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Bike Polo

Another NY Times article.  This was pretty fun to shoot actually.  I’ve never seen drunk guys (and a few girls) be so coordinated.  There were a few times that mallets got caught in the spokes but for the most part the play was all in fun and they watched out for everyone.  The Bike Polo Euros are going on this weekend.  May stop by to have a look tomorrow.

WHACK!!!

I do have to say (quietly) that the crop of the second picture in the article…not very good.  Here’s what it’s supposed to look like:

Better?

Yogi

Two projects, well three, if you count Tejon, at once.  That’s what I’m doing.  I’m enjoying it at the moment.  I’ve lined up several people to see in Bosnia and Kosovo.  The Hopi are the Hopi and Tejon is still sitting there.  Sometimes I’m worried I don’t have all the ducks in a row.  But if it was easy to do all of this: would I enjoy doing it?

When I feel like all the projects are stalled or I’m not doing the right thing I think about Yogi.  He’s kind of like a grounding.  Or at least some of what he said is.  I’m not one for great, fanciful, quotes.  When I come across one that I really enjoy I might remember it, or at least remember how to paraphrase it, but Yogi’s stuff I always remember.  I wonder if it’s because he’s actually brilliant or if it’s because his sayings are so simple.  At any rate, I’m wondering if I should pronounce to the world that a baseball player from the 50s and 60s is the source of some of my critical thinking…I don’t know.  Maybe I should keep it to myself.

"If there is a fork in the road, take it."

At least that helps for the moment when I feel totally overwhelmed or unsure about what I may be doing.

And another one that relates, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”  Yogi Berra.  He’s my yogi.

Tower Hill

I figured last night that if we are lucky we live to see about 29,000 days (close to 80 years).  I’ve got around 17,000 to go if I’m lucky.  A finite thought but I had it after spending the day at the beach and having the space and time to think.

As I got home at around 10:30pm I used the thought to convince myself to wake up after only about 4 hours sleep.  It took me around an hour to power down so by the time I closed my eyes it was close to midnight.

I really didn’t want to get up and I really didn’t want to go all the way to Tower Hill but I somehow dragged myself out of bed and shiver by ass off waiting for the bus at 4:15.  Once I get off the bus everything switches on though.  Even without coffee or breakfast I’m good to go for a couple hours and what I get to see keeps me going.

5:13 AM

Lights on the bridge or lights off?  I can’t decide.

5:18 AM

It’s getting lighter later now.  I don’t really know how much longer I can pursue this as I only have about 30 minutes to work with now until the City starts to pulse, buzz and hum.  By 5:45 cars and trucks are virtually everywhere and by 6:15 forget about it, there are pedestrians everywhere and the London that I own for myself for about an hour is gone.  Given up to everyone else to use.

5:39 AM

I’ll keep at it.  At least until I head to Bosnia and Kosovo.  Looks like I’ll be headed there around mid-August.  Then back here for a few days until I leave for Hopi Nation and other things August 28.

Shoeburyness

Got out of London today.  Awesome to get away.  Rained this morning so no photos.  But once I got to the beach with Julian, Julianna and Kalen it was time to shoot relax and think.

Julian ponders a dip. Julianna thinks he's mad.

The tide was out when we got there.  It allowed us to explore.

Julianna's stroll

And the sun was out.  Which made it close to perfect.  The fish and chips for lunch brought us back from perfect.  But Kalen got to wear his cool shades.

Cool Kalen

And the sun being out let me look at my shadow and think: I need a haircut.

Yes, that's not a tern or a gull that landed on my head, it's my hair and I think it's time to go.

Animals

I moved into this place in February.  One of the selling points for me was the view.  Here it is in all its splendor and glory.

Puffy clouds don't exsist in LA.

Now, the four smoke stacks are the Battersea Power Station in the distance.  If you enjoy Pink Floyd, like I do, you will note that if it wasn’t for the band this could very well be just another view.  But my listening to Pink Floyd enhanced many evenings.  And when I went flat hunting in London and saw this I thought, “this is one of London’s version of the Hollywood sign.”  Of course there are many iconic images in this city from 20 St. Mary Axe (the gerkin) to Parlaiment and Buckingham Palace but for reasons known (Floyd) and unknown (drug use + Floyd) this one sticks out the most to me.  So I’m more than happy that this is what I can look out to almost every day.

When and if it starts to look like this:

AKKKK!

I will have to move!

I was up until 1:30 am last night so I didn’t go out this morning.  I still have to have fun every now and then, right?

Waterloo

I’ve started to reserve the commter centers, major train stations, busy tube stops etc, for the weekends.  I hope that they won’t be so busy.  As this is my first full weekend back from my getaway I’ll be going out both days.  Today was Waterloo.  I’m probably more familiar with the inside of this one than most as my wife’s two cousins live in different towns serviced by Southwest Trains.  The inside was not familiar without the amount of people though.

5:06 AM

Of course I couldn’t get a shot without ANY people.  It was impossible inside but this was the best I could do.  Outside was a bit easier although I really had to wait.

5:35 AM

The light got better and better and I believe I have a better shot on film as I reserved those few moments when there was no one around for the film camera.  As it grew more and more light more people started showing up.  Everyone that had a happy snappy took a shot of their own as they walked past.  The sunrise was great today.

5:53 AM

Tomorrow it’s King’s Cross.

Covent Garden

Not the greatest sunrise today.  No low clouds to catch the light early and bounce it back and light up the sky pink.  But there were a few low clouds to break up the pool of light forming in the East.  Shot the market from the front so it was backlit first.  There is about a ten minute window to get this shot with the dynamic range my digial has.  Film of course there is more and with a little burning in the darkroom I imagine you have about 30 minutes.

4:59 AM

A graduated ND filter would make all the difference, but I don’t have that kind of cash for a mattebox and filter (think I would go with an ND.06, thanks to working with Mr. Mackenzie).

5:10 AM

Here’s the reverse and of course it was easier to work with but not as exciting.  The trash is kind of distracting but what are you going to do.  Seems that everyone is paying attention to the sign painted on the road.  Oh, but I kid!!!

5:06 AM

Inside the market, where it is usually jammed with tourists.

5:19 AM

Ok, fine.  Yes I did take a picture of the phones.  Just like a tourist would.  But five of them?  I mean when was the last time all five were used simultaneously?  THAT would make a good photograph…hmmmmm.

Piccadilly

Today was tougher.  I got up earlier.  3:30 am and caught the 24 to Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street.  I’ve never seen so many drunk fools on a Thursday morning in my life.  It leads to another post which I’ll work on later.

Anyway.  There were a lot of people out.  Too many in fact.  It was about 4:15 when I got there.  Light was beginning to show in the sky and it didn’t seem like this location would work.  I scrambled down to Oxford Circus.  More people, not as many at least, I guess as there was more light these vampires were scuttling off to their coffins.

Made my way to Piccacdily.  The last place I would try today.  I hung out and waited. . . a while.  And got this.

4:50 AM

Abandoned London

Term over.  Hopi Indians in mid-August, along with a follow up on Tejon Ranch in LA.  So what’s a MA student to do?  Well, I’m going to peddle my crap around town a little and look to get shot down a thousand times.  But I have to keep shooting.  I have one idea that will be kept on the back burner until October or November but until I leave for Arizona I need another project.  One that’s cheap and keeps me in the city.

Here’s the beginnings of it.

5:34 AM

So I’m planning on going out every morning and trying to capture at least one London land/cityscape by itself.  No cars, no buses, no people.  I woke at 4 am this morning and got to Parliament Square by about 4:45, right at sunrise.  I will have to get up a bit earlier I think but I am happy with the results of today.  And it wasn’t just one.  I got two.

5:15 AM

If the weather keeps up like this I should have more to come.