Played a bit with my iphone camera today while out and about today.
Shot with the iPhone 3gs, can you guess where?
Just a fun stock image I took of the Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington. Available to license for a stock image.
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Saw a great show with my good friends Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen and Mike DeRosier. Standing room only for a packed show with 2 hours with Roger and his band and then a great set with Heart by Heart.
Here are just a few of my favorites from that show.
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I went back and reworked an image I had shot of Randy Hansen earlier this year. Combining multiple textures and layers in Photoshop as well as a bit of help with a modified setting I use in Topaz Adjust 4 on the first image. I then combined this with the Alien Skin Snap Art 2 Oil Paint setting in the second image.
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My girlfriend’s daughter being ghoulish for Halloween. Edited with many textures and lots of burning and dodging to achieve the effect. See original here.
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Inspired by my shoot with The Prophets of Addiction, I figured going as a Rocker was a good bet for Halloween this year. I think maybe I’ll dress like this for my shoots and during live shows. Us photographers need to develop our personalities too
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Did some promo shots of the Prophets of Addiction earlier this summer and forgot to post them. These were used in support of their European tour.
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My daughter Amanda and I spent some time in Italy together and enjoyed a summer afternoon just people watching in St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), famous for pigeon feeding, then anyway. There is now a ban on feeding them which is sad for the vendors who would sell pigeon feed for a Euro, but probably much nicer for those enjoying the restaurants within the square.
We probably sat here for over an hour and enjoyed the activity in the square.
These were all post processed with Florabella Luxe and Luxe II actions and shot with a Nikon 180mm lens.
Amanda Feeding pigeons in Piazza San Marco
Another of Amanda feeding pigeons in St. Marks Square in Venice
Little girl riding her trike
This has always been one of may favorite shots of this girl on her trike in Venice. I like how the image came together with the pigeons in the background, the girls coming into frame on the left and the posturing of the Grandmother.
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I have a company called Shutter Tours that is entering it’s third year here in Seattle. We are a photography based tour company that tours out of the Pike Place Market to teach travelers how to become better travel photographers. During our downtime this year I have been working on a new book to help people find the best photo locations in Seattle.
Each page contains the following information
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Directions on how to get there
- Tips on how to shoot that particular location
- A link to Google Maps so you don’t get lost
- A link to Flickr photos that others have taken at the same location or close by
- Ideas of the best time of day or where to stand.
- Web resources to help you with your shooting and many more tips and ideas.
We are now offering our book, Seattle’s Top Photo Places to help you with your trip to Seattle. This is in .pdf format and works great with not only your personal computer, but you can take it along with you with your iPhone and other devices. We have designed this book with ease of use in mind. Each location can be printed off so you can plan your day with concise information all in one page.
You can download a free sample of the book
The order link will take you to Paypal (Paypal account will be divyak@mac.com), once you make your purchase you will be directed to a link to download the book.
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Inspired by Eric Kim, who has a wonderful blog on street photography, I thought I would go through some of my old street images that I hadn’t looked at in quite awhile. Regularly I would walk around Seattle taking photos, talking to the homeless and trying to capture a bit of the city life. This was always something I really enjoyed and having shot thousands of images throughout the streets, it was something I always looked forward to.
These are a small sampling, I’ll have to dig the others out and share.
Shot though a window at what is now the Starbucks at First and Pike in Seattle. I see this man virtually everyday as I walk through the city. He used to have a large shopping cart (see lower left of image) and stand in a phone booth all day long. Recently the phone booths were removed and his cart has disappeared. This image to me represents his life standing still as the rest of the world goes on with their daily lives. He is but a mere reflection in the city.
I had only spoken to "Jimmy" on a couple of occasions. He was clearly someone who needed to be institutionalized, but was left on the streets to deal with his thoughts of UFO's and aliens. I tried to make small talk with him, but he was really focused on what he felt was other worlds beyond ours. Maybe he knows more than we do.
The hands of Jimmy. I have not seen him in a number of years and I hope he found the care he needed.
Barry is one of the first people I started photographing who lives on the streets. For three years I passed him by, he always had a cart full of things from Ski poles to lots of cardboard. Eventually I felt comfortable enough to stop and have a conversation and we hit it off almost immediately. Barry has a wonderful sense of humor and is very well read. We would discuss politics, to entertainers to any other subject that might come up. I still see Barry every once in awhile, he is 50 lbs. thinner and has a long beard and hardly recognizable as he is in this photo. I had a self published book a number of years ago, "Seattle City Life" and interviewed Barry for it. At the end of this post, is the text from that interview.
Popeye was a funny man, I always looked at him as the "Chairman of the Board" of the younger kids on the street. He was witty and I think he liked the camera. When I asked him why he was on the street, his response was "Well you rob a few banks" then he would break out laughing. Whether he did or not, I never learned the truth. last I heard, he did a petty theft to go to jail so he could get proper medical care. I really miss seeing Popeye.
I never learned his name, but he was usually sitting at 5th and Pine and was friendly like most living on the streets are. Unsure where he is now, but he always made me smile when we spoke.
I really debated whether I should even share this series, but it tells a story and sometimes the story is not pretty. He was pushing a cart of cans and was not happy with me shooting. I still see him about Seattle and he looks good and at times I want to share this image with him, but do not have the confidence to do so.
An Interview with Barry
“If your life has gone to shit,
remember, you are the asshole
who made the shit” – Barry
A makeshift Christmas tree stands as a lone sentry beyond the entrance to the ferry, while the steady streams of commuter’s embark on their familiar journey. The temporary travelers all jockey for their respective seats, coffee and papers are juggled with briefcases and strollers in hand. They emerge from all over the Kitsap Peninsula with Bainbridge Island being a popular choice for commuters to live. With a “bedroom community” atmosphere, the island hosts many professionals of the middle to upper class status. Porsche’s and Range Rovers are as common as the stuffiness within this island neighborhood of water view bungalows.
Across the water, the day is beginning for Barry, a 38-year homeless man, who has called the streets his home since he was 18. The freeway screams overhead, the tires creating a thump; as tires hit the freeway joints. Slowly he clears the cobwebs from his head as first light comes. He knows all to well the police may arrive any time to move him along. With a slow methodical motion he lays his bedroll on the cold asphalt. Both hands to the side, he cups them toward the middle, rolling the bedding with the experience that twenty years on the street can teach. His bended knee makes sure the roll will be tight; helping conserve the limited space in his overstuffed shopping cart. Movement is hard with the many layers of clothes required to make it through the chill of the night. This day he has a T-Shirt underneath 4 layers of clothes. Clothing can be traded at homeless shelters or treasures discovered in dumpsters located in the canyons of the city. His boots are taped with silver “Duck Tape” while his khaki pants and jacket are coated in dirt. A fresh pair of underwear will have to wait for another day as the familiar itch of an unwashed body, reminds him of his circumstance.
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Continued from “Street Photography”
When asked if he still maintains contact
“Oh I used to quite a bit, but I don’t any more. They are across country and live in Jacksonville.
“Not even a Phone call?”
“Ain’t got the money to make a phone call every week or so. You know I do what I can, once in awhile I’ll do that, but I won’t call them collect anymore, cuz I don’t want to put that burden on them anymore. They’re old and my Dad is on a pension.”
“How old is your dad,” I inquired?
“Oh in his 70’s, I don’t think it polite to really ask him. “ he said with a slight chuckle. I could hear the level of respect he still maintained for his father, even after leaving home over twenty years ago.
On the subject of Marriage, Barry was proud to say that “Thank God” he had never been married. When I asked why, he responded that he “heard his Mom and Dad fight a lot. They love each other you know and it’s like the Irish and English, whatever my Mom is, you know, you get two Brits in a fights it’s kind of like putting ammonia and bleach in a pot together. “
Every once in awhile, Barry would go off on a little tangent and I would have to direct his and my own focus to the questions at hand. He would talk of some guys robbing a bank and how stupid they were. Little flickers of grandiose stories would seep through his conversations.
I was curious about his daily routine, “So what’s your routine like during the day? I see you in the morning”
“Oh it’s very busy Terry, it’s just like you know, you get up, roll your stuff up, put the pan out, sit down, it’s after six, can I sleep? Is a cop here?” he chuckled.
I started getting the sense that it was not too much effort to get going in the morning. As we talked, a few “regulars” walked by as they gave their pleasantries. A young woman handed him a candy cane and wished him a Merry Christmas. Somehow I felt I was intruding in his life and keeping him from making money, but my curiosity kept me focused. I was also struck by the generosity of those who passed. Whether it was a hello or some change dropped into his pan. I also hoped it wasn’t showmanship because I had a notepad and tape recorder visible.
Asking where he sleeps, “In the tunnel or once in awhile like someplace. I don’t really tell too many people where I sleep, you know a lot of people just innocently, casually mention it, then you have a whole bunch of people coming out. I don’t like having a whole lot of people knowing and then bringing a cop up there. They do a lot of stupid stuff drinking and doing drugs.” I pictured in my minds eye that it would be difficult for Barry to hide where he was going, his 100+ lb shopping cart would attract attention like a parade in July.
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May 14, 2011 - 8:16 am
Fantastic story Terry.
I, like so many others have often walked by the homeless wondering about their lives but not willing to spend the time to find out. Barry shows us that they are real people with real feelings. I certainly hope he is getting the care required at this stage in his life.
Decided today was a good day to go find my homeless friend Barry who I have not seen for awhile. Though I never found him in his usual location, I ran across some other people who were kind enough to let me take their photos today.
If you are on the waterfront in Seattle, make sure you stop by the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project.
I had the opportunity to talk to some street musicians who play in front of the Starbucks on 1st and Pike. Really nice people and they were thankful for me asking permission to take their photos before I did. Seems some photographers will get right in their face with a camera , take a quick snap and then move on. A better option is to ask permission, observe them for awhile and then start taking photos when they feel relaxed with you being there.
Rick Williams - Brother of John T. Williams
Wood Carver at John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project
Wood Carver at John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project
Street musician on 1st and Pike in Seattle
Street Musician Takes a Break in Seattle
Street Musician playing the Banjo in Seattle
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July 10, 2011 - 7:44 pm
what 50mm 1.8 is this ? the 1.8D 1.8 afs G ? or the old e series?
I have seen these guys probably seven or eight times, starting in the eighties and they never dissapoint. But I have to say this show was probably the best show I have seen for Joe Elliott. He was in shape and his voice was fantastic. These guys don’t miss a note and always put on a great show with all the classics and even a few less popular songs. All images shot with a Canon G12 10 MP Camera in manual mode.
See my NAMM 2011 post of another image of Phil Collen
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Here is my tear sheet from the November 2011 issue of Seattle Magazine. Shot this of Rick Williams this past summer.
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