Tag: Monochrome

Plug One, Plug Two

Canon lenses and equipment, Fisheye Lenses, Maxwells, Music

Considering how much concert photography has dominated my life as of late. I thought I’d take a moment to post some recent images I shot at what has become my home away from homes, Maxwell’s. While I’m here I might as well plug the blog and website I’ve been spending so much free and not so free time working on.

In the last year or so I’ve seen a lot of evolution in regards to my concert photography. Part of that can be traced to my purchase of the Canon 15mm wide angle lens. The shots I’ve taken with it have been my best by far. Though it requires me to get a lot closer and in the grill of some of the musicians it has helped to really feel the music on an entirely different level. I no longer a bystander. I’m right in the cage with the lions. Whether or not I get eaten up is up for grabs. I do however feel I’ve carved out my corner there. I feel that I’m getting more and more positive feedback lately ad it feels good.

All the Concert Photography you could possibly stand.   http://www.damionphoto.com/Music/About.html

I started United By Rocket Science with my friend Dave back in May and have enjoyed every minute of it. Both Dave and Me have seperate blogs/sites that, at the time, weren’t giving us a lot of inspiration to work on. Combining forces really gave us the kick in the ass we needed. Since we started we’ve been focused on doing reviews, interviews and covering local music to our best ability. It’s been a blast exploring the vastness of the music coming out of the basements and beer halls of the tri-state and beyond. Check us out and help spread the word.

One more Music Blog can save the world.          http://unitedbyrocketscience.blogspot.com/

Bring Your Friend Along

Beauty, Finding Solutions

Every now and then I work with someone who wants to bring along a friend or chaperone to make them feel safer and give them more of sense of security. I honestly don’t prefer it, you know what they say,”Three’s a crowd”.  Third parties can get in the way and become a distraction at times but for the most part, my experience has been pretty damn good. I’ve had friends and even boyfriends that helped the model to let down her hair a bit or just lighten up the mood by making her laugh and feel less conscious. While at other times, just plain joined in the fun.

On this particular occasion my communication with the model I had wasn’t very good. I don’t recall what it was in particular but things just weren’t clicking as I had planned. At one time I photographed them together perhaps put the model at ease. The addition helped a lot as the strong friendship provided the chemistry  I was unable to. As the shoot came to a close I pulled aside the second girl and managed to take a few solo shots. Her eyes, lips and attentive look were incredibly sexy.

Weeks later we talked about working with one another but before we were able to schedule anything concrete she had moved to South America. Though disappointed I feel rewarded that I was able to get handful of shots.

Writers Block And Cracked Eggs

Beauty, Erotic Photography

Tonight, just like every other night, the moment I sat down to write, my wife started her nightly ritual of calling out my name from the other room. This ritual is part comedy, part tragedy. We could sit in the same room for hours without her saying a word to me but the moment I sit down to write or work on photos the cat calls start. I could swear to the heavens that she has a special listening device that knows the moment my ass hits the seat. The calls are rather urgent, kind of like the scream who just walked into the room to find the dead, bloated body of a stranger lying on the bathroom floor. It’s jarring to say the very least. An hour later, my nerves are frayed and I’ve all but given up being able to write anything. Tonight it was the news. Something about American Idol and Steven Tyler having Jennifer Lopez’s ass surgically fitted to where his face used to sit. Then there was her dropping a hard boiled egg. That was a real emergency. What a cleanup that was. I hope the Fire Department didn’t mind bringing the Jaws of Life up three flights of stairs to free the poor thing from it’s cracked shell. So I’ve given up. I was planning on writing that Pulitzer Prize winning article on picking up hot chicks and having them pose nude for you but, I guess that will have to wait. She’s singing now so I’m just going to post this and say goodnight.

Flashback Friday; “One Day I’ll Look Back and Say, “I Did It”.

Beauty, Nudes

We were sitting at a dive bar on the Lower East Side one night drinking vodka and whiskey when I turned to Julie and said “One day you’re going to let me photograph you.” I had been friends with Julie for years and always thought she was beautiful. Though I had hinted at wanting to do some studio work with her in the past, she always shyed away from the subject saying “A lot of guys have asked or tried. I’m just not  comfortable having a camera in my face”. About an hour later she turned to me, slammed her drink on the bar and barked “Yeah, let’s do it while I’m still young.”. After a few more shots we moved to the next bar and eventually planned our session.

I always loved Julie. We met while working together and quickly became friends. We had a similar dark humor that always made us click on all cylinders. I was in love with her sense of adventure and strong sense of independence. Whenever she had some off the beat idea to try something different, she’d ask me gingerly. My response was usually an excited “Let’s Do It!”. One of the best offers was when she took me to see the Dalai Lama speak at Rutgers. It was never a dull moment with her.

The day of the shoot she showed up with a sense of confidence I had seldom seen. The more we talked and took pictures, the more confident an intuitive she became. There was a certain layer of beauty and aura that I had never gotten from her before. I had not done many nude sessions in recent years but I honestly feel she opened the door for me to shoot many more in the future. She also taught me a lot about making the model as unaware of the camera as possible.

I haven’t seen much of Julie recently. People come in and out of your life. I just know in my heart that one day the phone will ring and the person on the other end of the line will have another great adventure to share.

Different Looks and Concepts

Beauty, Canon lenses and equipment, Portraiture, Studio Lighting

Whenever setting up a shoot I like to have a game plan in place. I always go over everything with the model or subject I’ll be shooting with that day. The topic of clothing, hair, makeup and approach are all addressed. I always stress,  “The more clothes you bring the better”. I provide a basic guideline of three distinguishable looks but remind them that they know their wardrobe better than me and know for sure what really brings out the best in them. There are always looks that click and those that don’t. Most of the time I find them ultimately wearing one of my dress shirts, ties or hats by the end of the shoot. “Why not?” “They always look better on them anyway.” The ultimate goal is that they’re relaxed, comfortable and in the best light possible.

For this particular shoot I had several looks I was hoping to achieve. My friends band My Rifle was set to release their first EP and I had just received their new T-shirt with the band/record logo. The second look was to capture a classic B&W vibe with a bit of a modern fashion twist. The third was to promote  her naturally sexy look while adding a sense of warmth and comfort.

My goal with anyone I work with is of course to bring the very best out of them. Showing off their unique beauty and personality. There are many times when I’ve been able to see something in them, they themselves never saw. Getting someone to take chances and maybe think out of the box can often be rewarding for all parties involved.

Here’s what this particular model wrote about yours truly;

“I love James. He is  amazing, I’ve never had so much confidence in my life… I was a cocoon hiding in the dark. Now I am spreading my wings and so proud to put myself out there and socialize with people all over the country. The more i work with him, the more i see how he brings out all of my beauty! Hence, I walk with better posture :)”

In closing (kinda formal, eh?) I find that as I grow as a photographer, so does my focus and attention to detail. I’m developing better concepts  and ideas. Though I’m still a bit clumsy I’ve found that the confidence to work quicker at both communicating and executing my ideas without sacrificing any sense of focus or intimacy.

On the Way Home

Canon lenses and equipment, Documentary, Editorial, Fisheye Lenses, Location Shooting, Lower East Side, Portraiture, Portraiture in natural light

After a long day of good food and gallery hopping in Chinatown, SOHO and The Lower East Side we began to head West on Houston  to catch the Path Train back to Hoboken. Stopping here and there to check out some of the artisans that sell their gear in front of that church I came upon one particularly interesting table. The man and his wife were selling these intriguing artifacts they cleverly restored and made into jewelry. As I listened to the man explain the background and process to an interested party I started to set up my camera to sneak a shot of this very interesting looking gentleman. I could have pulled it off without him noticing but would I get a really honest telling shot? I got over my shyness and began an interesting conversation with Scott. I then asked him nicely if I could take a picture of him. He obliged and I left with both a story and a picture. You can check out some of Scott’s work at www.newyorkartifactart.com I’m sure you’ll be impressed.

The People You Meet.

Documentary, Editorial, Location Shooting, Lower East Side, NYC, Portraiture in natural light

As we left the bar Shell and I passed this gentleman standing outside what seemed to be a community center. We made as far as the corner when I turned to my friend and told how much I would have loved to get a picture of him. His face had so much character, I’m sure there was one hell of a story there. I explained to her that I had become so introverted lately and just felt weird asking. Shell, being the awesome woman she is walked back with me and asked him rather sweetly. How could he refuse? The man obliged and began sharing stories about his life, loves and adventures. I’ve been a bit of a sniper as of late with my street photography. This however was a defining moment and reminded me the NYC is unlike any other place. Add this to my “Tales from the Lower East Side” series.

Beauty and the Heat.

Beauty, Portraiture, Portraiture in natural light

As the temperatures soared into triple digits I sadly had to reschedule my upcoming follow up shoot with Salley. After almost six months of scheduling issues and near misses due to everything from being buried in snowpocalypse 2011 to a broken ankle. We were able to finally connect for a quick yet awe inspiring session a few weeks back. After shooting some outdoor work that day we eagerly planned for some studio work. Being in the studio allows me so much more control over lighting and background. It also gives me more of a sense of mood. During the next week or so I’ll be working on a concept and vibe for our shoot. No matter the theme or wardrobe I’ll have one hell of a canvas to work with Salley is one of the coolest people I’ve worked with recently. Here are some of my favorite shots from that cool Sunday.

 

The Pictures I’ve Always Wanted to Take at Shows.

Documentary, Editorial

As much as I’ve always loved concert photography and capturing bands as they poured every ounce of energy into each song. It was always the before and after that I wost most enamored with. As a kid I would pour through fanzines and books like Dance of Days and Banned in D.C. so engaged by the shots of the kids at the show or the bands just hanging out. “Oh my God. They’re like… real people.” These were the shots that really told the story of the friendships and intimacy formed through the music. I always wanted to take those kind of pictures. I always wanted to take the “UnBand” picture. The one where they were just being themselves and not (as the Agnostic Front song goes) “Not another character in a Hardcore handbook. This past Saturday some friends, old and new, gathered to see GO! and others play the final ABC No Rio matinee before the ball and chain rebuild the aging landmark. I did my best to capture some of the friends who gathered. Some of which live on separate coasts. Others I only see sporadically at events such as this one. All near and dear to my heart. These are the kinds of intimate images I always wanted to take. I did my best to get some unguarded shots but people have a way of spotting a camera and wanting to ham it up.