A Memorial on the Banks of the Muddy Wishkah

This week I was traveling to Olympic National Park and found myself in the southwest Washington city nicknamed the "Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula".  As I drove past logging yards and wood chip piles,  Aberdeen reminded me of the paper mill town I grew up back in northern New Hampshire.

Besides logging and fishing, Aberdeen is famous as the hometown of Kurt Cobain.  Chances are that most of the people who might be reading this don't need an explanation.  But to set the stage, Kurt Cobain was an icon for a generation as the singer, song writer and guitar player for the rock band Nirvana.   Fame was challenging for Cobain.  He experienced depression, had challenges with heroin addiction and ultimately took his own life with a 20-guage shotgun on April 8, 1994 at the age of 27.

Nirvana was founded here in Aberdeen with bassist Krist Novoselic.  Kurt's boyhoood home is in a quiet neighborhood near the Wishkah River.  Like any young boy, he sought out the banks of the river for adventures and his private playground was under a bridge two blocks from his 1210 East 1st Street  address.

Today, there is a small park with a homegrown memorial to Kurt Cobain.  Here are some photographs from my visit.

Fans pay tribute to Cobain in different ways.  Interestingly, there were hardly any liquor bottles under the bridge, but this looks like a popular spot to do Heroin.  There were many of these orange syringe caps, alcohol swab wrappers and evidence of other indulgences.

Johnny Cash's Bedroom

Last week I had a chance to visit Johnny Cash's boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas.  I'm a big fan and there was definitely some feeling of visiting hallowed ground for me but the history of the place is also fascinating.  A New Deal initiative to establish family farms from the overgrown Arkansas countryside, the Cash family was given 20 acres and a five room house.  At the end of three years, they had fed their family, paid off their $2300 debt to the government and owned the owned the home.

Six people shared the two bedrooms (and four beds) in the house.  Somehow Cash's bedroom was particularly fascinating to me.  The picture of the cross was framed by young Johnny himself and like much of the furnishings in the house donated back by the Cash family.  While, I'm not a religious person, somehow that cross spoke to me and Johnny Cash's story.

Vintage Signs and Meeting Interesting People

One of the things I love about being a photographer is how it's a passport to meeting people.  Outside Jack's Diner in Albany, NY, I was approached by someone asking about the photo I was making.   It turns out he was a painter who restores painted signs on buildings and he was prepping to work on the American Glass lettering in this image.

Here's a photograph I made of the interior while I ate a great breakfast.

Photographs were made with a Fuji x100s.

Fuji X100s: First Look

RICH  adjective  \'rich\

rich·er, rich·est.

1.

having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy:a rich man; a rich nation.

2.

abounding in natural resources: a rich territory.

3.

having wealth or valuable resources (usually followed by in  ): a country rich in traditions.

4.

abounding (usually followed by in  or with  ): a countryside rich in beauty; a design rich with color.

5.

of great value or worth; valuable: a rich harvest.

After owning this little wonder of a camera for five days, one word, "rich" sums up my first thoughts about the Fuji X100s.   I still feel like I haven't had time to shoot it in a focused way, but I've made about 500 shutter clicks and can share some initial impressions.  Despite it's obvious limitations and less obvious quirks, it's definitely one heck of a camera that delivers an amazing image file in a package barely bigger than an iPhone.

The X100s has been a hot topic in the photography blogosphere.  Pros Zach Arias and David Hobby have been particularly enthusiastic about what the Fuji X100s can do calling it the "new Leica" and "the best camera I've ever owned".  Both have said that they are using the camera for pro work and letting their  DSLR's lay dormant.  Some of the videos produced by Hobby about describing his reverence for the camera are about as inspiring photography porn as I've seen in a long time.  

So... why is rich the right adjective?  The files from this camera are beautiful.  They have depth and substance.   All of the files you see in this post are barely touched in Lightroom and are a good reflection of what comes right out of the camera.  

In one of the first images I made with the camera, you can already start to see this... great skin tone and the x100s manages the light and shadows beautifully.  But, this image also shows one of the quirks... The camera makes razor sharp images and the fixed focal length 23mm, f/2.0 is a killer lens, but there is a learning curve to getting focus right.  In this shot, I used the optical viewfinder (OVF) and the nature of the OVF requires some practice to know where the focus point really is.  Fuji ingeniously has two viewfinders on this camera... the OVF and an  electronic viewfinder (EVF).  You quickly learn that the EVF can produce more reliable results for the newbie.  

Of course my children were the handy and sort-of-willing subjects of my shakedown photographs.  I'm starting to figure some things out as I make the images below and, while this isn't a camera you can effectively shoot sports with, I was glad to freeze my youngest in action here. The photographs are giving me an indication of the secret sauce of depth and richness of color and contrast that I've read about. 

36 hours in to owning the X100s, I hopped on a plane to Florida for a business trip and this is where things get a little crazy and cool.  It's not uncommon for me to haul a DSLR out to dinner when traveling, but the Fuji makes that a no brainer and nobody even notices it slung over my shoulder.  Best of all, I don't notice... roaming around a city with a DSLR and pro lens can start to be a real drag.   I'm starting to see the camera definitely has some juice.  This simple shot of a storefront window in Clearwater, Florida at about 8:30 pm was made at f/2.0 and handheld at 1/8th of a second at ISO 200.  Handheld and sharp at an eighth!?!?  Not since I was 12 and scored a set of neon green Kyrptonics wheels have I seen skateboard wheels look so beautiful.

Landing in foggy Boston on the way home, I'm thinking about Revere Beach before we even hit the ground... a ready spot for a few more test shots.  Check out the depth of field with the f/2.0 lens.

By now I've discovered Auto-ISO and set it to shoot a minimum 1/30th of a second in an ISO range of 200-1600.  This image was shot at 1/30 sec at f/16 and ISO 1600.  It's very clean, with no noise for such a high ISO shot. 

A black and white conversion done in Lightroom.

 I get a new piece of gear, I'll often sit in front of the TV at night and noodle with it, dialing in settings and testing different capabilities.  More high ISO and shallow depth of field here with one of my favorite new books.  The focus point was on the cheek of the cover shot subject, Luis Sarria.  The only light in the room is a table lamp to my left with 75 watt equivalent CFL bulb and the Sochi Olympics men's Slalom on TV. Sharp and clean at 1/13th of a second, f/2.0 and ISO 1600.  Fantastic depth of field.  

So, my first thoughts are that this camera is remarkable.  There is a learning curve and I still have a lot to explore about what makes it tick, but there is a unique quality to what it produces.  Point of view is so important in creating a compelling image.  The photographer definitely creates the photograph, not the gear.  But, this is an example where the gear offers something new and opens up possibilities that didn't exist.  I don't want to over state this but there is a soul to the files from the X100s... a deep feeling of richness in color, tone and contrast.  It won't replace my Nikon DSLR, but it will definitely bring something new and valuable to my photography.  Stay tuned!

The House of Maisel

Jay Maisel is a master and revered among photographers.  I love to hear him talk and he is imminently quotable.  My personal favorite is "If you want to make more interesting pictures, become a more interesting person."  Many folks not in the photography community may not be familiar with him.  His best known image is from the cover of the Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue".

Jay bought the Germania Bank Building in 1966 for $102,000 when the neighborhood around190 Bowery was in decline.  It has been his studio and home ever since.  New York Magazine said this "maybe the greatest real-estate coup of all time" as the building was estimated to be worth over $30 million in 2008.  Built in 1898, the 35,000 square foot building has six floors and 72 rooms.  Over the years he has rented space to other artists including Roy Lichtenstein.

Last week, I had to be in New York and one of my commitments was to attend a dinner at Sammy's Roumanian Steak House.  I won't get into that here, let's just say they had Kettle One frozen in blocks of ice, a schmaltzy lounge act and a waiter fond of the F word.  As I walked the two miles from my West Village hotel to the restaurant, I was following the directions on my cell phone and turned right from Bleecker Street onto Bowery.  The building in front of me said it was 350 Bowery and my wheels started turning.  I knew that Jay Maisel's studio wasn't far.  A quick google search comfirmed 190 Bowery as the address.

Two blocks later I stood in front of the house of Maisel.  A temple to color, form and the secret ingredient to all good photographs that Jay calls "gesture".  Some day I'll get inside this building and see the treasures it holds.  In a video tour I've seen, Maisel shows off a large room dedicated to things he's found on the streets... neatly organized by shape... circles, squares, etc.  There is also a gallery space.  He holds four day workshops here about three times a year.  Someday when I have an extra $5,000, I'll learn from the master.

In the meantime, I have this photo of his amazing building.  I didn't have my DSLR with me on this dinner outing and it was very dark when I made the image but the best camera is the one you've got and my iPhone never disappoints.

Here are a couple of videos that will help you understand why Jay Maisel is the man...

http://petapixel.com/2013/02/03/short-documentary-on-iconic-photographer-jay-maisel/

http://vimeo.com/4033685

NYC

New York City by iPhone

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One Morning in Our Nation's Capital

I left my hotel early and looking down New Jersey Avenue to my right, the dome of the US Capital building made the choice of which way to go pretty simple.  I headed off toward Capital Hill crossing streets easily as the morning commuters were yet to invade.  I made my way through a park, loosening up and picking up the pace.   Aside from other joggers, the police in the area were a noticeable presence.  I hadn't been to Washington in a couple of years and figured this was the new normal in town.

Soon I came to the Capital building and worked my way around to it's iconic steps.  I circled around the reflection pool before heading back to my hotel to get ready for work.  The light of the early day was beautiful and I made photographs with my iPhone along the way.

The time stamp on the first image shows 6:48 a.m.  Less than two hours later and just two miles away, there would be a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.  When I learned the news, I immediately thought of my children.  I then thought why do I ever leave them and my safe existence in quiet New Hampshire.  It was a weird feeling to be so close to such an evil and random thing.

I'm glad I made these images the morning of September 16th.  The Capital Building is an inspiring place.  Somehow, looking at them makes me feel better about my time in Washington.  The images make me feel that maybe our country has the strength and wisdom to sort out the problems we have.

Images made with iPhone, Hipstagram and/or Pano.

Where's the Circle K?

I've been to eastern North Carolina a couple of times in the last two months and I'm not sure I've found my photographic zen for the the area between Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte.  I haven't had a great deal of time on these trips to make photographs, but with the time I've had I haven't found much that captivated me.  It's been frustrating because my normal tools for research like Google images or flickr haven't given me any hints as to where to explore.  I know that there are great images hiding out there but what I've found has been either highly commercialized areas with a Circle K and every major fast food chain imaginable or wooded country roads with little elevation change punctuated by the occasional, unremarkable single story home and featureless field.  I know there's more, but I'm not finding it.  I'll take this great old filling station outside Salisbury, NC as a sign that on my next trip to North Carolina, I will find the kind of places that bring photographic enlightenment.

Taking a Stroll?

I'm always in awe of folks who pursue photography like a Sunday stroll.  The camera is casually hanging from their neck as they meander from edge to edge of the path with a circumspect gaze.  They raise the shutter to their eye and squeeze off a few thoughtful frames.  Maybe adjust the zoom ring a tad, make another image and then wander on.

While I definitely find a zen place and am probably most personally at peace when I make photos, my approach has always been a bit different than that the strolling shooter.  I guess you could say it's a little more energized.   My choice of a sling style camera strap hints at that.  It always feels ready to go with the sling across my chest and camera hanging practically already in my hand.   I almost always break as sweat from carrying too much gear.  After all, you never know what you'll find and what you left in the car that could have really made the shot.

I was in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada last week and there were several other photographers walking the path with me.  While they didn't have tripods (remember that break a sweat thing?), their gear said they weren't "casual shooters"... well outfitted with DSLRS and Canon L series glass.  We leap frogged each other down the trail, alternately stopping at various points to make pictures.  I started to notice that their approach was like they were riding a tour bus... see a sight, raise the camera, make the frame.  Somehow, I tend to be a little more activated when I make pictures and can never seem to keep it that simple.  I move around, don't always stay on the trail and tend to get dirty.

These pictures are a good example of how it works for me.  The first was made from on top of a rock about 6 feet over the trail.  The petroglyph was probably 15 feet up off the trail and I thought the image would be stronger if I could flatten the angle that the lens was pointing up.  I also like to show things like this in the context of their environment vs. just a close of up of a petroglyph, so I was looking for perspective that took in the landscape and showed off the stone art as well.  It's an ok picture... sort of "meh".  I have a nagging "not close enough" about the image.  All of the other folks who were there stopped on the trail six feet below me, craned their neck up and made a frame.  Maybe they were great images... who knows.  But something told me as I hopped off the boulder, none of us had this wrapped.

I continued down the trail and around the corner.  As I turned behind the fin of rock that this panel of petroglyphs was carved on, I saw a stone ramp that climbed up the slope and at the top there was a hole in the rock that seemed to lead though to the other side... exactly where the petroglyphs were.  I had to check it out.  I took my camera off the tripod and started scrambling.    In the image above, you can't see the hole because of the angle of the shot, but in the lower right side of the photograph, you can see a shadow that curves up and down like a small mountain top... the shadow is the space that allowed me a different perspective.  I crawled through and inched forward on the foot wide ledge.  I don't like heights much, but I hung out as far as I dared... about 12 feet in the air, I extending my camera out over the trail and squeezed off a few frames without looking in the viewfinder.  

Here's what I got.  The lack of foreground doesn't show how high it is, but I'm glad I made the effort.  It was a little scary and plenty dusty, but I much prefer this angle and being up close the very cool ancient rock art.  Next time you're on a Sunday stroll, consider getting a little more activated. Get up, get down, try a new perspective.  You never know what you'll capture!!!

Oregon on the Road

The Dalles-California Highway, Oregon

NYC by iPhone

50 mm of Baltimore

This week I had to make a quick trip to Baltimore.  I wasn't even going to be there 24 hours.  But I was going to be downtown, near the Inner Harbor, and couldn't stand the thought of not bringing a my camera with me.  So, I ditched my camera bag, travelled light and found room for a camera body and one lens in my laptop bag.

The one lens?  The mighty Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.  The first year and a half that I owned a DSLR, I shot almost exclusively with the 50 mm.  It was sharp and performed so well in low light compared to anything else I owned that once I saw the results, I couldn't bear to shoot with a lesser optic. 

Of course using a fixed 50 mm lens brings constraints and limitations.  No zoom, no wide angle and no poaching street shots from the comfortable distance and autonomy provided by at 200 or 300 mm.  And yet there is an elegance in the simplicity of this light weight, $120 wonder lens.  The limitations drive creativity, making you zoom with your feet or use a new angle.  Get close to your subject and, gasp, maybe even talk with a stranger and admit you are a photographer and taking their picture.  Depth of field is your friend with the lens' fast 1.8 aperture.  Backgrounds can blur and you can render bokeh like a master.  Night time city streets offer new opportunities with such a fast lens in hand.  I've accumulated other optics since my days of 50 mm exclusivity, but it was great fun to force myself back into the 50mm mindset and re-learn all that it taught me.