yay area: brooklyn edition

" you are fantastic "

2012-01-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

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over two weeks into 2012, you're doing great things i imagine. you're shifting ever-slightly closer to your ideal, and riding the line. people are beginning to notice the shift, and you notice them too.

smilies evolving out of the corners of your eyes, beaming faces, a sun, a galaxy. you are fantastic, and it only gets better and better.

put yourself out there; people are pleased to meet you, and you are making a difference in the wake of your immanent arrival.

tonight's homework:

do more, be more, interact more, collaborate on projects more, share more, hug more, eat more good food more, bake more, sing more, laugh more, drink more tea, meet up with those people more, sleep more, wake up more, run more, go go go go, exist.

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janvier 01

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" dreaming the impossible dream "

2011-12-31T10:38:00.002-05:00

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what will you do tomorrow?

make a breakfast of steel-cut oatmeal with brown sugar and cream? arrange in order the many colored socks you own into neat categories? shimmy-shake your leg while you slumber and do a stuttered half-twist with your body as you exhale and soft-smack your mouth a few times?

the possibilities endless, the road open and wide, the horizon clear and true. in the kitchen, you can hear the refrigerator hum and buzz while the sound of a new year's wind caresses the windows from outside.

so many numbers of things that could happen this year, but will it?

what will you do tomorrow?

here are some suggestions:

teach someone a skill. you never know what good you can do in the world until you can transfer knowledge
plant something. a seed, an indoor pot of seasonal herbs, an idea.
go on an adventure. take a journey no matter the distance, walk down an unexplored path and look for the light reflecting off of all of the different angles.
listen to a story. learn about your fellow people. friends, strangers, workers, bankers, nerds, children. we all are experiencing something very unique, and what better way to navigate that experience by hearing about how others are getting along.
volunteer for a charity. participation in helping our fellow people through a shelter or organization really allows you to directly affect someone else's life in a positive way, so matter how small.
write a song even if you don't know how.
sing karaoke in public, even if you're scared.
doodle, draw, paint, sculpt, create anything. everything. you do have talent and you are creative, even if you don't believe yourself to be.
have hope and optimism, and take risks to actualize those wishes.
cook more meals at home. preferably with friends, family, and loved ones. it just tastes better.
shake more hands.
hug more people. hugs are great.
create a space for yourself to express yourself more. could be a journal/diary. could be a meditation room. could be someone's ear.
read a book.
watch more movies, both good and bad ones. how will you know what you like unless you watch more of them? i like to watch movies (hint, hint).
make more lists. lists will clearly organize a myriad of things, and will set your mind at ease. plus, lists are rad.
settle a score.
surprise someone with generosity.
surprise yourself with generosity.
make that phone call.
handwrite a postcard or letter. make sure you have proper postage.

there are so many activities you could do tomorrow, and all it takes is a little gumption, a little self regulation and free-will. you can do them all.

i believe in you, and you're doing great.

tonight's homework:

open up those eyes to all the possibilities in the world, and begin to craft a plan.

happy new year.

---

decembre 31

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" laments & expanding joys "

2011-12-30T13:12:00.003-05:00

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i have had moments this year. moments filled with frenetic energy, anxiety, blisses, regret, doubt, and ire. like most everyone living this linear existence, you cannot help to notice time passing.

slow or rapid, it's all happening around you, and only when you have a moment of clarity amidst the fray, a surfacing from below the water-level, do you see. you actually can see the moments constantly folding over each other. meshing and combining and filling our days with everything.

the long faces in the crowd, shielded by black scarves. middle-aged men with coats purchased by daughters and carrying lunchbags chosen by their granddaughters. green ones with bunnies having a picnic scattered across the vinyl. "homeless-occupiers", homeless moms on the train with their kid(s) at 3am, the american salary man, hot dog vendors, boys in threes or fours flexing their bravado safely and in confident packs.

people in the the city, in the world, on the street, on the train, in your face. so many people.

how can you see all of them in their infinite numbers? so many stories filled with hope, tragedies, happinesses & elation, sadness. filled to the brim with love and compassion only to have it misunderstood. filled to the brim with deception and malice only to have it misunderstood.

getting older means that nothing is so black & white. we live in shades of gray, and it's up to you to navigate those muted tones amidst the shock of colors. and what a faceted spectrum. ever-present and aware, as if all walls have tiny eyes constantly watching and never blinking.

it has been a curious year to be sure. as always, highs and lows. but you do your best despite the world, and sometimes despite your better judgement.

be good to people, and if you messed up, own up to it. time is ever-fleeting, and the burden of those moments of conflict compound and multiply before receding.

it has been quite the year, and there are so many more to go.

tonight's home work:

do good, be good. and try to reflect that goodness in others. do your best, and people will notice. and someday, the right people will notice.

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decembre 16

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" my life is meaningful & yours is too. "

2011-12-15T01:17:00.000-05:00

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i have done wrong in my life so far. i have done wrong.

i have lied, i have stolen, i have wrongly accused & have hurt feelings.

i have done all of these things to those closest to me & to those that have shared in my affections & love.

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septembre 25

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and today is the day i lay most open. today is the day where i make those occurrences known, and promise to be a better man. to be a better person to the very best of my abilities.

harbor no ill will towards anyone without cause. be truthful & remain resolute to do good in this world for the time i have left.

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i am an animal on the earth, and i too can change & adapt. i too have the capacity to love & reflect kindness.

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i have done wrong, but i'm trying to do right.

tonight's homework:

cook a delicious meal with friend's or a loved one. talk about the day, what happened, and then about what really interests you about living where you are living. discuss dreams, aspirations, goals, and plan adventures. listen to music that makes you happy, drink tea or a hot toddy, then lay down on the floor and let the moment build, pass over, and become memory.

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" when life is a chore, make a chorewheel "

2011-09-24T10:30:00.005-04:00

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there are so many opportunities to fail. in moments of problem-solving, ones of trouble-shooting. cooking woes, heart-leaning woes, crafting woes. so many, so woeful.

but you still must maintain your composure and your dignity. keep your chin up and move forward with grace because you know better to linger in that somber space.

better yet to be tenacious and driven. make that work despite all the powers-against, looming around you like a damp thick cloak. there is most definitely a rhyme and reason behind an act of beauty, and an act of honesty will always be rewarded. it may not be the reaction you're expecting, but i promise you, it will come around.

so make an assessment and weigh options. gather materials and stretch out your body. deep breaths, deep breaths. putting it out there with small acts of bravery, propel you into the a better version of yourself with each step.

there are many things yet to be done, and only you can bring them to the surface.

best of luck to you.

tonight's homework:

approach and engage with a complete stranger. your task is to relay to them you are taking portraits of people on the street, to create a visual representation of the portrait of a city street. make the photograph(s), and be sure to provide them with both a genuine experience of positive human interaction and also your contact information.

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septembre 01

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" flex them arms, wide and high "

2011-08-26T02:34:00.000-04:00

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bracing for the reality of a new day, i stand fortified and at ready. the stormclouds gather in the distance; people are looking over their drooping shoulders, thinking of the worst, and hoping for the best.

you have to remain resolute, brave, stoic and honest. be open and with strength, outstretch your arms and offer your care to those around you. you mean well, and they will sense your warm nature.

being considerate at all times is key. be a good listener. don't be afraid to take a risk, to take a chance. lean in close and whisper something into my ear. i promise to be patient and hear everything you have to share.

the world is so finite, and our shared time so short. there are fireworks and moments yet to experience, and i cannot do it alone.

tonight's homework:

make 5 portraits of a friend of a friend, and ask them to think of one secret they can share with you without giving up too much about them. make the photograph(s), and then let them speak their secret to you. be receptive and fair in your response.

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" fits of elation and other rainy-day extended smiles "

2011-08-15T02:05:00.000-04:00

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feet first & first steps. get the math right on those settings, and you can just roam and roam, and photographs will just manifest. photo flash focus record. making memories while making art.

it's the people you meet, the camera not only being the tool, but becoming the conduit. a translator of emotion, states of being, conversations, sharing, delving, listening.

strange and curious moments becoming connective tissues, a rendering of action which leads to thoughts which leads to more actions, and will you follow through or not?

my odds say you will.

it's in those first contemplative moments of bravery where you'll makes broad stokes and strides forward. good luck in work as well in life. we'll be out amongst you if you need anything and everything.

---

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" some things written while on the way "

2011-07-25T16:16:00.008-04:00

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(note to self: not posting for over a month is crazytown. if you're going to have one, get on it. silly.)

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our paths diverged and i can still feel you going further away still. the last breath shared and exhaled, the last touches distant. i'm forgetting you like the flash of a shadow on a bricked wall. you're gone you're gone you're gone you're gone. a phantom, an apparition, sweet spirit, hushes voices.

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the marrow in your bones:

sometimes our weaknesses too can define our strengths. as emotional beings, we all have the capacity for empathy, change, understanding, and longing.

what do you do with those feelings, unrelentless at times overwhelming?

confront them, believe them? store them up and ignore them?

act upon them.

---

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two moments on the morning train:

small bit of scalp peeking out between the slow motion of a pony-tail languidly pulled back. the silky twists and the smoothed plains with their soft sheen.

a father in a striped hat reading to his young daughter on the morning F train. she is 4 or 5, sitting on his lap wearing a yellow rainslicker with a pattern of butterflies fluttering; her rain boots designed with frog heads on the toes, dangle over the seat of his knees.

(the next week later, i see the same father and daughter. he's wearing a cornsilk blue shirt and linen pants. oh his head, a straw hat with a black band. the tiny daughter with a pinstripe button-down shirt and the smallest little barrette in her hair, clasping back a clutch of wispy hairs. he read to her whispering in her seashell ears and she smiled looking out into the car.)

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and before you know it, the time will pass you by. a second becomes a minute becomes an hour becomes a day and so on and so forth.

your life is fleeting, ever present, and opportunities are passing you by.

clouds in the sky drift as you sit and wait.

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a shock of sharp pleats sway in the folds of a red dress, swishing back and forth as you ascend the steps.

the long lines broken and calmed by the smoothing round of a bottom or a thigh.

the shape of your body breaking the surface.

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" leaning into the wind with shoes off "

2011-05-25T12:43:00.000-04:00

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so, what to do now?

the weather in the city is warming and the tourists are out in their "travel-shorts." all eyes are skyward towards the green leaves, shiny façades of glass structures, craggy gargoyles, furnace-smoke plumes billowing black and steady into the air, and the occasional bird or plane or superman.

you're standing on the corner of a busy intersection. the yellow cabs driving past catch the afternoon light and momentarily blind you at that shocking angle of reflection. ladies' sandals scrape and swish along the pavement with exposed feet, chafed heels and painted toenails.

camera in hand, is there any excuse? peer, observe, shoot, capture, interact, experience, live.

tonight's homework:

make ten photographs of man-made things that represent nature, and ten photographs of natural things that look like man-made things. after the import and edit of these images, make ten diptychs which either compliment or contrast the objects. share, enjoy, repeat.

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" coconut water for the soul "

2011-05-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

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if ever there was a moment to shift and flex, it's now, and in the present. we're forever tilting and leaning towards the future, always trying to keep abreast of potential awesome situations, reading tweets (if you do), and finding ourselves readily absorbed into the hurtling information age. but what of the rebooting functions?

are we always on?

there are moments that you will find yourself, in public or at home, and you'll start to feel like "doing something." it is inevitable, this creeping notion which climbs all over your body and being like a swimming shiver, and you will desire for something outside of the current experience you find yourself. you will want more, and you'll have to defy the want to stay put.

when then, is the right moment to make a go of it? and the answer is always now now now now now. it might be a gentle nudging like someone's soft nose stroking the wide span of space between your shoulder blades. it might be a sucker-punch with a full force to the gut. it might be the same person that does both, and they'll have been correct in both instances of motivation.

ever so we are creatures of comfort, and must reinvent ourselves constantly, but hold steadfast to the idea that everything is in transition, and you must constantly be evolving. you can remain true to yourself even in the midst of sweeping change, heartbreak, anguish, elation, the bright light morning realizations that you are and remain to be hungover, joyful dancing moments in the street, sitting in cafe's at 4am with familiar strangers, on the subway while strange sad men are singing sam cooke songs for change, or just opening your eyes each morning.

today you made it to the world again, and it's going to be a beautiful day. let's make something beautiful happen.

---

tonight's homework:

attempt to find the heartbeat of the area around you in your day, by photographing lines that flow horizontal in the image. it could be cracks on a street or wall, lines in the concrete, graffiti, signs, window art, or just transitions. line ten images up (or just 10 at a time, if you take a lot more), and try to create a connection between the lines. look at the string of this heartbeat-manifest, and think about what gets you through your day. share with others, repeat.

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" it's what you make of it "

2011-04-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

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sometimes the right choice is to take your camera everywhere you go. to the park. to the laundromat. to the grocery store, or the weekend market, or the bar. to the gallery. to the ice cream shoppe. to the BBQ. to the temple, or church, or synagogue, or the piers.

sometimes the right choice is to leave your camera at home. seeing the world in a paused moment from the bombardment of everyday now. shut out the internets, the frequencies, the refresh rates. leave behind the droning hum of fluorescent tubes overhead, the quiet vibrations of computer chassis touching external hard drives.

sometimes the right choice is to make a choice, and mean it.

tonight's homework:

think about five ways you could start a conversation, and then sometime over the weekend, practice these intros on a stranger. preferably people who you're in close proximity to (not in a creeper way), are more prone to at least indulge you for a quick exchange. learn something new about this person if you have the chance, and see what sort of other humans are out there. make a connection.

examples of recent interactions i had: met two australians through a mutual friend, talked to a taxi driver who loves driving, treats it as a game of sorts (safely), and thinks tribeca is dangerous.

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avril 05

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" the sound of the universe shedding a tear, at your false realization that your life is insignificant or unimportant "

2011-04-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

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raging oceans of creativity, surging, swelling, taking shape, dissipating.

underneath the thin sheaths of your eyelids, cloaked daggers itch at the surface, jutting forward with the intention to see, absorb, translate, reflect, and seek out new truths.

there's no time like this time. there's no limit when you stretch out your arms in a wide pattern. open, unyielding, honest, and ready to receive.

your muscles flex, your haunches taut at the ready, the time constantly converges and crashes upon itself, billowing forth multiple opportunities of an infinite possibility on the verge of discovery.

there's barely time to breathe, but you suck in quick through teeth held slightly apart. the brief wind causes the temperature to lower across the insides of our lips.

and then you find focus.

tonight's homework:

take ten different photos of ten different hands of ten different people who do ten different jobs. print them out postcard size. caption them with the name, job, relation, and possibly age of the subjects. post them on a wall somehow, maybe tape, maybe magnets. think about the untapped potential to create, and hold your breath for 20 seconds. exhale and begin to work.

to go to sleep to:

http://youtu.be/z1TGhUMqgVw

---

mars 16

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" stone soup "

2011-03-15T00:47:00.001-04:00

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i'm gathering the ingredients all up, and with each passing moment, there seems to be less and less time to do such things.

the water almost to a boil, ripples forming as the heat below travels up and through the atoms. it all starts like this.

a clear template, a vast and wide sheet of parchment; infinite potential stretched taut and toothy, ready to receive.

as my peers and fellow stranger line up to collaborate on this, our latest and most intriguing project, we take a collective step forward, and cross thresholds.

we cross galaxies in each step, are our feet never touch the ground.

---

fevrier 25

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mars 01

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" patterns patterns "

2011-02-24T15:26:00.001-05:00

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dreaming dreaming, sleepful slumber.

lulling tides, with dark waves washing o'er.

a jolt awake, the sun blazes through the blinds.

the disbelief of reality, followed by an exhale and a relief.

aching body, and climbing down.

into the world again, as

checklists fill my mind,

and the dream'd dreams have drowned.

tonight's homework:

make five (5) images of a single object of any size, and try to show the object's personality. it can be different angles, or light sources, or time of day or location. be sure to try a lot of ideas, then edit down to the five (5) most successful ones. you may just have a portrait or the beginnings of a story.

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fevrier 16

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" love what you do "

2011-02-16T12:27:00.001-05:00

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you have to have a love for what you do. there is nothing more soul-consuming than feeling like you're putting all of your creative energies into something that doesn't forward your expression.

you have to sink you mind's fingers into the brainstorming sack of beans. feel all of the possibilities slipping through your fingers, and how easy it would be to just leave your hand there, without bringing something to the surface upon removal.

it's not enough to care or have a passing interest. you need to have a love. you need to have a passion. you need to have enough doubt in yourself, in the process, in the outcomes, in order to improve upon your work.

the next time someone asks you what you do, take a brief moment and really think about that question. what is it that you actually do? is it your money-making work? is it your hobby? is it your gardening?

i think that people use that inquiry to break the proverbial ice, expecting a bland one-sentence answer of your current job. but challenge yourself in that moment, and let that challenge extend to all facets in your creative life.

love what you do, and what you do, will take care of you. inside and out.

tonight's homework:

ask a friend to sit for you for a five (5) image portrait session. it can be headshots or include their whole bodyspace. make five images which describe five distinct emotions that they felt in the past day. examples could be as base as anger or elation, or as complex as you like. make these images, and send them to me or a fellow artist, and see if they can describe those emotional states.

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janvier 10


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" koo koo ka-choo "

2011-01-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

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and with that, the first week of the new year just flew on by. i turned 31 on friday, a day in which large soft snowflakes aloft on a quiet calm breeze, fell gently with a lovely weight. amidst the gently flurry, i remembered why i love the snowfall.

everything seems like it's turning over. great books are getting read, technology is catching up to itself, the weeks are filled with things to do, and those moments away from work are filled with tiny checklists intermittently being ticked.

thin layers of ice coat the streets making it impossible to get a footing. thousands of work-appropriate footwear skidding and slipping along glistening avenues, bobbing and toppling their way towards a known destination.

so i'm a year on from the last time i was a year on, and i am feeling pretty self-assured. one issue tackled, and many others in the aisles. there never is a better time to take your life by the collar than right now.

all of my indications point to the fact that this year will serve as a touchstone for good things. so this year do your part by helping others with their projects, collaborate with someone on one of your own, make a book, start a 365 project and stick to it, challenge yourself in your photography by trying something new for once!!

teach someone something useful, be aware of your surroundings and photog it accordingly. be safe, be smart, be curious, courteous, willful, brash, adventurous, amazing. aim to be better, and troubles will tremble in your mighty wake.

tonight's homework:

whatever the weather, make it a point to go out into the world, and take 5 photographs of 5 people. they could be street strangers or doormen. police officers or vendors. be brave and be honest. state your intention and when they ask you what you're doing, have an answer. if you get good results, share them with me or others.

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janvier 01

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" new spectacles, old ways evolving, brighter days "

2010-12-31T13:04:00.001-05:00

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and here we find ourselves teeming with anticipation on the brim of another year; a tidal shift calendar-based and with purportedly endless possibilities.

this year perhaps, instead of attempting to do everything, accomplish everything, be everywhere, and check the entirety of my life's wants and desires on my ever-evolving life's checklist, i believe that i will aim towards the more realistic. the grounded and surely-attainable.

publish a small photo book you say? well yes, i can accomplish that for sure.

bake a batch of oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies? thy will be done.

photograph and photograph and reel and document and pontificate and continue to produce, dream, smile, and bliss out in the face of adversity?

multi-check.

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we're not kids anymore. we're not kidding ourselves. we're not able to be precocious any longer.

it's time to strike a chord, find the balance, teeter the scales in your favor, let go of old regrets, start actualizing your physical fitness, doodle on eeeeeverything, focus in, listen and reflect. be better.

it's time to pick up that camera, any camera (from toy to mobile/smart[dumb]phone to TLR, to rangefinder, to SLR, to DSLR, to medium digiback leica ricoh 4x5 large format bellowed chassis land camera everything everything anything, and be the photographer that you are, instead of be like everyone else and say you're a photographer.

i mean, who isn't a photographer here? sure you can shoot, but do you have something to say? something to share? something to love and embody?

well, on this day already half over, i hope that your tomorrow and each day of next year is filled with tiny victories. if you need of me, i'll be closer than you'll ever expect; heart-close and ever-supportive.

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tonight's homework, the last homework of the new year:

bury an ill will of this year, and plant a seed of goodness for the next.

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" in other (awesome) news "

2010-12-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

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i found out today that some photographs i licensed to a feature film production were featured in a pivotal scene on the NYT website. even though the scene itself is heavy, i think the photos suit the art direction and look great.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/17/movies/rabbitholeanatomyofascene.html

for your trivia-seeking pleasure, below are the images you can look for in the film. please support rabbit hole, and tell your people that i sent you.

rad.

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" holding in your breath "

2010-12-17T20:44:00.000-05:00

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you never know how it's all going to occur, so it's best practice to be prepared.

wading through it all, did you pack the correct equipment? munsell color card? filters? extra batteries, lenses? memory cards?

so many things, so many things.

autumn turning into the end of autumn, and winter slipping its icy fingers underneath the hem of your shirt and making its presence known. nighttime becoming sooner and sooner.

you have to find your inspirations where you can, and in all things, especially when the hours of free-time become less and less.

you never know how it's all going to slow down and cease, so bundle up, take your chances, and see what treasures you'll find.

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tonight's homework:

find someone in the street, and ask them if you can take their photograph. a street portrait. if they are willing, ask them a few questions about themselves and see if you can make a connection on some level. there are a lot of us out in the world; it might behoove us to meet some of each other.

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" steps in the darkness "

2010-11-14T00:57:00.000-05:00

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there was a lull and an occurrence, and the world became quiet. the long silence between our words stretched seconds, hours, days, months, years, millennia.

throughout, not a finger was lifted, and we all breathed shallow and stood apart. the thought of moving forward was too much to bear, and some of us took the low road back to civilization.

there was a point where i found myself alone in a broad clearing. i could see the stars above. i could smell the freshness of the deep of night's clutches slowly shifting into dawn. i could feel the world exhaling after a long and collective holding of our breaths.

when day broke, i could see that everything was in order; curious and overwhelming, we stood by each other, closer than before, looking into each others eyes, and we drifted away from oblivion.

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tonight's homework:

find yourself a moment of clarity, and photograph a moment of discovery.

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" trying to resolve the highlights and shadows in my life "

2010-10-18T00:38:00.001-04:00

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over two weeks later, i have reclaimed my life back from my wonderful(ly time-consuming but well-meaning) thai peeps/visitors.

my camera is falling apart. the grips are peeling off, and i can feel the chassis buckling a bit, every time i grip the clear weight of the body.

my eyes are slowly getting worse, and i still click-click-ka-chack my way through the day. gotta flex that eye. gotta take that risk. keep moving, keep hydrated, keep notes, keep positive.

it's about finding the balance between observing life's happenings, and living life without the camera in between. i hold mine at my side, slung at the waist, and at ready.

tonight's homework:

make five (5) photographs of things that you regularly do not photograph out of hesitation. examples are people on the street, still life of things. nature shots, nudes, jumping pics, strangers, watercrafts, old people's hands/jewelry, et al. challenge yourself to push beyond the boundaries of your immediate comfort zone, and show me something new.

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" the undoing of being bashful "

2010-09-25T23:19:00.000-04:00

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today the weather was a beautiful sun-dappled light-breeze sort of day. people were out on the streets in full force, and everything in the city glowed and expanded.

today was the day to step out and interact. people looked into your eyes and you could see the joy in their hearts. i saw multi-colored toenails, a battalion of the fluffiest puppies, and everyone seemed like they were open.

taking all of that into account, i chose today to be a day where i would talk to anyone who wanted to talk to me. i found the opportunity to photograph one person who turned out to be a very interesting person. you just never know what you'll be able to do, until you open up.

this afternoon, i talked to a ticket sales person for the NY city ballet, a cinephile from mississippi, an indian tourist looking to find the right train to W. 4th, and a tunesian taxi diver keen to purchase a DSLR of his own one day so that he may pursue a dream of being a photographer. it was quite the day.

in your photography, you must do the same. these aren't secrets that only a select few understand and utilize. the ability to open up and be honest with the world around you, is one that people can sense, and then your stock multiplies exponentially.

i've heard this said to me, and i believed it fully, and it's been fruitful in it's implementation and follow-through..."be bold and courageous." be it, take a risk, take a chance. take a chance on yourself, and believe in the openness of others.

oh yeah, and to Mr. Danny Glover, of whom i interacted with very briefly today at the NY film festival...sir, you are a gentleman and i salute you as well as your stellar career (insert the image of tipping one's chapeau, and a bent knee here).

tonight's homework:

when you're out there in the world, choose one person (if the occasion so arises) to take a portrait of. make sure that the permission is granted, and then actually spend some time learning about who that person is. sometimes you just need to be aware of your surroundings, and so many great conversations can arise from simple situations.

remember to exchange information or have a pen and paper handy. you never know what treasures you'll find in those few moments.

email me your best stranger portrait all throughout next week, and i'll post the five (5) choice ones at the end of next week.

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" photowalks and the art of daily glee "

2010-09-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

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tonight i participated in a special edition photowalk, with the incoming students of the Masters of Digital Photography @ SVA. a big ups to my alma mater, and chair katrin eismann.

big ups to those students and good luck in your burgeoning next year of your life/education.

if you go on a photowalk every day, you'll start to see the world differently. you noticed in your photographic infancy, that you began to see shapes in the shadows. you started to notice how the light falls on certain buildings, or on grasses, or faces and people in different ways, dependent on the time of day or seasons.

when you were in your photographic adolescence, you started to apply the concepts you learned, whether on your own or in an arena of instruction. you balanced out the formula of shutter speed, ISO, and f-stop, then messed with it to accord with your personal vision.

you started to dabble in still life portraiture, nudes, time lapse, pinhole, medium format. you started to expand.

you started to evolve and hone your sensibility.

and now you're here. in the present moment, filled with all of the experience and experiences you've accumulated to this point. and how does it feel?

hopefully hungry for more, and good for you.

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tonight's homework:

explore the area immediately in the 5 block radius of your home or work. take a photo of all the objects that are red or blue or yellow. when you get all of your photos back, see which ones catch your fancy, and think about why. is it the color of the object? the shape? the way the light falls on it?

email to me [bay(at)cbaymilin(dot)com] your favorite photo of this assignment, and 1-3 sentences of why.

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" photowalk homework results "

2010-08-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

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this past tuesday i gave out a homework assignment that asked you to show me something new. congratulations to the two of you that had something for me to look at.

i can only think that one of two things happened:

01. you don't know of this blog, thus you never read the post, and subsequently you never read the homework assignment and most obviously didn't do it or send it to me.

or

02. you are a lazy photographer that couldn't do what your heart, hands, and brain wanted to do, but for some reason felt as if it was too labored a task.

both of which are fine excuses. in the end, who cares what i have to say about the work itself. it is in the act of taking the photographs, that we validate our craft and ever-become the photographers that we are.

if you didn't have the time due to some certain circumstance that was more important, respect. i am always available for discussion and critique. so with all that said and done, onward to the images.

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lafcadio:

comment:

there is something both comforting and eerie about this image. for me, it touches upon the passage of time, and the wilting of hopes. the ochre-mustard of the windshield frame cries out amongst the rusting veneer of the hood and chassis. it is a somber photo and one that i imagine hides a person in the backseat, sleeping soundly while clutching a jacket around them, not their own.

geoff scott:

comment:

a snapshot yes, but one that encapsulates the experience of road travel and the permanence of curiosity. i like how the sign is also rusted (a theme perhaps of this week?), and how it's shape juts forth, away from the side of the building and is announced, bold and against the blue sky overhead. indeed we are in parts unknown, and where do we go from here?

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" photo contests & the wrath of mediocrity "

2010-08-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

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just off the bat, here are links to two photography contests whose submission period is about to end:

01. capture brooklyn

02. viewbook photostory

there is something inside of you as a photographer, that must be sated. you have a unique eye for the world, that much is a given. we're about as varied of visual artists as we are cell-based organisms.

we have bodies that are comprised of matter and have weight in the world; we displace the absence of space. we are here, and we exist.

your photographs too must embody a space. there is a place that your images displace the absence of not a thing, in which it will reside and flourish.

contests, and specifically photography contests, are sort of a gray area that photographers meander in and out of at times.

- should i enter?

- will i even have a chance at winning or placing, or am i just funding the contest itself.

- am i the $35.00 that will allow a higher budget for that banner on the site?

- will i feed some web designer's kid for 5.73 minutes?

- is it worth it?

these are questions that we all must ask ourselves when faced with an opportunity of a contest, whether or not there is an entry fee or not. one this is certain; someone, and perhaps there is a possibility of only one "someone" will see your work.

that promise is an intoxicating one. even in the age of self-publication, facebook-edness, emails to grandma, and other methods of imagery-based bombardment, it at times matters who will see it, rather than how many of faceless/nameless individuals will happen upon your specific image, like so many "next-blog-clicked-buttons" of discovery.

so i say go for it.

stick your toes into the waters and see how soothing the shallows are, or how mysterious the depths can be. you'll never know if you don't try. you'll never broaden your palate unless you give it a taste.

you'll never have a chance, if you don't take that risk.

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" twenty-three days have passed, and the world has changed "

2010-08-24T16:05:00.001-04:00

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been upstate, and now that i return to the city, it's turned cold and rain-gloomy on me.

despite my dislike of the change of seasons, i still have to remember that there are images out there in the world begging to be experienced.

for a while now, i've been taking long photowalks from various point A's to different point B's, and sometimes stopping at point C's and D's along the way. you have to be in the street to do street photography. you need to be near people to for people portraiture. there's just no way around plain facts.

something that i always learn on these walks, is that i'm never going to stop seeing something that catches my eye or piques my interest. the exploration of a place, theme, or person is one of the more interesting things you could do with your day.

and it's all out there, waiting for you to click, click, click.

tonight's homework:

get your camera out, take a lot of photos, and by friday, edit it down to one image that represents your best image of the week. email it to me. i'll choose three of the most interesting photos, and give my comments as well. you may or may not agree with my choices or what i have to say, but you'll at least have given it a go. show me something new.

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" something has got to give "

2010-08-01T18:15:00.000-04:00

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nothing is getting in the way of you and your artwork. i mean really getting in the way.

you could have no computer for a time, or film, or your memory card is full. but you mind is still reeling and flexing in the interim.

despite the inherent lack of tools at times, what artist are you? are you bound to these items in order to create and express?

i believe that in light of our perceived limitations, we must allow ourselves the self-respect enough to know that we bring our talents and vision to these tools, and that without them, you are still whole. you are still intact, and you are still valid.

if you are in a pseudo-rut, as i seem to find myself in, don't take it out on yourself, or others. it's just circumstance. it's just life happening, and you should feel confident and secure in the fact that your input makes just as much a ripple as the output.

take risks and long strides in unknown directions. be bold, be bright, be honest and true. remain true to your craft, and remember that without your attempt, there is no successes.

tonight's homework:

take a photowalk around an unfamiliar (but of course safe) area on your way home. make at least thirty (30) new images that define something about that area, then edit those images down to ten. have someone you trust look at these ten edited images, and ask for their feedback on your sequencing. be open and brave enough to hear the criticism.

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" yes, but how do you photogs really feel? "

2010-07-24T14:16:00.001-04:00

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george:

How is your summer going?

me:

hothot hot! haha

george:

:0)

me:

looking for new projects to do, and trying to stay cool. how are you doing?

george:

Haven't started looking for work...still getting photos in order...Can't wait to begin some new projects though. Lots of ideas...Doing well...just starting to dig the summer.

me:

yeah, i'm thinking about a few portrait projects as well. just have to pick a few and develop them out. shoot some photos and lay them out to see if it's worth it or not. the summer has been great so far, just to be able to enjoy the heat.

i love the heat. hah

george:

C. Bay...do you have any advice on taking portraits? It's a BIG question...but maybe you have a photographer I can check out for inspiration?

me:

haha, no i always love conversations about photography. for me, a portrait is not only the image you're making.

it's an opportunity to really make a connection with a person.

i think that it's in pursuit of making these connections, which is something that we always strive to do in our daily lives...make connections, that drives me to make portraits...and make them as real and as intimate as possible.

now, this doesn't always mean that this sense of intimacy has to be resultant in an image of a nude. but i do think that my portraits, as well as my nude portraits are trying to convey that yearning for a connection. so, when i make a portrait of someone, i'm looking to have an opportunity to make a connection, and then the image that results from that connection is a visual record of that interaction. does that make sense?

george:

Blog worthy quote right there. I may quote you so be warned. And just so you know...I agree!

me:

photography is the conduit through which i can breach that threshold that we come to at times, the line where we have to make the decision whether we are brave enough to take a chance to get to know somebody. haha.

yeah, i may just use this as a blog post.

george:

:0)

me:

but yes, this is how i feel most of the time

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tonight's homework:

get out there and show them whatcha got.

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" polarizer filter for your soul "

2010-07-12T23:58:00.001-04:00

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i'm not sure about the techniques of my other fellow photogs, but i shoot with a polarizer filter on my lenses all the time. even though i know i'm losing between a stop to a stop and a half with it's usage, i know that the ability to deepen blue skies and remove sheen/shine from faces/glass, far outweighs having to shoot slower or at a higher ISO.

i remember the first time i found out about the illustrious polarizer. i was in high school, and was purchasing a darkroom setup which included and enlarger and some other choice tools. the seller was the father of a boy that i went to school with, and he was getting rid of all of this equip. he said that if i could pay him a clean hundred, he'd also throw in a polarizer filter.

since i didn't know what it was, and how it was to be implemented, he showed me how it used two slivers of polarized glass to cancel out certain light. it was magic from the first experience, and that feeling has followed through to my current digital photog self.

i remember just going nuts after that, always looking for the cancelation of shine and sheens on surfaces. i loved darkening the sky to a deep near-black (when shooting b/w film), by stacking an ND filter, a red filter, and a polarizer filter on top like a cherry rocket blasting my images into the obliteration of grays.

in any case, despite all of that glass in front of the lens array and having to shoot so so so slow, i always loved the results. i guess this is why today, with a camera loads heavier and a lens that looks more like a water bottle with a metal skirt, i have a steady hand.

the ability of making my photo more clear, to pull the shades of haze and refracted light aside, and get to the pure intent of the intended image, was and still is a real treat of a moment.

tonight's homework:

buy or borrow a polarizer filter, making sure to do research on brands, linear or circular, thin, threaded, and millimeter. try and test out your normal subject matter, day or night, indoor, studio or outdoor, and see if it's worth it to incorporate this filter into your bag of tools.

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" heat heat, brain brain "

2010-07-11T15:50:00.001-04:00

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the most important thing to do when it gets unbearably hot in the summertimes, is to drink lots of water, and to have your cameras at ready.

don't be afraid to put on the sunscreen, a large visor'd cap, and venture out into the streets. there's images out there begging to be made, and there's only so many new images you can make from the confines of your sweaty room.

additionally, let your computer rest a bit, because you don't want to zap its innards with the extra temperatures.

if anyone wants to go on a photowalk or popsicles search, gimme a hit while the gettings good.

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