There are many nooks and crannies within my area that amaze me every time I drive through them. I am always surprised at the way people live. Many times I have taken a house as abandoned just to approach and find wet clothing hanging on the drying line or a child playing on a rotten porch. Valley View is perhaps 15 minutes from my front door down by the Kentucky river. Valley View boasts the only ferry left on the Kentucky River and it is the oldest ferry operating in the United States. The ferry is what drew me to Valley View two years ago.
It was a novel concept to me and I wanted my son to experience a ride on the ferry. After we oohed and aahed and I, admittedly, took lots of terribly angled photos out the window, we reached the other side and just kept driving.{ One of our favorite things to do is go for an adventure, which basically just means a really long drive.} The stretch of road after the ferry will remain as one of my favorite adventures of all time. I have been back multiple times since our first visit to the ferry but what I wanted to share with you was my most recent trip. I am participating in the windows phone challenge and have visited all my favorite haunts to see how the camera measured up on familiar territory. I went specifically to visit an abandoned church and rectory but I never made it to the rectory this visit. I visited the church first, sad that the pews had been removed and the walls had been gutted in a few places by people looking for copper. It was never a particularly lovely church but I adored the white clapboard and deep brown wooden floors. It is never hard for me to imagine a place as it was before it was left to rot. I can see the people standing in the pews singing hymns like The Old Rugged Cross or Amazing Grace, fanning themselves in the summer heat.
I approached what I thought was one more in a long line of abandoned houses along Valley View. I loved that sign so much I kept snapping away until I heard voices.
Oh that picture is lovely. Look at that sky.
Yes yes it is. Turn the page.
Tired. Tired of the magazine.
Keep turning. Keep turning
You can imagine my surprise after listening to the conversation to only see one man on the porch. I knocked. Once. Twice.
Sir? I took a step closer and knocked on the rotten door barely making a sound. I have a cold and a whisper for a voice so I stepped closer.
Sir?
I finally, quietly, walked across the porch and into the eyeline of the man.
Sir? Oh! You!! How the hell are you? She’s fine. Can’t you see that? She’s standing right there.
I just stood there. Shocked at the words and voices. I don’t know what I thought. Perhaps that there was someone I couldn’t see inside. But there wasn’t.
I…. I just wanted to take a photo of your sign. Is that okay? What? Speak up. I can’t hear.
I typed on my phone that I was sick and had no voice and that I couldn’t speak any louder. I asked if I could take a picture of his sign.
Oh yes that sign. Love it. Used to be a store here. Do you know God?
I nodded yes.
He cupped his hand to his ear like he was talking on the phone. Well. Then. He says your healed. Yes healed you heard me. I love you and your healed. You have your voice back.
I whispered thank you and smiled as big as I could at him. Waved and went back out to take a picture of the sign.
She just wants a picture of you. Let her have it. She needs proof. Nah. She doesn’t. She didn’t ask. It’s the sign. Where’s the magazine?
Again, I walked onto the porch. I held up my phone and pointed to him. I figured if God wanted his picture taken I would take it. He sat up tall and brushed off his shirt. He smiled crookedly at me then relaxed. I snapped and snapped. I scrolled through my pictures and turned the screen to show him.
There look. That’s good. That’s a good picture of you. You think? I don’t know. Nah it’s good. I like it. Where’s the magazine.
I typed thank you and tell God thank you for me.
He smiled real big at me. I smiled back trying not to cry or to throw him over my shoulder to bring him home with me. He went back to his magazine. I stood there for a second trying to think of something else to say to engage him but he had already forgotten about me. I quietly left the porch and went back out to the road and started sobbing. It broke my heart that he was sitting there amid trash, dirt and firewood in a crumbling down house all by himself. I remembered shooting here a year ago and hearing men arguing loudly and I wondered if it was perhaps him and God. I wondered how long he had been ill and where his family was. I was grieved I had to walk away and leave him with his magazines. There are times when something touches you so deeply there are not adequate words to describe it. I will never forget his smile and kindness in healing me but more than that I will always remember the conditions he was living in and how he was happy with just his magazine.
Image by Marie Matthews, Honorable Mention Performing Arts Category
Dan Berman and the MPAs: A Chat about Rumors & the Intergrity of the Awards by Anna Cox
Recently, the Mobile Photo Awards held their yearly competition and many people waited with baited breath to see the winners in each category. The awards had a record number of participants this year and we were all very very excited when news outlets such as Huffington Post picked it up and published an article about the awards. According to Huffington Post article about MPAs The 2013 awards received entries from nearly 1,000 photographers from more than 40 countries. How awesome is that? The mobile community for the most part is a loving creative community that cheers on each and every victory for our growing art form. Publicity for things like the MPAs validates what we are doing and what we are collectively working for with every photo and blog post about the subject.
As the submission date came and went, we all waited on pins and needles for the judging process to finish and for the awards to be announced. We watched the official MPA twitter account for updates and finally the day (or tweet) arrived letting us know the winners would be announced soon. As the winners in each category were announced and I went through each genre, my heart sank more and more. It isn’t that the work that was chosen wasn’t fantastic for the most part, it was, hands down, but it was the amount of duplicate winners in each category that really tripped me up. To me, it seemed that the encouragement that could have gone to many went to few. Perhaps it is the mother and teacher in me that cringed at the amount of duplicates, perhaps not. Let me make clear that this article is not driven by my lack of winning. I have operated within the art world for many years and understand that rejection goes along with success and growth. This article grew out of my concern for the amount of negativity surrounding the MPAs this year.
If we, as a community, are going to continue to grow in a healthy manner sometimes things have to be faced head on. In talking with multiple photographers, they also expressed frustration and a lack of understanding about the duplicates in the categories and cross categorically. Funnily enough, upon doing a extensive internet search on the topic of the MPAs I didn’t find one negative statement. I began to wonder why this was. Do you think it is because people were afraid to voice any concern because they didn’t win? Perhaps people thought that if they said anything it would cast them in a negative light. Well, fortunately, I am unafraid of looking like a brat throwing a fit in the cereal aisle so I figured why not take the rumors and negativity straight to the source- Dan Berman, the creator and head of the MPAs. Dan graciously agreed to chat with me one afternoon to discuss the MPAs and the judging process.
We both agreed that getting all this out in the open is better than letting it fester.
The most important thing I came away with from our conversation is that Dan believes in the integrity of the awards beyond all else. When choosing his judges, he was careful to choose fellow artists that were in the public eye and actively contributing to their genre. From the moment the judging began, he had to trust them fully to take the responsibility as a judge seriously and conscientiously. Dan himself has no part in the judging and deals with the administrative side of the awards only. He described the process of judging to me in great detail and I appreciated his transparency immensely. He assured me that each entry is nameless and that the judging is blind as much as it can be. Of course, the judges are also a part of this community so odds are they had come across some of the work at one time or another.
Once the judges, working alone, whittled the entries down to short list of 30 the list was then sent to a 3 group team that would further narrow it down. The original judge chooses the best in the category. In talking about the duplicates in the catergories Dan’s reply was that he had to go with what the judges chose. In his words, “If I overrode their choices then I was destroying the process. It would be me saying to the judges “sorry your choices are not valid.”
The amount of duplicates came in part by entrants being able to entry one photo into multiple categories. For example, a strong photo black and white landscape is a strong photo in landscape and black and white, thusly it would receive a nod in both categories. Entrants would also receive multiple nods within a category if the judge happened to blindly chose two or more of their photos.
The most telling part of our conversation is when I shared with Dan some of the rumors surrounding the MPAs. {I am not going to talk about those here because they are, as I said, rumors.} Dan got quiet for a second, perhaps gathering his thoughts, perhaps choking back anger. He let out a big breath and said he had never heard any of the rumors and was quite shocked by all of them. He pointed out that all of the rumors pointed to either the judges or himself jeopardizing the awards and ultimately, their reputations in the mobile community. He also mentioned that he wished people would come straight to him but my guess is that most people would not say anything for the reasons I cited above. No one wants to look like a spoiled sport, but I will say that our conversation was a great one and that Dan is open to discussing anything. So, if you are like me, hit him up. I bet you money you would find him warm and receptive to whatever you bring to him.
All we have in this online world is our reputation and integrity. If Dan, or any judge, was to intentionally sabotage the awards what would it gain? In the immediate, whoever they chose would have the notoriety of winning a mention etc but in the long run, the awards would be impugned. Word would spread and the next time the entry call came people would be more hesitant to spend their money buying spots. For me, this is what it came down to- integrity. One of my favorite movie quotes of all time says, “Our integrity sells for so little, but it’s all we really have”. In a world that is connected by bandwidth and megabytes, we have to be cautious to maintain our respectability and integrity. Does this mean that Dan and the judges aren’t fallible? Of course not, everyone makes mistakes every now and again. Does it sound like mistakes were made within the judging process? No, it doesn’t. Do I think that Dan would have put a stop to any hinkiness that he caught wind of? Yes, because again it is his time, integrity, and family he sacrifices for these awards.
I wrote to a few of the judges to get their take on the MPAs but unfortunately most didn’t respond so we have only a small view on that side of things but I was able to snag a few of the winners from last year to hear about their stories.
Thankfully, the judges that I did hear back from were thoughtful and well spoken and I found their responses incredibly helpful.
Image by Cecily Caceu, Honorable Mention Beach Category
This is what Judge Andy Royston of the Beach category had to say when I asked him about the judging process and the MPAs:
This was my second year of judging on the MPA Awards. A great honour – even if it means I could not enter my own work, which I am intensely proud of.
Last year I chaired the Sunlight category, whereas this year I was – in theory in my comfort zone – beaches.
As chair of the group my role was to refine the entrants down to around thirty so the other judges didn’t have a huge set to work with. I expected the category to have images that might be superficially similar to my own way of shooting but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The category attracted everything from verité to conceptual to good old fashioned fun.
Although I’m known mainly for quite naturalistic photography rather than layered multi-app creativity I do have a good knowledge of what the iPhone can do. I run a course on iPhoneography at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale and try to present the widest range of styles and skills to my students. I would show a collage piece to my class and one of the first questions would be “how do I do that…” As tutor it’s my duty to show and tell, so I’m quite adept as layered collage work even if I don’t share too much on the internet.
I worked late in the night to make sure that the selection was varied in approach, though images do tend to have a power regardless of technique. I’m a passionate colourist and do admire artists and photographers who are not shy with their color choices. But a strong black and white can be so powerful and at the end of the day my selections to go to round two were really easy.
The beach is a very challenging arena for photography. It can frequently be very bright, so controlling that and getting a strong emotive capture is part of the fun. Which brings me to the second aspect of beach photography. Fun, humour, spontaneity and chance have as much of a role to play as any carefully exposed natural scenic.
I’m a big fan of our genre and regularly look through the work of my favorite artists. So more than most I’m very much aware of trends in different iphoneography genres. I just love the medium and am fascinated by what can be done in this genre.
What surprised me was how few of the works felt familiar. Dan was careful to make sure that no names were associated with the images he passed on. I could hazard a guess or two but very often it turned out that I was quite wrong.
When my fellow ‘beach’ judges joined in a different dynamic came into play.
We used private Facebook groups to discuss the works, and my approach is always to write detailed analyses of each – partly to spark debate. I was seconded into two other areas including ‘landscapes’. I consider my own work as landscape even though I shoot the ocean all the time – I shoot it as a landscape not a ‘beach’ per se. The only challenge I had in this area was that so few color shots had made the cut, but otherwise it was all about doing justice to the shots in front of me.
The challenge of judging iPhone art is knowing the genre capabilities – not only of the iPhone as a camera but also the tricks used to turn a small photo into a big one. If anything this year the difficulty was being able to spot the easy textures and overlays from filter apps like Lenslight and Filtermania.
The use of filter apps was hotly debated. It was clear we needed to be across the differences between ‘out-of-the-box’ filter layers and work that was hand-done and original. Sure it’s possible to create great work via a simple combination of filter effects, but if all things are equal genuine artistry and invention must be rewarded.
That some artists won in more than one category is very exciting. I am in awe that different sets of judges could see quality in different criteria. I don’t see this as a problem, more an inspiration. I think the artists who took a win in more than one category are fantastic =- it was a thing of celebration that they took several prizes. The level of artistry was spectacular and all the category nominees are very worthy.
In the end we have to celebrate the whole of the iPhone oeuvre. Amazing photography and extraordinary multi-app collages. All fit into our movement which is still to be recognised as such in the collectable fine art world. At least a dozen of our finest are six-figure artists in my opinion. A huge challenge is to keep our nerve collectively and make sure that the fine art world recognise and collect the artists in our art/photography genre.
I guess next year’s challenge is to differentiate between iPhone and iPad, which have very different capabilities and challenges artistically. I guess Dan’s got that particular problem to handle! good luck mate!
A word from the people categoryJudge Dutch Doscher on the character of Dan and how much he personally invests into the MPAs every year:
Dan has always wanted the best for the MPA and when I say the best. I have seen the MPA spend more money than he should have for the prints. Rejecting prints that weren’t good enough and having them reprinted. I spent a week with Dan putting up the first two shows in LA and SF. If there is someone who should know it’s me.
In one day we framed over 70 images for 2 different shows then drove them to San Fran.
As far as the judging goes, I only want the best image in the category’s I’m judging in. We have no idea whose images they are, how many images the person submitted or anything else about the image or person.
I had the category of people and had to go though the literally thousands down to about 40. And every one of those 40 could have won. Then Dan has me weed out the top ten. When I say he makes me… This part hurts. People look and care for these 40 to 50 photos and you can tell. In some cases I’ve been moved deeply to see the care and honesty that went into them.
Ultimately its about capturing an image that is rare, moving and light.
There are other places in the community that have done shows, but the presentation has been on poster board or foam mounted. Dan gets the best frames for presentation and really cares about the prints.
Hope this helps.
Image by Amy Hughes, Honorable Mention Landscape
Now a word from past winners who share their moments of joy and success with us:
Melissa Vincent:
I entered the MPA/ArtHaus essay portion of the Mobile Photography Awards with a series of photos titled “The Rooms of William Faulkner”. I shot them on my iPhone at the Pulitzer Prize winning author William Faulkner’s home in Oxford, MS. I was born and raised and still live in Mississippi today. It is very important to me as an artist to show a different side of Mississippi, one more positive than the normal, stereotypical one portrayed by the media. I took pictures of different rooms in his home and blended them with landscapes of photos I’d taken in Mississippi to create surreal, fine art pieces. Being chosen as the winner of the MPA/ArtHaus photo essay by gallery owners James Bacchi and Annette Schutz came as a big surprise to me. I am a self-taught photogapher/editor who began a journey in the fine art photography field only in the last year. The words that James and Annette used to describe my series and why they were drawn to it really motivated me and gave me the confidence I needed to continue making art. I went to San Francisco to the ArtHaus opening April 6 to see all five of my pieces in the series hanging. Daniel Berman, founder of the Mobile Photography Awards, did a beautiful job displaying my work. I was very pleased with how they looked. The opening was packed full of people who were interested in listening to how and why I created my William Faulkner series. It was definitely the most exciting adventure in the mobile photography/art world I’ve had to date.
Michał Koralewski:
I think I’ll remember this edition of Mobile Photo Awards to the end of my life. In just few days from a shy and overworked father-of-three I became a local celebrity and mobile photography expert, thanks to Dan and his contest.
Very late at night (it was the MPA results announcement day) I got some Twitter messages from my friends saying I won second prize in DPReview category and 3 honorable mentions in two other categories of MPA. I read these messages next day (it was friday, 1st of February) and it was just in time, because 10 minutes later I got first phone call from a journalist of the biggest local newspaper, who asked me for a comment about the prize and for an interview. Right after the interview I received few another phone calls – from two other local newspapers, one radio station and two internet magazines. Everyone wanted to know more about MPA, mobile photography, my passion, my prize, everyone wanted to show my photos on their websites and newspapers. It was very surprising and unexpected. I received a lot of e-mails, tweets and SMSes with congratulations from my friends, my family and even people I don’t know. When I finished my office work, went back home and opened my front door, I saw my wife talking on the phone and I heard “Yes, he just entered”. It was Onet, the biggest Polish internet portal, they wanted to interview me and publish the winning photo. Later this day I got an e-mail from Polish Radio, asking for an interview for their english language station. I have been receiving links to the news about my success for another 2 weeks. There were over 30 news and interviews about the winning photo, my mobile photography passions and MPA in many regional and national newspapers and magazines. I got tons of SMSes from my friends saying they heard about me in radio stations, tv news etc. I got even a letter from a member of the European Parliament with congratulations. Some days later I had a live interview in the biggest regional radio station about MPA and mobile photography. And after two months it’s still not the end of MPA impact on my life – thanks to MPA I had my first mobile photography exhibition, supported by the head of the municipality I live in, and another exhibition will start at 15th of April (it will be supported by the local Voivodship office). I know there is one more exhibition coming in the end of the month. I was also asked to be a main jury member of a nationwide mobile photography contest (which is a big honour for me) and to lead some mobile photography trainings.
I didn’t earn a cent on this craziness, but I met a lot of great people, wonderful photographers, known journalists and I feel the MPA contest opened many doors for my further photography career. And – what’s most important for me – I can see admiration and pride in my wife’s eyes. 🙂
Deb Braun:
My experience with the first MPAs last year was really great. I entered as a challenge. Deena Feinberg (deena21 on instagram) and I were talking about ways to push ourselves and we agreed to curate some images of ours to enter a contest. We thought it would be a good exercise in looking at our images critically. I think it was also her way of gently encouraging me to share my images in new places. So, I picked 10 images and worked with Deena to whittle it down to 5. I entered 5 images in a number of different categories and felt good about meeting my goal. I was shocked and thrilled to find that my image “into the wind” was shortlisted and then won the Landscape category.
Last spring was really fun, as a category winner. Daniel sent out the promised prizes for winning the category. My image had tons of exposure – HuffPo, a home design magazine, other print publications and online. I attended the ArtHaus Gallery opening, was on a local SF news station talking about the show and my work. The image was in another gallery show of MPA winners in southern California. I loved being at the shows and meeting so many kind, inspiring, generous, members of the mobile photography community. One of the best experiences I had during the whole thing was spending the day at the SF Fine Arts Fair, where select images from the MPA show were hung. It was amazing to talk to art dealers and collectors. Daniel Berman was a perfect spokesperson for mobile photography – letting the images speak for themselves to hone the point that this work is photography and art. I talked to people about my work, and as best I could, about the work of the other artists represented in the MPA booth. People were amazed, for a moment, about the whole “camera phone” thing. But they quickly got past that and saw the work for its intrinsic artistry. None of my prints sold at any event, but I still came away from the whole thing feeling really happy and excited about the whole experience and what the MPAs are contributing to the artists and the art. Daniel is one of the people really doing something about how the work we do is perceived by the general public, instead of just tweeting angry messages about how instagram is ruining photography. I think the MPAs and Juxt are both real forces for advancement of art in general. I also know that I grew tremendously by participating, last spring. Personally, I learned to let myself be vulnerable by sharing my work – I learned to look at my work more critically, but also more kindly – I learned that the people I looked up to in this art form are real quality people who share, encourage, take pride, work hard, and are great fun. And now I have the beautiful framed print of my image up in my house.
To see more of the winners head to the MPAwebsite to be treated to multiple slide shows of the winners and honorable mentions. Also, if you would like to read who else inspires the MPAs check out the blog.
Video: Windows Phone, Nokia Lumia 920 (View in HD)
A little over one year later, I have had the opportunity to witness two major events demanding the return of an NBA team, wait, the return of our beloved Supersonics to the Emerald City.
The City of Seattle has been without an NBA team since 2008.
Sonicsgate, which is one of the strongest forces in the city, brought together the community one last time in 2013 before the NBA Board of Governors votes on the relocation back to Seattle on Wednesday, May 15, 2013.
This is the city’s last rallying call until we find out their decision. Chris Hansen and his band of millionaire superheroes have been lobbying and putting up millions of dollars to show the NBA how serious they are, we are, in having our beloved 41 year legacy return. A night hosted by Shawn Kemp and Tilson with music from some of the city’s best hip hop, cameos from major politicians, and even more importantly, hundreds of Sonics fans came together to celebrate the accomplishments of Sonicsgate, Chris Hansen, and the voices of our city.
I had the opportunity to ask Geo aka Prometheus Brown from the Blue Scholarsand Adam Brown, one of the directors of Sonicsgate about the Sonics and let you all hear through their voices why its so important for the Sonics to return.
This is important to not only the fans who have been here but more importantly for the future fans of a cultural icon in the Pacific Northwest – Bring Back Our Sonics.
BIG THANKS Geo, Adam and Jason of Sonicsgate, Neumos, and Alive & Well Seattle.
Chris Hansen group – We believe in you.
*Apologies for the terrible editing skills. First time playing with the video of the Nokia and post-process.
On a day historically set for peaceful protests for International Workers Solidarity around the world, Istanbul and Seattle becomes violent.
In 2012, the city of Seattle was caught off guard by anarchists. The city vowed to be ready in 2013. The media announced the city’s preparedness days before May Day with interviews and statements from the chief of police and the mayor, “We respect the right to peacefully assemble, but we will be ready for any lawbreakers.” The day of began with media blitzes and vans and trucks and of course the police on foot, horse, and automobile. Above flew the helicoptors, I even read a tweet that said, “If you want to find the anarchists, the helicoptors will lead you right to them.”
The day started out calmly and peacefully. The second and last protest dubbed the anti-capitolist protest by Occupy Seattle groups turned for the worst…but not as “bad” as 2012. There were 8 cops injured and multiple arrests led to another May Day to go down in the books as violent. Flashbombs and tear gas from the cops; fireworks, rocks, and metal pipes from the protestors. I can’t help to feel like the buildup/ hype is what led to the ending of May Day 2013. This year seemed to be not about purpose and mission but of response and reaction. The immigrant reform rally seemed as beautiful as ever. Reaching its 13th year even. Sad to think that it was not the headline but instead, “Seattle May Day goes violent…again.”
This day is for equality and justice. Not for grandstanding and media ratings. Just saying!
Folklore and legendsare usually traditional stories popularly regarded as the telling of historical events. When in the form of myths, they often involve some form of the supernatural. They have been with us for thousands of years and, because of this, folklore and legends form the basis of many religious beliefs, value systems, and the way we perceive our place in the world and our interaction with other animals. Humans have long revered whales and other animals in legends. For thousands of years they have been aligned with the gods, mythologized, and celebrated in art.
It appears though in many popular legends that the great whales were not necessarily held in such high regard as the other mythological animals. Whales were typically described as monsters of the sea, their great size to be feared by all. Oppian (A.D. 180) told of the hunt of a whale; its monstrous size and unapproachable limbs a terrible sight to behold. In biblical times, the story of Jonah and the whale was well known, and it is popular even today. The story tells of Jonah who fled from the Lord by boat to Tarshish. When the ship was underway, the Lord caused a great storm. In fear of their lives, Jonah asked the mariners to cast him into the sea so the Lord would again make the sea calm and spare the mariners lives. Once Jonah was in the sea, however, the Lord prepared a “great fish” to swallow him. He was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights where he prayed and vowed salvation to the Lord. Upon his vow the Lord spoke to the whale and it vomited Jonah onto dry land and spared his life. Although today we know that it is unlikely that this event truly occurred, the story displayed the power of the Lord and what He was capable of doing to those who defied Him.
We’ve all been in Jonah’s sandals. We’ve all had a scary task to set before us, a heavy task with potentially frightening responsibilities placed on our shoulders. When we turn away from these responsibilities (knowing what we should do, yet refusing) it churns up massive emotional upheaval. We become swallowed ourselves in an emotional quagmire. We stew in our emotional soup, until we reach a boiling point. We all struggle with emotional buildup over choices we need to make, or even those choices we cannot bear to execute. Some of us, after days and nights of stewing within the womb of the soul, finally emerge (spit from the whale, so to speak) with renewed determination and a rekindling of faith. Others of us return to the emotional abyss until we can process our fears and indecision into a more refined state of being.
In his 1851 novel “Moby Dick,” Herman Melville described a white sperm whale of uncommon magnitude, capable of great ferocity, cunning, and malice. Melville’s novel summarized the fears of Yankee whalers that the tables would be turned and the whale would become the attacker.
Not all folklore portrays whales as fearsome beasts. Maori folklore of the Ngati Porou people tells of their ancestors being carried safely across the Pacific to New Zealand on the back of a whale. The Ngai Tahu people consider the sperm whales off the coast of the South Island as taonga (treasures). If a whale strands, prayers are said in order to return its spirit to Tangaroa, the Maori god of the sea. After this, the lower jawbone is removed for ceremonial carving and placement on the marae (the tribes’ traditional meeting grounds). Think “Whale Rider.”
The north Alaska Inuit people have for over 1000 years relied on whale products for their survival. As with many traditional hunting societies, ceremonies accompany the hunt that assures good luck, and many hunters take charms or amulets to ensure their luck and safety. Some believe the skull of the dead whale must be returned to the sea in order to assure the immortality and reincarnation of the whale, thereby protecting the future hunting success.
Whales are associated with compassion and solitude, and knowledge of both life and death. They are also associated with unbridled creativity. The exhalation through the blowhole symbolizes the freeing of one’s own creative energies. Sound is also a creative force of life. Whales use sonar and echo-location, linking them to the tutelage of direction and response to feedback. Though whales are symbolic of free use of creativity, they are also teachers of how to use creative energies more conservatively.
The whale may facilitate emotional clarity, and help us navigate through the often ambiguous and confusing seas of emotion. Whales themselves are incredibly nurturing; we see this in how they raise their young as well as their close-knit connection to others in their community herds or pods. Whales have a natural affinity for helping, especially promoting well-being within their community. People who are attracted to the whale often feel devoted to a greater cause, and although they may struggle with their own personal emotions, they tend to naturally conjure healing powers towards others in emotional trauma. Navigating the emotional waters with the whale by your side will afford guidance and clarity say many of these stories.
Whales ask us to embrace the unknown, and that’s precisely why they are so connected to the emotional depths of the oceans. To be sure, our current circumstances are born from an emotional womb. In other words, our reality is intrinsically connected to our thought and our emotional choices. It can be frustrating and confusing to track down the emotional origin of the stuff that’s manifested in our lives, and the whale can help us understand, on a deeper level, the actions that have caused unrest in our daily life.
In many sects of Native wisdom, the whale is symbolic of the beginning, the creation of all life on earth as we know it. They aren’t the only ones. Countless cultures around the globe associate themes of creation, birth and rebirth with the whale.
This Whale. The day Jen and I met this whale we were both brought together by tumultuous times in our lives. It was also the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. Actually it was within an hour of the bombings. We both had felt the sorrow and confusion on the global level, and on the individual level, we were left questioning life events. For me, many questions rushed me. I was lost on many issues. The “Whys” and “How Comes” met this whale as we walked the 100 yards to meet him. It was surreal. Hundreds of people flocked to get a glimpse of this magnificent animal over the span of 3 days (remember Jonah’s story?). Our time with him was relatively short (max 30 minutes). I felt that short time brought feelings of “Everything is going to be alright.” No answers, but the feeling of “You don’t need to know the answers right now” took hold and ultimately calmed me.
It was a healing moment as were amongst others who sought to pay homage to this poor whale whose life was taken by some sort of destiny. We touched the whale and found some sort of solace in its intense circumstance. Did we reach emotional clarity? Certainly not, but I argue that our friendship and whatever personal search that brought us together that day, found a quick moment of humility. It was our time to share with one another the lives, the deaths, and the changes that surrounded our own personal story.
Learn more about this Fin whale that washed up at Burien’s Seahurst Park.
Read more stories of whales as told by Pacific Northwest First Nation.
Listen to the call of the Fin whale.
The Unraveling of a Billionaire by BP and Victoria
Let us set the stage.
We both had planned a street shoot the other day. The plan was to take a favorite route in the city – Pike Place Market through to Westlake, up and down Pike and Pine St. The light in the beginning of the day was great but by the time we got out to shoot, it had become more overcast. We both didn’t have our Mophie packs and we both started out with less than 100%, with V starting out with a whopping 23%. We monitored the batt levels and did the best we could.
V: If you’ve ever gone on an IG walk with me, you know I generally come unprepared with a low battery and decaffeinated. This day was certainly no different.
B: By the time V hit under 10% it was time to juice up. Note: If V’s phone didn’t need a charge, our story would’ve never happened, so we decided to hit the Starbucks, power up, and catch up.
V: While Brad was off being gentlemanly, purchasing our coffee, I sat at a table next to Bill. He glanced over at me with a warm smile. He complimented me on my chucks and said he wore the same ones when he was a youngster. We laughed about how styles just recycle themselves, but agreed my kicks were classics. I noticed his formal wear and how he seemed out of place in our “Keens and Northface” city, but I appreciated the fact that someone would get dressed in a full suit and go to a local coffee shop to simply work on his computer.
B: Before I sat down I saw Bill next to the table that V had been sitting at. He was real focused on his typing, tapping away at the keys, one finger at a time style. He also had a great hat and was dressed up real dapper like. I opened up ProCamera, focused, set exposure and took a couple shots. Figured I had to catch this scene. Thought this would be the end of it, not knowing that the conversation with Bill would give backstory to the photo. Initially V and I chatted it up and Bill paid no mine to us, nor us to him. At one point, he got up and asked us to watch his laptop and flip phone as he needed to go across the street. We did. We continued to chop it up and again paid no mine when he returned. I cracked a joke that I had used his minutes to call Uruguay (chuckle here, chuckle there) but for the most part that was it.
Meet J. William Oldenburg.
Bill started to pack up his things and on his way out he wished us a blessed day and before he got too far, BP asked him for his name.
“Bill, Bill Oldenburg.”
Little did we know that we was speaking to a billionaire. Well someone who used to be a billionaire.
Bill said, “Have you heard of the movie Sleepless in Seattle?” Of course we did. Tom Hanks. Meg Ryan. The house on Lake Union. “Well I was a part of the production crew of it. As a matter of fact, Tom is supposed to come here in a couple of weeks because we are looking to do another movie, except this time it’ll be based on my life.”
Bill proceeded to return to his seat. He had this sparkle in his eye. It could be that he was thinking, “Hmmm these are going to be easy prey for me to con.” or “Here’s a chance to be able to tell my story.”
His story led from Sleepless to Seattle, to the hat he was wearing. “This hat, this hat was given to me by my close friend, Frank Sinatra.” At first we laughed, thinking he was pulling our leg. But then he continued on with his story in great detail, genuinely and with a tenderness in his voice toward his “friend.” He then mentioned to us that Elizabeth Taylor so loved a necklace he had bought for his wife, and that he allowed a duplicate to be made as long as she promised not to wear it until his wife had first worn hers in public. He told us of a quote that his close friend, Katherine Hepburn had told him, “The most valuable antiques are old friends.” He told us of his big galas and having Wayne Newton sing at these events. He talked of his close friendship to Orson Wells.
Photo from Bill: (L) Orson Wells, (C) Bill Oldenburg, (R) Wayne Newton
He continued on, sharing about how in the early 1980’s he had purchased the USFL LA Express football team with whom they drafted Steve Young before making a deal to send the star to the San Francisco 49ers. He told us about being the only person in the world who was not afraid to challenge Donald Trump, even being quoted in Sports Illustrated as saying, “I’m used to winning, to nothing less than becoming the best,” he told Sports Illustrated. “Donald Trump can get all the press he wants, but when it comes to business, he can’t carry my socks.”
His stories were thoughtful and when he spoke of them he had a “reminiscing” tone about him.
However, it wasn’t just about the stars. He told us stories about his family too. He showed us a photograph of his daughter in her wedding gown, as she had recently been married in Seattle, and spoke highly of the groom. The photo was on his iPhone that his daughter had gifted him, though it was apparent that his flip phone and older laptop were already a challenge for him to use. He showed us quotes he wrote, showed us a paper printout of Lazarus, his dog who had recently passed away. He truly loved his family; four daughters and his wife and “soul mate,” Marla.
Clearly for him his world was big, but was nothing without his daughters and his wife. He went from working at a bank after high school and being a vacuum salesman to a real estate mogul, football team owner worth billions, to losing everything. His story is of rags to riches to rags.
Photo Credit: Victoria
V: It was fascinating to talk to someone who was so charismatic and seemed incredibly genuine. While he was sharing with us, I noticed his suit being nice, but that it desperately needed to be dry-cleaned. I remember trying to sort through that in my head, how could a billionaire’s shirt be anything but stark white and without wrinkles? I brushed it off, remembering he had “just moved into town and was still adjusting to the area,” so maybe he just hadn’t found time to get it taken care of. He mostly spoke to Brad, which I didn’t mind. BP tried to include me in the conversation, but it was very clear who Bill was aiming for. He offered us a photography gig during his next event, asking for our contact information to let us know more. If both of our parking times hadn’t expired, we probably would have sat and listened to his endless supply of star-studded stories and his grand future plans.
As Brad and I walked out of the store, we glanced at each other with somewhat skeptical grins. Had we just randomly met a billionaire who wanted us to stay in contact and possibly shoot for his next grand event? Weirder things have happened. We said our goodbyes and ran off to our cars, praying the parking attendant hadn’t found us yet.
Within several hours BP had already done his research and learned more about our dear friend Bill. He indeed had a fascinating story, though much sadder that the one he had painted for us. . I had mixed feelings about our encounter after I read the countless blogs and testimonies about a “cheat, con artist, liar and theif.” I didn’t want to believe it. He had gained much and lost much. Walking away, I am still glad we got to meet Bill. His story is his own, we all have made poor choices at times, and regardless of his path and mistakes, he is still holding on to a dream. If he does write that autobiography he spoke of, I will buy it in hopes that its a new chapter where he can build a new future, recognizing his past and learning from it.
B: I got so caught up afterwards trying to figure out this story. Is it real? Is it made up? Are we getting conned? We weren’t the only ones who had met Bill and have heard his stories (read the comments). Like V said, I was on fire, googling him and finding this and that. The stories were true of course omitting the federal charges, and lavish spending, and other business not to do’s that LOTS of folks did in the 1980’s. It felt like V and I was in his movie.
Then I realized I forgot about living and enjoying the moment. You know those stolen moments we had with this man. I’ve had many opportunities meeting people in passing. Strangers with amazing stories. Some believable, some not. It didn’t really matter. V and I got to share time with a nice man who wanted to share stories with us. Did he hurt us? No. He simply shared his story.
It made me think how often than not, we forget to sit down and listen (or read). The world we live in moves so fast. What’s news one day, is history the next. What’s trendy one day, is out of style the next. It moves fast. We forget sometimes how these little interactions can teach us a lesson or even better, help us remember the lessons we’ve learned. Now I’m not saying go find your “Bill.” What I am saying though, is remind yourself that every moment should be cherished. Every story you are told will have meaning even if not at that precise moment. Strangers, friends, family members…whomever will enter or leave your life for a reason. This time with V and Bill reminded me of that.
The title of this article is “The Unraveling of a Billionaire.” It’s an actual title from another article on our friend Bill. But the title sounds like the story is finished which like V, I think and hope that it isn’t.
Bill already titled his autobiography which I find is most fitting to end this article: “Not Ready To Land.”
He’s not done yet. He’s not ready to come down to earth. He wants to fly and continue to chase his dreams.
Bill, hats off to you friend.
Be well.
“It’s such a shame to land with so much fuel left in my tanks”
“Life is a miracle, and the right to live is a gift. It is wrapped in a ribbon, woven with dreams, and whether you are very young or very old, life is filled with wonder and surprises.”
“I believe success is the culmination of winning, losing false starts, confusion, and the DETERMINATION to keep going anyway.”
– J. William Oldenburg
*Hint: Fast Forward to 20:00 min to see Bill and hear his keynote*
Emily Chen: Mobile Street Photographer & EyeEm Ambassador by BP
Tell us about youself:
My name is Emily Chen. I am a specialist in wealth management technology, currently I am managing a mobile app project for financial advisers. I am passionate about beautiful software, and I am also passionate about documenting the streets of Sydney.
My phone is always on stand by, I often joke about the best way to find me, is through my photo stream, I take photos of everything but what generally fills my camera roll are candid street photography. I shoot and edit with my iPhone 4S, more recently I’ve purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and have started to explore the photo apps in Google Play.
Where are you from:
I am originally from Taichung Taiwan.
During my Year 6 summer break, instead of sending me to the Scout camp down the road, my folks put me on a flight to a small coastal town in Queensland. I lived with an Australian family, played cricket and attended English classes. A summer holiday turned into something much more. I’ve been living in Australia ever since & currently I am in the beautiful city of Sydney.
How does your answer above influence your work:
Taiwan is a fair distance away from Australia, so I don’t get to see my family much! I use mobile photography as a way to stay connected with them – I shoot things I see, places I’ve been, and I share the photos real time.
Inspirations:
What really inspires me are the work of fellow mobile street photographers.
One photographer in particularly I would like to mention is Olly Lang, fellow Sydney street photographer. I first came across Olly’s work back in mid 2011, he was walking the streets that I walked everyday, yet he saw them so differently. Everyone of his posts had me in awe. How did he do that? I find myself asking.
Late 2011 I met Olly in person at one of the photo walk meet ups and he was so open to share his techniques & experiences as a street photographer. He encouraged me to chase that beautiful Australian light, and to continue to develop my own styles.
When did you start shooting:
I’ve always been interested in photography but it was when I got my iPhone 3GS in 2011 that’s when I started to shoot street photography.
I commute during the week to the Sydney CBD. I started taking photos of commuters during my train journey, the way light would fall onto their faces, the way they are immersed in reading the news or applying makeup, or simply fallen asleep.
And then I find myself getting off the train one or two stops before my destination so I can walk to the office by foot. And popping out of the office at ‘golden hour’ so I can squeeze in some shooting. I started to document the streets and getting to know the sunlight. I find myself shooting the same spots, over and over again & not get tired of it because the light was always different and the people, people are just so interesting.
What brought you into the world of street photography? What words of wisdom can you share with others who are wanting to learn more and get involved in shooting street? iPhone 4S and the wonderful streetphotographer community on Instagram were the key catalysts that brought me into street photography. To me, the user community is what differentiate mobile photography to the other forms. The way we interact with each other, provide constructive feedback and the sharing process, are what makes mobile photography special. And the realisation when I upgraded to iPhone 4S (from iPhone 3GS) that I have a real, substantial camera in my hand, all the time, made me try all forms of photography. Street photography really clicked and in the last 12 months, it’s been a consistent body of street photo work that I’ve pursued.
My two cents worth for the photographers interested to shoot street:
Shoot and shoot more! You can’t improve by simply imagining your shots. Yes, picture your compo in your head, walk the streets, keep shooting, shoot lots! Try different angles, try to shoot single figure, try to shoot urbanscape. Find your feet and find your style.Always have your mobile phone on standby. Always be ready.
Be selective with what you post. Post images that represent you, post regularly and interact with the community to seek feedback. But never spam.
Tell us a bit more about the light and its importance to mobile and street photography. Walk us through what you do to prepare to go and shoot street. Tell us more about the beautiful light of Sydney.
For me, light is the most important element in street photography. Most models of mobile phones are not great in low light situation, which makes the natural sunlight even more important to mobile street photographers.
Light in Sydney is full of characters, light is golden and warm in the morning and afternoon; strong and harsh at midday but that’s where reflections from the tall buildings & windows are most interesting.
I am a light chaser. I walk a lot, I study the light and remember how and where they fall & reflect.
My workflow is fairly simple really. Pre-set my exposure, phone is on standby and I walk and look for interesting figures and light spots. I keep walking. I don’t stop to check my shots, I complete my walk, continue with my day to day activities. And I review the shots later in the day, preferably through my iPad.
As a woman street photographer, have you found any barriers in getting your work noticed? respected? Recently there was discussion of how many women street photographers are out in the world but bigger names have mostly been by men. Can you talk about your thoughts on this?
Honestly, I don’t think there is a relevance in male or female photographer numbers on the street. I dont think gender matters. Perhaps the style of male and female photographers differ? I certainly wouldn’t shoot alone 2am in the morning, but that’s a personal choice. I don’t see or feel the barriers. The body of work is the most important thing here. Shoot, and shoot well, shoot with style are what matters.
As lame as it sounds, you know, it’s hard to tell whether one is a male or female tog through the mobile photography platforms with those little avatar photos and usernames!
I am just going to leave it at that!
Street photography requires having the eye, chasing the light, and being patient. With these photos in particular can you describe for us these 3 factors?
Commuters, Martin Place Station
Martin Place Station
This is a recent shot, taken at about 6pm in the early autumn light.
I am learning about layers and have become quite fascinated with depth and distance.
Here I was about to walk down the set of stairs, I can see my silhouette down the bottom of the stairs as I always do around this time of the day, and I saw the man hesitated about which direction he was going to turn. And when he did, I was ready to shoot.
Light is so important, as it will define and shape your image.
Being ready, and on a look out, compose the image in your mind to make a shot interesting.
Patience, ah, yes, patience in waiting for the right moment. And don’t beat yourself up when you miss the shot, there is always tomorrow.
Prayers, Martin Place Stage
Martin Place Stage- chasing the light.
This was also an afternoon shot. This lady was soaking up the sun, I got brave and walked up to get this shot. She had her eyes closed the whole time. I got lucky 🙂
Lanterns, Angel Place
Angel Place – patience & composition
Midday. The harsh midday sun created such a intriguing shadow around this little laneway.
I waited, not long, for the right composition. Lunch, was well deserved after this.
Pirate, George Street
George Street – light, and lots of luck!
Midday. One of the few shots from a photo walk. This one I recall quite vividly, I was with Olly Lang. We were lurking around this spot, sharing notes on how the light reflects off adjacent buildings. Discussing interesting subjects in Sydney. And this man slowly walked up the street. It was a quick capture but a fun one.
Commuters, Wynyard Station
Wynyard Station – light
This is an earlier work. I was learning about light, but to this date, one of my favourite shots.
I saw the light pouring into the train station. I stood and waited. I was there quite sometime, just observing how light fell on people’s faces as they exit the station. This was a moment worth waiting for.
I shoot mostly during my commute, I love morning and afternoon sunlight with elongated shadows and the way light falls on my subject’s faces. Some of my work are currently been shown in the Daily Commutes project at the Format Festival.
What apps do you use? What do you shoot with? What do you postprocess in?
I shoot mostly with an iPhone 4S.
My go to shooting app is ProCamera for colour street; and lately, the Thirty Six app for b&w street.
Majority of my colour street work are unedited, I want to show the image the way I saw it through my iPhone.
If and when I need to touch them up, I use Snapseed and VSCOcam apps. And more recently, Misho’s Perspective Correct to fix any crooked buildings. I highly recommend all the above apps, they are all great for mobile photography in general.
I have just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, will be exploring the Android apps for shooting and editing.
In closing, any last thoughts regarding mobile photography in general. Street photography in specific. and then plans for where you are going with your work.
Mobile photography is no longer a questionable form of photography. It is a legit form of photography. It is less conspicuous because of the camera size, which brings a new dimension to street photography in particular. The movement of street and documentary style of photography is being influenced by mobile, it is bringing new chllanges, and in a good way.
I plan to keep shooting. There is more to learn and there are always, always more to shoot. My style is street candid, I love and will keep improving on that. Maybe other forms of street, perhaps portraiture, when I am brave enough to talk to strangers, a bit of work to do.
And as an EyeEm ambassador, I would like to continue to help and reach out to the community here in Sydney and more, interact with other togs and people interested in photography, and do my part in pushing mobile photography further.
To kick of the Abandonment Issues Series let me introduce you to North Dakota native Devin Graf @durty2shoes.His eye for rural abandons caught my eye quickly and pretty soon I realized I had been wandering through these homes of his for over an hour. His attention to detail and mood make these abandoned homes almost cozy, his tones denote a measure of comfort as he shoots these crumbling, dilapidated beauties.
Soundtrack She’s Mean by Fargon.e. Thrift Shop by Macklemore Never Cry Wolf by DarkTimeSunshine I Don’t Need Love by Evidence
A:Tell me a bit about yourself sir.
D: My name is Devin Graf. I was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. I’m 23 years old and currently work in the hospitality industry. I’ve been shooting mobile with the iPhone 4s since January 2012 and started shooting abandonment later that spring.
A:Tell me how you started shooting abandoned places.
D: My interest for abandonment all started when my good friend Nick aka @harvymoonmentioned to me about an abandoned high school located about 20 miles from my home town. I’ve heard about people going there before so it instantly caught my interest. There was just something about that place that made me want to see more of these old decaying places and how they have aged over years of no upkeep. We live in a city that’s not too far from endless miles of farm land. So exploring all this rural area for abandoned homes seemed like a great idea. It’s really unbelievable how many places we have found and keep continuing to find in just one area.
A: What i hear most when people find out I shoot abandoned places they ask about trespassing. Whats your take on it?
D: I guess my justification for trespassing would have to be that I have never broken in anywhere to take photos. If a place is locked up or is made obvious that whoever owns this property absolutely doesn’t want anyone there I will simply turn around and walk away. I wouldn’t want any trouble from something as harmless as just looking around and taking photos. I look at it as art and I stress that to everyone that asks me what my thoughts are when it comes to trespassing at these old abandoned homes.
A:To date what has been your favorite discovery?
D: I really had to think hard about this one. Old homes are definitely my favorite type of discoveries, but there has been so many amazing and unique homes I’ve explored that it’s hard to decide on just one. But besides that I guess I would have to say an abandoned church in eastern ND. It’s the only one that I have ever got the chance to explore. It was just really awesome to see the sun beaming though the stained glass windows and to look around at everything was left behind.
A:Is there a site somewhere else you would like to visit one day?
D: Some day I’d love to make it way up north towards the border to a place called San Haven. It was a former tuberculosis sanatorium that later on became a home for the mentally disabled. This site has been abandoned since 1989 and was so huge that they gave the area its own zip code. I’ve seen a few photos of this place and it just looks absolutely insane because of the amount of buildings and underground tunnels there are at this location.
A:If you could give one tip for people who want to start exploring what would it be?
D: One tip I would give to people who want to start exploring is safety. Many things go along with this such as, never explore alone, don’t explore places if you have the slightest concern about any trouble that may occur from being at such a place, and if you do this on a regular basis make sure you have the proper respirators so you don’t get any long-term effects from any harmful materials that have been left behind.
A:How has having a camera that doubles as a phone every once in a while changed the way you shoot or view your surroundings?
D: It’s really awesome actually. I was never involved with taking photos or owned a camera until I got my iPhone. So to me it’s just much more convenient to have something small in my pocket rather than a bulky camera that I may not even have with me if I see something that catches my eye. Plus now days they have all kinds of lenses and tripods I can use with my iPhone which in my opinion gives me endless possibilities for capturing many different types of scenes.
A:Who are a couple of photographers you draw inspiration from?
D: It’s hard to pinpoint just a couple of photographers that inspire me because there’s just so many talented people out there. I would have to say that my two good friends @harvymoon and @yelenaa__ are a huge inspiration to me because a main topic of conversation always seems to be photography and editing photos. A couple more well-known guys out there would definitely be @mrevidence and @tonydetroit. I’ve seen their work since my start on instagram and it’s always been so unique and on point.
Thank you Devin for allowing us to walk with you through these homes and for being our first artist in the series.
Many photographers are drawn to photographing abandoned or dilapidated sites across the globe. These locations hold mystery, history and a hint of danger, which for many explorers, is a heady mix. Locations such as abandoned hospitals, houses and amusement parks are hot commodities but there are groups solely dedicated to exploring storm drains also. Serious explorers will tell you they go to these locations just to see them, to experience them.
It is a common mantra to only leave footprints and to take only photographs. True explorers value and love the places they experience and want to protect them for the explorers that come after them. I’m sure as a reader, you’re thinking something along the lines of “honor among thieves” aren’t you? I mean, we are already trespassing right? Unless you have a love for these types of locations I am sure any justification on my part will fall short. But, if you understand what it feels like to stand in a forgotten home that is strewn with belongings or a cavernous space that once housed hundreds of people you will know the story is worth the risk. Trespassing normally goes hand in hand with exploration as do respirators for bad conditions. Both of these things, and a host of others, are worth the risk for the experience for most explorers.
Types of exploration are limited only by the amount of sites people can find to explore . The first and most widely known is Urban Exploration, or urbex, and includes locations found in urban environments. Urbex can also include locations that are still in use but here we are only speaking to uninhabited sites. Think abandoned theme parks, hospitals or factories and you have a pretty good idea of urbex. What was once a largely anonymous genre has begun to have more of a recognizable face as mobile sharing apps gain popularity. On Instagram tags like #filthyfeeds or #beautyindecay have thousands of photos dedicated solely to exploration.
The another subset of UE which is gaining more popularity is rural exploration and is mostly made up of abandoned houses and barns. I fall among these explorers. The wonder of walking through rooms with peeling paint, forgotten shoes, and books flipped open to random pages sets my imagination wild. Sometimes, standing in these houses I can hear the bustle of a mother cooking dinner or children playing upstairs. The phrase “if these walls could talk” always runs through my mind.
An antique mall was my first and most favorite exploration I’ve ever done. I’ve gone back and visited multiple times. The first time I visited I was fixated on the lone chair with no legs. I thought and thought about that chair. About all the items that were left behind. Something in me clicked. These items were a metaphor for my life then and now.Their purpose had changed, they were no longer utilitarian items. They were left behind, forgotten, derelict. Everything that they were meant to be had been cast aside when the doors closed. At the time, every door that had been open to me had been shut tightly. The roles I had been so practiced at had to be cast aside. My purpose had been derailed. When I walked into the upstairs of this place the chair called to me. I sat beside it and just looked at it for a long time. It wasn’t until the third time I visited that I finally understood what thought was holding me captive. The chair was still a chair. Even with no legs to stand on. It still had purpose even if that purpose had changed. I was still me. Even if I had no legs to stand on. Even if what I was meant to do was no longer an option. I had a story, a history. I’m drawn back to these places that mirror my heart so completely.
As far as camera gear goes, I like to have a wide angle lens to capture as much as possible. Mobile photography is perfect for exploration in that all you have to carry camera wise is your smart phone. That saves valuable room in your backpack for other items that may be needed for your excursion.
Before you make the trip, do some research on your location. A simple google search will usually bring up blogs and photo accounts of the location. Take your time reading through them. Many times there will be hints on when to go and how to get into the structure with the most ease. If you want to find more information on the location you’re interested in do a record search at your court house. This comes in especially handy for houses out in the country. It’s good to know wether or not a farmer will be showing up carrying a gun. Also, be prepared that you may be sharing the space with squatters or other explorers once you are inside. It’s always wise to have a buddy along with you to explore just in case you get into trouble. At the very least, let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back. Apps like Device Tracker Pro can be a solution to roaming alone. This app,once installed on two separate phones, can track either phone using a mix of GPS, cell tower triangulation and WIFI. If one party goes missing it only takes a couple steps to login and start locating the phone. Although, I would firmly suggest having a friend with you.
Exploration in and of itself is an adventure in your backyard. It’s an experience like no other and can open your imagination to untold stories. Going into these places is paying homage to those that came before us. Those that lived and worked where we are standing. Those stories alone are worth the research, hazard, and time spent before you even get there. It’s about respect, even if we are going in through the back door.
Think you might like to explore? Here is a checklist of things that might come in handy. It is always a good idea to be overly prepared. You never know what could happen and how long you might be on location.
•respirator or dust mask •headlamp •multipurpose tool •boots preferably with heavy soles •waterproof camera case •long sleeves and hat especially if you are rural. Ticks aren’t your friend. •water •bug spray •coat depending on the time of year.
Are you ready now?
You’re thinking of a building you drive past every day, aren’t you?
Join us every month for a different look at derelict photography in the Abandonment Issues Series. Today we are headed to North Dakota to explore with Devin, @durty2shoes so grab your boots! We have some exploring to do
One Screen School House takes a field trip: New York Facades With Steve Yegelwel by Anna Cox
I love New York City with its soaring sky scrapers, crowded sidewalks, and noisy streets. We used to travel there once or twice a year, but then we all grew up and started families and suddenly vacations aren’t as easy to plan. I happened upon Steve a little over a year ago and fell in love with his photos. He catches the colorful personality of the facades of NYC fantastically. Many times you feel you are gazing out the window in a fourth floor walkup with him. Steve is a master at catching the shadows and color that makes New York what it is. Many times, I feel like I can almost hear the taxis honking and the woosh of the crowd passing me by as I gaze.
A: Tell us a little about you away from social media.
S: I work in the music industry, and live in New York City.
I know it’s quite fashionable to say something like, “I’ve stopped watching television and now devote most of my free time to artistic pursuits and self discovery.” But that’s not the case for me. I love watching television and my taste is all over the map. Everything from Homeland and Breaking Bad, to car auction shows on Velocity.
I also love films: John Ford, Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Eric Rohmer, Luis Bunuel, John Huston…
A: I can tell you I woud be hard pressed to give up T.V. Beside books it is my favorite form of escapism. Tell me about NYC. To me it seems almost overwhelming with inspiration. S: Yes, NYC is definitely a constant source of inspiration. So much architecture, so much energy. I really love it here!
A: When did you first start shooting?
S: I first started shooting a little bit in high school, and even majored in visual media in college. Oddly enough, I’ve never actually owned a D/SLR camera. (In college, I had to borrow my roommate’s SLR. Thanks Jim!)
It wasn’t until I got my iPhone 4, and joined Instagram last year, that I started to shoot again and became interested in architectural mobile photography. (Taking pictures of buildings with my cell phone).
A: I love it that so many people answer that they didnt really start shooting until they got a phone. What are some of your inspirations? S: Honestly, inspiration is a tough one. It’s hard to explain, but I’m most inspired when I see something differently than how I’m used to seeing it, and it causes my heart to beat a little faster. (That probably makes no sense. Sorry.)
Also, the amazingly talented and supportive community on Instagram inspire me all the time.
Thank you Steve for taking time out of your day to chat with me. And thank you for allowing us to see through your lens! It is definitely a beautiful view.
———————
Here are some quick tips for the next time you go out:
~ Take advantage of your environment. Focus in on the details the best show the building and its environment. Give your viewer a clue to what the energy is around a place. Times Square wouldn’t be Times Square without the tourists, taxis, and mobs of people.
~ Choose your angle carefully. This may mean changing your vantage point. Watch for distortion as you shoot tall buildings.
~ Experiment with different times of day. Early and late light will pull details and textures from facades whereas full sun can wash out the details. Watch for harsh shadows that can hide the small details.
~ Try shooting in different types of weather. A deep blue sky can be a perfect backdrop for a tall skyscraper when it accentuates the size but for a smaller building the vast blue can deaden your space.
~ Look for small details to photograph. Wether that means archways or wrought iron window frames they all give a taste of the larger design elements.
~ Try shooting in a series. Wide open shots coupled with the finer details can create a dynamic grouping.
~ Each structure has it’s own personality. Identify that and use it to your advantage.
To kick of the Abandonment Issues Series let me introduce you to North Dakota native Devin Graf 
