Suvive

Today I spoke with a verteran who was one of the first American soldiers to enter Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped in August 1945. He spoke with passion and fear and dismay of what he saw and the future of what will happen if the world goes nuclear against Iran or some group detonates a dirty bomb in a populated area. I was struck by his passion, his fear, his life. He is sick. Radiation is a killer. He said out of 10 soldiers that marched through Nagasaki, 9 are now dead.

I was thinking of Aceh. Of tsunamis of turmoil. Japan, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, atomic testing...we only have to blame ourselves. Who do we blamb for nature? God?



This Aceh man rode his bike thorugh a destroyed city. The destruction lingered after the tsunami. It still lingers in me.

Smokie

The same day I shot Josh and his friends at Kewalo Basin, I met Smokie who was part of the click that was hanging out at the park.

Smokie was a green eyed Mexican kid from California who claimed pure blood Azteca blood and spirits of Cuahtemoc. The wool had obscured his good looks but his physique canvased his body like a piece of artwork. An almond eyed woman outfitted as a beautiful Pancho Villa graced a thick shoulder and other various histories and dramas played out across his chest and back.

He showed me scars and pains and allowed me a hint into his life.

Very interesting man. I will probably run into Smokie again.

Gracias hombre!

Joys of a new format.

Kramer after a surf.

Diving in head first into something isn't always the wisest or prudent choice in life but I decided to move forward with a 4x5 camera. As digital is by far surpassing all that is film, one must think about why anyone would choose to use a nitrocellulose coated with a type of emulsion over a "somewhat" superior image created by a CCD with a Bayer filter. Digicams are so easy! Point, shoot, transfer, publsh! Done. A fact found on wikipedia points out that the first filmless analogue cameras were designed in the early 1970's. Unbelievable.

Ah but with film and a 4x5, you gotta drag out the tripod, you have to compose, focus, think, and put forward a good image. It takes time, effort, and thought. Something digicams are allowing the photographer to forget about.

As far as this new toy, its Toyo View cream colored 4x5. It has a Nikor 210mm lens and its allowing me to make magic. Why go through this struggle, you might ask? Well, there is a psychology to the portrait. A true psychology the subject feels when he is placed behind this monstrosity, an accordion with an upside down image that can only be seen with a dark cloth placed over the head.

People take you seriously...oh this guy knows what he is doing. they pose, the take themselves serious. you won't see stupid grins, hand signs, etc...but the serious "I am being preserved" attitudes.

At the same park where I shot that surfer, a gang of guys drinking beer called me over and asked me to photograph them. None shied away from saying they were from the other side of the tracks...jail time, stab wounds, gunshot scars, etc...they shared beer, time and stories. I, not the type to shy away from life, embraced these guys, who in many ways, would have probably sneered at me if I had a 35mm camera, but coddled me as one of their own. They were the nicest kindest, friendliest people you could ever image. If I had been on the other side of the island (you know...the rich side) I never would have been allowed a rich world party. Those types are snotty and pretentious. What did Josh and his friends have to loose?

We shared polaroids, family snaps, etc...they loved it. I loved it. Here is Josh. What a guy.




That is what makes them so interesting...
And makes us so boring.

ah, the joy of cameras.


Thank you Yong Yoo for your efforts and support. You are never far from my thoughts.

The Lakers

I hate sports. I really do...only because there is no way to really control anything about what happens. You spend your photo time hoping the star will do a slam dunk, run in a touchdown, or score that winning goal. If you line up on left side of the field or net, the pass will go the right side and you won't get the shot.

Nathaniel Welch told me once he wanted to be a pro surf photographer and spend hours shooting barrels at Pipeline. He never made a dime shooting sports action. Nathaniel now kicks butt in New York and still claims he makes nothing! He is one of the more successful guys in New York but you'd never know it. Yet he told me never to shoot sports as you'll spend your career waiting for that sport star to run your way or catch that ball perfectly in your eye piece. If he doesn't, you're done.


You can't control fate or chance...no matter how good you are with a camera.

Many pro sports guys will tell you that you can control many of the aspects of chance but most of what takes place is random. And many of those pro photographers have strobes set up in the rafters and make their lives shooting NBA or whatnot. They also have exclusive relations with sport stars and they learn to know how these athletes will move or run.

As But the...POW! Kobe Bryant runs at the basket for a lay up and pow! I get a shot.

Made TOPIX at AP...best in show for the day or something like that. I did good for someone who hates sports. Then...

Bam!



Ronny Turiaf slams one in the bucket. Either I got good or just lucky...

Headline News

I made CNN on 22 September with my well worn Superferry image. I recall the Superferry sailing into port and feeling there was a huge hesitation as local shipping monopoly scheduled a ship to sail at roughly the same time. The superferry had to sit out in the channel for some time...almost foreboding as the Superferry has received so much gruff from the locals not only on Kauai but Maui, and the rest of the state. Seems locals just don't want change and that suits those in power.

We do seem like a backwater...



as far as the photo goes, it was big surf on the south side of Oahu so all the surfers were out. Kakaako was full of people and this guy just so happen to jump out into the picture.

I must say that I envisioned this photo. There is much to say on thinking forward and projecting the image you are looking to capture. I am learning that a pre focused idea will and does work in most cases. I did see this surfer and boat but just couldn't get the stars to line up. I was caught off guard as the Superferry sailed quickly into port. I was on the other side of the park and had to book to the other side. Autofocus and foresight got the image in line. A burst on the trusty ol 1D MII and voila!