Yearly Bloom

Extreme humidity and temperature fluctionations are what springtime brings here. The mornings are cold and damp and the days are filled with sticky heat. People retreat to the shade and pool for solace. Children run through sprinklers, ablaze with steam rising from their skin. The fire hydrants wear a permanent grimace.

All jokes aside, the closing of spring leads to summer break and tans. Everyone is making the most of their time to find those little slices of heaven that will become their fond memories. One of mine is here, right near the end of spring: the tiger lilies finally bloomed in front of our house. I've been looking forward to them since last year and thought they might never make an appearance. They're as fragrant as they are colorful. The lillies really brighten my day and that's why I'd like to share a couple of photos of them.

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Too Much of a Good Thing

I've been playing around with a lot of concepts lately from cars, to portraiture, to video ideas. I may have spread myself a bit too thin, but I'm learning a lot about many different methods. Because of this, I'm taking my time and not updating my blog willy-nilly. I do, however, want to keep this blog going so here are a couple of photos from the last week.

Lots of experimenting going on... I'm loving it!

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1 minute

Two websites, one challenge. One: world renowned commercial photographer Chase Jarvis. Two: Blake Whitman, the face of Vimeo. They gave me a no-excuse reason to begin my foray into video. I used the Chase Jarvis rules which all work for Mr. Whitman's:

-no camera movement
-1 minute in length
-landscape
-no editing whatsoever
-keep it simple

I began my journey downtown, hoping to get somewhere high and record the river and people down low. That was a no go: the scene and I just weren't vibing. So I made my way back to familiar territory. The scene below is minutes from my house. It's a place I've been wanting to photograph for months and was too scared to park and walk over (construction area). A short walk in, shortened tripod legs, and focusing were all that was needed. The video is simple but the journey was the real point. It was definitely a step in the right direction. So thanks to both of them for the concept, and thanks to my wife for going along for the ride.

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Finding Light

Photography is my hobby. By that I mean, for me, the making of photographs treads a fine line between passion and obsession. It is my creative outlet and a constant struggle. I try to force myself to take photos, and it's not until I am calm that I can make my best photos. Of course there's those times when I need to get something off of my chest: I'm upset and focused. My mixed feelings come together and end up in my better work as well.

Yesterday, I learned a valuable lesson. I wanted to make a great to photograph: I looked for 'good light,' an uncluttered background, and a great angle. My first attempt was around two in the afternoon. Not so great because the light was to hard. A little bit later I came back to the same spot and tried again. Better, but not what I was looking for. There was no chance for a photo I could live with. Ce la vie.

And in one last attempt, I found another subject. Of course, the subject wasn't right. The light, however, was. I made my way back to my previous German subject, waited, and walked around. I had the right light and background, but the angles were wrong (to my eye). And then finally I saw what I wanted. The light was beautiful, the angle was terrific, but of course there was a cluttered background. I took the photo despite it, and ended up exactly with what I wanted: a nice photograph of a beautiful car. It's not perfect, but I worked hard to get that much with nothing more than my camera and 'free,' quickly fading light.

The lesson learned: sometimes there really isn't a photo there, or I'm just not in the mood. No matter how much I struggle there's so much to be done. I can look, experiment, move myself physically, and there's nothing I can do but wait. Wait for either the light to be right, the mood to be right, or even for a more interesting subject. Of course someone could go into detail regarding artificial lights, reflectors, and 'pro' jobs that need to be done no matter what. In that case, you need the right tools for the job. In my case, I am trying to learn about finding a quality of (natural) light. And I'm just a little bit closer to my goal.

Please feel free to leave a comment!

Emotive Automotive

Sensual curves, melodic sound, a big caboose. It's no wonder that cars are often referred to in the feminine, as works of art that we lust for. Their mystery and power are things of both legend and beauty, power and agility, aggression and serenity. On the tarmac, the limits of these vehicles can be tapped into with graceful footwork and pinpoint steering accuracy. Metal, rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, cloth, fuel, lubricants... so many parts moving, revolving, and internally combusting. Tears and blood through and through, for better or for worse. And on the show floors, the spirit of all these come together alongside wax and tire shine as automotive pornography. The glittering, beautiful framework covered with coats of paint and gloss are sirens leading men (and women alike) to their bank account's doom.

Everyone has their own story of what their vehicle means to them. Whether it be the visual and auditory aesthetic or performance attributes, there's something truly special about these machines that can comfortably get us from point A to point B, or from the start line to the finish line. A car can be artwork to one person and a tool for another. Beauty on the outside, a beast under the bonnet. I for one started with the pure sound of them, listening to the throaty exhausts and whining intakes. I progressed to a love for the ride, and finally for pure motorcycle-riding lust. Not the adrenaline, mind you. Adrenaline is a sure way to the emergency room. It's the "zone." That place where man and machine are in sync, where the world melts away with every synapse firing so that every nuance of the road and your body move to go forward without anything else mattering. Like a waking dream: it's something fast, delicate, and indescribable.

I hope you enjoyed the photos. Please feel free to post your own stories and love for cars, trucks, motorcycles... whatever automotive machinery that gets your heart pumping.