Author Archives: gwunterberger

I Am Thankful For…

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Oh what a Thanksgiving it was! In fact, the holiday was so EPIC that I have been forced to break up the festivus into two separate blog posts, with the version you are now reading chronicling the feast itself. After days of preparation and supply gathering, the women descended on 7S the morning of the 22nd with a unified goal. With each minding her own specialty, a bounteous banquet was hand crafted around a 19-pound poultry centerpiece. At the stroke of 4pm, the clan enlisted a taxicab caravan down to 79 Crosby street, a dangerous voyage no doubt, but one that would be rewarded with spoils, spaciousness, and salaciousness…well not really that last part, that would be weird.

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Flash Fail

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I consume a lot of photography related information on the internet, and the one thing I know about myself is that I am easily influenced. This mostly stems from my curiosity; usually I’ll try some new technique, have a little fun, then go back to my main stuff. So when I started to notice posts online about using flash for candid street photography, I loved the look and started to devour content. In fact, I remember first stumbling upon the work of Bruce Gilden during a pregame for a Fraternity party, getting completely sucked in and then missing the entire night. I remember staring at this Gilden photo in awe, then this photo, then stumbling upon interviews with Charlie Kirk and his flash work in Tokyo. I knew I had to try it. I read all the tutorials, all the techniques, all the negative comments from readers exclaiming that “if somebody tried to do that I would smash their camera.” I didn’t care, and only gained confidence when the photographers themselves noted that for the most part people didn’t seem to mind. The only thing left was to get out do it, so I slapped on a flash and wandered out into the night.

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Frenchie Friday | Hurley Comes to Town

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We are used to having visitors here at 7S, but this time we put away the pull-out and prepared for a pooch. So you can imagine Ollie’s surprise when Hurley waddled through the door, and from that point onward the two were inseparable. A relationship blossomed over squeaky toys and tug-of-war, and despite an emotional parting at the end of the weekend, I have a feeling this frenchie friendship will endure.

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Pierced

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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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Tribute in Light

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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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Independence Day

Posted on by gwunterberger
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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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