all anybody ever talks about down here in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is the weather… wind and the direction thereof is on everyone's mind and it is cause and effect of the changing patterns affecting fishermen and surfers who make up most of the population..and, oh yes, there are a few photographers …and all they talk about is the weather too…
yesterday afternoon was summer warm and i had a good swim (with a stranger's dog above) right at the perfect hour for shark shore feeding.. well, there has been only one fatal shark attack here in the last 6 years, so i enjoyed the hour….anyway, today is colder and gray….but, i will swim again right after i do this post….we all know a swim in the surf seems to heal the body and soul….a natural "massage" for our bodies and the salt water, from whence we came, seems to balance us both mentally and physically….
in my experience and friendship with so many photographers, "balance" does always seem to be the number one problem for most….either too much work or not enough work or too much of one kind of picture and not enough of an other kind of picture seem to plague many…we have talked before about the personal life/professional life conundrum, but i am writing now about the delicate balance within the world of actual picture taking itself…i am assuming in this conversation that everyone's personal life is just fine!!!
Gayle Tiller (below) is a local photographer , who happens to be a single mom, and has raised her three daughters alone now for the last 9 years…she mostly photographs families right here on this beach where i have photographed her as part of my family project (weekly postings now under "work in progress")….
Gayle spends lots of time with her daughters and the locals say they rarely see one without the other during the summer months..she says "i love just hanging out with the girls…they are my favorite people to be with and we are all really good friends"…so, Gayle has her personal life worked out and she totally enjoys doing her beach portraits….she does not want for more…
i am curious about most of you and your "balance sheet"…do you photograph mostly the things you love or do you have obligatory shooting to do??? which way does the wind blow?
ok, i am off for a swim…camera along with me of course….i never know what i will run into along these shark infested shores…
AKAKY
I saw you! I saw AKAKY!!! Check out the blond-haired guy with the camera to his eye in the bottom left of image #16 (“Taking pictures of shoppers”). There he is, the famous, illusive Akaky.
Good set of images, my friend…loose, spontaneous, true street shots. BRAVO!!!
Patricia
P.S. I missed the earlier link to your Hispanic Parade pics. Could you please post it again?
Akaky I like the style of black and white you chose to shoot with.
The photographs are all nice however the one that stood out for me the most was:
eat corn while you shop
I think the reason is it gives me a little more depth, especially with the person coming into the frame on the left.
just my 2¢
۞
One more shot for all to look at from yesterday’s shoot:
http://tinyurl.com/5v6zoy
Thanx Karim and Patricia, and it’s not blonde, it’s just graying. And here’s the return of the Hispanic Day Parade set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akaky/sets/72157608149509394/
And how do you know that’s me?
Akaky…
listen,
all my love , but…
if you really wanna mess with black n white…!
then…
your mannequin below is the WAY TO GO….
… but you totally missed it in all the rest
of the photos…;-(
good work , but the B&W broke my heart…
Again , the b&w mannequin is the way to go..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akaky/2952126785/in/set-72157608148529398/
peace & hugs
I can not keep up here.
So much to do…
The loft slideshow
PATRICIA’S work with captions.
Right now packing.
Hopefully I can catch up tomorrow?
One quick comment for
JEREMY…
Small world JEREMY, I came across your ceremonial photos just a couple of days ago! Googling around I somehow ran into them and you! Have you posted here before? When I saw your name the other day something seemed familiar…
My husband lived in Gallup for years, believe it or not. He owned a trading post in Zuni. Unfortunately this was all before I knew him but now to make up for all I missed out on I also shoot powwows. Next images I am posting are my (as yet unedited) powwow shots from this summer…never photographed in Gallup but I plan to next summer.
Any idea how I would know you? I’ll look on your site for more clues.
PATRICIA,
After an annoying attempt to post, with the same results Bob had, here we go again (after more than half an hour trying…).
From your lates list: 1, 4 and 7 are my favorites and I agree with Bob on the following links:
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/101617022
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/102857750
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/104470897
And also these:
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/99814294
http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/96869901
I also believe you could use the lovely text from “The sun shines on Eddie’s homecoming”. I admire the way you declared your love to your husband.
BOB,
You are such a knowledgeable man.
I used to pass by your long texts not reading most of it, but I did an attempt and then decided to save some of your previous comments I’ve been digging on old posts, along with David’s and a few other amazing photographers and writers we find around here (priceless teachings for all of us).
Of course I need Dictionary.com on the next tab but it’s OK for me… ;-))
All the best,
Ari B.
PANOS
…but HOW can i leave the bed with that hot beautiful female
creature naked next to me ???????? …
—————
Wow, this blog is something else. Last I talked to Panos, he was from his own words, homeless, shooting his way into the sunset (hours), and 2 days later….Do I understand that he is now a….. Famous photographer!?!?
:O)
AKAKY
I thought some of the Hispanic Day parade pictures were ‘almost there’ but that the subject matter and compositions in the Aftermath series were more interesting… but here I’m with Panos (??!!), only the mannequin shot has sufficient b&w contrast… all the other shots could be improved by greatly increasing the contrast, getting some really deep rich black in there, some larger areas of negative space.
About the parade… this is a special kind of photography that takes lots and lots of practice, trial and error, quick reflexes, total control of whatever camera you’re using. Don’t get discouraged that you didn’t necessarily score bullseyes the first time around but keep at it. Clearly you had ideas for pictures beyond just colorful costumes, and eventually you’ll become much more adept at this. Maybe you are already hip to this fact, but auto focus is almost useless in this situation, manual focus on the fly is a must.
I’ve done a lot of festival and parade shooting like this, and my own advice is get there AT LEAST an hour and a half before the ‘event’ actually begins and go to the marshalling locations at the beginning of the route and interact with the parade participants. Most of the successful pictures of this kind I’ve taken were not in the course of the actual parade, but in hobnobbing with paraders while they’re waiting, warming up, jiving with each other, and it is often much easier to get past the police security and into contact with your subjects then. And once they recognize you, later they will be much more cooperative in helping you get good shots during the actual parade and afterwards.
KARIM
L-O-V-E the collarbones on that last shot!
Cheers,
KARIM
L-O-V-E the collarbones on that last shot!
Cheers,
Posted by: Sidney Atkins | October 18, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Damn right!!!!!!!!!!
light, feeling, eyes, intensity, bones structure , body language..
again:
http://tinyurl.com/5v6zoy
Cathy:
Thanks for the note..I checked out your “lightstalker” link, not sure how we have crossed paths, I am based out of Durango, I have indeed posted here before, and a couple years back I was at the “Summit” workshop where I first met David…most likely you recognize my name from here.
On another note, I would love to see your Powwow projects when the time comes! Zip an email my way when you post! There is also a small Powwow here in Durango every year called “Hozoni Days”…perhaps you will make it out here some day! The door here at my home is certainly open for you and your husband! Keep me posted.
Cheers, Jeremy
DAVID and ALL-
I have not been present as often over the past days as I have been working hard on trying to complete my Boxing Essay for the EPF assignment. I have just added at least 50% of new pictures since David and I did an edit back in Perpignan. I have taken these new shots over the past month (actually shot primarily during one week). Importantly, when not shooting, following David’s advice, I have interviewed all these boxers, young and not so young, to try to penetrate their lifes a bit more… While it will take me a while to do a MultiMedia piece (Erica, I am sure you will complete yours way before me!!!!), I still went through several hours of tapes that I have recorded of conversations I have had and I have extracted some quotes that I have added in the slideshow.
The essay is now called “LORDS OF THE RING”…
Please go to the index page (link underneath) and at the top under new Lords of the ring, you will find it.
http://www.ericespinosa.com/main.php
Obviously, I look forward to all of your comments and of those of David as well. Ultimately, I will do a tighter edit and probably rework parts of it for final submission but I wanted to share where this stands as some of you have been asking me some questions in private e-mail. For perspective, I have kept some pictures of some more “famous” Cincinnati Olympians who are not my best shots but I wanted to also show these guys for the overall story and share some of their quotes…
Hope you enjoy it. Will eagerly wait now….
Cheers,
Eric
DAVID,
This last picture of the mother and the three daughters is beautiful, very sensual…Love it!
Eric
Eric,
quick question…
what made you choose the “boxing” subject?
QUESTION NO2 ( to Eric , of course )…
what made you choose that ( your ) light,…?
eric
BIEN FAIT.
some amazing shots, incredible color and light. the huge thing missing for me are some images which show a sense of place. many are the same framing, same size figures in the field. where are we? show us, please.
you are quite an accomplished photographer for someone with a day job — how incredible would you be if you chucked the job?
B T
QUESTION 3:
Do you have DAH’S “flash -strobe- obssession,
when you shoot???
does the slow speed gives you what you need ?
QUESTION 4:
what is the “relationship” that you
are trying to create between the boxers and me?
Why should i fucking care???
QUESTION 5:
… fuck me for a second… ( although, in my life ERIC, its all about me, and feel free to blame my mom for my bad self …)
but.. honestly, im asking..
HOW DO YOU RELATE with them.. boxers…???
I dont see you at all… in those photos…
WHY?????
QUESTION 6:
even if i love your photos ( and i do…)
… here ERIC.. in this “naked” forum..
i need to know… what are you
“OFFERING” me and what should i buy…???
what makes you closer to them????
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING ME???
come on … i love you
PANOS:
Got the link. I will email you tomorrow. Time for bed here.
Thanks!
ERIC
I don’t know what to say. I’ve just looked at every one of those 93 photos & quotes one-by-one (the slideshow goes way too fast), and feel like my heart’s been ripped out of my chest and hung up to dry. Man, you have REALLY done it here. This is the REAL DEAL.
I remember when you first showed us this project. I remember David’s saying you had to get closer, you had to make it your own. Well, you have. At least that’s how I see it.
To be honest, I wouldn’t want to be the one to try to edit this work. I was mesmerized throughout. Of course I’m a former social worker so the personal approach you’ve chosen with these men and boys, using their own words coupled with such close-up views into their eyes, hits me where I live.
Now maybe some will say you should show more of their non-boxing lives. And maybe you should. All I know is that you had me TOTALLY with you for all 93 slides.
I say, BRAVO and thank you. You’ve taken me into a world I could never have entered on my own, and isn’t that what we want?
in awe
Patricia
OH ONE MORE THING TO ALL:
Please feel free to comment on the work on The 37th Frame. Especially if it is yours that I post. I think readers would be interested in your thoughts and motivation for your work.
Thanks all!
but… PATRICIA…
all im asking is that…
“…why,??.. how come…?
Eric is not a boxer…!!!!!
then, why… how come he relates…????
how about.. YOU,
answer instead of ERIC ???
im not judging here…
just try to CONNECT…
i loved loved loved loved loved
AKAKY’S self portrait… and his
AWESOME PHOTOS…
I LOVED AKAKY’S FEELING…
I HATED HIS RETARDED BLACK & WHITES…
HORRIFIC… BUT… amazing connection i felt…
… with Eric though… i see the “virtuoso”.. the great photog… the perfect…
the excellent… the amazing …
ok… HONESTLY… IF IT WAs a song…
WHERE IS THE BRIDGE??????
WHERE DO I CONNECT?????
WHERE DO I STAND?????????
eric, i love your work… technically you are the best photog i know in here… noone knows more than you…
but, im an “emo”… i need to feel how and why you got involved in this… coz..
i need to go deeper./..
and then… trust me..
i’ll let you go…
laughing
loving
peace
PANOS,
As you may know, last year, for the first EPF submission, I had started to do a small essay in the Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati. Somehow, I started approaching some of the kids from the ghetto but, at that time, somehow, I never had a chance to penetrate “inside really”. One day, I came across an article on Rau Shee on a local newspaper. Rau is one of the boxers I have met who has represented the US in the recent Beijing Olympics… I heard for the first time that there was a real boxing tradition here in the city… This is when I proposed to do this essay for David… At the time, I knew nothing about boxing, did not even know if I would be accepted in these local gyms… The more I have spent time there, the closer I have become to these young boxers… They have accepted me immediately…no question asked… I somehow felt at ease with them… As strange as this may seem to you, although you suggest that you do not see me in these photographs, I feel in many ways incredibly similar to these kids… I was training like crazy when I was a young kid to actually become professional tennis player… very different sport vs Boxing, a priviledge sport but I have found memories of this hard discipline and daily routine, the sacrifices done to get better, the competition, the disappointment when you cannot reach the top, strange feeling of adults pushing you around… Importantly, I have also been a relatively lonely kid, in many ways, I still wonder if I have completely join the adult word… The tension between the kids world and the tough reality of the adult world outside, the ghetto, the drugs etc is something that I feel deep inside. So, I think there is more of me into these photographs that you may think…that loneliness, sense of despair sometimes that is so close in these kids and in me as well and, at the same time, the need to fight whether on the ring or for your professional life… All I can tell you Panos is that this work has had an impact on me profoundly… Yesterday, I left my day job where I was hassled and went to a bar with Riccardo Williams Sr, father of the Olympian who won that Silver medal but was then sent to jail for 3 years. We talked about life… the struggles… He is broke, has sacrified himself for his son… sometimes comes across as carrying the world on his shoulders… I had just left hours ago some excutives of a consumer goods company and let me teel me that I felt more myself in that bar…
Eric
… and again eric.. im so intrigued by your work…
i never asked anyone else so many freaking questions….
peace out..
BOB T,
Interesting comment… I have actually photographed also the gyms, the environment… When we met with David back in Perpignan for an initial edit of my work, we both felt that my best shots were the very close “Action portraits” that I had done and we agreed to focus on that. I did worry myself that this may turn out to be more repetitive but eventually, I felt that these close portraits could be a could way of caputring the soul of these young boxers and I tried to further go into that direction by sharing their words…
PATRICIA,
I am so glad that you have enjoyed the essay. Your pov matters to me a lot!
Thanks,
Eric
PANOS,
I enjoy being bombarded by questions :):):). I hope I gave you some perspective… One more thing… This work is not over for me… I have started a journey with these kids and I will carry on following them whether there is EPF or not… It has been as much of a self exploration as a photographic essay…
Who knows…by the time I post this quick comment, I may have 3 more of your questions :):)!!!
Thanks for engaging Panos! This is what this is all about.
Cheers,
Eric
PANOS & ERIC
I would not FEEL what I do when I look at these photos & read the words of these men and boys if Eric weren’t in EVERY picture and word himself. Yes, he’s a superb photographer–one of our very best–but that isn’t what grabbed me, what made me catch my breath time and time again. It was the TRUTH of what he shows, its SOUL. And I knew before having read his response to your questions, Panos, that Eric has been changed by this work, by these people. I could FEEL it. It doesn’t surprise me in the least to hear him say he felt more comfortable at that bar with Riccardo Williams Sr. than he did with the executives at the company where he works. Of course he does. They’ve become his people.
I don’t know if my words help answer any of your questions, my dear brother Panos, but, believe me, they come from my heart.
Patricia
… and honestly Eric…
a magnum photog offered us Thai boxing …
i had the same questions for the magnum guy also..
i never meant that you dont care or this that…
Eric , if you dont care.. then , that magnum guy ( who i totally respect ) …
doesnt care either…!!!!!
you know what i mean ??
i totally respect you both…
but i can only have access to you…
…thats why i love DAH…
coz everyone else is soooooo ELITE…
;-)))))
… again,
all my respect to you ERIC…
and Pat….. you know i love you…
peace
And I love you too, dear Panos
xxxooo
Patricia
aLL
What do you think of the wiki site? Too complicated or too cumbersumb?
KARIM
I’m off to bed right now but will check it out tomorrow. Can you please post the link again? Thanks for sticking with this. It’s going to be a cool project!
Patricia
thanks for the answer, eric.
not having seen your prior work, and only knowing this work, i just would like 2 or 3 “establishing shots” to set the scene. you could certainly lose a couple of your current images in favor of some other images which would round out the story. i’m pretty sure a photo editor or art director would ask the same, unless you are only going to show a story about portraits. maybe david had you drop those others because you didn’t have the closer work; now you have both and perhaps you could mix some in. yes, as patricia says they are emotive and powerful. but even DAH himself steps back to show some environment now and then.
repectfully
Bob T (anon!)
AKAKY,
I believe the key word for your essay on the parade is composition, as mentioned by Sidney. Something is missing…
And I also liked the mannequin and the overall B/W pics.
KARIM,
I like the balance between light and shadow and the delicacy of forms it brings up.
And the model helps! ;-))
HERVE,
I visited your gallery and left a post.
Liked the after church portrait.
ERIC,
Really like the subject, the colors and the lighting. It’s a wrong impression or did you mix flash and existing light?
In my humble opinion more editing will strenghten your work. Some images are a bit repetitive.
Cheers,
Ari B.
Eric, I have to agree with Panos (except that i do not take drugs, ahahah) and bobt/Ari. Many of your shots are a bit set up the same way, angle and subject, and the text is so much about the escape from the world outside the ring, why nothing from there, the life outside, the homes? That would give us a sense of context and get into the kids life, “open a door”. I’d love to see “Mama”, for ex….
No, not Patricia! :-)
Panos has a point. What do you want to convey?
Ari, thanks for your note, it’s not your first, I think. People have no idea what taking the time to write a few words can mean.
By the way, I am adding one photo as a single, didn’t fit the mood of the gallery, or maybe it did (a la October 2008!!!), I dunno… Anyway:
http://www.pbase.com/image/104737012
Pete Marovich,
thanks a lot for putting my Family Ties project on your magazine.
Its interesting Peter you chose Family Ties…I had been focused so much more on Home Sweet Home that sometimes I overlook FT as a project. Though I wanted to mention that I recently won a small contest with a 6 photo edit from Family Ties, and a nice little bundle of cash.
MARCIN
No new pictures… soon, I hope. I was taking the same picture over and over and over again. Nudny, nudny, nudny…. Every picture I take is the same picture!
YOUNG TOM
Lucky man… a stack of good stuff is sounds… love the Hamburger Eyes!! Happy birthday!
KARIM
Great idea… I think the wiki might be useful even beyond the october project… nice work, too!
PATRICIA
The hand-colored photo in #9 is brilliant… that on it’s own??
BOB
Of course I remember the teary post… wonderful, yes and the films are just so fucking brilliant… I can’t wait until next month. Storylines I browsed and browsed… it was on the list and I dropped the ball. Now OOP I should jump quick…
Went for a walk today… to Avenue J in Midwood (nowhere, not even vaguely cool) brooklyn to meet a true artist. His name is Domenico, an old man from Naples and he works in the medium of pizza… people reportedly wait 2-3 hours for his pies… lucky, we waited only an hour at his counter, watching him work, for ours… what killed me was watching his joy as he worked, his smile as he gave every pie, after doing this for 40 years… the pizza is the best I’ve ever had. Yet another reason…
TANGUY
Thanks for the visual reminder!!! Great meeting and talking at the party!
AKAKY
Re: after the parade photos… I think your instincts are great, and I love the commentary/titles… do you know Les Krims? He has the best photo titles in the business, bar none.
I have gotten some serious heat/insubordination from several Mr. Softees. What is up with that?
Sorry I missed you last weekend… but the invitation is always open, if you’re ever in midtown and would want to shoot together… let me know.
ERIC
Love the work… professional, warm, close, evocative… wonderful. (I do think it could be edited further… too many)
The critique I have is… and take it for what it’s worth… it seems somehow safe. You are obviously a talented and advanced visual communicator. You have the photo gene. The work is super strong but I get the sense that the strength is premeditated… I want to see risk, the unexpected, a surprise… some failure, if that makes sense… the work seems uniformly great. It needs (I think) something internally fucked up to give it traction. You know what I’m saying?
Cathy, I feel your frustration. I get left behind all the time. I’m trying real hard to keep up with this thread.
Akaky, are you scanning monochrome prints? They come up a little flat. Or are you shooting monochrome in camera digitally? Curious. Much potential if you can spike to contrast some.
PATRICIA, I love your pictures, no need to say why but it’s your writing that I’m relishing at the moment. Probably because of your pictures, somehow. Fine writing. Something I want to get better at.
DAH and Bob B. too. Exquisite word smiths both.
And of course, AKAKY. And so many others. But AKAKY cracks me up.
ERIC, I think it’s time for you to turn pro. A sumptuous (there’s that work again that I like so much) colour shot maker like you should be paid to do it.
Lords of the Ring is a highly accomplished piece of work, for example.
Has anyone else said this to you? Perhaps on this blog? I may have missed it.
ARI,
You are spot on! I try indeed to use available light (often quite dark in these gyms) and use the pop-up small flash that I have on my camera to bring up the colors… I will certainly do a tighter edit (down to 30 images) for the final submission….or maybe let David edit (always easier :):).
PAUL,
Thanks for the comment. You make me think :):)!!
MIKE,
I think I understand what you are saying. Back to the comment that David often shares to may of us to get loose… well, I try sometimes to do this and I love complex composition that can be “internally fucked up” but somehow, I focused here more on very close portraits and sticked to this approach…maybe could have been more loose… Thanks for the suggestion… First time someone actually suggested to me to be internally fucked up :):):)!
HERVE,
I recall you gave me that suggestion last time already and I promise, I did not ignore as this was my plan to shoot these kids in their normal life but then… we started talking with david and all in all, seemed to make more sense to stick to these action portraits…maybe you were right… will see what David thinks here… As I said above, I will carry on with this project anyway so suggestions on what to focus on are most welcomed.
Cheers,
Eric
DAVID ALAN HARVEY
From where the fourth siren?
Lovely, lovely portrait.
As far as David’s question, I never photograph anything I dont want to. Everything I photograph is what I want to photograph. I like it that way, though I sometimes wonder what Id do if I had to photograph something someone else picked for me.