Coney Island: Don't Postpone Joy

 Don't Postpone Joy

 

The ferry ride into Manhattan was definitely the way to go.  July is a sticky month in the city and we didn't want to spend more time on the train than we had to.  Jeremiah and I climbed the stairs to sit on the top floor of the boat...the smell of exhaust isn't quite so apparent up there and you get the full benefits of the skyline view along with the breeze coming off of the Hudson. Jer and I wanted to make a night of it.  We opted for a place in mid-town called the Chelsea Star Motel. It was one of those interesting places where the rooms have themes and the walls in the common areas are high gloss, yellow, and have stenciled stars painted all over them. It was a tacky and wonderful place to stay as long as you didn't think about it too much.

So it was summer and we were in the city, and we had the whole evening at our disposal. Coney Island. Of course. The Culvar Local, all times.  

Something strange happens when you step off the subway and find yourself in the mouth of Brooklyn's playground.  It isn't exactly nostalgia...it is darker than that.  It is more of a macabre time warp, a place where you suddenly believe that a quarter will buy you a view into your future and placing your hand on a red handle will tell you how wonderful a lover you are.  It is a place where you can still do things that almost don't seem right to do...like pay to see a freak show of natures misfits who found ways to capitalize on human curiosity...you can aim a paintball gun at a live target and "shoot the freak". You can still get lost in mirrored funhouses and ride on sad painted ponies. The air smells like cotton candy and popcorn mixed with the salted lift from the Atlantic waves. Coney Island is surreal and fascinating and a thriving reminder of a lost world.

It wasn't overly crowded for a Saturday in July.  We played ski ball and wasted money trying to conquer cheap trinkets against a coveting crane. We indulged in a rickety ride on the historic Cyclone roller coaster and took a spin on the Wonder Wheel where a bored attendant pulled the crank and seemed to forget us...Not a huge fan of Ferris Wheels in the first place this kinda felt like a scene out of a horror film...or maybe Annie Hall...or both.

 .........................................................................................

Eldourado Arcade...somehow in all the weird glass cases that lined against the walls, filled with dancing puppets, a Miss Coney Island mannequin and odd little songs coming out of quarter fed crackling speakers, a simple sentence intoxicates me..."Don't Postpone Joy".  It is July, I am with Jeremiah, and I am in the middle of a lovely haunting...I am consumed, melencholy, and intrigued.  I swallow my own voice because I don't know what to say. I give in and smile because joy was definitely NOT something I could postpone, not in that moment, not in that disturbing, beautiful, dark carnival moment.   

 

Kinda Sorta...Untitled

Today is good. While sitting here thinking of something to write and not knowing what to say, the following things surfaced...in no attempt to be cohesive I will just list them:

1.  Regrets should always be anticipated and actions should yield towards avoiding them. Always. 

2. The line between appearing very collected and the urge to scream is dreadfully thin.

3. Sometimes hiding in the bathroom to indulge in a New Yorker article about whether or not Timothy Ferriss has any self help guru advice that I might relate to, is my guilty pleasure.

4. Listening to Bon Iver has enchanting effects on my smile.

5. Beautiful people are often untapped, and sometimes they have a small little black cloud with them even in the happiest moments...it helps them to never forget about the suffering in the world.

So I guess I am in not much of a mood to write.  I suppose I will disappear into my Lightroom and revisit Coney Island. 2007. With Jeremiah.

The School in Prehistoric Notions

The camera is a writing tool.

....

Digital photography allows an infinite amount of second chances and I must be careful that I don't "overwrite" my photoshoots with many versions of the same photograph...Meaning if I had a roll of film with 36 exposures on it I would use the whole roll and hope that there were at least 10 good pictures on it.  I would then develop a contact sheet and choose a few that I really wanted to take the time to process and I would spend the afternoon in the darkroom perfecting those images.  Sounds almost prehistoric but it really taught me to decide which photographs summed up the moment the best whether it was an ominous day at the beach or photographing a newborn baby. Just like a book that is long winded and wordy, too many photographs can distract from a beautiful story as well. One of the most memorable things I read recently implored photographers to take thousands of photographs but delete almost all of them in the end...that is when you start to SEE your photographs and of course, learn how to let some go.

So Little Space...

There are some days when your friends know you better than you do...and sometimes they do that very thing that you absolutely needed.  Today I was on the receiving end of that very perfect thing.  Thank you Heatherann...again.

 PS She doesn't bitch all the time :)

A Summer in Photographs

To say this summer has been as beautiful as it has been fast would be an understatement. It is already August and the long summer days have been full and enchanting. Autumn is almost here and I can already smell the smoke of the chiminea on a cool evening and feel the crackle of leaves beneath my feet.  A melancholy comes over me around this time.  I love the cycles of change but I mourn for the warmth when it passes.

.........................

Sunday was lovely and so was Mandy, her beautiful belly an extension to the little life being nurtured inside of her.  Her and Tung-To's baby is due in November, they know whether it is a boy or a girl but are keeping it a secret :) 

It was very muggy at the park we shot at and the ground was still damp from the rain the night before so I couldn't do all the shots I wanted to do but we are photographing her again in a couple of months and we intend to use Autumn's magic as our backdrop.  I love simplicity, letting a photograph speak for itself.  Mandy was a perfect subject, I am grateful we were able to photograph her. 

Here are a few photos from our photo session:

Naturally we couldn't even imagine shooting without our 85mm fixed focal. We also used a 24-70mm zoom which if I had to choose one zoom lens in the whole world, this would be it.  We didn't have to do too much post editing except some cropping, B&W, and a couple of filter/contrast adjustments to create a sort of vintage feel.  Looking forward to going to dinner on Wednesday and giving this amazing pair their photographs.

The feedback we are getting is more than I would have ever dared to expect. Looking forward to two shoots coming up for my artist project...but most of all I want to say a very special thank you to Tung-To and Mandy, to Vicky and Greg who asked us to do their anniversary photos, and to Carolyn who's networking capabilities has us booked for a whole day on Sept 25.  We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to photograph the moments that mean everything to you.

The Kindness of the Unexpected

I always knew I worked with amazing people. I don't think I realized that their kindness had no end and the great lengths they would go for Jeremiah and me in supporting our photography.  I am actually humbled by the gratitude I feel for them.  

I don't intend for this to be a long entry, I just want to say thank you.  To them. And to Jeremiah and Jonas...they bring so much light. To everything.

.......

Right now I have a black, white, green backdrop, I wanted to invest in some more but don't really want to pay too much money. I have decided that I will just paint my own.  Jeremiah is creative and I am not necessarily a painter but I am very good with color :) I just have to find a good price for a roll of canvas and get a little crazy.  Maybe I will even make it a party, go to a park, invite some friends and family and make a day of it.  
 
This Sunday I have a photoshoot with Tung-To & Mandy Wang...I will keep clicking until I get the perfect shot to capture their treasured moment. 


Stay tuned for more pictures.  I have a bunch that I haven't shared yet. :)

Mailbox Anticipation

I don't think I have been so excited to check the mailbox since Jeremiah and I started receiving the RSVP's for our wedding.  Our business cards are done and on the way, my new lens should be here tomorrow, my new camera is on back order but should arrive soon...anticipating little packages is way too much fun.  Below is our first card design, after a suggestion by a friend that I give her a bunch of cards so she can distribute them to her friends, I realized cards were definitely a priority...and sooner than later.  

We are designing another card for our creative project...Artists in their Elements.  My Heatherann will be assisting our efforts and is going to use her amazing skills to handcraft one of her brilliant concepts...It will undoubtedly be handpainted, hand stamped and one-of-a-kind!  

Surprisingly, I am a lot more business savvy than I gave myself credit for and have really enjoyed the marketing process.  We are going to register our business name with the county this week and I am attending two networking events, one in September and another in October. Jeremiah gets such a kick out of my productivity...I am such a such a Capricorn sometimes! I don't think he realizes how much he inspires my necessary fire.  He has brought out the best in me since the day we met. Last night while we were cozy on the couch designing our card he said, "You know what I like best?  That you are writing and pursuing photography..the things you love most."  He has waited years for this and every picture we take represents a world of possibilities.

So far in August we have 3 photo sessions.  I would like to schedule at least 5...any takers??? My goal is to pay off my new camera by December.  :)