REAWAKENING TO LIFE

Division. (Washington, DC) - Self-reflection in the house. Polaroid SX-70.

With State College safely behind, I finally feel like the tires have hit the road, the duck has flown, the lobster has been eaten… this is it. Do or die.

For those of you following for a while, here is an update: I have quit the day job and have now taken up commercial and personal photography full-time on the Hill in Washington, DC. What is surprising is the ratio of time spent doing actual photography to working the business - I would say it is close to 20% shooting and 80% administration/communication. I have also taken up a part-time job at a local bike shop (Capitol Hill Bikes), which has really been great. What can I say? Life is good, one day at a time, and the front-facing camera is a much better view than the back-facing one.

I don’t know at what conscious-level this occurred, but after being here for two months, I feel like today is the first day beyond the honeymoon phase of being here in DC. I raised my photo rates today, I have been contacting new leads, and a fresh wind has come into my head regarding art and photography. I feel the roots heading down, down, down, where before I was fighting this downward growth tooth-and-nail in Central PA. Not that there was anything wrong with that region necessarily, but it never felt like DC feels now…

…Like home.

Attention, Attention. (Eastern Market, DC) - Cold dog on a cold morning, with radar ears at half-power. Canon 5D Mk2, Canon 50mm f/1.4.

Snow Storm. (Washington, DC) - Dave out in the snow, looking for a convenience-store source of butter and whipping cream for snow day cooking. Canon 5D Mk2, Canon 50mm f/1.4.

Shadow. (Washington, DC) - Found this block of wood walking home from the metro. Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 90mm f/2.

Snowed. (Washington, DC) - Wintry scene driving back from Virginia last night. Spooky and peaceful on the hill. Canon 5D Mk2, 24-70 f/2.8.

Whim. (Boyertown, PA) - One of the extra shots from a shoot with Amy and her sister over Thanksgiving break. Thought it was well worth keeping. Canon 5D Mk2, Canon 50mm f/1.4.

We Are Hidden in the Light. (McClure, PA) - Taken wayyyy too late at night. The sky was extremely clear, and I hit the fields around my work one night - however, I am pretty sure they were freshly manured. Only in darkness are the lights revealed. Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 15mm f/3.5.

Sugar Ray Robinson (State College, PA) - Nothing like Halloween at 2AM downtown with a camera. I wish I could have stayed longer for more ridiculousness. And here are the rest: Halloween 2009! Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 21mm f/4.

Red All Over (McClure, PA). Just testing out some colors and the 15mm. I forgot how much I love that thing. Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 15mm f/3.5.

Still/life. (State College, PA) - Opened up a box from moving, and low-and-behold…this composition was sitting there. Could I have come up with something like this on purpose? Probably not, but it was the first good use of this huge, glass mannequin head I bought at Goodwill a while back. Canon 5D Mk2, Canon 50mm 1.4.