Best of the rest

June 18 & 21, 2008: a few more holders

Here are a few more frames I liked from the Cincinnati trip.

On Thursday night, from our room on the 13th floor of the Millennium Hotel, I noticed the top of the PNC Tower building was lit up. (Meaningless aside: Have you ever noticed most hotels skip the 13th floor? Not here.)

I figured the skyline view might make a nice frame at sunrise so the next morning after my 5:30am wakeup call, I stumbled around, put a lens on and a card in one of my cameras, knocked off this frame and grabbed another 15 minutes of sleep before kicking off the day. When I am in a shooting mode I always look for something different in my hotel rooms. Done.

Jumping back a few days on Wednesday we were having dinner at Cadillac Ranch when someone noticed a Congo African Grey Parrot perched on the handlebars of a Harley parked in front of the restaurant. I talked to the owner who was sitting outside the restaurant enjoying a beer. He said the bird loves to ride on his bike. He can open it up to 70 MHP and she just grips the handlebars a little tighter. The bird has a 400-500 word vocabulary, everything from "polly want a cracker" to a few phrases that might make a hooker blush. He also said the bird is a great chick magnet.

Finally I have to sneak in a beer photo, Tom enjoying a cold one in the Millennium Hotel bar Friday night.

Cheers!

-jk

Take me out

June 16, 2008: a beautiful day for a ballgame.

We were in Cincinnati last week for the USTA National tournament. After the first day of tumbling competition we got discounted tickets to the Great American Ballpark to see the Reds Dodgers game. I went with the cheap seats, $7, because it was more about checking the park out and having a few drinks than watching the game.

If it were the White Sox or Cubs playing I probably would have kept a scorecard but we just kicked back and enjoyed the night. Armed with my 17-55 I made a few frames between the beers.

I thought the clouds and the stadium lights looked cool as the light got low in the sky.

The batters box caught a shaft of light as Jolbert Cabrera grounded out to third for the third out in the third inning (it's a triptych thing.)

Finally, I like my angle on Sam and Kiylee posing for the roving ballpark photographer better than the straight on shot from down the aisle.

Oh yeah for those keeping score the Reds lost 3-1 and got swept in the series. The ballpark was great, the beer was good but the dogs do not compare to a Chicago Vienna.

-jk

Hanging out in Crystal Lake

June 14, 2008: Guinevere's first trip to the gym

I have been out of town for a week so I am a little back blogged. Here is one I shot just before heading out of town.

This is Guinevere's first trip to 5 Star, she was there for a while jumping around before I showed up and she was a little worn out by the time I started taking photos. She did not want to jump on the trampolines any more but the big balls were still fun.

After the gym we grabbed lunch at Noodles, I always wanted to make a photo with the ceiling panels in there.

Finally we swung by the AT&T store to pick up a sim card before I had to head downtown for my last day of work before a week of vacation.

-jk

I hate Friday traffic

June 13, 2008: don't try this at home.

A twofer today, driving is the theme of the day.

A 2005 US Census study said the average American spends more than 100 hours a week commuting to work. I am sure that number has gone up in the past three years. For me it is way up.

I estimate my annual commute time is over 700 hours. That is just over 29 days. Almost a whole month. In my car. Driving to work. Yikes! With gas prices I have considered taking the train but that adds another 2 hours a day, fergitaboudit.

The worst day by far is Friday rush hour and if the weather turns bad or they are working on the roads well, let's not go there.

Here are a quick three from the drive downtown today. I do not make a habit of shooting and driving and it is more like shooting a hail marry. I do not recommend you try this at home.

Today's commute was really not too bad for a Friday. About two and a half hours. Thank God tomorrow is Saturday.

-jk

Chasing lightening, again

June 13, 2008: maybe next time.

We have had our share of stormy weather this year in the Midwest. Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin are just a few of our neighboring states that have been hammered pretty bad in the past few weeks.

On the way of from work Thursday night/Friday morning we had more tornado warnings around my home up north. It was pretty clear leaving Chicago but along the Northwest Tollway the light show started. Some how even though I was driving into the storm I missed it.

Following up on my last set of driving long exposures I thought I would try again to catch a lightening bolt. There was not much traffic. I could see the lightening in the distance and the road was covered with leaves and branches from where the storm winds had blown through. In Crystal Lake there were power lines and trees down along the road but the worst I faced was a bit of heavy rain.

I rested the camera on the dashboard and popped off 10-20 second exposures as I drove. There were a few bursts behind the clouds and just off camera but again the most interesting frames were the street lights.

I'm not done chasing this shot yet.

-jk

Painting with light

June 8, 2008: colors of the night.

This was a pretty slow weekend for photos. I had my camera with me all weekend but really could not get motivated to shoot. We were out in Bartlett on Sunday visiting Rick and Sue and there were plenty of things I should have worked but my long days have been catching up with me and I just wanted caffeine.

With a few clouds in the sky it was a beautiful night. We were hanging out in the driveway when I noticed a little lightening in the north, I knocked off a few frames of the clouds because they looked so peaceful. It was not long before that changed.

About halfway home the lightening started picking up. It was pretty cloudy not too many bolts were visible just flashes behind the clouds. From the passenger seat, I thought I would try to catch a bolt so I stopped down and set the camera on bulb. I captured a few weak photos of flashes behind the clouds but no bolts.

The long exposures did make for some fun images. A few foul balls but here they are, I call it art.

-jk

Remembering Dimebag

March 2, 2001: Pantera at the UIC Pavillion

One from the Archives.

In March of 2001 I grabbed a Saturday night assignment to shoot the legendary heavy metal band Pantera during the Reinventing the Steel Tour at the UIC Pavilion for a photo essay in the Tribune's Tempo section. The assignment had no takers and we were a bit tight on staff that night so I dusted off my Nikons and took a stab at it.

The assignment was to get some behind the scenes photos of this legendary band before and after the show. Pantera had been around since the early 80's and still had a huge following. I must admit I was not a huge Pantera fan so I went out and bought a few of their CDs to make sure I knew some of their songs and I made sure I knew all the band members names. I figured if they were going to let me hang out with them the least I should do is know a little of their music.

My credential was waiting for me at the venue so I went in and found my contact. I was told wait here and we will take care of you when the band is ready. The waiting is definitely the hardest part because no matter what it says on the assignment you just don't know what you are going to get.

After hanging out for about a half hour or so I was told I could shoot the whole show and would be allowed in the locker room after the performance. The concert standard has always been shoot 3 songs and get out so I thought it was cool I would be able to hang out a little longer. I grabbed my credential and made my way out to the stage area to look around.

LIFE LESSON #63: Always carry earplugs in your camera bag or fanny pack.

Some things you just learn the hard way, thank God for a security guard this was not one of those for me. While I was hanging out I started talking to one of the security guards when he asked me, "Do you have ear plugs?" I did not so he gave me an extra pair he had. This would have been like the sun screen lesson I learned in high school during a spring break trip to Florida when I told a friend, "I never get sun burn." Uh uh.

The show was so loud when it was over my ears were ringing even with ear plugs. Maybe the three song limit was not such a bad idea. To this day I always keep ear plugs in my fanny pack.

After the show I went to my spot backstage and I waited and waited and waited. Standing outside the locker room with all the groupies wondering if I was going to get in, how much time I would have, what these guys were going to be like.

Finally the contact came out pointed at me and motioned for me to come in. Inside they introduced me to the band and these guys were among the nicest people I had ever met. Each band member had their own corner with their cases and belongings. Vinnie was hanging out on a couch with a rebel flag on his lap and a friend sitting close by. Dimebag was in another corner by his case drinking a can of Coors Light with his beard dyed bright red. I was handed a refreshment and just shot as the guys were winding down after the show.

While talking with some of the other people hanging out someone said "hey let me take your photo!" Usually I do not hand people my camera or shoot photos when people say "take my picture" but I said what the heck. Standing behind me was guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, I set the camera and they knocked off a frame. I have never been a big autograph or celebrity hound so I did not really think twice about the photo. The frame was a bit so I skimmed right by it during my edit after the show.

A short time later I noticed one of the guys pouring shots of Crown Royal in plastic cups. It was time for everyone to make a toast. I worked my way in to get a shot of the guys tipping one back as I held my cup in my teeth. I gave up doing shots a long time ago but did not want to insult my hosts so I had one (I think) and it was pretty smooth.

The photos ran, I filed a handful of negs and I tossed the outtakes into an envelope in my drawer and went back to the life of picture editing. On December 8, 2004 I came into work and heard that Dimebag was shot and killed on-stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio by an obsessed Pantera fan while performing with his brother's new band, Damageplan.

I dug through my drawer and found the negatives and scanned a few fresh frames to offer with the story. I also came across the frame of Dimebag and me and scanned it in for the first time, it was a smiler and it brings back memories of a good assignment.

-jk

Morning in Lake Geneva

June 6 2008: breakfast at Egg Harbor

Paulette and I were in Lake Geneva Friday morning to give Suzy a break and take Guinevere to breakfast. It was my first trip to Egg Harbor and it was just too yummy for my own good.

I do love to shoot food and always get strange looks when I pull out a camera at the table, probably the Greek in me. Now I have a place to use those photos, beer photos coming soon.

I ordered the Raisin French toast, Paulette had the Cinnamon Bun French toast and Guinevere got some flap jacks with bacon and strawberry orange juice, of course I got to eat a little of everything.

After we filled out bellies we walked around a bit and Guinevere made friends with a little dog named Scooter at the Red Pony.

-jk

Stormy weather

June 6, 2008: storm clouds roll through southeastern Wisconsin.

I was driving back from Lake Geneva Friday morning when the weather turned on me. The radio was reporting tornado warnings in southeastern Wisconsin and before I knew it the winds picked up and it was raining like there was no tomorrow.

So what did I do? Of course I pulled over and waited for the rain to stop, so I could get the rest of my gear out of the trunk. I drove up the road a bit further and pulled off on Route 120 near Highway B to watch the storm. The front was moving northeast but overhead the clouds were dark and I was never really sure what they were going to do. A few times the clouds reached for the ground but the pulled back up as the storm rolled by.

Though part of me thinks it would be cool to photograph a tornado, I am glad the storm did not reach that level.

-jk

A slow rainy day

June 3, 2008: flowers in the front yard.

Yup, I was playing with a macro Tuesday, definitely not brain surgery.

Not even that creative but aren't they purdy?

-jk

Guinevere at the window

May 31, 2008: weekend in Lake Geneva

Paulette and I were hanging out with Sue, Aron and Guinevere in Lake Geneva before I had to head into work Saturday. I have not shot nearly as many photos of Guinevere this year as I did last year but it is still fun trying to get something new.

Guin was watching her dad try out his new lawnmower. I chose a low angle today and with a lot of waiting for a profile shot I caught this moment at the window, I love the wind blown hair. Just to my right was Frodo having a moment to himself. It was a perfect day to cut the grass.

-jk

Three, tria, tres

June 2, 2008: Zoey enjoys her first ride.

Guinevere Arielle Ackley, Good Better Best (a work in progress) and now Blahg Blahg Blahg. There is just something about the number 3.

After talking with Scott Strazzante Tuesday I decided to focus this blog on photo triptychs, my little 3 picture essays. Scott has been working on a photo essay on the Cagwin farm near Lockport for over 10 years now. These days the farm is gone and where corn, soy beans and cattle once grew the current residents are now raising their families on that same land. Scott continues to document the neighborhood and recently started matching his older photos of Harlow and Gene with current photos of the family life in the subdivision. Just this past year Scott's diptych essay ran in National Geographic and the Chicago Tribune magazine. You can view a gallery of this essay on the Chicago Tribune website HERE. The photos are awesome.

As a picture editor my job involves picking, cropping, sizing, designing, assigning and waiting for photos but I still really love to make my own pictures. For me there is still magic in my cameras. To chase the perfect moment, to find art in the world around me it is just an adrenaline rush I can't get anywhere else.

In an attempt to keep myself from becoming a photo potato so I am getting back to my roots; carrying a camera with me everywhere I go.

I have never been a 1 frame shooter so a triptych is perfect for me. I always work a situation looking at different angles, composition, different lenses, exposures, depth of field, etc. The hunt for that perfect moment. Sometimes it is the first frame but I always think to myself I can make a better picture.

To keep my shooting eye fresh I am going to try to fill this blog with current photos of my life and the journey, 3 frames at a time. I will also go back into older shoots and pull out some archived triptychs.

This weekend we took Zoey for her first ride in the convertible, she loved it! Good thing I was not driving.

-jk