Black Cat

A number of months ago I went to the NYC Comic Con and took pictures of all those I found to have exceptional outfits.

One such person was this woman in a Black Cat outfit:

 

After developing the picture I looked at it again and again and I believe I may have taken a picture of Anne Hathaway in disguise.

For reference:

The nose is the same and the smile is dead on to other pictures I have seen of her.  Pretty cool if it is Anne Hathaway, but I just keep in mind that I took the picture because I thought she looked great.

Olympus OM-1

Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 (single coated)

Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

For Squatters

For about a week after Hurricane Sandy hit, I was without power and work had been cancelled.  My mother got power back within a few days so I went and stayed at her house. There was not much to do so I walked around for miles and miles and took photographs of post-Sandy Yonkers. 

During my wanderings I happened upon this broken toilet under a bridge (which looked as if someone lived there) and framed it with some graffiti in the background. 

For Squatters:




Rolleiflex Automat
Zeiss Tessar f/3.5
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Dress Like You Are Going To Work

Tomorrow is my Christmas gift from my best bud and I do not know what it is exactly. I have a feeling it is a play or classical music concert because he said I should dress like I go to work (shirt, tie, etc.). 

Example:

 

Anton and Invention

A little backstory on the photo (pulled from my Flickr stream):

I knocked over my entire basket of paperclips in the crevice between the desk and wall in my office at work. There was no possibility of my arm being long enough to reach the multitude of strewn about metallic paperclips. I thought for a moment and devised a tool to help me retrieve all of the precious supplies which was made of many extra large rubber bands, two ovoid promotional magnets, and a stick of hard candy. It worked like a charm.

I asked my coworker, Jessica, to take a picture of me with my invention in a victorious pose.

Yes, the patent is pending.

So now I am visualizing an outfit for tomorrow.

Photography has really helped me figure out how to dress.  I have found that understanding colors, textures, patterns, which is essential in photography, is also essential if you want to look your best. 

Not everything carries over though...like repetition of patterns.  In photography you might want to look for a pattern that repeats itself three or more times, but that does not really work on a person.  I recommend you not be the guy who wears a striped shirt, striped pants, and striped tie.  I would typically say similar patterns should not be used more than twice, which often does not work in photography.  Notice how I weaseled out of making these statements absolute; really, they are guidelines.  The world is not so black and white :-)



Holga 120N
Kodak Tri-X
Bentley W-14 flash unit

flickr photos

Practice in the Park

I am not sure if this man was practicing Buddhism meditation or some form of Yoga, but he was doing it in Union Square Park.  Whatever he is doing there definitely seems to be a sense of order to the entire scene - everything is set up precisely and he seems to be unaffected by his surroundings. 

I find it a little odd that he would choose to do this in the middle of a very public park, but perhaps he is making a statement, or a demonstration to onlookers.

He definitely exuded a sense of peace.  It was pretty easy to take a picture of him.

I took the image with an Ansco Memar (from the 50s), one on which I performed a minor diy restoration by bringing the shutter and focus back to life from being stuck.  The lens is all hazy which gives the images an really flarey look.

Ansco Memar
45mm Apotar f/3.5
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Jazz in Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park is one of my favorite places.  So many artists gather to play all this great music that has really helped me expand my musical horizons beyond hard rock and heavy metal.

I seem to be leaning particularly towards the jazz.  Just five years ago I would say something like "jazz ain't my bag, man", but tastes change over time and here I am.

There is one jazz band (who is quite excellent) that regularly plays the park, but this saxophonist:



Only occasionally plays with the group, but when he does, he breathes a new sense of excitement and life into the music.

To say the least, this sax player really cooks.

I took the image with an Ansco Memar (from the 50s), one on which I performed a minor diy restoration by bringing the shutter and focus back to life from being stuck.  The lens is all hazy which gives the images an really flarey look.

Ansco Memar
45mm Apotar f/3.5
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Thistles

Another image from my Adirondacks trip.

I really would have loved to open the lens up to f/2.8, but it was so damn bright out and my shutter speeds only go up to 1/1000s on the Nikon FE.  Still, not too bad shallow depth of field.

Nikon FE
Access 28mm f/2.8
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Serenity in NY

I went up to the Adirondacks one day a couple months ago with an old friend of mine to do some shooting and I am not quite sure how we came upon this tranquil spot, but I am glad we did.

I am not much a fan of landscape photography, but it was more than a perfect opportunity to practice some.

While I think the image above is okay - nothing is incredible or groundbreaking about it.  For me, 35mm is a bit flat and I would much prefer using medium format and upwards for this subject matter, but I had the Nikon FE on me, so I used it.  Better than nothing.

The coolest thing that day were the snails that were frozen to the wooden walkways.  I only had the 28mm, so no macro photography for me.

What I enjoyed most about the day was not the photo taking aspect, it was the overwhelming peace of the location. 

Nikon FE
Access 28mm f/2.8
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Wasabi

Peas, please.

Trying out the close focus abilities and sharpness of this off-brand lens at f/2.8.  Shutter speed also at a ridiculously low 1/8th of a second.

Not a bad result for one of those shots that you want to make just to finish up the roll of film.

Nikon FE
Access 28mm f/2.8
Kodak Tri-X

flickr photos

Religion and Politics

 

I was surprised to see this bold declaration in Harlem. 

While this may be a well composed picture, the real star of the image is the content matter.  I do not often go for journalistic shots, but I had to capture this moment in history.

flickr photos

First Time TLR-ing It

I wanted to use the Rolleiflex that has been sitting on my shelf for a few years, but before I could go out shooting I had to invest in a CLA due to the (de)ceased shutter.


I spent the money and went out shooting.

This is my story.

I loaded the film wrong and grew increasingly frustrated not seeing the frame counter move whenever I cocked the shutter.

I figured that I was one to blame for the mishap, and indeed I was.  I did not insert the film through the rollers on the transport and that is what prevented me from doing my street shooting on the lower east side.  Oh well.

I tried to salvage the film by rerolling it in my blackened bathroom, but I did that incorrectly and ended up jamming the camera with some tape I did not secure.  Grumble.

Frustrated, I popped the camera back open ruining the roll of film.  I did not like throwing away $5, but it was necessary and I was glad the camera was fine.

I threw in some Kodak Tri-X and went out shooting again the next day, this time, to a much less interesting place, but I tried my best to make interesting photos.

Let me tell you, using this thing is completely different than the SLRs or rangefinders I am familiar with.  I was having a hell of a time with the flipped image - lining things up or framing served as a major hindrance because I had to think and make coordinated motor movements in reverse - it is not something I usually do.

In a way I suppose that is a good thing; I had a long enough time to consider if the shot was worth making.

I am very surprised with the quality of the lens.  I have always liked the Tessar formula, but this one in particular (the f/3.5) writes more beautifully than all of the other Tessars I have used before.




flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 6)

I am not quite sure if she was eating the fire or blowing flames on this image. Perhaps a combination of both.

It does not matter to me so much because I enjoy the simplicity and ambiguousness of the image.



This one reminds me of a long and curvaceous dragon, not unlike those in Chinese depictions, dancing with the summoner of flames.

Okay. That is the close of all the fire dancer images. I plan on writing an entry that will incorporate one or two of the images, so please forgive me for posting again, if only to demonstrate an idea.

Stay tuned for the next posting, I am really going to try to make that an interesting one.  [edit - I am not so sure how well the next entry turned out; I was tired of kicking the idea around in my head and needed to get it out there]

flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 5)

I am lumping these two images together because of the commonality in theme.

Circles are a powerful form and always draw the eye when viewing an image.

When photographing I tend to see in shapes and have trained myself to consciously strip down elements that are nonessential to a point when it becomes an unconscious habit in order to make a stronger a picture.

In practically all of my photographs I have one point of interest.

In these Anachronism photographs I focus on Sasha and the flames that surround her are an extension of the image content and the reason why I am photographing this event.

I have to imagine the flames creating a pleasing form (based on my experience and intuition concerning how light writes on film) in order to complement Sasha.

flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 4)

For whatever reason this is the most popular image of the set on flickr. Personally, it does not do too much for me, but there might be a few things about this image that made it garner the most attention.

It is fun to follow the light streaks and have an interesting pattern.

On another level the figure mirrors the design of the tattoo on Sasha's back (angel/devil wings) and it is as if the fire is going to help her take flight. That may be a bit far fetched, but it occurred to me, why not someone else?

It could also be because the lil' bit o' butt illuminated by the fire and the flash, but then if that was the case, I would imagine the image discussed here would be more popular.

flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 3)

Fire Vortex

Dragging the shutter can be a tricky thing. You do not want to keep it open too long because the image might become blurry due to exposure; the flash exposed once, but the longer you keep the shutter open the light has more time to collect on the film.

It is a delicate balance.

I think I kept the shutter open for about 1-2 seconds here and this let me capture some amazing circular light trails coalescing into one point.

Sasha's unusual body posturing also injects an element of the exotic into the image, which I feel is a nice compliment to the shape light painting.

flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 2)

 
Fire Noir

I have a hard time expressing how fortunate I feel to have captured this image.

I love the S curve of her body.

I love the localized lighting that hints at more.

I love the flame trails.

I love the motion blur that gives the image an ethereal feel.

I love the amount of negative space.

I love that my imagination races.

flickr photos

Anachronism IV: Sasha: Fire Gypsy (part 1)

On Sunday, December 4th, I went to the fourth Anachronism event at Webster Hall in New York City.  Holga 120N in tow, I was determined to get some great pictures.

Anachronism (part III)

So apparently there is a steampunk calendar. Lots of these look awesome! Also, it looks like Brooklyn is steampunk central.



I loved her piercings and geisha-esque outfit. This one may be my favorite from the night.



This mime broke character and spoke a few times throughout the night. I think this is a very fun image.

flickr photos

Anachronism (part II)

anachronism [uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm]– noun:
something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time

All the people who attended this event must have felt somewhat anachronistic, which allowed people to bond easily, let down their guard, and have a great time. To put it simply: Anachronism III was drenched with super positive energy and I loved it.



Probably the most decked out person at the event was the host: A Count Named Slick-Brass, captain of The A.S.S. Titilus. He was pushing everyone to drink, drink, drink, but drink responsibly. Unfortunately, the success of the event was judged by the bar bill, so in order to have more shows like this one, everyone needed to dig deep into their pockets and buy a couple beers. I enjoyed his hubris and he had a great and anti-politically correct sense of humor. He also won best in show at the cosplay contest, despite the fact he publicly withdrew after showing off his costume to the crowd.



She was heading up the costume contest. Incredibly outfitted in some green devil attire.

flickr photos

Anachronism (part I)

Last Sunday I attended my first steampunk event, and let me assure you, it will not be the last! I can not begin to adequately elaborate on how much fun I had, but I am going to try.

The adventure began as I was trying to decide on what to wear; blending in is an important aspect in photography (on the street and at events) because it helps lower a person's guard that they might have otherwise had if I wore just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.



I also added a newsboy cap and a chained compass to wear on the vest which gave me an early 1900s look (I think).

Let me tell you: taking a self portrait at f/2.8 is an exercise in exasperation.

The event, held at Webster Hall in NYC, started off a bit slow but picked up speed a couple hours in.

Bands played. Beer flowed. People in costume mingled.

Picture time:



She was a model for the body painter at the event, but I liked her face so much, I shot that instead of the artwork on her back.



This guy was great. I loved his outfit and he sang sea shanties, Irish folk songs, and an interesting interpretation of Led Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole"

He also played this tune by the Pogues:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGL4ZtvDN0o

All of the images on the black and white roll were terribly overexposed, so I did what I could with the levels and think they turned out okay.

Each shot was taken on the old variation of the Holga 120N (the one with only one aperture) and Kodak Tri-X.

That is all for now, but I will be adding more images over the next few entries.

flickr photos

Niagara Falls (part 3)

This is my final entry about Niagara Falls, I hope you have enjoyed the images from the previous two.



I thought what this guy was doing was pretty dangerous; standing on the perilous ledge of the falls , but hey, I have to thank him because I like the shot. He also sports a none-too-flattering wedgie.

Taken with the Olympus OM-1 and 35mm f/2.8 single coated Zuiko lens on Kodak Tri-X film, souped in TMax chemistry.



Prepare for the impact; a first hand look at the power of the falls from the Maid of the Mist.



Wham! This picture was taken before the last picture, but I think this sequence tells a better story :)

Both shots with a crappy point and shoot.

One of the five cameras I had specifically brought for the Maid of the Mist shots crapped out on me at the hotel, so I had to get a crummy disposable camera, which did an okay job.



Taken at a park in Queenston Heights while my friend and I were on our way to check out a town called Niagara on the Lake, which was supposed to be an 18th century town, but it felt more like Scarsdale (in Westchester County in NY) with all of its overpriced boutiques and restaurants and pay parking. The monument featured at this park (Brock's Monument - seen in the distance) is quite ridiculous. It is so high up that if the artist did a fantastic job, no one would appreciate it. If the artist did a poor job, no one would realize it. Funny in a perverse sense, really.

I was going for a silly picture here. Instead of posing my subject on the steps and looking at me for an environmental portrait, I had him bend over for no apparent purpose. I am sure it sounded pretty creepy when "bend over more - I like that..." came out of my mouth.

Taken with the Olympus OM-1 and 35mm f/2.8 single coated Zuiko lens on Kodak Tri-X film, souped in TMax chemistry.

flickr photos