Just because..........

Its November 30th and it was almost 60 degrees today. What the hell is that all about?

Anyway..........

My sisters wedding went well. She looked beautiful in her dress. I took a few shots but it was way to dark for my gear and my experience to handle. I found that taking pictures for me during a wedding is just a waste of time. I want solid unposed shots and I just aint savvy enough yet to get them.....YET.

Oh and by the way.....

If your bored and have Charter Digital Cable look up "More On Demand" for the "Mag Rack". In it you will find photography. Each show of various lengths covers a different aspect of photography. The subjects change month to month.

This month Joel Meyerowitz does a brief class on street photography. I thought it quite interesting. Then again I am a fan of Meyerowitz so......

Photography wise the more I think of Worcester them more I realize how it is a great spot photography wise. Within a hour drive from Worcester center you can shoot City Urban, Farm, Woods, Lake, Mountain, and on a good day even Sea scapes. Various people of various class, color, and attitude are also visiable. Endless supply of photo ops if one just cares to look.


The picture above was taken at Rural Cemetery. PhotoShop grayscale duotone with glow added.

And now for the news.........

Something I want to start doing in this blog is post articles related to photography.

Sooooo............

Up first is an article from CBS news titled Poverty In Brighter Focus The story is about how photographers first approached using a new type of film called kodachrome. Imagine that. This was the first time that photographers really tried to use color film in a documentary setting trying to drum up awareness of poverty in America.

Try to go where others have went before.

Trying to get that Meyerowitz feel. Not good enough in my opinion but its a start.
















Kodak UC 400. A little PhotoShop done.

Happy Thanksgiving, Veterans Day Parade, and the cause of my odd nature.

Before I start yapping on about whatever it is I am going to yap on about I just wanted to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving. I don't know about you but I have plenty to be thankfully for. I am blessed with a beautiful loving wife who is carrying our child. After 4 attempts, countless shots my Shannon had to endure, and a few tears, G*d has given us the gift of life.

Along with my Shannon came her family who have been nothing but great to me. Me and Mumzie may butt heads every once in a while but she is as rock solid as they come and a man could not ask for a better mother in law. Steve is trying to teach me when to just shut up and let things go. Its hard considering I have Henkins blood in me but I am beginning to see the wisdom in his teachings.



My sister is getting married to a great guy named Dean. Another solid person whom I admire. Good man. Heather has always been there for me whenever I needed her. She is the number 2 woman in my life. Amazing considering how much I tried to push her away when we were younger. One of us grew up and it wasn't me.


Though my father passed away I was given the chance to tell him I loved him and be there when he passed on to the next world. Not everyone gets that chance. I am thankfully for that too.





I am also thankfully to be blessed with a family whom I admire as well. We may be a cross between the Osbournes and the Simpsons but don't be fooled. When the chips are down I know they got my back. As we grow older I hope we grow closer.





My mom I thank for putting me on this little spinning orb. My odd nature, the way I look at life, and a need to investigate things that make people roll their eyes is because of her. She gets defensive when I tell her I get it from her as if I am blaming her. Hell, I am gratefully for it. It is an asset I hope to expand on.
Thanks mom.



My circle of friends is small but a more intelligent, funny, and quirky bunch can not be found. Each one brings something different into my life. Usually a smile, but a good kick in the ass when needed is there as well. I am thankfully for them as well.



The men and women who put it all on the line for us I am thankfully for as well. We can argue about the war but not what our troops, past and present do for us every day, usually unnoticed.

















And finally this little girl. Hopefully she will grow up to be as thankfull of her country, family, and friends as I am. As long a she still believes in these things and recognizes the blessing she is given ever day.............



















We're all gonna be alright.

I'll take a Mulligan.

Hell, I figure why not claim a Mulligan? Its my blog anyway. So here is one of those artsy fartsy shots that has been reworked. Glow and grain added. Other then that a slight crop. Despeckling and sharpening killed it last time I think. Also, usually the images I post onto this blog done show up as sharp as they appear everywhere else. I think this is a better presentation.

The Gazer gets 15 minutes of local fame.

So there I was sitting on the shitter at work, doing my daily, flipping through the latest edition of Worcester Magazine. I'm reading the Blog Log section and I find myself reading myself. Holy Chit Batman! That was a big surprise.

This does not come without a cost though. I don't want to be writing in my blog hoping to feed my ego of seeing myself in the Worcester Magazine again. Yet its so tempting. I know, I know, many find my writing style a cross between Mark Twain and Forrest Gump and my public will demand more but I must beg off for I must stay true to my blog, myself, and my art.....whatever the hell that is.

Funny part is I was getting ready to write something about how I enjoy Worcester Magazine for its local events coverage and its new look but the unchanged hard leftward slant to it can be a bit nauseating to us to the right of Attila the Hun.

Oh well, not everyone can be perfect.

Oh and by the way. I havent been posting the last couple of days because I was up in Maine for the weekend. Changes are on the way. Gazer may be gazing from a different location.

And just when you were beginning to love me.......

Artsy Fartst 2

Kodak UC 400, Photo Shop

Just because.

Kodak UC 400, no edits.

Artsy Fartsy

I love shooting stuff like this but this apartment is very limiting. We have too much crap crammed in here. I would love to set up a still life table but I need to find a place to put it. Anyway.............

Went out again this morning shooting Worcester. Trying to get that Meyerowitz feel in my images. Its tough to do because light like the subtle sky colors he shoots only comes by once or twice a day and for only a smidge of time, if at all. Igot a couple but I am not to sure if they came out as I had hoped. Yesterday I did the local Veterans Day Parade. See how that goes as well. One or two images I am hoping for but ya never know. Kinda pissed me off to see such a small turn out. Veterans deserve better then that. I was surprised at the size of some of the local high school Jr. ROTC programs that marched though. That was nice to see.

Peaches says.........................

Meet Peaches, the official Worcester Omphalos Gazer mascot. Every now in then I solicit opinions from the Peachster. The answers are usually brief but solid as far as his/her opinion goes. Be advised he swears like a sailor and is as blunt as sledge hammer.

I will show you what I mean. Here is a few questions I asked him/her recently and the response I got.

OG: Peaches, what sex are you? Male or Female?

Peaches: Pay vet, find out. Asshole!

OG: Well I was hoping you would save me a few bucks and just...

Peaches: Bite me!

OG: OK, lets just move on. Film or Digital?

Peaches: Dont matter. Shit in, Shit out!

OG: So its not the media that matters, its the subject?

Peaches: No dipshit! Photographer matters!

OG: So its the photographer that matters?

Peaches: Bingo fatboy!

And such is life according to peaches.

The gift that keeps on giving.

A few shots from the Rural Cemetery in Worcester. Heavy headed from the previous night of beer and strippers at my soon to be brother in law Dean's bachelor party, I found myself once again in the Rural Cemetery. For a place full of dead people this place was hopping. I saw at least 3-4 others there snapping away. Seems the secret is out. Oh well.

Hanging out with the dead aint so bad. They dont bitch much.

Thank you.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. I just wanted to say "Thank You" to the men and women who allow me and my family to sleep peacefully at night knowing they are out in uncomfortable conditions, doing uncomfortable missions, protecting us from whatever evil lurks in the shadows.

I believe in what these men and women are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe in their mission. I believe in them.

I also believe in the men and women who went before them as well. Because of them we are able to enjoy the fruits of today.

Again.
To those who serve in our armed forces, past and present......

Thank you.

-:(O): :(G):-



(The shot above was the first shot I took that turned out the way I envisioned it. It has been processed in PhotoShop. I know the camera was a Vivitar V3800N with a Vivitar lens. The film I am not sure of but I think it was Reala or Superia. I know it was Fuji)

Another shot, different church, same roll.

This one is from in front of Notre Dame in Worcester. The statue is golden and in the afternoon when the sun sets it can appear to glow. This was taken early in the morning as I was cruising and shooting. I don't know where I was really going with this shot. I wanted to add the cracks in the pavement and this prospective was what I wanted. The initially went further up over the door but it didn't really need to be there IMHO so I cropped it out.

Kodak TCN 400 cropped and minor adjustments made in PhotoShop.

This is not a political statement.

This is not a political statement, though it could be. Its just a shot I like. The only thing done to it is a crop from the bottom.

I like the tension of the angle combined with the shallow DOF and the way barb wire plays off contrast of the church. A cross in the picture would have been ideal. Thats my bad.





Kodak TCN 400. Cropped in PhotoShop.

Photo District News sham Top 20 and a shot of Lake Quinsigamond.

Help me out here.

Photo District News this year polled its readers to find The 25 Most Influential Living Photographers. PDN also listed the 20 Most Influential Photographers in their 20th Anniversary issue.

I call both a sham because two names are not on either list:

1)Joel Meyerowitz
2)Sam Abell

Enough said............

This shot of Lake Quinsigamond had a specific purpose. I wanted to show the Lake, the sailing club, and the Route 9 Bridge to give it a location for a local to recognize. I am kinda iffy on if it worked or not.


(Kodak UC 400, Slight color adjustment and contrast added in PhotoShop. Diffused Glow added as well.)

Oh look! A boat!

Another "just for the hell of it posts. The film I think was Fuji Superia 400. Photo Shop edited.

For the Hell of it.

Just wanted to post something to keep this blog moving forward. Spent last night and part of this evening cleaning a space in our mid room to start doing some still life. Other then that, not much going on. I am hoping to get out and shoot Saturday morning. Maybe I will make it to Quabbin. I will stay well away from Mellon "Goat Trail" Road.

This shot is just a still I threw together in the spring. Nothing special. Totally unedited. Kodak TCN 400.