I had some re-connecting time with models from last few months who legitimately became disappointed in me in disappearing. Truth is I was more lost in what I do then I could admit to myself. Disappearing is easy because it is very immature. Truth is I feel terrible when I don't return a call. I never used to... but as I get older I do. Plus, I got some truly sincere complements from a model I worked with once that she like the work for herself. Now I am going to give fashion a try.

This is Mary, a retro girl, who I hope to find to give her at least a CD from a shoot back in November.

This marks my 100 post. I've meant to write it few days earlier but being that my birthday is also today I'd figured I'd combine the occasion. I took the laptop out with me and rode out to the local park. I sat on the grass and scanned for any wireless connection... the last place I figured would have it.. but it does. Technology is so convenient sometimes. Of course the connection is not fast but its great to be able to open a laptop and hit anything I need to look up or read up on. Not sure about the security though. But I am not logging in anywhere and I'll post this entry from home anyway.

Yesterday I photographed a Christening for a family friend. Everyone seemed to really like the pictures. But all was shot with Nikon D70 which I keep for such events. Maybe I ought to photograph a little more with it. I haven't bought any new lenses for it. In fact the ones I have are somewhere from the 80s.

(location changed - now in my room and much later in the room)

I don't know what happened to today but its now time to get ready for tomorrow. Hopefully an interesting week. The photograph tonight is from a walk back home few weeks ago. A fence across the road I walk home spells out the close community. The mothers talk as the children played in the back, on the other side of the fence.

I went to a wake this evening. An manager I had from a summer internship when I was working at Panasonic. I kneeled by the casket and prayed and when I looked up I saw Wayne tight there with all the treasures a man can be most proud of, his family. I remember Wayne very well. On Monday morning I received an email he passed away that evening. If I knew earlier I would of went to the hospital. But I did not know he was even ill. He was 58. Cancer. But every single memory I have of him is the one I wish people could have of me when I go on. I knew him. And although this man was not in my life but a few moments and a span of months I remember him vividly. There are some people so significant in one's life even for a moment.
My father was with me at the wake. He said something that was the absolute truth about Wayne. Wayne was his best friend. My father is an engineer and not the most sociable fellow but I believed him without hesitation. He was his best friend. So that is two people who are grateful to come in contact with someone so special to them both. Ah, tonight I am lost for words. Please forgive the lack of a photograph.

The weekend went by with little time to post new work. But at least my days during the week are easier to plan for that.

Tonight a quick entry from the trip back in November. This is Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. On a little tour of the house I just found this arrangement as to show the elements of Amish life. I remember waiting for a car passing by to give the photograph the distinction of life outside the window and the way of life the Amish have kept for generations.

I posted lyrics to songs here before and this time I'd rather write about it. I had a series of odd dreams last two nights and despite bringing up my past I found them comforting. Leonard Cohen's 'Teachers' sum them up the best.

in the process of scanning new work. I finally mailed a CD to a model from a shoot in January. It felt good to deliver. I think she'll like them despite being a quick shoot without much aim.

Ended up in NYC this evening after work. The weather warm and the sun shining longer the streets looked just cool. I like NYC like this. I see the little scooters buzzing and I want to get a bike again. I even test drove the new Ducati 695 which will be my next bike. The model I was on had the upgraded exhaust and man was it nice and loud. Ah! So, in NYC for a lecture. Sadly it was a book signing for a photographer who by exposing his weakness of not really knowing his subject disappointed me. The photography was very competent but his motivation behind it only showed that he just kept at it, that is at producing work. Sad because I really like some of the photographs. He went to Czech republic and photographed in that area. I am working on a similar project in Poland. My motivation is strictly nostalgic and sentimental to everything I love and dislike there. But all those elements in my photographs from there are representing my moods, function, and existence elsewhere. I am Polish and although I live outside of it my home is always in Warsaw. Can;t really explain this one . I saw a great documentary the other day where one of the main subject expressed this very idea. He said it and I am just repeating it here. In the world of Globalization I do not believe there is much of Immigration left at least from developed countries.

I picked up new work from few months ago. I will scan tomorrow and Thursday so new(er) work coming within 2 days.

Sitting in a bar this afternoon. I had the laptop in the car and decided to sit back and do some PS work for an entry. I ended up doing a portrait session with a friend yesterday for the book/project I mentioned earlier so today I went to drop of my sheet film and two older rolls in NYC. I do not know any professional labs in NJ that are on the way I usually go. But the best thing about living in this are is the access to these sort of resources. Duggal is a huge commercial lab doing some of the major commercial printing in NYC. I used them few years ago back when they were on 20th street. Now they're on 23rd and the facility is 4 times as large (or more). The best labs are the hidden ones. There are small custom shops that will print for big guys giving them the small shop feel. I wish I can get to that level some day. I'd like to have a printer who knows my work and gets the best out my negatives. But then again, I like to do this myself.

I am curious to the portraits I dropped off on the 4x5 sheets today. I was shooting on an angle and had to do tilts on the back and front parts of the camera. It was bright out and I hope I paid enough attention to distortion. If I messed it up I'll end up with a small head and a big torso. That's not good. But at least they'll look big and not fat.

Photograph tonight is from mid week. I shot a roll after work on my commute home. I'm trying to get some recent work for a portfolio I need to put together that I will present in August.

I found this old church driving around few weeks ago. The time of the day gave to the most harsh of lighting conditions. It was somewhere around noon. It wasn't even sunny. A bleak spring day which slept still and the warmth of the day just reminded me of so many boring locations I have seen recently. Ah, but here is the church. It looked like a place to be used in some thriller.