This is going to be the seconds week in a row that there is not photo. NOt much of a photoblog eh? I assure you that there is a very good reason this week--My house had a "plumbing malfunction" and my MacBook was involved. The prognosis is not good--basically the fine folks at Apple are going to have to gut the entire thing and replace pretty much everything inside. Needless to say, this will not be cheap (but still cheaper than buyinga new machine). I'm not so much concerned about the money. The big problem is that I will be without my machine for about 2 weeks! That means no more photos for two weeks since I shoot in RAW and the other machine that I have at my disposal does not support RAW or have photoshop. I'll still be producing, but will not be able to upload anything.
Other than that, life is great. Work is busy, the photography is coming along well and I'm looking forward to some big projects that are coming up. As soon as I can, I will have some great posts and photos. Hang tight!
Peace!
-JLP
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Big Stuff
The floodgates are open and the water is rushing in fast! I've had very little time to work on the blog or come up with compelling images for it in the last few weeks because of conflicts at work. Big things are happening in my life right now. I would normally sit back and think about it, but it's happened so fast that I haven't had time. Its actually better that way though.
The last two weeks r some have been full of surprises and discoveries. As big as things have been. Something bigger is about to start, though I don't want to go blabbing about it until I know it's real. Stay tuned. I'll be sure to tell EVERYONE when things start moving!
-Peace,
JLP
The last two weeks r some have been full of surprises and discoveries. As big as things have been. Something bigger is about to start, though I don't want to go blabbing about it until I know it's real. Stay tuned. I'll be sure to tell EVERYONE when things start moving!
-Peace,
JLP
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Just(in) Because
There’s no special story behind this photo. I was just really happy with the way it came out. Me, and my most prized possession preserved photographically for posterity. Oh, and I nearly went blind taking this. “No pain, no gain”, there’s your special story!
Peace
-JLP
Peace
-JLP
Monday, August 6, 2007
"One Size Fits All"
First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of entries last week. I was out of town visiting my new baby cousin (the subject of a future post), and just as I got back, I caught a cold.
Anyway, last night a friend and myself made out way to the Schlafly Bottleworks, one of the two brewpubs run by St. Louis Brewery, the other big brewer in town. It was a perfect day for beer, as the mercury hit nearly 100 degrees on Saturday.
Anyway, the trip got me to thinking. Some people would call me foolish for paying 4 dollars per pint for beer when I could stay at home and get a six-pack up Bud Light for almost the same price. Now, I have absolutely no problem with Bud Light—I’m actually a huge fan, and have been known to keep a case in the fridge. As an undergraduate, my roommates and I made a ritual of getting a few pitchers of Bud Light during Happy Hour at the local pub. However, there are times where Bud just won’t do. Sometimes you want a different flavor. Sometimes you want a beer to complement a specific dish. Sometimes you just want variety (St. Louis, like most microbreweries makes a variety of styles, some regular and some seasonal).
The point is that “one size fits all” isn’t true all of the time. The same is true of photography. Some of the non-photographers in my life have questioned why I own 5 different lenses. They don’t realize that this is a pretty minuscule number compared to what some people with more money (or more impulse, or more need) own. They also don’t realize that each of these lenses does something that the others can’t. One is a “jack of all trades”, one is good for taking photos in low light and getting bokeh (that creamy, out of focus background that you see in many photos), yet another is a fisheye. I could not get the true fisheye effect without a real fisheye lens, and thought it was pricey, when I use it, I never doubt that it was money well spent.
Today’s photo (taken with my “low light” lens) is an example of a photo that would have not happened without that lens.
Long story short-- When one size fits, wear it, when it doesn’t, be willing and ready to get something bigger, smaller, wider, narrower, or whatever you need to get the desired result.
Oh, and if you ever find yourself in St. Louis, Missouri. Please stop by the Tap Room or the Bottleworks.
Peace
-JLP
Anyway, last night a friend and myself made out way to the Schlafly Bottleworks, one of the two brewpubs run by St. Louis Brewery, the other big brewer in town. It was a perfect day for beer, as the mercury hit nearly 100 degrees on Saturday.
Anyway, the trip got me to thinking. Some people would call me foolish for paying 4 dollars per pint for beer when I could stay at home and get a six-pack up Bud Light for almost the same price. Now, I have absolutely no problem with Bud Light—I’m actually a huge fan, and have been known to keep a case in the fridge. As an undergraduate, my roommates and I made a ritual of getting a few pitchers of Bud Light during Happy Hour at the local pub. However, there are times where Bud just won’t do. Sometimes you want a different flavor. Sometimes you want a beer to complement a specific dish. Sometimes you just want variety (St. Louis, like most microbreweries makes a variety of styles, some regular and some seasonal).
The point is that “one size fits all” isn’t true all of the time. The same is true of photography. Some of the non-photographers in my life have questioned why I own 5 different lenses. They don’t realize that this is a pretty minuscule number compared to what some people with more money (or more impulse, or more need) own. They also don’t realize that each of these lenses does something that the others can’t. One is a “jack of all trades”, one is good for taking photos in low light and getting bokeh (that creamy, out of focus background that you see in many photos), yet another is a fisheye. I could not get the true fisheye effect without a real fisheye lens, and thought it was pricey, when I use it, I never doubt that it was money well spent.
Today’s photo (taken with my “low light” lens) is an example of a photo that would have not happened without that lens.
Long story short-- When one size fits, wear it, when it doesn’t, be willing and ready to get something bigger, smaller, wider, narrower, or whatever you need to get the desired result.
Oh, and if you ever find yourself in St. Louis, Missouri. Please stop by the Tap Room or the Bottleworks.
Peace
-JLP
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Things That Go Bump in the NIght
Things That Go Bump In The Night
Yesterday I posted about photography and having fun. It just so happened that right after I put that post up, the last of the lighting equipment that I ordered finally arrived. Some of you know that for the last several months I’d been talking about setting up a small studio so I could better shoot people and products. I spent about an hour last night working with the things I got: An umbrella, a lighting stand and umbrella adapter, and a set of radio triggers so that I can get my flash off of the camera and producing better light.
Today’s photo is one of the better results from last night. I’d read for a while about what a difference being able to control where you light came from made, and now I wish I’d invested in some lighting equipment earlier.
This photo was meant to convey a sense of fear and of looking out for something unknown. It’s as if something went “bump” in the night, yet I just had to open the door to see what exactly was out there.
“Seeing what’s out there”, is exactly what all of us, photographer and non-photographer, have to do to in order to grow. Sometimes the “bump” we hear is really opportunity knocking at our door. Sometimes we think we hear something, only to find that it was just our imagination. And yes, sometimes, the bump in the night is indeed a fearsome beast that will rip us shreds. The point is that if we don’t open the door each and every time, we never know whether it was opportunity or misfortune knocking, and therefore, we never learn and never grow. Worse, we’ll often wonder if that “bump” in the night could have been something that would have made our lives better. Don’t wonder—open the door already!
Peace,
-JLP
Yesterday I posted about photography and having fun. It just so happened that right after I put that post up, the last of the lighting equipment that I ordered finally arrived. Some of you know that for the last several months I’d been talking about setting up a small studio so I could better shoot people and products. I spent about an hour last night working with the things I got: An umbrella, a lighting stand and umbrella adapter, and a set of radio triggers so that I can get my flash off of the camera and producing better light.
Today’s photo is one of the better results from last night. I’d read for a while about what a difference being able to control where you light came from made, and now I wish I’d invested in some lighting equipment earlier.
This photo was meant to convey a sense of fear and of looking out for something unknown. It’s as if something went “bump” in the night, yet I just had to open the door to see what exactly was out there.
“Seeing what’s out there”, is exactly what all of us, photographer and non-photographer, have to do to in order to grow. Sometimes the “bump” we hear is really opportunity knocking at our door. Sometimes we think we hear something, only to find that it was just our imagination. And yes, sometimes, the bump in the night is indeed a fearsome beast that will rip us shreds. The point is that if we don’t open the door each and every time, we never know whether it was opportunity or misfortune knocking, and therefore, we never learn and never grow. Worse, we’ll often wonder if that “bump” in the night could have been something that would have made our lives better. Don’t wonder—open the door already!
Peace,
-JLP
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Having Fun
This'll be short. Most people who know me know that I want to be taken seriously as a photographer as much as I want to be taken seriously as a person. Working to be taken seriously doesn't have to mean that we can't have fun. I highly doubt that this shot will ever be in the permanent collection at MOMA, but it's light-hearted and fun.
I used a fisheye lens for this shot. This fisheye is not the cheapest or most practical lens that I have, but whenever I use it, I have a good time.
For you photography types who are noticing that the image isn't very sharp, keep in mind that it was taken wide-open (f/2.8).
Peace
-JLP
I used a fisheye lens for this shot. This fisheye is not the cheapest or most practical lens that I have, but whenever I use it, I have a good time.
For you photography types who are noticing that the image isn't very sharp, keep in mind that it was taken wide-open (f/2.8).
Peace
-JLP
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Beauty of Decay
My immediate family lives in an old neighborhood. Nearly all of the buildings in the area are made of red brick. The neighborhood has experienced a lot of changes since we moved in nearly 20 years ago. It has undergone a period of blight, yet somehow, it has retained a good amount of its
charm. In recent years there have been attempts to renovate certain parts of the neighborhood, with many buildings being restored and renovated.Interestingly enough, I’ve found that the buildings that are still rough around the edges tell some of the most interesting stories, and thus are best suited for photography.
Take for instance the subject for today. This church has obviously seen better days. It has been abandoned for years. If you look closely, you’ll notice clues that suggest that this was not originally a church, rather it was converted into one. These “storefront churches” are common in urban areas throughout the United States. Paint is peeling, bricks are eroding, and the paint on the signboard is faded. Some people would drive past this building only thinking what an eyesore it is. I say that this building is full of character, and far less of an eyesore than the prefabricated, cookie-cutter buildings that we seen in suburbs and gentrified areas across the country.
As some of you know, I spent a few years in Japan, and studied the country for years before that. I remember learning about a concept called Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-Sabi could be described as an understanding and appreciation of imperfection and impermanence. When we get something
new, it will only retain the luster of newness for so long. Eventually colors will fade, metal will rust, and brick will crumble. Yet there is beauty in that breakdown. I recalled that for the first time in ages today.As I was taking my final shots of this building, I heard a voice from across the street. “Hey, what are you taking pictures of?” This is something that should be familiar to all photographers. I looked over and saw two women sitting outside of their homes, enjoying cold drinks as the sun was beginning to set. I explained that I was taking pictures of the church, and I walked over to show them the photos that I’d taken. They complimented me and the younger woman told me that she’d taken some photos of the church on her cell phone, but they’d not come out very well. We started chatting about the beautiful buildings in the area. She even showed me some watercolors that a friend of hers had painted of some of them. I moved on shortly afterwards. On the way home I started thinking about some things she’d said, namely that she, like I, thought that the building was interesting because it was in the state that it was.
I’m certain that one day, the church will be either demolished and replaced, or re-modeled and used as something else. Years down the line when Starbucks is having its Grand Opening on the corner and people are there thinking how great that is, I’ll be able to pull out my notebook and say “Yea, this is cool and all, but you want to see something really great?”
Peace
--JLP
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