Lexington Market!

Kelly took me down to Lexington Market in Baltimore to have my first taste of oysters. On the oyster front, I like them but wouldn't say I love them. I guess I still have some Baltimore cred in that I do love me a good crab cake! Anyway here are some images I grabbed before I was harassed by a security guard and told I couldn't take photos in the market. Mind you she told me this as there were probably 15 other people taking pics with their point and shoot cameras all around us and she didn't say a word to any of them. I guess my little old 20D looked too professional for her. That or she just felt the need to exert her power over someone. Well I dutifully put my camera away until I was out of her site and then went back to shooting :)

Here are a few images from inside the market. Let me know what you think:

Lexington Market, Baltimore MD

Canon 20D, SilverEFEX Pro

Graffiti Love...

While photographing the artists at work this young couple came by. It was obvious they were stoned out of their minds. He desperately wanted to help the other artists. They set him up with a pen in this corner to basically keep him out of the way. While I as busy photographing the rest of the crew I glanced over and saw the couple embracing and grabbed the shot and didn't think more of it until I got home and took a closer look at the image.

I love that unless I really told you that this couple was stoned you may not have picked up on it. There is just a lovely moment caught here in the middle of all of this graffiti creating what I think is the perfect back drop for this young couple. Call me crazy but this image may be my favorite from this shoot.

Canon 20D

SilverEFEX Pro

TOYCAM - Last but not in any way least!

the sixth and last name on the interview list for the toycamera book TOYCAM - Lo-fi Photography. Over the past year the book team collected hundreds of names, viewed many web-pages, Flickr galleries, and toycamera.com galleries. In the end we only had room for 6 interviews in the book, though we would have loved to talked to so many more of you.
So everyone please congratulate Sean Rohde (aka moominsean! We thoroughly enjoyed talking to him about his photography.

Tagging Baltimore!

Memorial day weekend I was driving around with Kelly and she mentioned there was the great alley of graffiti near by. So we pulled over and not only was it awesome but there was a group of artists working on the alley prep'ing it for a show that night or something. Once they figured I wasn't there for any sinister reasons they allowed me to photograph them working! Here are some of my digital images. I also took some Polaroids with my Polaroid 180, I'll post those images latter.


I decided, as I usually do, to convert my digital image to B&W. If I had been shooting film I would have been shooting in B&W anyway so for many reasons this makes sense for me. I often tell my students when photographing art to try and make it your own. On some level converting a very colorful scene to B&W accomplishes this. Also B&W allows me to really emphasize the grittiness of the alley which I don't think comes through as well in color. Anyway I consider myself a B&W photographer and as I tell everyone I see in B&W (not really I am not color blind).

All images shot on Canon 20D

SilverEFEX Pro

Congrats Rachel and Siddarth!

I had the honor to watch two good friends get married this weekend! I am so happy for Rachel and Siddarth and wish them all the best! It was a lovely combination ceremony that represented both of their cultures. I will forgive them for making me sit outside in the blazing sun on the hottest most humid day of the year thus far :) Anyway I did take my Holga and shot 2 rolls of film. I still need to develop the film, but since I did get to shoot their engagement session I thought I'd share one of my favorite images from that day. I will post any good shots from the wedding latter.

"Rachel and Siddarth"

Canon 20D, SilverEFEX Pro

Hands...

After a long hiatus I have finally started shooting nudes again. The pause was more a lack of models than a lack of desire to shoot the subject. I have started playing with using Sliver EFEX Pro with my nudes to create a more gritty feel to the models skin. This technique celebrates (to me at least) the flaws and imperfections in the skin and also gives a rough vibe to the images. Here is a simple example. Like my good friend and mentor, Jim Steele, I am fascinated with hands and the character they posses I often find myself making sure the models hands are at least part of the focus of my nudes (if not the focus). Please let me know what you think of the look and feel of this image.

Nikon FM2N
Kodak Tri-X, Silver EFEX

I also have a model booked to start shooting my "Self Within" series. I hope to be able to start posting some of the raw images here with in a few weeks if the shoot goes well!

The Book Thing...

"The world outside"
Nikon FM2N, Kodak Tri-X
Post processed using SilverEFEX

Now that I am spending so much time in Baltimore :) I figure it is high time to start trying to capture the wonderful diversity of culture in this rough around the edges city right in my back yard. I already have a couple of hundred images to weed through but here is a taste. These two are from a wonderful hole in the wall free book exchange known as "The Book Thing"

"Elbow in the FACE!!!"
Nikon FM2N, Kodak Tri-X
Post processed using SilverEFEX