New Orleans

Again. I'm here for halloween and hopefully some follow up work on the photos of reconstruction, etc.

Had a hassle at the airport this am. Some genius TSA screener, even after I specifically told him not to open my boxes of 4x5 sheet film in light, opened and thus ruined a box of Provia 100 4x5 sheets! $75 TSA owes me, @#$%^&*.

But I'm in New Orleans, so it doesn't matter right now. :)

ooohhh....

dark room! I love it! love, love, love it!earlier today, I dropped a piece of paper in liquid and, Voila!, an image appeared before my eyes and took shape. ok, obviously I'm happy to have gotten back in the dark room today, getting some wedding shots ready for a potential client this week.

Currently working on the Young Artists Grant for the DCCAH. Grant writing? really fun...
really.

Back into web design

I've always played around with web design, on my own site, and the occasional other, and I'm currently working on one for real estate sales, condominiums specifically: www.victorianonbrown.com. Its pretty much done, just a few more tweaks needed. I'm enjoying getting back into it, so tell your realtor friends and anyone who needs a website to contact me!

Wiki, wiki, what?

Wikiality.com folks, a new site from Stephen Colbert. I encourage you to go there and use the power of your wikiness to edit things to make sure they are "correct." Go! Now! edit and set the "truthiness" free!!!

On restrictions, again...

For a few years now, mostly since 9/11, many photographers have encountered issues with law enforcement and other authorities when photographing public buildings, utilities, etc. It is tough to accept restrictions on one's work while in public space and photographing public buildings, and there seems to be a general confusion on both sides (photo professionals and law enforcement) as to where the line should be drawn. I personally am against the abuse of power by police and others and a seemingly unreasonable approach to security. In being reasonable, I always try to discuss this with both sides when the chance arises.

I happened to be speaking with an analyst at the Pentagon recently and discussing this, and he shed a little light on it, not making it easier to accept, but perhaps easier to understand where the other side is coming from. He mentioned that very specific photos of buildings and such are almost always present when terrorist and terrorist safe houses are searched, including such detailed images as exits and entrances to elementary schools, hospitals, etc.

Not that this makes all the restrictions right, but it sheds a little more light on why some photographers have been harassed, questioned, taken in, etc.

For more on this topic:
-Downloadable one page paper explaining your rights as a photographer: http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm
-Good NPR story on this topic: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4705698
-PhotoSig discussion: http://www.photosig.com/go/forums/read?id=206320
-http://www.photopermit.org/

Photography Restrictions

I've been meaning to post this for a while. Recently, friends and I went to see a friend's band, "No Second Troy," at Iota Cafe in Nova.

At the door, Steve, a fellow photographer, was informed he could not bring his camera in. He had an old 35mm manual camera, and it was on his shoulder. I respect the club's decision to not allow photography, and it is posted that no photography is allowed. The doorman said that he had to have permission, so I suggested our friend in the band say he was there to take photos. Well, that didn't work. By now, this was a pain in the ass, he just wanted to take photos of his friend's band.

What makes this particularly annoying is that at least 6, if not more, other people had small digital cameras, the type to fit in pockets easily, and they were snapping away like crazy throughout the night. So, if a club is realy going to have a no photo policy, they really need to be fair about it and enforce it, otherwise, this is a most pointless restriction.

Rant over. thoughts?

The Sandbox

I always enjoy reading Doonesbury, and now the strip and its creator have a new feature in "the Sandbox." It appears to be an unedited, untouched blog from military personnel here and abroad. Interesting so far, check it out here: http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/