I'm still here.
Funny that my last post was that I was back from a bit of a break.. Because I kind of went off on another long break. Needless to say, 2020 has been a challenge for everyone.
I felt overwhelmed with everything and kind of turtled from social media a bit. It was really great to take a break from posting content to take time to be introspective and focus purely on shooting photos. That said, it also feels good to be easing back in and find a pace and rhythm that feels comfortable and manageable.
That out of the way, this is a photo blog and a post means pictures. Today I’m going to post black & white photo pairs - five pairs of my favorite B&W frames over the last several months.
First up is a pair from my visit to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), or the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest (CHOP). I captured these on Cinestill BwXX through an Olympus XA. This was my first time scanning negatives and I think it turned out alright; though some light leaks during development showed up on parts of the roll.
I must stress that the CHAZ during my stay was peaceful. The area isn’t even all that large, only spanning one or two blocks along an intersection.
I think a lot of focus had been placed on unfortunate events that happened in and around the occupation, but looking past that noise, there was some really beautiful and emotionally charged art being created.
More importantly, really important conversation was also going on - and people were listening. That was what I wanted to document during my trip in, because that’s what people need to take away from it all, long after the zone’s disbandment.
Black lives matter. It’s sad that it has to be said. But until we as a society treat black lives with respect and dignity, we do not go about our lives as if everyone’s life matters.
Scenes of abandonment in times of COVID.
I think on a normal day in normal times, capturing these scenes would totally be possible and fair game. But in a pandemic, and certainly while in lock down, I feel they convey more weight and serve as a reminder of just how much our lives have changed.
I think empty street scenes convey desolation too, but I liked the empty seats in both of these frames to convey a sense of scale to the emptiness and lack of people.
I also started taking photos of locks whenever I happened upon them. The ‘Locks of Lockdown’ as I called it.
Sometimes I would start wondering if those locks were there before the lockdown/quarantine/shelter-in-place orders were enacted. Pff. Too much thinking - ‘Locks of Lockdown’!
And now I have a bazillion photos of locks.
I’ve also had a lot more opportunity for more candid portraiture at home .. due to being stuck at home much more. Keeping myself entertained. Alex tolerates it, but I think the results have been worthwhile.
Gob too. He’s always getting into things when he’s not loafing around and it’s almost always worth documenting.
Silly beagle.
That’s all for now - More to come, and soon.