Christopher Simpson

This article is depressing me

2010-03-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/business/media/30photogs.html?pagewanted=2&hp

Website Update

2010-03-25T09:45:00.001-07:00

Just updated my website. Added some new images to the "Recent" category as well as a few to the "Bequia" series. Take a look:

www.simpsonfilmsstudio.com

Finally Shooting/Scanning Again

2010-03-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

So amazing to have a working scanner.

AIPAD NOT TO MISS

2010-03-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers [AIPAD]
One of the most important international photography events, The AIPAD Photography Show New York, will be presented by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) from March 18 through 21, 2010.

More than 70 of the world's leading fine art photography galleries will present a wide range of museum-quality work including contemporary, modern and 19th century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video and new media, at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

Show Hours
Thursday, March 18 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 19 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 20 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Admission
$40 run of show pass (includes catalogue)
$25 one day pass
$10 one day pass with valid student ID

I WILL BE THERE HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU THERE AS WELL

Oh and big Ryan McGinley opening this Thursday as well

Date:
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Time:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Team (Gallery, Inc.)
Street:
83 Grand Street
City/Town:
New York, NY

A new series of portraits by Mr. McGinley, they look beautiful.

via: http://arrestedmotion.com/2010/02/preview-ryan-mcginley-everybody-knows-this-is-nowhere-team-gallery/

Exciting Shows

2010-02-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

There are two very promising shows opening this Thursday. I would recommend going to both openings if you can find the time. First is Olafur Eliasson's solo show at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery:

"Eliasson's sixth solo show at the gallery continues his exploration of and experimentation with modes of perception and the experience of space and time. Focusing on movement, color, and light - and the interplay between the three phenomena - the exhibition involves the viewer in a collaborative creative process. Throughout his career, Eliasson has challenged the notion of the artwork as a static object, instead suggesting that the meaning and generative potential of each work lies in the exchange between the piece and the viewer. It is the visitor's experience, his or her subjective perception and mediation of the work that activates it; in turn Eliasson's installations, public projects, photographs and paintings prompt a new awareness in the visitor of his or her own methods of interpreting the world."

I was able to see his work at PS1 when it was there and it was truly amazing.

The second show is at 1500 Gallery this is the launching exhibition for this gallery which features the work of new and established Brazilian photographers. There is not much information to be found about the show other then it will be a group show from the galleries collection. From what I have seen of the work this show should not disappoint.

Jaoa Castilho

Morar em Ocupação

Julio Bittencourt

Frederick Sommer's Opening At Bruce Silverstein Gallery

2010-02-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

"While well-known throughout his lifetime as an accomplished photographer, Sommer also maintained a lifelong passion for drawing, painting, collage, poetry and prose. This exhibition, comprised exclusively from works held by the Frederick & Frances Sommer Foundation, is the first attempt to represent the complete artistic works of Sommer in over 50 years, and is organized to expand upon the knowledge and understanding of a truly complex and prolific artist."

This will be a great opening TONIGHT

Bruce Silverstein Gallery

535 W 24th Street
Opening Between 6-8 Thursday February 4th
On view until March 20th

Hope to see some of you there.

Haiti Print Sale

2010-01-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to be apart of this fundraiser for Haiti

Successful emerging photographers from around the U.S. and Canada have joined forces to support the people of Haiti.
Every print is 8x10 inches in size.
Every print is from an edition of 10.
Every print is $50.
100% of the proceeds go to Yele Haiti Foundation: http://www.yele.org/about-us/

There is really amazing work up for sale!

Please go to this link and pass the word out!

http://haitiprintsale.bigcartel.com/

Prints go on sale on Monday Jan 18th. At 12 in the afternoon Eastern Time.

Listin And Rita

2009-09-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Green Boley Bar, named after a vegetable that is used to make bowls, is owned by Listin and Rita. Most afternoons I eat my lunch there, sitting on stools made from PVC piping topped with yachting cushions, I order a Roti and a Bitter Lemon. The bar is painted bright green, almost a neon electrified color. Fully open to the outside the walls are made from bamboo stalks that have been split in half and nailed to planks of wood. The bar sits 5 feet above the water, behind but level with the top of a retaining wall. A retaining wall that serves two purposes to keep the land from sliding to the sea, and to prevent rising water from sinking the bar. As Rita will tell you the water has been rising since she can remember. She says, "My mother told me to go look just beyond that dock (pointing down the beach) in the water you will find a foundation where a toilet used to sit. When we built this bar they drove a truck down the beach to deliver supplies." This foundation now sits under about 15 feet of water, and the beach that the truck drove down, well there were people swimming in that same spot this morning. I asked her what she thought might happen forty years from now, she said "There is no telling, but there will never be a beach there again (she laughs)" I fear that in forty years the Green Boley might not exist, along with all the other bars, houses, shops, and restaurants that line the harbor.

Yet some people say that global warming is a myth.

Last Day In Southside

2009-09-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I had promised many people prints, since they were so kind in sitting for portraits. As my time here is winding down I finally got around to delivering on my word. Many of my portraits have been shot in one area of the island, this area being Southside or Pageant Farm. Everyday since I have been here the sun has been setting a little further south each day. Upon my final visit to Southside the sun was setting just to the left of the island, as apposed to setting behind the hills. The lighting was brilliant, reflecting off the sea.

I went about my way trying to track down a handful of people. I managed to find everyone, walking from house to house or bystander to bystander asking where each person lived. I found myself in homes that I had never seen before and meeting people that were so kind to lend there time for a few more photographs. I promised them that when I return they too will receive a print, and thus begins a snowball effect of portraiture. I'm happy to make as many prints as I can and people are happy to sit for a photo as long as they receive a print.

As I made my way to my last stop I received an unpleasant greeting from three dogs. Unfortunately I got bit, not badly, I think I will live no rabies yet?!

Mustique

2009-08-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Some shots from a visit to a neighboring island.

Hamilton

2009-08-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Named after Alexander Hamilton's Father, this is the last village on the north side of the island. There is a Fort that is at the end of the main road that winds along the water. Old British Canons jut out from the point projecting towards the sea, covered in rust these weapons were once used to fight the French for control of the island.

I like to walk through Hamilton in the evening. Around six o'clock the sun is just disappearing behind one of the many hills that make up Bequia. The light is soft, diffused through the particals in the atmosphere as it slowly gets darker. Many people are sitting outside, making fires, smoking, laughing, hanging laundry, and a few guys are playing soccer on a beach no larger then the boats that are mored in the harbor. The loud WAP of dominos hitting a board, as the player's hand slams one down taunting his opponents, seems to sift through doors onto the streets. A man is bathing his dog in the ocean, the water is clear and looks soft.

Most people are taking in the view. The golden light reflecting off the boats in the harbor seems to direct their gaze. Sitting on their porches as dusk slowly fades into the sea.

Wedding

2009-08-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Shot a wedding here. Here are two photos that I really like.

Joan And Jonathan

2009-08-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today I went for a six mile walk. The day was hot, August is the hottest month here, and there was a lack of wind. I decided to push myself and see how long I could bare the heat before turning back. Equipped with a lack of a destination, my camera, and a liter and a half of water I set off. I returned home having met some new people.

I had been told by some one, coincidently, in New York that he (Chad Oliver) had grown up on Bequia. He told me all about his life down here and told me where his grandmother lived and how she had a little store which I had photographed. This shows how small the world is considering Bequia has a population of about 6,000 people, and New York has about 14 million people. So bumping into someone from Bequia in New York is like, I don't know discovering you have a twin brother at the age of 78, it just doesn't happen. Anyway today, on my walk to no where, I met Chad's grandmother.

I remembered where the store was that I had photographed, and as I passed by dripping with sweat I decided to divert my walk and see if she was around. I was immediately greeted by a barking dog, a small mutt with blond fur and clean white teeth. The dog created a lot of noise which in turn roused someone from the house who looked confused as to why a strange man was standing on her front lawn. I explained the circumstances that had brought me into this situation and she immediately understood whom I was referring to and why I found myself on her front lawn. She swatted at the dog who was barking continuously, and he scurried away behind a vehicle. I came inside and met Chad's grandmother, a sweet woman, who seemed to be in her late 70's. She was wearing a night gown and as she rose up from her day bed where she was watching an American sitcom from the 90's she asked who i was exactly.

Again I explained the situation that had brought me here and she was so happy to see me that she gave me a huge hug. Her name is Joan.

Jump

2009-08-26T16:21:00.001-07:00

JUMP

Visitor has left

2009-08-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing visitor for the passed two weeks keeping me company here. Today she left. We had a great time exploring the island, and I took many beautiful photographs of her. These are mostly for her and her parents viewing pleasure.

More Landscapes

2009-07-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Landscapes

2009-07-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Not sure where these images fit in to this project but I really enjoy them.

A Plentiful Catch 2

2009-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

A Plentiful Catch

2009-07-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

The seventh annual Bequia Fisherman's Day seemed to be, well, a little fishy. Starting at around eleven in the morning and continuing till seven in the evening the day was full of strange smells, sites, and scales. Three stations were set up along the beach front. These stations were simple tables, one built from ply wood and another formed by a stack of palettes. Knives, mallets, sharpeners, buckets, and de-scaling devices, were carefully organized and sat idle at each station.

Each station had 4-5 men working at it, dividing up the fish between them as it came in. Boats slid across the water and halfway onto the beach. Before the smell of fish arrived in your nostrils crowds were gathered around each boat, poking, grabbing, shouting, and hoping to be the first to get fish. After the fish had been weighed and divided among the mob they were brought to each station. Here the tools, which had been waiting their turn, were being put to good use. The fish were carefully, scaled, gutted, flayed, and chopped/cut/diced into smaller pieces.

It did not seem to matter what kind of fish anyone received, just as long as they got a piece. There was dolphin, barracuda, snapper, red hein, trigger fish, skate, eel, and shark being brought from the sea. Fisherman walked off boats holding mesh sacks weighing 110 lbs filled with fish. The smell was intoxicating, scales seemed to attract themselves to any one with in 5 feet of a cleaning station. And the water had turned a thick pink color. Seagulls flocked fighting each other for the remnants of liver, or kidney, gills.

I went home that night distraught by the fact that i thought there may be no fish left in the sea the next day.

Bequia Landscapes

2009-07-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

Diptych

2009-07-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

No comment I just love these images together.

The Last Prophet

2009-07-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ras Ela Jah will introduce himself as the Last Prophet. He believes he is the keeper of the Caribbean bible, which he has taken upon himself to write. While in jail he spent months writing, filling up marble notebooks with his religious beliefs. A firm believer that Moses was the saviour, and that everyone must be circumcised (male and female) in order to be saved. He lives a simple life in a clapboard house. He has planted a garden in front where he grows corn, peas, and beans which he believes are his sacrifices to Jehovah Haile Selassie along with herb (pot). He can be difficult to understand since he speaks with a deep voice and often times in fragmented thoughts and sentences.

His home is surrounded by a gate made from found materials, a piece of wood, tin sheeting, barb wire, and other pieces of construction. The fence seems to match his home, which is also a collection of found boards, or metal. He has written many commandments on his house or on clothe which he has then fastened to the exterior walls. One of the writings or prophecies reads, "The lord Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron if any one notices a swelling in his skin or a scab or boil or pimple with transparent skin Leprosy is to be suspected and so effective he must be brought to The Bequia Priest Ras Eli Jah." Ras sits outside his home during the day smoking a/many large joints and exchanging ideas and thoughts about religion with his friends and any one who might want to join in.

Pageant Farm (South side)

2009-07-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

On any given day you are bound to find some excitement in Pageant Farm. Pageant Farm is located on the southern portion of the island of Bequia. It's easily accessible by taking a dollar van, with names like: Sio, Pebbles, and Guidance, from Port Elizabeth (the main harbor). The vans are usually packed to the brim, they hold around 15 people, and most have upholstered cushioned benches for seats. They are a cross between a mini van and a bus. Painted all different colors with vinyl letters that scream there names, these vans drive excessively fast and can be heard around corners because of the Calypso music blasting from their speakers. There are no set stops, rather you shout when you need a ride or you want out. People young and old pile in with no regard for the nearest seat. They run routes along one road from Pageant Farm to Port Elizabeth.

Pageant Farm is hidden from most tourists who come to Bequia, it has a unique culture very different then the other side of the island. Fishing boats line the coast and most young men seem to the pass the time by drinking strong rum and calling each other fowl names. It's a beautiful place. Little homes with tin roofs dot the hills, peering out over the sea, each balcony has a picture perfect view. The air smells salty and the wind whips off the ocean. The land is unprotected from the Atlantic ocean, making the landscape much more rocky then the other side of Bequia.

The fisherman have a section where they store their boats. The boats come in all different colors, blue, green, red, and gold, with names like: "Aries", "Who Jah Bless No Man Touch", and "Lonely" They seem like torpedos when they take off from the ramp, seeming as though they are to back heavy to move. The men leave at 4 in the morning, returning later in the day with their bounty. Shark, Jack Fish, Barracuda, Snapper, Angle Fish, Lobster, and Eel's no sea creature is safe. Four men to a boat, some dive with spear guns and others use hand line. The methods are equally beneficially. The sea is rich.

Portraits Again

2009-06-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

Portraits

2009-06-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

I miss shooting in a square format, so I cropped all of these.

Applied Arts

2009-06-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

I will be included in the September publication of the Applied Arts Magazine. I won a contest that I had entered a while ago, and quite honestly forgot about. As well as being published in the magazine I will be included in a group show, along with other winners, in Toronto in November. I encourage you all to find your way up to Toronto and see some great work.

Here is a little information about Applied Arts:

Applied Arts is Canada’s premier magazine of visual communications. For more than 20 years, we have delivered gorgeous imagery, strong opinion, timely information and essential industry insight to our readership of senior creative professionals in graphic design, interactive design, advertising, photography and illustration. Our six yearly issues include two highly prized references—the Photography & Illustration Annual (July) and the Design & Advertising Annual (November). Applied Arts is your window on the very best creative work produced in this country and abroad.

Portraiture

2009-06-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

I would really like some feed back on these portraits. I need some criticism, because I don't feel comfortable with shooting people. I need to be shooting people, it's hard battle to start photographing people and getting comfortable with the portrait. So any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Carnival

2009-06-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to see how they design, and make the costumes for Carnival here on St. Vincent. The process is thorough and requires a lot of tedious and often time strenuous work. There are twelve "bands" that will compete to see who has developed the best costumes. Each band can have anywhere between 300 and 1,000 people in it. The costumes are each made by hand in a kind of assembly line fashion. Each band has a theme, and the one that I visited had a show time theme. The competition is on Tuesday and will be a great thing to photograph. Here are some images from my visit to the warehouse.

Baptist Church

2009-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I went to church. This may seem like a normal occurrence in most people lives, not something that would stand out. This may have been my 9th or 10th time ever going to a service in my life, so for me it was unusual. First I went to a service held at a Roman Catholic church which was a long walk from where I live, but none the less it was exciting. The service seemed typical, and familiar to what I had experienced in the past. After the service was over the priest asked me very kindly to return next Sunday, which I will be doing.

I then proceeded to the next service, which was held in a small dwelling set up in a hill, by four women, whom were the only members to attend that morning. This church was the Baptist church. The building was modest, small and unnoticeable. It did not cary with it all the gold, shrines, and alters, that may be associated with a place of worship. It had a white door made from plywood, secured with a padlock. It had two wings that extended from its sides, each unfinished, but as I was told, they would become the kitchen and dinning room, much like a home. The floor was made form poured cement when dry thin sleeves of linoleum were rolled out over the cement, ants scurried between slits in the plastic tile pattern. There was a bell in the center of the room and some oils, candles seemed to peep out from corners and behind pews. It smelled damp similar to that of a basement. And it was hot and humid, since it had yet to rain that day.

The women who held the service were all middle aged with the exception of one who is in her early 30's. They spoke of ways they had been saved, and how they are so grateful that they have put their faith in a loving God. They sang Psalms from the bible, and rang the bell which gave off a deafening sound. They would often shout Amen! or Yes! Sometimes feeling the need to leap from their seats. It was powerful, moving, and at points frightening. I learned a lot about religion, about bible stories, and why people seem to cling so hard to their religious beliefs.

I used to be frightened by religion, feeling that it holds people back from being in tune with other people around them. After that Sunday I found myself respecting the power of belief. I realized that it helps communities come together on a Sunday morning and share their stories. I realized that religion doesn't have to alienate people from other people and that it an simply unite people.

I concluded my day by watching Bill Maher's documentary Religulous which totally rebukes everything I just said. It was a day full of religion and I managed not to go to Hell.

A View

2009-06-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

The Sun Burns Brightly

2009-06-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a small sample of the pictures that I have been taking in the last few weeks. In the past two weeks I have been in four different countries, have met many people, and have taken over 500 photographs. I have graduated from college and abruptly moved to the Caribbean. I Have said good bye to many good friends and my family, and I now sit at night on a veranda over looking the ocean. I'm excited for the weeks/months that lie ahead and I'm intrigued to see how my self assigned project will turn out.

With that said, please keep your eyes out for more images that will slowly filter their way from the Caribbean and onto your computer. I will try to update my blog daily. Ta Ta for now.

Thesis

2009-03-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some more scans from my thesis project. It has really taken on a life of it's own, and I'm in the beginning stages of scanning.

First Scan

2009-03-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

This is my first scan for my Thesis Show. I have many images to get scanned but I thought I would share the results of the first negative.

A Couple More From The Farm

2009-03-12T17:48:00.001-07:00

Still working with horses

2009-03-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

I will be updating as much as possible for this project. It has really caught my interest, and I feel that is evident in the work.

All The Pretty Horses

2009-03-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Cormac McCarthy's Novel "All The Pretty Horses" (which is an amazing book), I have begun an extensive project photographing the workings of a horse farm. The farm is Country Life Farm's, they breed race horses from all over America. The people are very welcoming and grateful, and there is a magnitude of subject matter. These images are only the beginning but I'm satisfied with the direction they are taking already. Please enjoy, horses are beautiful, and have personalities similar to humans.

Some New Scans

2009-03-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Friends want images, these are old, and random but people like them enough to request a print.

Thesis

2009-02-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

So I have begun working on my thesis work. Well I have been working on it for a month now. My ideas are still rough and I'm sure the semester will lead me in all sorts of directions. I have been shooting in Sparow's Pt. Maryland. Sparows Pt. is a very interesting town, it used to be an industrial town, the steel plant there employed around 30,000 people. Now it only employs 1,ooo people. So as you can imagine there is a lot of displacement. My project is a study of the landscape which is so fascinating in this area. I will be expanding my work to other areas in Baltimore, as the semester continues.

Here are a few of my first scans they are by no means final and need a lot of work. I just wanted to get them up.

Reading

2009-02-08T19:47:00.001-08:00

About two weeks ago I started re-reading James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. I had forgotten how incredible Agee's use of our language is. His words bring what he is describing to life, he has a way of making the reader feel just as important as what they are reading. Not only is the text from this book incredible, but the images are outstanding as well. Walker Evans was hired to take photographs of what Agee was writing about. It is one of the few books where the images and the text do not distract from each other, but instead are crucial to the development of one another.

For those of you whom have never read Let Us Now Praise Famous Men here is a synopses. It's set in the summer of 1936 in a small town in Alabama. Agee and Evan's were hired by Fortune magazine to document the life of three sharecropper families. This was during Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, when our country was facing incredibly hard times, as we are now. Agee and Evan's did so much more then just document what they saw. They created a mastered piece of work, a timeless artistic achievement. They did not exploit and they found a way to achieve every nuance that they saw and felt through there work. It's truly an amazing book and really worth a read whatever your interests in life may be. Above are some of Walker Evan's images from the publishing.

DOUBT

2009-01-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

Don't go see Doubt, it was awful. Two Thumbs Down. Philip Seymour Hoffman if you're reading this I love you but come on man there was no point to the film.

Halloween Portraits

2009-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is a series that had worked on a while ago, well actually on Halloween.

See more here.

Carla van de Puttelaar

2009-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Carla van de Puttelaar's portraits are stunning. The body of work is very streamlined and has a continuous dream like feeling. Really beautiful work I recommend checking it out here.

NEW WEBSITE

2008-12-30T15:41:00.001-08:00

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE

http://www.simpsonfilmsstudio.com/

Humble Arts

2008-11-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Check out my photograph in the Humble Arts Group show:

http://humbleartsfoundation.org/groupshow/pastshows/26/show.html

There's the link.

New Website

2008-10-29T20:37:00.001-07:00

So I started a new website for myself today. Here is the home page. Nothing is loaded yet and it will take me a little bit of time to develop it, but I'm excited and i thought i would share my excitement.

Artist Portraits

2008-10-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Just started this project. I'm shooting portrait's of fellow artist's at my college. Here is the first shoot of this on going project. Please give me any feedback that you want. Thank you.

Grandma

2008-10-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

These are a two images from a very personal series. I took these in my Grandmother's house the day of her funeral. It was the most painful and fulfilling photographic projects that I have ever done. This project was something that I had to do for myself, it was my way of grieving. I also think the images are very aesthetically pleasing.

Assateague

2008-10-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

Two shots from my trip to Assateague, beautiful lighting at dusk and dawn.

Pisa

2008-10-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Some old images from Pisa Italy. i like the emptiness in both of these frames. I think they work together nicely.

Brooklyn, NY

2008-10-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here's some work from BROOKLYN, NY. Shot these this summer, i'm happy with them and like where they're going. Let me know what you think.

It has been a while

2008-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey I have not posted in way to long. Here are some old images, and i'm going to get back in the habit of posting my work. I'm also developing a website so look for that in the near future.

Never Put Your Film Through An X-Ray Machine

2008-03-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

So I shot about 14 rolls when I first got to Italy, and was so excited about these. I sent them out and the first few came back with these weird light leaks on them. I was positive that the lab was fudging them up. After many rolls came back with the same fogging, I knew what it was. The airpot, don't trust them, they ruin film. Here is what it looks like on a color print.

The Church

2008-03-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Two shots from a local church. I got kicked out shortly after I took these. I really need to sneek back into the church and take some more photographs. The lighting is superb and the space is a very strange environment.

Texture 2

2008-03-11T04:37:00.001-07:00

Texture

2008-03-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

So I assigned myself a little project, on our saturday trip to Bevagna and Toriana. I'm really drawn to all the colors of the walls, and the textures. The old paint that chips off to reveal a centuries old plaster underneath. The light that is cast upon these surfaces fasinates me, it's so distinct to this area of the world. These images will take up two posts so bare with me.

Franco

2008-03-09T13:49:00.001-07:00

A quick portrait study of Franco, a local bar owner.

My other paradise

2008-03-03T07:27:00.001-08:00

So I have been telling you all that Cortona is paradise on earth. Well here is my other Paradise...

Night Cap

2008-03-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

The best way to finish off a full Italian meal is with a Cappuccino, and there is no better place to get this coffee fix then Enrico's Bar in Cortona. This is my favorite bar here, it's a local spot where people sip there drinks for hours. They have a foosball table as well as a pinball machine. Although the opening shot of this series is from a different bar, I really liked it and tought it was fitting.

Pipe Dreams

2008-03-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

So my friend Warren bought a pipe. It's very suiting, and he smokes it with much pride. Not to many people can pull of smoking a pipe, however Warren makes it look easy. This is just a small grouping of a much larger series, of Warren and his pipe. Simplicity.

Ballet 2

2008-03-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

So here are some wider shots of the stage. There is a clear influence from Hiroshi Sugimoto, one of my favorite contemporary photographers. I really like how these images have turned out. These photographs play off the concept of capturing a 5 minute time period in one still image. Although Sugimoto captured a whole entire film in one image, I worked with what I could get. Hey thank you all for taking the time to look at my blog, thanks for the support, it means a lot to me.

Ballet 1

2008-03-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

I had not been to a Ballet since I saw the nutcracker, as a wee little 7 year old. Needless to say it was fantastic. This particular Ballet was a tribute to Fred Astaire. Who was a very famous American film and stage dancer, as well as a choreographer, singer, and actor. My friends reserved me the best seat in the house, thanks friends. Front and Center in a second floor booth, just like the one Lincoln got assassinated in, although I believe his was stage right. I set up the digital SLR and put on the 70-200 telephoto lens. I got these nice long exposures of the dancers moving across the stage. Here are just a few of the photographs I was able to get.

First Scans

2008-02-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

So these are a few of my first film scans. I'm really excited about these, I'm trying to create a visual trip journal. So these images are not ment to be a solid narrative, but rather a link of visual tme periods between days. Let me know how these are working, and I plan to keep posting images in this format.

Stampede

2008-02-26T13:33:00.001-08:00

Just a random Photo. Got some negatives back today and was scanning, I really like the composition of this photograph, as well as the color palette. I came across this table while strolling around Rome, it was covered in used books, and had the most interesting table cloth. Drawn to the textures and the light at the time, I decided I needed to take a photograph. Here it's hope you all enjoy...

Some more reactions

2008-02-21T04:10:00.001-08:00

Sistine Chapel

2008-02-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

So when Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, between 1508 and 1512, he knew he was painting history. However, i don't believe he knew, that his frescos would be the most revered pieces of biblical painting in history. I had seen the Sistine chapel 3 times before coming this time. I had taken my dubious sneaky photographs of the ceilings and the walls. So this time that's not what caught my attention. Instead I was drawn to the hundreds of overwhelmed faces of people from all over the world. Everyone was looking at the same series of paintings, looking up like they were 7 year olds at the circus watching a trapeze performance. Some people had come to Rome solely to see this amazing work of art. Every five minutes an announcement would be read in 6 different languages, reprimanding people for talking and taking photographs. As soon as this was over people would begin there disorderly conduct all over again. So here are some reactions, I find these to be priceless. I mean it's someones reaction to something that they have heard about their whole lives, and now are finally able to see. Like a birth of a child or meeting your favorite athlete, artist, or actor.

Maxwell

2008-02-14T04:40:00.001-08:00

Luck of the draw kid you get your own post

First attempts at the night

2008-02-14T04:15:00.000-08:00

So these are my first attempts to work during the night and take some photographs. These are branching more onto the creative side, you know compositions, color, that good stuff. I need to adjust to this place before i can start seriously working, i'm hoping that will happen soon. I plan to start working with film tonight, because i miss it and i still feel the quality is better then digital, sorry all you tech freaks. Shooting black and white will be amazing in this town, the textures, the light, and the people, will all contribute to a great photograph. Hope you all like these and don't be afraid to leave me a comment...

Jump Ahead to Cortona

2008-02-14T03:51:00.000-08:00

So I still have more to post from Rome and Florence, but i'm having trouble keeping up. So I jumped ahead to where i currently reside, the beautiful tuscan hill town of Cortona. So this is my bedroom, and yeah that's right, this is my view every morning, afternoon, and evening. I bet you're jealous sorry. There are a lot of stray cats, that seem to find there way into every crack in this city. The first few days have been overwhelming, the whole town welcomes us. It's as if every year they wait for the arrival of students, and when we're not here the town shuts down. Almost like a music box, so pristine, and just waiting for that twist to start it up. Well im glade i got that corny line out of the way. Enjoy the photos from this post..................

Trees

2008-02-11T03:39:00.000-08:00

Here I was mainly fasinated by the different kinds of trees. How they differ so drastically from country to country, yet they are all the same material, and serve generally the same purposes. The umbrella trees remind me of something out of a Dr. Seuss, something he would illustrate. The ski also seems different here, even though it's the same sky as the one i see every day at home. It seem crisper here, more punchy, the clouds seem to jump out, rather then recede, as i find they do in New York. Very strange.
There are also some random photos thrown in here, things that i enjoyed, hope they hold interest to you as well.

Alone in Rome

2008-02-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

I got to wonder around today, get lost, and stumble upon the most beautiful sights in this world. Such as the Trevi Fountain, or Villa Borghesse Park. The Italians know how to live life, the days go slow here into a void, it seems like everything is slowly floating by, in a good way though. I enjoy strolling around, singing songs and just being glad that i can be here. I could get lost every day in this city and never get tired of it. But with out much a do here are de fotos.

First day continued

2008-02-10T03:04:00.000-08:00

Rome the first day

2008-02-10T02:41:00.001-08:00

So here are some shots from around rome. Things that I found interesting, they don't all remind me of Rome or Italy, but I enjoyed the colors/compositions of most of them. The trip has started out with a bang, it is amazing to be here and it will only get better.
I could spend all day in a piazza just watching people walk by, god i love having a telephoto lens. The sights, the smells, and the sounds are all so foreign to me. I could get used to life here. Who ever planned this city was a genuis, it's a constant layering, like a wedding cake, of old over new, and new over old. You can't have more of a sturdy foundation, then one built by the Romans. So when in Rome...

The Beginning

2008-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

So here I am. Never thought this day would come.
I'm sitting in JFK international airport waiting to board a boeing 747 oon my way to Rome...
I should be studying my Italian, but instead, I am sitting here snapping photos, woops.
Here are three shots that I thought were nice.
You know the typical airport photography, big plane, nice sunset etc...

The Portrait

2007-12-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

The formal portrait study, it will get you everytime.

So these were taken with an 8 by 10 view camera, for those of you who are new to the area of photography this camera is massive. It's essentially the height and width of an 8 by 10 inch sheet of paper, while it can be as deep as 3 feet. Just moving this camera takes concentration and a good deal of effort. The focal length is very shallow and since I was shooting portraits I had to be set at an f11 or f16, thus decreasing the depth of field more.

I used a dyna light kit which has two strob heads, and can fire up to 1000 watts at a time. It's bright but not as powerful as other light kits. I enjoy working with this lighting system, since it's small and can easily be carried on and off of set. These being the first chromes that I had ever shot, I was really meticulous with my light readings.

I have printed two of these to 4 feet by 5 feet, and there is still no evidence of grain, exciting.

My friends are always generous, when it comes to sitting in for me. So thank you Jill, Kerry, Mary, and Sara.

2007-12-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

So These are some old pieces that I have done. These were from last year, when i just began this industrial themed project. I was using a Hasselblad medium format camera, and shooting with both Kodak 160 NC and VC film. I was dealing with the compositions and the color relations that were being formed by these large industrial land scapes.

Shooting in these locations was always interesting. I was constantly finding my way into strange surreal places, most of them never seemed to safe. It's interesting how much safer I feel when i position myself behind a camera. The place at which I took the photographs of the salt mines, was about a 2 hour bike ride from my apartment, and it was about 30 degrees out, good times.

Any way here are just a few samples from this large body of industrial landscapes.

Christopher Simpson

This article is depressing me

Website Update

Finally Shooting/Scanning Again

AIPAD NOT TO MISS

Exciting Shows

Frederick Sommer's Opening At Bruce Silverstein Gallery

Haiti Print Sale

I'm happy to be apart of this fundraiser for Haiti

Successful emerging photographers from around the U.S. and Canada have joined forces to support the people of Haiti.Every print is 8x10 inches in size.Every print is from an edition of 10.Every print is $50.100% of the proceeds go to Yele Haiti Foundation: http://www.yele.org/about-us/

There is really amazing work up for sale!Please go to this link and pass the word out!http://haitiprintsale.bigcartel.com/Prints go on sale on Monday Jan 18th. At 12 in the afternoon Eastern Time.

Listin And Rita

Last Day In Southside

Mustique

Hamilton

Wedding

Joan And Jonathan

Jump

Visitor has left

More Landscapes

Landscapes

A Plentiful Catch 2

A Plentiful Catch

Bequia Landscapes

Diptych

The Last Prophet

Pageant Farm (South side)

Portraits Again

Portraits

Applied Arts

Portraiture

Carnival

Baptist Church

A View

The Sun Burns Brightly

Thesis

First Scan

A Couple More From The Farm

Still working with horses

All The Pretty Horses

Some New Scans

Thesis

Reading

DOUBT

Halloween Portraits

Carla van de Puttelaar

NEW WEBSITE

Humble Arts

New Website

Artist Portraits

Grandma

Assateague

Pisa

Brooklyn, NY

It has been a while

Never Put Your Film Through An X-Ray Machine

The Church

Texture 2

Texture

Franco

My other paradise

Night Cap

Pipe Dreams

Ballet 2

Ballet 1

First Scans

Stampede

Some more reactions

Sistine Chapel

Maxwell

First attempts at the night

Jump Ahead to Cortona

Trees

Alone in Rome

First day continued

Rome the first day

The Beginning

The Portrait

Successful emerging photographers from around the U.S. and Canada have joined forces to support the people of Haiti.
Every print is 8x10 inches in size.
Every print is from an edition of 10.
Every print is $50.
100% of the proceeds go to Yele Haiti Foundation: http://www.yele.org/about-us/

There is really amazing work up for sale!

Please go to this link and pass the word out!

http://haitiprintsale.bigcartel.com/

Prints go on sale on Monday Jan 18th. At 12 in the afternoon Eastern Time.