New Orleans Kids

When I lived in New Orleans, I didn't take many pictures, which I now regret. Life was just so crazy and surreal that it was engaging enough to live it, much less document it. But I did shoot a couple rolls, and, a number of years later, a friend of mine ran across some negatives I'd sent her to develop. She sent them back to me, and this is one of the shots. I was wandering around the Garden District, if I remember right, and they kids insisted I take their picture. Who was I to argue? This was long before Katrina, and those kids are probably adults now. I wonder where they are and what they're doing. I wonder if they're still alive. They certainly were on a humid day in 1988.

As I only had one camera when I lived there, and I know the film type from the negatives, this was shot with a Canon AT-1 on Kodak Tri-X. Which is about as old school as it gets.

Tree with Shadow

Really just an experiment in form and simplicity. Here's a tree, straight on, and here's its shadow. And that's it. Is it enough? It was through the viewfinder. And I still like it.

Leica M3, probably Ilford 100 film (but I don't remember exactly). Printed on a cooltone paper.

Totally Entertaining

We are here to amuse you. No? Shot on an early Saturday morning, spring light. Ilford Delta 100, shot with a Canon T-90.

Smoky Dawn

When winter settles in Portland, the Willamette River sometimes gives us a bit of fog in the morning, often with evocative effects. Shot with a Canon S3 IS.

Steve

Hilo

Haven't posted much here, of late. Been pretty busy. But I was looking through some older work, and ran across this shot of a perfect tropical day in Hilo, Hawaii. When they say blue Hawaii, they aren't kidding. This was shot with a Canon T-90 SLR on Fuji Velvia slide film and using a polarizing filter. I made a few adjustments in Photoshop to match the tones of the slide, so this is pretty much what came right out of the camera.

Obviously, I'm a sucker for blue.

Point Lobos

Last year, I visited Point Lobos in California. Just south of Carmel, it's amazing confluence of sea, stone, weathered cypress, and devastating landscape. For years, photographer Edward Weston, one of the art's greatest practitioners, lived nearby, and he basically spent the last 20 years of his life photographing the Point (along with nudes, portraits, dunes, still lifes, and trip across America for the Guggenheim Foundation). After visiting there, I can understand it: you could photograph the place day after day after day. I just had one; I'd love to go back. This was shot with a Canon IS S3 digital, then was toned in Photoshop. I must have 20 rolls of Point Lobos shots on film in the refrigerator, still waiting for developing and printing, when I manage to find time amidst all the other crazy stuff I'm doing.

Edward Weston's work led me, many years ago, to pick up a camera. As with many photographers, I owe him an unpayable debt.

Double Portrait

An older shot, taken on Tri-X film with a Leica M3.