Social Landscapes

Clarity at Last

I have found that it takes the exact opposite approach to creating art than what I have been disciplined to do for the past four to six years to attain any clarity for my own projects, post college. I have been photographing, when I have the time on weekends, things that I am oddly attracted to, but for no particular reason other than the subject is somehow drawn to me. Mostly mundane elements of a society that most tend to ignore. I often think, why the hell am I attracted to this, why am I taking its picture. These questions were never the basis of any of my college projects, in which I would have to formulate an idea and then go out and find something to objectify my idea. Its taken a year or more, of photographing with only a slight idea of what I was looking at to allow my images to produce an idea for me, so that I can follow its threads to whatever direction it will take me. My god it feels nice to have final started to put these visual threads into somewhat of a web that I can begin to fill out. Im just beginning to realize how much potential these pieces of the puzzle could amount to, and I am so excited to have found a means of working and seeing that can lead me in new directions that even I had not the faintest idea as to where it could go next. I finally have a greater sense of clarity!

Newer Work....

I Have a Job!

Yeah, finally I have a job again. I was searching for what felt like forever. Nobody was responding and if they did, chances were that they would turn me away because I had a college education.....It was such a bitch! They all thought that I would drop them at a drop of a hat to pursue a better job, which was probubly right, but I am pretty desperate for money. Also I think that they thought I would ask for a better pay. But I finally had 2 responces, 1 was the dollar treee, which I worked at for 3 days and quit cause I hated it, and there was a weird reverse racism I felt. But I stayed with the offer from Giant Foods. Its not bad, boring as hell, but I dont have to stand in a 1 foot by 1 foot cash register for 8 hours a day. They also have free internet!!! But in better news my other boss called me back to work at the photography lab in august, so Ill juggle these 2 part timers. Anyway I gotta clock in soon, oh joy!

Going Back To Black and White!!!

Ah like a long lost friend, it feels so good to be printing black and white again. I just feel so natural working with it, my excursion into color was different and im going to continue with it on my family self portrait project but I think my other emerging project works best in b&w. Other than working on photography these days Im feelin pretty useless, this whole unemployment bit is not all its cracked up to be, I really just want my old job back at the photo lab. So if that doesnt happen in the next week I might as well compromise my ideals and end up working some menial service industry job. On the up side I have been going on relatively free vacations with my family and soon to be leaving with my girlfriends family for the beach. Ive spent an amazing week in Charlotte NC and I have a bunch of good shots of my family especially my sisters kid, he's so cute so Ill be posting more color pics of them. Currently im sitting at Festiva Laundry using there free internet while I wait, how glamorous right, but im poor and this is practical. Any how Ill try to update more often perhaps once a week with the laundry?

WORK....

So like many other people today, I too have been laid off.... kinda. Here's my normal morning , I wake up at 8 and check my phone message's and 9 times out of 10 my boss has left me a message saying that there isn't enough work at the lab and that I shouldnt come into work. He offered me unemployment and I think Im gonna take it cause I am barely making ends meet. The work is supposed to pick up in May so hopefully I can make it through April on my tax returns and this freelance job that I acquired shooting product photographs for this steel manufacturing company. I pretty stoked about the freelance job though, here are a few photo's that I took of the actual factory. Its nice to be given the liberty of taking a few picture for my own project on the economy and jobs while working for commission.

Longest Week of Laundry

Something New

These are just a few photo's from my newly revised projects, Im pretty stoked about the direction these are going in! Other than that, Im excited to go out and use my new digital camera today. I bought a Canon 40D from B&H and I know that this is going to allow me more freedom when im shooting i.e. not having to worry about how many rolls I have, I hate that question of "should I really take this picture or should I save my film for something better" amongst other restrictions that are self imposed with medium format film. 

I THINK ???!

So I feel that what I have been looking for with my photography lately is some sort of clarity in purpose. I think that personally I am changing at such a fast rate that I feel that freezing a moment, a definitive moment might clarify what direction I am going and the person I am becoming, an introspection through external means ....photography ...also included in my self portraits are the people I love the most, my girlfriend and our best friend Greg, so its not quit a self portrait, but I dont know what to call it otherwise.
Also I feel that I need social meaning, and I believe that we, as a people are going to begin to experience a long and difficult depression. As a photographer I feel its my calling to document the effects of years of mismangement, excessive spending and corruption. And allas we have the new- New Deal, and an age of Epic Recession. I think that the project that I have started in College on suburban home development will quickly transform into a documentation of the effects of the economy......
Anyway, that was my rant on what I feel is important and my direction with my work, hope to have some images up next time!

Trying to Get the Internet Without $$$!

Wow, I thought I was going to get free internet from my neighbors wireless....wrong! It worked for like a week and I was really excited, but they quickly realized my pirating and blocked me. Luckily I have to return to my college for one last class and I have access to internet there, so most likely I will be trying to update once a week. Its really weird to be back at school without running into people from my graduating class, I really miss them! Other than that, life is pretty good. Although I feel that my photographic work is really speradic, all over the place and I feel that Im searching for a thread that I can go after full fledge. I hope someone can relate?

Ongoing Work