When you look at someone you care about.....

...what do your eyes say?

C&G

The other side

Mail from the past.

A New Journey

Darkroom Dreams

Mangroves

Point of Rocks

Pictures Go Figgure

                      

Revisiting 

The past's future is today.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to shoot the Indy Race in St. Petersburg. It was a challenge to get the pan and shoot technique down but over all I'm happy with the results. 

Marines parachuting in at the start of the race.

Coast Guard fly by.

Winners Celebration

Am Ferrari Challenge

Like the popular song says "Now you're just somebody that I used to know" I will keep the good memories and excuse myself from making any further negative ones. And though I'll think of you I guess, until the day I die, I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by. ~S.T.~

Life is good, adventures are plentiful, and I'm alive. Not much more I could ask for.

Late night noise.

Your incessant noise from the past infiltrates my hard to come by dreams. Ill wake up in a start only to realize it is all for naught. Night after night the same thing.

0500 Friend

"But it looks so cute"

I simply do not understand the purpose of adding "vintage" looking filters to current photos. Maybe it is the way photography was taught to me that makes me despise such things. Some of the photos I see are beautiful in their own right before destroying the data by adding such nonsense as scratches, blurs, washed out filters, adding faux polaroid borders, etc. Its really a problem in the mobile market with apps such as instagram. At most our mobile cameras are now 8mp and after adding the vomit that is "editing" to make it look like a 1970's scanned polaroid that resolution is severely compromised along with the integrity of the original data.

Not all that long ago we were using film thats resolution was close to 12 megapixels then digital cameras came out and we saw a monumental decline in quality (0.3mp) but it was accepted because there was no need to buy film anymore and its just so darn convenient. Now we are starting to leave point and shoot cameras and (even more disappointing) our DSLRs at home and opting for the tiny chipped camera in our phones. Im guilty of this too but carrying an iphone around opposed to a 7lb monster in most cases just makes sense. In the past I would often catch flack from my significant other for bringing my SLR everywhere. Although I can only imagine how awkward it was for her walking around with the tourist. Big camera, out of state college shirt, and cargos.  

Why spend excessive amounts of money on a camera and/or lenses only to DESTROY the data that is in the original files. Too often I see in comments how wonderful the bokeh of this or that lens looks. What happened to the goal of taking a photo for everything to be sharp and in focus good color and contrast, trees not coming out of peoples heads, and holding the frackin camera straight.

Think about the future when you come back to look at these photos with eighteen layers of filters on them and realize this faux-nostalgia that was trying to be created was just a fad. These photos are the best you are ever going to take. They record the nights out, birthday parties, graduations, your best friends from childhood college or onward. They capture the best and worst times you have ever had. In twenty years when you look back at them smiling at the memories you will wonder why the fuck you thought adding a faux Polaroid border or changing the hue to green was a good idea.

Preserve memories as you remember seeing them. Your future self will thank you.

Old technology

Using my old original droid as a mini note taking blogging machine! NEAT!

Portraits?

This past weekend I shot a portrait session for a fitness trainer. I have not had the opportunity to shoot very many people or work with models. I think I can honestly say that at this particular outing I actually got comfortable. Directing the subject was far less strained and I wasn't always second guessing myself. Overall I am pleased with the results. The b&w was shot some time ago and while I still enjoy the photo my eye has come a long way.


                

http://www.ten-pounds-down.fitsugar.com/What-inspires-me-workout-fit-Facebook-fans-share-most-sweat-inspiring-item-21604330

C'est la vie

Life is always new and exciting. When one finally gets the chance to move on and stop perpetuating the same unhappiness day in and day out (or at least move on to a new locale.) In the two days I've been  slinging my resumé around I have already received two replies interested in my services. More  interestingly, in my opinion, I was given a piece of advice from a respected friend to go to school and do what I love and enjoy. I have an interview with the admissions advisor at Tampa Institute of Art tomorrow morning. Chances are I wont start until Fall but I look forward to completing my BFA.

In other news I have a shoot coming up this coming Saturday. Its a subject I rarely shoot, should be fun and exciting. Just keeping busy in the mean time.

Rapidly approaching is an art exhibition that I would really like to attend. If only I had someone to accompany me for the night.

An image is starting to show through the fog. 

In real life.

Five years ago today I got a message from a stranger out of the blue. It didn't take long for us to become friends and start dating. We had so much in common it was deemed "stalkerish". Five years later we are strangers again. 

Odd how things work in real life huh.

On a different note I forgot my CF card reader so pictures from my time in mountains will have to wait.

Star Trails and Meteor Showers

On January 4th later in the evening I was informed there would be a meteor shower early in the morning (3am-5am.) Naturally I put the word out, I never miss a good meteor shower. Surprisingly there was more interest than usual. Unfortunately it had to occur on the coldest night of the season thus far. The temperatures dipped well below freezing and careless me forgot gloves. Whats more fun is every 30" I had to hit the shutter release. Good news is I just ordered the TC-80N3. So more time lapses should be in the not so distant future.  

The following image is made up of 140 images shot at 24mm  30" exposures at F2.8

Click to enlarge