Day 27 (through 31): Covet

So despite my being incommunicado for the past few days, rest assured that I have continued taking shots at least. Over the weekend, I was out touring some of the music stores in the area looking for inspiration and doing research for a logo project I'm helping a friend of mine out with. 

After several hours perusing the racks, I returned home with one burning desire: to learn how to play guitar for the sole reason that I want to be able to justify going out and buying one or more of the beautiful stringed machines I saw. 

Honestly, I don't think they could make some of these any more like candy. 

My favorite right now is a '67 replica that Danelectro makes that just makes me drooool...

Yeah, that would be them right here. It's unhealthy the craving they create. And it's not like I want just one of them, either. I want all three of these and all of the other colors they make. 

Like I said, not healthy. 

Most of the day, I spent shuffling around, shooting pics all guerrilla-stylee with my nifty phone mainly 'cuz it felt weird just out and out snapping off pictures in a store. It kinda felt like casing the joint. 

Which led me to thinking up answers to the questions the detectives would obviously ask when they came looking for me after all of the stores I'd visited got ripped off that night in a case of cosmic coincidence and mistaken identity a la My Cousin Vinny. 

...what can I say? I've got an over-active imagination that just kicks into overdrive when I'm out tripping out on visual stimuli. 

Here's a sweet little logo I saw. Pic's a little on the blurry side...

OK, it's a lot on the blurry side. Sue me. I already told you I was going all James Bond style stealthy. 

And here's a couple more. You'll have to forgive the lapse in posts, but these should make up the interim days anyhow. 

More tomorrow...

Day 26: More of the letter A

Obviously, this one turned out a little blurry, but I wanted to play a little more with the idea of collecting letterforms. Sort of a typography exercise in photography. I liked this for the pseudo-tiki/bennihana lounge feel of the letters combined with the outlined and then slapped onto some faux-wood grain.

Day 25: Denim

A little on the dark side and certainly darker than the denim as it really is, but I was really happy with the way the texture of these jeans came out. The beauty of digital photography--you can screw around and shoot tons of stuff you'd never have shot if you'd have ahd to develop the actual film. Makes it much easier to experiment and make mistakes.

Day 24: A

Just some more fun with letterforms. I guess you could take a kind of Sesame Street bent with this one, right? Kind of a Today sponsored by the letter "A" sort of thing. Maybe it's been too long since I watched Sesame Street--I'm not even sure if they even still do that bit. ...guess I know what I'm watching when I get home tonight.

Day 23: Sunset

I could alternately title this "Why I Love Seasons". This kind of sky you only get in the small days before winter and the almost-long days as winter fades away. This type of sky is entirely worth sub-freezing temperatures for a few months.

Day 22: Chain Gang

 

This medallion is an element on a charm bracelet that belonged to my mother. I remember being fascinated with this when I was little. In looking at the type on the back of this medallion, I was struck by the lights and darks and relief of the type. 

Day 21: Letterforms

Again, looking at font as a graphic, photographic element. I think to really achieve the depth of field and perspective I'm going for here, I need to invest in a macro lens or macro filters and try this again with the Nikon.

Day 20

 

Day 20: Reading

I've been playing with font & letterforms recently in my sketchbooks so this composition I snapped stood out today. I think perhaps it's time to move on from "small items" for a while.  

Day 19

 

Day 19: Pull

With this shot, I wanted to play with perspective, test out the range of focus and depth of field on my phone's camera and work with the highlights off the metal. Not a bad result.

Day 18

Day 18: From the Sunny South
Although the background leaves something to be desired, I liked the effect of the crate text in perspective. However the perspective isn't quite as dynamic as it looked through the viewfinder. Perhaps this one will have to be a do-over at some point in the future.

Day 17

Day 17: And On They Go
Further evidence of our flighty intruders. And now, apparently, they have decided to pose the stones in the sand.

Day 16

Day 16: Birds Are Small
Interlopers in our back studio space have left this evidence of their transgressions.

Day 15

Day 15: Bottles
I think the title says it all, now don't you?

Day 14

Day 14: No Smoking Please
So, although it's not my official anniversary (I think it's in a week), it's close enough that I thought this would be appropriate. It's been 4 years now without a cigarette. If you'd a known me even a year before that, you'd never have believed I could quit. I highly recommend it.

Day 13

Day 13: Self Portrait
So, after all that nonsense yesterday about self portraits, my lovely wife decided to ambush me with my own camera in order to help me with my distaste of self portraits. She even allowed me to pose as I saw fit. This little gem is the result. Enjoy...

Day 12

Day 12: Deviation
So I thought we'd deviate from the theme for a couple of shots.This is a spontaneous self-portrait taken yesterday morning in the middle of a cold, Old-Port bluster. I've always liked self-portraits taken indirectly, via reflection for instance. Or in shadow, etc. My college photo instructors weren't big fans of this approach. On the one hand they felt that it was meant to be a direct shot of self. On the otherhand, they didn't appreciate me trying to justify a shadow of myself caught accidentally in another project's shot as a "self-portrait".
Regardless...part of the reason I started taking pictures was because I don't particularly like being in front of the camera. So if I'm taking them, I don't have to be in them, right? So it only follows, I don't particularly care for direct, right-on, undistorted self-portraits.
Although, this is a long challenge. Maybe one will make its way up here sooner or later....

Day 11

Day 11: Water
Although, it was likely ice under there, considering how G.D. cold it was on Exchange Street this morning when I took this. File under: Shooting Under Duress. My ears are still numb. Crap.

Day 10

Day 10: Lots
I've recently been fascinated with Make: Magazine's followers and their need to teardown technology. So I tried my own. And in keeping with the "small items" theme, here's a lot of small items. (Note to self: need to watch that flash glare in the future.)

Day 9

Day 9: Boston
'Cuz really? Where else do you use this button quite so much? (Those of you who've never lived in Boston are excused from getting this. But you're also not allowed to comment.)

Day 8

Day 8: Snowman
Well, it is almost February after all. It really wouldn't be winter without a snowman, now would it?

Day 7

Day 7: Heavy Metal Frog
I think the name says it all. Early morning light, shaky hands.