A LITTLE BIT O' THAT...

This photo is part of my Street Series. It is of a little grocery shop on Molynes Road in Kingston, Jamaica. I've been observing this place for some time now and particularly liked the colours and the way the shop owner hung different pots, pans & other wares at the front. Added to this, there are a lot of other activities around this little shop. To the right, there's a restaurant and bar. Upstairs you'll find a Go-Go club & on Fridays, they put huge speaker boxes out front to celebrate the weekend's arrival. Middle-aged men play dominoes, drink Jamaican rum to the distinct and awesome beats of Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady.

A LITTLE BIT O' THIS...

Been leading quite a hermitic lifestyle for the past few months. My best friends are now - officially - Photoshop & my computer. No complaints here.
This photo is one of the images from the "Bella Returns" series. I had this image in my head for some time & decided shoot it. Post-production was all done using CS4

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG...

I'm haven't mastered this blogging thing yet. Frankly, I don't know how other artists find time to tweet, facebook, blog, eat, sleep, crap and still produce work. When I'm not absorbed in work, I'm trying to find a drug-free way to unwind (music is my current and unfailing anti-drug). Perhaps blogging is the equivalent of free therapy? Depends on how you use it I guess. I'm not a techie so I won't be blogging about photography techniques. Joe McNally and a slew of other photogs do that. Instead I'll share my journey with you - my journey to reinvention. I must admit that sharing my thoughts is a bit daunting but somehow it feels cathartic; a solid point in favour of blogging which I had previously viewed as a waste of time. You see, depending on how we use our time, it can be friend or foe. Time takes care of everything, it is my trusted friend and comforter but time wasted is a constant reminder of mediocrity. 


As the end of the year approaches, the all too familiar feeling of anxiety is starting to set in ...again. What have I accomplished this year? Is it enough? I question myself relentlessly; I am unsatisfied. I know the 'process' is familiar to artists everywhere but that doesn't help. My soul feels tortured by the images I have not yet created. So many of them remain unborn because so much of my time has disappeared into the sinkhole of procrastination. I have finally committed to the idea of myself as an artist yet my ambitions are plagued by self-doubt and frustration, among other things. The internal struggle continues along with the demands of two distinct personalities within this one body. No, I don't have multiple personalities, at least I don't think so but I do have this incredible alter ego that is fierce, loves to soak up life and devour obstacles. Refusal to manifest its desires is not an option. As 2009 dwindles, I choose to push past my fears and embrace the new year's promise of unlimited possibilities. I promise myself to be more disciplined in creating a meaningful body of work. I am grateful for this life and this chance to include my passion. I will make every minute count.

DARE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF

On Sunday, August 16th, we witnessed another mind-blowing feat in Jamaica's & the World's Athletic History! Usain Bolt, broke his own World Record, to run 9.58 in the 100m final @ the 12th IAAF World Championship Games in Berlin!

It was such an extraordinary feat that it took me & countless others hours to recover from what we had seen but couldn't explain. It defied logic. What's more incredible, is that Usain Bolt has still not done his best :| He still has A LOT more FIRE in him. Perhaps, it is because he & I have the same birthday, or because I admire his drive, discipline & dedication; or both, I am transfixed in the belief that he exemplifies unbounded human potentiality. Usain Bolt is a living testament that we can all can break barriers, exceed expectations, dare to dream and achieve ANYTHING.

I don't know of a single artist who has not be haunted & tormented by fears of mediocrity &/or failure. I am one. Images keep me awake at night, letting me know that they will not cease to torment me until they are manifested. I procrastinate and they pile up. So does the torment. Failure is not something I believe in and mediocrity is not an option. Everything inspires me. I see the world in frames and visual vocabulary comes at me from every direction. Too often, it becomes sensory overload. I have to retreat, spend time alone & refocus. I have a choice to either be driven to madness for not bringing forward what is inside me or to save myself by doing so.

There is something inside all of us to be brought forth. We can achieve ANYTHING if we put our minds to it. Inside of each of us lies innate, untapped, unlimited potentiality. The greatest person you will ever know, is the one you look at in the mirror every day - yourself. DARE TO DREAM the impossible & act on it! It requires discipline & dedication but it is within all of us to achieve far beyond what we can even dream of. DARE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.

"Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us."

- JAMES HARVEY ROBINSON

"You see things; and you say 'Why'?, But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

"I was definitely ready for the World record and I did it; I didn't think I could run a tenth (of a second) faster than my World record, but for me, anything is possible." - USAIN BOLT (on his 9.58 WR)

XOXO

LIFE

...is great. I'm home after a busy but great day; planning for an upcoming shoot. I have a few more locations to scout and observe for at least 2 days, a casting call and a few more pre-production meetings to fully iron out the details . After that, I will shoot some landscapes & personal projects to balance my energies :) I'm new at this blogging thing & I just joined Twitter in an attempt to be more sociable. When I started making images...I was only interested in landscapes & nature. No real interest in people/portraiture... except for snapshots of interesting strangers and candid pix of family & friends. Now, all that is changing. I'm told it's part of my evolution as a photographer. I love to control who comes into my space... but I'm now feeling the burn to expand my portfolio which means I have to move out of my comfort zone. I now have to be willing to interact more with people...even if I'm not in the mood to do so. One of the "perks" in the world of professional commercial photography. Those who do not know me well believe me to solely be a free-spirited extrovert but I'm largely a natural recluse. I thrive in my solitude & am at such peace observing/ photographing natural subjects. My journey, however, beckons me to become the observed; not just the observer. It's no longer just me the land or waterscape, now there are talents, assistants, make-up artists, art directors, stylists and a whole slew of other people. At first, each shoot may feel a bit daunting but which each click of the shutter combined with getting "the shot", adrenaline pumps and it consumes me like a drug...utter bliss. In those moments, the feeling that I was born to do this takes over completely.

The next 6 months are crucial because I have a goal of 1000 more edited commercial images (minimum). So it's all work & all play...just thinking about making images gets me super excited! So this will, undoubtedly, be the next exciting chapter of my life! I have quite a few projects lined up; sometimes I think there's not enough brain cells to contain the ideas popping into my head, waking me up before dawn, forcing me to write them all down on whatever I can find. I now have pencil & notepad by my bedside =) I'm inspired by Life and the amazing work of other artists who dare to manifest the glory of God|Life within them.

Being an artist, while a blessing, is no easy task. If it's your career path, it takes dedication, time & patience. The business side of photography is truly a test of character. In addition to marketing & selling my work, budgeting & organizing shoots, a photographer like me living in the Caribbean has to deal with socio-cultural elements such as attitudes towards photography as an authentic art form (I'll be sure to blog about this in more detail). It can be grueling at times but I dare to think I will help to change all that. Maybe not alone but I definitely intend to be part of the solution to this issue.

As it pertains to marketing etc., I have I've been working along with my web designer on my primary website. It has been quite a process because 1. I'm a bit of a perfectionist , 2. I'm my worst critic & 3. I have a love/hate relationship with post-production especially of my landscape shots. I'm a bit of a purist here so I try to get as much in-camera. However, that's all changing because I'm changing. I am slowly being shaped by this passion of mine and I'm enjoying it. So I will be working my ass off to upgrade both portfolios & uploading new pix soon :) Woohoo!

LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Will update soon!

XXXOOO!