by: JR

Mordançage Print Scans

JR — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:28:07 +0000

Here are some mordançage prints I made in December. Definitely one of the alternative processes I’m going to keep up with. Now, to order more toxic chemicals …

These were all shot using my Graflex 4×5, 210mm and 135mm lenses, Ilford b&w film, Ilford multi-grade fiber based glossy paper, and so on and so forth. These were all printed on 8×10. I still need to scan and stitch the 11x14s because they’re pretty awesome too.

I love autumn weddings

JR — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:29:11 +0000

I had a lot of fun at the wedding yesterday. Fun couple. Über friendly, artsy, etc. Really looking forward to having the full set finished. Some of the experimental stuff, like using the vortoscope, came out really well. Anyway, enjoy these few!

Photos from Todays Engagement Session

JR — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:39:26 +0000

LEGO Camera Follow-Up

JR — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:44:16 +0000

Now, I havent a scanner, so excuse the highlight spot please. I shot these a few weeks ago with my LEGO pinhole camera and am pretty satisfied with the results. Ended up being a sort of self portrait through still life from when I was around 8 years old.

Cyanotype

JR — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:06:36 +0000

I made this cyanotype from a digital capture printed on a transparency sheet. I might explore more, but out next series is mordançage, which will include bleach-etching, manipulating the gelatin that holds the silver on the paper, redeveloping, etc. Oh, and it’s a little toxic. I get to use one of those dual filter respirator deals.

A little taste of what I’ve been up to lately

JR — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:31:42 +0000

Last weekend was a beautiful local wedding. These are a few quickies from the ceremony site. I’ve done some other weddings, portraits, and some art shoots and will hopefully have some time in the coming weeks to catch my site up a bit.

A bientôt!

LEGO Camera of Awesomeness

JR — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:15:19 +0000

I’m taking an alternative process photography class as part of my degree track and while I’ve already experimented with a lot of what we’re doing, I love to get into it and be in an environment where I’m absolutely encouraged to experiment. The project we just wrapped up was pinhole photography. I built mine out of LEGO bricks, added a tableau (miniature scene) on top, designed it to accept my 4″x5″ sheet film holders, built a shutter with shutter lock, and sprinkled it with champion stuff. So, basically, it’s awesome. And, fun. Going with the theme of the camera, that I originally built simply because I thought it would be cool, I shot a series of objects from my childhood as a sort of self-portrait set. Turned out pretty well. The professor has my prints, but I’ll try to get them scanned and posted when she returns them. In the meantime …

10 Aug Canvas of the Body Shoot

JR — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:46:14 +0000

Studio Shoot, Some Fabulous Fun, and Burning This Mother Down – All In A Day’s Work!

JR — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:40:15 +0000

Talk about extremes . . . Yesterday was pretty off the hook.

I made my way over to the studio to do a session (see the previous entry for some quick picks), grabbed an iced coffee while I did the quick review of the shoot, headed over to Indiana University at South Bend (IUSB) for Come Out, Michiana! (a GLBT monologues performance based on Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues and the Michiana Monologues) to photograph the production, and was all set to grab a quick bit of food at the supermarket and go home when I came upon a fire on South Miami Street in South Bend. Of course, what do I do? Park the car and take a bunch of photos.

Apparently, my arrival at about 10pm was only minutes after firefighters had arrived. The fire was at Flavor Cravers Eatery just a bit north of St. Matthew Cathedral and Catholic School.

Here are some photos of the scene:

New Model Shoot

JR — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:21:58 +0000

Today, I did another studio shoot downtown. Fun times. Here are a few quick shots from the session:

Just For Me – Sometimes, It’s Necessary

JR — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:27:03 +0000

Artists need to work to make work. Not work for clients or school projects or for critics or galleries or anything else. I got a little bit of that in today and Wednesday, and it’s been rather long overdue. The stuff I shot today, I’ll need to work out what exactly to do with, but it was great to shake some of that rust off again and just get back at doing what excites me. I’m anxious to pull together some more shoots, hopefully in the next month or so before the fall semester. Here’s a small, semi-random sampling from today’s session:

New Series

JR — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:44:49 +0000

Lakeville Folk & Blues Festival 2011 – Edited Teasers

JR — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:22:34 +0000

I’ve made it through about 10% of the photos so far. Edited some, left some alone, deleted some . . . I still have a long way to go, but I wanted to share some of what I have so far.

A couple things . . . First, you can use the arrow keys to navigate when you’re in the pop-up image viewer for easier browsing. Second, feel free to post these photos to your blog or social networking site, particularly if you’re in what you post. All I ask is that you leave my copyright line in. Don’t crop it out. And, if there’s a space for image description, just put a link to my site. I think that’s all pretty fair. Lastly, I’ve uploaded decent resolution for screen viewing, not so much for printing. Don’t print these, please. It looks bad. If you want prints, I do offer printing services. When the entire set from the festival is complete, I’ll have details about ordering prints (and possibly a disc of the entire set).

Special thanks to Randy Slisz for assisting & second shooting.

Now that that’s out of the way . . . Enjoy!

Help Fight Bad Portraits!

JR — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:11:07 +0000

OK, here’s the deal . . . You know as well as I do that there are some people going around out there not doing such a great job with creating portraits you’ll actually be proud to hang on your wall. Help me fight back! If enough of us join together, we can definitely win!

For the rest of July, I’m going to make it even easier. If you’re one of the first five people to book me by the end of the month, you’ll get a crazy good price – $150 for the sitting fee, disc of finished images, and two sheets of prints (Normally $150 for the sitting fee, $150 for the disc, and 2x$15 for the sheets of prints). See? Crazy good!

Now, if you are not one of the lucky five, have no fear. I’m feeling particularly generous this month. If you’re one of the following ten people to book, I’ll give you the same package for $200 – still more than 33% off!

For all of you slackers and procrastinators, if you’re not one of those fifteen, I’ll still hook you up. Book by the end of July and I’ll give you the same package for $250 and you’ll still save $80.

Sound good? I thought so. What are you waiting for? Give me a call, send me an e-mail, track me down (I walk a lot, so feel free to drive by and give me a holler) . . . just don’t send a messenger pigeon. They kind of creep me out. So do spiders.

Anne and Tabby

JR — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:08:26 +0000

Tabby, Anne’s leader dog, is retiring. The two of them have been together seven years and have grown close, so Anne wanted to create some portraits to celebrate their time together. Here are a few from our session:

Grateful Dead? Canned Heat? In Lakeville???

JR — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:38:29 +0000

This weekend’s festival was so much fun to be a part of. From catching some of the local groups that I’m going to try to see more often to some of those great names from the legends. I’m a child of the ’80s, so the Woodstock thing predates me, but I can certainly appreciate great music.

From a brief exchange with Tom Constanten of the Grateful Dead to hanging out in the lounge with Canned Heat to photographing and getting a bit of video footage of a bunch of more seasoned hippies who still know how to cut loose and have a good time . . . it was a great festival.

I’ve posted a few photos to Facebook and will, when I have time, get through the multiple thousands of images and many video clips to bring you a chance to enjoy snippets of the festival.
Facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150293933072090.385642.775377089&l=692dcd692d
Country Joe McDonald leading the Hokey Pokey (video): http://vimeo.com/25929741

From the Unknown to the Almost Forgotten

JR — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:22:22 +0000

The above photo was taken in 2001 when I was just about to join the “Strangely Normal” tour as a roadie. Yes, a roadie. I did that. And it was amazing. Oh, and that photo is a terrible, 2001, Shutterfly scan. I have the actual negative floating around somewhere, but having gone almost exclusively digital in 2005, I’d really have to take some time and look for it then track down a decent scanner . . . none of which I have time for right now.

I wasn’t on the tour as a photographer, so I only have a few random shots from the end of the tour, but it was a blast. Now, of course, Katy Hudson is better known as Katy Perry. You never know who you’re going to meet on the road.

This weekend, I’ll be photographing some stars on the other end of that spectrum – the almost forgotten. In Lakeville, Indiana on Saturday and Sunday is the Lakeville Folk and Blues Festival which will feature a Heroes of Woodstock lineup. Some groups and individuals that I, as a child of the ’80s, didn’t recognize by name but absolutely recognize some of their hits.

I’m looking forward to rubbing shoulders in the VIP area with the likes of Canned Heat and Jefferson Starship while also just getting out to a music festival. I haven’t had the chance to be at one since I last worked the Creation Festival in 2005. Good, good times. I’m looking for some of the same this weekend.

Stay tuned for photos from the weekend as well as some shoots I’ve done over the past couple of months. I just resumed my university studies, so I’m taking a step back from full-time photo work, but I’m still shooting. I have a few portrait sessions, weddings, and some fine art work to post.

A few quickies from this evening’s senior shoot

JR — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:57:05 +0000

Hard Living in the Sun

JR — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:25:10 +0000

Arrived out here in LA a week ago. Our departure was full of setbacks, bit we finally left the clutches of Indiana and had a mostly good drive out. Hitting a snowstorm in Arizona wasn’t even on my radar, nor was a head injury. Here are some photos from the trip to date:

Boxes? We don’t need no stinkin’ boxes!

JR — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:07:37 +0000

Having artistic friends is fantastic for me growing as an artist. Sometimes a bit of trouble for my back though.

Part of why I haven’t been doing much with my blog the past few weeks has to do with helping a certain artist friend get all packed up – without her even being in the same time zone. I, with a mutual friend, are getting her stuff together to load up the truck and move to Beverly. Hills that is. Swimming pools, movie stars . . . It’s not exactly Beverly Hills, but close. According to Google maps, her new place is only about 10 miles away from there.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but there’s a good probability I’ll be helping to drive the load out too. California is the place to be, apparently. So, not much will be happening on the blog until I’m back from there. And, from the potential shoot in North Carolina. I have been shooting a little though. I did some photos a week ago for a singer / songwriter from Missouri, some film stuff out by Lake Michigan, some film stuff in Chicago, some photos for the church I’ve been involved with here, some photos of my nephew, etc. Just haven’t gotten around to getting them all prepped for the blog. Too much else going on.

Y’all come back now, ya hear?

A Million Miles

JR — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:42:22 +0000

It’s been over a year now since I read A Million Miles by Donald Miller. It was a Christmas break gift while I was in Ohio in 2009 for a new holiday experience, and I couldn’t put it down. I devoured the book, as I do pretty much all the works of Donald Miller. If you’re out there looking for a different perspective on spirituality and finding a path, I’m not saying he’s got all the answers, but it’s been pretty solid stuff to identify with. Blue Like Jazz, I think his most well-known book, is one that really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Inspired me to be a bit more bold. And, to take more responsibility for my faith.

I found out that A Million Miles just released on paperback today, which means it’s likely cheaper and easier to carry than the hardbound version, so I thought I’d give it a little plug here. If you’re searching for some answers and can identify with something just not being quite on it in a lot of churches, Christian homes, etc., it might be worth it to give Miller’s works a read. But, you don’t have to take my word for it (insert some Reading Rainbow sound effects here).

How to Create Better Photographs: Half Empty or Half Full

JR — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:11:02 +0000

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. But, if you’ve ever tried to read a dictionary in order from front to back, you know the order of words matter – so does where stuff goes in your frame. And, just as I can’t stand reading stuff by authors who don’t know when to shut up, sometimes brevity in your photographs is just as crucial.

White space.

Visual noise.

Roll those around in your head for a bit.

White space is not always literally white, it’s just a term used to describe space that isn’t filled with stuff. It can be a blank wall, the sky, or you can even blur your foreground or background to create some (we’ll talk about the mechanics of that in a later lesson).

Visual noise is like walking into a busy bar and expecting to have a deep conversation above all the brouhaha. Ain’t happenin’. Sometimes, the excess creates the atmosphere. But, you’ve got to use it wisely. Usually, simple is best.

If you compare these two, check out the space to the right of the model’s hand. In the image above, you can see where the wall is darker, creating more of an empty space. In the image below, you can clearly see the texture of the wall, aka visual noise.

Here’s one with more white space.

And, one with noise.

Now, think about what’s going to work for your photos and go make some new ones!

How to Create Better Photographs: New Blog Series

JR — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:03:22 +0000

I get a lot of requests from people, even in passing when I’m out and around shooting, on how they can get better photographs. What some of you may not know is that I do actually offer lessons, so I love to get questions. I enjoy helping people figure things out so they can get better results. I’ve had the great pleasure of teaching with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Germany and South Africa and also some private lessons here in the US and while I was in France.

In the spirit of seeing the profession and hobby get stronger, I’m going to offer some basic tips here to help get people going. Of course, if you want to go deeper, I am available for private, personalized sessions, but I want to give you enough here so you can go out right away and start making better photographs.

Lesson 1:

If you’re starting out, one of the best things to do is to try to forget everything you know (or think you know) about photography. You have to be teachable and not think you know better, which can be tough to do. Those of us who do photography for a living get paid to do it for a reason, so let me actually help you.

You don’t need to have an expensive and fancy camera to get great photos, but they do let you create images in different ways that you simply can’t do without forking over the money. I’m going to assume a baseline of a middle-of-the-road point and shoot camera, but the basic principles will apply throughout all photography.

Today, I’d like to talk mostly about subject placement. The middle is not where subjects belong 90% of the time, give or take. To make your image more stimulating and aesthetically pleasing, experiment with different placements and think about how the image flows.

An image with the subject in the center has to be very bold like this: …Or, it just looks constipated and weird.

When photographing people, you want the eyes to be looking into the frame and the person should be off-center. Group photos where the only thing you’re trying to show is the people are an exception to the don’t center rule. Even basic point & shoot type cameras will allow you to choose your focus area these days. Plus, they typically link the focus point and exposure point together, so that will help balance the exposure and often make sure your subject comes out correctly, even though they’re not the center.

Look for lines that lead to your subject, like a street, building, etc. Here’s an example:
So, there you go. Simple tip. Play with that and I’ll give you more to work on soon. I’m still working on how often I’m going to do the posts, but if you click the category of photo lessons, you’ll be able to figure out if you’ve missed anything. I’m leaning towards once a week, but we’ll see. If you have some feedback, pass it along.

More from Abe & Melissa’s Wedding

JR — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:03:07 +0000

I finished going through all the photos just a few minutes ago and I pulled these out, nearly at random, to give you a good glimpse of their day.

Abe & Melissa’s Wild Wedding Adventure

JR — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:31:26 +0000

My friends Abe & Melissa got married on Saturday and I had the pleasure of being their photographer. The wedding was at the amazing house of a relative of theirs. You know, the kind of house that you would probably never expect to find in Indiana – complete with a large elephant in the living room. Yes. Elephant.

I’ve not had much time to do anything with the photos, but I grabbed these few out of the first 150 or 200 images. More to come soon! . . . But, I think I’m done for the night.

Christmas 2010

JR — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:36:52 +0000

Here are a few photos from my Christmas:

Portraits at St. Patrick’s and South Bend Chocolate Cafe

JR — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:19:35 +0000

A friend sent me a text this morning asking if I was free to get in a last-minute portrait session so he could send some prints off to family in time for Christmas, so what was sort of going to be a day off got to be pretty busy and fun. Sure beats hanging out and watching a movie or whatever else I would have done since it’s really cold. Here are some of my favorites from the day:

At the Dog Park in Madrid

JR — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:55:01 +0000

Today, my friend and I took the puppies to the dog area at Retiro Park in downtown Madrid so they could let off all that pent up energy and make all manner of single-serving dog pals.

Spain

JR — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:29:57 +0000

Here are some photos from Madrid, Toledo, and Chinchon. Good, good times.

Friends in Madrid

JR — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:02:06 +0000

I’m on my way out of Europe. On Friday night, I left Paris and came by train to visit some friends in Madrid and to do some family portraits of them with their “babies.” I’ll be hanging out here until the 10th and then I’m off for the US again. Really thankful for such great friends and rambunctious puppies. Saturday night, I had my second Thanksgiving (first was in Paris on Thursday) and it was everything I thought it could be. Seriously amazing. Both times. Here, they invited a bunch of friends, had a nearly 40 lb (!!!) turkey, and played back the Lions game from Thanksgiving Day – which I hadn’t seen and hadn’t heard the final score. Sunday, we went out to a park to do the portraits, came back to their incredible flat and did some more, then we took off into the city for a bit of walking, sangria, tapas, and McDonald’s – he wanted burgers. Annnd, for all my cultural awareness, I do still like McD’s. Shame on me. But, at least I had the sangria and tapas before that. Here are some of the portraits. She especially is going to be stoked to know that I took the afternoon and got them finished. Shhh! Don’t tell her.

Still Feeling a Bit Off

JR — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:59:51 +0000

I thought I was doing better, but after shooting the wedding and concert on Saturday, I’ve just been exhausted and not well. I’m still going to post photos from Saturday, but there are a lot to go through yet – never mind my work on the history of Paris that needs to be ready pretty much now. So, for the time being, I’m suspending the daily photos until I’m caught up on the other projects. I will post some work here and there; just not daily. When I’m ready to get back on the daily posts, I’ll make an announcement to that effect. I hope no one is too dismayed. But, have no fear! They will indeed return!

22 October 2010 Photos: Comparisons in the Café

JR — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:22:08 +0000

I was taking today to sort of stock up my energy for tomorrow, so I didn’t get out much. I did get to the café later in the evening. Didn’t do full setups, but I did some rough comparisons. Hopefully, I can do some better ones later. Part of the issue is working around other people, photographing before my food gets too cold, etc. Oh, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses or contacts . . . And, for those of you who know me, that can really set me up for failure. I’ll add some comments to the photos to help you make some of the connections. All images were touched up a smidgen (or a lot) in Lightroom.

This is with a point and shoot in the “cuisine” setting.

iPhone shot

Nikon D700 with pop-up flash.

This is with an off-camera flash and the Nikon D700. Because of where I was sitting and my care for not shooting the flash directly into the eyes of those around me, I couldn’t get the light quite right, but it’s still better than the small, direct flash from the P&S.

P&S in Cuisine

iPhone

From the D700 with pop-up flash.

D700 with off-camera flash.

From P&S in Cuisine.

D700 and off-camera flash.

P&S in Cuisine.

D700 with off-camera flash.

21 October 2010 Photo: Scaffolding Over a Doorway

JR — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:10:00 +0000

I was tired, so this was the first/only thing that struck me on my walk. Was ill, as I mentioned in my previous post, so didn’t feel like staying out.

Under the Weather

JR — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:44:05 +0000

Well, I’ve been a bit ill the past few days. I’ve gone out to photograph, but wasn’t feeling terribly inspired or I just wasn’t up for staying at it until I found the shots I was hoping for. I did shoot something tonight, but I’m going to head to bed and post it tomorrow. I’m kind of banking my energy for the weekend. Shooting a wedding here in Paris on Saturday, so that will be a good time. After, I’m photographing a bit of an event at the same church where the wedding is. Tomorrow, I’m planning to duck into the café and get some shots of the menu, so that should be good too. To all my faithful viewers, I’m sorry to be off for a few days. I’ll try to come up with something to make it up to you!

18 October 2010 Photos: Monument of the Bicentennial of the Republic & Spoken Word

JR — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:00:22 +0000

So, I was all set to get photographs for yesterday and something came up. No Sunday photos. BUT, I feel that today’s post makes up for it. I went to this monument near the Eiffel Tower that’s full of symbolism and captured some of that to share, while also getting some of the background of the monument and symbols from a friend of mine. This evening, I made it out again to the open-mic poetry/whatever readings about 100 meters down the road. Fun times. A visiting friend from Amsterdam (originally from South Africa) who was delayed because of a rail-worker’s strike in Belgium, wrote something just to read tonight. Without further delay, here are the photos. Enjoy!

16 October 2010 Photos: Near the Center and the Weekend’s Menu at the Café

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 21:38:38 +0000

Went out for a bit of a stroll before heading into the café. Good mix for today.

15 October 2010 Photos: Nice Evening Out

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 12:05:53 +0000

It was a rainy evening, but a nice time to grab a couple beers with a friend – second beer was at a bar where another friend works. As I was headed over to the Black Dog to hopefully catch another friend to say hello, this was the scene. Oh, and I did get to catch my other friend. Good times. I love Paris.

14 October 2010 Photos: Teaching and Hôtel de Ville at Night

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:39:29 +0000

First photo is a lesson in perspective, just to show how to make someone seem smaller and more fragile vs. a later time when I showed her how to make someone seem larger than life – but we did that with her camera. The others are just a few shots from when I went out to Hôtel de Ville later in the evening.

13 October 2010 Photos: Exploring History

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:32:47 +0000

I went around with someone to learn more about history in Paris for this video project I’ve been working on. Visited a few places, will need to visit more . . . Here are a few snaps from while we were out:

Statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, in Notre Dame

Stained glass in Notre Dame

Stained glass opposite the other photo in ND

Statue of Louis XIV at Musée Carnavalet

12 October 2010 Photos: Pizza Night

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:29:46 +0000

Pizza night always makes me happy.

11 October 2010 Photos: Spoken Word

JR — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:18:32 +0000

Another great Monday evening at the Spoken Word open mic readings:

10 October 2010 Photos: Photo Session in the Park

JR — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:56:37 +0000

Went to the park about three minutes’ walk from where I live to photograph today. Nice stuff. Looking forward to using it for more. Here are a few of my quick favorites:

9 October 2010 Photos: Café Menu

JR — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:43:49 +0000

Here’s the menu served this weekend. Shoulda been there. It was really good . . .

8 October 2010 Photos: Around in Belleville

JR — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 23:22:59 +0000

Here are some shots from my walk tonight.

7 October 2010 Photos: Out and About at Bastille and la Defense

JR — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:10:33 +0000

Working on the history of Paris project means I need to go out and get some images and video footage for the final production. Here are a few I got from one excursion:

Statue at Bastille

These are the same images, simply rotated. I’m always intrigued how finding different perspectives can really throw us off or make us have different feelings about a subject. This is the Grand Arch at la Defense. I photographed this image while laying on my back on the side to the West of Paris. Either one of them could have been as shot – all I would have needed to do was rotate 180º, so why did I choose to photograph with the sky beneath the structure in the frame? I know why. Think about how the two frames make you feel when you really look closely at them.

6 October 2010 Photo: Colored Glass Facade

JR — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:01:53 +0000

As some of you may have read on facebook, I’m thinking about pulling down my blog for a while. Until I make my decision, I’ll try to keep things going as usual.

5 October 2010 Photos: Portraits in Belleville

JR — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:58:33 +0000

A friend needed some simple portraits done, so we made our way down to an alley in the neighborhood filled with really colorful graffiti. Made for a nice backdrop. Here are a few from the set.

A Man Dies

JR — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:54:34 +0000

On Sunday, a student at my former college, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, was shot and killed in the dormitory. As yet, there’s not much information available other than the assumption the two were having an argument that, somehow, ended in the one of them being mortally wounded. This is a school of fewer than 200 students. And, it’s a Christian school. What’s going on? I’m extremely puzzled. I can’t seem to read any account of the event that would help me to make any sense of it all. There are a few speculations, but even if those speculations were to be true, I still lack the answers necessary to make sense of the situation. So, a man is dead and this man is clueless.

It’s strange to think of being connected to a place where this occurred. 9 years ago, I was living on the campus. 9 years ago, I was walking the school grounds, attending classes, helping people with computer problems, building some friendships, and occasionally doing some homework. This place that was such an important part of my life now hosts this horrific event. Even though I wasn’t there long and haven’t been there in nearly a decade, there’s still the element of connection. Not sure what to do with the emotions attached.

I want to say all the cliché phrases, but I don’t much go for clichés anymore. Instead I’ll only say that this event is terrible. All the things I hope for in this case are irrelevant, as it’s not me who’s suffering. It isn’t my questions that are important. But, I can’t help myself from having hopes or asking the questions.

Life continues another day. The sun set on Sunday, rose and set on Monday, and has risen again today. The world continues to turn and I’m still in Paris with my own hopes and questions to deal with.

4 October 2010 Photos: Spoken Word

JR — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:05:09 +0000

The autumn season of the Spoken Word in Paris kicked off tonight. I ducked out after halftime to get back to work, but here are some of my photos from the evening.

3 October 2010 Photo: Work in Progress

JR — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:24:57 +0000

In the spring, I made a sort of first effort at consolidating everything to one place, but I was still struggling with how exactly to get what I want – and, I still am. However, I’m moving closer to the goal of having my photography portfolio, video projects, blog, etc. all in one place. I’ve been playing around with the WordPress architecture when I need a break from some of my other work and I’m almost ready to switch over to my own server so I can have the extra freedom I need. I’m trying to keep it uncluttered but still full of all the things it should have. Still debating about what I’m going to do with my galleries, and that’s a big question to overcome. Until I decide otherwise, I may stick with some of the javascript stuff I’m already using, but just modify the interface/structure a little. Here’s a screenshot of the current rendition of the main page:

2 October 2010 Photos: Part II: Café

JR — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 22:26:16 +0000

Here’s the second set from today:

30 September 2010 Photos: Trash in the Market

JR — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:06:03 +0000

In Paris, there are these great markets that pop up regularly in a few places. Just down the road, they have it twice a week. Tomorrow’s one of the days for it, and as I was walking through the space, I just saw all this crap people had thrown out there. Some of it is trash, some of it is clothes they no longer want. Kind of odd, but you really do find all sorts of stuff in the streets here. Perfectly good furniture, clothes, shoes, crates, rugs, mattresses . .

29 September 2010 Photos: Homelessness Sucks

JR — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:13:28 +0000

This issue is always a tough one for me. And, the simple fact of the matter is that we all contribute to the woes of this world. We’re human. We sometimes make stupid decisions; the consequences of which we often never know. I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I’ve had a place of my own and I’ve couch-surfed. I’ve had a wonderful, furnished home and I’ve been homeless. Even now, I’m in a temporary living situation as I work to be here in France long-term and still have some kinks to work out. I do my photography, largely, to fund the volunteer projects I’m part of – and that doesn’t really leave anything for amassing the great fortunes I once (and sometimes still) dreamed of. As I said, this is a tough issue for me. I don’t even know where to begin to really help people. The old saying of, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” only goes so far. What of the people who are just mentally or emotionally broken? Sure, there are those on the streets who are there because of incompetence, ignorance, or laziness. There are others who are schizophrenics, depressed, or come from traumatic experiences. I wish I had the answers. Me handing out a couple of Euros to each beggar I encounter would only go so far. Some people, you could quite easily let into your home and they would respond rather well. Others would not. I suppose I’m just not satisfied with our system of dealing with people in general. Our elderly we tend to shut away in nursing homes. Our children we send off to daycare or to oft-inadequate school systems. The homeless we simply ignore, banishing them to the streets. That’s not good enough for me. It just isn’t. I’m not saying it’s every person’s duty to sell all they possess and give to some corporate fund so each person has what they “need.” Socialism doesn’t really work. Neither does the American version of capitalism. Take the current economic crisis and bailout funds for example . . . I’ve read that those bailouts could reach $24 trillion. That’s $24,000,000,000,000. Or, $100,000 for every working-aged US resident. Or, $3,500 for every man, woman, and child on the planet. Something’s wrong with that picture. Very, very wrong. Even now, as the bailouts are at $4-5 trillion . . . do the math. It doesn’t add up how we can go that far.

It’s late and I’m tired. I’m rambling. I’d just like for people to be aware. Never forget that we’re in a broken system that we’ve all had a hand in sabotaging. Never forget that there’s still hope. Never forget that there are people who go to sleep on the streets and in doorways and in subways and in their cars every single night.

28 September 2010 Photos: Canal near République

JR — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:59:19 +0000

Love chillin’ down by the canal. Had a nice walk down to just by République and kicked back for a little bit tonight. Good times. Not so far to walk from here either. I should do it more often.

Beach Shoot Edited

JR — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:15:22 +0000

These photos are from a shoot a little over a month ago. I’ve had to put it on the back burner to keep up with things here, but I was able to get to them today. Here are a few of my favorites!

27 September 2010 Photos: Vacant Stage & Graffiti

JR — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:29:17 +0000

Perhaps it was the music I was listening to as I was walking, but I found this empty stage strangely poetic.

This image, along with the next, illustrate the contrast I was noticing in street art. Some is angry and rather evil looking. Other pieces are much brighter and happier looking. Just an observation.

26 September 2010 Photos: Experimenting with Digital Pinhole Photography

JR — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:19:39 +0000

So, this afternoon, I took a little time and made a pinhole lens for my Digital SLR. Not a complex process, but I’m realizing I need better tools. Like a drill-press. I haven’t one anywhere in the world, least of all in my rather simplified Parisian life. By hand will have to suffice for the time being. I’ll just need to work at getting a smaller and more refined hole. Here are the photos from today’s venture:

25 September 2010 Photos: Deliciousness

JR — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 00:45:55 +0000

The menu this weekend at the café was SO, SO good. If you were in town and missed it, I feel sorry for you. Truly sorry. I was surprised at how much I liked it, even. Everything about it was a delight. And, here are the photos:

24 September 2010 Photos: Model Shoot in the Park and Jazz Concert

JR — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:45:07 +0000

Between the model shoot at Butte Chaument and the jazz concert near the Musée d’Orsay by Goud, it was a pretty full day. Made lots of great new images. Here are some of my quick favorites:

23 September 2010 Photos: The Marais

JR — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:12:06 +0000

I’m a bit under the weather, but I needed to go out and stretch my legs anyway, so here are a couple photos from this afternoon. Now, I’m spent and pretty much holing up for the remainder of the evening.

22 September 2010 Photos: Portraits in the Caves

JR — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:03:07 +0000

Here are a few from the session this evening:

21 September 2010 Photos: Just a Few Things That Caught My Eye

JR — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:00:16 +0000

Went out for a quick walk after spending most of the day working on things indoors. Here are a few things that I noticed while out and about:

20 September 2010 Photos: Spoken Word in Paris Night

JR — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:36:53 +0000

Here are some photos from the open mic night down the road:

19 September 2010 Photos: Shoot with Maranda & Alex

JR — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:25:15 +0000

I started to do some of the edits, but I realized how tired I am and gave up. So . . . most of these are un-edited. Enjoy. Edits to follow eventually.

18 September 2010: More Food at the Café

JR — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:30:12 +0000

I did get out and about some today, but I didn’t feel like pulling out my camera and shooting at the metal bar. I did, however, do some nice, set up stuff at the café. I need to keep playing around with different lighting arrangements, but I’m happy with what I got.

17 September 2010 Photos: Out Near the Louvre, Drinks, At the Café

JR — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:06:58 +0000

I was out and about a bit today. Nice time. Oh, and I pulled out my Lensbaby in the evening for extra fun. I’m just winding things up for the day. Starting to really run out of steam. Here’s the photos:

16 September 2010 Photos: Walking Along the Seine After Drawing Class

JR — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:39:02 +0000

I’ve recently begun to learn to draw at a gallery near Notre Dame. After the session today, I was making my way back to the metro station along the river and got these photo. If I go out again later, I’ll maybe add more in a second post. We’ll see.

15 September 2010 Photos: Chateau on the Outskirts of Paris, Playing with Fire at the Canal

JR — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:24:09 +0000

Got a chance to visit a chateau just outside of Paris today. A guy is sort of taking care of it so it doesn’t continue to get vandalized, as the owner lives out of the area. Unfortunately, squatters and others really messed it up. Mostly surface stuff, but there’s a lot of work to be done. We had a nice walk around the grounds, saw a statue of a fawn-thing, had a BBQ. Good times. This evening, I went down to the canal with a couple friends, one of whom is learning to wield a fire-baton thing just for the fun of it :) We all got in on that flaming goodness.

14 September 2010 Photos: République

JR — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:22:20 +0000

I think by the time I’m dead, Paris night scenes will be fully documented . . . Here are some new ones!

13 September 2010 Photos: Spreading my Birthday All Over Town

JR — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:59:39 +0000

Here are a few photos from my day!

12 September 2010 Photos: Walk By the Canal

JR — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:52:38 +0000

I had a lot on my mind tonight, so I just started walking and ended up by the canal. I still have a lot on my mind, but it’s nearly midnight and I want to go to bed. Here are some photos from the stroll:

11 September 2010 Photos: Wheelchair Basketball, Hôtel de Ville, Pizza Party Sendoff for Friends , and a Few in the Café

JR — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:27:01 +0000

I got around a bit today. And, it was the perfect weather for it!

10 September 2010 Photos: Notre Dame, Café, Beer, Comfort Food

JR — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:27:55 +0000

More Out and About

JR — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:58:44 +0000

Here are some photos from tonight . . .

Out and About

JR — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:08:01 +0000

Here are some photos from when I was running around in the center of the city earlier.

Found Things

JR — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:29:35 +0000

These photos show two things I love about Paris. First, you can find all sorts of random objects, like the shoes, left out in the streets for whoever wants them. Second, the rain. I love the colors and textures. Out of that, it’s also nice to have a camera that’s weather resistant.

Having Out in the Streets and at Open Mic Night

JR — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:55:37 +0000

Busy, Busy Weekend!

JR — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:51:24 +0000

I’ve been wrapping up the edits from the wedding, so I just holed up in my office until it was all done. So, no photo for yesterday. I’ll be on it again today.

In the Café

JR — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:12:01 +0000

Friday’s Photos

JR — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:07:34 +0000

So, a day late, but here are a few snaps from Friday.

Chop, chop. The veggies don’t cut themselves.

Good ol’ OxFam. The cola’s not that great though. It’s OK, but not great.

Don’t let the bed bugs bite. They bit Roxy & Jordan. Fortunately, I have big sweatshirts & other stuff they could borrow in their first night away from their flat (before everything could be appropriately laundered). Their flat is now essentially quarantined and hopefully will have a visit from an exterminator Monday.

Delay

JR — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:31:04 +0000

I’m really tired after working in the cafe. Too tired, in fact to mess with loading photos to my computer then to the blog. I’ll get today’s photos up in the morning. Goodnight all.

Busy Night

JR — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:14:15 +0000

I was so wrapped up in my work that I’d forgotten all about the art opening I was invited to near Musée D’Orsay this evening. Fortunately, the person who invited me is staying in the same flat, so she brought it up as she and her boyfriend were heading out the door. It was great to get out, especially as much as I’ve been cooped up working on my computer this week. So, I went and it was great. Met some new people, reconnected with others who I’d met before. Good times. After, I decided to head over to the St. Michel/Notre Dame area to grab a quick bite before heading back and got these photos. As I was heading to the metro, someone stopped me to talk about my piercings and we ended up hanging out with some of his friends the rest of the evening on the Seine.

All in all, it was a great night out. And, much needed.

Something from the Night Skyline and a Wedding

JR — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:38:30 +0000

I was out walking tonight for a couple of hours looking for something to photograph. Some days, the photos come quite easily. This was not the case tonight. Starting to feel a little burned out, especially as I work through my backlog. I realized just how much I’ve been shooting over the past couple of months and . . . it’s quite a lot. When my time to relax finally comes, I will welcome it. There is, however, much to be done that simply cannot wait, so that time is just not yet.

The first image is from the walk tonight; a church not too far from here. The second image is from the wedding a few weeks ago and it shows why I love my 14mm lens. Such incredible perspective that can really come in handy.

Photos from the Streets and Photos I’m Working On

JR — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:49:11 +0000

Well, I had a meeting that was a lot of the day, and it was great. After, I was working on photos, etc. for a while. So . . . I didn’t get out until around 01h to take some photos. Here are some new ones from recent shoots in the US and a couple from my stroll tonight.

Sideways Smart Car, Fire Damage, Weird Teardrop Head. It Was a Good Walk.

JR — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:33:13 +0000

Oh, and there are, obviously, a couple other things mixed in here too. Like the rubble in front of my front door. They’re tearing up the sidewalks, so I hear a lot of jackhammering going on these days.

I Love to Walk the Streets After a Rain

JR — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:15:06 +0000

As promised, here are some real photos for today. Enjoy!

I'm a Machine

JR — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:41:49 +0000

For those of you who don’t know this about me, when it comes to reading, I’m a machine. I will plough through books like nobody’s business. Seriously. Once I sink my teeth in, that book is going down. Maybe that day. If not then, soon. Such was the case for this 900 page “pocket” novel. Started it a few days ago and pounded it hard today. Even with a trip to the mall to pick up a few things. However, that means I didn’t actually go OUT specifically to photograph and now I’m le tired (some of you will get the reference – “Fire ze missiles!”) and feel like going to bed rather than descending the stairs, going for a walk and looking for that unknown photo. I’ll find a new one tomorrow, I promise.

Walk On Your Head

JR — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:09:32 +0000

School

JR — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:31:35 +0000

Hanging Up

JR — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:43:09 +0000

Another from Trocadéro

JR — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:34:14 +0000

I beat the morning rush heading back to Trocadéro today for the photo I’ve been trying to get. This shot was as I was walking down to the river, starting to make my way over to the American Church in Paris. Sidenote: From the park at the Eiffel Tower to the church is a 15 minute walk at an average pace. Good to know for weddings and whatnot.

Today

JR — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:57:45 +0000

So, I was out today working on a piece that was commissioned from California. Too many tourists to get the shot I need, but I’ll try again tomorrow. Here’s the site anyway. Still fun.

It's just nice to keep doing what I want sometimes. Including some tests.

JR — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:33:37 +0000

So, I was out with some friends tonight. We hung out in a basement, watched kind of a romantic comedy, talked, met some new people, and went on a walk. I just decided to find out what files from my camera look like at ISO 6400 with a little (read: a lot) noise reduction help from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. I included one before and after and then a couple afters. Here ya go.

Nikon D2H, 50mm f/1.4 AF-D. ISO 6400, 1/80th second, f/1.4.

Here’s with the noise reduction and some extra umph to the blacks. You lose some detail, but all in all, this ain’t half bad.

Nikon D2H, 50mm f/1.4 AF-D. ISO 6400, 1/200th second, f/1.4. Noise Reduction Applied.

Nikon D2H, 50mm f/1.4 AF-D. ISO 6400, 1/80th second, f/1.4. Noise reduction applied.

Just Something I Wanted to Do

JR — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:58:58 +0000

Well, light trails are fun. Felt like doing some. Did not, however, feel like rigging something more solid. The floors here are kind of bouncy, so there’s some motion blur in the photo. I’m tired enough that I can live with that. Going to do more long-exposure stuff soon, I think. It’s always fun.

Language Exchange

JR — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:52:53 +0000

Tonight was a great chance to get back into the swing of things here with the same language exchange group I was part of in the spring. Great time to connect with people and to learn more of the language. My head’s still tired, so I’m not exactly rockin’ the French yet, but I did better than I thought I would, so that’s a plus. After, we walked around a little bit and I’ve just arrived back at the flat. Here’s stuff from this evening:

They're Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

JR — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:02:23 +0000

I’ve pretty much decided (not completely though) to do the daily photos posts again. I know there were a lot of you in blog-land who kept up with them at least a couple times a week, others daily, so it’s cool to do that again and give you a glimpse at my life. The other side is totally selfish. I was browsing through the photos I’d shot this spring the other day, and it sparked a lot of really great memories. So, I’m kind of doing it for myself to get that record of my own experiences.

I didn’t spend much time out today. Been super tired. BUT, I snapped these when I met a friend in the center of the city:

Kid Portraits

JR — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:00:39 +0000

A friend of mine asked me to photograph her kids before I leave for France and we were finally able to put something on the books and shoot today. Kids are often difficult to work with, but, minus a few moments, her kids were great. Loads of fun to work with. Here are a few of the quick grabs, but it was super hard to even narrow it down to these. Got a lot of great stuff. Adorable kids will do that.

Fencing, You Say?

JR — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:14:38 +0000

Today, I had Levi in for some senior pictures. But, he’s very much into the gentlemanly sport of fencing. Which I find cool. Like seriously cool. But, maybe that’s just because I like the idea of jabbing at people. At least the tips they use are (supposedly) blunt. Anyway, we did some stuff in studio then off to a local park for the to-be-expected-these-days outdoor shots, and got some great stuff there too. Good shoot. I’m satisfied.

Another Shoot With Emma

JR — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:19:03 +0000

Emma came back into the studio today for a second shoot. Just as fun as the first. I’m stoked about the set, but still no time to edit yet. Here are a few quickies.

Sara and Joel Wedding Über Quickies

JR — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:50:04 +0000

The wedding was over only a couple of hours ago and I’m beat. It was such a great day though. Lots of fun and I was so glad to share it with so many friends. Even Roxanne, my second shooter for the day, is a good friend involved in the same work I do in Paris. And, it’s the same Roxanne I photographed several weeks ago for her engagement photos and wedding. Glad to have her assisting! I haven’t had time to really go through the photos, but I glanced through a few and pulled out some quick favorites. Hopefully, you’ll be seeing more in just the next couple of days (especially as I get ready to leave for France again in a week and a half!). Enjoy!