Archive for the ‘portraits’ Category

i shot an engagement session not too long ago! here’s a sneak peek — more to come!

this photo was taken today in dumbo, brooklyn.  after brunch, i walked out of the restaurant before seth… i saw the beautiful reflection and him standing there for a moment. i love how this photo captures him and the reflection of the buildings and the manhattan bridge beyond.

it reminds me of a double exposure photo… but not quite. i’m kind of loving photos like these lately… but this is only one of a few that i have taken myself.

ooo and speaking of double exposure, i’ve been meaning to look up how to do that with my film camera… and i found this how to. i think i’ll be taking my film camera out soon to finish the roll while trying to get double exposure photos.

nothing too special… me attempting a self portrait. some photographers have the best self portraits. i wish i had their magic. maybe it takes practice… something i don’t often do when it comes to self portraits. maybe i’ll try a little more often.

the poet :: april 15, 2009

i have this fear of being caught. i fear someone seeing me taking a photo and wondering what i am doing. i fear someone seeing me taking their photo and not being very happy about it. living in new york city, i see so many people that i want to capture and keep in photos, permanent memories of those who wonder through my life. usually, if i capture them, it’s sneaky, and often, it’s from behind their backs (and not the ideal photo).

a while back, i linked to the 100 strangers project through a blog post. it sounded interesting, scary, challenging. i knew it had to be something i attempted, especially with all these cool people around me everywhere i go… all these interesting people that make life in new york so much more interesting than it is in places i have lived in the past.

i’ve thought and thought about this challenge. i’ve encouraged myself, attempting to give myself the confidence i need to ask a stranger if i can take their photo. i’ve even told friends about this project and the fears i have in starting the challenge and heard words of encouragement from them. then one day, i saw a guy in a park. i could have taken his picture from across the way, secretly captured it without him noticing. i got ready to. then i stopped, i walked up to him. and i simply asked him if he’d let me take his photo. and he simply said yes.

i was so excited about getting his photo, my heart pounding as i captured him with his typewriter. i asked him about his free poems, found out that he types the poem you tell to him. i forgot to ask his name, which is a part of the challenge. so i call him the poet.

———–

slack line walker the first :: april 25, 2009

i saw him setting up in the park, a busy weekend in spring. it was probably the first really nice day of the year, and the park was packed. i asked for a photo, but i did not get his name. he was supposed to walk the slack line, but ended up taking it down and going off in search of another place to practice (the distance was too far for the trees or something).

———–

slack line walker the second :: may 10, 2009

i spotted him in the trees on a sunny park afternoon when we were playing with our nephew. he explained my misconception of this being a tight rope. it’s actually a slack line and many climbers will set it up between trees to balance and walk. not only did he agree to let me snap some photos of him as he walked, but this climber/slack line walker even let us do a little walking ourselves. i was really good, but also had two people holding my hands as i balanced and walked! ;)

———

rocky and his person :: may 17, 2009

meet rocky and his person. i found them sitting on the sidewalk in my neighborhood, just hanging out. we passed by once, and on our way back by, i stopped, admired, asked for a photo of him and his bird. rocky is 11 years old. i don’t know his person’s age. i don’t know his person’s name either. asking for names is a little scary for me… i know it’s a part of the project, but i’m easing into it. getting my feet wet, going with the flow… but as you noticed with the stranger photo i posted yesterday, i did finally ask for a name!

———-

the host :: july 11, 2009

i met him the night of my birthday get-together at the mediterranean place in my neighborhood. i asked for a photo, he was more than happy to participate (probably because i had given him a piece of my yummy cake <–you should click over and check out this cake!). i did ask for his name, but i cannot remember it (we’ll blame it on the wine). i’ll get it next time i eat at the mediterranean restaurant.

———–

nicholas and his person :: july 17, 2009

excuse me, did you know you have a cat on your head? this one might be a stretch for a stranger photo… the first shot was taken without permission. i mean, who doesn’t immediately pull out their cameras for a photo of a man with a cat perched in his head? the second, i technically paid for… well i guess paid for the first photo and then i asked for the second photo. but he is a stranger, and i did ask for the photo.  so meet nicholas, who was taught at a very young age to sit on his person’s head.

———

i have captured seven strangers. the project goes to 100. if i make it there, i probably won’t stop. by then, i won’t be so scared to ask for a photograph. by then i hope i can just ask random people instead of going for the people who stand out, who almost seem to set themselves up for a photo.

my goals, as i continue the project, are:

1. photograph women… how is it that they are all of men? my theory is that i understand how many women don’t like photos of themselves, but guys, on the other hand, don’t usually care as much. it’s easier and less scary for me not to have to worry about. but of course, i must put this aside and find some confident women to add to my collection.
2. ask for the name. ask about their lives or what they are doing. find out more than what meets the eye, more than i can capture in a simple photo.
3. get at least one stranger photo a week.

i decided to take a walk today

in the park

taking photos along the way

of nothing special

except for one

an old man

who stopped me

and my camera

asked to be in the newspaper.

sweet old man

i’m not a newspaper photographer,

i’m just a girl

with a camera

looking for moments to capture

so i’ll never forget

so i can show others

what i see.

sweet old man,

i see you.

—-

this photo is holding multiple purposes. it is the first photo i am sharing for the 100 strangers project (it’s not the first i’ve taken. i have about five others that i need to share soon, very soon.) so meet jamal. i met him just a block from my home. you can also see the collection of photos for the 100 strangers project on flickr.

the photo’s next purpose is for the assignment i am participating in for souvenir foto (found originally on this inspiring blog). i’m coming in on the tenth assignment of reflection. the reflection in the dear man’s glasses fits the assignment perfectly. the reflection will forever remind me of the streets in my neighborhoods with brownstones lined up side by side standing tall together.

i recently shot this overexposed photo in my haste to capture their smiles.

my settings weren’t correct. but i didn’t want to not have this photo. i quickly fixed my settings and got other photos, but this one, of course didn’t happen again. so, i opened it up in photoshop, edited & made changes, and turned it into this.

it is still overexposed, but i don’t think i mind it at all. it reminds me of a memory, how it’s not so sharp, not perfectly clear.

One photo out-of-focus is a mistake, ten photos out-of-focus are an experimentation, one hundred photos out-of-focus are a style.

-Author Unknown

i begin my first photo project today. the photo came first, a blur on purpose or maybe not. but the result i loved. so i kept it. and now, adding it with the words above, i’m starting the photo project of collecting 100 out-of-focus photos. feel free to collect photos that are out-of-focus along with me.