This Wednesday I ventured over to Jersey City for “Groove on Grove” an outdoor concert series going on throughout the summer. I had gotten wind that my old friend Romels band !No Pasaran! was one of the two bands playing that night. Though the band has been around for a few years I’ve just started hearing about them. I had missed one of their recent gigs. So I was eager to see/hear what was up. I arrived at Grove in time to catch about half of Plowing Mud Forevers set. What a nice way to start things off. PMF play great, loud, experimental Metal with cool changes and a surprise here and there. I would definitely be into checking them out further. I hadn’t seen Romel in more than fifteen years when he spent time in Jersey’s Dog Tired. Like he said after the show “It’s always good seeing someone from back in the day.” As for No Pasaran, they’re a three piece from here in Jersey and play a good mix of Experiment Punk and stripped down Rock. Often reminding me of some of my favorite bands such as Fugazi and The Clash. Lately I’ve been thinking about starting a music blog or bringing “UniteWebzine”back to life. If I do No Pasaran will be the first band I get in touch with. They have a full length in the works for 2009. So keep your eyes open.
Author: photogeek23
I'm starting this blog to share my work and experiences with friends, family and anyone who takes pictures or loves photography. Comments and insight are greatly appreciated.
Berd “Now and Then”
Last night I met up in Chelsea with Berd for some head-shots and tests. I met Berd in my Hell’s Kitchen days when she worked only a few blocks from me at the Virgin Mega- Store. At the time I was just starting work on my first portfolio. Most of my work and inspiration was coming from strangers I would approach. I had this crazy energy back then and was never afraid to engage complete strangers in conversation and ask that they pose for me. One day I was at the Virgin Mega-Store looking for some new tunes to wrap my ears around. As I twas riding the escalator upstairs I noticed the most beautiful woman going in the opposite direction. I was in total awe. My head dropped while my jaw dropped further. No joking, her eyes were like none I had ever seen before. I was tempted to turn around and talk to her but for whatever reason I was gripped with anxiety and fear. When I got home I couldn’t help but think of missed opportunities. What if I would have just said “Hello”? Later that week I was back at Virgin looking for more music and alas, there she was. This time I approached and introduced myself. I told her I was working on my first portfolio and would love to photograph her. She probably thought “who the hell is this nut?” I probably came off like one. I remember telling her what beautiful eyes she had. She really did. Well, she agreed to get together as we shot some work at the community garden across the street from where I lived. I saw her a few times after and over time lost touch. A few years later I ran into her in Chelsea. She had shaved her head but still looked as beautiful as ever. We spoke briefly and went our separate ways. We’d kept in touch through Facebook but last night was the first time I’d seen her since that brief encounter in Chelsea. I hate the phrase “Some things just get better with age.” But in this case the phrase fits like a glove. It’s hard to believe but Berd is even more beautiful today than she was back when I met her more than ten years ago. It was an absolute pleasure spending time and getting to know her all over again.
Stickin’ it to “The Man”
Last night I took the Path to the World Trade Center to meet Kayuri in Chinatown for dinner. As you pass by the courts and other Federal buildings you can’t help but notice the barricades and security check points. As I noted in one of my older blogs. So much has changed since 9/11. As a photographer I am often stopped and even confronted by security guards, police and the like. Often being questioned why I’m taking pictures or being told in no uncertain terms “You are breaking the law by taking pictures here.” It’s something I’m used to and often prepared for. Sometimes you fight back. Other times you just play dumb and act as if you’re a unknowing tourist. So when I saw this guy skating and using this Court Building as his personal Skate Park…. Well, it made me smile ear to ear. I know from experience that this makes security guards and police NUTS. And as much as I’ve become a “Good Citizen”. It always brings me pleasure to see someone giving his middle finger to “The Man”. I was amazed at how long he was able to skate without garnering the attention of anyone official. If only everyone had their little moment to stick it to the man we’d probably all be a little happier.
Smoke ’em if ya got ’em!!!
Sometimes an idea comes along for a fun or off the wall photo session. Other times I just like to take silly pictures of friends. This moth I’ve got plans to combine the two. The idea is pretty simple . Find some of my favorite personalities and see ho they perform in non-typical roles. Whenever I come up with a concept or idea for a project I usually have a strong visual picture of what I want to achieve. I almost always have certain people in mind. Who would fit best with the ideas I’m trying to convey. Some say no. Some take some coaxing and there are people like Mandy that are almost certainly willing to contribute. Jeez, I’ve known Mandy more than half my life. She’s one of my closest friends and someone I can always turn to. Her energy, sense of humor and giving nature are infectious. Whenever I have a show or need help on one of my projects she always says “Sure, anything to get to see you.” Now I know I’m cool. But I ain’t that cool. She’s always been there for me through the good times and the bad. No questions asked. The truest definition of a friend. I’m really glad I got to start this silly project on a high note. Thanks love.
Zoia saves the day.
Mondays are usually pretty dull around here. Even more so with the way the weather has been. Here we are in mid June and it’s rained just about every day. I was scheduled to meet Zola around 3:00pm so I decided to head out early to run a number of errands and take care of some business. On the way back into Hoboken I saw a Police car in my rear view. Barreling down on me at top speed with lights and sirens. I immediately did my best to pull over to the side to give him room only to realize he was gunning for me? As he approached, all five feet of him, he asked “do you know why I stopped you?” Okay, this is a test. Think hard James. “Ummmm, I have no idea.” I really didn’t. Waited for the light to turn green. Made a stop at the red sign that says “STOP”. Didn’t kill or maim any pedestrians. “You got me.” So he goes and tells me I failed to stop at the stop sign. COMPLETE BULLSHIT!!!!! I came to a full stop. There wasn’t a vehicle or pedestrian within a block of me. So I proceeded. Still I get an $85 ticket for my time. Only minutes later I park the car in the garage and go to cross the street. While a woman on her cel phone, driving an SUV, (You know the big ones that kill pedestrians?) runs the light and almost hits me. A block from the Police Station and not a cop in sight. Thank the Photography Gods for Zola. Not only did she arrive on time but she was gorgeous. This was my first time meeting her in person and it did take a little time to get into that comfort zone but once we did ……. It was great. We took some shots over at the Monroe Center. Came back to the studio and ended the day with some shots on my roof. It was an overcast day and rained on and off which made it perfect for getting nice shots. Zola has some of the most beautiful, expressive eyes I’ve ever seen. She came here from Russia some years ago and is studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I really enjoyed spending time with her and watching her reaction when we went through the session. Thanks Zola, you saved the day.
My little Brothers not so little anymore.
Congratulations to my Brother Matthew for not only surviving eight years of Catholic School but actually graduating. I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with him as I would like but I love him and I’m proud of him. Having siblings that aren’t clos
e to your age makes it harder to create strong bonds. The geographic distance doesn’t help much either. On the occasions I do get to see him he never fails to tell me how much he misses me. He’s a good kid who loves hip hop and Baseball. He’s a lot shyer and quiet than I ever was and he stays out of trouble. Just in case your curious he’s the one on the far right. “Hey Matt, show some enthusiasm. You just *&%^$ graduated.” Congrats, I love you kid.
A nice surprise when I really needed it.
I was kind of down in the dumps today. Trying hard to make this photography thing work. Trying to find a second job and a new home. Blah, Blah, Blah. I guess my head was just not in the right place. When I got home I checked my inbox and there was a really nice testimony that the woman I worked with the day before had sent. I’m posting it here because well, it’s my blog and when someone says something this nice about their experience and my work I’m gonna flaunt it. So here it is.
“James Damion is one of the most professional and encouraging photographers that I have ever worked with. He works to accentuate your best features and makes you feel like a super model during your photo session. I need to upgrade my online portfolio so that I can include more of James’ pictures of me in my gallery. These pictures are SO good I’m going to have a hard time choosing which ones! If your trying to decide on a photographer for your head-shots, portraits or pictures for your next project, let me save you the trouble of looking elsewhere. Let James Damion work his magic for you.” Erica Douglas, Actress
Dinosaur found deep in the heart of Hoboken.
While running errands here in Hoboken I stopped off at the Monroe Center for the Arts to drop off some promotional material. I’ve been going to the Monroe Center for years now. It’s an awesome five floor building filled with artists from just about every medium. Over the years I’ve displayed my work often at their Open Sunday events and managed to make a few friends in the process. Every now and then I bring the models I work with there to shoot. The hallways and large windows produce a nice soft light and create some cool shadows. Every time I go there I see this old GMC truck in the same exact spot. I’m almost positive it hasn’t been moved an inch in all these years. Sometimes I sit in my car and just stare at it for hours. I admire it’s detail, texture and think about it’s history. Today I brought my camera and took a few shots. There aren’t many angles to shoot from because it’s flanked by automobiles on both it’s left and right side and is backed into the fence behind it. It’s a really amazing piece of history.
What makes you stand out?
The other day someone posed this question to me. “What makes you stand out?” It was a hard question that I really wasn’t prepared to answer. The person who asked the question is by far the most supportive person as far as my photography is concerned. She is also my staunchest critic and has at times been very, very critical of my work and direction. I knew right then and there that she wanted an answer and she wanted one that would take on biblical proportions. I had ideas and even a few well thought out answers but were they the right ones? Would it be the answer that I knew, deep down, she was looking for. I fought with the idea and even hated her for a moment. She was digging into my soul and I didn’t like it. I’ve been asked to write an artist statement in the past for shows and presentations and there is nothing I relish more. I tossed and turned searching for the answer that would satisfy the both of us. Yes, it sounds ridiculous but I was really being tested here. I felt like I was in the interrogation room and I was about to be water boarded. The next night we met up for dinner and she posed the question again. She split my work up into two categories. The work I do for the gallery and the work I do for my customers. I got really serious and asked that she not speak until I was finished. I thought of my clients and the work I do for them which is portraiture. The common thread and the things I here over and over. I make people see themselves in ways they’ve never seen themselves before.
For the most part I make people happy and that’s the bottom line. I may know everything there is to know about photography. I may not be the best photographer. But my job is to make everyone I photograph feel beautiful and special. As I write this I’m realizing how corny and syrupy it might sound. But it’s true. She took some time to take it all in and then started in “but, but” No, that was it. That’s what you get.When thinking about the work I do for the gallery things came a little easier. I went back to the portfolio that got me accepted to SOHO photo. When it comes to travel and landscape I tend to see beauty in the things that most other photographers overlook. That part of my work has always been the thing she loves the most. The thing she says made her fall in love with me. She asked me why I hadn’t worked on that side of my art as much as the other in recent years. A lot of it has to do with the source of that work tends to get me in trouble with “The Man”. Being that a lot of that work is taken at train yards, factories, power plants and other restricted areas. I tend to get a lot of confrontations with angry owners, security guards and police. I’ve been chased, attacked, questioned and interrogated. All in the name of art. It gets tiring. Sometimes relaxing and taking pictures of beautiful women isn’t that bad. We’ll see.
Brooklyn Bound
Much of the weekend was spent in Brooklyn taking in the sun and going to open houses. It’s been an odd couple of weeks weather wise but it seems like Spring is finally starting to show itself. Saturday we jumped on the F train and head to Cobble Hill for their local flea market. The area is beautiful with lots of tree lined streets and brownstones. Besides the flea market there were a number of gate and stoop sales. I’m becoming a better haggler these days and managed to get one guy to give me six CD’s for five bucks. He was selling them for two bucks a piece. (great, more crap I’ll probably never listen to.) We always manage to do a lot of walking and exploring. Before we knew it we had walked all the way to Red Hook. Cobble Hill is a real sweet area but a little out of our price range. 
Sunday we made an appointment to see a Condo Loft in Clinton Hill. Another section of Brooklyn I’m not all that familiar with. Kayuri was a little anxious about the area and didn’t know what to expect at all. I just asked that she keep an open mind. As we got off the train we came upon Marcy Park and the nearby projects. The name “Marcy” racked my brain. I knew the name from somewhere. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. A few minutes later it finally came to me. That’s where rapper Jay – Z grew up. Any fears we may have had about the idea quickly subsided when we saw the eclectic mix of African American, Hasidic Jews and Latinos. The Condo, which used to be a chocolate factory was breathtaking. A 950 square foot loft with thirteen foot ceilings which included a sleeping loft. The building also had a beautiful tiled roof and glass enclosed gym. (also on the roof) I could definitely see myself doing some really interesting shoots there. The views from the roof deck were spectacular. A clear view of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Jersey. After some drooling and speculating we decided that we wanted a little more space. We definitely loved the building and the neighborhood. Along the way we met some nice people including Elisheba who was so sweet we wanted to take her home. With Elisheba’s recommendation we headed over to Sullivans for brunch and headed home.
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