Six Months of Full Time Photography, Life Reflection, and Credentials Nostalgia

Headshot taken of me years ago
when I was pursuing acting.

It's October 1st 2011 and it's like an anniversary of sorts. It's been six months since I've gone full time into photography, so that's something to celebrate but I also have to keep things moving with it. Like an anniversary or birthday there comes a deep reflection of life and it's moments. People will wish you a happy day and say congrats, and that's wonderful, but sometimes I think inside we feel a bit like there's got to be more to all this.

In growing up I recall my father and uncles who were into photography a bit, although I never was quite that interested at that time. I must have just been too busy having fun and thinking I would be a rock star someday. I did play guitar and tried to at least sing backup vocals. I was into role playing games, arcade games, and video games, yet I also enjoyed playing outside and was quite good at football in the neighborhood. I didn't have much cares and wasn't too disciplined or desirous of really taking steps to get into a career path. I would just let the chips fall where they may.

I've been into photography since High School as I remember taking a photography class. Then in college I took a couple more photography classes, but my major was varied for a little while dabbling in liberal arts, architecture, interior design, yet I finally settled on Electronic Graphic Design. My interest in photography seemed to wane a bit and my attempt to start courses in the New York Institute of Photography didn't go very far. Perhaps I didn't want to do the work and get critiqued. I hear that being critiqued is an essential part of growth. I would prefer genuine constructive criticism from someone who cares rather than someone who wants to rip my work apart. To use an old Army slogan, all this is to help you "be all you can be."

I'm reminded of my time in the U.S. Army where I was told that in basic training they tear you down to build you up again. I went in to the U.S. Army to serve my country and become a new man. They say that the Army is for some and not for others. When I entered the Army I walked into a new world. I started out as a private and didn't really have anything, but what they gave me. At the time I couldn't understand why the Drill Instructors seemed so harsh, yet just before my tenure in the Army was done I remember going into the Sports Club and talking with one of my Drill Instructors, and he talked with me like an old friend. It dawned on me that they did all this for my benefit, but I couldn't see that at the time of being "disciplined." It was for training. It was to make me into a soldier. That was their job and lives depended on it. I had some of the best years of my life as a soldier and they taught me values. I like to think that once a solder, always a soldier...as they say.

So as a photographer I enjoy life and capturing it. There was a span of several years after college where I wasn't so much into photography. I believe it's because I was involved in activities such as acting, dancing and sports that kept me focused on personal performance in addition to pursuing my career in graphic and web design. Eventually as I wanted to capture the fun times, I used disposable cameras, then used compact cameras, but it wasn't enough. People could see that I really enjoyed photography and wanted to improve. One year for my birthday amongst a group of friends I got a digital photography handbook and that added fuel to the fire. About four years ago I started using a DSLR camera and became more serious about photography as time went on. These past few years I've taken a more behind the camera role, but I still enjoy the occasional pastime interests.

In the past four years I've been able to attend and cover a lot of events and wonderful moments. It's been exciting to be able to go places and experience things. It's also been a lot of work and sacrifice, and it's not like in the Army where I was recognized and awarded for what I did. Being behind the camera I ensure that the event, it's cause and people are recognized and captured in camera, making images that last throughout the years. I feel a sense of contribution to humanity and history.

For some reason I've kept a lot of the badges, name tags and passes from events that I've covered, which you could call credentials nostalgia. It's a nice reminder like saving a ticket stub or postcard or anything that reminds you of an event. I suppose you could say I kind of think of these badges and name tags as sort of like medals and rewards. It's not something to be cocky about at all, as it's more of a sense of pride, like the pride of having served in the armed forces. Yes, that's what it's about...growth, appreciation, pride, purpose and passion. It's also all about love. With thanks to my Father.

Day & Night at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

On August 22, 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial opened to the public and I wanted to visit it on this opening day. The dedication ceremony for the memorial will be held on Sunday August 28, 2011, which is the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Site is located just beyond the Northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, by Independence Ave and West Basin Drive. It's location about midway between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial which is in a relatively straight line seen from an aerial view. The location signifies part of the area in the nation's march toward freedom.

It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. King delivered his first national address "Give Us the Ballot." Then Dr. King returned to the Lincoln Memorial in supporting the March on Washington in 1963, where in a defining moment in the movement for civil rights, Dr King delivered his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech before an audience of over 200, 000 people.

Dr King's speech was a reflection of his belief in the words of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence which he referred to as that "promissory note to which every American was to fall heir."

The figure of Dr King emerges from the granite Stone of Hope which stands 28 feet 6 inches, and is the work of Master sculptor Lei Yixin. The statue is a testament to Dr King's courageous leadership in the civil rights movement, as said "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." The Mountain of Despair serves as the central entrance to the memorial, with water descending from fountains on either side representing vitality and life. The Stone of Hope with Dr King's resolute figure is past the Mountain of Despair and faces the Tidal Basin and symbolizing opportunities for advancement in the future. The selected quotations on the inscription walls speak of the four main messages of Dr King which are justice, democracy, hope, and love.

Many people visited and were moved by the memorial. I visited late in the afternoon yet was drawn back to the memorial to capture it again during sunset, and so these pictures show the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial during night and day. It seems to suggest the movement from darkness to the light. How fitting that one of my favorite quotations on the inscription walls says: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."

View the photos larger individually or in a slide show at this gallery.

http://www.mlkmemorial.org/

Learning to Photograph Everyone

Some time ago while browsing around at the Penn Camera store, I saw an ad for Clay Blackmore & Co. Clay was going to have a seminar on April 29 called How to Photograph Everyone and he had a great photo that he used for the ad. I picked up a postcard about the seminar and read how the seminar was to emphasize posing, lighting, composition, and expression. The seminar was to also talk about what people like and don't like in portraits and to have the photographer confidently produce consistent results using a few thoughts and techniques. Clay is one of Canon’s Explorers of Light and a member of the elite Cameracraftsmen group. I'm always up for building upon the foundation of what I've already learned in photography and I also believe in getting back to the basics.

The seminar was at the visarts center in Rockville Town Center and I was amazed at the visarts center with the classes and things offered there. As I walked into the room where the seminar was held, I was impressed with the set up of the room. As Clay started his seminar, I was immediately drawn to his candor and speaking style. He went through his seminar sharing practical information and showed us examples with his photography and with the use of people to show lighting and posing. A couple assistants along with people who know Clay helped him out during the seminar and I got the sense that he had good relationships with the people in the room. He spoke with respect and admiration for Monte Zucker, the master photographer that Clay assisted and learned many things from about photography.

The seminar went for about four hours and afterward a few of us helped Clay & Co break down everything to store it upstairs. In one of the rooms I got to see more of the tribute that Clay & Co have for Monte Zucker, especially with a large and detailed lightbox that was on a wall that showed some of his life and times. Monte passed knowledge to Clay and many people are the recipients of that knowledge. I got the Capture & Creativity DVD from Clay which talked about much of the things he taught in the seminar he gave this night. I was able to get in a couple pictures with Clay and hang out with the crowd that was left at the end of the night at Gordon Biersch.

This was a great night and a very inspirational one at that. One of the main things I took away from this seminar is more of a recognition of making people look good and feel comfortable about pictures of them and the relationship with them. Another take away is to do what I can to get the shot right and not just settle. I've done these things, yet I want to keep building on these qualities. You could know a lot about technique, but if your heart is not into it, then where is it?