Tag Archives: Photography
T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2
Posted in Photography
Also tagged Android, cell phone, Samsung Galaxy S2, T-Mobile, zander white
Leave a comment
Fall Harvest
Break out the sweaters, it’s that time of year again. Summer’s in the rear-view and winter’s around the bend. But before the changing of the seasonal guard comes nature’s milder side. Like Spring, Fall is a transitional season of fleeting beauty. Like most of New England, the trees are preparing for a long, cold winter. As suddenly as the leaves assume their rusty palettes they fall in a swan song of color until Spring.
With Fall comes harvest. A years worth of energy stored in one crop. Open the larders and stuff the stores, it’s time to stock up for winter. Harvest brings a plethora of of fine produce to the farmer’s markets and groceries around the northeast. There is no better place to experience this than Beth’s Farm Market in Warren, ME.
Posted in organic, Photography
Also tagged autumn, beth's farm market, fall, maine, new enlgand, season
1 Comment
Boston’s Newest Photographer
It’s been a long, eventful summer. After the Celtics laid an egg in Game 7, I hopped in my ’94 Nissan pickup and headed north. 1800 miles later and after a brief pit stop on Martha’s Vineyard, I pulled into the dirt driveway of our family’s house on Cross Point Rd. The next 5 weeks would be spent living on my pop’s 27 foot sailboat, working on our property for some cash, and a whole lotta nothin much…
During six months of Federal Unemployment, I realized one thing. Being broke sucks. So I did what any red-blooded 25-year-old would do, got drunk… No seriously, I started thinking of greener grass, the other side, and all that nonsense. I began to think about moving back East, and soon had decided that Boston was the answer. So I popped open the Mactop and got to looking for work in BOS. In a stroke of luck I hit on a listing that seemed perfect, inquired, and had an interview within 24 hours.
After the interview (and another pit stop to the Vineyard) my girl and I packed up the truck and headed back to NOLA. A few days later, all I could do was think about moving. Mentally I was already living in Boston.
A week later the phone rang. I got the job! I could hardly believe the words as I told pop and my boys. In two weeks I would be living in Boston working a steady job. I didn’t waste any time. Three days later the truck was packed (for the 3rd time this summer), the tank was full, and I was gone…
Once in New England I stopped to see the folks, but within the week I moved into a sublet in Jamaica Plain. I took a few days to learn my route on the Orange line and find the nearest liquor store (“packy” up here). After getting settled (and another trip to the island), I started work at Simply Interactive Inc on Newbury St.
I’ve been here a month now, and I’m loving every minute of it. I miss my southern city and all my friends, but its only bye for now… The girlie is movin up in 2 months!
n.b.
Whatch out yall, Boston’s got a new photographer!
Posted in Everyday-ness, Photography, travel, Triptych
Also tagged boston freelance photographer, moving to boston, road trip, sailing, simply interactive, traveling
3 Comments
Of Montreal Live @ Howlin Wolf in New Orleans
Posted in Music, Photography
Also tagged Concert, Howlin Wolf, Live Music, Music, New Orleans, new orleans photographer, Of Montreal
1 Comment
City Park New Orleans
Now that summer is finally upon us it’s time to get outside. There are two major parks in New Orleans: Audubon and City Park. For comparison’s sake, City Park is much better. Audubon is a beautiful park in uptown New Orleans with many attractions including a golf course, zoo, track, and riverfront chill spot but offers no way to “get away form it all”. Since Katrina, City Park has lost its golf course, which is now an excellent off-road bike heaven. But without a zoo, golf course, or Mississippi River view City Park offers enough space (second only to Central Park, NY) to lose yourself for hours. And for all you dog lovers, City Park has a brand new dog park!
Somewhere inside of me there is a little country kid from the coast of Maine. Only in City Park can I feel like I’m not in the city for a while. Amidst its many bike/walking trails, winding bayous, and lush gardens are a million spots where you can hang without running into anyone. For those looking for “things” to do, City Park offers Storyland for the kids, Botanical Gardens, and the New Orleans Museum of Art as well as Pan American Stadium, Tad Gormley Stadium, and a running track. If there is one spot that makes City Park special it’s the Peristyle. Like something out of ancient Greece, this temple-like building is a great place to take a few photographs, feed the ducks, or just watch the clouds go by.
Posted in Photography
Also tagged Audubon Park, Botanical Gardens, city park, dog park, New Orleans, Stadium
5 Comments
CoreNet Global Summit 2010
Working for Workplace TV at the CoreNet Global Summit, New Orleans 2010. The two-day conference held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center focused on “workplace strategies”. During the sessions we filmed a series of interviews, discussions, and other activities. The conference was sponsered by Microsoft, so we also got a chance to play with a Microsoft Surface, which is basically an iPad coffee table.
Posted in Photography
Also tagged CoreNet Global Summit 2010, documentary, Microsoft Surface, New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Workplace TV
2 Comments
iPhone Photography and iPhone 4G Wishlist
When I first got my iPhone 3GS I was utterly disappointed with the camera. Being a photographer, my expectations were not exactly high, but I did expect on having a usable camera in well-lit situations. On first inspection I immediately wrote the “3 megapixel auto-focus camera” off as nothing more than a gimmick. For months I seldom used the camera for more than MMS, which was cool for pranks and what not but nothing worthy of Flickr.
Recently I have been pushing the iPhone further trying to squeeze some quality out of its nanosensor. It actually is quite good if the right tools/technique are used. The trick to the iPhone is holding it steady. Darkroom (free) is a great app that uses the accelerometer to shutter release when the phone is steady. Also know that the iPhone’s shutter fires when you lift off the button not when you press it.
The App Store as many free or cheap apps to post-process your iPhoneography. My favorite is Photogene, which really is the closest thing to Photoshop for the iPhone (sorry Photoshop.com Mobile). Photogene ($1.99) is the one stop shop for exposure levels, RGB levels, crop/straighten, and sharpening. Sharpening is probably the most important aspect to processing iPhone photos. The photos are always soft.
Is the iPhone a toy? Yes and no, it does toy-like things and smart-phone things, but the camera really is a toy. Toy cameras have always been the smallest, cheapest, most quirky cameras around and they produce fantastic one of a kind results. The iPhone is similar to a Holga or Lomo in that you never really know what your going to get. For more creative aspects of iPhoneography check out CameraBag ($1.99), which offers many toy camera filters, Polaroid borders, and other one-touch effects.
The all-in-one app is Best Camera, whose slogan says it all, “The Best Camera is the one thats with you”. The guys at Best Camera hit the nail on the head, the iPhone is excellent for being unnoticed. Paul Strand used to use trick lenses so his subjects didn’t know he was photographing them. Regardless of whether or not this type of photography is exploitative or dishonest the iPhone is perfect for this. Street photography is about timing, confidence, and speed/preparation. The “problem” with street photography is that once your subject sees a camera pointed at them the scene is often lost. The iPhone allows you to snap photos of people unknowingly anywhere. People are so accustomed to seeing iPhones they don’t think twice about it. Best Camera ($2.99) offers exposure filters, creative effects, and crop/border tools.
That said, the iPhone 4G camera should have some obvious additions. I would like to see a quicker controllable shutter, 5 megapixels would be nice, ISO control, and if possible a larger sensor (yeah right). There are other more gimmicky things I don’t really care for. Likely additions are a flash (a sensor that small will always be useless in low-light), auto-focus tracking, or even a front facing camera for video chat, digital zoom (a one way ticket to horrible photos). Who knows? I am looking forward to see what Apple comes up with.
Posted in Photography
Also tagged App Store, auto-focus, digital zoom, flash, freelance, iPhone, iPhone 4G, iPhone apps, iPhoneography, New Orleans, shutter speed, street photography, zander white
3 Comments
Freelance Photographer on the Road to Homelessness
Unemployment benefits are a good thing. You work a job for 4 years throughout college and graduate, but contrary to popular opinion, a degree is not immediately followed by gainful employment. This situation leaves one option: stick with the mindless 9-5 or 5-close until you can land a job that has thing-one in common with the $50k debt you now carry. That is, until you are canned because of a down economy.
It only takes a few hours before you ask yourself, “Where’s my slice”? Young professionals need to be aware of the programs available to them such as Unemployment Benefits, Federal Student Loan Consolidation, and recent Health Care reforms. Taxpaying citizens all have the right to take back when necessary. The pennies you get from unemployment hardly compare to the amount of income tax you’ve paid the past four years…
When I was laid off from my day job I had no choice but to file unemployment. Now I have six months to get this photography ship off the ground. Freelance photography is far from “all fun and games”, but it probably is the coolest job around. Come July, if I can’t pay my rent I’ll be headed out to get a dead end job. Until then its GOVT cheese for me. Otherwise I’m sure my degree can get me a hat, horn, and spot on the corner to scream for change. Maybe then some cliché photography student will take pictures of me!
Posted in D.I.Y. Dumpster, Photography
Also tagged day job, dead end, debt, freelance, freelance photographer, government cheese, homeless, laid off, loans, recession, self-portrait, student loans, unemployment
1 Comment
Photo Shoot: Skip ‘n Whistle
Skip ‘n Whistle is a local T-Shirt company in New Orleans, LA. We did a series of the models wearing printed tees and blank tees. Check out my favorites from the shoot here.
Posted in fashion, Photography
Also tagged fashion, freelance photography, models, New Orleans, portrait, Skip 'n Whistle, strobist
2 Comments
Easter Triptych: Where’d you get dem eggs?
Posted in holiday, Photography, Triptych
Also tagged available light, decorating easter eggs, Easter, eggs, holiday, New Orleans, triptych
2 Comments
City Bark: New Orleans First Dog Park
City Bark is New Orleans one and only dog park made just for you know who.
The park has plenty of running room,
and jumping room,
or standing room.
The park even has special dog water fountains.
Be sure to bring a leash, but you really don’t need it…
Posted in Dogs, Photography
Also tagged black & white, City Bark, dog park, Dogs, new orleans dog park
1 Comment
Documentary Photo Essay: New Orleans Fire Departmentns
New Orleans Fire Department from Zander White on Vimeo.
Posted in Photography
Also tagged documentary, fire department, fire fighting, New Orleans, new orleans fire department, photo essay
3 Comments
Strobist Experiment: Girl with the White Umbrella
Another strobist experiment that came out better than expected. Just took umbrella with flash on light stand outside, position Ciera in front of flash, and stopped down enough to underexpose ambient (street lights, et cetera…).
Strobist Trials
Yesterday I took the new light kit out for a spin around town. A friend and I went to an old train depot in Mid City to find a more industrial setting and plopped the gear down right on the old tracks. Setup in about 5, snapping with a good mix of ambient/strobe in 10… What I really enjoy about strobist lighting is the speed and freedom it allows. Each light weighs ~5lbs and can be easily moved with one hand while shooting with the other.
The results are o.k., but nothing spectacular. The shots are noticeably “lit”. Like a lot of strobist/HDR work, it has a very “unnatural” feel. Our eyes/brains are familiar with natural lighting and these techniques create situations not found in nature. This is not to say this looks “bad”, but I don’t care for it. My goal will be to get familiar enough with these strobes that I can use them sparingly to fill, accentuate, replicate natural/available light.
