Very visual.

"Slept on the steps of the Paris Opera next to a stranger with an eye-patch while waiting for the metro to reopen."

To me, sometimes words are better than photographs, because they allow greater freedom of imagination. A story like this helps to remind me that sometimes the best photograph is not because of the elements it has, but because of the ones it suggests.

Rock Climbing

http://causeffect.tv/blog

I went rock climbing and met these guys who run this "collection of highly talented storytellers, artists, thinkers, and above all… CREATORS" at the local crag. Turns out they're awesome, talented, funny, and intelligent. We had a cool little conversation about Waldorf schools. Following that, we ran into a stern West Point instructor who we'd met at a comp. Turns out she's this smiling hippie, hanging out with a guy with a full head of dreadlocks and another who might pass for Tony DiNozzo from NCIS.

Then I climbed so hard (okay, a 5.10 trad route after two nights of drinking for more hours than I was sleeping) that my hands began to cramp up into balls that I couldn't unclench except by smearing them on the rock.


Definitely one of my best climbing days ever.

Lexey Swall

To me, this girl is practically the ultimate ideal of a photojournalist.

http://lexeyswall.com/blog/

http://lexeyswallbobay.blogspot.com/

I met her when I was given a tour of the Naples Daily News by then-photo-editor Judy Lutz, who lived near me, was a friend of my aunt, and was one of the nicest people I knew.

Now, I hope this doesn't derogate a working professional and artist, but this girl is a hottie. I don't think I could ever feel like Naples, Florida was my life, but she is so amazing at integrating herself and her work into her world that these actions and experience become inseparable to me as the viewer. Her photos are amazing, she is a very engaging, open, and beautiful person, and that results in me having an enormous crush on her. I have a thing for excellence. And glasses. And big technical equipment. And thoughtful eloquence. I'm pretty sure she's married, but man, I would take this girl out for a steak dinner any day. Or tofu. She's pretty compassionate, so maybe she's a vegetarian.

I like how many layers this photo has, particularly if anyone has read Kavalier and Clay.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/07/lgbt_pride_parades.html#photo4

An Image of Loss

Having a camera can be really therapeutic sometimes... it was nice to go for a walk nowhere in particular with the 5D last night. Good luck to everyone who is having a hard time these days, whatever the reason.

Also: "I teach a jogging photo group...for people who want to both exercise and practice photography."

New York City Targets Photographers

As Occupy Wall Street cranks on, NYPD is reportedly targeting people with video cameras and SLRs for arrest. Gothamist has more. This has got to be the most ill-considered policy I've ever heard of, because even if you confiscate the media from the person you're arresting, any other media people nearby will still record what you're doing, and they'll have pretty strong sympathetic reactions. Even if you succeeded in preventing everyone with professional equipment, there have to be hordes of cell phones and flip cams out there. Welcome to the age of Grassroots Journalism, NYPD. Go, smart mob, go!

In related news, the NYPD has gone insane. Ring of Steel? With firepower. Ring of fire...

Forgetful Photogs, Part II

Another great trick as a photographer is to photograph something you need to remember, whether it's a street corner, a map, or the written directions to get to a shoot location.

You might have lost that scrap of receipt that blew off your dash and had scrawled in-between cheetos grease "Left on Birminghamshire, Straight through the right, Hard left at the light, Bribe the bridge troll with a bit of danish, Second star to the right, Straight on till morning." But all it takes to get it back is a quick zoom on the screen of your $3000 SLR if you took the ten seconds to photograph it.

This is also great if you have any of a slew of new cheap p&s cameras that offer GPS tracing. You know the clock will be right (it's running of nuclear decay from outer space accurate enough to tell you where you are within three feet) and the camera will remember where you were (maybe not actually accurate to three feet, but close enough). The icing on the cake? There's video, and audio! Make a verbal note of what Nately's girlfriend's little sister you were watching said when she finally bit your hand and ran away from you in a city you've never been to before. Bonus points if you have video of her running away. You'll know it's south by southwest because lucky you, there's a camera built into your compass!

But seriously, there's limitless applications, especially with cameras, audio, and GPS built into almost everyone's cellphone these days. It's even handy for comparison shopping, where you can compare part numbers and prices from different stores when you go to buy a washing machine.

Stop drowning in scraps of paper and lost memories.

Photographers Tend To Be Forgetful

What was I talking about?

Oh, Right.

One thing online descriptions of Mnemonic Link seem to neglect is how powerful it is to personalize it.

Linking the number 13 to a black cat is kinda tenuous, but linking 13 to the number on the house I live in is not. Similarly, if you pissed you pants once because an elevator stuck between the 12th and 14th floors, or the best kiss you ever had was seven minutes in heaven at Sarah Petersen's 13th birthday, those are much stronger links. The idea is that you are developing a personal story by linking things in a way that you will both remember them and be able to identify them as unique.

Tuesday I was ecstatic because I took a lunch order from a coworker who wanted two plain slices, and a small salad with cesar dressing, and I thought up the mnemonic "Pizza-Pizza!" It's about as perfect as a mnemonic as I have ever seen, and I'll give a present to anyone who can name four reasons why.

Perfect.

For all you free spirits who lost the one you love...

Password: 42

Untitled from Brad Sealfon on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/28281048 Password: 42

Welcome to my photo site blog. Look forward to behind-the-scenes and random musings!