My First Promo

I think one of my biggest problems over the past few months was
not having enough confidence in my portfolio. I was never really
satisfied with it. Well, I have to start getting work, or I'm really
not a working photographer, and we do have bills to pay. So, I
decided to put together a promo.. I wanted it to be unique, perhaps in its construction. That way, perhaps the odds are higher it won't just go in
the circular file. My wife saw this great handmade book made out of
newsprint which a fashion designer put together. Great thing is
newsprint is cheap. I really have to watch my budget. I've already
spent more than I could really afford on business cards and photo assistant post cards. So, I tried a few types of newsprint on both my laser printer, and
our cheapo inkjet. Fortunately, the laser with a rough surface worked.
Now I've been scoring 1500 pages of newsprint which took most of
my week. Hence, NO photoblog entry til today. Need a less labor intensive
idea for the next promo, along with lots of new work.....

Goodwill Toys

Since, we were moving, we made many trips to Goodwill, in fact, far too many trips. One day, we stumbled across these stacks of stuffed toys. My wife said I should take a photo. I wish I had some lights with me to fill the shot in a little bit. Its interesting though. All these toys are waiting for a new child to put a smile on. However, when my wife buys things she tries to be very conscious of the materials used, and whether anything could be toxic or unhealthy. Its a shame that less fortunate babies might have to settle for whatever toy may put a smile on their face. Of course, the most important thing is the love that a parent can give, which is not dictated by the size of a bank account.

Suburbia Again

I find this photo of a neighborhood in Daly City interesting. Somehow, the scene does not seem real to me. The cars have a toy like feel. The homes feel like miniatures. Perhaps its the slightly wide lens. Perhaps its the order and structure implied by the grid of streets and homes, so perfect and neat, at least from this distance and perspective.

Trousers

I remember sitting in a photo class and seeing slides of still life's created by I believe Irving Penn. One was a photo of some cigarette butts, certainly not pretty or beautiful in their own right. But somehow when photographed, in a very simply manner, their shape and form captivated ones attention. I'm certainly no Irving Penn, but I thought I'd share these trousers with you.

Scenic Overlook.......

I never ventured to Coit Tower until sometime this year, over 7 years after living in San Francisco. I kind of loved the scene of all the tourists admiring the view and the parked cars in the lot. It was a nice weekday evening. A great time to go! I also think I'll miss my home darkroom. We moved into a new home, and the wonderful darkroom I had is gone. Some things sold for pennies on the dollar. Some I gave away. Oh well.... This is an image I would have liked to print.

Row Homes

I love the views of the row homes as seen from rt 280 when driving into San Francisco from Daly City. I wish I could just park on the highway. One day I was driving around off of Mission St., exploring, and snapped this one. I hate the color balance. I shoot alot with a Leica M8, and if you might be into cameras, you need to screw on an infared filter or cheap black clothing turns magenta. I think I preferred the overall color balance better without the filter. Anyways, I digress, as this post is about rows of homes in the hills around San Francisco. I'm sure I'll capture more of these.

Dooms day

I find the California coast truly fascinating. I remember riding my motorcycle (when I had one) up route 1 heading to San Francisco, and just past Half Moon Bay, there was simply a wall of fog in the sea. The fog as it rolls in truly creates amazing scenes. I'm also very interested in photographing suburban America, perhaps as I've lived in the city for so long. I was driving around Pacifica one day (a unique coastal town which is also a suburb of San Francisco), and drove up into the hills. I saw this somewhat apocalyptic scene just around dusk.

Whats behind the sticker?

I wasn't quite sure what to think about this sticker. What is the official story? What do the authors believe to be the truth? Airliners surely were hijacked, and crashed into the world trade center and the Pentagon. Guess the sticker works, as it surely makes me wonder whats behind the message.

My lost toy

Saw this on one of my last walks in my old neighborhood. I can
imagine a little boy walking up and missing his little toy train
engine......