Off to Chicago!!!!

Greetings,

I did not forget about the "My Block" photo project that I'm putting the finishing touches on. I just realized, my flight to Chicago is tommorrow and I have not packed a single thing. Not to mention today (I'm typing very early Thursday morning...like 1am early), is going to be a busy day..(Corporate-wide mingler, several projects due before I leave for the mingler...art show later tonight...yada yada)! With all that is going, I soooo lost track of time.

I'm still researching DSLR cameras though. This Minolta 35mm film camera is kicking my tail and a sista "aint" paying for a $1,000 Nikon. I'm settling for a Nikon D50. From what the reviews are saying, it's great starter camera and some of the features are better than the later versions. Also, you can get a real good one for under $500. So, send up a prayer as I bid with the best on ebay!

I feel bad for not delivering what I said I would, so here is the cover art I designed for the slide show as a teaser for what is to come. Be safe!

no script..just play it by ear

Anyone want to give away a SLR camera (film or digital) cause working with a film camera is begining to show its draw backs..like..the cost of purchasing and developing film. I will take a film SLR because, if the shot does not look right, I simply delete, try again, save to film and proceed. But the film camera is good. Good start actually! I'm learning how to set Aperture Priority and Speed (i.e a picture taken at f/2 and 1/250..very good setting for minimum depth of field). After I take this roll of film to the developer, I will determine if I am going to stick it out with the old school film camera or go to the nearest pawn shop or check ebay for a film SLR. Why not a digital SLR you ask, I got a busy summer lined up, and it requires increased finances.


Currently I am working on my first assignment:

My Block - The Norland Area(183rd to 199th)

It will consist of snap shots from certain points in my neighborhood taken with my digital camera (Nikon Coolpix L3). The slide show should be up by this Wednesday with complete story. Yes, a story indeed!! When you are rolling around North Dade in a black car, taking random pictures in a 99% percent black neighborhood....there WILL be a story....

TRUST!

Throwbacks...

Ok...I'm back..with some photos taken my senior year at FAMU....



I thought this to be ironic...a "No Parking" sign..with a car parked under it! This was taken near the student union or what "old school" Rattlers call "The Set".

I was walking back to my campus apartment and I happend to stroll by the bus stop at the student union. I told everyone to "never mind" me and continue to look natural..but the girl chose otherwise..

This a very fine picutre of some of the members from the FAMU Chapter of Progressive Black Men. To this day, the image is being used in their publications. I still wonder how my brothers managed to look so cool in 95 degree heat during a Tallahassee summer.

On the way back to campus I was riding with a friend when we saw a roadside bar-b-que stand. These guys were a bit aprehensive when I rolled up with my camera. But when I mentioned I was a photogrpahy student, they gave me the "black mans head nod" and proceeded to continue with their tasty transaction...

This was taken on the Venom shuttle bus to one of my programing classes. This young man is a fellow classmate as well as a member of the Marching 100. He was in deep thought that day and did'nt seem to mind me sticking a camera in his face...

Greetings!!

Another summer is upon us. With my current schedule, summer allows me to do the things that I want to do......if I have the time. :)

Anyway, I registered to take a photography class at my local community college to pick the art back up again (I used to be a decent photographer during my days at FAMU..but that was five years ago...shhh dont tell anyone). To my surprise, they canceled the class...TWICE. So after about five mintues of verbal frustration, and a trip to the local camera shop..I decide to take matters into my own hands and proceed with re-teaching myself the art of photography.

I raced home with ad-hoc directions of how to use my old 35mm Minolta (a gift from dad's camera collection a few years back) from a very nice old cuban guy from Wolf Camera, grabbed my photography text book I used back in college..and started taking pictures!!

A few things.. this camera has no flash pieace, and no other lense to use with it. Until..I start an unplanned journey through my father's Cannon camera bag and found not only a flash for my Minolta, but a 50mm lense (a professional film camera in mint condition AT NO CHARGE..can't beat that).

I figure I'd start with the basics then work my way up to one of those $500 -$1000 dollar digital SLR cameras. (anyone have a Nikkon D80 they want to give away??)

So with all that being said. This blog is for the sole purpose of displaying my picutres during my self motivated - self driven photograpy class where I am the student and professor (along with Google and other photography sites where I can learn some techniques from) My first entry will be some throw back black and white picutres I took six years ago while I was senior at Florida A&M University!

God Bless