Talking With Light

Fall leaves at Storm King

"If you don't understand light, you shouldn't be a photographer because light is the main reason we take pictures. You can tell a story, but if you don't have the right light you can't draw the viewer in. It's just a flat picture."
-Frank Ockenfel
"Professional Photographer Magazine"

I've never been so happy to see Autumn arrive. Every day I look out the window I'm greeted by the brilliant fall color of leaves turning yellow and red, pink, orange and all the shades in between. I look up all the time and am stopped in my tracks. And the light         changes in the Fall. Light in the Fall seems richer, a little melancholy,  profound, nostalgic. I spent most of Sunday morning with a couple of trees in Marcus Garvey Park. I took roughly over three hundred pictures and then came home to edit and upload to flickr which is probably one of my favorite things to do. Listen to music, edit eat and compare notes with other photo enthusiasts.

I may have mentioned this before but I prefer to shoot using natural light only. I hate shooting under nasty yellow florescent lights or (UGH!) overhead lights and I rarely use flash unless I'm at an evening event that requires it. If I have to take pictures using interior light, I prefer studio track lights like the kind used to light art exhibitions in museums and galleries.

One of my pet peeves is when people use flash to take pictures in the day time. Just why? Natural light tells a very different story than flash, although flash in many instances when it's not too harsh can be just as effective at capturing a moment or a portrait effectively and with emotion. It's just not my favorite method. Flash makes me think of parties, paparazzi and I don't know...catching someone off guard. And those photos can be great as well. What I hate when using flash is when details are washed out by the harshness of the light. Even sunlight does this which is why there are specific times of day that I prefer to shoot in. It took me a while to discover that direct sunlight does not necessarily, a good picture make. Depending on the subject, the noon can kill details just as dead as General Electric. And even laymen who don't even care about pictures know this without really being conscious of it.

The light that draws the viewer into an image most often is one that reflects the complexity and layers of human emotion and unconscious inner goings on. It's what we feel but often cannot explain when we watch the sun rise and set, watch the seasons change, watch the day come and go. It's what poets write about and why artists paint why music exists. Light is one voice in the many conversations which attempt to communicate so much about the conditions of life. Brilliant studio lighting artists can replicate natural light so closely resemble natural light that the human heart understands the message and responds accordingly. This happens in the best of stage lighting sets for numerous theatrical plays or in studio portraits lit with soft boxes and back drops or processed in Photoshop.

I also like using candle light to light subjects, something which I have only experimented with extensively on one occasion last winter. I never understood how it was done before and I won't bore you here with technical stuff but the effect is just so quietly stunning. I think that as I evolve photographically I am beginning to notice certain definite themes that I am drawn to when I take pictures. I'm a fan of irony and the absurd, romance, haunted isolated feeling places, emptiness, space, fun, childlike themes, sensuality, nakedness, nature, food and color although I love black and white.

Kirk at Union Square

People are my least favorite subjects to photograph for many reasons. People are so complex and self conscious and always there is this fight for control and that control prevents creativity from flowing. But I understand fully why people fight so desperately for this control being a person myself but as a photographer, I do best photograph people when they are unaware and so my favorite shots of people are usually candid. I'm not like my father or my fiancee who both have this innate gift for making people feel at ease. I'm a bit of a thief when it comes to getting good pictures of people. I envy people like Peter Souza, the White House photographer whose job it is to spend so much time with such an incredible  subject that perhaps they are able to tap into something which is not readily apparent within the first few weeks of shooting but which unfolds through time and journey and relationship. I would give anything to disappear into the wall of any room with the President where natural light is diffused by soft transperant curtains in the afternoon and I can just shoot frame after frame. Obama is ridiculously photogenic and clearly very at ease in front of a camera. The relationship between a photographer and a subject is a relationship much like any other. There has to be some give and take in order to produce anything of quality. Souza and Obama seem to have that relationship. You can see that in his work.

I have yet to find that relationship with anyone besides my fiancee and my collection of dolls. I had that relationship with a few friends in High School and in College but as the subject, not the photographer. As the daughter of a photographer, basically born in front of a camera, I've no real problem being the subject but I finally grew bored of that in my late twenties as did the rest of my body. I prefer the control that comes with being on the other end of the camera and in the last five years or so, I've preferred to take my own pictures of myself.  I know my angles well, where to position my self in the light and stuff like that.In that respect I am comfortable with myself to some extent.

It's hard to find someone else who will let you just peer around in their soul with a camera and not get all fussy and nervous about it. LOL!! And that's what I'd like to do inevitably. I like pretty, beautiful and fun themes clearly. But those are not the themes I like to explore primarily with people.With people, there is so much more going on. I have taken pictures of people in the past that have revealed a lot of vulnerable, awkward and occasionally disturbing things, simply in their facial expressions. And I guess, depending on the goal of the project and the relationship to the subject, one has to be more clear and selective about what they're looking for when photographing people and portraits. At the moment, I'm not all that clear about what I'm looking for when I photograph people. But I  like to be able to explore.

Obama Pics Daily

*SIGH* This is how I've been feeling everytime I see Obama. Obama pics daily, I wish you would go on forever!

In My Lifetime

As far as I'm concerned Aretha Franklin swore him in.

Inauguration Ride

As the day slowly approaches and I have gone back on forth on my decision to go to D.C. I have finally stopped the spinning wheel on the affirmative. I have to go. This is my generations Woodstock, my generations King speech. If I can be there I need to be. I just hope there's no precipitation. That's all I ask. I can brave the cold and the crowds but not snow or rain. The more images I see, the more amazing endorsements pour out, the in awe I am at the Obama phenomenon. Not to mention the scads of photo ops of the crazy ass crowds, banners and chanting and partying that will surely be going on. Every single time I have been to DC, it's been for a protest or rally. First it was to pretest the war in the Middle East and then it was to protest the Rodney King beating. I'm so glad to be able to go to DC to celebrate something finally.

My Hero

This has never happened! The man is superstar! Marvel is endorsing Obama in an inaugural issue of SPIDERMAN!.
HOT!

We are the ones we have been waiting for

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

from The Root

Eat Drink Sleep Obama

Last night I fell asleep watching an Obama podcast on my laptop that I’d downloaded from iTunes. It was one where his sister talked about him. In the next two he spoke about his mother, about fatherhood and then there’s “Dinner with Barack” where he has dinner with four grassroots donors. I watched that one and the one about his experience so far as a father this morning. They’re both really good. You feel like he’s somebody you’d love to know, to sit down and have a casual chat with. He’s warm, candid (although safely so) and accessible.

Today is Saturday and although I would rather have stayed in bed all day I had to get out to the Union Square to do some food shopping. I picked up tickets for Quantum Solace this Sunday in Chelsea and then strolled across town to the Farmer’s Market. Slowly the wet rainy day was beginning to subside. The high winds were rolling the dark clouds back to reveal the bright sunshine. I was so happy suddenly to have a nice day to walk in. It was hard getting out bed when I looked out the window at that gray sky. I bought some falafel at the place on 17th street and decided I wanted to sit down at Barnes and Nobles with a stack of magazines for a while. So once I hit the Farmers Market and secured my Ronny Brook yogurt drinks (my crack juice) for the week, I went across the street to B&N, grabbed an US weekly with Barack and his family on the cover and a People with Barack on the cover, an Elle, an Essence (Will and Jada but I never got to it), an Entertainment Weekly (Robert Downey Jr. is on the cover. I kind of love him) and what looked like a new photo essay of Clint Eastwood, “A Life in Pictures.” I adore Eastwood, even if he did tell Spike to shut his face.

I sat on the upper level where they have the chairs set up for author events and where you can almost always guarantee there will someplace to sit. I ate my falafel and read about Obama and his family, what his girls are like, what they want to change when the move in the white house, what they will do to make sure the girls lives remain relatively normal. I looked at pictures of Obama spending time with his daughters, some I’ve already seen dozens of times. I had that feeling inside that I once had when I was a girl on Christmas Eve. I was so excited I got sick and had to go lie down. It’s just that no matter what’s going on with me, this phenomenon this amazing thing that is about to take place, this unfathomably joyous occasion is always going to be able to put a smile on my face. At any point in time in the next few months to come I will be able to pull a magazine off of the shelf in a bookstore or in a newsstand and read about a family in the White House that I would be honored to hang out with any day of the week! That’s craaaazy! And I love it.

Tim Wise

Ummm, SleptOn is one of my my new favorite websites. Holy Shit! This white man laid it down! I don't know too much about him. I've only heard his name about a million times since the election began and also in reference to my anti-racist mini-ethnography project at school. So I finally read an article he wrote post election this afternoon and I am blown away.

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Imagine

I was just looking through Barack Obama's Flickr account which I've been doing every week since Election day and I came across this picture. Can you imagine what it would be like being a child of color at a time like this. I mean my God! What promise! What hope! For these children, the election of Obama as the President is living proof of what is possible for them! Young black boys! What! I mean honestly, just imagine, if you are a person of color, being like 9 or 10 or eleven right now. Maybe you don't really know all the details about our horrible economy, or the millions dying in a war far from here or all the reasons, but you don't need to. You can feel the change in the adults around you, in the way the media covers this occasion, in the covers of the papers and magazines and the conversations in school. Someone who looks like you has recently become the President of The United States. He has two daughters around the same age as you and they will make there new home in the White House. Their mother is a woman with style and grace who does the fist bump with her husband, is strong, brave, intelligent and her own unique sense of style! Imagine being a child right now. My best friend in Philly was telling me how her daughter (she's around about 9 or 10 now?) on overhearing a reporter on television say that next time we could have a female president, responded by saying that maybe next time it could be a black woman and then she asked her mom, how old you have to be to be the president. This was in an email she wrote me and I just started crying at this point. I'm a little emotional right now just remembering it.

Obama Votes

God, I don't know man! If I keep crying every time I see Obama I may be dehydrated by the time inauguration roles around.

Victory Sex

Oh Yeah!

I Will Never Forget

The guy who sells papers at the newsstand at the 125th station where I commute to work said that all the major papers were sold out in an HOUR! He said "When Bush win, I don't sell anything!" I laughed as I handed him some money for The Post which was the only paper left.

YES WE CAN!

1. I can breath again like Toni Braxton!
2. Inauguration here I come.
3. Party aaaaall week!!!!

More to come. I'm busy listening to Harlem cheer.
: )

Love This Black Man!

Please let him be my president.

Ronald Regan for Obama

What a smart, simple, powerful and straight to the point message.

HERE'S HOPING HOPE WINS

SOMEBODY IS ON THEIR JOB FOR THIS MAN! LOOK AT THAT GRAPHIC! THE VISUAL DIRECTION OF OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN COMPELLING, NARRATIVE AND CLIMATIC FROM DAY ONE!

Diddy Twins For Obama

Something tells me that Diddy's relationships with grown women are not much different.

Obama and Nadja

Leave it to Obama (with his fine ass) to show up in a photo in Bazaar Magazine with one of my favorite long lost long legged models, Nadja Auerman, the ice princess.

He's got my vote 2 times!
YOU BETTA WERK!!!!

The Union

Most Obama supporters have probably seen this footage before, Myself, I've seen it a couple of times. This morning though, I watched it for the first time and noticed a small detail that meant a lot to me. While he watches his wife Michelle give her speech about him at the DNC Barack sort of rolls his wedding ring between his fingers, like it's his unconscious way of connecting with her while she speaks. I don't know if he did that out of nerves or whether it was a strategic move for the camera or whether the camera man really caught a real moment without Barack's knowledge of it. All I know is I was moved to tears watching it. It's sad that we have to question so moments like this when seen through the eyes of the media but I try not ever question my feelings too much. When Biden got choked up speaking about the death of his family during his debate with Palin, there was the slightest doubt in my mind that his pause may have been strategic but the one thing I don't doubt is his deepest regret. And I don't for a minute doubt the love the Obamas have for one another. It's pretty plain. I can feel it.

OHOHOHOOOOOOOOOooooo YESSSS!!!!

Beautiful! Just Beautifully done. Thank you Anthony!