tapes and tapes

I know that being retro is all the rage nowadays, this coming from a person who only uses film cameras and even worse still uses a small tape player to listen to music BUT trust me this is an involuntary reflex. Somewhere along the lines I just fell into the way of thinking, "if it's not broke don't fix it". I wouldn't say that I am afraid of technology but I would say that I wish we could just slow down and enjoy things for awhile. Every few months it seems like we keep improving on things that in my opinion don't need much improving in the first place. There is always something bigger and better coming along in the next few months making society never feel like they are satisfied. I hate that feeling! So I personally have chosen to slow down.

Like I mentioned above I use a small tape player as my primary music player. This happened all by accident when I saw one for under 3 dollars at a thrift store. It was just sitting there and I thought " Hey why not?" I then noticed how affordable tapes are selling, sometimes for as low as a quarter. I love going to Amoeba because they always have some great selections. These are my latest finds....

 

The funny thing is The Cranberries "No Need To Argue" tape was the first tape I ever purchased and here I was almost 16 years later purchasing it again.  

This right here is my gem, a Dinosaur Jr album on tape with no artwork. Comes right in time as the news of the Bug re-issue on tape , coming full circle maybe?

My first time with the LC-Wide

 

This is my first roll through the LC-Wide and to be honest I wish I would have gone closer! The LC-W is the new camera by Lomography that takes the LC-A+ to a whole new level allowing you to take not online wide angle shots but also half and square frame pictures! I say it is something along the lines of if the Diana Mini and the LC-A+ had a baby. To be quite honest when I found out this was happening I was not too excited about it, I like the LC-A and it already had the ability to add a wide angle lens so how much better could it be. I don't really care for the novelty of half frame photography and if I wanted square images I could just shoot medium format! But just  one look at the pictures and I knew that I was wrong. I could go over the technical specifications of this camera like it's 17mm lens and what not but I think just looking at the pictures you can see how great it is. The best part for me is that it only has two focus functions 0.4 -0.9 m or 0.9 - infinity ! That means not only do you not have to think about exposures thanks to the infamous light meter you also don't really have to think about focusing either!! Regardless I think I need to take this baby out for a spin one more time and you know maybe actually get a good picture.

Set on half frame option without the half frame mask creates fake panoramic images

Square format

Street Photography

Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching a new workshop at the Lomography Gallery Store LA that solely focused on street photography. A concept that I was not too familiar with but as soon as I did my research I became engulfed in the greats and master of the craft.

  My interest in street photography began when I moved to NYC for the first time (yes there was a second). I loved the idea of exploring the city and capturing it through my glass lens. I lived right around the corner from ICP and worked a few stops away from the MET so I was always occupying my time checking out photography exhibits. When I moved to NY I only had a canon rebel t1 35mm camera and a sony digital camera. This was back in 2007 when digital had finally become a household thing. I don't know why I held on the the film camera for as long as I did and now a days I can't imagine using anything but film but those were my companions while in the "big scary" city. I always remember on my days off taking the train to a random destination in hopes that when I got off I would be able to capture the essence of where I was.

photo by Henri Cartier Bresson

  I was already in the mentality of a street photographer and I didn't even know it. ICP hosted an exhibit while I still lived in the city on Henri Cartier-Bresson. I didn't know it at the time but I was seeing the photographs of someone who people call the grandfather of photojournalism. It wasn't until doing research for this workshop that I became re-acquainted with the photographs that inspired me years ago.

photo by Henri Cartier Bresson

 In addition to Bresson there are dozen or so great photographers that put their stamp on Street Photography back in the day. Doisneau, Evans, Gilden and many more to mention but all unique and similar in their own ways.

I think about how capturing people in their every day life was so important back in the day. A life before reality tv, before tabloid magazines, before leisurely traveling. This was the only way we could see the world outside of our own.  Street Photography requires a sense of confidence that I lack. You have to be able to walk up to anyone and be prepared to be let in or grossly told to fuck off. I can't handle that kind of rejection so in turn I will probably never be one of those names but I can say that dabbling in the art form is fun!

I also taught a Diana F+ workshop last week and at the tail end of it ran into WeHo Jesus. If you live in LA you have seen this man at least one time or another. He walks around LA wearing a long robe, has a beard and long hair. Resembles what we think Jesus would look like or at least what we have been told he should. I tried to sneak a picture as I saw him walk down the street ( Does anyone else hear Kanye's "Jesus Walks" when they see him passing by? ) He saw me and motioned my friend and I to come over, now I don't know about you but when someone who resembles Jesus tells you to do anything you almost feel some sort of religious obligation to comply, I blame my Catholic upbringing. I asked him if I could take his portrait and then he started asking me about Lomography, who knew Jesus knew about Lomo cameras.... It was a weird experience but I got this awesome shot out of it. I think the Diana F+ complimented this holy being really well, and don't worry I don't really think he is Jesus, or is he?

Puerto Rico !!!!

It's been a long time since I have written in here mostly due to the fact that I lack a computer! womp womp....
There is good news though, actually there really isn't any good news but we will glaze over that just so I can talk about how amazing my last trip was. I was lucky enough to spend a few days with my friends in NYC and then hop over to Puerto Rico to spend some time with my dad.

Being in Puerto Rico opened up my eyes to something I hadn't experienced in awhile, WANDERLUST! This word is defined as a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. That is pretty much all I want to do with my life, I blame Anthony Bourdain! In all seriousness, being able to experience a completely different culture awoke something in me. While I walked down the small narrow streets of old San Juan I thought to myself this is what it is all about. Seeing new things and being around the unfamiliar challenges something inside of you to want more. We spent most of our time in Old San Juan walking around and taking in the beauty of the Atlantic. We even went into an old castle which was weird and cool all at the same time. There was this festival going on while we were there, apparently it goes on every Sunday with outdoor music and dancing. Everyone brings their own chair and they sit down or get up and dance but the main point is just relaxing and enjoying a day off. Living in the states I feel we all lose sight of what enjoying your life is suppose to feel like. We all work hard to try to get by and forget what life is suppose to be about. I guess that last statement could be interpreted many different ways for many different people but for me life is about experiencing and at the moment there is not much of that going on.

On trips I always find it hard to pack cameras, I have a few that I am partial to (Lubitel 166 I am looking at you! ) others are a toss up. I decided to take my Diana F+ on this trip since I haven't given it much of a chance in previous outings. I am so happy I did! the soft focus lens paired with slide film were the exact thing I needed to capture the beauty of Puerto Rico.

Here are a few images I was lucky enough to capture. All simple, without thought but lucky enough that the planets aligned and got me these gorgeous images.