Matthew Nager Photography

New Blog...Please Migrate

2009-02-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I have moved my blog to a new smoother, happier place. The content will continue to flow...it will just be shinier.

Join me at the new locale:

www.mattnager.com/blog

I look forward to hearing from you and will see you soon!

Matt

In Un-Saturated Country

2009-01-29T16:31:00.000-08:00

Two Weeks of Thumbnails

2009-01-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

Got back from a great two weeks in Colorado. Not enough snow, but plenty of mountains. Here are a few iPhone pics made into a square. This should hold up for a couple days until I get my feet on the ground again.

Fog v.2

2008-12-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

I had another day of weather to go shoot in. It wasn't as thick as last week and there was much higher humidity. Still...I got a few. Any favorites?

Fog

2008-12-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

I finally saw some weather in North Texas the other day. It is usually sunny or cloudy with no rain or snow. For 24 hours the roads and fields were covered in fog. I had to take advantage of the milky faded horizons. I'm happy with the mix of photos that came out of the drive. I am hoping for another day soon. It has potential for a good series.

I Likes v.5

2008-12-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

Major General Mary Saunders

2008-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while you meet a particularly strong person. Not strong in a physical sense, although that is also a common attribute, but more a person who carries themselves in a powerful way.

Last week I photographed Mary Saunders. Currently, she is heading a new leadership program at Texas Women's University here in Denton, Texas. Leadership apparently came naturally to Mary, as she spent most of her life in the Air Force eventually becoming a Major General. She held a certain patience in her manner that went beyond military training. Clearly she was accustomed to speaking and dealing with people like myself. Her personality was both calm and direct.

This was my first time taking a portrait of a high ranking military person. It was an experience I hope to have again.

Santa Claus

2008-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time again. Time for massive ad campaigns and things I don't need. It does help me turn off the television set. It does not, however, sell me products. Especially when work is slow and the last thing I need is a new car.

It is also a time for Santa. I always take photos at some of the many Santa events for kids. I feel for the Santa more than anything. First words out of this guys mouth to me: "Are you married? Don't do it or you'll end up dressed like me."

Tis the season.

Oldies

2008-12-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

Going through old photos for a couple contests I found some shots I liked but never found a place for.

This is the place.

Celina Orange

2008-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

I showed up to another football game last night to see hunters forging their way into a high school stadium. After a second look, I realize that the orange is really the school color of Celina High School. This, I gotta say, has to be the best color a school could pick. Just orange. I set out to find a set of images not action related.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

2008-11-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

I took a portrait of this cool dude named Robert Hafer. After a short while of photographing we got around to chatting. Robert teaches people how to be successful using NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming.) I am usually skeptical of such "self-help" psychology programs. This was no exception. After hearing a little from Robert, I started to understand that this wasn't really a self-help program but rather an understanding of the ways words can be used to relate to life. We, as humans, take in senses in many ways. Obviously, there is no way to be conscious of all experiences at once. NLP, it appears, teaches you to recognize the way words play off experience and opens scenarios to use words for personal success through personal behavior. If more people stopped and consciously payed attention the ability to shape communication through words, human interactions would probably meet its potential.

I have to look more into NLP before truly placing it above the many self-help programs created or discovered primarily as a money makers. But it sounds convincing so far.

Copper Canyon Online

2008-11-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to show off a new slide show of mine on the NY Times. What's more exciting is I pitched the story and was able to land the gig.

Check it out here.

The trip was great. You should go.

I Likes v.4

2008-11-10T08:45:00.001-08:00

The Prize

2008-11-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

I never won the prize. Not that I was too far off. I was liked. Not the most popular by any means, but certainly approachable. The prize wasn't even the goal. I had my group and we more or less turned our noses to the distinction. Truthfully, I don't think I was at the game and thus missed the parade.

I can imagine the joy (or embarrassment) of getting the crown. Depending on your level of ego it can make or break the season. It can be redemption or repetition, a full-filled expectation or a forgotten moment.

Homecoming. A tradition. While my date's name has slipped my mind, the memory of the dance still sits somewhere in my mind. It was not the missed prize I remember, but rather it is the moment of life that remains in my memory.

Could Be Worse

2008-10-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

I'm back from NYC after a beautiful two weeks. This was the first visit to New York where I really could see myself living there. I have no idea what I would do. Certainly photography would change for me and I might even look in a new direction. Realistically, I don't have the desire or ability to move right now. But, I do love that city and the personality that seems to seep out from every stop on the subway. It is hard to get over the faces. The trains allow for time to just look. This is likely the reason I love the Subway so much. Living in Texas, one takes for granted the idea of interpersonal connections, instead, driving from point to point in a self-absorbed box (literally.) The unique thing about NYC is the utter unavoidable and sometimes intense proximity to strangers as well as diversity. People have it wrong when they say New Yorkers are angry and rude. I find people there to be some of the most open minded I have met. They just live fast. It is understandable.

On a technical note, these images were all shot with the iPhone. Don't be alarmed. I am certainly not expressing myself through new artistic inspiration. I don't even look at the iPhone as a serious photographic piece of equipment (yet.) I do think that it is capable of producing some fun images in an easy and discreet fashion - there is no shutter sound and people usually assume I am simply looking at my phone. I do like that.

One more thing, I have done little to no retouching on these photos. They are cropped and toned to look like a Holga in the iPhone by an application called CameraBag. I like that too.

Gone Fishin...

2008-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

I will be in NYC through October 15.

Have a good two weeks!

The Old Ball Game

2008-09-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Now I'm a Rockies fan. A Colorado Rockies fan. I went to several games their opening season. That was 1993. They were terrible. In fact, they were terrible until last season when they went to the World Series only to be destroyed by the Red Sox. I think they are pretty much terrible again this season.

I always enjoyed playing baseball. I was terrible too. Perhaps that is why the game never meant much to me. It was always about the experience. The time of year was perfect to be outside. I remember getting Taco Bell from mom every third inning. I remember buying Big League Chew and not liking it at all. I remember the batting cages with dad. Two tokens for 25 pitches. He would tell me to bunt the first ten...then swing away. I would hit maybe 10 balls. In all my seasons I hit one home run and made All-Stars one year (the year my dad was Coach.)

My dad would take me to Rockies Games. Depending on the ticket, my hopes for catching a foul ball would be high. We would wait for autographs and buy foot-long hot dogs. He would make fun of me for putting ketchup on the dog because in New York that would never happen. Around the fourth inning I would get ice cream, dippin dots, another hot dog, or a soda. The rest of the game would be relaxing. We wouldn't even talk much. Just sit and watch the game. I never did catch a ball.

Ike Evacuees

2008-09-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

I debated about going to the coast to cover Hurricane Ike. In the end, the decision was easy. I had no disaster experience. I had no truck. I had no connections. And possibly most important, I had no secured assignment.

The day before Ike hit evacuees started rolling into Dallas. I decided to head down to the Dallas Convention Center where 1,450 cots were positioned with health and food stations. I arrived a little after 11AM and already the place was busy. With good reason the media was not allowed inside. After speaking with the Red Cross media liaison, I was reminded that these people had just been through a traumatic experience. Considering I had no assignment, I was more than OK with their position. After all, there really was no reason for the media to get involved.

For a good half-hour I watched as families shuffled about with their lives stuffed into plastic bags. I talked with a few people, mostly from Bay Town, about what they left behind.

Things were relatively calm and I decided to shoot a few Polaroids. It is amazing how open people can be in the middle of a disaster.

I hope things turn out for them.

Music and Ford

2008-09-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

I never really liked country music. Let me take that back. I don't like country music when it is overdone. I photographed a Toby Keith concert last week and I must say that I have never seen something so over the top and frankly pathetic in my life.

The guy is sponsored by Ford. Fine. But did they have to make a movie staring a truck while co-staring the musician to be presented before the show? Did they have to shoot 50,000 dollar sized ads out of a canon to start the show? Did they have to put a 20 foot Ford sign IN FRONT of the drummer? I usually don't care about musicians selling out...but come on.

I also think Toby takes steroids. His arms are a little too big, while his stomach is as well. I wonder if his ego gets upset when the girls scream louder for the truck then him.

Now I know this picture doesn't match my complaints. It is just the only Polaroid to come out from the show. So deal with it.

Just Because

2008-09-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

During the DNC I escaped those crazy Dems only to find the crazy GOP in Golden.

This college republican was preparing for a "Dunk the Democrat" game. It really was as awkward as this photo looks.

DNC Polaroid

2008-09-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Democratic National Convention was a crazy week. I covered several assignments for various publications in three countries. I also worked on a new multimedia project which looked into several perspectives of different anarchists and activists demonstrating at the convention. Please take a look at the project on my website here. It was a lot of shooting and a lot of editing. I think it turned out pretty good though.

I wasn't able to get inside the convention as much as I had hoped despite getting credentials at the last second. I was just too busy working with the activists and my other commitments. The one night I did go in I spent most of my time looking for portraits to shoot with my polaroid. I only stayed inside for an hour.

The biggest protest of the convention in Denver was put on by the Iraq Veterans Against the War. It was a nice march in which veterans showed their dislike of the war by marching in full uniform to the Pepsi Center outside the convention. The event drew two or three thousand people.

The funny people, fanatic attitudes, and crazy circus that is politics is overwhelming. It is only intensified during conventions, protests, and election seasons. Once in a while it is good to get this perspective first hand.

My digital images will come soon.

Summer Sky

2008-08-09T10:30:00.001-07:00

It's not only the smell and the open sky that make Boulder such a nice place. It's the ability to take a walk at night and encounter an animal larger than myself. To be able to walk in the rain while at the same time watching shooting stars fly by. It's about not hearing traffic and electricity.

It's amazing and it never gets old.

The Waiting Game

2008-08-05T23:57:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just find yourself watching. Not really thinking or composing, just watching. It is amazing how different moments can work together. A new face can match a past gesture or a small change of position can correct an off balanced moment. Perhaps it takes a solitary object to make moments meet. Here people were looking for their plane departure times on a monitor. I think the gestures between people match pretty well. I don't think this is because their surroundings were the same, but rather their sense of urgency was the same. Even while movements were different there was a similar feeling of anxiousness throughout.

Cherries

2008-08-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

It is Thursday.
The water steams. I see the final crystals from the plastic bottle containing my instant coffee pour into a cup.
"Would you like room for milk?"
"Yes," I respond. I always do. "Cream and sugar, please."
"Oh sorry. We are out of milk."
"Oh. Well...just an extra spoonful of sugar should do the trick."
As I leave, chattering sounds regarding politics and global warming flow from recently depleted ceramic mugs of coffee painted with Chinese designs. A smile grows as I am rewarded with my decision to get my drink in a paper cup...to-go.
I notice my right shoe has faded slightly more than my left.
My car starts. A left, a right, another right and two more lefts. I pull into the second to last parking spot.
"Three bags of the mulch marked '30 percent off' please." I ask seconds before realizing the young man wearing a Home Depot shirt didn't in fact work at the Home Depot.
"Um, I don't work here," he smuggly responds while not actually looking in my direction.
"But you're wearing a Home Depot shirt," I mock trying to imitate his smart-ass manner.
"Dude. Heard of second hand?"
I suppose his name wasn't actually Shawn either. I turn around and walk away, not fast but not exactly slow. I think of all the wittier responses that could have been.
At the stoplight, the radio host annoys me with another pledge drive interruption. "I'd rather listen to traffic," I complain to myself as I roll down the window and firmly press the off button. Two lefts, a right, and two more lefts. I pull in. I'm out of change so I risk a ticket from the meter-maid.
I see Paul walking toward me on the other side of the street. I don't really want to talk, but I figure it isn't worth the hassle. I am hot and I am tired. I cross the street.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Got work today?" he asks.
No is my answer.
"Hmmm."
"I did pick some cherries," I respond with a selfish smile. Happy that I have something unique to say, my smile grows and I cross my arms with a certain cockiness.
"Wow. For a pie? I love those sour cherries," Paul inquires much to my surprise.
"No. I prefer them dried," I snap back. It's true. I always hated pies. I think it is the crust I don't like. I do like dried goods. They last longer.
"No way. Pies are much better. And take more care with preparation."
I try to hide my eagerness to leave and instead look at my feet, uncross my arms, and step on a bug. All cockiness has evaporated.
"Well I have a thousand more cherries. So maybe tomorrow." I am trying to avoid an obvious and painful debate. I regret my unique statement.
I make an bad excuse about going to a fake appointment I wish I did have in reality.
At home I look at my cherries. They are almost dried. Looking smaller and less appealing than I had hoped, I knew I should have made a pie.

Portraits 2x

2008-07-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

A few changes have been made.

1. A new blog name. Love it? Hate it? Don't care? I still giggle, so really, who cares what you think?

2. I have updated the website with a few new photos. Many of which have been on the blog. A couple which have not. Regardless, take a look. If for nothing else, at least do it to help boost my ego when I look at the web stats.

www.mattnager.com

Here are two recent photos. One is from a recent trip through Mexico on the last passenger train still running. I am hoping the story with make it into publication. I am still waiting to finalize the deal. Soon I will be able to share the photos with you.

The other is my girlfriend's father. He is a retired tailor, who now tends to his land filled with olive trees, lime trees, and a few plums. Nice place to have family.