The Tougher Side

In a previously written post, I had mentioned having had a computer melt down. Literally, thats how it went down. There are certain, how shall I say it, not so positive, very un-condusive problems that can arise from needing to replace your entire computer network. Basically the system I had, need to be completely replaced. Which is fine, totally wanted a new and much faster mode of post-production, but when it is sudden and comes with a detrimental force, it can cause a ripple in your work flow. It did just that. Having rebounded from the backed up work, I am still left without a blogging software comparable to what I was using to write for Lenshare and Holyokeinphotos Windows Live Writer allowed me to do things that no other software has thus far. Granted, if I was using Wordpress, this article would not exist. But, I am to suffer till I find the happy medium I once had.

Here are a few shots from the shoots I've done over the past few weeks.

Photo Talk

Two days ago I visited the William Baczek gallery in Northampton Ma. When this gallery comes up in discussion, more often than not, the conversation leads to this gallery being one of the best in Western Ma. I typically take 1-2 trips in a month to admire the new work that is up. Friday evening when I walked in the door I was greeted with some familiar pieces and a few new pieces that I have yet to see. Moments after I made my way into the second room, the woman behind the desk approached me. Soft spoken, kind and gentle words, she politely asked me not to make any photographs of the art work. In a state of serious disbelief that I was just asked this, I responded by asking if this was a frequent problem. A quick conversation developed about the idiocy that people have been developing over the past few months. Apparently people think it is ok to wallace into a gallery and take their point and shoot out and snap a picture of a piece of art. I expressed that the thought of duplicating a painting had never entered my mind and that I think it was ridiculous someone would do such a thing. Making a picture of a picture, painting, piece of art, etc is copy right infringement. I asked if they enforced deleting the picture before the person left the gallery. To which she responded with a wide eyed yes. She even explained a for instance when a woman didnt know how to use her camera and she had to go through it with the cameras owner to try and figure out how to delete the image. I really was in disbelief that people have the nerve to walk into such a prominent gallery and take a picture of the work hanging up. I commend the woman for having approached me and informed me not to do so. Even though I would never do such a thing.

After browsing the art that is hanging on the walls, I further engaged in conversation with the woman behind the desk. She saw my camera, draped around my shoulder half hidden behind me, for the second time and asked me if I am a photographer. To her question I responded with a yes. After our conversation, during my walk around the town, I began to think about her question. Just because you have a camera, does this make you a photographer? To this, I say no. Just as much as having a bike, doesn't mean you're a cyclist. To the average person with a camera, they take pictures. Mere snapshots, if you will. Photographs, represent more than just a simple snapshot. Cameras are a tool for pictures and photographs. Pictures and photographs differ in numerous ways. A subject for another discussion. However, just entering a fine arts gallery can make an impact on how we think about more than just the subject of art within the context of the walls holding the pieces. It can lead us to a more subjective and literal meaning on other subjects. In my case, it was photography.

Since I am discussing art, galleries, and photography all in one post, here is a panorama of a sculpting studio I made just over a month ago.

A thought...

Summer has been upon us for a few weeks now. We have had a few days leading up to these warmer days that were pretty intense in terms of the heat. But now that summer is actually here, I mean the real days of summer, I have a thought. Every year a few weeks prior to the 4th of July people break out the fireworks and start to enjoy summer. It usually takes a week or two after the 4th for the independent displays of fireworks and celebrations to come to a stop. But for those few weeks, the sounds of the fireworks going off in neighborhoods across the area, the brilliant displays that illuminate the summers night sky, those are the moments that define what summer is becoming. Each year I await these moments to come, to bring about a set of memories of my childhood, images that I recall as a child having created in my mind. Sadly, this year I think I will have made it to one display of fireworks and that was last week. No doubt the images I created last week will occupy my mind till I can no longer envision then. But last year, last summer, last 4th of July, I created a set of images that will not soon disappear.

I am of course speaking purely of images representing memories. After all a photograph can be both one that is tangible, the image we capture and hold in our hands, or it can be the mental image that we capture with just our eye and hold within us. It is the image that only we can see and hold. This summer, this 4th of July will not compare to last year. A few reasons. One being the most obvious is the workload that I am investing a great deal of time into. This summer holds for me 3 exhibitions. After having finally getting my computer situation all figured out, or so I though, I was faced with yet another dilemma. My film scanner and my new iMac are not working together as they should be. Small detail that shouldn't have happened that really put a twist to my September exhibition. But never the less, things work out as they need to.

Below are a few sample images to show what I have been working the past few weeks. A lot of new work has been done. I have been pushing the boundaries in terms of what I have been trying to convey. This was a very simple article that turned into a little bit more. I am writing a very informative article that will be posted shortly.

Welcome me back...

The title is more or less supposed to be a whimsical joke. I haven't really left. I apologize for having not made an article in such a long period of time. It comes with very good reason as to why I have been so absent. The first major issue that I had to tackle was the loss of a computer. Three or so weeks ago my process melted to my hard drive in my pc. Sounds horrible, doesn't it? Well, it is more or less one of the worst things a photographer can go through besides a camera failure or break/loss. Short story explained, massive shoot, same night computer goes down, next day spent figuring problem out, following day hard drive replaced in new external case and the purchase of a brand new, very sleek, ultra sexy iMac. I went from pc to iMac and have not regretted it one bit.

The next major issue I have had to face is the software I used to use to write my articles. I used to use Windows Live Writer for all my articles for Lenshare and for holyokeinphotos.com It has taken me a little over a week to find the write piece of software to use to write for my blogs. I sure do miss Live Writer, however, I am hoping that Blogo works the same for my Mac as Writer did my for my pc.

The next and most exciting reason as to what I have been so unavailable to write my articles is.... THE NEW studio location we have just entered. We have moved from our previous location, a former office space to a much more contemporary studio located in a beautiful former mill building, located in a very industrious city. Holyoke, MA is a former industrial city bouncing back from a period of social and economical decline. Which makes our new location a post-industrial contemporary studio. The photo below shows one part, a very interesting feature in our space.

This view is a rarely seen view of city hall and the pack, (that is through this door). Below are a few other images from the building.

The following image was made from a different location within our building. There is a secondary section that used to be a rubber factory.

These windows occupied the space that we are now in. It was these very windows, my search, and need for them that lead me to the interior of this building.

My next article will be featuring a group of portraits I made in the new space. I am not going to get into any detail about this next article at the moment. Please stay tuned for more to come.

Panoramas and more…

Every photographer has that one very special person that is your biggest fan. It could be a friend, a relative, a significant other. It could even be your 79 year old grandmother. However, there really is one person that out weighs the rest of the people you know, who admires your photography. Traditionally, from what I have seen, spouses and significant others tend to be the biggest fans. I have quite a few friends, clients, relatives that like my photographs. The clients love them, or they wouldnt keep coming back, but there is one person. One person that just admires my work to the point that it makes a difference in my life, shooting, and way I perceive what I am viewing in life and around me. On Sunday, in addition to what I wrote below, I had a chance to stop and make a few panos that exist because I want you to see the moments I see that make me think about you.

I made these for you. The moments like these that I see, are the moments I want to share with you. It is places like this, moments like these, that have made me stop and think about you.

 

 

 

  This past Sunday was the 2nd of two Sundays that was pretty adventurous in terms of getting out and finding a few places to make photographs. Two of the 3 projects I am working on requires me to get out of the studio and shoot. In doing so I have managed to find myself in some pretty awesome places. You can read a more in depth article about the first Sunday Here on Holyokeinphotos.com 

This past Sunday has brought me a very good opportunity for our studio. Just this week, we found out that we will be getting an influx of unexpected portraits this summer. So the space that I had found on Sunday has subsequently became a temporary second studio for our business. Click here to see our studio True Resolution While making a few photographs outside the building, I was approached by the two owners. They were very inquisitive as to what I was shooting and why. After a brief introduction, they showed me the interior space, a set of windows I needed for the major of the two projects I have going. Saturated: A Colorful Photographic Exhibition of Contemporary Holyoke Below you will find the images I made of this building. There are a few panoramas I have made from that space and a few made from later in the evening.

The windows you see as an installation piece are no longer standing and the space is going to be cleaned up and utilized as a second studio. We are excited to be shooting in this new space and having a fresh look to our portraits. Our current studio will continue to serve as a smaller space to shoot in, do all our editing, and a place to meet our clients, while this new space will give us a more dynamic space in which to shoot.

 

 

   

Polaroid: Looking back.

During a web crawl for some cool things to share here on Lenshare, I came across an good read on the Boston Hearld website. MIT was given the first Polaroid camera ever invented. You can read the Article Here: MIT gets 1st Polaroid camera.  Being a photographer, I feel like a fool for admitting this, (especially considering I come from MA and lived in Cambridge last year) but I was unaware that the first instant camera was invented in Cambridge. I am sure there are quite a few individuals who did not know this. But, regardless, being so close to the epicenter of such a profound intention, you would think one would know this. Considering I have studied the History of Photography. Currently, there are a few of the first Polaroid cameras ever invented sitting in an undisclosed antique store awaiting my eager purchase. I have a plan to revitalize said camera and use it on some commercial shoots we are booking. I wont say the nature of these shoots, as it is a surprise to the client. But in the spirit of MIT receiving something of immense value to the Cambridge Community, as Cambridge is home to some prolific inventions/inventors, I have gone ahead an pulled together some interesting links for you to read. This will open up the history of Polaroid for you and give you a comprehensive knowledge of where the camera came from.

If you are from my generation, you may remember this camera. My grand mother used to have one and always made sure to have film around where ever she took it. As a child, now this must have been a precursor to future, I was always so damn curious and interested in playing with it. Granted, my parents of course had a “real” film camera and always had that around, this just seemed so much cooler to play with. It really is a shame that as a company, Polaroid failed. Fuji currently has the rights to produced the beloved film. There are a few cameras out there being sold that still use Polaroid film, or the equivalent of. If you are a contemporary fine arts photographer and know what a Holga is, then you maybe aware of and or using a Holga with a Polaroid back. The average cost of the back is $129.00. The cameras range from  $30-$100 depending on the model you are interested in purchasing. I own three Holga cameras and use them frequently in some of my work. I have yet to acquire the Polaroid back. I am anxious for them to produce a Holga digi upgrade! If you get a chance to play with the original land camera, named after its inventor, I suggest doing so. It was a mile stone for photography and opened up the medium to what we now have today, Digital Photography.

 

 

  

Links about Polaroid Cameras and Film

 

Wired: Polaroid Camera

 

Polaroid on Wiki

 

Historical Cameras dot blogspot

 

Polaroid on: The Art News Paper

 

Polaroid Film Reinvented