Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pioneer Park 2008 -or thereabouts-
So these are some of the Polaroids which were part of my senior exhibition. Enjoy.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Why and Wherefor?
Change sucks. Change defenestrates our comfort. It forces us, in no uncertain terms, to confront our lives, our actions, our motivations. In doing so, however, it reveals to us what is important and what is not.
Three weeks ago I lost one of the best friends I've ever known. Laura Tibbs made me who I am today. I shared things with Laura I didn't share with anyone else. My most formative days were spent with her, and although that particular phase of our relationship ended five years ago, we remained close friends to the end. In one of our last conversations, she was asking me if I thought she would be scary when she was mad. I said I could see her being scary when she was mad, because she was a passionate person. Her response was that she didn't think of herself that way, but I have to stick by that critique of her personality, as she knew what was important to her and what wasn't, and that requires a passion for life and for helping those around her, as she so often did when no one else could.
And you're probably wondering why I'm sharing all of these personal details with the world on a photography blog. Well, I'm getting to that.
Why we do the things we do, be they small, seemingly meaningless things, or big, changing-the-whole-world things; we do them all for the same reasons. We do what we do because we find it harder not to do those things than we do to make those things happen. Making photographs may seem like challenging work to some, but to me, it is more challenging to sit around and do nothing with my days than to get on my bike and ride around looking for images to share with everyone I know.
In other words, we do what we do because it makes us who we are, and who we are is defined by what we do. That term I used way back up at the beginning of this post, "defenestrate," was a term Laura and I used as often as we could back when we were dating. We did so because it was fun, silly, and its use simultaneously defined who we were and allowed us to express who we were to the world.
In the last few weeks I have thought about why I should bother continuing to do anything, photography or otherwise. Everyday ended with the same conclusion: Life is pointless, as it will end, and we will be forgotten with the passing of just a couple of generations. However, that does not matter, because it is all in the future, and all we have right now, is right now. Everyday we are alive we have to do what we do, lest we become no one. We must be who we are, and share with the world whatever it is that is important to us because if we truly and genuinely do what we are most naturally motivated to do, we will leave ideas and traits to those who survive us which will last for generations to come.
Laura was a truly unique, beautiful person, who in her final months in this realm did not let anyone stand between her and happiness. She dis not allow the expectations of others to get in the way of being who she was. In doing so, she ensured her legacy as an inspiration to anyone going through life asking, "What am I doing?" The answer she presented to all of us was, "If not living for everyday, making yourself and those around you happy with your innate talents and interests, then nothing right."
In the pursuit of sharing what I have to share, and offering pleasure in whatever way I am capable, I offer you my photographs, in memory of, and in dedication to one of the greatest muses I have ever known, and will ever know. I hope they bring you some enjoyment, or some thought provocation, or even some anger if you absolutely hate them. Just have a look, and afterward go live your life for yourself, and for the betterment of all those around you, for that is truly the greatest gift we have to offer.
Three weeks ago I lost one of the best friends I've ever known. Laura Tibbs made me who I am today. I shared things with Laura I didn't share with anyone else. My most formative days were spent with her, and although that particular phase of our relationship ended five years ago, we remained close friends to the end. In one of our last conversations, she was asking me if I thought she would be scary when she was mad. I said I could see her being scary when she was mad, because she was a passionate person. Her response was that she didn't think of herself that way, but I have to stick by that critique of her personality, as she knew what was important to her and what wasn't, and that requires a passion for life and for helping those around her, as she so often did when no one else could.
And you're probably wondering why I'm sharing all of these personal details with the world on a photography blog. Well, I'm getting to that.
Why we do the things we do, be they small, seemingly meaningless things, or big, changing-the-whole-world things; we do them all for the same reasons. We do what we do because we find it harder not to do those things than we do to make those things happen. Making photographs may seem like challenging work to some, but to me, it is more challenging to sit around and do nothing with my days than to get on my bike and ride around looking for images to share with everyone I know.
In other words, we do what we do because it makes us who we are, and who we are is defined by what we do. That term I used way back up at the beginning of this post, "defenestrate," was a term Laura and I used as often as we could back when we were dating. We did so because it was fun, silly, and its use simultaneously defined who we were and allowed us to express who we were to the world.
In the last few weeks I have thought about why I should bother continuing to do anything, photography or otherwise. Everyday ended with the same conclusion: Life is pointless, as it will end, and we will be forgotten with the passing of just a couple of generations. However, that does not matter, because it is all in the future, and all we have right now, is right now. Everyday we are alive we have to do what we do, lest we become no one. We must be who we are, and share with the world whatever it is that is important to us because if we truly and genuinely do what we are most naturally motivated to do, we will leave ideas and traits to those who survive us which will last for generations to come.
Laura was a truly unique, beautiful person, who in her final months in this realm did not let anyone stand between her and happiness. She dis not allow the expectations of others to get in the way of being who she was. In doing so, she ensured her legacy as an inspiration to anyone going through life asking, "What am I doing?" The answer she presented to all of us was, "If not living for everyday, making yourself and those around you happy with your innate talents and interests, then nothing right."
In the pursuit of sharing what I have to share, and offering pleasure in whatever way I am capable, I offer you my photographs, in memory of, and in dedication to one of the greatest muses I have ever known, and will ever know. I hope they bring you some enjoyment, or some thought provocation, or even some anger if you absolutely hate them. Just have a look, and afterward go live your life for yourself, and for the betterment of all those around you, for that is truly the greatest gift we have to offer.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
9/30/10
It's very easy, as a photographer outside of a supportive artistic environment, to lose sight of the fact that you don't know everything about your work, even though you are the one who made it. I recently had the opportunity for critique of my work by a good friend whom I hold in high regard on the subjects of art and art criticism. Being very active in the contemporary San Diego art scene, and someone who is not entirely a photographer or photographic critic, his input from a general contemporary art perspective, was given with great value to me and my work.
Working on my own, without the support or critique of other photographers or artists, I've come to see my work in a very 2 dimensional light. That is, I see my photos as either this one thing, or this other thing, sometimes both, but never anything else. This is a problem, especially because those two categories are both based on very surface characteristics. I've lost any sense of what my photos are about or what motivates them on a subconscious level.
There is another problem I have as a result of not having other artists to show my work to on a regular basis. I know, as a photographer who has been shooting for 7+ years, what I want my photos to look like, and consequently, which photos I believe to be successful and which ones are not. Strictly based on the experiences I have had, I can look at a photo and say yes, that is awesome, or eh, that's just ok, or no, that's terrible. However, when I asked the aforementioned friend visiting from California to pick out his favorite photos, he picked a few that I would never have, and by doing so, shared with me a perspective of my work I would not have otherwise been aware of.
Both he and my roommate insisted that some of the photos I had edited out of the blog-worthy pile, were actually quite blog-worthy. With this viewpoint backing up my decision, I'm going to share some of my photos with you that I would not have otherwise shared, and I am going to ask you, my viewer, to let me know what you think of them.
So, friends and neighbors, what do you think of these? Should they, or should they not, be on my blog?
And for that matter, go ahead and let me know if there are any photos anywhere on this blog, in past posts as well as this one, that should not be featured.
Working on my own, without the support or critique of other photographers or artists, I've come to see my work in a very 2 dimensional light. That is, I see my photos as either this one thing, or this other thing, sometimes both, but never anything else. This is a problem, especially because those two categories are both based on very surface characteristics. I've lost any sense of what my photos are about or what motivates them on a subconscious level.
There is another problem I have as a result of not having other artists to show my work to on a regular basis. I know, as a photographer who has been shooting for 7+ years, what I want my photos to look like, and consequently, which photos I believe to be successful and which ones are not. Strictly based on the experiences I have had, I can look at a photo and say yes, that is awesome, or eh, that's just ok, or no, that's terrible. However, when I asked the aforementioned friend visiting from California to pick out his favorite photos, he picked a few that I would never have, and by doing so, shared with me a perspective of my work I would not have otherwise been aware of.
Both he and my roommate insisted that some of the photos I had edited out of the blog-worthy pile, were actually quite blog-worthy. With this viewpoint backing up my decision, I'm going to share some of my photos with you that I would not have otherwise shared, and I am going to ask you, my viewer, to let me know what you think of them.
So, friends and neighbors, what do you think of these? Should they, or should they not, be on my blog?
And for that matter, go ahead and let me know if there are any photos anywhere on this blog, in past posts as well as this one, that should not be featured.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
9/19/10
Sometimes when I'm out looking for photographs, no matter how badly I want a dynamic space or intriguing situation to capture on film, I can't help but feel compelled to act as a documentarian and capture a specific location strictly for purposes of contributing to the historic record. Such was the case with the photograph of the empty landscape featuring the Cincinnati skyline in the background.
Where this photo was taken used to be apartments, specifically low income apartments. The apartments were torn down so that luxury condominiums could be built in their place. Sort of an old, "out with the riff raff, in with the money," type situation. Anyway, I was riding my bike on the now abandoned street in the photo, when looking around, it occurred to me that at this particular point in time I had in front of me the remnants of one neighborhood awaiting a new one to take its place, with the skyline of the "big city" behind it, complete with its newest addition, the Great American Insurance Building. It seemed at the time I took the photo to be a sort of critical point in history. In eighty years someone will see my photo and realize that there was a time between what used to be there, what is there now, and what was happening across the river at that time, and it's all captured in this one photo. It's like when I look at photos of what my neighborhood looked like when the railroad still ran down the middle of Saratoga St., and thinking in my mind about how it exists today. I find it all incredibly fascinating, and I love that I can be contributing to that.
So, as someone who considers themself an artist, I still have an obligation to make sure such a photo as the one in question is still well made and compositionally strong. I approached the situation with a considered balance of art and informative documentation. I knew the photo was primarily about what existed in the space at the time, but I still wanted it to look good. With this in mind I made sure all elements of the photo were in balance, and only complimented each other.
As for the rest of the photos in this post, I could talk as much about them as I did about the Cincinnati picture. But that would make for entirely too long of a post.
I ask that you offer any criticisms you may have, about any of my photos. I am looking for all the feedback I can get.
Where this photo was taken used to be apartments, specifically low income apartments. The apartments were torn down so that luxury condominiums could be built in their place. Sort of an old, "out with the riff raff, in with the money," type situation. Anyway, I was riding my bike on the now abandoned street in the photo, when looking around, it occurred to me that at this particular point in time I had in front of me the remnants of one neighborhood awaiting a new one to take its place, with the skyline of the "big city" behind it, complete with its newest addition, the Great American Insurance Building. It seemed at the time I took the photo to be a sort of critical point in history. In eighty years someone will see my photo and realize that there was a time between what used to be there, what is there now, and what was happening across the river at that time, and it's all captured in this one photo. It's like when I look at photos of what my neighborhood looked like when the railroad still ran down the middle of Saratoga St., and thinking in my mind about how it exists today. I find it all incredibly fascinating, and I love that I can be contributing to that.
So, as someone who considers themself an artist, I still have an obligation to make sure such a photo as the one in question is still well made and compositionally strong. I approached the situation with a considered balance of art and informative documentation. I knew the photo was primarily about what existed in the space at the time, but I still wanted it to look good. With this in mind I made sure all elements of the photo were in balance, and only complimented each other.
As for the rest of the photos in this post, I could talk as much about them as I did about the Cincinnati picture. But that would make for entirely too long of a post.
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