Hard Luck in a Red Kimono

Hard Luck in a Red Kimono
Originally uploaded by HotsauceJane

For my final series in my Medium Format class I chose to do somewhat of a photo documentary on the kids I work with. I've never felt so attached to a series of photos before. It's strange.

"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know"

"Judgment rarely marked her work; only an eagle's eye for composition and for the perfect moment – as well as her sympathy for people she likely saw, oddly given her background, as fellow outsiders."

"July 1971, Arbus committed suicide in Greenwich Village at the age of 48 by ingesting a large quantity of barbiturates and then slashing her wrists. Rumor held that she photographed her suicide, but no photos were discovered."

Me do good, me do good photo?

Today I stumbled upon a set of engagement photos for some people that I know. I wouldn't call them my friends...we don't really hang out, but I have known them for quite some time, and they know me. As I was flipping through this set of photos a wicked self centered, egotistical thought crossed my mind. I actually said to myself, "Wow. I could have taken better photos then these." I immediately realized what I said and reprimanded...myself. But why? Why should I apologize for acknowledging that I am a good photographer: that my portraits are full of life and have a less cliche feel to them? I'm sorry but there are a lot of crappy photographers around who think that posed pictures are "shizknat". Last year I took some engagement photos for my good friends Jarrod and Sarah (to the left) and I couldn't have been more please with the results. Granted, I did have a few shots that we not up to par, but that's why I took 3 rolls!! THAT'S WHAT YOU DO!! You take tons of photos so you can weed out the crappy ones. I promised myself that I would never become one of those pretentious photographers who thinks that they're the best of the best and I don't. I KNOW there are some really fantastic photographers in town who are MUCH better than me. BUT...there are also a crap ton of photographers in town who are much less talented than me and it pisses me off that they are getting paid...more than me....to take crappy shots.

Dead people=Digital SLR

iTunes: "Mil Besos" by Patty Griffin

While flipping through the channels the other night in an attempt to find some source of entertainment I accidentally stopped on TNT which happened to be showing Titanic...for the 5 millionth time that day. It happened to be that very emotional moment (pssh!) when future-old-decrepid-Rose is finishing up her heartwrenching story. Her exact words were "1500 people died that day. I'll never forget.." At that exact moment I said alloud, "Wow if I had a dollar for every person who died on the Titanic, I'd be able to buy a Canon 30D."

As morbid and heartless as that was...it's still true.

Rule number one: take it EVERYWHERE

Lomography- n.
a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to photography. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company LOMO PLC in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 35 mm LOMO LC-A camera employed an unusual lens which produced large amounts of distortion at the edges of the image whilst keeping the center sharp, and was 'discovered'/promoted by marketing students/businessmen from Austria with a viral/tribal marketing strategy heavily based on their internet site.



Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Accidents such as over-saturated colors, lens artifacts, and exposure defects are rehabilitated to produce swirly, abstract effects — a trait emphasized by practitioners. Others use the technique to document everyday life, because the small camera size and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage and photo vérité.

The following are the company's 10 Rules of Lomography:

1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go & whenever you go.
2. Use it anytime — day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4. Shoot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.