photo of the day...chinatown

Photo of the Day- Chinatown

Gearing up to leave for Seattle this Friday where I will be teaming up with my favorite photographer, Amanda McCoy to take some pretty, pretty pics. Until then, the Chinatown project continues...

Chinatown 3-27-11

News News and More News!!

Ah yes, as many of you have no doubt already heard. I'm headed to grad school in pursuit of an MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts. More excited about this, I could not be.
I spent the greater part of this past summer putting together 20 images for my portfolio. Exhausting doesn't even begin to describe the whole ordeal...but with the (very, very) gracious help of my close friends and roommates, Elissa and Kathleen, I was able to piece together something like a storyboard to include with my applications. I have since moved beyond this project and am working on something a lot more in depth....(and colorful, yay!) but I just wanted to share with you a few images I shot.
I haven't begun to fully comprehend what's in store for me the next few years in school, but let's just say I'm happy, and ready to tackle it all!

Photo of the Day, Birthday Fun

My good friend, Cheerie hosted a first birthday party for her adorable son, Cooper. There were cakes, clowns, and cute kids galore!

Chicken, separated at birth...

Oh is there anything dear little Chicken doesn't resemble?
The evidence:

Photo of the Day

Chinatown March 13th

Photo of the Day...

I'll be spending the next few weeks gearing up for Seattle and finishing up my Chinatown photo project.

Taken last night: 

Photo of the Day - Pretty Pictures

    Last night, I attended the opening of an absolutely wonderful photo exhibit Pretty as a Picture  by friend and former teacher, Ken Shung. 
    I took his Lighting for the Magazine Photographer class at SVA last year and it was such a rewarding learning experience. Ken is a remarkable instructor, of the schooling that there is no right or wrong technique in photography (composition, lighting..etc) ...it's forever an individual  process of trial and error ---which is absolutely true. You can't teach someone how to take beautiful shots, you can only provide them with the basic skills and let them develop their own eye, and everyone has a completely unique eye for images.

    (Below is one of the images I shot in his class of model Autumn Potter:)  

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I found Ken's Pretty As a Picture exhibit fascinating because it showcases decisive moments and gorgeous imagery that capture beautiful moments in time...snippets of stories that the viewer is only given a frame of.
The exhibit, described best by Ken, himself:

 “It is said that a photographer/ artist is always searching to find his or her own vision and voice, otherwise they just ends up making a bunch of Pretty Pictures. With this collection of recent images I explore the nature of ‘When is a photograph just a Pretty Picture?’”

    It's a rather interesting question, no? It's actually been the theme to my struggles in developing a stronger body of work this past year. I previously spent a great deal of time creating images, not for their content, but strictly for their aesthetic and beauty. Sure, I went out with a theme set in mind, but when all was said and done, I worried more about making a 'pretty picture' than I did about the message that picture was trying to convey. The images all fell flat, without true depth or concept because of my approach.

(Below are a few examples of shots I took this past summer, which I won't strike down as 'failures', rather steps in the 'trial and error' chapter in the photography process.)

  My dear friend, Vladymir Bayla walking the Highline in NYC.

 

My daily escalator ride home.

The good news is that I have finally been able to pinpoint why the above two images have been bothering me so...and the glorious thing about Trial and Error is that crucial step of being able to try, try again.

Rain, Rain go away

Shot of the rain taken from my apartment rooftop yesterday.

Happy Sleepy Sunday!

I am in a most exceptionally delightful mood this Sunday. To quote a dear friend, I am happily drifting off into the ether. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Photo Calendar: Man Cans 2011

This past weekend I shot a calendar for Breast Cancer Awareness, set to come out March 8th.
The concept: Imagine a world where the only boobs left...are man boobs. 
From the brilliant minds of a remarkable group of women at BBH, the calendar takes a different spin on Breast Cancer Awareness and aims to encourage men to get involved with the breast health of the women in their lives. It was such an amazing shoot and each of our 'Moobs models' were fantastic sports. Please take a moment to visit the link below for more information about this project and this great cause.
http://mancans2011.tumblr.com/

Photo of the Day: Chinatown morning