8 posts tagged “photography”

On March 31 this year, a book is published with several street photos of mine. The title of the book is New York a Photographic Album edited by Gabriela Kogan a leading graphic designer based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The book has 500 plus postcards sized pages. Published by Rizolli/Universe Publishing.

I consider it them as blessing. Flickr and similar sites that adopt Creative Commons as a way to distribute content is a blessing. The idea of letting art free is wonderful and need to be fully supported. I have been releasing my art work in the form of photographs, drawings and videos with Creative Commons license. And have been enjoying the proliferation of it. My photographs have been used to illustrate articles in uncountable blogs. Some have been in videos or slide shows mostly for non commercial and educational needs. Some were used in collaborative effort. One in particular was used to transfer NYC experience half way around the world to a design office in Taipei. The picture is of a subway station, tittled life's a stage.  I was contacted by a  designer on his interest in using one of my picture as a part of his office setting. Intrigued by his idea, I sent him a high resolution file of the photograph. A few weeks later he sent me the picture below. Showing my photograph printed large and used as wall paper in his office. Pretty neat. Art should be free!

At first it was a couple "unlucky" captures I found when editing my photographs in iPhoto. Instead of discarding them, I hid them, since I really don't believe in deleting photos, specially in my early photographing history. Memory was expensive then. When I have about four of this unlucky picture that I started to like, I put them up on flickr. Surprised by the responses I got on them, I decided to make it a set. I started looking carefully in my library, and actually put this concept in my mind when photowalking. Capturing the right blink then becoming my "lucky" shots.
I now carries DSLR, with a collection of sharp lenses, large memory card and continuous shooting mode. It seems easier to capture sleepwalkers, it is now just about getting the right moment.

I went over my photographs on flickr and realized; I have been taking the same kind of pictures all along. Either photos of food I have come across and consumed, or street scenes with people whom most often did not realize being photograped. Clearly I need a new direction, new ideas, new beginning. So, I close my eyes, hoping to reset my visuals, my light and shadow, and my perception on things.
I like what I feel with my eyes closed, since with them open... I see blank, feel blank.

One thing that I have been wanting to do is to start doing portraits. I have done portraits work with other medium before, but never photography. There are so much to learn, techniques, principles, motivation, technical skills. story telling, nuance and ambiance. But I have time and I have motivation and I will see this through.

I need a sitter other than my self, I have to start with people I know, family, friends, colleauges, then later on, gather enough skills and courage to ask total strangers.

I have found some great inspirations on Flickr and from inspiring local photographer such Bill Wadman and his 365 portraits project.

Until then I'll continue to blink from time to time, hoping to skip some of these blanks and spot some of the gems I am seeking.

I am not sure if this brand of sake is better or worse than other, but it's definetly in my first choice list because of its packaging... The traditional and natural way it is being presented just convinced me right away of quality... care in producing it to packaging it.
I took this picture at a Japanese market near my house called Mitsuwa. I have been going there ever since I was in college, so for about 20 years. It was a kind of a road trip then, since I lived two hours away, It used to be called Youhan. Now I live two minutes away, and I can go there anytime I need my fix on Japanese packaging, ramen, or strange enough, pasta.

This is a picture of a bicycle parked on the sidewalk of Bowery St. in NYC... I was walking to chinatown for my breakfast when I spot it. I happen to carry my camera... which now a days. It is always.
It is currently the most popular picture of mine on Flickr.