The Kuleshov Effect

Experimenting with ffffound photographs.

Mad Soul

Warhol by Hopper

Waits

Well the moon is broken
And the sky is cracked
Come on up to the house
The only things that you can see
Is all that you lack
Come on up to the house

Sometimes all you need is a good song to take the weight off and realize that pretty much everyone is just as fucked as you are. Cheers!

Studio Days

Just another day doing what I love with those whom I consider my extended family…

I love you guys so much.

Communication Theory (Ramble On)

In theory, perfect communication can only be established without the intervention of a medium. Which means the ideal way to transmit information would be through telepathy – straight from one mind to an other, free of distortion. Anything that needs a medium (speech, writing, signal, etc.) is subject to what communication theorists call ‘noise’.

In plain English: no one ever truly understands what you really mean.

This is mainly caused by what is known as different ‘fields of experience’ (certain words in a given context can have several meanings depending on the individual and how that word relates to that individual’s existence.) So just imagine how complicated an entire conversation really is.

The best example I can think of at the moment is poetry. Take a poem and have someone read it, then have him explain to you what he got out of it. Chances are it’s something completely different than what you deducted. Why? Because you have individual triggers. Different things catch your attention.

It gets really good when even you yourself can’t figure out what you are trying to say and instead of weighing out your thoughts properly, you spew out incoherent blather in spite of yourself. That’s the thing about words – once they leave the confines of your mouth (or are no longer a mere draft), there’s no sucking them back in. Perhaps for some, turning one’s tongue seven times in the mouth before speaking might not be enough.

Red Hair and Freckles

Two things I hope to photograph more often in the near future.

Photographs ffffound at random.

Little Martins

Hung up my bird watching binoculars for good eons ago, but I was pleasantly surprised to come across some martin nests whilst biking along the Lachine Canal the other day.

Nikkormat

Shot my first portfolio with this camera 5 years ago. I recently dug the old thing out again because there are some things you just can’t achieve with digital… such as the new series I am currently working on.

Here are a few photos I scanned from the said portfolio.

Do or Die

They say this week the weather has been extraordinary. For her, it could have been Hell on Earth and she probably wouldn’t have noted any difference. It’s an intriguing sensation to be dead inside, nothing fazes her. It is equally tedious in the way she has to keep pretending to be happy in order for any loved ones to remain oblivious. This charade is a necessity – she is hurting enough for ten people, no need for actual company in the obscurity she keeps.

What if she caught a glimpse of hope – hope that it didn’t have to remain this way till she lay on her deathbed, but that it required her hurting someone she cared for… should she do it? If all it boiled down to was their happiness vs. her own, who could judge which mattered more?

Someone once told me that we live our lives for no one else but ourselves. It’s do or die… Perhaps in her case do or remain dead would be more appropriate. Life is a collection of small deaths preparing us for the grand finale; however sometimes we have the power to chose whether to live as a martyr or as a normal human being, faults and all.

Aqua Di Lara

I was in desperate need to find a new swimsuit. Last year I wore out all the excuses imaginable for avoiding pools and/or beaches. When it comes to bathing suits, I am as picky as they come. I wanted something really different this time, but nothing too crazy (I once bought a slashed up one piece Shan swimsuit that till this day remains unworn).

When I fell upon this gem from Aqua Di Lara, right then and there I knew I would make this summer a wet one.

Side note: I am aware that my left forearm is swelled to the size of a baseball bat, but that is because I elongated my sleeve 1/4... it will be back to normal in a few days.

Cloudbusting

Everything about this series is just so ironic for me at the moment I can’t help letting out a cynical laugh.

When I found out Steve Richard is a photographer and a cinematographer (amongst a variety of other things), my head silently rocked back and forth in comprehension – of course, how else could you master such breathtakingly precise lighting and composition?

Next week I’m loading the old Nikkormat.

Cloudbusting… Happens to even the best of us. Just shake it off and walk on - all dust settles eventually.

Studio Days

My happy place...























Bummed around the studio today while Neil was working with Paco, a drop dead talented hair and makeup artist. Played with the kids, took some behind the scenes shots, served as a guinea pig for Thao's elaborately beautiful styling creations, then we met up with Simon and went for Polish food at Mazurka's. All in all - the best day I've had in a while.

Noodling

It was when Robert got a catfish that I discovered the existence of this intriguing yet sometimes fatal sport. Not that Robert plans on ever practicing it with his pet, but jokes were made between Simon and him, therefore I was curious.

In a nutshell, noodling is fishing with one’s bare hands and is commonly practiced in the southern United States to catch flathead catfish. Once underwater and after having discovered a catfish hole, one must slide his hand inside and wait for the fish to latch on. Many have drowned trying to fish this way and many have lost a few fingers. Which is probably one of the reasons why when noodling competitions are held, they are done within the safety of fish tanks.

I like dangerous sports, but I don't think I would touch a catfish even if you paid me.

The Oklahoma Catfish Noodling Tournament
For more photographs visit the ESPN gallery.