Monthly Archives: February 2012

Shadow on the Wall

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ISO 200 100mm f/11 1/60sec

In my story I will be referring to shooting yesterday as I am posting this on sunday. The internet was being goofy last night and not letting me on. haha.

Yesterday I had the company of one of my best friends with me while shooting downtown. Hogan and I have know each other since early teenage years, and he’s always been down for adventuring around town with me. However, this is the first time he’s been with me when I was armed with my dslr so Im sure it was a slightly different experience for him. We took a wider approach to exploring downtown then I normally take and walked along the outskirts rather than through the heart of the city. I must admit going through the some 300 photos I took, it was not one of my better days at shooting. Regardless of the photo’s I returned home with I had a blast hanging out like the good ol’ days when we were kids with no worries and no obligations except to be adventurous kids. Continue reading →

The Door Less Taken

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ISO 1600 50mm f/2.2 1/320sec

I’ve been trying to find the lesser known wonders of Downtown lately which has resulted in many dead ends. But every once in a while I get exactly what I was looking for, like this beautiful blue weathered door that caught my interest as it was snuggled into a back alley way with few visitors, besides the occasional garbage boy taking out the days discards from the neighboring building. There are 4 buildings nestled up next to each other surrounding this alley way full of interest. The only way to see this seldom used entry is through a dark and rather intimidating graffiti tagged  underpass that cuts through the bottom of the 4th encompassing building. I hesitated as I initially made my entrance but was comforted by some lovely scenes to be captured. Continue reading →

Uncovered

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ISO 100 154mm f/6.3 1/40sec

I love exploring my neighborhood to see what kind of hidden wonders I can uncover. Theres a bit of a maze of back roads that run in a unusual pattern then you would typically expect in a suburban area. Down one of the side streets there is this great little park that in the summer I love visiting while out on my runs. Lately the park has been under construction with a new playground as well as a observation section for parents to mingle while watching their little ones. Its only partially completed which is awesome for someone like myself who finds wonders in mundane things. The beautiful thing about this particular visit was the setting sun that was casting a beautiful golden cast over all the unfinished scenery.

These umbrella structures stood out to me above all the other interest to be had. I think it has to do with the simplicity of the structure against the nice back drop of the multi colored sky. Most the other scenes were cluttered with trees in the background or construction equipment in the foreground. These allowed me to just absorb their simple beauty for a while, even before snapping any shots.

I love seeing things in the beginning and middle stages of a project, just as much as the finished product. Its something I can relate to as being a creative. My graphic design work I do during the day is the same way, I love the process of seeing a piece go from beginning to completion. I feel it allows you to appreciate the finished piece much more. It provides a dynamic story that connects you and the piece at another level.

Photographic Inspiration: Jay Maisel

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I wanted to share some interviews to follow up with my recent comments on Jay Maisel, who I would consider has had the biggest impact on my street and city photgraphy. Jay has a phenomenal view on the world, and though he talks like a true New Yorker he has many many years of wisdom to offer. Jays work is timeless and his words carry the same if not more weight than his perfectly captured photographs. Even though each of these interviews are only a few short minutes long, I can guarantee you will walk away a better photographer with tid bits to implement into your own creative workflow. I cant wait to hear you guys’ thoughts. Jay continues to inspire me and my work, and Im sure he will do the same for yours.

Jay Maisel – Photographer

Conversations at the Summit with Jay Maisel

Ariel View

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ISO 1600 50mm f/10 1/250sec

So today instead of the typical photo walk with my camera back strapped to my back, I set out on a new challenge to take to the streets with only one lens, my 50mm prime. I typically like to switch between my 18-55 and 55-250 to have a bit of flexibility but wanted to push myself into a more structured thought process while photographing todays scenes. I must say it was an invigorating challenge and definitely pushed me to be more conscious of my subjects. I exercised zooming with my feet and ended up with more creative compositions because of it. Its the body tingling sensation of actually being able to feel growth as you push yourself into new territories.

I know many photogs have exercised this lens on the streets in the past, but the truth is I have been overly comfortable with my zoom lenses, allowing me to lazily take the shot I want from a distance. Working with a prime caused me to choose my subjects and composition more carefully which resulted in a new level of photographs. I did exercise my new found enthusiasm for ISO 1600, however it was more so because of the dark overcast we had today. In moving in and out of the shadows and shade today 1600 really lent to some extra flexibility allowing me to focus more on getting the most out of the 50mm. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Kris Mathis

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Young Boy Baffles Reporters

Last week my wife and I were sitting at home watching T.V. together. As I began to flip through the channels I caught a reporter beginning to tell a story about a man who nearly drowned in a swimming pool. I found this story to be very powerful and I want to share it with you.

The reporter began to tell about a man who jumped into a pool head first. He didn’t realize that he jumped into the pool on the wrong end. Instead of diving in on the deep end of the pool, he dove in on the shallow end of the pool. When the man jumped in he hit his head on the bottom of the pool and knocked himself unconscious. The man’s 11-year old son and his 12-year old friend stood back terrified by this accident and not sure how to help. The man’s 11-year old son ran into the house to call 911 hoping his dad would not drown before the emergency team would arrive.

While the man’s son was in the house on the phone his 12-year old friend refused to stand back and watch any longer. The seconds were ticking away fast and the man was losing life rapidly while under water. The 12-year old boy jumped into the water and wrapped his arm around the chest of 6’3″ 230 lb. man the best he could. Then he began to pull this very large man to the surface. He got the man to the steps of the pool and pulled him completely out of the water. Continue reading →

New Guest Posts!!

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So Ive been contemplating on how to take this blog, that has actually been doing quit well so far, to the next level. I am a huge believer in having not only mentors but powerful people to surround myself with to invoke intense and meaningful conversation! So in an attempt to add to my challenge of posting my Daily Exposures and my own personal thoughts and creativeness, I have again challenged myself to reach out to the various people who have and continue to impact my life in helping me towards the-best-version-of-myself. So starting today, I plan on featuring a guest post every wednesday from top performers in their personal field.

My goal with this is to “Expose” you guys to my sources of inspiration, motivation, and often accountability, while at the same time “Exposing” my mentors and close friends to my awesome network of fans (thats you.. you awesome fan you) that have helped take the blog to where it is, even in its short month lifespan its had so far!

Realize Im not reaching out to just the ol average Joe, these are top performers and experts in their field, and I wouldn’t reach out if they hadn’t impacted me in a BIG way!

So without further ado, I introduce our first Guest Writer Kris Mathis, who I have been privileged to know for a few years now. Continue reading →