I spent much of last night changing the backgrounds in the studio in preparation for the upcoming weeks shoots. On Friday I decided to go with a muslin and wasn’t really happy with my choice. A few years ago I decided to turn my living room into a part time photo studio. I invested in some auto poles and picked up the Genesis 200 series light kit. I even purchased a nice soft box. Though it takes some maneuvering I seem to have just enough space to make it work. Along the way I’ve picked up several muslins and have an assortment of seamless backgrounds. In the early going I tended to lean towards using the muslins more often. The were wider than the 53 wide seamless backgrounds I had. Easier to store and a synch to hang. The seamless however were cheaper and in my opinion produced somewhat of a cleaner look. The only problem was the 53 inches of width did not allow me much room to work with. Head shots were one thing but my 3/4 shots were often to tight and you can forget about full length or family portraits. I needed to get a wider paper but the next size up was 109 inches wide. To wide for the space I had. I thought of everything and even looked into having the local lumber yard cut it down to a useable size. Finally in the end I found a place in Chelsea that not only carries the larger size but can cut it down to your specific needs in a matter of minutes. Problem solved right? Well, yes. But I still go back and fourth between the two choices. Both offer their conveniences and challenges. I’m going to stick with seamless for this weeks sessions and see how I do.
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.
Todays Picture
Today i had the pleasure of meeting and working with Mary. She’s a student and aspiring singer/songwriter with an infectious sense of humor. It’s always a pleasure working with people who make you laugh and can laugh at themselves. While out on the fire escape I opened up about my fear of grates and bridges. How I was terrified I would fall through the grates or the whole fire escape would come unscrewed and plunge us to our death. She continued to reassure me by rocking back and fourth while laughing uncontrollably. When I told her about my Olive phobia she nearly lost it. Prior to the shoot I decided to set up my muslin background as opposed to my seamless. Immediately afterward I decided on going back to seamless. Thanks Mary, I had a blast. Now stop laughing at me.
Let there be Metal
Last night Maxwells hosted a rare and uncharacteristically ear punishing trio of bands. The Nolan Gate, WetNurse and Kylesa. About a month ago I got wind that my friends The Nolan Gate were going to be opening for Coheed & Cambria at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. Without a doubt their biggest show to date. I’ve known Tom, Paul and Dave for a really long time and i’ve missed more Nolan Gate shows than I can count. However, when I do manage to show up I’m reminded what amazing musicians they are. Both collectively and individually. Sure I was bummed I was going to miss their big show in Atlantic City. There was no chance I was going to miss them in my own neighborhood. I’ve always loved going to Maxwells. Through the years I’ve seen some of my favorite bands there. The small, intimate vibe and familiar faces always make you feel at home. The sound is great and it’s only a few steps from where I live. The Nolan Gate opened the show with their signature heavy, sludgy, thick apocalyptic sound. Despite being ear piercingly loud NG are really musical. With lots of breaks and grooves. Over the years I’ve become pretty familiar with the songs. Sometimes making it easier to know what’s coming around the corner. NG are a pretty stationary band but are quite menacing regardless. There is never a dull moment to be had with these guys. I’m really curious to see how they will handle the stage tonight at the House of Blues. They are definitely a band that deserves more recognition. NYC’s WetNurse followed and all I could think was “This is sick”. I’ve never been a big follower of Metal and haven’t been to many shows since my teens. But this was something to seriously take in. Gene is a maniac on stage. Full of energy and angst.Springing back and fourth while belting out bowel shaking growls and “check your nuts” screams. Definitely something to see and hear. I spoke to Gene briefly after their set. A real engaging guy with an infectious smile. He gave me their CD which I thought was a really nice gesture.
A few weeks ago I had mentioned the show to a friend of mine. She told me how psyched she was to see kylesa since they were one of her favorite metal bands. When it comes to people you’ve known most of your life there is a definite trust level. That goes for music just as much as anything, Before the show Darin told me that Kylesa had brought in a ton of gear including two drum sets. I immediately got the feeling this was going to be loud. Really fucking loud. I was not wrong in my prediction and was really glad I invested in those ear plugs earlier in the evening.
It took them quite a while to set up. So much so that I was contemplating calling it a night and just heading home. I’m really glad I didn’t because they left me stunned. Kylesa play a lot of styles of Metal but ted to swim in the sludgy, heavy side of the water. Having two drummers makes their sound deeper and a whole lot louder. Laura growls and screams while shredding on the guitar. While Phil and Corey fill the room with power and chaos. All taking turns with vocals. One of the best bands I’ve seen in a really long time. I was left drained but wanting more. Definitely a band I’d like to see a couple of dozen times again. Thanks to Gene for the CD and Chris for coming down for the show.
Leave the posse at home.
Last night in between sets at Maxwells I got a call from what was to be today’s Photo Shoot. The person in question is a friend but a unreliable one at that. We met about a year ago and agreed to set up a Photo session at one point. The day of the shoot I agreed to meet her at the path train. As I arrived I noticed she was accompanied by two other woman. Fine, I understand to a degree. When you’re meeting a perfect stranger it’s smart to be safe. That day turned out to be an exercise in frustration. The one woman who happened to be her cousin wasted so much of my time stopping to get smokes, junk food and coffee at every juncture. At one point I actually wanted to throw her out of my car. I got along fine with the person I was photographing and even she seemed embarrassed by the woman. We managed to get some good pictures that day and developed a good chemistry. Later she apologized for her cousins attitude and presence. I just asked that if we ever worked together again that she left the entourage at home. So when I got the call last night she tells me she’s riding in with a friend. I’m thinking “okay, maybe we’ll stop at Tunes and he’ll be on his way. I thought wrong. Later I found out that she was bringing him because “She wanted him to see her model”. Are you kidding me? Okay, if it were some outdoor thing maybe. But my studio is also my home and it’s a small one at that. I don’t need someone looking over my shoulder, getting in my way or god forbid getting in my stuff. This is not Sears Portrait. You just can’t do whatever you fucking want and get an extra set of wallets and coupons for it. My studio, my rules.When I got home I brought this up to her. She said “He won’t get in the way.””He’s a nice guy.” Then wrote me off and told me she was going to bed. Over the last year I’ve grown accustomed to working with some really great and reliable people. I don’t plan on changing that. It’s not worth it. Photography and Portrait Photography to be precise are not spectator sports. So I cancelled the shoot and I’ll be looking forward to tomorrows.
Back to Times Square
I tend to cringe whenever someone brings up Times Square. The place is crowded, congested and littered with tourists. Walking there is like walking through a mine field. Thousands of tourists walking at a snails pace enamored by the glittering lights. Getting around them is virtually impossible considering how much space is taken up by vendors selling their counterfeit bags, glasses and other crap. Walking on the street is an option if you don’t mind getting run down by a cab, bicyclist or rickshaw. It’s a true exercise in frustration. It’s also a right of passage and an everyday routine for most New Yorkers. Last night on the news they spoke about a new plan to detour traffic or at least motor vehicles from the Times Square area. Opening up the streets to human traffic and giving people a little breathing room. Being that there was another street fair and some newly acquired elbow room we headed over to see what was up. The weather was perfect. The usual combination of tourists, theatre goers, locals and oddballs were out and about. I lived a few blocks over in Hell’s Kitchen for eight years. Although the area and particularly Times Square bare little resemblance to the old. It still feels good to get back to the West Side. The Navy was in town. The Naked Cowboy was well “almost naked” We made our way up to Central Park and over to Lincoln Center before we headed back. As always hunger found it’s way to our belly’s and we decided on “the Carnegie Deli”. In the past I had always seen these classic deli’s on the food network and featured in various shows but thought “who could eat that much?” Seriously, how can anyone wrap their mouth around a sandwich that huge and live? Well, since conquering Katz’s deli on the Lower East Side years back I realized I could conquer any sandwich. I’ll say this, Carnegie is good but Kat’z has them beat by a mile as far as taste and overall experience is concerned. It was good but I am staying loyal to my old favorite. Let the tourists eat there. Exhausted and with our bellies full we headed home. I met some nice people. Ate some good food and got some good pictures. All within an ear shot of home.
Faces in the crowd.
I never put much stock in what the weather man says. Though I do love all the TV wizardry they create waving their hands and making the panels behind them appear and disappear. The forecast for the weekend was rain, rain and more rain. Our original plans to head to the Bronx were scaled down to the Union Square are where there were two street fairs within a couple of blocks of one another. The idea of street food and particularly meat on a stick had my appetite at a peak. Before we headed out I decided to change lenses from my 28-135 to my 70-200 in order to get some candids from a safe distance. There is no beating NYC in terms of unique characters and individuals. Having a little distance to focus and not get attacked by aiming your lens at the wrong person is a big advantage. People react in a lot of different ways when they see you taking their picture. Most of those changes do not to help to produce a great image. I’ve made a point of always bringing business cards with me to give out to people I run into and photograph. Often offering to email them the image I shot. Through the day I met some interesting people, ate a lot of random food and got a whole lot of sun. I may have noticed a cloud or two towards the end of the day. But I never once felt a drop of rain.
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
The weather today was just perfect. The kind of day where you want to get outside, feel the sun on your face and dip your toes in the water. I had a really busy day but was eventually able to head over to Washington Square Park. I always hear people talk about how they could never raise their kids in the city. Personally, I can’t imagine a better place to grow up. Manhattan offers some of the best parks you can imagine. Washington Square and Union Square are two of my favorites because they offer so much in such a small area of space. The Parks are always full of music, art and activity. As a photographer they keep me inspired and allow my creativity to thrive. At times there’s so much going on it makes my head spin and before I know it I’ve been there for hours. “Look at that….Wait, look at that…No, look at that.” Today was one of those days. The fountain is a particular favorite of mine. There aren’t many swimming pools in the city outside of the YMCA and the pricy Health Clubs so this is the spot. The fountain is in the center of the park which is evident by all the activity surrounding it. In the last year I’ve gotten a little obsessed with taking pictures around water. I love the energy and being able to freeze that moment. I’m really looking forward to more days like today.
Looking for inspiration.
People have always been the inspiration for me wanting to become a photographer. It was my way of overcoming my shyness and insecurities when it came to meeting and talking to people. When I’m shooting portraits I am at my best both socially and artistically. As I went through the pictures I’d been taking over the last couple of weeks I felt very little inspiration or satisfaction. As I looked closer I realized the missing ingredient…..people. Sure I love landscapes and scenery. Even a flower or two. But the thing that brings photography to life the most for me is people. That is what I’ve been missing. I go through these down phases where I get social anxiety and I have trouble communicating. I kind of broke out of that today and got to introducing myself to some new people and getting some possible future shoots. Along the way I met a local named Ziggy and his dog Lu Lu. I also got to talking to this guitarist who upon putting a dollar in his guitar case played Alice in Chains “Rooster” for me. It was a beautiful day out weather wise. We haven’t been getting a whole lot of those around here these days. Maybe this is the beginning of a good stretch in both the weather and better pictures. One can only hope.
A night at Maxwells
During the past couple of weeks New Jersey has quickly turned in Seattle on the East. It’s been rainy, windy and downright depressing. You can’t help but notice the effect it’s had on just about everyone. Due to allergies I lost my voice for about a week and learned the hard way how much we take the art of breathing for granted. Sick or not I needed something to do because I was getting downright depressed. So word that there was going to be a good show at Maxwell’s was the best medicine an old man could get. This show took on a special quality due to the fact that Ringfinger and Cinemasophia were playing. This was the first time Tracy (Ringfinger) had performed at Maxwells since her days fronting Dahlia Seed more than thirteen years ago. I was lucky enough to see the first Ringfinger show in Richmond about a month ago and was eager to see her in what in a sense was a homecoming.
The small turnout of mostly friends and familiar faces which gave it a very intimate and personal touch. The kind that reminded me of better times musically. Cinemasophia opened the show. An awesome band with members hailing from as close as Brooklyn and as far as Richmond. I’ve already had the pleasure of seeing twice. Each time getting to know their song a little more intimately. They’re latest release is the first on Tracy (Ringfinger) and Dave’s (Rocketscience) label “Little Black Cloud” records. I’m not very good on describing sound or applying genres to bands so i’ll just say I enjoy their laid back and eclectic sound.
Next up was solo act Jean on Jean. I was not at all familiar with her. One girl playing a guitar. Pretty stripped down and folkie. Not my thing but I would imagine they eat this stuff up at the coffee houses in Williamsburg Brooklyn.
Tracy aka Ringfinger closed the night with a short but tight set. I noticed a marked improvement from the first night she performed the songs. The songs on her album “Decimal” pack the same genuine emotion and resilience that made Dahlia Seed so loved. With Dahlia Seed she had the support system of a band behind her but without that I would imagine she feels a lot more vulnerable. Something that might take some getting used to. I would also think performing the songs is both painful and cathartic at the same time. It was a really good night for everyone. I think seeing her perform the songs at Maxwell’s made it all the more special. Thanks Tracy
Signs of Spring
The temperatures were headed into the 80’s today so we headed over to Brooklyn for Chicken and Waffles on Washington St. and to check out the Cherry Blossoms at the Botanical Gardens. There’s a cool sprinkler outside of the museum that shoots out of the ground intermittently. The water dances in and out almost like a ballet. The kids were going crazy and although there are easily viewable signs that say “Do not Enter”. The kids never seemed to care. Come to think of it. Why should they? Due to a combination of too much food and too much sun (if there is such a thing) we never made it inside the Gardens. Somehow just sitting on the Museum steps and watching those kids have such a good time seemed like enough.
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