so funny that i have so many scans from my lab in various folders. i always mean to do a blog, which is now a weekly column, but end up with no time to write. not sure how much i like the word "blog," either. derived from "weblog" i'm not sure it was ever a "blog" in the truest sense of what the word blog was supposed to mean.
i like "online column." the name blog just sounds so stupid, too. not as stupid as goop.com, though. who the fuck names their website goop? goop has always implied something bad to me. poor gwyneth.
just saw this about photo-retouching on nytimes.com. it makes me laugh when i heard "20 rounds" of going back and forth between publisher-client, "the talent," the publicist ... amazing. i don't think i've ever seen 20 rounds but i've definitely seen more than 5 or 6. i can do up to the about third round but i "hire out" anything more than that.
cannot believe the french want a disclaimer "photo has been retouched" so that people don't develop negative body images.
they should probably just slap that disclaimer on 90% of the photos on popular "photo sites" such as flickr and dA as well.
*murph just jumped up on the bed to say hello*
there's really nothing like it when your dog comes by to say hello.
although he didn't make the cut with stewart. ;)
whatever, mate. ;)
spaniel-hater.
how about that sunset last week in los angeles? 'twas so beautiful.
actually, we get quite a few nice sunsets per week here.
shot it with the new horseman 4x5 as well but ... alas ... the film is still waiting at the lab for me.
got a 405 polaroid holder -- yes, fuji still makes some peel-apart stuff -- for the giant "accordion" camera...
pretty amazed with how well the epson 700 does scanning 4x5 b/w and chromes. the 750 is a couple hundred dollars more because of some special glass and the ability to scan wet mounts. if i were to be doing some kind of activity where my film had to be submersed in liquid, i would forget about the wet neg and come back to a nightmare. no wet-mounting for me.
if i need something like that, i'll hire the lab to do a nice drum scan.
i'm sure they'll pay attention to mounting solutions more than i. ;)
scans. lets see ... although i shot digital for the story, i also ... made a few photos with the leica mp and the 35 summilux!
that's a powerful man. a very very very powerful man. and ... he was very nice. loved the fact his wife asked jamie "who makes your jacket?"
shot a couple rolls of agfa apx 25 at the independent spirit awards ... kevork holding his new "card envelopes"...
i think he's happy in his new home. sad for the AP but pretty damn good for getty/wire. :)
DK looks confused...
not sure why, though. we were like hit-men that day. ;)
even larry busacca was in on the "analogue action."
so much fun shooting on a red carpet with just the leica. i mean, yeah, i'm there for something entirely different (read: not exactly trying to make art) but ... it's something everyone should experience/shoot once in their lives...
love the "publicist-holding-out-the-hand-telling-the-talent-to-move-down-the-line-photo."
that was my favourite. michelle looked so lost and so "ready to get off the carpet."
imagine 75-100 people yelling at you. imagine.
then ... imagine a few hundred flashes going off every second. honestly, i can't look at it.
triggers migraines. ;)
so ... after dropping my cards and waiting for the editors to do their magic (e.g., selects, photoshop adjustments, captioning and transmitting) ... a few backstage moments happened as well. not that i used digital save one situation.
i thought it was much more interesting using mccarthy (l) and mr. granitz as part of the composition of my photo of mary kate.
granitz (l-r), shearer, DK and mccarthy. love the fact dk's eyes are closed.
didn't shoot all that much backstage. my job was technically over.
loved it when mickey asked jessica "how's your husband? that money guy."
his name is cash. ;)
two of my favourite team member. melissa (editing) and alex (shooter). :)
and how many times do you see a mariachi-dude coming out of a vacuum repair shop?
welcome to los angeles.
and i just saw this amazing piece of shit game. who markets this shit? wonder if the anime fans eat this up? seriously, a rape-fucking-game? isn't porn-porn illegal in japan? like real photo-porn. it's illegal. but ... they can draw shit ... heinous shit ... and it's legal.
makes a lot of sense.
actually, no it doesn't.
just checked out sev's blog. very very nice stuff. seriously, i think he's the most innately talented austrian photographer out there. i stress the word INNATE. think i know a couple others who ... dunno ... perhaps less than innate. don't be insecure. i wasn't talking about you.
i'm sure there's a nice austrian version of this crap chain for you to get a job. ;)
perhaps there's even a british one for some other wank-fuck. dunno. i'm sure the day job is wholly satisfying.
i kid. i kid.
seeing this photo is making me hungry...
ah ... giamelli's. peppersteak sandwich. amazing. hole-in-the-wall but so damn good. kinda feel like gwyneth and goop suggesting a place to eat. ;)
not really, though.
honestly, i think the reality of this ...
which makes me sad on one level but ... how many big-box retailers do we all really fucking need 1 mile away from each other?
but ... i think it may bring upon this kind of shit...
sad that one has to really check out their surroundings.
j and spaniel waiting for our coffee. actually, this place we get a mocha because it's so damn good.
the donut holes are amazing, too.
spaniel. wish i had someone standing with a 48" flag but .. no...
that goddammned rape game. i mean. who the fuck enjoys that shit? to me .. it's really on par with the number one u.s. state for pornography consumption is utah! why does that surprise me and totally not surprise me?
this is the deal ... if you're dogmatic ... live by all the dogmas! if you're a mormon, don't smoke but think "smoking with girls is cool." adhere. to. your. dogmas. i just don't get certain things.
sorry.
funny that i usually see this shit in like bakersfield or some other bum-fuck-egypt place. not l.a.
funny, though.
was parked and waiting and saw the dude who collects the meters. what a trippy job that must be.
i see meters and laugh that in many parts of the world these meters could never work because they'd be stolen nightly.
like parking meters in napoli!
seriously, i think los angeles is rapidly reverting to mexico ... daily. should you need a giant plushy tiger please go to melrose and highland ...
or should you need a valentine's gift you could have gone to alvarado and glendale ...
all we need now are kids selling chicklets on the beach in santa monica.
not that i go to the beach for anything but shooting.
;)
and even though it's friggin' early spring it can be hot outside ... and inside a black fucking bmw...
yes, the 1 inch crack in the windows are but a little consolation to a hairy little pomeranian. yes, in fact, i canvassed the businesses using this lot and suffice it to say the owner of said dog and bmw will NEVER forget getting yelled at.
i told her the police were on the way.
;)
who does that shit.
forgot i'd been in an airport.
love when every element is really "into their own world."
at least homey wasn't left in a hot bmw while his butt-ugly owner was getting a "preening" in a sap. ;)
an interrupted preening for sure. ;)
random colourful neighborhood i drive through every day.
gonna walk it one day but j won't go. :(
and who pushes a refrigerator down sunset boulevard?
he barks at murph everytime. little dogs are hilarious.
i know. i have a couple of them.
and ... murph ... he's not always fancy ...
our weather has been amazing as of late ...
not that that photo demonstrates nice weather.
so ... hope you're all very well. i gotta eat. run to the lab. fedex. some other place. and some other place which escapes me!
thanks as always for commenting on my column. i refuse to call it a blog any longer.
cheers from the temperate for spring l.a.!
-chris
20 rounds, that's fucking astonishing! i had someone who was going to cancel today because their kid had 'a spot' hah hah, imagine that! beautiful sunset, we don't have sunsets this time of year, we just get a fucking set ;)
Posted by: Christian Rollinson | 10 March 2009 at 02:47 PM
Amazing pictures as always man...was so waiting forward to this, glad you posted D:
Hope to hear from you soon again, keep shooting !
Posted by: Ajovah | 10 March 2009 at 02:48 PM
Crazy shit man, the japanese rape game. Porn is legal in Japan, I think. Not sure. A friend of mine saw like DVDs/Magz being sold in their airport...or so he says. Give it to the Japanese to think of bizarre/extremely bizarre stuff.
Great photos Chris! Love the street shots. Every thing looks so different in black and white...the good kind of different by the way. I rarely get to see REAL black and white photos getting published nowadays. And yes, I would most definitely agree that Severin Koller is an excellent photographer. He has a different way of "seeing" things out in the streets or wherever he is. I've been also following his work for quite sometime. Kudos to him.
Posted by: Mathew Wong | 10 March 2009 at 05:29 PM
I miss Randy's doughnuts
Posted by: Randy Moon | 10 March 2009 at 05:35 PM
Great reading your latest "column" (ahem, heh). I know you're extremely busy but I always get a kick out of reading your updates and seeing your photos.
Posted by: Koga | 10 March 2009 at 06:02 PM
nice bl... column, dude.
I dig the mariachi guy and the man with the fridge.
the "processing" of photos for magazines and newspapers is a depressing topic. you would not believe what I experienced in my own paper as of late...
cheers
Posted by: Michael Kaiser | 11 March 2009 at 01:53 AM
Great photos, looking forward to the 4x5 images.
There are a lot of people on DA who would be into that game, like all those people on the popular section.
In the UK and Ireland the version of that shitty photo studio chain is http://www.thisisventure.co.uk/ sad that company makes millions, any Photoshoper on flickr and DA could do better, and they recruit from flickr for minimum wage of course.
Posted by: Seamus Travers | 11 March 2009 at 05:12 AM
Blogs, as a name, never did anything for me anyway, but it was too easily accepted for it's "cuteness" as a term and then stuck. Fucking thing. Cute like puke.
Hey, Chris! Nice to see your travels and what'd caught your eye. So many great things in here, as usual. Congrats on reaming that fucktard who left the dog in the car. I would have liked to have gotten a shot of your correcting the size and location of her asshole. I might have even kept that one to myself... well, I'd have given you a copy, of course!
That guy pushing the fridge down the street. Awesome looking, but my creepy ass first thought that someone shoulda stopped him and made him open that shit up. Who knows how many bodies or blocks of coke he was transporting. Best place to hide shit, as you know, is right in the open.
As always, I'm digging it all. Might be getting on a plane soon to be in L.A. for a couple of days. If it works out, and you're around, I'll buy you a drink. And Murphy something to gnaw on, too.
Hope you're well, man!
Posted by: Shane | 11 March 2009 at 05:52 AM
Love the fact you get dust on your scans too, and that you're loving your V700, I have one too and absolutely love it (even if I get dust sometimes - cleaning it before each scan is a must :P), love how it scans my medium format and especially 35mm b&w (you can check some of the scans out on my blog (hate that word as well) - http://mydarkroom.vegovc.si ). Also love the fact you took your time yelled at the owner of the dog in the BMW, irresponsible pet owners piss me off.
I envy you the summer temperatures, man :) Can't wait for summer!
Cheers,
tzaj
Posted by: tzaj | 11 March 2009 at 01:46 PM
Nice as always. BTW that old dude doesn't look so strong, I think you could take him . . . ;)
Posted by: Jonesy | 11 March 2009 at 06:53 PM
why do my posts never show up here...
-james
Posted by: james jay | 11 March 2009 at 09:31 PM
Lovely shots mate. I hear you on not liking the word blog though I always associate it with geekery rather than emo. You're too fun loving to be perceived at emo anyway, never slow to express anger or disgust at things that are inherantly wrong (like rape anime or non working shooters doing 'reviews')but I never expect to see a post from you starting out with "My l1f3 is ASHES!!!" *laughs*
I am very glad to hear you gave a good yelling at the abusive BMW driving dog owner. Pour a steaming hot coffee over them to let them know how their trapped and hot dog feels - fuckers.
How nice is that Horseman setup? An Australian photo mag editor took one to the US but used a P45 digital back on it and claimed it was the sharpest damn image he'd ever seen. Haven't heard of shots being 'too sharp' out of the camera before then. (mind you, kinda hard for me to imagine too sharp when I spend most of my time at f/1.4 in nightclubs with dancers and drunks - LOL)
Hope the family are treating you well and you enjoy the warmer weather. We're really looking forward to winter over here.
Posted by: Mark Greenmantle | 11 March 2009 at 10:10 PM
"and who pushes a refrigerator down sunset boulevard?"
Hahaa! Great capture!
I don't know about in reality.. There's a great movie "In America" where in the scorching summer heat of nyc, the frustrated father of an Irish immigrant family hauls a huge air conditioner unit down the street, by a rope, against traffic. It was rich.
Glad to see some street work from you, thanks for sharing! :)
Hey by the way, I use a 405 back as well, but I'm thinking of picking up a PA-45 (full 4x5 pola holder!) If you don't want to fly to Japan to find a cheap one, this place brings them in: http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=228
Haven't ordered from them yet, but besides the expensive prices, it looks pretty legit. Maybe that is what makes it look legit. They also sell the 4x5 size B&W film packs which you cannot find in the US.
Posted by: Nimai Wong | 12 March 2009 at 05:04 PM
Honestly I'm a sucker for beautiful sunsets so the first one totally got me! And I loved your shot of Mary Kate, great stuff Chris. As always you make me happy when I can see your world through your lens(es) ;)
Cheers!
Hope you're doing well!
Posted by: Rastislav | 12 March 2009 at 07:56 PM
@christian: i've never had that many rounds. i think 7 was the most. and of that 7 i didn't do the last 2. puts things in perspective. ;)
you just get sets? hmm...
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:02 PM
@Ajovah: thanks, man! appreciate it!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:02 PM
@Mathew Wong: i think it's interesting that i even see things differently when i shoot a particular medium ... b/w with a rangefinder being my favourite.
good things from sev for a very long time.
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:04 PM
@Randy Moon: because it's your own name? ;)
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:04 PM
@Koga: yep ... busy ... but i still enjoy doing one of these every week or so. happy you still enjoy reading it, mate.
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:05 PM
@Michael Kaiser: thanks, my german brother! i mean ... you and i have walked some streets ... you never know what you're gonna get. a dude with a mariachi outfit leaving a vacuum repair ... another dude with a refrigerator going down the street ... a weird-looking street urchin in amsterdam at 02:00 wanting to kick our asses. ;)
what have you seen at the paper?????? lemme know, man!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:07 PM
@Seamus Travers: um ... that site is ridiculous ... jesus.
looking forward to sharing some of the 4x5 stuff. the aesthetic of a portrait with that format is very interesting. seeing as how i used that format only for product adverts in the past. it's pretty amazing.
and, yes, i'm sure there's probably a whole forum on dA about the rape game. sad.
they really hire from flickr at minimum wage? that's disgusting.
hope you're well, mate!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 09:10 PM
@Shane: friggin' blog and now "tweet." makes me laugh.
wasn't going anywhere near that fridge; don't want to know what's inside whatsoever.
when you're here email me!
thanks again for the comment!!!!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 10:41 PM
@tzaj: beautiful stuff in venezia!
yeah ... i know ... i'm just so not into scanning. that being said this thing does amazing medium format and large format scanning. will have to try 35mm as well but ... the lab does that so i don't see the point.
irresponsible pet guardians are assholes! ;)
cheers man!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 10:44 PM
@Jonesy: thanks, man!
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 10:45 PM
james jay: this one showed up? dunno what you're talking about. i mean unless you're coming in from a banned ip, of course. ;)
Posted by: C Weeks | 12 March 2009 at 10:46 PM