LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION.

Masks and Beads

2012-02-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Okay. So, I'm back on track. I thought I would post this since one of my high school friends likes bright and shiny. You know who you are. :)

Mostly, I want to tell you that

http://raylaskowitz.wordpress.com

is up and running. Over the next few weeks, I'll be transitioning over there. There are a whole host of reasons why I'm making the change, not the least of which is that the infrastructure is a lot more flexible than this blog site. Of course with that comes complexity. So, I'm learning. Always learning.

You know what this picture is about. For a short while, I'll be sharing the same daily picture on both blogs. I have to keep at least one thing simple. For now.

Double Happiness Mardi Gras

2012-01-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've drifted a bit from trying to post Mardi Gras related images as a walk up to the day itself. So, let me get back on track.

I made this picture a few years ago. It's cool because on most years, Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras fall at just about the same time. Not so this year.

Anyway...

These Mardi Gras beads celebrate both holidays. There are the usual beads, but right in the middle there is a Chinese character, which means "Double Happiness." It is something that you wish others, especially on holidays. You would pronounce it as shuangxi. Normally, you would see it in a red color. It is mostly written.

Technically speaking, there's not much to it. Classic F8 and be there.

Simplicity in Nature

2012-01-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

I've overlooked this image many times when I am looking through my nature files. It was made a few years ago in Hawaii as sort of a "well, I'm standing here so I'd better photograph something" sort of picture. I never even offered it to any of my agencies.

Now, I'm starting to see it as something else.

It's pure. It's simple. It's peaceful. It's calming.

It would probably make a great mural on somebody's wall.

I kicked it up a little bit in post post production, mostly because it was a little flat in contrast. I added a frame. But, for the most part it's very hard to improve on nature.

Coffee Again

2012-01-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm slipping into a coffee theme. Again. I made this picture a few years ago when I was working on a Montreal book. I must have been having a meal at the counter because I very rarely drink that kind of brewed coffee.

But, this image is more about the potential of the OnOne plug-in. I processed the image normally, I added a retro look and then added the painted frame - something called wire brush. It changes the look and feel of the picture. For me, the technology brings the picture back to how I was feeling at the time that I made it. It makes it more sensual. Of course, since everybody brings their own experience to a picture, it might not have the same effect on another viewer. For me, it's sort of like Nighthawks during the day. You know. Sort of like, "the piano has been drinking..."

A Little Experimentation

2012-01-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about this app or that app being used to create images. Some are quite good. Nik's Snapseed is one that I use a lot. Another is Lisa Bettany's Camera+ which she discusses a lot on Google+. Both are as good as advertised. Both do a lot especially if you use the sliders and stack layers. But, both are limited to either the i-Phone or i-Pad.

That's kind of okay.

If you use a convertor that Apple sells for your i-Pad you can upload a few of your DSLR captured images and use those apps. But, they are compressed and experimentation reveals that when they are re-introduced to a normal environment, they loose something. Well, a lot of something.

What to do? What to do?

I started digging around in one of my Photoshop plug-ins called OnOne. I recently uploaded their latest upgrade. A lot of wedding and portraits guys use this to finish their images and add something extra. It's not cheap, but it is very useful. It is about as broad and deep as you could ever need and the latest upgrade contains a lot of settings that duplicate various i-Apps.

This image is an outtake from an old shoot in Montreal, Canada. The Paris of North America. I stop for coffee breaks. Well, espresso macchiato breaks, when I'm working. I made this picture. I didn't work it and forgot about it. I probably only made two or three frames. But, later -- much later -- I was looking at it and thought that I liked its simplicity so I decided to work on it in post production a bit. This is the result. It even let me add a bit of film edge to the image.

There is one thing to remember. The picture is the picture. It's really the content that matters. As the late, great Ernst Haas would say, "all the rest is just stuff."

Funny Story

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, this is just too funny. We had our typical after-a-big-rain-storm beautiful sunset and dusk. I decided to shoot industry against that backdrop so I went to the Westbank to Avondale Shipyards. I knew I could photograph crains and stuff by walking along the levee to the shipyard.

I did that.

If I had been five minutes quicker I wouldn't have been stopped by security. But... two cars, two armed guards. They wanted to see my images. The pictures were actually pretty. But, the two ships currently being built are US Navy frigates. The mast -- where the radar is -- looks like a triangle with a square top. Can't have that in the picture. So, despite the guards being out of their bounds and me being on public land I decided that I would do what they asked -- delete the offending images -- since they are allowed to detain me. In doing that they would have had to call the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs who are obligated to tell the FBI and Homeland. I was doing nothing wrong, but who needs four or five hours of interrogation? So, I deleted the files. Since they never asked for ID or even saw my New Mexico license plates, I knew that was the end of it. And, I was actually proud of myself for just walking away without a fight. It felt like the right thing.

Except.

The D7000 has two card slots. When you fill one card, it switches to the second card. If you upload the first card, reformat it and return it to the camera then you fool it. It starts by processing images to the second card and then when you turn the camera off -- let's say to change lenses --

it reverts back to saving images on the first card. So... I deleted about 50 images or so... from the second card. When I went to download the remaining images from the first card everything minus the 50 was there from my entire take.

I'm laughing now, but in a way I feel bad. Those two guys were okay. They were quiet, but friendly enough. In fact, the one guard even said that if they were building commercial boats and not USN boats, he wouldn't have even bothered. I guess it was sort of instant karma in reverse. I was nice, I tried to comply and I still kept my images.

But, here's the deal. Have a look at this picture -- closely. I know where the offending object is located. I'm willing to bet that you can't even see it. And, even if you could, what kind of information could you really gather from it?

As far as I'm concerned this is just a heavy industry picture. In this era of lost manufacturing to offshore locations, I think this picture says something good about American industry. Or not. Maybe it's the sun setting on it. I guess you could interpret it any way that you want.

Modern Monk

2012-01-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

I guess because I'm going to have another Southeastern Asia adventure in March, I'm starting to wrap my head around the idea of actually being there so I posted this image.

I made this picture a trip or so ago. It says everything you need to know about Buddhist Monks. They may have sworn off most earthly pleasures, but not all. It's a little hard to read in a picture this size, but this young monk is talking on his cellphone and enjoying a Coke.

Ahh, they say you have to live in the world.

1000 Posts

2012-01-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today is sort of a big day for me. As you can read from the title, I've reached 1000 blog posts. So, I thought I would just re-share a few of my favorite of my favorite images.

This has been some week and it's only Wednesday. Let's see. Peyton Manning is talking about not playing for the Colts. Jorge Posada retired from the New York Yankees with smiles and tears. The President gave another State of The Union address. And, I made this post. Well, this post isn't quite on the magnitude of the other events, but still...

One thousand posts. That's quite a lot when I try to post every day. That's two and a half years. Or so. That's some kind of real commitment. The only times that I miss are when I'm in transit and can't be in a place where I have images and an internet connection.

But, it is time for some changes. As easy as eBlogger is to use and it does link directly to Google, it is limited in design, format and more importantly, I can't seem to grow my followers or my readers.

Yes, I've been pleasantly surprised to find through Google stats that I have far more daily readers than followers. But, I seem to have hit a plateau. While I'm not a super blogger with millions of readers, I'd like to grow this into a viable online enterprise.

In the next month or so newmexicopictureaday will migrate to a Wordpress blog and become Storyteller. I'll let you know when the move is final and the tests are beyond beta.

Happy 1000th.

Muses Shoes

2012-01-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

The Krewe of Muses is a New Orleans Mardi Gras social organization that is made of of 2000 members -- all women. They first rolled during Mardi Gras 2001 and always roll on the Thursday before Mardi Gras. They are known for their unique throws, which in most cases are very highly decorated shoes. Every parade has a theme which is kept secret. Each parade as highly satyrical.

That's the info...

This image has emerged from a little project that I'm doing on the Muses. Fortunately, I'm close to a Muse who sits at the top of her float.

I've been fortunate enough to see her actually decorate the shoes. Like the slightly more famous Mardi Gras Indians, she works at this all year long. Unlike the the indians, she does not work on her art all year long, but she collects the components of the art over the course of a year. Finding the right shoes, glitter (I've never seen so many colors and weights) and all the bits that come together to create what amounts to some pretty sophisticated folk art is a time consuming process. I think, in some cases, it really comes down to awareness.

Anyway...

I'll try to post pictures of the process from time to time. These are some finished shoes that to my eye remind me of a group of floats as they pass down the street at parade time.

Gung Hei Fat Choi

2012-01-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are supposed to be moving into a prosperous year. The dragon year. The only year in Chinese lore that is based on a mythical creature. The colors for this year are ruby and red. The real key here is that you make your own luck with hard work and smart choices. Fitting, isn't it?

Anyway...

Gung Hei Fat Choi, to ya'll.

Oh yeah, in case you are wondering... Man Mo temple, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

Quiet Sunday

2012-01-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Something quiet for a Sunday. I found it while I was walking my dog. She's always been good for finding pictures.

Hearts and Love

2012-01-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was poking around looking at junk when I found this little bit of graffiti. I'm not really an urbex photographer, but I do like finding a bit of art among the ruins.

What really struck me about this is that among all the really heavy nasty, or even artistic, tagging, I found the this simple declaration of love painted on the side of a rusty tank.

It isn't all that pretty but it seems to hearken back to an earlier time. Somebody loves somebody else. Pretty simple. It made me smile. These days, I like simple.

I Hope I Can

2012-01-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty good about posting Mardi Gras-related pictures as a walk up to the holiday itself. But, I've 31 days and 15 hours --according to the Mardi Gras website -- and things are getting a little dicey right now. Not enough variation in the the kinds of holiday decorations quite yet.

Even this one is just a detail on a wreath. Sheesh. I walked out of my door and saw it on my neighbor's door. Yes. Easy picture. Cheap shot.

You Gotta Love It

2012-01-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Mardi Gras is fast approaching. Folks are getting ready. I found this house on Magazine Street.

You gotta love it. One window has been repaired by boarding it up. The house hasn't been painted in years -- the paint is flaking off. The porch is sagging. The bushes haven't been trimmed.

But, the owner has Mardi Gras beads. Lots of Mardi Gras beads. More beads than I usually see in any one place.

New Orleans. There you have it.

NO SOPA

2012-01-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Little Dolls

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

As the carnival season progresses there are plenty of little things you can use to decorate your home, workplace, car or whatever.

These mass produced and inexpensive little dolls that are generally sold throughout The French Quarter are purchased by visitors to the city who would like to bring home some small reminder of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. They are there all year round, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in them at other times of year.

Me?

I just like to photograph them.

I have enough Mardi Gras stuff. No matter how much you give away, it seems that you always manage to collect more.

Locked Out

2012-01-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

I like to photograph a lot of old stuff. When I was in New Mexico it seemed like that's all I photographed. I was a part of a gallery that seemed to feature nothing but old stuff. But, the other members couldn't fool me. I knew there were other things to photograph there. Mountains. Dusty roads. Tumbleweed.

So, in many ways, New Orleans suits me. The entire city is old. It serves as a giant backdrop for anything that I might want to stick in front of it.

But, every now and then I go looking for old junk. I found the neat old truck that you can see in the background but I couldn't get to it. It was behind a locked gate.

So, I did the next best thing. I made a picture of the lock and the wooden fence that barred my entry. Yes. This image was made in Louisiana about 15 miles from New Orleans.

Reaching

2012-01-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was going to toss this image into the dust bin, when I decided that it meant something to me.

First, it's picture made during a daylight Mardi Gras parade with all the people reaching for beads and other throws. I can make it again and again. All I need is a daylight parade.

Second, if you look toward the top and to the right you'll see little orange strands and clusters of what look like spider webbing. It's not. It's mold brought on by Hurricane Katrina. The image didn't get wet. But, my house sat in five feet of water while the flooding drained. Not only was my house very wet, but there was no electrical power so there was no air conditioning. That Katrina summer was very, very hot. Between the water, the humidity and the heat my house -- like just about everyone else's -- was like a hot house and it grew probably every known strain of mold.

Originally, I dumped what I thought were all of the moldy, or humidity damaged slides. But, I missed a few. They pop up from time to time. At least they don't smell like Katrina mustiness. Geesh.

I guess I'm keeping this one like so many people have kept the rescuer's spray painted circle and cross on their house even though they've restored it. It's sort of a badge of honor.

Dinner

2012-01-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm looking for pictures to work with a certain theme -- Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras, whatever -- I stumble onto a picture that cries out to be made.

This was one of those occasions.

Since I've already posted that I like shooting through windows, I think because they create their own frame, I often look to see what is happening in the room. I made a picture that I call Nighthawks that way. This this image isn't quite so strong or mysterious. After all, it's just a guy having dinner with two people talking in the background. But, I do like the crop and the way that the image feels.

However, this is a good lesson in cropping for context. The man having dinner looks a little alone. Not quite lonely. But, alone. However, if I take a couple of steps back or turn the camera to its horizontal orientation, you'll see that he's having dinner with a woman. No. That camera doesn't lie. But, the person using the camera might. For me, it's not so much about making a point about the man. It's more about the shape of the picture.

Spy Boy

2012-01-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

This image is a little musty. I've posted it in the past. But, it is a telling image of a New Orleans tradition. And, I want to share it again.

First, it wasn't actually made during Mardi Gras. It was made in July 2005 at the funeral of Mardi Gras Indians' Chief of Chiefs, Tootie Montana. It was taken prior to the second line parade and jazz procession that was done to honor him.

This man is called a spy boy. In the past, tradition says that he ran ahead of the marching indians to clear the way against other tribes.

On this day, however, all tribes marched as one. As they lined up in what could be called some kind of parade procession, they all started singing a spiritual song called, "Golden Crown." The opening verse went something like, "Tootie Montana got a golden crown, golden crown." So, while it appears that he is yelling, he is actually singing.

This picture is truly f8 and be there. But, there's more to it than that. It was made with a 20 mm lens. That means in order to fill the frame I had to get close. The indians start organizing and singing in sort of a huddle. I got into the center of the huddle. They eventually tossed me out. I jumped back in. Out I went. Back in I went. They knew that I knew, so it was all okay. Eventually, I got this picture.

One more thing. This happened in July 2005. I went on the road to shoot two books. One in Savannah, Georgia and the other in Memphis, Tennessee. When I came home I had a lot of post production to do. I closed it by late August. On 29 August, 2005 everything changed. My world was flooded and pretty much destroyed. One word is enough to tell you what happened.

Katrina.

This was the last significant picture I made in New Orleans. I thought.

I returned earlier this year. I'm working harder than ever.

Chasing Streetcars

2012-01-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late today. I usually try to post earlier in the day. But, I've had a super full day which hopefully will start to lead to a super full year.

Anyway...

I went back to chasing streetcars for another project, and to take a little break from Mardi Gras' early days.

I really wish that the people for whom I care would stop warning me about doing this. One day, they are going to jinx me and then - BLAMMO -- I'll get hit by a streetcar or big truck. That'll probably solve a lot of problems. Heh, heh.

In case you are wondering, I'm not going as fast as this picture implies. I'm probably driving less then ten miles per hour... doing exactly what I always complain about. Holding up traffic.

"Trow me Sumptin' Mistah."

2012-01-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Parades. For many people, Mardi Gras parades are the thing. They roll all over the city. But the most common routes start Uptown, run along St. Charles Avenue and conclude somewhere down river of Canal Street. Sometimes, they end at the Super Dome. Excuuuuuse me. The Mercedes Benz Dome.

Most of the locals who go to the parades have their favorite parades and their favorite places from which to watch them.

The crowds are pretty large and are very deep. Most people hold their arms up and try to catch beads or other "throws." The real way to do it is to catch some krewe members eye and yell, " Throw me something mister." Of course that really sounds like this:

"Trow me sumptin' mistah."

It really helps to have a young, cute child with you. Krewe members will reach down and hand them something special like a stuffed animal or a toy or something like that.

There is a myth that tourists seem to believe. It's about women baring their skin to get "throws." That may happen in The French Quarter -- sometimes -- but the parades are family affairs. It doesn't happen on the parade routes.

This picture? Long, slow shutter speed that I used to try to capture the energy, motion and color of a parade crowd.

Mardi Gras Indian

2012-01-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

One of the traditions of Mardi Gras are the Indians. They've been parading since the mid-1800's when they began marching and dancing as a way of honoring American Indians who helped African Americans when they were runaway slaves.

That's one story, anyway.

They spend most of the year designing and making their suits which are elaborate beadwork and feather creations and weigh around 150 pounds costing about $5,000 to make.

The Indians do not limit their parading to Mardi Gras. They parade on St. Joseph's Day, during Jazzfest and -- of course -- during many second line parades and jazz funerals. In fact, one of my best images was made at the beginning of the second line parade for the late chief of chiefs, Tootie Montana, when he passed in July 2005.

There are so many traditions associated with the Indians that I could probably fill a couple of blog pages. But, since I'm trying to post pictures as walk up to Fat Tuesday, I'll leave that alone... for now.

Van Gogh Mardi Gras

2012-01-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

I found one of my earliest Mardi Gras parade images. This one is probably 11 years old. At the time, I thought it captured the feeling of a Mardi Gras parade. I still do.

For me it captures the energy, the motion, the noise, the color, the light and all the sensual things that make up a parade.

Given the time frame, I'm guessing that I made this picture with a Nikon F5, a 21mm lens on Velvia film.

And, So It Begins.

2012-01-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Carnival Season is upon us. It is true that very little appears to be happening, at least early on.

But, people are preparing; hanging their decorations, making their costumes and masks, shopping for the "best" King Cake and getting ready for the two weeks of what most people think of as Mardi Gras.

There have already been two small parades and in about three weeks the parades will start in ernest.

Until then, events are happening in the background. There are the many balls and cotillions of the krewes and social clubs to which most of us -- including me -- will never be invited. These are grand formal and old guard affairs. And, they are closed to the general public. There are also a lot -- and I mean a lot -- of private parties.

So, here's my plan.

No. I'm not going to try to sneak into a closed event. One day I might run into somebody who can get me a ticket from somebody he knows or knows someone who... you get it. But, not this year.

I am going to try to post a picture or two every week until the grand event on Fat Tuesday. Plans are often changed. Maybe I'll be able to post more that that. Maybe less. Probably less.

This picture is one of my favorites. But, it is aging. It was made on film before the storm. It was made at one of the few parades that actually pass through The French Quarter. It is a day time parade that rolls on the Thursday before Mardi Gras weekend when the really big parades begin to roll.

Huey P.Long Bridge

2012-01-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Around here, they call this bridge "The Huey P." It was built in 1935 to replace the Walnut Street ferry and it was the first bridge to cross the Mississippi River in Louisiana. It crosses the river at Elmwood on the east bank and Bridge City on the westbank. I wonder how the later city was named? Hmmm...

It was proposed in 1892 by Southern Pacific. It was approved by a state constitutional amendment in 1916. It was designed 1925. In order to keep the design from changing, pilings were driven before the construction contracts were signed and construction began in 1932.

Ah, the strange twists and turns of Louisiana history.

The bridge serves both railroad and local roads. Because the bridge is so old, it is a bit of a nerve racking drive since the lanes are very narrow and people try to pass in the most tiny of spaces. The speed limit is 30 mph. Many people drive as fast as they can, I think mostly because they fear its collapse. And, clattering trains scare them.

It is being modified as I write and work should be completed in 2013. Lanes are being widened, the entrance in Elmwood is being reworked from a traffic round to a straight approach. Stuff like that. Oddly it is on track for a timely completion.

Technically speaking. This picture is the result of stupidity, courage and luck. As many of you know, I often make pictures while I'm driving -- from the driver's side of the windshield. In most cases, it's fairly safe since I used the camera on auto everything and just hold the camera in front of me on the dashboard while I look down the road. But, doing that on this bridge is just plain silly because there is no escape room. And yet...

The weird blur comes from the combination of moving forward at about 40 mph and using fairly slow shutter speed. You normally don't see the foreground quite so blurred because I usually make sure that there are no tall shapes there.

More New Orleans Winter

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

It seems that for a while, I can just be quiet and post a little bit more of New Orleans winter. Looks like spring or summer in many places around the country.

Oh. By the way, Carnival Season starts today with two small parades tonight.

New Orleans Winter

2012-01-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

I made this picture yesterday... in the early days of winter. There is something to be said for living in the sub-tropical Gulf Region and in New Orleans in particular.

Soon Enough

2012-01-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is where Mardi Gras lives for most of the year. In a warehouse. Actually, there are warehouses dotting New Orleans where parade decorations are stored when they aren't out parading.

The most semi-famous is Blaine Kern's Mardi GrasWorld in Algers. They give you tours of their warehouse.

But, most are like this one which I found passing through Mid City on way to some place else. I bet if I drove down this street again, I would not find this warehouse since the doors are probably kept closed.

Just a reminder. Carnival Season officially begins on the Twelfth Night... after Christmas. Enjoy it.

Technically Speaking. F8 and be there. Find the picture. See the picture. Shoot the picture.

Winter Tree

2012-01-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Staying with yesterday's theme of simplicity -- and trying to stay away from unneeded computer time -- I offer a detail image of the tree in winter. It's a detail because it's not a macro shot. I made this little picture with an 85mm f 1.8 Nikkor lens. Okay. It's a detail because it is a detail.

That's it.

So It Begins

2012-01-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is my very first picture of the new year. I was walking my Spaniel after a very hard and humidity clearing rain. Everything was sparkling. I knew I had to make a picture. When we got home, I grabbed a camera and headed right back outside. This is about my 20th frame or so.

This may have accidentally restarted my paused Picture A Day project. These are the kinds of little pictures that make up its heart and soul.

We'll see about that.

I went out looking for pictures and the images got a little more -- er -- industrial. You'll see them in the next few days or so. My agencies will be very pleased.

The Way Home

2012-01-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Even though I say that I live in New Orleans, I really live about eight miles away in River Ridge. That's in Jefferson Parish. I live there because a lot changed after Hurricane Katrina and I needed to get to know the neighborhoods again before committing to the city.

The physical difference is pretty small but the emotional and mental distance is huge. Living in Jefferson Parish is like living anywhere in The South. Living in New Orleans is like living in a third world Caribbean city. I mean no disrespect by either comparison. Both are said with some affection. People who live in Jefferson or St. Bernard Parishes -- the parish downriver and to the east of New Orleans -- refer to going to New Orleans as, "going to the city."

Technically, not much to this picture. Digital capture. 16.2 Mb. 14 mm Nikkor lens. I'm driving, so once again I can only guess at the f stop and shutter speed. Post production is minimal and mostly done using the latest OnOne software which I'm still learning to use.

Oh yeah. This road is called Hickory. It eventually connects to Dickory by means of a small connecting road called Dock. So... "Hickory, Dickory, Dock the mouse ran up the clock..."

If only I could find the clock.

Just Another Streetcar

2011-12-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a picture about New Years or the end of the year or something like that, but I don't really have one.

That's not to say that I don't make some picture on New Years Eve. I sort of think that it's good luck and so I always make a picture of something. It's become traditional, especially since I never really partied on New Years eve. But, I always wanted to do something. When I drank, I thought it was amateur night. Now that I don't drink, well... and since this year will be 20 years since I last thought that I needed a drink, I don't intend to resume the vice.

Soooo...

I have nothing New Years-like to post. I'll post something that I photographed yesterday. There. That should settle the question of whether everything I post on here is dated. It's just a speedy streetcar that I chased down and photographed from the window of my car. By the way, after going through a lot of old imagery I discovered that I've been shooting from my windshield for at least 30 years, or whenever gas was 35 cents a gallon.

For the technically minded... Digital camera. ISO 100. 14mm Nikkor lens. Although I don't normally do this, the camera is set on program with a + 1/3 exposure. Normally, the most auto-exposed I get is with the aperture setting. But, when you are driving with one hand and trying to make a picture with the other, you sort of run out of hands to set camera controls. I have no idea of shutter speed and f stop since I turn off the EXIF data at the source. But, my guess would be about 1/8 second at f5.6 since that's what the camera seems to like in this situation. It's also what I like. Making this kind of image is sort of like panning. In a weird way. Post production. Is minimal. It's slightly sharpened. I've upped the color intensity a bit. And, increase the density. The blur is the real thing. It is not something added in post production.

There. That should cover it. If not...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Back Story

2011-12-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

The picture is humorous. But, the back story is funnier. This image was made in the wet market in Central, Hong Kong. It's huge. It has two entrances and curves throughout the streets below Hollywood Road. The streets are tiny and crowded. You can get seriously lost back there. This makes it a perfect place to shoot a movie.

And, so they did.

While I was working with this local woman, we stumbled onto the set of Rush II -- the movie staring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Actually, we were surrounded by the set. The set and crew were scattered throughout the wet market. In fact, this wonderful light was not my doing. It came courtesy of the film crew when the light riggers were setting up their lights.

You'll read why in a minute.

The most funny part -- to me at least -- was watching crew members from Los Angeles hit on my talent. They'd promise her the moon. They'd tell her that they would take her to Los Angeles. In California. In America. Being a tough Hong Kong woman, she would smile and reply, "I don't speak English," in perfect English. Then, she would say something snarky about them to me -- in perfect English.

And, Westerners wonder why Hong Kong people call them Gweilos.

Yeah. This is a Velvia picture. It's also an out take from a production shoot that I did a few years back. Because it's an out take it fits into the "forgotten gem" category.

Bamboo

2011-12-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

This image could have been taken anywhere, but it wasn't. It was made in Asia. In Hong Kong, to be precise. To be even more precise, I found the bamboo on the temple grounds at Wong Tai Sin, which is a huge temple on the Kowloon side.

This image isn't a "lost gem." Instead, it is one that I just haven't used in a long time, even though for a while one of my agencies thought of it as a signature picture. I'm not sure about that. I just like it for its simplicity.

Technically speaking, it is made on Velvia at slow shutter speed with a little flash popped in there to give the image some shape and brightness. It's most green and yellow.

Nothing But Motion

2011-12-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Zoooooooooom. There is nothing like watching a Hong Kong taxi zip through traffic as the driver takes his fare to his destination.

But, that's not all about this picture.

To me, this picture is about Hong Kong.

Energy. Motion. Speed. Light. Color.

This picture was made in Central. A wise man suggested that I tell more of the back story for my images since even though they look simply made, there is more to them than that.

First. My best pictures are made on location when I walk, see and FEEL. Feeling is essential. I have to be in the scene in order to make an excellent picture.

Second. When I find that groove, I become Superman. Notice that wall on the left? There is a tiny -- and I mean tiny -- walk way to its right. Cars are just blasting by me and there I am making time exposures. No tripod. All handheld. I like the extra motion my scared and trembling body brings to the image.

Without a camera in my hand and with being in that zone, I wouldn't even walk on the side of the street. But, when I see and feel the picture... I'm Superman.

The rest is simple. F8 and be there. Velvia. 20mm lens. Nikon camera body.

Storm Light

2011-12-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

As I promised, another picture from the hidden vault. I don't believe that I've ever shown this picture to anyone and yet the colors and storm light are pretty cool. The picture is worth looking at.

Just as I discussed yesterday, the image was made on Velvia and has a certain depth to it that I don't find on digital captures.

In terms of post production, I did very little. The image has been sharpened and darkened a bit which is what brought out the intense color. I did not tinker with color setting.

Oh yeah. This is Northpoint, a more blue collar and Chinese section of Hong Kong.

Clean Up Time

2011-12-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit done with Christmas pictures. I guess those of you who read this blog are too.

So...

I thought that for the week between Christmas and New Years which I call "Clean Up Time," after a John Lennon song, I would post some "lost" gems.

Most of these images were made on film. Most languished in my files until I decided to scan every image that was even marginally worthwhile.

This is an image made in Hong Kong of the traffic as the cars and buses head into one of the cross harbor tunnels.

Now, this is the important part. Very little post production was done to this image. I sharpened it a bit because you have to with a scanned image. I also darkened it just a bit to reflect the time of day when it was originally made. When I say a bit, I'm talking about 2 or 3 percent. That's it. The richness and deep, dense color comes from the Velvia film that I used to make this picture.

Sometimes, I wonder.

These days I photograph most everything digitally. That's cost effective. That's what clients want. That's what agencies demand. But, no matter what I do in post production -- and I know a lot of tricks -- there is something that I can best describe as a thinness to the digitally produced imagery that can't be overcome. The images look just fine. But, they don't have the depth of a film image. Please don't mistake this as saying analog is better than digital capture. I'm not getting into that argument. I am saying that even though it may only be an emotional response, there is something different. And since photography for most of us is all about emotions, that's worth considering.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

While NORAD was tracking Santa across the globe, the folks in Southeast Louisiana were guiding Papa Noel down The Mississippi River using a traditions old method of building huge 30 feet tall bonfires along the river. Thousands of people pour into the tiny Cajun river towns of Lutcher and Gramercy to view the spectacle.

If you happen to wander into one of the Christmas parties in one the houses that line River Road, you are welcome even if you WERE a stranger. Remind me, one day, to tell you what it took to make these pictures.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Mystery Christmas

2011-12-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

I was looking around again... and went to my old 'hood. I found this little house... all darkened, with the exception of one little string of white Christmas lights. Oh well. We all do what we can.

Stay tuned. The next two days will get better and better...

More Typical or Sumptin'

2011-12-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

I realized that I mostly just posted pictures of St. Charles Avenue and the lights there. I thought that it might be a good idea to post a picture or two that gives you an idea of how most of us live.

We are packed in. We live side-by-side. We have telephone poles and wires everywhere. If we are lucky we find a parking space on the street in front of our house. If we pay a little more, either through rent or mortgage, we might live in a house that has the famous "off street parking." Of course, the driveway to your parking area might be blocked by a car whose driver managed to wedge his car in between two other cars. Yes. You can call the police, but most people in New Orleans wouldn't consider that. They just find a place to park.

I was about to write that isn't but about Christmas. But, maybe it is. It's a sort of giving spirit. Anyway, even with the cramped living conditions, we still have time to decorate our homes.

Oh yeah. I realized while I was adding keywords or tags or labels or whatever the current phrase is, I forgot to tell you where I made this picture.

The Bywater.

More Caroling

2011-12-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd publish a few more images from Jackson Square. I like this picture because it gives a sense of what is actually happening.

When I talk about Caroling in Jackson Square, my mind creates an image of hundreds of up turned faces singing as one. But, when you step back and look around you find that isn't so.

Instead, you find that groups of people -- maybe families or friends -- sort of circle around, face each other and sing. All of those circles eventually join together and make some happy noise.

Another Christmas Window

2011-12-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was walking through The French Quarter on my way to Caroling in Jackson Square when I saw this window. So, I did what I could do and photographed it. I actually, I sort of gilded the lily because I walked up Royal Street knowing that there would be some very nice decorations there.

On a technical note. I've made a change in my gear as I've been working at night. Usually I have two "go to" lenses that I use for travel imagery. I use Nikon's 18-200mm, which is way too slow and Tokina's 11-16mm, which is fast but big. For this project, I switched to two primes. They are both Nikon glass... an older 85mm f1.8 and a 14mm f2.8. I don't have quite the reach. But, I don't need quite the reach. I just need to walk a little more. Everybody needs to walk a little more.

Caroling at Jackson Square

2011-12-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

I promised a couple of you that I would post a look at this wonderful event. Caroling at Jackson Square began a month after I was born. It has become a Christmas tradition for many New Orleans area families. Even the youngest children get into the act. It may be one of the reasons that I returned to New Orleans almost six years after Katrina and The US Army Corps of Engineers flooded 80% of the city.

But, enough of that.

As I photographed and made my way through the crowd, I felt humbled and very, very grateful that I was there. If you asked me even a few years ago if I thought I would ever see this again, my answer would have been no. It just goes to show you that you should never say never.

Stay tuned. I have some nice New Orleans Christmas pictures coming up over the next week. I like my take. That's saying something because I never like my work... at least early on. Sometimes after an image marinates in my files for a few years I think, "Hmmm, I shot that? It's pretty good." But, it never happens this early.

Windows

2011-12-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have this thing about windows, especially at Christmas time. I'd like to think that it has something to do with the saying, "eyes are windows to the soul." But, no. I'm just curious about how people decorate for Christmas.

No. No. No. I'm not into anything weird.

I just photograph what I see from the street. It's pretty much F8 and be there.

In this case, a small business that operates from a building that also serves as the owner's home. It is located in The Bywater.

Riches to Rags

2011-12-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

In my last few posts I've pretty much focused on St. Charles Avenue and Uptown. This is where the more monied class lives. Call them 1%ers if you like. I decided to move around the city a bit and I found myself in The Bywater which is downriver, from the center of New Orleans.

It's a very blue color neighborhood which, in the last few years, has morphed into a sort of hip place in a Tom Waits Nighthawks sort of way. Lots of musicians. Lots of artists. Lots of hipsters. Lots of aging hippies. Lots of...

It's little rougher edged neighborhood than the French Quarter or the Marigny. But, in my many ways, it suits me. Despite whatever I claim, I'm really just a blue collar worker. A piece worker, if you will. You know. Someone who gets paid by the piece.

Anyway. I always find something that interests me in The Bywater.

About this picture. I don't know what to say. I walked around and photographed it from every angle except over head. It appears to be a piece of a turn of the 20th Century hearse and a bunch of corrugated metal that blew off of my former out building and into the side of my neighbor's house during the storm known as Katrina. It's kind of got a gothic-gypsy sensibility to it since it's got all sorts of that kind of art attached to it. I have no idea if anybody tries to live in it. But, it seems, despite looking like a pile of rolling junk, to be pretty solid. It guess it is sort of a homemade RV.

A Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is another of my New Orleans Christmas pictures. And again, it's from an evolving series that I'm starting to call; "Life on the Avenue." I'm thinking I can make a weekly stop on St. Charles Avenue from now until Mardi Gras when it is packed with people who came to watch the parades and catch a few beads.

Zooooooooom.

2011-12-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

One more picture from the Avenue. This time, I worked as closely as I could to the streetcar and still remain somewhat safe.

Not much more to say except that the picture was made at dusk just as the light was turning from daylight to my favorite shade of blue.

I suppose that there in one point. Even with the sophisticated autofocus that Nikon claims, it is almost impossible to make this picture using autofocus. Better to switch to manual and focus on some point and let the moving object come into the frame.

More from the Avenue.

2011-12-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is another image from my Christmas on St. Charles Avenue series. The image is a bit keystoned, but it will have to do. I haven't been able to work toward evening since we've had low clouds and fog making the light pretty ugly.

At any rate, this mansion was built in the late 1800s. I say that after looking closely at the chimneys. Whoever built it had a lot of money. I can say this, not because of the size and style of the mansion itself, but because of the amount of "wasted" land. Even the biggest mansions on St. Charles Avenue are usually built closer to the street. This one is set way back from the street as you can see. Money was of no concern. I don't know who owns it now and I don't know it's condition but it sure looks great from the outside.

Christmas in New Orleans

2011-12-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

As I've written in the past, Christmas in New Orleans is very special. But, rather then discuss it in glowing terms, I thought I'd start posting pictures since photography is what I do. Right?

Since I've halted my three year picture a day project, there are some days when I have to force myself to go look for good images. Posting New Orleans Christmas pictures ought to fix that problem since I have to go make them.

Anyway, one of the mansion owners on St. Charles Avenue lights his or her house to the extreme, including putting lighted snowflakes on the Live Oaks that make the avenue so special. Here's a look at it.

St. Charles Avenue

2011-12-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

I went out looking for New Orleans Christmas pictures. I found a few. But, while I was doing that, I found myself working on St. Charles Avenue, perhaps one of the most famous streets in New Orleans or maybe even the entire country. Many of the very old and showy mansions are located here. Many of them are cosmetically beautiful, but are needing lots of structural work.
However, that doesn't stop the street from being beautiful any time of year.

This is last night's picture. It is the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar making it's way up the avenue in early evening.

Spring Storm

2011-12-10T02:13:00.000-07:00

I made a lot of pictures of the very high Mississippi River in late spring as it flowed past New Orleans. I really didn't like them all that much because I just couldn't quite make the exposure match what I saw in my mind.

Vision is a tricky thing. A lot of people try to do it in camera. When I shot film I was one of them. If you are dead on, or have exposed a lot of film, the picture might look like the image you saw in your mind's eye.

Most time that didn't happen. Somebody, usually the repro house or engraver, had to do the work for you. I've spent a lot of time in reprographic houses and on large presses to know this was time consuming and costly. And, even working together, you don't always get it right.

But...

In our brave new digital world we can make it happen during digital post production. Don't mistake what I've just written as meaning we can fix our mistakes. We might be able to that, but for the most part it's still GIGO. Garbage in. Garbage Out.

However, you can expose for an image that you know won't look great straight out of the camera or with minimal post production with the intent of doing something to the image in post production that completes your vision. Essentially, that's what Ansel Adams did with his zone system. Except it took a lot more time in the darkroom and was a whole lot messier.

Intent is very important. You can't just fumble and bumble around hoping that something might imerge. You have to a vision and a plan.

In this case, I created my own zone system. I exposed for the light sky area knowing that the dark clouds would look pretty good. I also knew that the buildings would be completely plugged up almost into silhouettes. But, I knew that I would do some work in post production to lighten the buildings and add some sparkle to the water.

This is the result.

Something Pretty

2011-12-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a strange and not always such a good week. So I thought I'd just post something pretty from earlier this year.

One Night In New York City

2011-12-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is another of my older images. It was actually made from my hotel window which was the Hyatt over Grand Central Terminal. The yellow cars are taxis.

In those days there was only film. You didn't have the option of turning a dial and the ISO would magically get higher.

So when I photographed at night I was shooting ISO 50 film at around ISO 32 for a little better color. That meant a very slow shutter speed; especially if you were shooting at around f 5.6 for some sort of depth of field. And, often that meant very impressionistic-like images would result. This is one of those images.

Eggs

2011-12-07T19:12:00.001-07:00

Okay. I'm a little late today. Well, very late. I've been working on portfolios, agency submissions and stuff like that. The time just got away from me. That, and I'm catching a cold which makes me a little more stupid then normal.

This is Earl. He was a short order cook at The Clover Grill on lower Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter. He was a lot of fun. When he took your coffee order he would always ask if you wanted something "hot, black and nasty."

No. Earl is not dead.

But, he might as well be. He moved to Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina.

Anyway... this is an old portrait. It's scanned from something called film. I think I'm going to put it back into my portfolio even though I pretty much believe that portfolio images shouldn't be more then a year or two old.

Stormy Weather

2011-12-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

The view from my car window. Again. This image was made on I-25 south of Santa Fe, New Mexico as I drove into a little rain storm.

Not much more to say except that the original image was reworked using Snapseed.

Mosaic

2011-12-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

When I was wandering around a few days ago, I stumbled up on this bit of art. The last time I saw anything like this was about seven years ago. But, it was on the floor of a building that was no longer there. Now, it's on a wall in a completely different location. This takes a lot of work to physically create.

I know that art moves people. I didn't know that it could move on its own.

Some Things...

2011-12-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Some things never change. I'm thinking that some of you remember the top picture. I made it about three years ago in The Bywater section of New Orleans on a rainy summer day. I liked it well enough that I include it in my travel portfolio and I published it in Apple Book called "Red. Red. Red."

Well... even though I go to The Bywater on various occasions to photograph colorful houses, quirky places and musical events I haven't passed by the street where this bicycle lives.

I did the other day.

There it was. Still chained to the red fence and stoop. The bike looks a little weather faded and the paint on the house and stoop has faded a bit, but there it is.

The bike.

The bike looks well worn now. It sports a bigger chain and the seat is lowered -- I suppose for storage and security reasons -- but it looks like it is still a daily rider.

Maybe it even says a bit about life. I don't know. I'm not that smart.

Wolfie

2011-12-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

So, I inspired myself to have a look at The French Market which is located on the downriver side of The French Market when I stumbled upon this fiddle player who obviously drank too much of something. His hair is a mess. But, his teeth look like he's been to a dentist recently.

The market was dressed in its Christmas finery. What this fiddle player has to do with Christmas, I don't know.

On the other hand, he was playing Christmas music. Maybe that's it.

Way too many musicians wandering around New Orleans.

Near The French Market

2011-12-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Located in The French Quarter is a version of The French Market. I use the word version because this time around the market sells fewer groceries and more trinkets imported from China. But, it is the last of the working city markets. There used to be about a dozen. Some buildings still remain but they have been turned into -- excuse me; repurposed -- into something new. Like a strange church.

I'm way off track when it comes to this picture. This is an ancient, almost Creole-styled apartment that looks down on the French Market.

How's that for a save?

I'm guessing that it is one of the very few remaining French buildings in The Quarter since most of them burned in one of many huge fires that broke out over the early years. Most of the remaining architecture is really Spanish. I'm not sure how far this building has been restored. Obviously, the windows and doors have been repaired. But, look at that roof. That's not lens distortion.

The French Market? It's directly in front of this building. Maybe I should go make some pictures there one day soon. Then again, it looks like any open air tourist market these days.

New Orleans Houses

2011-12-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

In most of the older neighborhoods of New Orleans -- which is most of them -- houses are grouped together tightly and often abut the sidewalk very closely.

An odd design? Well, maybe not...

The design all comes down to taxes and the odd way that the city used to collect property tax.

The taxation was based on the width of the property so landowners often built long, skinny houses with tiny side yards or no yards in order to pay the least amount of tax. Often, they had little or no backyard, except if the house was built long enough ago that the kitchen was out back because they had no way to prevent kitchen fires. Then, you might have a little cluster of out buildings.

They built shotgun homes or side hall houses or something called a camelback. All were designed to fit in a narrow space. For instance, when I owned my house on Esplanade Ridge, it was 2,700 square feet but it was only 30 feet wide... and 90 feet long. It was a converted side hall, which I wish hadn't been converted because that long hallway would have given me a great gallery space. Instead, a previous owner chopped it in two and stuck an extra bathroom in the hallway which I didn't need.

Oh. All that Victorian looking woodwork? It was shipped by rail from Sears.

Faded Glory

2011-11-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

I still think the best way to photograph a place is on foot. When you walk, you take the time to see. When you see, you might make a picture.

This picture is a great example of that. I call it faded glory because these once bright and colorful Mardi Gras beads have been left out sitting on a fence in the elements to ripen and rot. Bright sunlight, rain, and may even a little snow have waethered these beads into almost being colorless. Even the beads that have held their color are very faded.

I guess I could wax philosophical about this being a symbol for New Orleans, but -- nah -- these are just faded beads.

New Orleans Color Two

2011-11-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I like this picture, but not for the reasons you might think.

It seems that this house, painted in modified traditional colors -- the inside of the porch roofs were always painted a very light blue -- contrasted with the white puffy skies and the red flowers is just whimsical.

It's what you hope New Orleans is about... durning the day time. At night, you want New Orleans to be mysterious and a little dangerous.

You really don't want reality to set in...

Just Completed

2011-11-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

From the just completed 365 Project, or its working title -- Picture A Day. I'd call this image "Autumn Comes to Louisiana."

If I told you where I made this picture, you'd laugh. But, always remember that despite having a pretty large collection of nature-like images, I never call myself a nature photographer. I make these kinds of pictures on the way to some place else.

There will be a few more of these "nature" pictures posted during the coming days. It's time to show you this little year long collection of pictures... one day at a time.

Cabazon Dinosaurs

2011-11-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is Dinny. Anyone who has arrived in California on I-10 has probably seen these dinosaurs who were created by Claude Bell to attract customers to his Wheel Inn Cafe which opened in 1958. It took Bell 11 years to build his first dinosaur while working at his day job as a Knott's Berry Farm sculpter and painter.

After his death, Bell's family sold the property to Cabezon Family Partnership who have turned Dinny into a gift store and a monument to their beliefs which are Creationist. What started out as a bit of marketing and advertising has turned into a broader discussion.

Not Paying Attention

2011-11-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me knows that I like to drive and photograph, often at the same time. I don't really focus. I just point the camera and let autofocus do it's thing. You also know that I like to experiment. And, you might know that I like bleak places.

This little three picture portfolio is an example of these three things rolled into one and I've added some nasty weather as the final factor. As the famed photographer Sam Able says, "when the weather turns bad, the pictures get good."

Texas Spaceship

2011-11-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

I made this photograph years ago. I just recently reworked it -- or as my neighbor said, "did something to it" and decided to post it.

Yes. I made this picture in Texas.

I posted it on Google+ and wrote very simply. "Texas, this explains a lot." I immediately received a reply demanding to know what I meant.

I know what I mean. Do you, dear reader, know what I mean?

By the way, I think that I've gone as far as a I can "doing something" to pictures. This is starting to look like the kind of photography that passes for art these days. Either I've finally done it, or, I've finally lost it.

The Obelisk

2011-11-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

This post is a few hours early, but I really don't want to do any work on Thanksgiving. I work bits and pieces of every day. I could use a break.

I made this picture a couple of weeks ago on Veteran's Day at The Chalmette Battlefield, located at one of the Jean Lafitte National Parks.

A bit of of history. This monument, called The Chalmette Monument, was built in 1855 to commemorate the Battle of New Orleans which was fought in 1815, two weeks after the treaty was signed ending The War of 1812. If you think the mail is slow today...

Chalmette, in case you are wondering, was the name of the original plantation on which the battle was fought. It was a sugar plantation. It was about 22 arpents long, stretching along the Mississippi River. I know, I know. Bill Cosby would have a field day... "what's a cubit?"

That said, the monument is 56 feet tall. It was originally planned to be 150 feet tall, but was capped midway through its construction. It is made of marble.

About the picture. I try to shoot scenes like this at the ends of the day, for the best possible light. But, everything got in the way that day. So, I didn't actually make it to the battlefield until about 1:30p. With the park closing at 4p that day, it really didn't matter if I waited. I also know that digital sensors really don't like to be focused directly into a bright light source like the sun. There used to be a rumor claiming that doing it would hurt the sensor. That's not true. But it does does that create flare. Big Flare. Flare that goes crazy. You shouldn't do that. So, that's exactly what I did. I pointed my camera into the sun. A big light. I framed the image so that the monument shielded some of the the sun and -- BAM -- I made my own rockets' red glare. Almost no post production needed.

Even More Experiments

2011-11-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

The folks on Google+ seemed to like this picture so I thought that I would share it over here on my own blog -- Location. Location. Location. -- and on Facebook.

I'm beginning to understand just how broad and deep Snapseed really is designed to be. It is a powerful tool on i-Pad and it is n't just limited to smartphone imagery.

Picture A Day

2011-11-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

I made my last picture for my "Picture A Day" project yesterday. This is it.

When I started this project some three years ago, my goal was to make myself shoot a picture a day. Sometimes it is hard just walking out the door to photograph anything. I thought this project would force me to do that. It did. And, I did.

I took a short break after two years of daily shooting because it is hard work. Shooting a picture a day takes a lot of discipline and the desire to make a picture every day whether you are feeling lazy or not. I photographed through all sorts of issues. I caught colds and flues. I had surgery to replace my hip. I still kept shooting. During those times, I made what I call "little pictures." Those were pictures I saw around the house that either reflected my mental state or my temporary lack of mobility.

I tried shooting a PAW. That's a picture a week. Nope. I thought because I had time to research and plan a shoot that I would make 52 good pictures. It didn't workout that way. So on my birthday in 2010 I resumed the PAD project... for one more year.

My year anniversary fell yesterday and now I'm done. I think I'm done for a good long while or maybe forever. Note the phrase, "I think." I don't really know. But, I do know that I'm shooting and working now more than ever. There may be no more need to force myself out of the door. At least, for now.

I made this picture yesterday, in The French Quarter, during a very unseasonably warm Thanksgiving week. I also had lunch on a park bench in Jackson Square. While is was eating my po' boy, I keep thinking that it really didn't get much better than this.

Drifting

2011-11-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

I like balloons and it's "my" day so I thought I would post a simple photograph of a balloon that I photographed in New Mexico. I like the post production a lot.

It's also a day of endings. Today, I finish my third year of "my picture a day" project. I gave it a bit of a break after the second year and then began again on my last birthday. This year was pretty rough to keep up the needed discipline and so for now, I'm done.

It's a great exercise. If you haven't done it, I urge you to do so. It teaches you a lot about pictures and yourself. It's freeing and constraining all in one. You HAVE to shoot on a daily basis. And, if you are really lucky you might actually make a significant picture or two.

Not to worry, this blog isn't coming to an end. Or, maybe that is a worry. Maybe you are thinking, "when is this ever going to stop?" Ha!

I'm sure that it will. Someday.

America Part Two

2011-11-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

I was watching a little clip from NASA's website the other day. Three original astronauts were receiving Presidential Gold Medals. Musician Norah Jones sang a pristine and beautiful version of "America The Beautiful" to honor them and I thought, "finally, this makes me feel pretty good." This is the right thing.

Then, I saw this picture by photographer Louise Macabitas from today and I thought, "what the hell?" This is not the right thing. Why would anybody pepper spray non-resisting students? This is not the right thing.

I realize that America and, for the most part, the world has entered very tough times. But, that does not excuse violence and improper treatment of those who are raising their voices in protest of some of the perceived and real inequities that have brought about those hard times.

As readers of this blog know, I very rarely discuss politics or even current affairs, but the bottom picture so shocked me that at first I thought it was a cut and paste job... until I saw videos and other pictures from other angles. I had to show the contrast. And, I had to catch your attention.

In case you are wondering, the young woman who is taking a picture of the American Flag is a Chinese guest in the country. She spoke Mandarin and a bit of English. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at, and photographed, the flag.

It still means something.

Balloons

2011-11-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just feel like looking at a picture of balloons. Sometimes you feel like playing with the picture. I did both today.

International Balloon Fiesta. Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Red Lady

2011-11-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about calling this picture "Lady in Red." But, everything in the picture is red. As anybody who has read this blog for any length of time knows, I like the color red.

But, that's only one reason why my eye was drawn to this scene. The other is that we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet, and The French Quarter is decked out in all its Christmas finery. Maybe that's not so bad. I happened to be in a Home Depot about a week before Halloween and all of their Christmas stuff was on full display.

This image was made in a window of a store on Royal Street. The entire window is decorated in red.

And, you wonder why I was drawn to it.

Red.

More Fun With Apps

2011-11-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a bit of reworking older images with various editing apps that have been released in the last few months.

This is one of the "new" images. It might very well have been made for the web. It was photographed with my i-Phone, processed using two apps and then emailed to this an other sites.

It never, ever, touched my main computer and it has never been stored anywhere except on my i-Phone memory except for today when I synched it ... now the images live on the i-Cloud.

Oh yeah. The image. New Mexico. That little red hump is the Sandias.

Three Flowers

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I had another image selected. I was going to talk about making photographs wherever you find them. Then I realized I'm just a little bit burn out on all this social media stuff. So I decided to post a pretty little picture.

Oh yeah. I'm being nice. When I mentioned being burnt out on social media. I wanted to use another "s" word.

American Icon

2011-11-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

I call this a windmill. But, it is really a windpump. It was invented in 1854 and is usually found in the American West. Current models have metal blades rather than the the original wooden blades.

That's what I know about a windmill or windpump. Not much.

More to the point, I understand a bit about the symbolism of it when it is photographed against a big sky or very open expanse. It's about freedom, endless possibilities, so-called exceptionalism. It's American. It's Americana.

This picture works for all of that mostly because I was lucky enough to see the windmill on a day that had beautiful white clouds against a pristine blue sky. Lucky. Hmmmm.

Conditions

2011-11-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

The conditions at the Chalmette National Cemetery, although repaired from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, are not great.

I suppose that after having grave markers shattered by falling trees and corroded by flood waters, it really is in pretty good shape since a lot of money was spent repairing whatever could be repaired.

Yet, much remains to be done. Many of the oldest markers are overgrown and may not be trimmed back for lack of current funding.

Somehow this just doesn't feel right.

This image is of a grave marker of a Union soldier who fought and died during the Civil War. In case you are wondering, the cemetery is located on the site of The Battle of New Orleans fought during the War of 1812. There are both Union and Confederate soldiers buried there, although many Confederate remains have been relocated Cypress Grove Cemetery.

"Boy, there's a lot of music around here."

2011-11-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

I promised one of my agencies that I would document some of the many festivals that are held in Southeast Louisiana. The festival season starts in October when the heat and humidity of summer calm down. I suppose that it runs until about Jazzfest when things start heating up again. You get some good stuff during that time. All the holiday season events, Mardi Gras, Easter. Like that.

Lately there have been a lot of little Blues festivals. The one I photographed yesterday was called The Magazine Street Blues Festival. It wasn't strictly blues. But, it was fun and relatively compact. It was an event that uses money earned from the sales of food, drinks and such to benefit the NOPD station house in the area.

This smiling musician is Johnny Sansone. He was born in New Jersey, migrated to Chicago where he learned Chicago-style blues and eventually made his way to New Orleans, where he works with the bigger names. He's an harmonica player and singer and jams around a lot, including yesterday when he played with a sort of put together band called "Hwy 61 Blues Review," which had members of Nick Moss' band from Chicago as well as a bunch of other players.

Now, about Highway 61... the southern terminus starts down here at Tulane Avenue. It passes through the state and eventually runs up way up north to Clarksdale, Mississippi. That's in the Delta. Clarksdale is where Robert Johnson went down to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil so that he could sing the blues. It's also where Bob Dylan says that God told Abraham to, "kill me a son."

It's all original. It's all good.

More Experiments

2011-11-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I photograph things just because I want to see what they look like when they are photographed. Sometimes I experiment with different treatments and applications because I want to see how they look when they are made to be like HDR or softened or converted to black and white from color. Or, something.

This time, I took an image that I think is pretty powerful in color and converted it to black and white. I've always seen this image as being very sharp, so just converting it wouldn't do. I added a couple of other layers and this is the result.

Oh yeah. Tewa Trading Post, located on the Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

My Dad. Tokyo, Japan. 1945-46. 14-1 Cav.

For all the veterans. Past. Present. Future.

Winter Flowers

2011-11-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

I think I'm getting over this heavy post production thing. While it's fun to experiment with all sorts of techniques and apps, it often gets in the way of shooting new pictures or making more content-laden images.

At any rate, this is an older image made in New Mexico. I have to clear out the old to make room for the new.

More App Work

2011-11-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, this picture is as much about the post production that I did on a very old picture which was probably made in 1974 or 1975, than it is about the loveliness of the woman in the picture. In short, she is a friend of mine from my college days in San Jose, California.

By the way, in those days, it was sort of a run down town located in a Bay Area backwater. Little did we know that it would soon become a technological powerhouse.

Now, about this particular picture. The actual image is just me making a picture of a model. I probably used it for class. But, that's almost 40 years ago. The more recent work began a few months ago when I started scanning my black and white prints prior to making a big move. They aged in a digital file for a few months until I became a member of Apple's God-awful i-Cloud, which uploaded everything in certain Apple files to my i-Portables. When I downloaded Snapseed, which I've taked about endlessly, things got clearer, er, blurrier or more artistic. or, something like that.

Dreaming in Hong Kong

2011-11-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

More of that Snapseed work. I find that it's a great way to relax at the end of the day. I rework older images using that plug in or a couple of others. The trick is to not over use any of them... the only way to do that is to over use all of them.

This is Cat Alley or Lascar's Row, depending on which version of history that you like. It is located on Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, China.

Music, Music, Music...

2011-11-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I was getting set to post a string of New Orleans pictures. But, I was messing around with Snapseed again and posted this image directly to my Google+ account by using my i-Pad. It's a DSLR capture, not an i-Phone capture.

I like this picture well enough -- a reworked image of my cousin's band called The Creole Belles -- that I thought I should share it here.

The Belles were rehearsing in their motel room for a show later that evening in Cimarron, New Mexico.

I'll get back to New Orleans imagery in a day or two.

You've Got Me Singing The Blues

2011-11-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Music. It's the one thing that keeps me going in all sorts of weather. I often write this blog to some sort of accompanying music.

I'm writing to a little blues music right now. Kind of. Dr. John with Eric Clapton adding a little tasty guitar. A New Orleans kind of blend.

These two guitar players have about 100 of experience between them. The man in the picture to the right is Guitar Lightning Lee. The man playing the other red Gibson is Little Freddy King.

The "other" red Gibson is called Lucille. It is B.B. Kong's signature line of guitars which are made by Gibson.

Both of these guys play in clubs that you've probably never heard of. Places like BJ's Lounge and Vaughn's in The Bywater of New Orleans. Sometimes they tour. They are more popular in Europe than they are in their home country.

They are among the last of a dying breed. They may be in their 70s, but they just keep going.

The pictures? Oh. They are more or less a by product of the music. They were made at The Mirliton Festival in a small park located in The Bywater. The band actually stopped playing to give respect to a passing jazz funeral and second line parade. That's New Orleans.

Oh yeah. A Mirliton is an Asian Pear. That help?

St Roch

2011-11-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

I've traveled to two churches in North America that supposedly have healing properties. One is in Chimayo, New Mexico. The church in Chimayo is called The Lourdes of America. The other church is located in New Orleans. It is called St. Roch.

I've written about it in past blogs, but this is a new image. So, from Ask.com here is an abbreviated but reasonably accurate version.

"In 1867, New Orleans was in the grip of a furious yellow fever epidemic, and there was little anyone could do to stop the spread of the disease. Reverend Peter Thevis prayed to St. Roch, a medieval saint who ministered to plague victims. After his congregation was spared, Rev. Thevis saw to the creation of the cemetery and its famous chapel.

The Chapel is the most unusual in the city, with its hundreds of mementos of cures attributed to St. Roch. Shoes, braces, crutches, and replicas of body parts line the walls. There is also a whisper that some of this is related to Voodoo, as ceremonies were once supposed to have taken place here."

The church, the cemetery and the chapel were heavily flooded by Hurricane Katrina. It is a tribute the neighborhood, which is only now starting to come back, that they look as good as they do.

For the photographers who read this blog, have a close look at the background of the picture. Most people leave their crutches and braces and bodily support tools behind when they are healed. Apparently, somebody was trying to give up photography. It can't be done.

Influences

2011-11-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I was chatting via email about music and stuff. He happened to mention Tom Waits' Nighthawks At The Dinner. I suppose that he mentioned this because I was talking about Waits' latest CD and his interview on NPR. Actually, what he really mentioned was Tom Scott's work in the 1970s. But, that's for another day.

Anyway...

I said that Nighthawks influenced my work.

I guess that it did. I made this picture in The French Quarter on Halloween. 2011. It's subtle and it's not about pumpkins.

Angelorleans, Indeed.

French Quarter du Noir

2011-11-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Paris? The French Quarter? New Orleans? Maybe all of them. The sensibility is the same. Just a quiet moment in the Quarter made on the same night that gave it all the bad press of multiple shootings.

If this picture could be made bigger in this format, you'd see that she is talking on her cellphone and talking with her hands.

Krewe of Waldo

2011-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised you a little taste of Halloween in New Orleans. Here it is. The Krewe of Waldo. You know -- from the cartoon "Where's Waldo?"

Normally, you have to find Waldo. But, not here. There are Waldoes everywhere on the street prior to getting organized for the parade.

Just like everyone else along the parade route, these two Waldoes are begging for beads.

Wait... there's more.

All In A Dream

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm posting an older picture with a new twist. This will come to an end pretty soon.

I spent a lot of time photographing -- careful here, I didn't "shoot" since that happened too -- a New Orleans Halloween. I actually made a few good pictures. So, I'll be posting brand new work soon... after I finish photographing the trifecta of Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. What's cool about photographing on the two latter days is that I can work in the city's oldest cemeteries and I won't get robbed, stabbed, shot or killed.

Anyway... this dream-like picture was made in a section of Albuquerque, New Mexico called Los Greigos. This is the original church which has been repurposed -- as they say -- into a house. Late winter sun provided the light at around sunset.

The Storm

2011-10-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

As you know, I often make pictures from the front seat of a moving car... when I'm driving.

This one was made from I-25 south of New Mexico, heading south to Albuquerque.

Eventually, I'll get back to my regularly work. But, for now this app is getting to the heart of things for me.

Memories

2011-10-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

I know that I have posted the original picture in the past. But, this new look seems to be new even to me. I think what I like about it most, in this case, is that the software helps the picture to give me the proper feel. Memories.

I made this picture when I was photographing a piece on Route 66. I mostly worked in the west.

But...

This particular picture means a lot more to me then being just one picture as part of project. My parents used to take vacations to the southwest. Often times, my dad would come home from work on Friday, pack us up and drive until he couldn't. That usually meant that we made it to a place like Seligman, Arizona where we overnighted. The next day we kept heading east. When we got to this trading post, which is located on The Continental Divide, which means we were well into New Mexico, we knew that we were in the southwest.

No Parking

2011-10-29T14:52:00.000-06:00

I'm having great fun playing with an i-Pad app called Snapseed. Working it with changes the entire look of my work. Most reviews of this new look are pretty favorable.

This picture was made on New Mexico State Route 14, also known as the Turquoise Trail. You can take the drive from I-40 just east of Albuquerque to Santa Fe. It's slower than I-25 and much more scenic.

Reworked New Mexico

2011-10-28T07:57:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure that if you read this blog for any length of time, you've seen the original versions of these pictures which were all made a various times in The Land of Enchantment - New Mexico. But, these are updated into a more contemporary look using an i-Pad app called Snapseed.

Looking into my crystal ball, which is often cloudy, I see a time when travel imagery produced for the internet could be produced with a small-bodied camera like a Sony NEX series mirrorless camera or the new Nikon 1 cameras and i-Pad and that's all.

That's not to say that high quality, high rez images are still not needed or are not better produced using a more "traditional" post production tool like a computer, but for some uses -- matching the need to the tool seems like a very good idea.

He said, very tongue in cheek.

Testing... 1,2,3.

2011-10-27T07:53:00.000-06:00

I did a little test last night. Or, should I say very early this morning since I did this a little after midnight.

It was sort of opportunistic -- after I downloaded the new Apple portable OS, the new i-Cloud and Apple finally managed to work out some of the early bugs of the cloud be providing a simple switch to turn it on -- i decided to test it.

One of the things the OS did was download everything I stored in Apple servers to my newly installed cloud and so they appeared on my i-Pad. That's okay because the images don't take up an precious real estate on the tablet and Apple uses some kind of really cool compression math when you actually download the picture to the i-Pad.

So.

I worked on two images on my i-Pad using an app called Snapseed and uploaded them directly to my Facebook and Google+ accounts. As a friend of mine might say, "it worked like a hot damn." I don't exactly know what that means, but it fits...

Both images received favorable reviews from their respective audiences. The church went to FB. The flowers to Google. I might swap that around later.

What this does for me is give me a very simple way to update my color palate and create a slightly more contemporary feel. I won't really ever leave my normal style, but in this day and age... you know the rest.

Red Streetcars

2011-10-26T08:54:00.000-06:00

There are two streetcar lines in New Orleans. There are the green, traditional cars that run from Canal Street along St. Charles Avenue, make a turn at Carrolton, cross Canal Street further north and eventually make their way to City Park. There are the red cars that run along Canal Street and run north and south making a turn at the Mississippi River and run down river for a bit.

Aside from their color and their routes, the biggest difference in the two is that the red cars are air conditioned, while the green cars are not.

This picture was made on Canal Street very near The French Quarter. It's a very simple picture, but I sort of like it because it is bright, happy and made in very late afternoon light which give the buildings in the background a sort of glow.

I suppose that the other thing to know is that while visitors to the city like riding them a lot, and the streetcars give a sort of Disneylandish feeling to taking a very inexpensive tour of New Orleans, residents really do use them to commute.

Blues & Bar-B-Que Festival

2011-10-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

I was taught that if you shoot crowd pictures to focus on something in the crowd that will draw the viewer's eye.

Well...

That yellow umbrella did it.

As I was scanning the crowd hoping to make a reasonably good crowd shot that back lighted yellow umbrella just slapped my across the face. It also helped that pretty much the entire crowd was backlighted by very late afternoon sun.

And, this being New Orleans everybody kept busy eatin' and drinkin'.

Bumper Cars

2011-10-24T15:19:00.000-06:00

I made this picture at the Andouille Festival in La Place, Louisiana. I've already posted what an old friend of mine used to call a "zoomie boomie" picture for the festival. And, I'm not quite sure if this one works as well. But, as long time viewers of this blog know, I do a lot of experiemenation.