It’s already March of 2011, 3 months into the New Year; it’s amazing how fast time flies. I know I need to keep up with this blog because an entry every 6 months is definitely doing it half-assed. I used to love writing but it had become more of a chore and that’s probably why I tend to avoid it. But I realized that my writing skills have taken a nosedive because my usage of diction is now limited and I struggle to express my thoughts and reasoning through words. I guess it’s true what they said, “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” This is pretty alarming because being a great writer is essential when it comes to writing grant proposals to fund photography projects. Furthermore, great writing skills will open more opportunities for me in this career. Ultimately, I have to start thinking more than just being a photographer but an overall communicator that is capable of sharing his experience and putting his ideas, findings, and conviction in words effectively for others to learn and comprehend.
Thus, I promised myself to at least write 2-3 times a month to hopefully get back on track and sharpen my writing skills. I promise to keep it strictly professional, with a little of rant here and there. This is not a journal, so no “day-to-day how I feel and I am having a fight with my girlfriend” kind of entry. Also, I will keep the cussing at a minimum but I can’t guarantee it. I am a blunt person and I think it’s important to keep it honest. So if something is fucked up, damn it then I will have no problem dropping the F-bombs.
Okay, now that’s out of the way, let’s get everything caught up since my last entry.
Missouri Workshop MPW. 62: Damn good learning experience. It was intense and challenging but I met a lot of great people and I highly recommend it. Having Randy Olson and Maryanne Golon as my editors really pushed me to the next level. This is the link to the story that I shot for the workshop. Being JoJo
Eddie Adams XXIII: This is perhaps the most prestigious workshop in the country since it’s highly competitive and it was an honor to be chosen. I was in the Sports Team, with Al Bello as my team leader. This was a crash course in shooting sports since I’ve never really shot it before. I ended up shooting cyclocross and I had to look up on Youtube at 3am to get an idea of the sport. But, Al Bello was pure class, he helped me out a lot and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I showed my portfolio to 9 editors during the 11:30 club, and I had many great feedback except for one, well he might have been drunk or pissed off, not sure which or possibly both. This is the link to the photo that I shot for EAW. CycloCross
Haiti: I spent a month in Haiti from 12/17-1/18. I need a separate entry for this experience. Here is the link to my series from Haiti Lavi Kontinye.
After returning from Haiti, I’ve been revamping my website to make it much simpler to navigate, less images, better sequencing, and emphasizing my style as a photographer. But from looking all the images, I’ve realized that I need to take more portraits. Thus, incorporating my newfound addiction to shooting film, I’ve decided to purchase a Mamiya C330s with 80mm/2.8 lens to shoot portraits. I hope to break the familiarity and fast pace of normal shooting since the camera is a 6x6 square format and fully manual. Plus, by utilizing a waist level finder, I hope connect at a more personal level with the people that I photograph.
In addition to shooting with this camera, I’ve also purchased a Voigtlander R3A with 35mm/1.4 lens. This camera utilizes 1:1 viewfinder thus it allows me to shoot with both eyes open and does not separate me from the scene. It will take some time to get become comfortable with this new approach but I like it already since I am more in tune with my surroundings and always in the moment.
Shooting film is an expensive addiction considering $5 a roll and $5 to process plus $535 for Epson V700 Negative Scanner. But, shooting film forces me to think about my composition and slow down the pace. Shooting with the R3A is a joy since it’s small and inconspicuous compared to shooting with my Canon DSLR. I will post some photos once I am finished with the first roll.
Some other projects that I am working on include creating an Editorial and Commercial promo card and working on Old Soul Inc. new brand. I recently got my Substitute Teaching Permit and I’ve applied to the Substitute Pool at Sacramento School District since I need to start saving to fund my move to Jakarta. Also, I have upcoming trips to SF to shoot WonderCon in April; Charlottesville, Virginia for LOOK3 photo festival and New York in June; and Indonesia in August.
Okay so everything is pretty much caught now so my next entry wouldn’t be so long and boring.
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