I’ve always gotten off on composition, especially the kind that covers the entire frame, corner to corner. Eliminating any horizon, or referring points in the scene opens up so many things to an interpretation different from that of the photographer. My feeling is that when you compose for corner to corner, you allow for simple elements like line and shadow, rivets and rust to take on an added importance that wouldn’t exist if they were competing with the sky.
When I see one of my images for the first time, I think about what I’m going to title it. It might seem like a goofy thing to think about right off, as opposed to if I succeeded with the composition or the contrast, or if it works on one level or another. For me I guess it’s like naming a child. You can celebrate them all you want, but eventually someone’s going to ask you what they’re supposed to call it. I figure I’ll get the whole name thing out of the way first and then spend the rest of my time with the image celebrating it for what it’s given me.
Sometimes the title comes easily, sometimes I have to come up with something a little odd, and sometimes I turn to music. And by that I mean lyrics. Whenever I’m at a loss for a title, a common practice for me is to pop something in the stereo and meditate on the words, and more often than not, I’ll find it there. Like I did with this one that I’m posting today. I’ve got many reasons for doing it this way; one is that I just think it’s cool. The other is that it serves as a code of sorts, almost a password. If you know the lyrics I’m using, then you know the song, and chances are if you know the song we have a common ground.
And that’s what it’s about right?
This is an easy one for those of you wanting to guess the origin. So without further ado, may I present you with: “A Spring Clean for a May Queen, Vienna, 2001.”
This is one of the images I took while in Venice Beach last May and submitted for consideration for the exhibition. This one won’t be in the show, but I really love it, thought I’d give it a bit of air time.
Pushing Light, a Three Person Show
I’m very stoked about my upcoming participation in “Pushing Light.” Along with the very talented Tricia Zigmund and Lana Z. Caplan, I’ll be showing a number of photographs from my recent studies with the Holga in addition to a few paper negative pin-hole images. The show will be hung at the Kolok Gallery in North Adams, Ma. The opening will take place this Saturday, the 23rd from 5:30-8:00 and will more than likely spill over to a cool bar next to MASSMoCa. If you are anywhere near, please feel stop on by and take in some great photography.
Press release here.
A shot of me and my sister circa 1974 by my first photo hero. Here’s to the man who put the camera in my hand. Happy Father’s Day Dad.
