Cool Stuff From The Blogosphere

Ever since picking up a copy of Werner Pawlok's Photography Paintings, I've dreamed of getting to spend some time with one of these cameras. Now, with the demise of Polaroid, the limited number of these cameras manufactured and even fewer still in operating condition and the preciousness of 20x24 Polaroid Instant Film these days, my chance (and yours for that matter) of getting to produce images on that amazing, giant polaroid color film are now virtually nil unless you happen to reside in the Big Apple (I think there still might be a 20x24 in San Francisco too). One lucky bugger, Greg Miller of NYC, however, does get to use one in pursuit of his portrait project. Tomorrow, Greg & Jennifer Trausch, Director of Photography at the 20x24 Studio will be hauling the beast over to the Asser Levy Community Swimming Pool in Manhattan. Mr. Miller will have only 10 sheets of film to work with. Read more about his project at his new blog Dark Cloth Diaries. I'm green with envy!


Over at the Prison Photography Blog, this amazing slow motion video of lightning captured at 9000 frames per second was posted this morning:





Given my watery photo experiences earlier this week, I was amused to find two separate postings of similar content over at Rachel Hulin's A Photography Blog:

Into the Water, with Herman and Weinberg

Dustin Humphrey: Watery Redux

Summertime is the time for dreams by the sea. Thanks Rachel!

Bright Lights Big City

Early monday morning it was up before the sun and off to the airport to catch an early flight to Oahu, rented camera and big-ass waterhousing in tow. Upon arrival at the airport, I was surprised to see very little activity & no check-in lines or security screening back up. After an easy check-in and baggage drop, off to the lounge to await boarding. A quick, smooth, 30 minute flight later and it was off to collect the baggage and catch a rental car courtesy shuttle to sign in for my vehicle for the day and the 15 minute drive into Waikiki to meet my subjects for the day's assignment.

Changing from flight clothes into surf trunks in the car parked at the Honolulu Zoo, I then mounted the camera into the housing, checked & double-checked all the camera settings, flash card capacity, battery levels, etc., grabbed my pair of swim fins and headed across Kalakaua Avenue into the pristine sands of Waikiki beach, already beginning to get crowded with visiting tourists, predominantly from Europe as best as I could surmise from the conversations I overheard as I walked towards the water's edge. One more quick check of camera settings and into the drink and a 200 meter swim out to the edge of the reef fronting Waikiki beach where my subjects would soon be joining me. Low tide combined with the full moon meant shallow... very shallow water on the reef for the morning photo sessions. With only half a meter of water to maneuver in the surf, wave surges insured that I would be dragged over reef with each new set and there were bits of skin from legs & feet left behind after that morning session. Two hours later, back to the beach to download cards to the laptop, grab a coffee and then back to the water for another two hour session. Three sessions and a total of six hours in the water later, it was late afternoon and time to rinse off & dry the gear, quickly change and grab a bite before heading back to the airport. Time allowed for a brief stop at the park at the very end of the Sand Island Industrial area where great views of the Aloha Tower & Downtown Honolulu skyline & mountains could be seen from across the harbor. Here, I commandeered a picnic table and downloaded the final image files to the laptop, then headed back to the rental car baseyard to return the vehicle and catch the shuttle back to the terminal.

Unfortunately, I am unable to post images from the true mission of the assignment until they are published by the commissioning publication. In the meantime, here are some views rarely seen of the Waikiki shoreline.

Dropping In

Waikiki From The Reef

Diamond Head

Two-World View

Underwater Self-Portrait

Late Afternoon Stand-Up Paddle Session w/ Diamond Head Backdrop

                                

Weekly Update & Music For A Friday

It's been relatively quiet around the studio this week, providing me the opportunity to finish up the E-Promo email blast begun last week. So far, response has been the best received yet to any previous self-promo efforts. There have even been a couple of calls for meet & shows of the portfolio... also in the process of being updated and reorganized. There's been an assignment already generated from the campaign (always a good thing) so I'm off the Oahu on Monday for an editorial assignment destined for future page(s) in California's Via Magazine. 

On the weekend front, things are looking anything but quiet. In addition to the usual domestic duties, tomorrow there are two shoots for children involved in the A Keiki's Dream program. While this is a pro-bono gig, I am always more than happy to help out with these kids. This time, we have two kids scheduled, both are musicians who have been sponsored to record CD's of their work as a part of their dream. Our mission is to capture photographs to be used as CD cover art. Then, up to the lofty volcano elevations for a fine meal & spirited conversation with friends and colleagues. Early Sunday morning (and for the next six weeks), I'll be covering the Sunday Solstice radio program, sharing the Celtic Music both traditional and not so at Manao Radio, 91.5 FM. You can find live streaming worldwide here:  Manao Radio Online.

The Missus just returned from a week in London and brought me this awesome t-shirt:

OK... I'm back. Melissa of the band Mojomana just dropped by the studio to share latest recording efforts and catch me up on what the band's been up to.

And, speaking of music, I'll leave you with this to start your weekend, Chris Whitley's Accordingly from Dirt Floor:

See you next week....

Faces

Entries to the Faces of Hawaii 2010 Photo Portrait Competition were due today. Fortunately, according to their Facebook posting yesterday, all works received in their Kurdistown, Big Island P.O. Box by this Monday will still be eligible for the competition.


 Hi Art Magazine first began publishing back in 2007, is a free online 'zine striving to provide an alternative voice for the arts in Hawaii and is sponsoring this competition... their third year running. The competition this year will be juried by Fine Art Photographer and Educator Kapulani Landgraf. Jury selections to be announced by August 15, will be published in the book Faces of Hawaii Vol. 3 and will be exhibited along with a larger selection of works coinciding with the book's debut sometime in November at location(s) to be announced.


Entering this show has been in the back of my mind since I first heard about it months ago, yet, somehow never managed to bubble up to to the frontal lobe until yesterday when I saw that the deadline had been "extended" and two friends scolded me not for taking decisive action. 


This morning, I began pouring thru images seeking worthy material for the competition, fired up the printer and here's what's ended up being my submission. Now to write the pesky "artist's statement"...  thinking I should contact TS for assistance in this as he shovels it as fast and as deep as anyone I know.

9 Subjects - 4 Islands

Regular readers will remember that I did quite a bit of traveling around the state last month... mad dashes to catch flights... rough, wet ferry channel crossings... Big Island circumvention... unfamiliar stylists, off-road adventures... 


All the action the result of being commissioned to photograph testimonial style portraiture of some really nice folks interested in seeing our, now, most senior US Senator succeed in his current re-election bid. Daniel Inouye seeks another term in office and has retained Honolulu advertising giant Laird Christianson Advertising, now known as LCA-Anthology to aid in getting out the word of all the great and essential projects the good Senator has successfully provided much-needed funding for, from Saddle Road reconstruction to agriculture to high-tech ventures around Hawaii. LCA-A, in turn, commissioned us to produce a bulk of the images for the campaign which have probably been arriving already in your mailboxes.


CTL would like to send out a big & hearty Mahalo to LCA-A, to Creative Director DC and especially to Producer Tai and Associate Producer Jennifer for trusting me to get the job done, for the outstanding coordination of subjects, schedules, travel arrangement and other asundry details. Another big Mahalo to all wonderful people I had the chance to meet & photograph. Your kindness, willingness, flexibility and cooperation made the assignment truly a fun experience. Special thanks go out to "Oboy" on Molokai for the tour of the slaughterhouse, the constant humor, the introduction to your family and the tasty watermelon eaten beachside! Molokai Stylee!

Glimpses Of A Long Weekend

Though if seemed as if everyone had really checked out for the long Fourth of July weekend by mid-day thursday (at least here in the business community), the real festivities commenced Friday afternoon, starting with the monthly First Friday Wailuku block party. By 5 PM, Market Street had been cordoned off & closed to traffic, a stage, sound system & runway ramp had been erected in the street, vendors had lined the sidewalks to hawk their wares and restaurants & cafes were beginning to bustle.

In conjunction with the festivities, Maui Thing Clothing Co. was also celebrating their second birthday and celebrate they did... and in stylee! The gathered street revelers were treated to a high fashion fashion show of the company's line of thoughtful youth-wear. Presiding over the formalities was Manao Radio 91.5 FM's fearless leader, Kathy Collins. As if that wasn't enough, MT also hosted a high-energy, high-volume performance by Uncle Willie K. who not only played through the runway activities, but continued on into the evening - delivering a blistering set of heavy rock covers and original tunes. Great fun had by all! Big Mahalos go out to MT for putting on a great show, a great time and for donating a portion of each sale made that evening to support 91.5FM.

                                                                            Uncle Willie K smokes

                                                                                 Market Street Vogue

                                                                                                       Nice Hat

                                                                                                    Workin' It

                                                                                      Doesn't Like Paparrazi

                                                                                              Cowgirl Chic

                                                                            Tony Takitani - Rock Music Groupie

 

                                                                                      Kathy Collins - Vegetarian


The following morning, it was up with the chickens and off to meet with retired Director of the Schaefer International Gallery, Darrel Orwig & his lovely wife Mary. From their place, we took a short stroll up to the center of Makawao Town to watch the annual Fourth of July Parade. Always a big event in sleepy Makawao, this year was no exception though enthusiasm was slightly dampened by frequent, cool downpours & the fact that 75% of the parade this year consisted of politicians marching with their assembled campaign armies. Still, fun was to be had with the ubiquitous Shriners in their tiny cars, lots of beautiful horses, colorful floats, a long-horn steer and a Rodeo Queen disguised as a pink, quilted toaster-cozy.

                                                       It's not a parade until the Shriner's show up

                                                                         Don't ever do it without your Fez on

                                                                                         Holy Crap!


Later that evening, it was off to Lahaina to meet friends for dinner at the always excellent Mala Ocean Tavern. After dinner, we all headed over to the nearby Lahaina Jodo Mission to watch the annual lantern floating ceremony and Obon Dance, one of the island's biggest mid-summer evening events. The particular evening, warm & balmy with slight breezes, the largest assembled crowd I have ever seen at an Obon Dance, a chance to re-connect with old friends from the westside and the opportunity to celebrate the unique cultural melting pot and tightly-knit community that makes living on this island so very special.

                                                    Sunset preparations for the lantern floating ceremony

                                                                                       Twilight luminescense

                                                                                                      Lantern parade

                                                             To the Lagoon

                                                                                                             Dance the night away

                                                                                                                   Davo's got video

Summer Promo

One of the real advantages of publishing a photography-related blog is the ever present need for content. When times are slow with assignment work, there's always a need for fresh imagery to post here. What's even more fun is that when shooting personal work primarily intended for the blog, you end up with work suitable for portfolio and self-promotion work too.


All the images except one used in the email promo piece pictured above & destined to arrive in your in-box early next week, were culled from personal outings originally intended only as blog fodder. 


Happy Independence Day to all! The email assault begins next tuesday...