Elvis Lives
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city portraits
A bit of red
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Cars
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Somewhere in Brooklyn
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tracks
City Wide
Downtown Brooklyn
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I don't think I've walked down flatbush and around downtown Brooklyn ever with the exception of Fulton mall, of course. Friday, I really needed to get out the apartment even though it was about to top 100º outside. I figured I'd just pop down to shoot the shipping containers at the new Dekalb Market and head back. I ended up finding my way to blocks I've never seen -- like one that has turned empty store fronts into a street art gallery which will probably be up until they are ready to demo it down for another insanely tall apartment building.
Not much to say about the photo side of things. I'm using my 24-700 at around 35mm for most of my latest round of photos. Once some extra extra extra money comes along I would like to rent the wide Canon tilt shift. Nope, not for the minaturiazing affect or the way i've used it in the past but to get a bit wider without messing up the angles.
On the Fence
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Upper West Side
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(forgive me if you've seen these. I can't seem to find them but I feel like I've posted them before.)
This past spring I shot a wedding. I know, I know. I keep telling myself that I'll only consider shooting them for close friends in need of saving money but sometimes times get tough and you have to find ways of putting cash in the empty bank account. Maybe next time I get asked I'll require that i get to shoot it using disposables or with a phone. Then run the photos trough instagram and they'll be all over the cool bride websites! Easy.
It really isn't the wedding I don't like shooting, it's just those staged shots and the big group shots. Most couples say it's never a big deal to get that group shot but they don't realize how much their moms really want them -- oooh, and this last one I wasn't really introduced to the mom so I mistakenly asked her to go to the back of the group...she was not too happy about it and let it be known! Anyhow, as much as I begrudgingly accept the job, I take it really seriously and always get some pretty fresh shots.
What does this have to do with these photos? Well, I met with the couple at their place on the Upper West Side and we walked around scouting out the neighborhood for locations to shoot the day of the wedding. That is when i discovered Riverside Park. It runs along the west side with 3 or 4 tiers of parks with lots of great architectural features. These are just a few of the images from that walk. I had on a FLD filter (which is a bit red and used to balance light temperatures for film) and circular polarizing filter. No reason other than to try something out.
Ok, thats it.
supplies
Yellow In-Between
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5points
Monster-bedford
I almost forgot about these. At the time I figured they weren't useable. I forgot to change my ISO from H (simulated 3200 on my 5D, I think) from the night before and after walking around for a while noticed that everything was extra grainy. I just came across them again today and liked them (I also realized that i've seen that monster before).
leaveit
Big Bins
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Monster
Monster on the wall
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wicked
Below the Highline
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If you haven't made your way over to the new section of the Highline, do it. It's beautiful.
I'll be honest, I mainly stopped carrying around my camera everyday because I thought, what's the point. Everyone seems to have a nice camera now. Anyone can shoot the exact same thing that I can. I didn't like sharing the photographer roll.
“Ya big dummy”
The result of that lapse in judgment is thousands of missed moments in the past 3 years and not having the chance to really develop my style or my vision especially when shooting people. That and the portrait of my life in NYC isn't complete. Although it's also meant I've been able to stop and see what i'm surrounded by. Really take in the city and it's character. I realized that it's not just about the people or the big events that are so photogenic, it's all those quiet little nooks and crannies, side streets and fringe blocks. The constant state of construction and filthiness. The perfect monden facade next the auto repair shop. The beautiful architecture under the Highline.
So Curvy
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moving on up
We (ms ella and I) head into the city via the Manhattan several times a week for all sorts of reasons. The main being going on the hunt for backgrounds for the photobooth biz. I usually take the same basic route there if I'm going to the west side, which is Classon to Flushing and across the Manhattan Bridge. What you see above is a little curve that goes beneath the BQE and round to Park. I love it especially since they painted this massive storage building a red / burt orange color.
Scenes like this I think I'd rather shoot with film. A 4x5 or 6x7 or something. There is such a light difference between the under part of the bridge and the bright sky only film could really pick up the tonal range (I try to limit my use of the fill light slider in Lightroom).
[ 24 - 70mm f8 iso 200 ]
Clinton Hill Walk
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Groceries
White Dot
King of Classon
Taking from Jeorge's suggestions, I'm going to attempt start to write more when I post. Which is hard since I don't really have much to say about my images (and my writing is riddled with mistakes). Maybe if i just start out with getting into why I went out and shoot it will help. Which honestly I was just bored and feeling really blah. You know what I mean? Just those days when you are at home and you have almost zero motivation to do anything. Those times scare me to death. I have this idea that I should always be busy. Always be creating or inspired or playing one of the many rolls I have to play on the day to day.
Anyhow, I was chatting with a friend and she said well just get out and go for a walk or something. So I did and I brought my Sigma super wide angle lens. Which isn't my favorite lens... actually it's the one I like the least. It isn't sharp on one side and it's too wide for what calls me to shoot it (portraits of buildings, corners, sidewalks, etc) and my 24 - 70mm has been acting up lately. I had a dope Canon but I figured I would always have access to it and I wanted to rent a fresh apartment in Paris so I sold it to ologie when we were picked up by them a few years back. Gotta learn to live with regrets and use what you got I guess.
Lately (since i shot that dumbo series) I realize how much i enjoy shooting these 4x5 crops of buildings in nyc. Maybe it's because of the scooter or maybe it's a way for me to shoot candids again since the bulk of my images library is filled with bkbooth pictures. Either way I went out in my 'hood and did a short loop (Classon, Fulton, Grand and Greene) and got a few portraits that I dig. Hope you do too.
Vespa ride through the city
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City Visit
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L.E.S.
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Around
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the worlds most dangerous photographer