Friday, December 5, 2003
First snow of the season falling across the city, covering everything with a cold layer of wet whiteness. It slowed me down in my usual morning rush, with the added chores of clearing the sidewalk and brushing off the car. I was out long enough for a neighbor to notice and cross the street to share some news. "I don't know if you heard yet," she said, "but Mister Junior passed last night."
Junior seemed to be a permanent fixture on the block, always sitting on his front steps, or moving across the street to catch the sun or shade depending on the weather. Retired, with a heart condition and diabetes, he didn't have a lot of physical energy but there wasn't a thing he missed otherwise. He knew all the neighborhood news without being a gossip and wasn't above sharing a quiet word or two of street wisdom. The neighborhood kids were always glad to run up to the corner store and get a cold drink for him in the summertime, and Junior always seemed to have a spare buck or two to reward their trip with a cold drink of their own.
He cared about the block and about his neighbors. He'd look for the best in each situation but had enough sense and experience with the world to know there are some nasty characters out there. He'd occasionally drift off into a little nap on a warm spring day but his eyes were open and watching.
He was good enough to pose for a portrait for one of my class assignments, and he wasn't shy about how he wanted the finished print to look.
I'll miss you, Junior.
Posted by coldmarble @ 08:50 AM ET [Link] [blab]
Thursday, December 4, 2003
I've had this poor hibiscus plant in a huge pot for several years. I think it may be dain-bramaged, as it does nothing much at all the whole spring and summer when it's outside in the garden with plenty of warmth and light. I drag it indoors when the weather gets chilly and the leaves start to fall off within a week or two. Just as the last of the green turns to brown, it gets confused enough to start blossoming. I've given up trying to figure out this backwards seeming cycle and just enjoy the huge red blossoms.
[more]
Posted by coldmarble @ 10:31 AM ET [Link] [blab]
Monday, December 1, 2003
Ouch!
Post-holiday Monday syndrome. That big pile of work that accumulated on your desk, just waiting to surprise you after a five day mini-vacation. Almost cleared away but it's been a slog after becoming adjusted to sleeping in. The alarm this morning was rude.
Had an interesting time at the Maryland Photographer and Model Get2Gether. The focus (pardon the pun) of most of the shooters was on the fashion/glamor side of life. Their work was quite beautiful and extremely well executed. I learned quite a bit just listening to them discuss how they set up different shots and solved problems in posing and lighting.
I also learned my slow and contemplative pace in shooting doesn't lend itself well to that world. Good luck convincing a model used to assuming a dozen poses in as many minutes that you want her to hold perfectly still for a two minute pinhole exposure. I tried a few but I'm afraid they're a bit too blurry, even for someone used to the randomness of pinhole. May try to print them later this week, 'cause ya never know.
Marion was kind enough to pose for both a 
simple portrait and for one of my crazed experiments in light painting. The painting came out well enough to make me want to try again. This was my first shot at it and though this version is a tad on the spooky side, I think the technique has possibilities. Hhhmm... maybe even in IR, with a filter over a strobe unit?
Posted by coldmarble @ 01:32 PM ET [Link] [1 blab]
