location unknown

I tried and I tried to find this building on Google Earth and Google Maps...no such luck.  I know it exists though, I mean I didn't photoshop an entire building; it stands where I say it stands off of Lancaster just past downtown-heading East.  It is charming and lonely, much like I suppose most older vets are, and therefore the building also stands represented as a metaphor and not merely a photograph.  I wonder what it used to be.  I wonder what stories it could tell if it could talk.  A photograph speaks a thousand words...but I think I'll just stop here and let you think of the rest.

what's new is old again

Recently the boss's daughter got married.  I happened to be there, and while there, I got to take a few pictures with my gorgeous Polaroid 100 Land camera, shot on Impossible Project Film, negatives air dried and later scanned with imperfections.  Love the look.  Reminds me of the old tintypes of yore.  

impossible louisiana

It's another wedding weekend down in South Louisiana, but before I left I wanted to share a shot taken on The Impossible Project's latest film.  I'll see you all after I get back into town!

graffiti : hammond, louisiana

I started carrying a Canon AE-1 'round my neck lately.  Everywhere I go, camera on my shoulder or in my car-at least.  The results have been interesting.  There are so many things to photograph-may they never run out.

portraits : the boys

Shots of the boys in their natural environments.  Aidan, outside playing basketball; Ewan, in his room pretending. Shot on Lady Grey Lomo film with a Canon AE-1 24mm 2.8 lens.  Love the wide angle on this thing. 

horses, horses, horses...

This is one of those driving-down-the-road-pull-over-and-take-a-picture moments.  It is a practice I usually don't practice enough of.  This day, I was glad I did.  Taken with expired Impossible Project sepia 100 film.

cotton pickin'

Before I grow old and die I have one thing I really want to see happen as it pertains to my photos:  I want to have a gallery show featuring all the images I've taken of Louisiana.  If you know me at all then you know that I've been hunting for a publisher of a book I've been working on for the past seven or eight years based solely on my growing up in Livingston Parish.  Yeah, I'm sure I've mentioned it a time or two here.  The images I've captured over the years of that region also have their share of "outtakes" on the roll of film that accompany the ones set aside specifically for Livingston, these are just random shots of the state that I've taken over the years.  In fact, the Livingston project began with a much broader theme in mind-the entire state of Louisiana herself-and so in the beginning I was stopping on the side of the road all the time.  Early on I realized that it was much to massive of a project to get done in any sort of timely (I'm using the word rather loosely) manner and that if I ever intended on actually finishing a project I should narrow my scope.  Which I did, focusing on just one parish.  As an afterthought though the "big picture" of capturing the state at large isn't such a bad idea.  In fact, I'm still pretty sure it is one I intend on tackling.  The only difference is now I have the knowledge and the patience to understand that like a woman, it will take years to truly capture all the beauty and secrets and intrigue and history that the state embodies.  I'm okay with that now as I realize that I've still many years ahead of me and rest in the simple fact that getting out there and taking pictures five, ten, twenty, thirty years from now is still exciting. All of this is to introduce this photograph, what may be the beginning of truly lifelong ambition. 

presenting : the Reyes family : portraits

 The Reyes Family.  Trinity Park, Fort Worth, Tx.  Shot with my D200 and Mamiya RZ Pro II on  120 Kodak Portra 400 speed film.  The results: beautiful.

 

 

roots :: an underground study II

"I think that I shall never see/ A poem as lovely as a tree." -Joyce Kilmer

off interstate 20

It is starting to become some sort of tradition:  When scheduled for pictures at Millsap-bring along an extra camera or two for some great photo ops along the route.  Here is one of them found on the outside of Millsap, right off of interstate 20.  Shot with my Polaroid land camera and Impossible sepia film. 

portrait of beard with jarrett

Jarrett is my brother.  He's been my brother his whole life, and during his whole life I've been taking pictures of him.  Which means if there are any biographers out there that's working on a book about his life and need photos for those picture inserts in the middle of the book...I'm your man. This particular shot was taken this past Christmas Eve. Debonair as always, with just a hint of humor behind his eyes, I wondered, "Where did he get that beard?"

instant beauty

Ewan with hobbit hair: taken with my Fuji Instax 210 with instax wide format film.

Aidan and bike: taken with my Polaroid 100 land camera with Impossible Polaroid film.

The beauty of instant film.

back porch wildlife

This was taken practically on the back porch steps of my in-laws place.  I like this picture because of the crane, if the crane wasn't in this picture, it'd be a pretty boring picture.

thanksgiving :: 2012 :: scenes from the south

Shots from this past Thanksgiving.  Taken with the lomo cameras 360 degree cam or the fisheye.

 At "the boathouse"

 

 Antique-ing in Denham Springs.

 

he-man woman haters club

I think every all-American boy should been able to grow up having a tree house in the backyard.  I every all-American boys' father should be able to have a hammock underneath it.  Perfect.
Taken with my Polaroid Land Camera on Impossible Sepia film. 

disa-analog

I finished out a roll of film at Disa's bridal shoot recently, this was my favorite shot on the roll (or what was left).  The 800 speed film makes the image pretty grainy, but I just love the look and feel of this photo. 

convenience

The working title to a new series of photos I am working on is "convenience".  Obviously dubbed so because of the subject matter, the series really is a more personal project based on my favorite pop artist Edward Rusha and his iconic paintings of gas stations, as well as my ongoing love of things old and forgotten.  Most of the photos in the series are shot in the same way and in the same manor, low angle looking up letting the structure loom overhead.  I think the photos are more dramatic this way and I like stressing the low-fi architecture of structures that exist literally on every corner that become almost dismissive until we need lighter fluid, toilet paper, motor oil, or cotton swabs.  Then they become invaluable.  They are like debit cards and ATMs, what did we do ten years ago...write checks?!  Now that the local 7-Eleven is just down the road, how did we ever do without?

the blog.

It's been nearly two months since I last posted anything in this space. To some, like my mother who is one of my biggest fans, this has been brought to my attention; but in today's constantly changing world I don't know how useful this blog has been. Lately I've been actively not seeking freelance work, choosing only to shoot for myself and engage in those projects that are personal. I have a few baking, and others that I've bought ingredients for but just haven't been in the kitchen lately. Don't worry, they are still there, and they will come to light soon, but until then I'm taking my time-something that is hard to come by when so many things demand it of me. This is excluding my family of course, I always have time for them. With technology advancing so fast, and the exchange of information so instant these days I have been really giving thought towards taking the counter-culture route and slowing things down a bit. I plan on digging out my old film cameras and getting out early some mornings and hopefully pitching my tripod up beside some scenic wonderland, some abandoned gas station, some forgotten hotel, and take my time remembering how much I love this medium. Until then, this blog may be a bit barren, but don't worry. I am sure to have some beautiful images to share once the film is developed. Thanks to all who still follow.

christagram!

In case you haven't noticed, instagram is an app you can get on your smart phone that helps us regular folks take artsy fartsy fancy phone photos and share them with the whole entire world. I'm not sure I would shoot a wedding with it, but it takes me back to the greatness that is analog photography-you remember film don't you? Anyway, here are some shots taken last Christmastime that you could find originally on my instagram account. Oh, and hey, if you're not on instagram you should check it out...it's free and it's fun. Who can argue with that?

december 2nd...

Just in case you missed my post yesterday: Holga, inflatables, Christmas, film. Okay, carry on.