The 52 Project, Week 12: Take Me Out to the Mud Hens

Ever since my mother and grandparents moved out to Northwest Ohio in 1990, my grandpa has had season tickets to the area AAA baseball team, the Toledo Mud Hens. Sound familiar? Probably. The Mud Hens have been "world renowned" thanks to repeated exposure to the team name in the classic television show "M.A.S.H." As a farm team to the MLB team, the Detroit Tigers, the Mud Hens were great in the 80's, sucked in the 90's, and most recently have been a pretty darn good team. In 2003, they relocated from the rustic Ned Skeldon Stadium in Maumee, OH to the brand spanking new Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo, OH. To sum things up, my grandpa LOVES baseball, and thereby, the closest team he can watch play, the Toledo Mud Hens. And even though he's pushing 80 years old, he goes to nearly every home game, knows practically everybody there, and is the happiest old guy I know for doing it.

80yr olds outside, 12yr olds inside.

Scan 1: Grandpa and Art

Once a group of four retired guys that go see the Mud Hens together, increasing age coupled with health complications have brought this jovial quartet down to a duo. Their spirited expressions towards the camera indicate they plan on going to ball games for the rest of their lives. For both Art and my grandpa's sake, I hope that's a long time.

The one kid not kicking the mascot.Scan 2: Girl with Muddy

One of my fondest memories of the Mud Hens was getting to hug/high-five their friendly fowl, Muddy the Mud Hen. I couldn't help but capture this little moment that definitely made this little girl's night.

Best seats in the house.

Scan 3: The Cheap Seats

As the next few weeks worth of The 52 Project will prove, photographing the elderly and their most candid moments is something that brings me great joy. This retired couple viewing the game from nearly the left field foul line was just "cute".

Something Good: Looks like all this expired Kodak Portra 160NC & 160VC from 2002-2004 isn't so bad after all.

Something Bad: All three of these shots are a little too "left heavy" for my taste. Add to that the tendency of expired film to blow out at the slightest bit of overexposure, it appears as though I've much to learn with these 30+ rolls of expired film stock.

Something Learned: You don't have to shoot the action at a sporting event. Considering my previous job included action, action, and more action, it's nice to kick back, enjoy the game, and snap some real candids when I have the chance.

Next Week: More of this 160VC, used with a little more caution and control, used with my best EVER model. ^__^



The 52 Project, Weeks 8&9: Playing with Pets

To be perfectly up-front and honest, this week's 52 Project doesn't offer any originality, unique-ness in shooting style, or variety of subject. If you're looking for a photographer that will bring nothing but groundbreaking, original work to his/her blog posts week after week, chances are that you've hit the wrong link. What this week's post does provide, however, is a series of photos surrounding a subject that I inadvertently tend to shoot  a lot of, pets. I could name five photographer buddies right now that would "poo poo" the idea of shooting everyday animals. I mean, sure it looks amateur, but for a good reason. Amateurs are still out there doing what they love, for free! Shooting pets is my way of coping with people that won't smile, agree, or pay their photography bill on time; and it also works wonders for finding a new perspective.

Anyway, lets have some fun, look at some medium format frames of pets, and be sure to comment on ones you love/think are silly/would like to see more of.

Scan 1: Portrait of a ChickenA regal rooster, some fine fowl...

My immediate impression of this rooster was "smug". He's proud, cocky (pun intended), and king of the coop, too bad he's only about half the size of all the other chickens. That comb of his is sharp, and I don't mean in the aesthetically pleasing way either; just click it to get a full size, this sucker is sharp!

Rugged and worn, this cat has had a hard life.

Scan 2: Sleepy Barn Cat

This sickly little guy and his scruffy face just wouldn't leave me alone. I saw the barn door/window light coming in, and this image instantly clicked in my head. If this cat were human, I'm most certain I'd find him in Central Park snuggled up with some newspaper in a cardboard cabin.

 "Hey Gary, I'm thinking about getting a dish..."Scan 3: Ducks' Conversation

There are two reasons human beings keep other animals around. The first is for consumption, we're hungry and most of us believe that literally every other organism is below us on the food chain. The second reason, however, is that we look for the small, glaring bits of human nature within other animals. Some people can really project this feeling, crazy cat ladies, and others merely find entertaining pieces of humanity, Lolcats. I believe I'm treading the fine line in pointing out that these two ducks appear to be having a discussion, probably cable vs. satellite.

Bob really needs to get a Brita filter.Scan 4: Bob Drinking from the Sink

This old indoor/outdoor barn-cat doesn't have much of a playful disposition or face, for that matter, but he does have an unusually high curiosity for dripping water in the sink. Being the devil's advocate I am, I went ahead and turned the faucet on just enough to make any environmentalist burst into tears. But the adorable lapping of said wastewater makes it ok, right?

She's this happy to see everyone, no joke.Scan 5: Maizey, the Happy German Shepherd

You will be hard-pressed to find any German Shepherd as inbred and as happy as my dad's dog, Maizey.  She was originally intended to be a guard dog, but she proved too friendly and now spends her days running about a three acre yard.

Wow, she actually looks kinda cute. Scan 6: Mitzi at the Window

Ah window light, you seem to compliment the Hasselblad so well. This gorgeous light even has the power to make this neurotic, sheds as a defense mechanism siamese cat look cute and contemplative.

Something Good: These two weeks were a joy to shoot. I was just having fun, composing on the fly, and spending literally no time post-processing these images. Heck, most of the images came out incredibly sharp.

Something Bad: Despite my warning at the beginning of this post, I'm bound to get flamed by my photography buddies. It happens, and I'll simply take my lumps.

Something Learned: Almost all of this post's work was done from a crouched or prone perspective. I've felt that my viewing angle has lately been confined to the position of +/- one foot from my chest. I think this has changed and will continue throughout the duration of The 52 Project.

Next Week: Some VERY interesting, different, and fun work courtesy of a NYC based photographer, Abish. Definitely stay tuned for this one.

The 52 Project, Week 7: The Abandoned House

Closing in on the 2 month mark with The 52 Project, I still don't feel like I'm hunting around for things to shoot. If anything else, I'm growing more and more confident in finding a single subject to "spend" a roll of film on. This week's installment, the abandoned house, is something I've wanted to explore at a close distance for nearly 10 years.

Ever since moving to rural Deshler, OH in 2000, I've driven by this ominous looking house along State Route 235 nearly every day of my life. I'd always wondered what laid within, but not until I was driving by a few weeks ago did I consider just pulling over, going in, and making a shoot of it. And here it is. 

I like how the house has an "angry" face.

Scan 1: Angry House

I've never been much of a landscape guy, and in my photos, it has to show. The lines aren't quite there, nor are all the elements of the house. From a landscape point of view, it's not that hot a photo. But from a portrait photographer's point of view, the expression in this "portrait" is spot on.

And through the front door you can see...

Scan 2: Rooms Falling Apart

Like the caption states, as you walk through the front door, you're greeted with destruction. Three floors worth of neglected property are tumbling down around you. Certainly in its day, this was quite a house; right now though, I'm still pretty awestruck.

This doll is too creepy for words.

Scan 3: The Creepy Doll

While originally composing this shot, I was trying to focus on the unique forms displayed by the stripped stairs and falling ceiling. By the second frame, I was knocked back by the eerie little doll left at the foot of the stairs. Including the original idea with this terrifying toy was only natural.

Note to self, frame within a frame works.

Scan 4: Through Shattered Glass

You can see a bit of this image through Scan 2, but the framing conveys a completely different mood. Seeing as this whole roll was an experiment in "things I barely ever do", I thought "oh what the hell" and tried framing something within its own frame. The Hasselblad's ability to naturally vignette and soften the corners definitley helped.

 Something Good: I went outside the box this week, and in a few ways. I never usually trespass for the sake of photos, I never usually shoot landscapes, and I've never shot expired film. For the most part, it looks like going outside my comfort zone paid off.

Something Bad: The film was expired, and doesn't quite react like perfectly good film. Once a film has been sitting in your fridge for more than few years, there's no guarantee that the film will display its typical properties. The starting film was 160NC, and it largely acted as such, but there were a few exceptions. I typically overexpose by 1/3 stop just for good measure, but apparently a little overexposure in this expired stock from 2005/2006 just blows way, way out.

Something Learned: Intense care for your expired film is key. Looking a little more into my exposure problems, there are numerous precautions to take when shooting more "unstable" films. Live and learn; hopefully the latter, though, because I've got 29 more rolls of this stuff. x___x

Next Week: I just got back a batch of 5 rolls of film and have some major catching up to do. Not sure what it'll be from, but there's a good chance it'll be grainy film or expired film. No matter, they all look good.