I know it is bad

 For your health; however she looks really good while she is smoking....
 These images come from a wonderful commission I got this week, to photograph 12 people for one of the major Hair Salons here in Atlanta; it was fun, hard work and very diverse!!!
Some of them are raw, while others pristine
Hope you like my cigarette Lady...

 Plug In Baby by muse

Color or B&W

 It is amazing, or at least for me it is, to observe other people doing or performing within the same trade you are also dedicated too.  I can detail their movement, I cannot stop marveling to the concentration and effort they put in to it. It makes me wonder whether I do it the same way, Do I look as given to the moment, to the capturing of the image to the playing with the result?

I took this image, and I cannot get to terms on which one should I stick to, is it the B&W or the vibrant Color. this moment speak to me as a reflection of all the seconds a photographer has in front of him;  but it is just one at a time he can capture.

 I usually do not like ColdPlay but I think Spies goes well with this.....

Looking Back (3 Portraits)

    Today while discussing a few items on my portfolio with a friend I found these 3 portraits, completely different from one another; and I mean, absolutely different; these all date at least 1 to 3 years back if I can recall correctly.
   Two spontaneously happened, one was in a regular studio setting. However, looking closely at all of them to me  they all reflected human emotions so deeply embedded; The lady is telling me that she can overcome anything; she is on top of the world; The front man is indifferent even though he gave me permission to take this image, so much disdain (by the way, that is my favorite) and the old man just sadness but at the same time peace, he knows very well what is closing in.
  I love all three of them, for what they tell me.

Intimacy.

Intimacy generally refers to the feeling of being in a close personal association and belonging together. It is a familiar and very close affective connection with another as a result of entering deeply or closely into relationship through knowledge and experience of the other. Genuine intimacy in human relationships requires dialogue, transparency, vulnerability and reciprocity. Source Wikepedia


By following the definition above then, I conclude that the first and primary intimate relationship is with oneself; to try and find another intimate relationship to put o top of it is bound to fail;..... why? because if you cannot be familiar to yourself, if you have no knowledge of yourself, and specially if there is no transparency within yourself; How on earth can we even dare to experiment onto some other one?
It has taken a long time for me to really be introspective, I guess is the turning of the years.

These Things by She Wants Revenge

        

New Ways

  I am trying to find my way in the photographic realm.
  I am still working with some concepts,one is a reflection of a reflection(images to be posted soon)
  And still can't sit still, all I do is pondering on how to proceed and advance about it all.
  This for me is becoming the most essential part of my photography search.
  Once I hit the mark, I will feel comfortable in the skin.

  Karmacoma by Massive Attack

There is so much beauty everywhere...

Even in the smallest of things
I will just leave it to that this time....
Love can Damage your Health By TelepopMusic

"Meet me in Montauk" My visual love affair with Michel Gondry (and He doesn't even know it)

 It was the mid 90's, and it came as a lighting that struck down my eyes and brain, It just happened; my eternal visual love for Michel Gondry's work, just like any love at first sight. I still remember that those were the days when I was in my very early twenties, I was bored a little with the grunge music and the videos (yeah,videos were at one point extremely popular), and as I turned on my TV; I saw this petite girl-woman driving this immense trash truck in a post apocalyptic era, the music was industrial, techno, rough, synth like, with lots of texture and programing behind it. and boy!, she could scream on top of all of that; very expressive. ( I also loved Bjork back then). However, the more I watched the video the more it transmitted some genius element behind it.

  You see, everything looked very hand made; but at the same time there were effects and directional frames of a person with a creativity that could suck you in; well, this video is no other than "Army of Me", and was directed by Michel Gondry.  Back in those days He was not as famous;I think he was well known in France and have already done a video for Lenny Kravitz and another one for Bjork (Human Behavior). From that point forward anything that had the Gondry's trademark I would observe attentively. I could see all the use of imagery of something real, of something I could do myself and at the same time, the presence of technical precision of new and innovative techniques in filming. Furthermore, there was always the element of an oniric proportion, but also a little bit of a child like atmosphere somewhere.

  Time went by and he won awards for commercial videos,and made more music videos; and so, it finally happened; he jumped into movies; that is when it really got interested for me. I have in my hands his first full length movie, Human Nature (2001) which I have yet to see; however I have been able to enjoy all of the other ones that have come out, like my all time favorite Eternal Sunshine of The spotless Mind (He Directed and Co-wrote), The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind and the latest one called Tokio (Interior Design). ( He also has directed several TV shows Episodes, in other words, his body of work is vast).

  In conclusion expect the unexpected; all of his movies will make you think, they all catch you by surprise at one point or another, they scare you, make you laugh; leave you perplex, etc...What can I say?, I admire his work, his approach and creative thought process; and how he is able to represent and dismantle any physiological barrier within your brain.

Michel Gondry will release  in December 2010 his newest  film as a Director, "The Green Hornet" based on the 1960's TV series.















All images in this article belong to Michel Gondry directed movies.

By The Dock

Warmth breeze outside; the atmosphere is eerie.
The Dock in darkness.
No lights but the ones from the distance reflected on the water.
The man just kneels to wait for the moment.
While the kid cannot stop the motion.
They both agree to give the other one space.
Both generate great images.

Some time pictures look like paintings.
Above & Beyond by PHD and Funky Technicians

The Hut; and the Transportability Theory....

 Huts (Dwelling) are used as temporary shelter by people. Huts are quickly built of natural materials such as ice, leather, fur, straw, palm leaves, branches and/or mud and exist in practically all nomadic cultures. Some huts are easily transportable. (Source Wikipedia).

  I compare huts to our brain and mind; I got to think about it due in part to the transportability aspect they can have. Our minds are built with variety of resourceful materials, they shelter us from alienation, or protect that our most basic impulses come out without crossing a wall, door or some type of frame. They (huts and heads) represent the first settlement of people on the move; which most of us are on that pattern; perhaps because you can carry it around easily.

   Ok then, since it is so important to have shelter for our thoughts, and a way to protect such way of life, intelligence, dreams, aspirations, emotions; what are we really building our Huts from? Is it really good material that can surpass any type of dynamic motion and be adaptable? Or are we just making it from the thinnest branches possible?, and the lack of  easy to carry sound structure?, just because it represents less effort to go out on the look for the good elements.

  The answer is yet to be found.

  "Mostly Translucent" by Telefon TelAviv

A Motion Picture from The Highway

  Succession of still images always give you the impression of a story; like a movie. It has a beginning and an ending, it transports you to an specific space and time. What better place to have the continuing roll of images than on a highway?. All the elements jump at our eyes and we cannot escape them unless we sleep.
  I cannot sleep on it, I need to really be attentive to anything the road throws at me.  A bird looking down upon me, a house being swallowed whole by the trees, where do the concrete ends and the sky start? so much geometry on the bridges and overpasses....That is why I love so much the images on Little Miss Sunshine a movie with a Highway Gallery from the beginning to the end.
  Music POGO by Digitalism

We all have a little bit of madness within us; just a few make a living of it.

  Most of us look for a steady source of income; relating that to a sense of security, most of us also look into a career or trade that will not make us risk too much, either by keeping us developing skills that we already have or just by keeping us comfy on to an office chair with a computer in front of us, and the doughnuts in the break rooms.
  But just a few; decide to either think differently; or they are so out of their mind that they come to work every day not knowing what they are going to make; and risking their own bodies to perform a good enough show, so they can take a few bills home. The trade? they get to be pretty much free of bosses, office environment, and they can schedule their day as they pleased; or so I assume; because behind this madness I can see a little bit of the rewards of thinking and acting differently. This is the atmosphere you breath every dusk at the Sunset Celebration on Key West.

 Soundtrack "Modus Operandis" by Photek

2009 vs. 2010

Images for the Last Sunset of 2009

Well; I have to start this post by looking back at 2009 as the year of new endeavors.
It has been an incredible journey; with lots of ups and downs;and me just trying to ride the wave.
I have achieved a lot of things, and I have missed quite a bit also; I am not going to count what I didn't do I will just cherish what I  have accomplished.
2010; will be the year that will give me the opportunity to work harder on the ground work I laid on 2009, therefore I can only look at this new year as one full of hope.
Below You can see a list of things I accomplished in 2009 vs what I am intending with all my heart to obtain in 2010. Some items are mundane, while other very personal.

In 2009 I ;
- Kept my family together (regardless of all the madness, ha!).
- Became a more attentive mother
- Found a Friend.
- Shed some weight.
-Gained some physical tone
-Participated in an Architectural Competition very successfully.
-Got selected to participate in 2 Photography Exhibits.
-Found a soul within my camera.
-Learned a lot about photographers.
-I was honored to get some of my work printed in two magazines
-Sold some original printings.
-Brought some business to our family's company.
-Reconnected with good  people from a previous life.
-Started this blog!!!

In 2010 I will;
- Keep my weight, ha!
- Love my family more every day.
- Keep myself cheerful.
-Dig deeper into photography.
-Participate in  some photography exhibits.
-Keep on selling my work.
-Read at least 10 books.
-Finish my first screen play.
-Participate in another architectural competition.
-Grow our business more.
-Be a better human being by caring for others more.
-be busy trying to achieve all of the above.

What were your resolutions for this year?

                                      Images of My First Sunrise in 2010...Looking forward to it