Don’t shoot Johnny-5, he’s alive!

hi.  Sorry it’s been a while.  I’ve been in scan country, spending all my free time scanning.  Not as fun as I remembered.  Anyrate, here are two new shots…

I love putting images together, and I’ve been experimenting with that lately. Check out these words on diptychs from MediaCoolHunting.

I really like how multiples push and lean on one another, where collectively they all lead to the big picture.

Here are a few of my most recent works.

I just recently started shooting film again. Not just any film, 35mm. I know, how archaic, right? Not really. I was just discussing with a friend about how film is actually considered an alternative process in some school’s photo curriculum! Can you believe that? Yeah, daguerrotype, alternative process- check. 35mm? I don’t think so.

After shooting digital for so long, it’s really nice to go back to film. It’s my whole attempt at getting back to basics. Some of the things that have been hindering my production of new work is the irrational complication that I create for myself in my head of all the things I need in order to produce a nice photo, mainly a nice expensive digital camera. I grabbed my old contax, some portra, and just started carrying my camera with me everywhere. It’s been pretty awesome. I found myself smiling with a sense of giddyness while I was out shooting on the street the other day. Giddiness! I hadn’t felt that way while shooting in a while, and it was nice.

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So, this is my first post, and it’s probably gonna sound pretty crappy, so bare with me here. I promise they’ll get better once I get into the groove of writing more often. I started this blog because I’m in a rut. That’s right, a rut. I’m 26 years old, and I thought by this time I would be doing what I want to be doing, and that’s shooting. Even though I don’t shoot as often as I’d like, and I don’t pay the bills with my photography, I still consider myself a photographer, and even call myself one when people ask what I do. I once heard that if you get used to this concept of telling people confidently what you are, in this case a photographer, even if it’s not fully the case, then eventually your subconscious will catch up to get you there. I don’t know if that makes sense. Bare with me, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to do this kind of stream of conscious style writing where I just get my thoughts out, or if compose it in my head first and then write.

So yeah, a rut. For the past several years, since graduating from college (BFA in photo), I’ve been working in or around the photography industry. I’ve done photo editing at a magazine, and now I’m a senior retoucher at a retouching studio here in the City. Retouching, I see a lot of really crappy photography. I saw the same thing when I reviewed portfolios at the magazine. So much crap. I definitely had my share of “I can do that” moments. The difference between myself, and the guys who are getting jobs shooting, is that they are putting themselves out there. They’re taking risks. Well, this is where I say I’m ready to put myself out there. I’m ready to own up and start showing some work, and start being the phtographer that I say I am. Long story short, this blog is a venue for my work, my thoughts on photography, as well as a place to share the work of other photographers I like (or don’t). I’m up for critique, and I encourage that dialog, so please don’t be offended if I critique your work, or say something you might not agree with. That being said, welcome to DSJ5!