REAWAKENING TO LIFE

Appalachia. (Big Meadows, VA) - Mountain top experience, with the Love. And nowhere to go except up. Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 21mm f/4. 

Going Ape (Smithsonian Zoo - Washington, DC) - Gorilla mom’s watchful eye. We had an incredible experience with an orangutan later that day… To anthropomorphize the situation, he showed us he was happy to see us by swinging over and pulling a ’see-food’ trick with a mouthful of bamboo (?). Unfortunately, that picture is NSFL (Not Safe For Lunch). Canon 5D Mk2, Leica 90mm f/2.

Where the Buffalo Roam. (Maymont Park, VA) - Oh, the poor buffalo. Stuck in the rain and in a pen, and looks like he needs a hug. Canon 5D Mk2, Canon 50mm f/1.4.

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.