Silver Plaza shopping for jewelry. Mind blowing how efficient they are here with showing you the exact selection you're thinking about. It's almost like they're reading your mind. December is NRI (Non-Resident Indian) season since Indians from all over the world take their vacations at that time of year and so many are doing wedding shopping.
Dark magazine stand on the streets of Santa Cruz (Mumbai). In reality it wasn't this dark and creepy (the sun was just setting), but I love what's possible when you can control your camera well. The only photoshopping I've done to this is cropping and adding a bit of brightness to the light bulb.
The Taj Hotel in Mumbai on a sunny day. I wish I had my wide angle lens. Given that it was my first day in India, I really regretted not bringing it and thought that I'd really miss it. But in the end, I rarely thought about lens selection the entire trip since I had a good all round lens on me.
Silver Plaza shopping for jewelry. Mind blowing how efficient they are here with showing you the exact selection you're thinking about. It's almost like they're reading your mind. December is NRI (Non-Resident Indian) season since Indians from all over the world take their vacations at that time of year and so many are doing wedding shopping.Dark magazine stand on the streets of Santa Cruz (Mumbai). In reality it wasn't this dark and creepy (the sun was just setting), but I love what's possible when you can control your camera well. The only photoshopping I've done to this is cropping and adding a bit of brightness to the light bulb.Thursday, January 04, 2007
Snap! Crackle! Click! Let the image parade begin...
Rather than work through all of my photos and then post a final gallery, I've decided to post photos little by little. I've already edited about 1/2-2/3 of the photos I took while in India so I'm going to pick out specific ones...either just because I love the photos or because there's a story to tell.
For all these photos, I'm posting them up at Flickr so click on the image to go there and leave comments if you want. Also, since I'm posting more photos to Flickr than I'm actually including in my blog, check over there to see a broader selection.
And with that...let's begin with some village children...
As I mentioned on Flickr, there's just something about this girl that catches my eye. She's obviously a very pretty girl, as are so many of these village children. But her attitude was really what made me think twice after I took the photos. And while this isn't my favorite photo from my trip, I knew I'd want to post it first just because it left an impression.
And what else left and impression?
"Want Pen!"
I'm not sure why pens are such valued items in India, but ever since I was little, my cousins over there would always want my pens. While we've all grown up, these kids are still having a blast hamming it up and asking me for any pens. In fact, I took extra pens with me to India since I just knew there would be an occasion to hand them out.
So enjoy, and come back soon.
For all these photos, I'm posting them up at Flickr so click on the image to go there and leave comments if you want. Also, since I'm posting more photos to Flickr than I'm actually including in my blog, check over there to see a broader selection.
And with that...let's begin with some village children...
As I mentioned on Flickr, there's just something about this girl that catches my eye. She's obviously a very pretty girl, as are so many of these village children. But her attitude was really what made me think twice after I took the photos. And while this isn't my favorite photo from my trip, I knew I'd want to post it first just because it left an impression.
And what else left and impression?
"Want Pen!"
I'm not sure why pens are such valued items in India, but ever since I was little, my cousins over there would always want my pens. While we've all grown up, these kids are still having a blast hamming it up and asking me for any pens. In fact, I took extra pens with me to India since I just knew there would be an occasion to hand them out.
So enjoy, and come back soon.
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