At first I thought, “Oh well, the shops closed, there goes that idea.” Well…I drastically underestimated Lauren’s resolve, while managing to simultaneously overestimate her inability to prod a sewing needle through her ear. So being the good boyfriend that I am, I left the girl to her own devices, and grabbed a camera to document the momentous occasion.
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What’s better than karaoke? BYOB KARAOKE! And bring we did…we brought the funk, soul, style, and steeze (with a little bit of sass for added flavor.) Not much more needs to be said, as the old Chinese proverb goes “a picture’s worth 1,000 renditions of Sweet Caroline”
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After a failed attempt the night before, the gang mobilized once again for a second pilgrimage to the Brooklyn Bridge to view the 9/11 Tribute in Light. In my head I had already predetermined the shot I wanted, not exactly the most original composition ever conceived, but one with the impressive bridge in the foreground and two pillars of light rising triumphantly behind. So I loaded my pack with more gear than necessary, for a refreshing change, and set off with purpose and determination. About half-way across I was suddenly stupefied with the utter absurdity of my logic, in order to achieve the shot I had envisioned I would have to be FAR away from bridge upon which I was currently strolling. Like, I need to be on the Manhattan Bridge far, and seeing as it was 11:30, that wasn’t happening. Deflated, I worked with what I could see from the bridge, and truth be told I think it pushed me to a more creative output. Plus, there’s always this google search to quench my cliche thirst.
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I have learned to let my photos “marinate,” in other words, take the images then leave them alone for a while so that when I come back everything is removed from the moment and fresh. It helps me be more objective in my edits, and I love forgetting exactly what I shot only to rediscover old goodies. That being said, I have been seriously abusing the method, using it as rationale for laziness in revisiting backlogged photos (see Vietnam, Argentina, Japan ext.) Thus the reason this July 4th post comes in exactly 78 days after the event. If my memory serves me correctly, the day started with an afternoon soiree into Brooklyn for another epic lunch at Diner, followed by much lounging until the evening. After dinner, the streets running towards the river were already blockaded, and masses of people were in a Grapes of Wrath migration uptown searching for the mythical opening. Poor Lauren couldn’t handle the sea of GP (general population) and had to bail out, but rest of the group continued onward in the search of open space. Unlike last year where we casually found a nice spot to lounge, we were forced to settle for a minute sliver of concrete among an ocean of observers, but at least we were gutting it out. The show was amazing as always, but I found myself much more interested in watching the people. Looking back I guess I could was doing the same thing, but everyone was busy watching the display through their displays, holding up all kinds of electronic devices to record the fleeting moment. I found it a fascinating, and wondered if they were enjoying the event or too worried about capturing it. Adding to my fascination was the fact that along with the Canon I had loaded the Leica with some Delta 3200 for the first time, and was eager to see how it would turn out. Not only that, but it was my first date with the Leica itself, so needless to say I was a little bit happy. The film itself came out gritty and grainy (increased a bit by my poor handling and suspect scanning), with a totally different feel than the digital files but adding beauty in their own right. I don’t think I’m sold on the 3200, but it was a fun experiment that produced my favorite shot of the night, see if you can guess which one.
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Thanks to the generosity of a pair of Elliotts, I finally took the dive into medium format. Oh, I had been wanting to plunge for a while now, but lack of a camera and technology to view the photos were a wee bit of a barrier. Enter Sarah and Rob, one graciously lent me her beautiful Hasselblad while the other passed down a scanner capable of archiving the larger negatives. So there went all the excuses, and over the weekend I was able to shoot and process my first real 120 roll. In the interest of honesty, I had one hell of a time learning to master focus and composition with the Swedish shooter, and though I am very much a work in progress I have started to feel more comfortable and am SERIOUSLY TOTALLY FREAKING EXCITED about the possibilities. I mean, the square format alone is love at first sight, but it’s the detail and awesome depth of field that have me drooling. I mean know I’m insane, but I probably trolled eBay for an ungodly amount of time today looking at medium format rigs for my own, and this was only my first roll! Well they say the first step is admitting you have a problem right?
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Ya I was jetlagged, ya it was early, but ya you’re damn right I rallied just 4 hours after touching down in LA to head over to Irvine Spectrum to check out the monthly car show with Robly in tow. The goods were out on display, and the variety of mufflers and mullets was gosh darn impressive. Sure there were Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, and Teeny Weenies, but it was the revamped classics that stole my heart. Despite the candy apple reds and fluorescent greens, I couldn’t help myself from seeing in black and white, highlighting vintage lines to place these automotive classics back in the era in which they belong. Oh ya, and there was a f***ing ferret…how’s that for a hook.
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[gwu] Graham Whitaker Unterberger 