electric lion

Electric Lion has moved!

2010-11-05T13:06:00.001-07:00

Just a static reminder that my photo blog moved to carynorton.com/blog

I'm calling it! It's Over! Electric Lion is Dead. Long Live Electric Lion.

2010-10-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm calling it. Electric Lion is done! It's been going for 2 Years 275 Days, with blog posts every day for two of those years and 2.5 blogs per week for this year, on average, and a bit under a thousand posts.

More importantly, my original goal is been totally destroyed, I've learned so much about making photographs, learned so much about myself (even if it'd be hard to articulate what those things are), and I'm finally at a place where I can comfortably walk away from this project. BUT I AM NOT DONE POSTING PHOTOS AND BLOGGING ABOUT THEM. And in that spirit, I'll tell you all something else.

Finally, my new site is more or less done, and is online. THIS will be the hub of all my photo activity henceforth and thus the transplanted home of Electric Lion, Poptpop, and the blog that is/was on theordinary.org (which will also come down very soon).

CaryNorton.com is now up!

Being a concise portfolio and a unified location for almost anything related to my photos. That's the goal of the new site. As such, you'll see tighter edits of images in the portfolios and consistent blog posts about new work, ideas, travel crap, thoughts about photography stuffs, poptpops, personal work, etc.

THE NEW BLOG URL AND RSS FEED:

Blog URL—carynorton.com/blog
RSS Feed—carynorton.com/feed

I hope the new blog serves not only as a place to keep new work updated, but a place to start conversations and do my best to keep the updates consistent and interesting.

I'll eventually put up one more blog here with a long term note about the new blog and its URL.

For now, please go HERE.

Thanks

More recent print

2010-09-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

I also recently shot a story for Birmingham Magazine called Best of Birmingham for which I made several portraits of the winners of different categories. My favorite of which was photographing Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar and Grill for three different wins: Frank for Best Chef and Best Local Food Advocate as well as Highlands Bar and Grill for Best Service (for which I also photographed a server, Goran, who has been there since Highland's opened their doors).

The main photo I wanted to get was a classic portrait of Frank shot on large format with simple, natural light. We chatted a bit about what we both wanted out of the shot and I was pleased to know he wanted his kitchen staff in the photo with him for his "Best Chef" shot. I went with the same natural light setup I'd thought about for the solo shot and applied it to the whole group with the goal of creating a photo I could visualize hanging in the restaurant's kitchen at the turn of the century. An image with a certain amount of pride and dignity to it. (I don't know that I could have pin pointed it like that in the moment, but thats the emotion that came with the idea of the group shot and the chef wanting to give credit to his team.)

Enough rambling. I ended up shooting the main shot with a Crown Graphic (127mm) on Fuji FP100C45, recovering the negative, and scanning that. It turned out super gritty and made my day.

While waiting on the kitchen crew to get ready we chatted a bit in the dining area during which time I shot much more casual frames of just Frank which, to my surprise, ended up running as the cover. Below is the cover as it ran for the September issue.

New work + new site both on the way!

2010-09-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've had some excitement building for a while now about some new work that's been officially released and also for the new site that is on the way for my work.

I've been slammed with preparing images for different shoots and getting portfolios together for the new site which has limited my time for blogging but the plan is to step it up again once carynorton.com is officially unveiled.

For now I'll mention a project I worked on earlier this year that I'm really proud of. I partnered with Slaughter Group to create a new library of images for the longstanding local manufacturing bulwark M+B Hangers. I've never really thought about how hangers are made but I had my mind blown like a tiny child being in their manufacturing plants. It was like living the show How It's Made right in front me.

The first goal was to explore their Leeds, Alabama manufacturing plant—the last metal hanger factory in the United States—and get a sense of their lovely employees as well as document the process by which their various hangers are created.

Step two was to do the same process at their factory in Piedras Negras, Mexico and stop by their distribution warehouse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Everything was photographed in a very simple way. Most shots are available light shot on a Mamiya 6x7, Canon 1V / 5D, or Leica. I had support in Alabama from Caleb who made it possible to manage all the gear, reflectors, and the occasional low-key light setup (total Strobist style..580EXII on manual shot through a medium shoot-through umbrella).

The process was legitimately fascinating to my science-and-nerdery-driven brain and I couldn't be prouder of the images we created.

Their are viewable currently on the M+B HANGERS website and there was some talk of a physical book down the road, but that's far from confirmed (though I'd LOVE to see these in print instead of just on the web).

Above is Phillip, an energetic and warm employee at the Leeds plant. Below I'm going to put together some of my favorite shots from both locations. We also put together a special advertising series for M+B, but I'll wait to talk about that for another post.

There are so many more I love that really fill in the story. Check out the site to see more.

Cheers

Long Island City circa 2007

2010-08-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Digging through old images...found this one of the Hunter's Point neighborhood in Long Island City, Queens. The Pepsi sign has been since moved and that site is the future site of the Queens Library.

Something about this shot was eerie to me and felt sort of like it was older than I am...so here it is.

Steph's Dad on the couch

2010-08-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Steph's dad back at Memorial day hanging out on the couch. Pardon the dust.

Loan Modificaion

2010-08-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Saw this and was compelled to photograph it. Seems to me very much a staple of life today. People upside down in large amounts of money, everyone else trying to "help" them while trying to feed their own family. Perhaps too cynical of a view, but I see this stuff everywhere, especially in the poorer areas.

Favorite part is the "No Plantation Politics" sign. What an interesting phrase.

4x5 Recovered Negative shot on Fuji FP100C45.

More from Oregon

2010-08-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

Tree + awesomeness + Oregon coast = dude in awe.

Slowly

2010-08-21T05:46:00.001-07:00

The new Cary Norton dot com is slowly coming together. I cant for it to land. More on that later.

Photos to follow

Cannon Beach pano

2010-08-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Please, look at this LARGER. I promise it is better. Really, I'd like this thing huge somewhere.

This is Steph taking a photo of Cannon Beach (aka Goonies rocks) and a few other tourists making a photo with them as well. Yet another favorite Poptpop...yet another from the Oregon coast.

I love HP5 film.

Megan

2010-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Megan having her hair done / Self portrait.

Matthew Mayfield

2010-08-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA for a while it seems (to me) but at least for good reasons. Lots of running around town making photos. Lots of trying to put out other weird little fires (it's the little crap that takes so much time).

One of the _good_ things that has taken some of my time lately was to photograph Matthew Mayfield for his upcoming full length release. We had a specific goal and to my delight it called for shooting film and working with a bare bones setup. I love, love, love simplicity.

He had a specific idea in mind. Think old. We shot on the rolling white wall with the Crown Graphic, RZ, and Leica. On the large and medium formats we shot instant film as well (mostly to scan the negatives of them...as it lends itself to the feel we were going for).

Above is a photo of the setup, mid-shoot. Talk about simple. Wall, subject, camera, north light in the studio. Done.

Holger Thoss

2010-08-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Mr Thoss, again. Another of the three amigos I've come to love in New York.

Sadly, Philippe was shooting when we all got together when I was up in May, so I have no photo for him...right now anyway.

John Dolan

2010-08-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here again is John Dolan, one of the three dudes who have greatly affected my outlook on creating photographs. In the foreground is Holger...his shot comes next.

Anne Watkins

2010-08-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Anne again. I knew from the second I met her we'd get along and I try to see her any time I'm in New York. She's an outstanding gestural watercolourist (is that a thing?) (her work can be found Here) Such a lovely person.

Troy, again.

2010-08-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Troy, again...from the San Diego trip.

Steph on the train

2010-08-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Steph on the train, somewhere in California.

Caleb & Laura

2010-08-03T13:09:00.001-07:00

Caleb & Laura in New York in May. Caleb assisted me on the job I was shooting there and Laura came up for a weekend to hang out with him. I enjoy this shot (which I guess is obvious since I'm blogging it?)

hip shots

2010-08-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

click for larger version, if you are into that.

two random hip shots from ny from may. just now getting around to scanning that stuff.

Steph's parents...on a lawn mower apparently.

2010-07-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

There isn't much I can think of to say about this shot, other than it's completely absurd...and I love it.

Stephanie's parents (William and Kathy) at home in Monroe. On the lawn mower. In their back yard. After a crawfish boil. A for serious crawfish boil.

Her family is the most delightful kind of odd.

Jessica & Anthony. American Gothic revisited.

2010-07-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Back at Memorial Day we headed down to Monroe to hang out with Steph's family and to celebrate Jessica's graduation. Seemed like an appropriate holiday to revisit American Gothic.

Ryan

2010-07-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, Ryan told me about the bleaching, so here is a photo of him.

Troy + Fuji FP100C45 recovered negative

2010-07-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

OH SHIT. My world just got asploded.

As mentioned, I went out to San Diego to hang with Jon Canlas and while there Ryan Muirhead told me about recovering the negatives of Fuji FP100C (and in my case 100C45) by bleaching the back. This means I shoot the instant film, can give that away to whomever, keep the other chunk you normally throw out...let it dry...take it home and bleach off the black crap...and...I've got a negative.

OH MY GOD. I kept 8 of my "negatives" from shooting at Film Is Not Dead and bleached them out today. I have 6 more to scan...but here are two more (one this post, one next post).

This is Troy, one of the many people who came out to be our models...he and his wife Clare are awesome and both bring a great style to being photographed...makes our jobs easier for sure.

Above is Troy's negative. I converted it to black and white as it had some weird green blotches..which translated really nice in monochrome.

Caleb

2010-07-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Caleb. New York, May 2010.

scan of steph's dad's beard

2010-07-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

It has only grown since this. This was photographed over memorial day weekend in Monroe on Fuji 100C45. #nerdnotes

more yam, more ascani

2010-07-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

YamAscani

2010-07-23T08:55:00.001-07:00

John

2010-07-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

I feel that this is truly John Yam.

Catching up...

2010-07-23T07:39:00.001-07:00

Gonna try to catch up a bit. I have so much stuff hanging around I just haven't had time to get it out.

First, here is Alison. I shot so photos of her and long-time friend and general badass John to celebrate their engagement.

She's first...John is next (in terms of posts).

More mobile electric lion crap

2010-07-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

More jank from the road. Can't wait to get scans together from a billions rolls.

(phone photo of fuji 100c45 instant film)
[ed. note: reuploaded scanned image later]

Totally bobo mobile electric lioning

2010-07-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm still on the road sans computer so here is a totally bobo phone post. It's a phone picture of a 4x5 fuji 100bw45 of Garrett in his awesome backyardpatiothing. I shot helen back there too, but differently. Film shot to come eventually.

We just went to council crest and saw mountains. Pretty great.

We head to San Diego today by train and we are both pretty excited about it. I'm hoping to find a way to shoot 4x5 out the window or some such.

[ed. note: fixed the image...uploaded a scan later]

Damien

2010-07-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have so much freaking film to scan....until then...here's a shot of Damien playing at the bottletree.

The Bottletree, loved by many. Specifically, Sarah.

2010-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

There are pros and cons of living pretty much everywhere. There is green grass almost everywhere I've been (though I don't think anything could get me to live in Knoxville again). Some towns are overhyped and some don't get the love they deserve. Birmingham (and Alabama) has its fair share of pitfalls, but we've got a ton of great things as well.

One of these is a venue/bar/restaurant called The Bottletree that has, over its three years, really made a name for itself by having an outstanding atmosphere, solid food (with veggie and vegan options), welcoming staff, and an endless supply of tchotchkes all over the walls (it is hard to choose a favorite weird LP from the walls).I'm not trying to make some sort of half assed review of this place, I'm just saying people love it and it lives here. That makes me happy.To back me up, here's Sarah showing some love. (To be fair, I asked her to give me a thumbs up, and I fully know this is super cheesy, but whatever.)

Sarah

2010-06-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Some musical nomads came through my town and made their lean-to out of The Bottletree for a few hours. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground blazed an outstanding sonic path for mister Damien Jurado this past Thursday, to the delight, I'd say, to all in the house. Members of (new crush band) Kay Kay backed him as he presented loads of songs from the recently released Saint Bartlett.

The bonus to all this lovely music is that the glorious and talented photographer Sarah Jurado has put on her management pants and came along with the whole crew...AND let me follow her around with a camera. I still have other film to develop but here (above) is one I like from this first roll. More to come (as well as eventually better scans).

pizza. sleep.

2010-06-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Polaroids in DUMBO

2010-06-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yep...polaroids on the ground in dumbo.

I'm getting a bit behind

2010-06-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Brian Murphy in dumbo when I was in New York in May. He's on his phone, in case you were wondering (which is unlikely as it is pretty obvious. Why did I write any of this?)

dumbo couple, dude, bridge, plane. how's that for a descrip...oh crap this is the title.

2010-06-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hung out with Brian Murphy in D.U.M.B.O. while in New York at the beginning of the month. Yes, brian T. murphy*.

*he's not in this shot.

Happy Memorial Day (?....do you say "happy" on a day meant to pretty somber?)

2010-05-31T11:19:00.001-07:00

As mentioned, we're in Monroe (soon to leave, sadly) and being a photographer I get asked at times to take photos. It's never a problem, but I sometimes get little bonuses like taking really cheesy shots of people. Here's Steph and Jess, a classic cheesy duo, in the family backyard during family photo time.

Raj, in his gas station

2010-05-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm in Monroe for the Memorial day long weekend and there is a local business owner who shares a mutual affection for Stephanie's family. I've long heard of him but never met him—until tonight. Raj is originally from Delhi (India, not Del-High, Louisiana (they seriously call it del-high), moved to London, New York, and then middle of fucking nowhere Monroe (Swartz), Louisiana. Every time Steph asks for his story as to how he got he he just says it's a long story and won't tell it. I assume he's on the run from the law. Or is in witness protection. Or a spy. Totally a spy. (A nice spy)

Anyway. He was great and we chatted about India and food stuffs and general nonsense. I'll hang out with him again...guaranteed.

This is a digital photo of a Fuji 100C45 instant film shot. I shot a few frames of Fuji 160 color as well. Look out, Richard Photo Lab..here they come.

Purpose

2010-05-10T07:04:00.001-07:00

So, as this project continues, albeit in a different form, I wonder now and then about the ongoing purpose of this blog thing.

Electric Lion started out as a semi-secret project to see if I could take a photo every day and post a photo every day...as a means of practicing discipline and to grow as a photographer. It totally worked. I shot for two years and posted as close to daly as possible and have now converted to a loose, 3-day-a-week quasi format. But I feel like I'm in sort of a no mans land now...I am not out to prove anything to myself anymore, so I guess I'm posting for the people who read this. In which case I need to step up my game, eh?

Ultimately, these posts will stop being posted at this URL, but rather change to carynorton.com (as mentioned) and that will become the hub for all blogging by me (still havent decided about poptpops, though). That makes me want to be "more professional" or whatever the hell that means. What I think I SHOULD do is just post the best but still bring myself to the posts. I have a tendency to formalize myself a bit when I feel like I'm writing for someone specific. So, I guess I'll gonna try to be myself, and in turn post pictures that I love, no matter what. Or something. (See above for instance. This photo...I love. But mostly because Steph is flossing, let me take the photo, and let me post it here)

Hi, I'm Cary. (Maybe I'll recycle that line for when I officially relaunch carynorton.com)

POLL:

When I relaunch, should I transfer over all of Electric Lion's blog posts?
Should I let it stand on its own or start it out with a bang with all the content I've posted here for the last 2.5 years?

rob and the mom cam, again.

2010-05-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

I limited images at my disposal here so I'm really getting the most out of this mom-cam roll. Fortunately I have plenty I like.

Here is rob again. Laughing, imagine that.

Oh, ps, thats my head on the bottom. I was doing a non-look, shooting-behind-me sort of thing.

Also, I have so much work I'm proud of from earlier this year I just still can't post it. Soon, I hope.

BURRITO BABY

2010-05-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

Steph's burrito baby, at Camp Taco.

david

2010-05-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

David on the mom cam.

waaaaay behind.

2010-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm about 9,000 shots and 4 days into an 8 day shoot...I don't have a ton of time for blog stuffs. I did grab some scans from RIchard Photo Lab, aka asskickers, and will try to post a couple of shots. Above is Rob in the office photographed with a total mom-camera i got at the thrift store for 3 bucks because it had a roll of film in it (and I'm nosey).

More from that roll to come.

Whoa.

2010-04-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

I shot a series of portraits recently...I don't know when they will surface, but I just cannot withhold this man any longer. I forget his name offhand, but I was captivated by his face as soon as I saw it. I was also intimidated, but it worked itself out.

More on this later.

This dude is intense.

Weird family poptpop

2010-04-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is a very strange and lovely poptpop. And I love it.

Obviously,

2010-04-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Obviously, my mom was there (what with the whole anniversary and all). She hates when I take her photo and this was no exception. I see a lot of her as a kid in this shot (and the series of 11 frames I took of her in this moment).

A while back

2010-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

A while back Steph's family came up and we took a quick trip up to my grandparents' house, in part to celebrate their 69th anniversary, in part to see the farm, and also, to take a few pictures of Jessica (steph's sister). I'm a bit behind on electric lion here so i'm gonna pick a few of my favorites and post them.

Steph's dad, William, has an awesome beard. He's been growing it since the start of this past Whiskerino and it continues to be outstanding. Check out that curl!

And...Married.

2010-04-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Richard + Julie

2010-04-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

My long-time friend Rich is getting married today and as with the tradition, we went out for some drinks last night. We wound up at a karaoke place that was so so bad. In a great way. They seriously had a stripper pole for people to dance on when they get wasted enough. Brilliant.

Another note of no consequence is that we had the most amazing Thai spread for dinner last night. So place in Leesburg, VA. Rich and his dad were dropping Thai with the staff all night and I was loving it. I was stuffed...with the best meal I've had in ages. Dear Steph, let's go to Thailand. Signed, Me.

So yeah the above is just Rich at the bar.

Also I've been shooting stuff I enjoy as late, but can't post it yet. Looking forward to doing so though. Portraits all around the state, Texas, and Mexico.

Blast from the past, again

2010-04-16T13:15:00.001-07:00

Another blast from the past here. I've been shooting plenty I am proud of but cannot yet really show anyone. In browsing through disparate images on a super random drive I ran across some old India images and found this one...well...I found it to be a photo of a tiny monkey and it is damn cute so I am posting it, dammit. That's it. It is a monkey. It has the features of other baby animals. It is in a tree.

the end.

POPTPOP at the Farm!

2010-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

This...this is, I think, my favorite poptpop yet. This is Steph's mom shooting us at my grandparents' farm. More info will be at poptpop.com.

I love it. I love it so much to make it today's electric lion in addition to the next post on poptpop.

For larger (which is my preference, frankly) see Here.

Cindy outtake

2010-04-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

I got back more film today and am very excited about a lot of the shots. The frame above is an out take from a shoot in El Paso that would never ever run, but I really like.

In an unrelated note, Damien Jurado is putting out a new record called Saint Bartlett and you can Pre-Order it already and if you DO you get MP3 downloads of the whole album RIGHT NOW. That's like getting the album 1.5 months early and STILL getting the album as super surprise later! Can't wait to hold this one in my hands, though.

Whiskerino 4x5 stuff

2010-04-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY got my shit together and got all the whiskerino stuff scanned. Michael (aka Mackle), the curator of Whiskerino, helped me get them online by providing a svelte gallery and hosting on the whiskerino domain.

CHIECK IT OUT.

The above (of @brandon) is one of my favorite shots from the whole day. It feels remarkably honest and warm to me.

Portrait for Birmingham Magazine

2010-03-30T11:45:00.001-07:00

Recent portrait for Birmingham Magazine of a long standing local company called Landscape Workshop. Check it out in the April issue. (It printed a bit green and dark in the magazine, but that's here nor there. At least it's their Green Issue, eh?)

Alan's Glorious Mustache

2010-03-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Alan has helped me out a few times over the last couple of weeks and during that time he got to fill the traditional assistant roll of being the light test model. Except the traditional light test model doesn't have a mustache that will kick your ass. Mustache May, get ready for this dude.

q'est-ce que ça?

2010-03-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Out take of a shot from yesterday. It's a crop but I sort of liked how it looks this way. Still on the road. Ready to be home for sure.

A shot I took for my friend Philippe

2010-03-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Philippe Cheng makes great unexpected photographs. I was shooting a factory in Piedras Negras, MX and saw an opportunity to tip my hat to him.

(p.s. the link is to his blog where he posts abstract photographs)

i never win at the LOTTO

2010-03-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

En route back from the Whiskerino Throwdown (super blast!) we dropped into a Tennessee gas station and grabbed some Lotto tickets. I think Alan won biggest by getting like two bucks maybe? I lost 10 bucks maybe—but then if pressed I'd say I was still drunk in order to justify it (it'd be a lie but I'd feel 1.3% better).

Anyway...there was light there that was glorious. GLORIOUS I tell you. I grabbed this frame of David and am pleased, more or less, with its outcome. Granted it is just a floating head. BUT I TOOK IT AT A SHELL STATION.

We're having a FIRE!...sale.

2010-03-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

On my way home a couple of weeks ago I saw a HUGE plume of smoke over my city (above).

So I got closer.

Caleb, yet again

2010-03-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Fake cheesy band photo, courtesy of shooting yesterday.
(note him holding the meter)

Caleb's legs OR Caleb Takes A Nap OR Sleepers, assistants that sleep on the job

2010-03-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today was really an incredible day of shooting. I was working on a promotional project for a local manufacturing company and I was super impressed with how genuinely great everyone working there seemed to be. There was a dude there who'd be working for them 41 years! And another dude 30 years. Amazing to me.

I can't wait for the project to be public so I can show some of these images...the film goes to the lab tomorrow and I can't wait to get it back. Cannot. Wait.

Caleb was there today helping me out. I left him alone for like 5 minutes and the jerk fell asleep. Pff!

(He was a great asset today, in all seriousness)

Another from the vault

2010-03-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Another shot from the vault, around the same time as the last one. This is from a commercial shoot a couple of years. Looking back on it (which I do far too often, I think), I really learned a ton on that job and made a lot of work I'm proud of, most of which never saw the light of day. Makes me want to remind myself to take seriously ridiculous risks on important jobs. I'm trying to remember the last major job I shot Lomo on. Maybe I'll slip it in the bag for my next couple of jobs. We shall see.

Also, I updated the photo wall that lives at my house. I can't decide what to do when the wall is full. Maybe I'll give the prints away and start again.

And the wall as seen in the last three updates (reverse order):

From the vault

2010-03-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is a hallway from a building I used to live in. It was pretty much this creepy all the time. It didn't help that the place was so busted you had to break into the basement if you blew a fuse (yes, a fuse, not a break) since the sketchy-ass landlord kept all that stuff locked up and more or less refused to come out if he wasn't really close.

Ben Frank, classic Whiskerino

2010-03-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

Yeah, more Whiskerino. Ben Frank. Classic.

Liz

2010-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

This adorable lady is Liz and was one of the shots from today. She thought she looked a bit young but I really dig it.

Another Whiskerino favorite

2010-03-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Grower&Shower

Andrew Barefoot

2010-03-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

One of the Whiskerino crew, Andrew Barefoot.

old school photo time

2010-03-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Jason got in touch with me about an old photo of mine from something like 2006. There is an area in Birmingham called Gate City and it is not a place I'd like to find myself after dark, or really near dark. The area is known to me as a place that is not only a set a of Projects, but one with only one way in and out. Anyway...this was nearby said projects and, in fact, it is still around today and just as impacting. So since I dug out the negative and rescanned it I figured I'd post it too.

I still have no idea what the sign is in reference to. I will never ask.

It reads (for the sake of it being text on the page instead of just an image):

WE BEG YOU WITH TEARS IN OUR EYES TO PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE

Sweet hat, sir.

2010-03-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

This dude rode his bike through my shoot yesterday so I stole his soul. He totally deserved it, and I'm gonna pawn it for some Leica gear.

Anyway I like this outtake. So here it is.

(Progress being made on the whiskerino front too, btw. May it RIP)

Whiskerino Polaroid

2010-02-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

So while at the Throwdown I took a bunch of polaroids and film shots of a bunch of the beardos. Here's the curator of all of whiskerino, Michael "Mackle" Eades.

I can't wait to unlease these shots when they are all done.

Whiskerino favorites (a few anyway)

2010-02-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

Whiskerino draws to a final close (sadness abounds) and I thought I'd post a couple of favorites. These are all David and me for now but I'll have another post of shots of Alan and Kevin.

Top left is a shot of David for mug shot day. It's two exposures on one sheet of 4x5 film (for a classic look). To the right of that is a shot of me using said 4x5. David took it but the concept was mine so I'm including it.

Under that is a really wide one for zoom-sneak day (which is where there is extra goodness outside of the normal view such that you have you zoom to see the whole shot). The normal shot looked like him with light shooting out of his hand. The full shot Rob and I are shooting him, for some reason. Or trying, rather.

Next is me trying the flying Mackle. Next to that is David becoming the hunted. This one won king beard.

Last is a shot of David for "flash trash" day which made about as much sense to all of us as it may to you.

I cannot explain how great whiskerino was this time and I'm not even going to try right now.

By the way, these are all basically photoshop free. By that I mean I probably tweaked exposure for effect but we didn't like, add something in or fake anything.

Jason Wallis

2010-02-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

Jason Wallis is a solid dude. This pretty much can't be argued with as his life's goal I think is to provide for his family and be awesome.

I dropped by today for a little advice for an upcoming shoot and I enjoyed the outcome. Here is a random shot of him.

Whiskerino preview

2010-02-19T16:59:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick preview of a post I'm going to do on whiskerino soon. It ends at the end of the month and I'll post my favorite shots I've taken / been in for these last four months.

For now I'm at dinner at The Dog and heading toward the whiskerino throwdown and will surface next week. Ha.

Enjoy your weekend.

Thursday Bonus: Caleb á la 8x10

2010-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

As a little bonus for this week here's a shot of Caleb from the ole 8x10. I'm heading to Nashville this weekend for the Whiskerino Throwdown. Very excited about that.

8x10 is embarrassingly detailed and it's a shame to see it weblog sized. To see it larger, click here.

Stress

2010-02-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

I think this sums up the respective weeks of Rob and myself.

Processed the last of the most recent 8x10 stuff. Excited to scan my own. Scanned Jason's today...we'll see when he gets around to blogging them. I'd love to show them to you but thats hardly my place.

HINT: JASON BLOG THE 8x10 PHOTOS PLEASE.

I am pretty sure I've GOT to get on the road soon. I miss exploration and absorption. Meant to do that today actually but a shoot got moved and i had some seriously tedious-ass post production to do.

This weekend: The Whiskerino Throwdown. Hell. Yes.

Caleb.....yep. Caleb

2010-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

On the first day I shot 8x10 Caleb really came through with something absurd. He had borrowed my tophat (why on earth do I own one. I barely own dress pants) and apparently some makeup(?) and he produced this look. Chim chim, buddy.

As for 8x10, I'm still figuring out how I feel about it. I clearly haven't shot much so far but I do now at least appreciate the small, managable size of 4x5 (irony recognized). Developing has been the hardest part...talking to a friend the other day I think my development issues may be air bubbles in the fix. I'll be trying to get cleaner negs on the next round for sure. Still haven't run the shots from shooting with Jason the other day.

I shot some interiors this weekend which, much to my surprise, was really fun. Steph hung out with us while we shot this really cool space in the Highland area for the cool local home interior store atmosphere. The great Winslow Taft was around to AD which is always nice. Perhaps I'll feature a shot from that on Wednesday.

Trying to think of ways to collector work into groups and make people see them. Harder than it sounds soemtimes.

Rob, looking Completely ridiculous.

2010-02-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Another 8x10 sheet of Rob. I really need to work on my developing process for 8x10, for sure. This one had strange stuff going on so I made it weirder. Took more frames yesterday, as did Jason (his first!). I took some of jason and caleb. He shot me, caleb, and paul. I'll develop those soon no doubt. Wanting to shoot more 4x5. Got out and shot some cheesy crap in the snow today with Rob. Why not right?

New office!

2010-02-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

I took an office in the Highland Park area with Rob (top left) in an old school (actual school) building owned by David (top center). In the basement there is a darkroom where Rob and Bob (top right) throw down ye olde chemicals for developing and printing. I'll join them down there at some point I'm sure.

Now and then, Kevin drops in to read Walker Percy* books and write some words himself.

Not that it matters too terribly much, but I shot these with the ole Leica on bulk rolled film, rolled by Rob, developed by Rob, scanned by me. Totally dirty scans...some scratches too. Oh well. Tomorrow, another 8x10 shot....maybe two?

*our building was in some way used by Walker Percy WAY back in the day.

Chez Fon Fon

2010-02-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

I recent shot a bunch of images for Birmingham Magazine's story called Trivial Pursuit that covered a wide swath of cool things in our town. Some of the shots I was more happy with came from local dining institution Chez Fon Fon. In a rare change, I've posted several images in a spread thingy.

Whiskerino 4x5 style

2010-02-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

So we are in the final month of Whiskerino and the theme schedule has really ramped up. One from a few days ago was Mug Shots, and this is the photo I shot of David for his.

My description of the process as posted on Whiskerino

This is about as old school as I could ever hope to pull of in one night. Shot 4x5 on a Speed Graphic. I can't sync to strobes so we went even more old school by blacking the room and opening the shutter and popping a light, then covering the film again, adjusting, and doing another exposure.

yes! i love this 8x10

2010-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

I would call this my first successful 8x10 photograph. Bob, pictured, perhaps deserves a lot of the credit for doing something weird and letting me photograph it.

it looks fine here, but you really should view it large. If you don't care, feel no pressure to CLICK HERE.

Rob, first "proper" 8x10 scan

2010-02-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first semi okay scan of the 8x10 I shot. It's still a couple of stops under exposed (there will likely only be one (of bob) possibly properly exposed) but the detail is still amazing. I can't wait to run a perfect negative through. Anyway, I'm tired.

If you're curious what the [dirty] scan looks like a little bigger, click here. It's pretty big.

The rewarding nature of some of photography.

2010-01-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

Over time I've found photography to be a cruel, vile beast on one day and an amazingly rewarding job on the next. I try to be involved in the latter as possible (which helps keeps me humble and thrifty).

One way in which photography rewards me personally is on the shoots where you meet someone with an amazing heart and some magnetic charisma that just make you feel good about being alive. That happened to me in December when I went to Smyrna, Tennessee for Regions Bank to photograph an amazing high school senior named Cody who has a unique place on the football team.

You will like Cody. It's a non-negotiable. He will win you over by sheer force of will and you'll be buddies before you have time to think about how nice he is. He's is a tour de force of team spirit for his Smyrna High School football team and was recently honored by them for his outstanding service as a motivational coach. He gives all of himself to his team and his team surprised him recently by making him honorary captain and bringing him out for the coin toss, and even kitting him out in a proper uniform for the occasion. This may not sound out of the ordinary but it stands out here because Cody was born with cerebral palsy. You'd never know it to talk to him.

He's one of those classic cases of someone "overcoming" an obstacle with an indefatigably positivity and passion. Football and friends seem to be his life and he makes life sound Amazing.

Please read more about him at the See The Good blog.

Allison

2010-01-27T12:36:00.001-08:00

So in looking through Allison and Adam's wedding for a shot of her to post (to go with Adam, you see) I found this shot and I love it. I love simple.

Adam on his wedding day

2010-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

Here's Adam.

David and his veggie oil purification stuff.

2010-01-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

David does really like a billion things and I feel like he's a human version of the game Katamari Damacy based on collecting awesome hobbies and skills.

One of these myriad occupations is his Veggie Oil collection and processing. He and a friend collect oil from all over the city and purify it and run it in their vehicles. This is a random portrait of him with some of the gear used in this process.

outtake of me

2010-01-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

Outtake of me for some Whiskerino shots. a bit of a lazy post, for sure. And late at that! Soon I'll be able to post some 8x10. I STILL HAVE FREAKING 5 SHEETS OF THAT CRAP TO DEVELOP.

So this is more or less what I look like right...Now.

8x10

2010-01-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

So getting used to this new schedule is freaking me out a little. I'm so very used to posting every day.

Recently I took my first 8x10 photos. My [OLD and shitty] scanner will only do up to 4x5 transparencies so as of now I'm left without a decent way to reproduce / scan the images I made (and will make). The office Rob and I have been working on is now done, as is the darkroom he and Bob had been working on...so soon I will have plausible access to making contact sheets of these admittedly massive negatives. The first real image of these is posted above. Real really isn't the proper word. This is a digital photo of the negative sitting on top of Bryan's light box. Really, really bad.

Nerdery:

I actually under exposed this shot by around two stops, as well. I normally shoot HP5 in my 4x5 which is ISO 400 and the 8x10 I ordered is student grade (which, at 8x10, for me, is pretty unimportant) but it is ALSO only ISO 100. By habit I metered at 400 and out pops a grey masterpiece. There is a sheet I haven't run yet of Bob that I THOUGHT I totally blew out, but I think it'll end up being the closest to properly exposed in the end. So in the future, nerd noters, you'll likely see 8x10 contact sheets printed on VC paper (so I can filter them) and then scanned in their massive format glory.

Anyone wanna buy me an Epson v750? Please? I'll shoot a ton of stuff for you for free! I promise!

hey it's david again

2010-01-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

Imagine that, David again.

I'm a bit sick or perhaps I'd write more.

year three /david\

2010-01-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

This week on Whiskerino it is "your own theme" week and David's theme is "things I built with my bare hands". While on a location for his shots, I took this ridiculously wide angle photo.

3x5 Bill

2010-01-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

So here's Bill, the groom of a wedding I shot in DC back in December. 4x5 in slightly directional open shade during a snow storm. Wedding should post tomorrow. Lots of Lecia, little bit of 4x5.

Steph's dad's beard

2010-01-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

Steph's dad is doing whiskerino with us, just in an unofficial capacity. It is pretty brilliant.

Year three, taylor shaw yet again

2010-01-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Stephanie's parents

2010-01-04T22:07:00.001-08:00

I figure with a different format, I'll change up the title as well. No more "Day" this nor "Day" that.

Above are Stephanie's parents attempting to give a performance as awkward as their two daughters, below.

Year three.

2010-01-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

(me, totally looking super hard into the future. to the max)

Holy crap.

Two years of this photo blog are done.

TWO YEARS.

I'm sitting at my desk and really have no clue where to start in terms of talking about how I feel about 2009 or where I hope to go with 2010. I guess I'll just dig in...see what happens.

First, WE LIVE IN THE FUTURE. We can now say Twenty-ten, et cetera. Kevin will be sure to encourage you to call them the Twenty-tweens until we get to 2013, by the way.

But seriously. I'm 30 years old, live in a world filled with insane (and relatively nascent) technology, have information at my fingertips very literally at all times. We are steadily moving forward in gaining understanding of the universe and can take a gagillion megapixel image with our BRAIN*. And yet, despite these advancements and the state of digital photography, I continue to find my voice and vision with older and older cameras. It's pretty awesome actually. I really enjoy the fact that, in a world grasping desperately at anything to reach terminal velocity, I'm yanking on the emergency brake. Going slower on purpose. Taking time to try to make photographs instead of 48,000,000,000 digital snaps in 12 minutes and then sort through them all later only to realize none of them MEANT anything. I'd rather take one photo in 12 minutes and it have it convey a sense of meaning or emotion. Call me old fashioned.

*so not true.

In that light, I think I'm going to make some changes to how I approach things.

Element one: Format change. After two years and over 700 photographs posted more or less every day, I think I'm going to shift to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting regiment. I don't actually expect anyone to notice, but then I may underestimate the give-a-shit percentage of the 12 readers I have. Actually, it is weird to think about it like that as this blog started as a semi-covert persona project that turned into a place for people I know to see stuff I'm doing if they so desire. For a long time my name wasn't listed anywhere, even. Which leads to...

Element two: An eventual change of venue. Somewhere along the way I realized how much posting a billion images could be as a means of keeping people I want to WORK for up to date with what I'm SHOOTING. I am in the process of creating a new site for my photographs that will FINALLY be geared towards me pursuing work. It amazes me, truly, that for almost a decade I have worked as a photographer with no work really coming from any sort of advertising. So a new site is on the way and it will, when launched, host whatever Electric Lion becomes. For now, it'll stay here, but in the future, it'll have a new home, likley at carynorton.com.

Element three: So with giving myself a bit of break with the posting of the images, I'm hoping to do a few things
- Slow down my photography a bit. Take time to Really craft something I can be proud of.
- Market myself, for fucks sake.
- Emerse myself further into large format photograph. Specifically, 8x10. Hoping to borrow Jason's to some degree in order to get this ball rolling.
- Live life a bit more. Read. Write. Spend time with Stephanie. Continue to lose weight. Et cetera.
Element four: And finally a change I'm pretty excited about. PHYSICAL RELOCATION OF MY OFFICE! My friend and fellow photographer Rob Culpepper and I are taking an office on the south side of town and I couldn't be more excited to remove myself from my home specifically to work nor to share space with a human being (A PHOTOGRAPHER EVEN!) again. We've now finished sanding the floors and apply polyurethane soon, and then we can paint and move in. I'll still be living downtown but will have a place to go to work. It has been a while since I've had either a destination or a cohort. 2010 is going to kick ass.

So yeah. Not so much goals as much as how things are going to change. I'm excited about trying to shoot 8x10. If I get REALLY ambitious, I also have a process camera that will expose up to 14x18 which actually sort of blows my mind. Gonna have to figure out how to hack that into something I can use.

As for photographs: Here are, in no real order, some of my favorite photographs I took this year, and why.

Just a wonderful moment. I was glad I could do Allison and the light some justice.

Pretty recent addition to EL but I like it because I feel like it was a triumph of sorts. I used lights, made a good photo (if tame) out of a semi-bad situation.

Went with my gut and like the outcome

HOLY SHIT IT'S DAMIEN JURADO. This was fun and now I have a new friend.

It was also nice to meet and shoot Denison Witmer. In particular, I like this one because it was after daylight dropped and was lit very poorly but I was able to get a good shot...thanks to his ability to stay still DESPITE getting bit by a mosquito at the time of the image.

Yeah. Pretty people. Costa Rican rain forrest. Yeah.

Also speaks for itself.

One of my first tight, 4x5 portraits I was REALLY happy with.

A true darkhorse. It is an honest moment while shooting a family (the shot was for Bham Magazine and was 4x5. This was a digital outtake)

Granddad!

Uganda!

Stephanie!

Alan!

Winslow!

I loved a lot more..but I've got to go to bed.

Happy new year, everyone.

Day 365

2010-01-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

So. 2009 is done. 2010 is here.

This is Taylor Shaw and I'm ready for his new year!

2010 post to come.

Day 364

2009-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

god my numbers are all sorts of messed up. Taylor again. Looking happy!

Day 362

2009-12-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

Taylor came by yesterday and I took some shots. My sis got me a new toy that shoots Instax film (credit card sized polaroids, sort of) and this is one where I was trying to figure out where I needed to do the exposures.

Not a great scan..hence the dust spots.