My business phrase in photography has always been "Bringing the World to You." While there are many different types of photography out there, each with their own unique nuances and cliques, my personal favorite has always been the types of photographs that inspire people to view parts of the planet that they may not normally know of or hear about. For me, photography is a way to bring far away locations and cultures to people who may not have thousands of dollars sitting around to spend on a luxury expedition. Whether you're in the Midwest or sitting on the steps of Angkor Wat, the Earth contains of a wide variety of atmosphere that are, surely, unique to someone else. I suppose this is why I am so enthralled National Geographic, as their photography has been bringing locations both near and far to readers around the world for over a decade.
This past Saturday, as Abrah and I were sitting around trying to figure out some way to pass the weekend by, we realized that the Annenberg Space for Photography was opening their newest exhibit, Extreme Exposure. Without much hesitation, we drove down to Century City to take a look. By far, it has been one of my favorites of the three exhibits I've managed to check out. The display featured five photographers and prints that, while not necessarily officially showcased by National Geographic, were no strangers to their mission. Everything I love about travel and exotic photography was on display, with each photographer focusing on a certain area from the extremes of the Earth. Two of the photographers, Michael Nichols and Paul Nicklen, I had heard and seen quite a bit from before from reading NGM. I was pleasantly surprised by the others that I was not familiar with, however: Clyde Butcher and the married team of Donna and Stephen O'Meara.
Upon first entering and being greeted by the always-friendly staff, you are met with an introduction to each of the photographers and what their display was focused on. As we would walk around, the photographers also had displays of items used on their respective journeys, giving the Space even more depth and detail than normal. I knew I would fall in love with this current round of photos because the first photo a visitor comes across in the entrance hallway is that of the famous redwood tree that graced National Geographic only a short while back. It was a picture that made my trip to Muir Woods an absolute necessity earlier this year. Composed by stitching together 84 images, the final image is positively lovely in print with a great deal of color and detail popping out that is hard to recreate via the internet or limited magazine spreads. Even more impressive, Michael Nichols later says in his video that they can easily print out the image life-size; it's a final image that rests over 300 feet tall. I pray that one day the side of the Annenberg and CAA buildings have this tapered on their sides like so many other billboards in Hollywood.
After you notice the redwood print, the first photographer to be highlighted is Paul Nicklen with his prints of the coldest places on Earth, complete with personal drysuit on display. Out of all the photos, I think I loved Paul Nicklen's the most. I had first heard of his work not through his photos but by a story from my Iris Nights lecture with David Griffin. Paul's story was the same "sea lion story" I had mentioned previously. Sure enough, several of the same images I saw from Mr. Griffin's lecture were there in canvas form for display. Apparently, Paul had run across a female leopard seal while doing a story. Feeling testy, it began to snap at the camera's underwater housing. After it realized Paul was not a threat, it actually began to try feeding him by capturing penguins and bringing them back to the photographer. It was a cute story, and the pictures are extremely vivid to see brought to live. His photos of the arctic are colorful and sharp in a world most normally associate with being devoid of much life. Whether it's a lone polar bear or narrowly avoiding a walrus's headbutt, Paul Nicklen's photos are great at conveying a story and atmosphere.
Next down the line were Donna and Stephen O'Meara, a husband and wife team specializing in volcano photography. Their gifts to the display were a giant block of pahoehoe lava and their trekking boots. I found their exhibit fairly interesting, if partially because of the timing. Several of their photos feature Eyjafjallajokull, the notorious Icelandic volcano that shut off travel throughout Europe earlier this Summer (also famous for having Top Gear host James May drive up to its crater in a Toyota Hilux). for myself, the volcano pictures were largely reminiscent of my short time living Hawaii when I was younger. They definitely Kilauea in their displays, with plenty of hot lava flowing from every still.
Clyde Butcher's displays were on the open area next to the center screening room of the Annenberg, and I felt he was the most surprising of the photographers. His work is mostly Large Format and focuses on the Florida Everglades. His prints are definitely to be seen in person to be appreciated. They are composed in black and white and feature a stunning detail I have never seen in print before. He says in his video that he wants "people to feel like they can walk into a photo." The essence is certainly there. His gift to the exhibit of course was one of his large format view cameras, an 8x10 I believe. His statements do seem markedly anti-digital, but his story is certainly inspiring and the format he chooses works wonders. Even though the Everglades seem somewhat less exotic than the other areas featured, he captures them in a way that seems extremely foreign.
Michael Nichols can be found on the exit hallway and the restroom area. It's amazing what this man has accomplished with 25 stories shot for National Geographic, let alone other publications. His exhibit placed an emphasis on more forests, especially the Congo and the redwood range of the Western US. I found Michael's work to be interesting, if anything, because several of the extremely fun photos were taken via remote camera traps, including one with a very slimy and imposing crocodile tail. His were also some of the view to feature people in this exhibit, and to no surprise, captured to most sense of urgency. Much like the Water exhibit, some (but certainly not all) of his photography highlighted issues facing environments today, especially to Congolese prints. This was both a positive and negative to some, as both Abrah and a few others stated this and the Water exhibit similarly focused too much on trying to make a statement. I did not mind, but it was a stark contrast to the other photographers who focused on letting beautiful and foreign lands speak for their own nature.
Overall, Extreme Exposure is a highly recommended showcase if you can make it down to the Los Angeles area between now and April 17th. I believe it has been my favorite and most well-measured display so far with Water close behind. With any luck, these images will help inspire even more to view our world from different angles.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
New Website
So, after a solid 30-40 hours of learning Flash from scratch, I have officially started a website for my photography. Please check it out and let me know what you think!
Wes Smith Photography
Wes Smith Photography
Impressions of New York
I recently traveled to New York City for the first time about a month ago, as you may have noticed from my King Tut blog. With the Yankees in the playoffs yet again (hey, I'm a Cardinals fan, but we fell out awhile back), I figured it was high time to update this page with my trip and impressions.
Abrah and I arrived in the city mid-day Saturday after a direct flight from LAX. She had not been feeling well due to the plane, but I was ready to get out and explore the moment we had landed. It's important to note now that Abrah has been to the city several times almost every year since she was born due whereas this was my first trip. Throughout the next week, she would start to feel better and do her own things, but most of my time was spent meandering without any real purpose or direction through the city. Anyway, we took a short taxi trip from JFK to her friend's apartment that would remain our basecamp for the next few days.
The ride was interesting, to say the least. It's hard to describe someone's first thoughts of Manhattan. It looks essentially what you would expect from countless movies and television shows. The skyline is nothing but skyscraper after skyscraper. What makes it unique, however, is the feel of the city, and emotion that is rather difficult to put into words. As we came out of the tunnel and into the city itself, I was immediately hit with a sense of scale from both sides. I began to realize that, while you are surrounded by these massive buildings, you are still on a limited island. It's one thing to read that, yes, Manhattan Island is only 8-miles long or whatever, but to actually be in the middle of it for the first time is what really puts that scale into perspective. I would be taking advantage of this on my walks later on through the week.
We arrived without problems to our host's apartment and, after getting settled in, the three of us set to work on a theme that would quickly become my favorite throughout our vacation: food. While the girls weren't terribly hungry, I was starving and, for whatever reason, I was craving an authentic NYC meatball sub. I have no idea why this came into my mind, but I had decided I wanted to just walk into some small hole-in-the-wall place and get a sub. So, that's just what we did. I can't remember the name of it (I think it was PJ's Pizza, on 52nd and 10th), but it was, hands-down, one of the best meatball subs I had ever had. It really set the tone for our culinary experience the rest of the trip. And of course, this was only topped by the rooftop view we had from our basecamp:
It was a perfect way to start our journey.
The next day, we each set out for our own separate trips. Abrah still was not feeling well, so I got an early start on walking around. I certainly looked and acted like a stupid tourist, but getting out into a new city is always a rush. I had no idea where I was, but thankfully NYC is set up in such a way that it's hard to get lost. Labor Day weekend was approaching, so the city was still fairly crowded (although I guess it's always crowded) in the touristy areas. I managed to run right into a huge street festival on Broadway, which was a massive timesaver with no traffic to worry about. It was here that I managed to get my legs for the city and approach the idea of jaywalking. In Burbank, that will almost always net a ticket, but in this massive city, it was everyday life. I had no fear here, and was able to get around with my camera to feel out the city easily enough.
Eventually, I made my way into Central Park. It was certainly massive, although I'm not sure if it's exactly what I had always thought. To be honest, after growing up in Missouri my whole life, a park is a park until it gets funded on a national level in my eyes, and CP was not much of an exception. It was certainly fun, and large, but not what I had imagined after seeing it in so many areas. The shade was a relief, to be sure, and I did enjoy watching a couple softball games with the city towers as a backdrop. Perhaps I need to take that "movie tour" that is offered to get a better sense of place. Also, I got lost in the Ramble. Never again.
I eventually met back up with the girls near the street festival and, unknown to me, I had completely passed by Times Square without even noticing. If there was one place in the city that I felt was smaller than what I imaged, it was Times Square. We ate at the Sbarro's nearby (apparently much different than the others), and went off to do some shopping. The night was rather quiet, and we ordered delivery to watch the Emmy Awards in the evening after meeting up with yet another friend in the city.
We awoke early the next day for what would be one of the highlights of our vacation: attending the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, it's important to remember than both Abrah and I work in the industry for George Lopez and Ellen DeGeneres, respectively. We knew the process of a live-taping and were here mostly to see Dave and to see how they run their show. Well, I was there to see Dave anyway. It was a fantastic experience on the whole, and seeing a living legend up close was a dream come true. We were placed front row and both spent a good while figuring out how their audience coordinators handled their seating. Their staff was amazing, and we were happily informed that it was the start of his 17th Season. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested. just remember you have to answer a trivia question before the tickets are granted!
The rest of the trip was spent between museums and shows. I had made the Museum of Natural History one of my major stops, with the King Tut exhibit being a spur-of-the-moment event. You can read about the latter in the blog. The MoNH was really interesting, at the least, and I fell in love with the dinosaur exhibit. The girls mostly stayed behind to chat about girly things or to make fun of how much of a kid I was being. I had never seen many fossils in my time, but the T-Rex made the 8-year-old, Jurassic Park-lover in me delighted. I spent as much time on the upper floor as I could. The other floors were ok, but I have to admit to being a little let down overall. Most of the displays were dioramas, which isn't much after having grown up going to the St. Louis Zoo with real animals everywhere. I also felt there was a ton of emphasis on different tribal cultures, which isn't much of a natural exhibit at all, cool though they were. On the whole, I enjoyed it, but felt the King Tut exhibit was the better of the two museums on the trip.
We also managed to wrangle great seats to American Idiot. We caught up with one of our LA friends and coworker of Abrah's who happened to be in the city as well. Somehow, the girls managed to get front-row Mezz seats via Rush seating. I'm am an avid hater of stage theater after having lived it since the 6th grade (give me motion pictures or give me death), but I had to admit that i did not hate the show as much as I thought I would. They sounded like Green Day, which was the only real requirement I had, and I only disliked the portrayal of St. Jimmy out of the cast. It was the play I had imagined after first hearing the album, and I would consider one of the very (very) few musicals I would be able to tolerate again. After the show, we managed to go onto the stage thanks to some connections our friend had with the guitarist. He was a gentleman, and it was extremely cool to be on a major Broadway stage, if nothing else.
Overall, the trip was incredibly enjoyable and I know what others mean now about falling in love with the city. I felt like there simply was not enough time to see all that I wanted, but I guess it would take lifetimes for that anyway. The city is definitely one-of-a-kind, with its own culture, layout, sights, smells, etc. Just seeing a picture of the city now brings up a ton of different memories (mostly the smell, but you get the idea). I doubt I could ever live there and am happy with the city, but I certainly would not mind a job that sent me over to their coast on occasion. Most of all, regardless of any positive or negative opinions a person might have, New York City proved itself one thing of all others: unforgettable.
Abrah and I arrived in the city mid-day Saturday after a direct flight from LAX. She had not been feeling well due to the plane, but I was ready to get out and explore the moment we had landed. It's important to note now that Abrah has been to the city several times almost every year since she was born due whereas this was my first trip. Throughout the next week, she would start to feel better and do her own things, but most of my time was spent meandering without any real purpose or direction through the city. Anyway, we took a short taxi trip from JFK to her friend's apartment that would remain our basecamp for the next few days.
The ride was interesting, to say the least. It's hard to describe someone's first thoughts of Manhattan. It looks essentially what you would expect from countless movies and television shows. The skyline is nothing but skyscraper after skyscraper. What makes it unique, however, is the feel of the city, and emotion that is rather difficult to put into words. As we came out of the tunnel and into the city itself, I was immediately hit with a sense of scale from both sides. I began to realize that, while you are surrounded by these massive buildings, you are still on a limited island. It's one thing to read that, yes, Manhattan Island is only 8-miles long or whatever, but to actually be in the middle of it for the first time is what really puts that scale into perspective. I would be taking advantage of this on my walks later on through the week.
We arrived without problems to our host's apartment and, after getting settled in, the three of us set to work on a theme that would quickly become my favorite throughout our vacation: food. While the girls weren't terribly hungry, I was starving and, for whatever reason, I was craving an authentic NYC meatball sub. I have no idea why this came into my mind, but I had decided I wanted to just walk into some small hole-in-the-wall place and get a sub. So, that's just what we did. I can't remember the name of it (I think it was PJ's Pizza, on 52nd and 10th), but it was, hands-down, one of the best meatball subs I had ever had. It really set the tone for our culinary experience the rest of the trip. And of course, this was only topped by the rooftop view we had from our basecamp:
It was a perfect way to start our journey.
The next day, we each set out for our own separate trips. Abrah still was not feeling well, so I got an early start on walking around. I certainly looked and acted like a stupid tourist, but getting out into a new city is always a rush. I had no idea where I was, but thankfully NYC is set up in such a way that it's hard to get lost. Labor Day weekend was approaching, so the city was still fairly crowded (although I guess it's always crowded) in the touristy areas. I managed to run right into a huge street festival on Broadway, which was a massive timesaver with no traffic to worry about. It was here that I managed to get my legs for the city and approach the idea of jaywalking. In Burbank, that will almost always net a ticket, but in this massive city, it was everyday life. I had no fear here, and was able to get around with my camera to feel out the city easily enough.
Eventually, I made my way into Central Park. It was certainly massive, although I'm not sure if it's exactly what I had always thought. To be honest, after growing up in Missouri my whole life, a park is a park until it gets funded on a national level in my eyes, and CP was not much of an exception. It was certainly fun, and large, but not what I had imagined after seeing it in so many areas. The shade was a relief, to be sure, and I did enjoy watching a couple softball games with the city towers as a backdrop. Perhaps I need to take that "movie tour" that is offered to get a better sense of place. Also, I got lost in the Ramble. Never again.
I eventually met back up with the girls near the street festival and, unknown to me, I had completely passed by Times Square without even noticing. If there was one place in the city that I felt was smaller than what I imaged, it was Times Square. We ate at the Sbarro's nearby (apparently much different than the others), and went off to do some shopping. The night was rather quiet, and we ordered delivery to watch the Emmy Awards in the evening after meeting up with yet another friend in the city.
We awoke early the next day for what would be one of the highlights of our vacation: attending the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, it's important to remember than both Abrah and I work in the industry for George Lopez and Ellen DeGeneres, respectively. We knew the process of a live-taping and were here mostly to see Dave and to see how they run their show. Well, I was there to see Dave anyway. It was a fantastic experience on the whole, and seeing a living legend up close was a dream come true. We were placed front row and both spent a good while figuring out how their audience coordinators handled their seating. Their staff was amazing, and we were happily informed that it was the start of his 17th Season. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested. just remember you have to answer a trivia question before the tickets are granted!
The rest of the trip was spent between museums and shows. I had made the Museum of Natural History one of my major stops, with the King Tut exhibit being a spur-of-the-moment event. You can read about the latter in the blog. The MoNH was really interesting, at the least, and I fell in love with the dinosaur exhibit. The girls mostly stayed behind to chat about girly things or to make fun of how much of a kid I was being. I had never seen many fossils in my time, but the T-Rex made the 8-year-old, Jurassic Park-lover in me delighted. I spent as much time on the upper floor as I could. The other floors were ok, but I have to admit to being a little let down overall. Most of the displays were dioramas, which isn't much after having grown up going to the St. Louis Zoo with real animals everywhere. I also felt there was a ton of emphasis on different tribal cultures, which isn't much of a natural exhibit at all, cool though they were. On the whole, I enjoyed it, but felt the King Tut exhibit was the better of the two museums on the trip.
We also managed to wrangle great seats to American Idiot. We caught up with one of our LA friends and coworker of Abrah's who happened to be in the city as well. Somehow, the girls managed to get front-row Mezz seats via Rush seating. I'm am an avid hater of stage theater after having lived it since the 6th grade (give me motion pictures or give me death), but I had to admit that i did not hate the show as much as I thought I would. They sounded like Green Day, which was the only real requirement I had, and I only disliked the portrayal of St. Jimmy out of the cast. It was the play I had imagined after first hearing the album, and I would consider one of the very (very) few musicals I would be able to tolerate again. After the show, we managed to go onto the stage thanks to some connections our friend had with the guitarist. He was a gentleman, and it was extremely cool to be on a major Broadway stage, if nothing else.
Overall, the trip was incredibly enjoyable and I know what others mean now about falling in love with the city. I felt like there simply was not enough time to see all that I wanted, but I guess it would take lifetimes for that anyway. The city is definitely one-of-a-kind, with its own culture, layout, sights, smells, etc. Just seeing a picture of the city now brings up a ton of different memories (mostly the smell, but you get the idea). I doubt I could ever live there and am happy with the city, but I certainly would not mind a job that sent me over to their coast on occasion. Most of all, regardless of any positive or negative opinions a person might have, New York City proved itself one thing of all others: unforgettable.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Meeting King Tut
In 1922, a group of British archaeologists were working diligently in the Valley of Kings near Luxor, Egypt. The valley had become a veritable goldmine of artifacts from the age of the pharoahs. Located near the ancient capital of Thebes (now Luxor), the site had been used for centuries as a burial ground for kings and other nobility from the legendary Egyptian Empire. Thinking the tombs of the past had been nearly expired, Howard Carter and his employer, Lord Carnarvon, were exploring. In those early days of treasure hunting, young locals were often hired to bring buckets of water from off-site to the expedition teams. Due to the nature of the sand and winds of the area, these buckets were often dug into the ground for stability once brought. One such local boy had brought in water to the team outside the tomb of Ramses VI, and as he positioned his bucket into the sand, he hit the hard edge of stone. The nearby Carter immediately focused a dig team at the site and so found the hidden tomb of King Tutankhamun, the Boy King. Covered for thousands of years underneath the larger tombs of the area, the tomb was nearly pristine and untouched, one of the most complete discoveries out of any of the tombs of the valley. The find has become one of the most famous stories in archaeological history, fascinating the world and creating one of the lasting legacies of Egypt. The pieces found with the body of Tut are some of the most well-traveled of any pieces of the ancient world.
In cooperation with the National Geographic Society, several of the items from within the tomb are touring yet again. Upon my first visit to New York City, I noticed banners in Times Square mentioning the current tour, "Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs." I had previously been unaware of the exhibit and had been planning instead to visit some of the other staples of NYC museum touring. While the Met, Guggenheim, Whitney, and the others all sounded well and good, I simply could not pass up the opportunity to see not only another National Geographic Exhibition, but pieces from the Egyptian era that I had only hoped would exist somewhere in the city. So, while my girlfriend went to one of her frilly Broadway-musical-dance-show-things, I took the quick jaunt down to the Discovery Times Square Exposition and slapped down the $30 entrance fee. Going in, I knew very little about the exhibit other than "Egyptian stuff from King Tut and National Geographic." As our hosts gathered us into a small room for a 90-second introduction video, I had doubts in the back of my mind that this would be a small display that used additional audio guide and film entrance costs to cash in. However, as the short clip ended, the doors in front of us swung open to reveal dramatic lights beaming down on a granite bust of the pharoah himself. With booming music introducing us to the actual pieces, my doubts faded and I was able to enjoy an absolutely wonderful gallery with everything I had hoped for in an Egyptian display.
One important element to the exhibit that I found interesting is that it deals not only with King Tut but most of the rest of his family the comprised the 18th Dynasty. With over 130 artifacts available to view, it followed the family from at least Tut's great-grandfather Thutmosis IV to the Boy King himself. The first of the galleries dealt with the early dynasty and Egyptian life at the time, and each of the subsequent sections followed the family timeline through generations. While I did not keep an exact count, I would guess there were at least 15-20 rooms total, each of which had several items on display. The pieces chosen were genuinely interesting, and it was one of the few museums were I made a note to read the descriptions of everything available. Many of the other participants (and there were many on the day I went, especially for a Wednesday), were doing the same from what I had noticed. The descriptions were usually short and simple, but educational and in line with what I read in the cover article of the September 2010 issue of National Geographic dealing with recent DNA tests regarding King Tut's family history. Even the basic items like bowls or spoons had something insightful to offer about life of the era.
Of course, when talking about ancient Egypt, the first image that springs into most peoples' minds is gold. Indeed, Tut's death mask and sarcophagus have practically become the national symbols of the country. While the mask and coffin themselves are not allowed outside Egypt's borders (and thus not included in the exhibit), there was no lack of gold within the Exposition hallways. All of the item descriptions mentioned what the item was composed of, and well over half of them had "gold" somewhere in the makeup. Sometimes, it was only a gilded necklace on a tiny model. Other times, the pieces were huge, including the gilded death mask and golden coffin of Tut's great-grandmother Tjuyu. Extravagance abounded in every room in surprising detail. I was quite surprised at how well most of the pieces had been preserved after thousands of years of burial (Tjuyu's mask still had remnants of its original cloth wrappings). Looking through the glass cases, a person would be hard pressed to admit they had been created by a people long since gone.
I was slightly disappointed about the inability to take photos, understandable a policy though it was. I was also unaware that the mask and coffin of Tut were not on display, though it made sense once I realized it. They did, however, have one of the canopic coffins that contained Tut's internal organs for mummification, and it was essentially a miniature version of the main casks. Out of my entire NYC trip, the King Tut exhibit was among my favorites. Even the dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum have hard competition against such a comprehensive, complete, well-planned gallery. The website estimates nearly 3 million people will view the current tour. While the $30 entrance fee was somewhat pricier than the other museums in city, I highly recommend being one of those 3 million before these pieces before they head back to their home country. Their next stop should be Denver, CO.
Official Exhibition Website
In cooperation with the National Geographic Society, several of the items from within the tomb are touring yet again. Upon my first visit to New York City, I noticed banners in Times Square mentioning the current tour, "Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs." I had previously been unaware of the exhibit and had been planning instead to visit some of the other staples of NYC museum touring. While the Met, Guggenheim, Whitney, and the others all sounded well and good, I simply could not pass up the opportunity to see not only another National Geographic Exhibition, but pieces from the Egyptian era that I had only hoped would exist somewhere in the city. So, while my girlfriend went to one of her frilly Broadway-musical-dance-show-things, I took the quick jaunt down to the Discovery Times Square Exposition and slapped down the $30 entrance fee. Going in, I knew very little about the exhibit other than "Egyptian stuff from King Tut and National Geographic." As our hosts gathered us into a small room for a 90-second introduction video, I had doubts in the back of my mind that this would be a small display that used additional audio guide and film entrance costs to cash in. However, as the short clip ended, the doors in front of us swung open to reveal dramatic lights beaming down on a granite bust of the pharoah himself. With booming music introducing us to the actual pieces, my doubts faded and I was able to enjoy an absolutely wonderful gallery with everything I had hoped for in an Egyptian display.
One important element to the exhibit that I found interesting is that it deals not only with King Tut but most of the rest of his family the comprised the 18th Dynasty. With over 130 artifacts available to view, it followed the family from at least Tut's great-grandfather Thutmosis IV to the Boy King himself. The first of the galleries dealt with the early dynasty and Egyptian life at the time, and each of the subsequent sections followed the family timeline through generations. While I did not keep an exact count, I would guess there were at least 15-20 rooms total, each of which had several items on display. The pieces chosen were genuinely interesting, and it was one of the few museums were I made a note to read the descriptions of everything available. Many of the other participants (and there were many on the day I went, especially for a Wednesday), were doing the same from what I had noticed. The descriptions were usually short and simple, but educational and in line with what I read in the cover article of the September 2010 issue of National Geographic dealing with recent DNA tests regarding King Tut's family history. Even the basic items like bowls or spoons had something insightful to offer about life of the era.
Of course, when talking about ancient Egypt, the first image that springs into most peoples' minds is gold. Indeed, Tut's death mask and sarcophagus have practically become the national symbols of the country. While the mask and coffin themselves are not allowed outside Egypt's borders (and thus not included in the exhibit), there was no lack of gold within the Exposition hallways. All of the item descriptions mentioned what the item was composed of, and well over half of them had "gold" somewhere in the makeup. Sometimes, it was only a gilded necklace on a tiny model. Other times, the pieces were huge, including the gilded death mask and golden coffin of Tut's great-grandmother Tjuyu. Extravagance abounded in every room in surprising detail. I was quite surprised at how well most of the pieces had been preserved after thousands of years of burial (Tjuyu's mask still had remnants of its original cloth wrappings). Looking through the glass cases, a person would be hard pressed to admit they had been created by a people long since gone.
I was slightly disappointed about the inability to take photos, understandable a policy though it was. I was also unaware that the mask and coffin of Tut were not on display, though it made sense once I realized it. They did, however, have one of the canopic coffins that contained Tut's internal organs for mummification, and it was essentially a miniature version of the main casks. Out of my entire NYC trip, the King Tut exhibit was among my favorites. Even the dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum have hard competition against such a comprehensive, complete, well-planned gallery. The website estimates nearly 3 million people will view the current tour. While the $30 entrance fee was somewhat pricier than the other museums in city, I highly recommend being one of those 3 million before these pieces before they head back to their home country. Their next stop should be Denver, CO.
Official Exhibition Website
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Night With National Geographic
Talent. Planning. Flexibility.
When I arrived at my first Iris Nights Seminar at the Annenberg Center, these were three of the first words to come up during the presentation of taking amazing photos. They are not surprising words; in fact, I'd wager you could hear any photographer worth his salt giving out such advice in regards to taking a great photo. However, these words held special weight for me and the packed room in attendance, as this was not any photographer speaking in front of us. this was David Griffin, previously the Director of Photography for National Geographic Magazine. And while he has since moved onto to new online development for the society, we still clung to his words as children often cling to their grandfather's tales.
In the photography world, everyone wants to shoot for National Geographic. The standards they have set in the world of photojournalism are so solidified into our artistic field that it is a dream that is nearly impossible to avoid having. Whether shooting portraits, landscapes, underwater, or any variety of fields, the Society has been there, done it, and made it appear amazing. As someone beginning to enter the professional realm of travel and photography, this was a one-time chance to start out learning from someone that just had a hand in bringing those images out, but practically hand-picked most of the images that started my passion to begin with. The seminar was the first chance I had to really get a feel for what this career would be like.
The whole night started rather intimidating. Here I was, a lanky guy with jeans a t-shirt that didn't even bring in his camera surrounded by huge players in the LA photography scene. the chain went all the way up to Annenberg herself, who I did not find out until later was in attendance that night. The experience was almost straight out of the movies that were my only image of this surreal scene: art everywhere, fancy dress, people discussing the deeper meaning of specific pieces. And here I was with a notepad, sitting bright-eyed in the second row nervous as all Hell.
In the end, however, most of the advice was surprisingly simple and the presentation fun. The reason for Mr. Griffin's seminar was as an end-cap to their Water presentation. He was there to speak about how National Geographic makes the images they do. There was practical advice, interesting stories (especially one involving a photographer's sea lion friend), and amazing images displayed on their showroom screens. The overall experience was informative and greatly entertaining. As the night wore on, I found myself taking fewer nights and relaxing quickly (to no surprise, the same could be said of the student who sat next to me with her own notepad). His words had time to soak in and really take on some meaning.
Most of the advice was fairly straightforward and less surprising than I expected. It was reiterated several times that NG is, first and foremost, a scientific journal that applies to all the rules of good photojournalism. It is because of that reputation that they are allowed great access around the world and also within the industry. David gave a fairly thorough idea of what really makes the photography and writing at the magazine such a trendsetter: the idea that it's accessible to so many audiences. Their photos tell stories and give the viewers a sense of place. I immediately thought to all of the images of far-away lands and seemingly exotic places found in their pages and realized he was just putting into words what so many people simply felt all along. There was also a few more technical elements, such as the time it takes for a story to go from concept to print, how the different mediums of text and photography are merged into one story, etc. Probably the most intimidating was the shot count on most stories - 30-40,000. I could only think of the artist blocks lasting months only to culminate in a couple hundred photos on my hard drive.
After the seminar, I had a chance to listen in on a few conversations he was having with audience members staying behind. I even had the chance to give him my card and invite him to visit Warner Bros., which was a good experience for someone so new to the field. And, walking away, I had a renewed sense of hope for my career in photography. Talent, planning, and flexibility were only vague concepts before, but then I had a true motivation to find their meaning. Perhaps that will lead into the pages of National Geographic one day.
When I arrived at my first Iris Nights Seminar at the Annenberg Center, these were three of the first words to come up during the presentation of taking amazing photos. They are not surprising words; in fact, I'd wager you could hear any photographer worth his salt giving out such advice in regards to taking a great photo. However, these words held special weight for me and the packed room in attendance, as this was not any photographer speaking in front of us. this was David Griffin, previously the Director of Photography for National Geographic Magazine. And while he has since moved onto to new online development for the society, we still clung to his words as children often cling to their grandfather's tales.
In the photography world, everyone wants to shoot for National Geographic. The standards they have set in the world of photojournalism are so solidified into our artistic field that it is a dream that is nearly impossible to avoid having. Whether shooting portraits, landscapes, underwater, or any variety of fields, the Society has been there, done it, and made it appear amazing. As someone beginning to enter the professional realm of travel and photography, this was a one-time chance to start out learning from someone that just had a hand in bringing those images out, but practically hand-picked most of the images that started my passion to begin with. The seminar was the first chance I had to really get a feel for what this career would be like.
The whole night started rather intimidating. Here I was, a lanky guy with jeans a t-shirt that didn't even bring in his camera surrounded by huge players in the LA photography scene. the chain went all the way up to Annenberg herself, who I did not find out until later was in attendance that night. The experience was almost straight out of the movies that were my only image of this surreal scene: art everywhere, fancy dress, people discussing the deeper meaning of specific pieces. And here I was with a notepad, sitting bright-eyed in the second row nervous as all Hell.
In the end, however, most of the advice was surprisingly simple and the presentation fun. The reason for Mr. Griffin's seminar was as an end-cap to their Water presentation. He was there to speak about how National Geographic makes the images they do. There was practical advice, interesting stories (especially one involving a photographer's sea lion friend), and amazing images displayed on their showroom screens. The overall experience was informative and greatly entertaining. As the night wore on, I found myself taking fewer nights and relaxing quickly (to no surprise, the same could be said of the student who sat next to me with her own notepad). His words had time to soak in and really take on some meaning.
Most of the advice was fairly straightforward and less surprising than I expected. It was reiterated several times that NG is, first and foremost, a scientific journal that applies to all the rules of good photojournalism. It is because of that reputation that they are allowed great access around the world and also within the industry. David gave a fairly thorough idea of what really makes the photography and writing at the magazine such a trendsetter: the idea that it's accessible to so many audiences. Their photos tell stories and give the viewers a sense of place. I immediately thought to all of the images of far-away lands and seemingly exotic places found in their pages and realized he was just putting into words what so many people simply felt all along. There was also a few more technical elements, such as the time it takes for a story to go from concept to print, how the different mediums of text and photography are merged into one story, etc. Probably the most intimidating was the shot count on most stories - 30-40,000. I could only think of the artist blocks lasting months only to culminate in a couple hundred photos on my hard drive.
After the seminar, I had a chance to listen in on a few conversations he was having with audience members staying behind. I even had the chance to give him my card and invite him to visit Warner Bros., which was a good experience for someone so new to the field. And, walking away, I had a renewed sense of hope for my career in photography. Talent, planning, and flexibility were only vague concepts before, but then I had a true motivation to find their meaning. Perhaps that will lead into the pages of National Geographic one day.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Water: A Thirsty Exhibit
One of the great parts about Los Angeles is that there is never a shortage of places to express artistic freedom. The Silverlake/Echo Park area alone could take months of observation to fully explore the tiny venues, artists, and shops available to view creativity in action. However, one of the greater locations in the city for the professional photography realm is a complex known as the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. Headed by the Annenberg Foundation, the Space has rotating exhibits that are changed out semi-annually, in addition to tons of seminars and special events related to the photography field. Even the building design itself is based on the inner workings of a camera. In short: it's a photographer lover's dream.
Today, I had to opportunity to check out the Space while my mom was in town for a visit. This particular display was National Geographic's Water: Our Thirsty World, an exhibit I had been excited about ever since flyers first began appearing on telephone poles throughout the city. We arrived and spent the next hour wandering the halls.
The displays were incredible, which was no less than to be expected. The Space was somewhat smaller than I had imagined, but the exhibit was well-distributed with tons to see. Not only were the prints themselves lovely, but they had touch-screen tables, a reading room, guestbooks, and an absolutely amazing theater rolling through interviews and displays regarding the special edition of the magazine released this month. Overall, I enjoyed the trip and look forward to coming back.
However, the special program did have one downside, which was portraying the realities of the water crisis we are quickly beginning to face. The brilliant, dazzling blues and greens captured in nearly every photograph were contrasted sharply with the grim message they relayed. Whether it was the image of an African woman shoveling meager rations of dirty water into a pan or dry, rusted landscapes of what remains of Owens Lake, California, the alert was clear.
With the world being caught up in the global warming craze and the subsequent flooding that is warned, we often forget that we have such little water readily able for us to consume. Only 1% of all the water in the world can be used for human use at the moment, and in many countries its supply is vastly smaller than the demand. It will only be a matter of time before the deadline has passed on preserving what is available.
I highly recommend roaming through the Space firsthand if you make it to LA. While you're at it, pick up a copy of National Geographic's special "Water" issue. Even for those who aren't photography fans, it may open a whole new perspective about our world.
Rushing Waves by =serphius on deviantART
Today, I had to opportunity to check out the Space while my mom was in town for a visit. This particular display was National Geographic's Water: Our Thirsty World, an exhibit I had been excited about ever since flyers first began appearing on telephone poles throughout the city. We arrived and spent the next hour wandering the halls.
The displays were incredible, which was no less than to be expected. The Space was somewhat smaller than I had imagined, but the exhibit was well-distributed with tons to see. Not only were the prints themselves lovely, but they had touch-screen tables, a reading room, guestbooks, and an absolutely amazing theater rolling through interviews and displays regarding the special edition of the magazine released this month. Overall, I enjoyed the trip and look forward to coming back.
However, the special program did have one downside, which was portraying the realities of the water crisis we are quickly beginning to face. The brilliant, dazzling blues and greens captured in nearly every photograph were contrasted sharply with the grim message they relayed. Whether it was the image of an African woman shoveling meager rations of dirty water into a pan or dry, rusted landscapes of what remains of Owens Lake, California, the alert was clear.
With the world being caught up in the global warming craze and the subsequent flooding that is warned, we often forget that we have such little water readily able for us to consume. Only 1% of all the water in the world can be used for human use at the moment, and in many countries its supply is vastly smaller than the demand. It will only be a matter of time before the deadline has passed on preserving what is available.
I highly recommend roaming through the Space firsthand if you make it to LA. While you're at it, pick up a copy of National Geographic's special "Water" issue. Even for those who aren't photography fans, it may open a whole new perspective about our world.
Rushing Waves by =serphius on deviantART
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Finding My Niche
So, as I try to gear up and prep to take this photography thing into the "professional" realm, one theme I keep running into in most forums, books, and blogs is finding your photographic specialty. There seems to be a running sentiment that a photographer needs to focus on one genre or area and keep everything else as nothing more than playthings to mess around with in our spare time. I've had a hard time dealing with this on several fronts.
I've always been keen to the idea that you should do what makes you happy and cut out things that only bring stress or drama. This is a philosophy that applies not just to photography, but to all aspects of my life, from relationships to work to simple hang-outs with friends. I'm not on that likes being told that an area I like being in won't be applicable due to economics, competition, or what-have-you. So, as you can guess, trying to narrow down only a few focuses out of the wide world of photography has been a bit of a challenge.
I guess in a business world, everything will click, and artists become much more willing to sacrifice things they enjoy once paychecks are rolling in. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be writing about trying to break into the art world if I had, well, all ready broken into the art world. So, those sacrifices don't mean much to me yet, and I continue searching. I have narrowed down a few key items, though.
1) I don't do weddings. They don't interest me creatively.
2) As such, I also don't do general "portrait studio" work ala Olan Mills.
There's a whole two items! Which isn't a lot to work with. Even number two is rather vague, since I still do portrait and headshot work, so long as it isn't repetitive. and then there are other factors, like being able to objectively look at my work and notice that, at the moment, I probably couldn't handle doing a lot of food photography on a commercial level due to inexperience. Or sports due to a lack of long lenses. Etc.
So where is my niche? What do I enjoy? And, most importantly, how can I make money out of doing what I love?
To start, my tagline for photography is "Bringing the World to You." I've been a reader of National Geographic since 2004, and it has quickly become less of a casual read and more of an obsession. I love the magazine, the Society, and all that it stands for in bringing readers aspects of our world that we may not be able to see otherwise. Whether it was the special report issue on China for May 2008 or an article in January this year on Scotland's Hebrides, I'm enthralled by learning all I can about this world. So, in point, I like taking pretty pictures of culture, landscape, and wildlife that breaks outside the realm of "normal." I love adventure.
Naturally, this is an area loved by many photographers and, to make matters more complicated, it's largely an area dominated by those that can afford the travel in the first place. Hello, Money, Crusher of Dreams. Now, I come from a family that has struggled pretty frequently on finances. I have an awesome job at Warner Bros., but it's also only slightly above minimum wage, which is immediately drained by that thing called "Rent." Travel is certainly a luxury, not a career. My future will have to involve finding a way to flip that around. Somehow.
A least I have my niche. Sort of. It's a start, a goal to work towards. I can't imagine that will be the only area I find some interest in as I journey through the optical world, but there's now some emphasis above everything else.
Anyone know of a research expedition that needs a photographer?
Gone Fishin' by =serphius on deviantART
I've always been keen to the idea that you should do what makes you happy and cut out things that only bring stress or drama. This is a philosophy that applies not just to photography, but to all aspects of my life, from relationships to work to simple hang-outs with friends. I'm not on that likes being told that an area I like being in won't be applicable due to economics, competition, or what-have-you. So, as you can guess, trying to narrow down only a few focuses out of the wide world of photography has been a bit of a challenge.
I guess in a business world, everything will click, and artists become much more willing to sacrifice things they enjoy once paychecks are rolling in. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be writing about trying to break into the art world if I had, well, all ready broken into the art world. So, those sacrifices don't mean much to me yet, and I continue searching. I have narrowed down a few key items, though.
1) I don't do weddings. They don't interest me creatively.
2) As such, I also don't do general "portrait studio" work ala Olan Mills.
There's a whole two items! Which isn't a lot to work with. Even number two is rather vague, since I still do portrait and headshot work, so long as it isn't repetitive. and then there are other factors, like being able to objectively look at my work and notice that, at the moment, I probably couldn't handle doing a lot of food photography on a commercial level due to inexperience. Or sports due to a lack of long lenses. Etc.
So where is my niche? What do I enjoy? And, most importantly, how can I make money out of doing what I love?
To start, my tagline for photography is "Bringing the World to You." I've been a reader of National Geographic since 2004, and it has quickly become less of a casual read and more of an obsession. I love the magazine, the Society, and all that it stands for in bringing readers aspects of our world that we may not be able to see otherwise. Whether it was the special report issue on China for May 2008 or an article in January this year on Scotland's Hebrides, I'm enthralled by learning all I can about this world. So, in point, I like taking pretty pictures of culture, landscape, and wildlife that breaks outside the realm of "normal." I love adventure.
Naturally, this is an area loved by many photographers and, to make matters more complicated, it's largely an area dominated by those that can afford the travel in the first place. Hello, Money, Crusher of Dreams. Now, I come from a family that has struggled pretty frequently on finances. I have an awesome job at Warner Bros., but it's also only slightly above minimum wage, which is immediately drained by that thing called "Rent." Travel is certainly a luxury, not a career. My future will have to involve finding a way to flip that around. Somehow.
A least I have my niche. Sort of. It's a start, a goal to work towards. I can't imagine that will be the only area I find some interest in as I journey through the optical world, but there's now some emphasis above everything else.
Anyone know of a research expedition that needs a photographer?
Gone Fishin' by =serphius on deviantART
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Expedition: Muir Woods and Monterey Aquarium
I'm going to try to keep regular, updated blogs when I get the chance to visit areas I find interesting or beautiful. It's less a journal and more a shortened (very short in most cases) photo-essay I'm simply calling "Expedition." This first one was allowed me by the Muir Woods National Forest and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
My first visit was Muir Woods, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. One of the earliest national monuments (just the 7th dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt), the relatively small park (by National Monument Standards, anyway) encompasses the southern tip of the great Redwood tree range. The land was originally bought by businessman William Kent, who eventually donated close to 300 acres of the property to the federal government to thwart the plans of a water company to dam and flood the valley it calls home. Kent insisted that the park be named after none other than John Muir, the "Father" of the National Park System.
The redwoods here are small compared to their Oregon siblings but impressive nonetheless. The tallest living things on the planet, these gigantic trees can tower well over 300 ft. They are often so large, in fact, that their upper branches can often support miniature ecosystems of their own, including smaller bushes growing out of soil collected over time. The oldest of the trees have been around since before the New Testament. They can only survive in a few areas along the coast, relying on the morning fogs and light drizzle for the majority of their liquid needs. Because of their fast growth, resilient bark, and thick wood, societies around the world have relied on them for timber for decades. Strict regulations in the US prevent too much over-cutting in the present day, but 97% of the old-growth forests have been replaced with much smaller and re-cut, replanted varieties.
I only managed to visit one of the shorter trails of the forest for my first visit (it was a random trip, and none of us wore prepared attire, let alone my poor camera dealing with the damp conditions). Still, the majesty of these trees were not lost on us, and I fully intend to head back for a more in-depth visit in the future. National Geographic had actually had a great article on the giants late last year, so I was ready to see them for myself, even if only the very Southern tip of their range.
The next day, my girlfriend Abrah and I went for a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, ranked by many as one of the top aquariums in the United States (it seems to go back and forth with Atlanta's). It holds over 600 species, 35,000 plants, a stingray petting zoo, and an attendance closing in on 2 million a year. The tickets were somewhat pricey at $30 a person, but the attractions were very impressive. The building itself was a former sardine cannery that had been bought and converted by none other than David Packard, co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard company. Many of the elements were designed and built by his forge in Big Sur, as he was an avid blacksmith.
One of these elements were wave machines atop a 350,000 gallon water tank. These wave machines enabled the MBA to become the first to grow California Giant Kelp in a controlled environment. Now, the tank houses not only the kelp, but all sorts of creatures within, including sharks, rays, and smaller fish.
On the other end is what i would consider the main exhibit. Behind one of the world's largest single-paned windows is a 1.2 million gallon tank filled with the deep sea creatures. The exhibit here constantly has animals being transferred in and out depending on what research needs done. Sure enough, on our visit it had everything from yellow- and blue-fin tuna to a hammerhead shark. Last year, for a few short months, they even had yet another Great White on display.
Among the cooler sections were the jellyfish displays. They had a large viewing area for a throng of red sea nettle jellyfish and several smaller tanks for a few different species. As you enter into the jellies area, you pass through a circular room circled by the anchovies the building once canned as a staple to the Monterey economy.
Overall, the experiences were very wild and only enhanced my desire to travel and take photos of these wonderful, natural locations. I hope you enjoy the few photos I have processed so far, but don't forget that these can never replace visiting such great areas in person!
Please visit my photo gallery page to see these in full resolution: My Photo Gallery
The National Park Service Website
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Website
Rushing Waves by =serphius on deviantART
Muir Woods Moss by =serphius on deviantART
Muir Woods by =serphius on deviantART
Under the Bay by =serphius on deviantART
Jelly 1 by =serphius on deviantART
Jelly 2 by =serphius on deviantART
My first visit was Muir Woods, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. One of the earliest national monuments (just the 7th dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt), the relatively small park (by National Monument Standards, anyway) encompasses the southern tip of the great Redwood tree range. The land was originally bought by businessman William Kent, who eventually donated close to 300 acres of the property to the federal government to thwart the plans of a water company to dam and flood the valley it calls home. Kent insisted that the park be named after none other than John Muir, the "Father" of the National Park System.
The redwoods here are small compared to their Oregon siblings but impressive nonetheless. The tallest living things on the planet, these gigantic trees can tower well over 300 ft. They are often so large, in fact, that their upper branches can often support miniature ecosystems of their own, including smaller bushes growing out of soil collected over time. The oldest of the trees have been around since before the New Testament. They can only survive in a few areas along the coast, relying on the morning fogs and light drizzle for the majority of their liquid needs. Because of their fast growth, resilient bark, and thick wood, societies around the world have relied on them for timber for decades. Strict regulations in the US prevent too much over-cutting in the present day, but 97% of the old-growth forests have been replaced with much smaller and re-cut, replanted varieties.
I only managed to visit one of the shorter trails of the forest for my first visit (it was a random trip, and none of us wore prepared attire, let alone my poor camera dealing with the damp conditions). Still, the majesty of these trees were not lost on us, and I fully intend to head back for a more in-depth visit in the future. National Geographic had actually had a great article on the giants late last year, so I was ready to see them for myself, even if only the very Southern tip of their range.
The next day, my girlfriend Abrah and I went for a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, ranked by many as one of the top aquariums in the United States (it seems to go back and forth with Atlanta's). It holds over 600 species, 35,000 plants, a stingray petting zoo, and an attendance closing in on 2 million a year. The tickets were somewhat pricey at $30 a person, but the attractions were very impressive. The building itself was a former sardine cannery that had been bought and converted by none other than David Packard, co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard company. Many of the elements were designed and built by his forge in Big Sur, as he was an avid blacksmith.
One of these elements were wave machines atop a 350,000 gallon water tank. These wave machines enabled the MBA to become the first to grow California Giant Kelp in a controlled environment. Now, the tank houses not only the kelp, but all sorts of creatures within, including sharks, rays, and smaller fish.
On the other end is what i would consider the main exhibit. Behind one of the world's largest single-paned windows is a 1.2 million gallon tank filled with the deep sea creatures. The exhibit here constantly has animals being transferred in and out depending on what research needs done. Sure enough, on our visit it had everything from yellow- and blue-fin tuna to a hammerhead shark. Last year, for a few short months, they even had yet another Great White on display.
Among the cooler sections were the jellyfish displays. They had a large viewing area for a throng of red sea nettle jellyfish and several smaller tanks for a few different species. As you enter into the jellies area, you pass through a circular room circled by the anchovies the building once canned as a staple to the Monterey economy.
Overall, the experiences were very wild and only enhanced my desire to travel and take photos of these wonderful, natural locations. I hope you enjoy the few photos I have processed so far, but don't forget that these can never replace visiting such great areas in person!
Please visit my photo gallery page to see these in full resolution: My Photo Gallery
The National Park Service Website
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Website
Rushing Waves by =serphius on deviantART
Muir Woods Moss by =serphius on deviantART
Muir Woods by =serphius on deviantART
Under the Bay by =serphius on deviantART
Jelly 1 by =serphius on deviantART
Jelly 2 by =serphius on deviantART
The Fiery Prophecy
I was driving home from a party late one night when I still lived in Southeast Missouri. I remember that it was early Summer, and we had little to do but sit around and enjoy the company until our first year of college kicked in. Our town was small, filled mostly with farmland and minor industrial businesses. The time had to be at least Midnight, if not later, and our gathering place was in deep farming and woodland territory found only via careful navigation through several two-lane backroads and highways.
I had rounded a corner, blasting what could only have been the heaviest of Heavy Metal at the time when I came upon a burning field. Fire torched the sky from various scattered mounds across an otherwise flat, empty plain. I pulled over to the side of the road, in awe of what had to be no less than 50 bonfires set up. Only after a few moments did my mind register that this small City of Dis had been done on purpose to clear brush and reinvigorate the soil for new crops the next season. It was a common practice, but usually done with one wall of fire rather than patches of piled material.
My mind could only whisper "I wish I had a camera right now."
After saving through my job advertising for real estate for a couple of weeks, I bought a Canon A80 point and shoot, July 1st, 2004. Not long after, I bought my first subscription to National Geographic, which I have renewed every year since. I tried college, had several problems in relationships, eventually gave up on school, packed what little I had into my car, and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout it all, my little Canon stayed with me, and despite having a primary passion for acting, I knew that photography would be the true medium through which to define myself. Today, I still try acting when it's available, work for Warner Bros. Studios as a day job, and am happily with someone at the moment. However, beside me at all times is a Canon EOS 40D with 3 issues of National Geographic and a steel card holder filled with business cards saying "Photographer."
Now, along with several other makeshift pages, there is a blog to describe my life as seen through a viewfinder. I travel when I can, photograph what is willing, and share this all to you. It's hardly National Geographic (yet), but hopefully this will be an open window to exploration and bringing the world to you, the reader. With any luck, I'll even stumble upon another burning field, only I'll ready this time.
The Devil's Highway by =serphius on deviantART
I had rounded a corner, blasting what could only have been the heaviest of Heavy Metal at the time when I came upon a burning field. Fire torched the sky from various scattered mounds across an otherwise flat, empty plain. I pulled over to the side of the road, in awe of what had to be no less than 50 bonfires set up. Only after a few moments did my mind register that this small City of Dis had been done on purpose to clear brush and reinvigorate the soil for new crops the next season. It was a common practice, but usually done with one wall of fire rather than patches of piled material.
My mind could only whisper "I wish I had a camera right now."
After saving through my job advertising for real estate for a couple of weeks, I bought a Canon A80 point and shoot, July 1st, 2004. Not long after, I bought my first subscription to National Geographic, which I have renewed every year since. I tried college, had several problems in relationships, eventually gave up on school, packed what little I had into my car, and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout it all, my little Canon stayed with me, and despite having a primary passion for acting, I knew that photography would be the true medium through which to define myself. Today, I still try acting when it's available, work for Warner Bros. Studios as a day job, and am happily with someone at the moment. However, beside me at all times is a Canon EOS 40D with 3 issues of National Geographic and a steel card holder filled with business cards saying "Photographer."
Now, along with several other makeshift pages, there is a blog to describe my life as seen through a viewfinder. I travel when I can, photograph what is willing, and share this all to you. It's hardly National Geographic (yet), but hopefully this will be an open window to exploration and bringing the world to you, the reader. With any luck, I'll even stumble upon another burning field, only I'll ready this time.
The Devil's Highway by =serphius on deviantART
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