NYC f/STOP: Blog

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angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:52:19 GMT

Hide, warm hands push

Pale, cold day's ahead
Fever like dew, hide
From purging to purging,
skin, not taught, frail
My disease utters
blasphemy
Fear is the lock
Laughter the key
Empty
My streams, steady
Weary
By the window,
empty place inside
Did I hear goodbye?

Cup & Saucer

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:18:48 GMT

Whenever I’ve passed “The Saucer”, I’m transported to an earlier era in our cities history. With it’s quaint diner feel and the vintage Coca-Cola sign which hangs overhead, the luncheonette has been in existence for over 70 years. Although ownership has changed hands over the years, it definitely hasn’t lost it’s appeal.

Alone with my shadow

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:50:27 GMT

As I was walking along Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier, I came upon the sole figure of a woman (and her shadow), with her eyes fixed on the seemingly endless ocean.

Soothing Company

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:49:47 GMT

Parachute Jump

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:47:53 GMT

Unfortunately the Parachute Jump (Coney Island) has been inoperable since the early sixties, anyone can go and admire it’s open steel frame architecture all year round.

Lucky hand

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:47:05 GMT

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

Know when to walk away, know when to run

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table

There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealins done.

Taken from "The Gambler" written by Don Schlitz

Everything is a ok

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:13:53 GMT

Passion One

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:32:21 GMT

In an effort to work out my journey of photography in a public forum and with the help of some friends (namely you) a lot of thought lately has gone into working out certain details concerning passion. One question that struck me was do I really know what my passions are? Generally this should have been a relatively easy answer, YES would be my initial response. Of course I know what I love but when I tried to actually define my passion I became unclear and when I analysed why , it was due to another question, do I know the difference between what I like and things that I love? I mean , I like to take all kinds of pictures, street , architectural, urban (there are also areas of photography that I have yet to experience - portraiture, landcsapes or macro to name a few) and I've enjoyed them all but I'm not passionate about them all.

In recent day's I have been trying to define what I love about my pictures, a self analysis if you will. This has been a challenge, I've asked myself what do I love and what I really love? What am I drawn to? Am I drawn to a particular thing due to it's market appeal or value? I mean I know that this journey isn't about what will make me the most money or what sells the best. I would go so far as to say I'm not even trying to emulate what the more recognized photographers are shooting. It's about being drawn to something, being in tune with myself and my passion(s). We are all at different levels of photography, whether amateur, semi-amateur or pro, these questions and thoughts of mine may seem academic or trivial but I am excited about this process and the self awareness it's bringing to my work. More to the point, I'm learning to recognize what my passions are more easily and by extension more confidence to pursue them..

Stay tuned for Part two..

Thoughts on Vison

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:35:39 GMT

I came across this quote from American painter and photographer Chuck Close this afternoon; "The dilemma and the strength of photography: It is the easiest medium in which to be competent, but it is the hardest medium in which to have personal vision that is readily identifiable"

Concerning an earlier post I wrote I couldn't help but automatically think when reading this quote how passion and vision go hand in hand. How once your passion is determined how it needs to apply directly to your personal vision. I dare say your vision could be defined simply as how you see things; composition, your subject(s), framing, lighting, camera angles, black and white, color etc, etc..

One key thing that will put me on my own personal road concerning vision, is passion; what am I passionate about? What do I love to shoot? That my friends is where I am right now. I'm writing this and it just sounds so simple, like I can almost grasp it, touch it, but as we all know it's not that simple. Vision , I believe takes time to develop, it takes work and lots of it.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

A most worthy challenge

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:45:08 GMT

I tell you one thing that I am going to focus more on in with respect to my photography, is composition. As renowned photographer Edward Weston stated "Composition is the strongest way of seeing", than what we can gather from this important statement is that composition must be a strength; a visual strength.

The big question as it pertains to me and my type of photography is how can I better compose a shot without sacrificing that decisive and elusive moment that street photographers look for. I dare say if my images lack either or, I will be an average photographer and my pictures will lack that POP that all of us look for in our pictures.

I guess it's that challenge of having to properly compose a shot in a millisecond that draws me to street photography. I fully understand that having this visual strength is a life long endeavor which will undoubtedly require me to constantly learn, practice and refine this skill. I will begin this long journey by breaking down each element of compostion i.e Simplicity, Rule of Thirds, Balance, Framing and Lines and concentrating on each one individually. Simply stated each time I go out to shoot I will be focusing on one element of composition at a time.

Stay tuned....

To switch things up I would like to ask what recommendations you have concerning good photography books to read. I've come across these books :

The Passionate Photographer - Steve Simon, Photographically Speaking - David duChemin, The Photographers Vision - Michael Freeman, Storytellers - Jerod Foster

I haven't read these books but I have heard good things concerning them. Have any of you read any of the above books? Any good/bad?

What else can you recommend?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Unsettled

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:44:47 GMT

It never fails,... the uncomfortable and irritable feeling I get when I feel like I've hot a wall. This sensation generally comes when I haven't challenged or pushed myself as I should and that I need to smash my comfort zone.

It's been eight months since I picked up my Nikon and the ride has been spectacular. The growth that I have experienced in that time period has been a rapid one, but there is more growth that needs to take place. I have noticed lately that I have been to comfortable with my photography and I think that's one of the reasons I've been feeling a bit off lately. It would be very easy for me to resist this feeling of being unsettled, especially when it comes to navigating through uncharted territories , of the unknown. Will people like my photography? What if I make a mistake? What if I don't find my niche? I believe these feelings of discomfort can act as a springboard from which growth , personal growth can come from.

"If you remain in your comfort zone you will not grow any further".... Catherine Pulsifer

In the next couple of day's I am going to write down a series of challenges concerning my photography and where I want to see myself in the next 6,12,24 months etc. Knowing that my thoughts and goals are public make it very real to me, not only am I accountable to myself but to the world.

I would like to hear how do you keep yourself challenged as photographers? How do you get out of your comfort zones?

Angel.

A New Beginning

angel@asf73.com (NYC f/STOP) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:03:00 GMT

This is my first post from my new blog and I'm very excited. It's been quite a journey bouncing from blog host to blog host and I've finally found a home. In an effort to not only consolidate my blog posts and a place to house and sell my images, I have a chose Zenfolio to begin this new journey of mines.

What better way to start things off then to show you one of my favorite images; It's the underside of the Williamsburg Bridge.