It’s been quite a while since I last posted to PhotoGeek. Too, too long for my own liking. Since returning from Japan I’ve gotten back to shooting and trying to get my work out there. I’m still going through those photos from my two weeks abroad and spending a lot of time discussing the idea of moving there full time. I know its kind of half ass but just realized that I hadn’t posted since mid January. If I went a full calendar month without posting something. I’d feel somewhat incomplete. So, stay tuned. There’s plenty more to come.
A Fresh Start
Last night I finally had the chance to thoroughly attack the many images I had taken during my recent trip to Japan. It’s been two weeks since we returned and I’m finally finding the words to describe just how important this trip was for my mind, soul and perspective as a photographer. In the days, weeks and even months prior to the trip I went through some personal struggles that had me questioning just about everything. As far as I was concerned, removing myself from many of the causes of what had manifested was the best solution to the problem. From the moment I landed in Japan and set foot in Hayama. All of the stress, anger and anxiety I had built up in the prior months began to melt away.
As we shared a hearty breakfast and watched the sun rise over Hayama that first morning. I was asked a very important question. “What do you want to do while you’re here?” I took a while to collect my thoughts before raising my head and replying “I want to be the untourist.” “I don’t want to go near anything remotely related to what I’m used to.” “I want to absorb and experience everything this culture offers.” It was a pretty big statement for someone who had just experienced a fourteen hour flight, four hours sleep and had yet to take a sip of his first cup of coffee in Japan, but it was honest. I just wanted to leave behind all the baggage I had accumulated back home. I wanted a fresh start. Luckily for me, my mind, body and spirit was about to get the full treatment.
Japan Unmasked!!!
As I headed towards baggage claim at Japan’s Narita Airport I began to notice the handful of people going to and fro adorning surgical masks. Though it struck me as strange at the time; With a fourteen hour flight behind me, retrieving my bags and embarking on the final trip to our resting place in Hayama was of the upmost importance.
The next day as we traveled to Asakusa to visit one of the famous Buddhist temples. As we navigated the subway and streets leading to our destination, I noticed more and more of what seemed bizarre to these foreign eyes. Was the air unsafe? Was there an airborne virus I was not made aware of? Perhaps a Michael Jackson flash mob waiting to spring into action? Or was it preparation for the coming Mayan Apocalypse? Whatever it was, it was starting to make me feel unsettled. My wife gave me a number of possibilities that would explain this phenomenon; but it wasn’t until I sat down with her sister Chisato that night until it all came to make sense. I’ll leave this article to better explain things. After reading this you can decide for yourself if their very cautious, crazy or amazingly courteous. For me personally. After living in and around New York City most of my life and experiencing the disgusting habits of many of my fellow citizens, I’d choose the latter. http://boingboing.net/2009/02/13/japanese-surgical-ma.html
Closing Out The Art of Fashion Photography and 2012
If my calculations are correct. It’s been three weeks to the day since that Art of Portrait Photography ended. In hindsight, it was an experience that really had me in a twist. For whatever reason, I don’t think I ever felt comfortable or even confident at any given time during those four days. All that time I should have been having fun doing what I love most; I was busy trying to be perfect. It was a two weeks that shook my confidence as to what I’ve been doing and what I will be doing in the future. It was four days that even made me question if I really was a “good enough” photographer. Three weeks later I’m about to return from my trip to Japan. I return with countless memories, unique experiences and a hard drive full of beautiful images to share. I have a new confidence and appreciation for life and the people I’ve chosen to share it with. I’ll have lot’s to talk about and show in the upcoming weeks and months. In the meantime, I’d like to wish everyone that’s stopped by, followed and even left a message or comment in regard to a certain post or image. Don’t go crazy with those New Year’s Resolutions. I like you just the way you are. Here are a few images I took of out third model. She was by far, my favorite.
Cheers, The Photo Geek
The Art of Fashion Portraiture Revisited
I had a chance to work on a few of the photographs I took on the second day of our Fashion Portraiture workshop. As I had noted, we used gels that day and I was really unhappy with the results. Though I’m still not crazy about the overall results of the session; The improvements I made will keep me from trashing the images all together.
A Slight Change of Plans
I had made plans to pick up Roksolana in the city and drive back to Hoboken to shoot at the studio. I had spent the earlier part of the morning setting up lights and backgrounds while stumbling around trying to make sure everything I needed was within reach. Quickly enough I made it down to SOHO with time to spare and decided to get my walk on. The temperature was reaching into the 60’s and the sun was fighting it’s way to the forefront.
As Rox arrived we quickly caught up with one another. It had been two years since we last worked together. It looked to me that she had not changed one bit. A big smile, wide eyes and a bundle of energy that a savvy marketing guru might turn into a hip energy drink. As we got in the car she excitedly asked what our plan was. I explained the studio set up and the look I was going for. Her eyes turned south like a child just about to ask her parents for the biggest toy in the store. “So, James… What do you think of the weather today.” I knew right then and there that we were just about to embark on an outdoor adventure. I was more than happy to embark on such a journey.
With a new sense of direction we hauled ass to the Lower East Side finding inspiration on this block and that block. Our first stop was just off Ave. A. There were interesting store fronts on the North Side of the street and a mural themed concrete wall and classic car on it’s South Side. Rox quickly rifled through her bag of tricks looking for just the right outfit as I surveyed the area for a good place to start. At one point she spotted a bike that was locked up in front of one of the store fronts. She quickly began to climd on as construction workers, shop owners and residents entered and exited the adjacent building. At one point the owner of the bike came out to see her quite comfortably mounting herself upon it. She looked over confidently smiling, “Is this your bike?” “Don’t worry, I will return it better than I found it.” Her friendly presence and sweet voice could have won over a Hell’s Angel.
Quickly me moved from one spot to another. Never staying long enough to attract too much attention or upset the herd.
Soon enough it was back in the car and off to Rivington St. Another change of outfits in the car with Police looking on curiously.
Some more great shots with a small interruption from a rather large homeless man coming between us in rather aggressive manner “How about you give a veteran a dollar!” he barked. 
Intimidated but more pissed that he visibly shook Rox up. I took a deep breathe and replied “How bout you give a poor photographer twenty.” Those few seconds felt like a lifetime but he actually moved on up the block without uttering another word. We quickly got back to work finishing up the block in front of one of my old haunts ABC No Rio.
As the day grew darker we stopped for some Vietnamese Sandwiches (Her first) before ending finishing up at Tompkins Sq. Park. For someone who was feeling pretty awkward in recent days. This was the perfect tonic. Funny how photography can do that.
The Art of Fashion Portraiture Part II
Day two of the workshop was even more of a roller coaster than the first day. We had the opportunity to work with a different model and had a little more time to shoot and work with a team. My session started off with some technical issues which made me a bit uneasy. Our new model was just as beautiful and sweet but seemed to lack the experience of Saturdays beauty. For this shoot the assistants attached a red gel to the soft box. I’ve worked with gels before and to be honest, I really don’t like them at all. I come from more of a portraiture background and prefer to keep things as natural as possible.
Prior to shooting we sat in with the makeup artist and listened to his stories, advice and basked in the glow of his amazing sense of humor. He was engaging, friendly and had us in stitches with his quick sense of humor. He really set the tone for the entire day. When it was time to work with our model he assisted by working the studios fan around the models hair. Stopping to give it the touch up it needed from time to time. At one point I called out “Higher, higher!!!” “I want more hair!!!” to which he hysterically replied in the most bawdy tone. “I’m blowing as hard as I can!!!”
Though I wasn’t personally happy with what I had shot that day. I really enjoyed the day and loved watching the other photographers inject their personalities and creative energy into their sessions. Heading home with a lot to think about and a lot of ideas I hoped put to work. This workshop has been everything I could have imagined and more. Honestly, I can’t say I’m looking forward to the second week, To be completely truthful, I’m quite terrified. That said, this is what I wanted. I wanted a challenge. I wanted to be taken out of my comfort zone. Mission accomplished.
The Art of Fashion Portraiture
| In my September 20th post “Just when I thought we were done” I wrote about my trip to ICP. (International Center for Photography) I mused about my portfolio review and signing up for the “Art of Fashion Portraiture” workshop. This past weekend I embarked on a two weekend intensive workshop that has been both an education and an emotional roller coaster. On our first day myself and four other photographers (I actually expected there to somewhere between twenty to twenty-five.) gathered at a tremendously spacious Photo Studio and spent the day learning the ins and outs of the fashion industry from models, stylists and world famous fashion photographers who’s names I will stop short of mentioning. It was a learning experience to say the very least. During the first eight hour day I absorbed more than I ever thought my puny brain could take on and changed my mind numerous times about attempting to enter and extremely competitive and tough aspect of photography. During the day we each had a chance to work with a model. Each given a matter of minutes to work our magic. Although I was nervous and had some performance anxiety due to working with close two ten photographers, make up artists and stylists just a few feet away. I had an amazing model to work with. She was sweet, soft spoken and completely understood what I was trying to convey. More on the workshop later. |
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Butterflies II
I got to the gallery about a half hour into the show. Traffic was typical during rush hour. Three exits and forty five minutes later I arrived at the gallery. I parked in the lot adjacent to the gallery and could see one of my photos hung with care through the freshly washed front window. As I entered I was greeted by the galleries curator. She mentioned a couple of people had come earlier to see my work. I’ve been to countless openings in my lifetime both as an artist and a spectator. Never have I experienced someone showing up in the first few minutes ans leaving immediately after. I felt bad about missing them but took comfort in the fact that each one lived in town and didn’t travel too far. She then informed me that due to the backing on one of the frames only two of the three pictures made it to the wall. I thought it odd that they tried and tried but just couldn’t hang it but was not really bothered by it.
So I grabbed my complimentary cup of coffee and made my way from one image to another. There was a very eclectic array of images throughout the gallery. Some that made my eyes pop. Others that had me scratching my head. I worked my way from the back of the gallery to the front grabbing a handful of stale crackers on the way. (Yuck, is serving stale crackers and flat soda a tradition at exhibition openings?) As I came to my second image, a somewhat abstract offering; I quickly noticed they had hung it upside down. At first I gasped in embarrassment, then laughed. I ran to the back and explained how I noticed the mistake. “When paint drips or runs; it tends to go down, not up. She quickly ran up front and turned it right side up. We both laughed about it. People see things differently. Mistakes happen and nothing is perfect. Even in a perfect world.
A few moments later I asked if I could get a copy of the bio they had written. Last week as I was about to write one I was contacted by gentlemen there saying that, “they themselves” prepared the bios for shows there. “If I could just send some basic info and a link to my work”, they’d take care of it. I sent them a basic outline and links to my new sites I had recently built with WIX.com . As I was handed the book containing the bios I cringed. The man in charge basically copied the two sentence outline I sent and handwritten a link to, of all things, my Model Mayhem account. I didn’t even send him that link. Suddenly I wanted to rip the bio out from the book, take my pictures from the wall and run like mad. Though I had taken it all with a grain of salt I was beginning to feel a little angry. Soon after I headed out and headed home. I felt bad for anyone that stopped in before I arrived or after I left but the whole thing made uncomfortable and a bit disappointed. It’s not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination but I wish I could have done something to fix things before they got broke.
Butterflies
In just a couple of hours I’ll be headed to Montclair’s Gallery U for the opening of ‘Permanent Images’. This is my first time exhibiting there and my first time displaying at a gallery in over a year. The three images showing at the gallery are a few years old which, for some strange reason, takes away a little of the excitement away from my inclusion. I’ve always been one of those people who’s appreciation for his own work has a sort of expiration date. Shooting work and preparing it for exhibition has always been the exciting part for me. Seeing it on the wall and standing under it with a “Hey baby, wanna see my junk?” look on my face has never given me the satisfaction that capturing the image and hunting down a wall to show it does.The truth is I’m a bit of an oddball. I often feel weird at these things and can’t wait for a friend to stop by to snap me out of my geek spell and say “I hate this kinda stuff.” “Wanna get a beer? Which I’m usually more than happy to do.
By now my nerves are starting to get a little scrambled. I’ve had way too much coffee and even broken into the cola reserve. I’ve peed a half dozen times and the butterflies are turning into tarantulas. This is the uncomfortable part. Knowing that getting there is the hardest part and once I’ve seen a familiar face those butterflies will disappear is comforting; But for me it couldn’t come fast enough.
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