EngelFish.Net

There have been all kinds of things happening here in the past few weeks, but two are significant.  One, as of the end of January, I have joined the ranks of the unemployed.  I’m beating the streets for consulting work in the pharma industry, since that’s where I have the most experience.  After consulting with my lovely wife, I’m also setting up my photography business and looking for work both shooting and assisting commercial shooters in the area.  I’m confident that it’ll all come together, but it’s still just a wee bit stressful to be unemployed for the first time since college and having my 40th birthday looming up ahead.  The second item, and far more celebratory, is that Taryn has her Permanent Resident Status for the US (aka Greencard)!  After all the stress and effort surrounding the paperwork and application process, the interview itself was underwhelming.  We were in and out of the office in about 20 minutes, and left with the marshal that interviewed us laughing.  There is one last form outstanding, but we have to file it in two years, and then we’ll be done with that process.  The next step, if Taryn chooses to, is citizenship.  That wouldn’t be for five years at least, so she has plenty of time.

IMAGE: Crystal organized a photowalk in downtown Raleigh a few weeks ago, and this was the wrapup picture before we all went back to our regular lives.  We normally do a group shot, but the table was too close to the wall for us to bunch up, so everyone fell into these poses.  When I pointed out the last-supperesque result, they all struck poses.

Kent Rogowski’s Site

These images, of teddy bears turned inside out, are strangely compelling.  In spite of their bizarre appearance, they still manage to maintain their “cuteness”.  They make me think of the island of lost toys.  I wonder if the same concept could be applied to other things photographically.  Photograph them viewed from an unexpected perspective (e.g. cars from underneath; bicycles from above; deflated sports-toy balls; etc..)

Although we attended several parties this past weekend, the majority of the time (including all day Sunday) was spent working around the house.  The unseasonal warmth made clearing the roof, gutters, and yard of leaves a sweat provoking activity, which was actually quite welcome and enjoyable.  I was able to get a fair amount of wedding photo editing done as well, and I’m approaching the end of the edit phase of this particular job.  I expect I’ll be able to finish the editing this week and begin work on the album, which will be another welcome milestone.  I’m sure I am not alone in feeling a sense of pleasure and accomplishment in ticking another item off my “to do” list.

Last night Taryn and I watched a really amazing, and profoundly sad movie called “Dancer in the Dark”.  While the film had a terrific cast of performers, Bjork was the star and delivered a jaw-dropping performance.  It was heart-wrenching to watch, but impossible to look away from.  While I do like, but only occassionally listen to, her music, if given the opportunity to meet her, the first thing I would do is thank her for this piece.  My reaction to this film was similar to that of “Spitfire Grill” and “Nobody’s Fool”.  It is a strong, quiet, and profound awareness that the world is not a kind and nuturing place, and that in our life and in our suffering it is up to us to find the strength to do what we have to do to be at peace with ourselves and our fate.

IMAGE:  Last weekend I got a set of cheap fluorescent lights to use in my portraits.  This was a test image I did that first night.  It’s a neat effect, and I’ve seen it used by several pro shooters to create compelling images.  We actually shot a bunch of really funny pictures with these lights on Friday night, and I’ll be posting them in the next few weeks to my Flickr account.

Outside my office window is a tree that I stop at least once a day to notice.  I have watched it roll through the seasons for a couple of years now.  Today, it looks like a funky lollipop, with reddish-amber leaves fringing an inner ring of golden-yellow, and a heart of the remaining pale-green leaves.  The sun rides pretty low in the sky this time of year, and there is a period during the day when it illuminates the tree from inside, causing it to glow with rich colors.  The wind today, although not strong, is constant, and the tree is slowly losing the battle.  Every day I can see more of the limbs and trunk, and less of the color.  In a handful of weeks it will be completely bare.  That thought makes me want to pull on a sweater, warm up a mug of hot chocolate, and settle in for the winter. 

IMAGE: Taryn with the puppies, who will officially be dogs on Thanksgiving, their first birthday.