I figured that 6:00am was early enough to be at the beach in order to capture the shots of the sun rising. Unfortunately, it turned out to be way too early. Even more unfortunate was that my camera’s battery was on its last leg. So, I settled on taking some long exposures of the horizon, counting down anywhere from 40 to 120 seconds per shot.

The glow in the sky was produced by the street lights in the distance. If the camera was facing any further to the left, the glow would disappear as there were almost no lights in that area. And, I naturally wanted to use the editing process to place more emphasis on “pollution” by making the colors a bit more.. toxic.

In addition to a slight crop, I also wanted to get rid of the object in the foreground. Because it was such a dark corner, essentially lacking any detail, removing the object was relatively simple by means of stamping and healing.

Cross processing is an extremely versatile way to get the colors you want. This is partly because you use a different layer filter for each color channel (Blue, Green, and Red). Each one can be manipulated with complete freedom. They can then be brushed in or out using masks, or you could just lower the opacity for the one or all the layers. In this particular shot, I didn’t even use the red filter.

The first photo is meant to be a commercial representation of the tire showcasing the logo. The lighting was fairly simple: One Alien Bee 800 strobe providing the main light from behind and to the right of the camera. I also positioned my speedlight directly to the left of the tire as a spot-light on the lettering.

The reasoning behind the lighting seemed somewhat obvious to me as soon as I had a mental image of what I wanted it to look like. I knew that the strobe would create enough light to be used as the main and would create soft shadows, especially with a small lightbox attached. The speedlight, hitting the rubber directly, would generate some nice highlights to emphasize the logo. After seeing what my initial setup produced, I simply made small adjustments to lighting power and location. Part of the reason that it seemed simple was the material I was shooting. The rubber of the tire has very little texture on the tread but a lot of texture along the side. Hard light coming from the speedlight combined with the textured text created very nice contrast. Finally, the black and slightly reflective traits of the material told me that positioning of the lights would be important – part of this comes from knowing the different types of reflections and how to use your light to take advantage of them.

I want to note the white space at the top. This space is free to be used as I wish. It can remain white or I could place some other content there to help me portray a particular message. One idea is to include a scene of a Nascar pit crew, or just a race track or stands. It delivers the message of speed, performance, and professional quality. How well this can be done will depend on the photographer (or illustrator).

The second image is of the same tire but from a different perspective and with an even more simple lighting setup. The idea behind this was for something more artistic and conceptual. I have recently really enjoyed photography of flowers in black and white and this was my attempt to use a similar style on a very different subject.

What I like most about this photo is the detail of the tire’s surface. This isn’t just limited to the treads but also includes the texture of the rubber itself. I mentioned earlier how the flat part of the tire does not have much texture so I tried specifically to get as much of it as possible. I didn’t use the Alien Bee strobe and instead made exclusive use of the speedlight which I handled without a tripod. I simply hand-held it, lighting the different areas of the tire. I then created a composite of two different photos.

However, sometimes there isn’t an easier method. After all, editing photos without losing the authenticity of the original image is immensely complicated. The software developers at Adobe can only do so much to streamline the process for you. There are times where you really just need to go in knee-deep and pixel hunt.

Below is a comparison of the same image before and after editing. Obviously there are no major stylistic changes. The difference is almost entirely in the removal of certain objects that I didn’t want. This includes two trees on the right and several spots in the sand. Unfortunately for me, there is no quick fix to this kind of work (at least not that I know of) and I was forced to make many, many tiny adjustments over a long session. On the bright side, the work was relatively simple. Much of this was done with either the healing, stamp, and spot healing tools in addition to the use of masking layers.

Now that I have a clean capture of the architecture, I am free to make other, less arduous adjustments to the image. I am sure that there are ways to make this kind of editing easier – such as increasing contrast to see more clearly while zoomed in – and I hope to find said techniques before the next session of late-night stamping.

Below is one of the images I presented. I was assigned to create a cover and inside spread/lead-in to a copy of Men’s Journal with a topic to use as a guide for what to shoot. My topic was “The Adventure Issue”. Part of the assignment was to study the publication we were given to learn what kind of photography falls in line with their style. Our task was similar to the mental process that almost any photographer should go through when creating a compelling series of images: to tell a story that will grab the readers attention but while simultaneously focusing on the needs of the client.

This shot took roughly 2.5 hours to shoot. It required only one light (beauty dish w/ grid from coming from the top towards the bag and two white cards for filling in some shadows. It was at a fairly sharp angle and was no more the 4 feet above the subject and 2 feet away. Using only one light made it extremely easy to work (especially since I had been working by myself). Adjusts were made quickly and visualizing the image before and after the adjustments was rather simple. I used the grid to make the image more dramatic and to give the light a more noticeable sense of direction.

The materials you see are all my own that I personally use, including the passport. The table-top is a rather small rectangle of concrete with the yellow stripe painted on. The leaves, dirt, and rocks were all found in the studio (in the cupboard where props are kept, not just laying around). I also smashed a glass battle with much needed motivation coming from the studio manager. (“Smash it!!”)

The post editing work was far more complicated than the actual shooting. My rush to finish photographing, as one should expect, led to mistakes – mistakes that I then was forced to deal with in post. Generally, the amount of work needed to fix a problem in post is far greater than the effort of fixing the same issue before exporting and turning the camera off. I won’t go into details but one should always try to keep the very basic in mind as they will usually keep you from making huge fuck-ups. An assistant will make this a lot easier. Having even further help on the set (coming from any of the stylists or art directors) will lend even more assistance to ensure a perfectly rounded product before it ever even hits a computer screen.

Above, quite clearly, is a picture of a small glass flower. I took this while trying to practice some basics of lighting. The equipment I had on hand was limited to: a small white box with white paper; a LomoPro manual strobe; and an Alien Bee 800 strobe with a reflector. The first thing you might notice about the image is that the subject is directly in the center. Again, I was not attempting to create a masterful composition but was simply testing my light placement and strength. The small LomoPro speedlight was hanging above the flower point slightly behind it, shooting directly into the paper leaving a fairly noticeable brighter section directly overhead. The unevenness of the light is something I did not immediately distinguish and will likely try to avoid were I to have a similar setup. The Alien Bee strobe was placed directly behind the camera, standing roughly two feet above the subject with the head angled down directly at it. This was, primarily to hide the shadow behind the flower after failing in my attempt to eliminate it altogether. There are some shadows still visible near the blue pot which can be addressed in Photoshop.

Speaking of Photoshop, below is a comparison of another image of the very same glass flower but using a 100mm Macro lens. On the left is the natural image whereas the right is the same photo after having been edited.  Other than the typical clean-up one does to remove dust, the main task of the edit was to eliminate the shadow near the right petal. I do not remember exactly how I did this but it was quite likely a series of complicated and not fully thought out steps that required a greater degree of time and effort than necessary. I typically begin by entering quick-mask and creating a selection of the subject. After selecting the inverse, I simply create a new layer of the subject and another layer of the background. I then edit these two layers accordingly.

I will shortly reflect on the past two months. I will also attempt to post a series of personal projects as time goes on.

Any time you flip through a magazine, browse the web, watch TV, or even walk outside you will inevitably see a photographer’s work. But, you never really know it, or at the very least comprehend the amplitude as such until you begin looking for it consciously. I also failed to realize how much work went into the industry as a whole – camera and computer hardware and software; owning or renting as well as staffing a studio and office; multitudes of agencies;  specialized equipment such as lights, stands, power packs; general items of usefulness which mainly involves tons of paper, plastic, and quirky objects to be used on the set. Much of the inventory of our studio comes from local retailers and some of the more intricate and carefully selected items are typically rented from manufacturers and artists whose base of operation is in New York.

Not long after distinguishing myself as having entered a bees’ hive of economic activity did I then also connect the photography industry with the near endless amount of roles it fulfills for other industries. The most obvious example can be found in magazines that one may purchase at a news stand to gawk at celebrity fakenews. Within these publication you will undeniably find adverts for a wide range of products such as the latest line of chemical treatments for frizzy hair or pale skin. Advertisements have been for quite some time a necessary part of procuring funding for magazines and newspapers but has perhaps even more aggressively become a cornerstone of the internet. You may, in fact, even realize that there are few places left in an urban setting where you are not in the proximity of an ad of some sort. Bus stops and trains are littered with muscular men sporting little more than underwear. Walking on the sidewalk will likely reveal billboards and large posters within viewing distance portraying a perfectly captured bottle of beer. Advertisements and, by a necessary extension, photography are virtually inescapable. But a photographer’s work is not found only in adverts but also in company websites, buyer’s guides, and a host of other tactfully designed uses of said work.

While the process of creating images can be daunting from the perspective I described above, it is surprisingly simple. The photographer, much like a captain of a vessel, runs the show with a complete comprehension of that is necessary to get the job done. His assistants will typically be responsible for maintaining the studio area, ensuring quality control, and simply being aware of the state of affairs. Meanwhile, art directors from a magazine or fashion brand will be confirming that the results are as requested. Stylists will also be present to handle any merchandise with care and to display them according to the art director’s instructions. (This dynamic is unique to my own experience in the past two months while working with a single photographer and is likely to differ substantially with respect to the situation.)

My co-workers are without question some of the most wonderful individuals I have ever had the chance to work with. I take this as a sign that the industry is a good place to be and I see myself being for quite some time.

I have long pondered the possibilities of the very notion of life. Can life consist of non-biological substances? Can a life form exist in a form of a gas? These questions are endless and deal with an equally astounding number of problems regarding the very definition of what we call life. How we define life will naturally change as we continue to strive towards the unknown. Just as our understanding of the universe expanded with increasingly complex experiments in quantum mechanics, so too will our understanding of consciousness and even the universe itself begin to change as scientists continue to tinker in the lab.

The article linked above points out the dilemma we face with respect to these troublesome questions. It does so by alluding to the role of science fiction as a means for men and women to consider their beliefs about the issue and to gain perspective on where those beliefs can perhaps, one day, lead us. The use of aliens as a point of contrast to life on Earth is an easy way to explore the possibilities of life without being restricted to the limitations we have come to expect from life on our planet.

One aspect I would like to add to the topic is one I explored in my earlier post, The Largest Tribe, in which I discussed the role of technology as a means for man the evolutionary fate of life on Earth. Part of man’s endeavor I link to the supernatural which heavily influences the way in which we define human nature. I posited that man strives to be like god by becoming an engineer of life. He yearns to be the creator, the origin of the natural which would then place him above the natural.

Firstly, there is no reason for the cartels to stop growing at least some “crops” after legalization. A large portion of their product will find itself in Mexico, Central America, or even Europe and Asia. The cartels can also mobilize to produce other drugs instead, most notably methamphetamine and cocaine.

Second, the organizations behind the drug cartels are typically often involved in many other forms of forms of raising revenue. For example, kidnappings for ransom are especially notorious in Brazil. Kidnapping a wealthy native or a foreigner can bring in a ton of money for little work.

Obviously, new venues will arise from legalization for meeting the demand for the drug which will severely cut the amount of money drug cartels can rake in. While the immensity of this blow will be notable, a residue of demand will remain even in an America with legalized pot. Under the scenario of marijuana being prescribed by physicians, anyone who cannot get that prescription will naturally turn to the very same drug dealers they are familiar with today. Were marijuana to be regulated like wine, those who are underage will, too, be in a very similar situation.

Another issue that arises is where the marijuana will be grown. In order for the drug cartels to feel a diminished demand, the growing of the plant must become legal as well. Obviously, if the drug cannot be grown on a massive scale to meet the demand of those who continue to smoke pot after legalization, or if supply does not meet that demand, the black market will step in to fill that gap.

The drug cartels, the small rural families who actually grown the crops, and the middlemen in between are currently better equipped than all others in producing marijuana. They also have the most to gain from its sale. It is likely that, even with legalization, drug cartels will continue to survive.

Leibniz, on the other hand, was very much concerned with particles. In his thesis entitled The Monadology, the philosopher described how he believed the world to be: a static and finite set of matter. How does Leibniz account for differences between the world as he defines it and for the appearance of change within it? Leibniz describes the monads as a quasi-particles that maintain a connection to a higher power. These monads strive to be like god which causes them to shift in observable appearance. To Leibniz, the world is a definable set of matter with no change in the orientation of the matter that composes the objects we see. However, it appears to be the very opposite (of having change and an infinite possibility).

This is similar to those toys that have many rows of small metal rods in a rectangular shape that you can use to create impressions of physical objects. You press you hand against the metal rods, pushing an impression of your hand into the device. Much in the same way, Leibniz’s universe is like the toy which takes upon itself the impression of god. The monads strive to take a form similar to god, which causes our static world to contain room for some sort of change. (The particles do not move around but, rather, change in this unique characteristic.)

I am, admittedly , a creationist – I believe that man create god. By creating an idea of something so far above and beyond the realm of possibility and devoting oneself to this impossible fiction, we give our own creation immense power. We surrender our will and the responsibility of our actions to a being we might as well have crudely drawn on a sheet of paper. (A fictional character in the ether of the universe is after-all  just as real and all-knowing as one I drew with squiggly lines.)

Because we are afraid of being ourselves and of having to take responsibility for our actions, we create something that cannot be wrong. Mankind created god in order to have someone to blame for both the great and the dammed; because an infallible being will lead the way for all people to behave a certain way without the need to justify itself; and because human beings are aware of their puniness and minuteness but are too scared to admit it. Man is a sad, scared, stupid, unreasonable, and needing for something to make him feel better about himself and that is where a god steps in.

By examining the many cultures of the past and present, we can clearly notice that the religious and mythological beliefs represented the morals and values of the respective peoples. Tales of god-like beings spread across continents and survived centuries for functional reasons. Religion was used as a way to influence the behavior of other people according to what the culture required. For instance, the worship of a river was a direct acknowledgment of the dependence on the water the river brings. It was, and remains to be, a form of control despite the lack of necessity for such a belief system in today’s time.

This form of control is a method used by cowards who are too feeble or too misguided to defend their reasoning with pure reason alone. They turn to the majestic as a means to skip over the need for an argument entirely. Why engage in debate about whether abortion is right or wrong if you can simply cite a holy book that you claim is without fault. Voodoo, astrology, and healing crystals have as much say in reality as “god” does.

Cowardice is the fuel that keeps religion burning. Fear of the unknown, of the absurd, of death, of the other all cause anxiety for man. With god as the explanation  for all things, there is no accountability and, in turn, no longer a fear of doing what could be considered wrong.  We naturally create moral guidelines for others in everyday life when we make our own decisions but religion today has gone out of control. The tall walls that maintained society in years past have turned into jail cells that keep people from exploring new ideas and developing the ideals to accompany the developing world.

Entering a new era requires a new system of ethics, a new set of answers to the questions people will encounter throughout their lives. Religion has only answers for generations that are long lost and serves no purpose for us today.

Those opposed to the plan surprisingly want the Arthur Kill facility to remain thanks in part to the fact that families in New York City have a greater degree of access to their loved ones. By keeping those arrested in the city from moving far upstate, prisoners are likely to remain connected to their lives outside of the prison walls and will, therefore, be more likely to return to a normal life once they are free.

This argument makes the point that isolation – a fundamental principle of a prison – is not conducive to a person’s rehabilitation. This type of argument has been commonly seen posed against solitary confinement which many believe is a form of torture. While solitary confinement is an extreme of the isolation that comes with being placed into the penitentiary system, the desolate lifestyle average prisoners are forced to endure are, potentially, just as dangerous.

Solitary confinement limits a person to just one hour of any human interaction in any given day. All contact with others is broken and one’s world is reduced to a tiny room. Sensory deprivation at play, a prisoner of solitary confinement will eventually become a prisoner of his own mind – caught between the real world and the imaginary one that was conjured  as a form of coping with the mental anguish that comes with exile. This is done purposefully in order to “break” the individual, often forcing the victim into a state of depression. While some of these individuals manage to endure, others become violent. Not unlike soldiers whom are welcomed home from war, newly freed prisoners who spent extended periods in solitary confinement will find it difficult to rejoin normal society.