Besides scouring China and San Francisco for mangled English, and besides designing software for elite clients, I’m also a photographer. Can you tell which occupation I like best? Picture me lying in the sand, shooting with a 500mm lens down the length of my body, directly into the sun, then jumping to my feet and running to catch some kids playing in the water or a couple hugging or a woman doing yoga. I look like a crazy man, but when the sun’s good, it’s like painting with liquid light.
This is Carla - she was stretching as the sun went down and struck many good poses. Her long lean body silhouetted against the sun was great material. I approached her to tell her thanks and to share my pics - I bet she thought I was a stalker. Though with my camera, I could be a terrific one - it’s an old profession, you know. Nowadays, Juliet would have a restraining order taken out on Romeo and Cinderella’s prince would be an Oji-San with a foot fetish. Where have all the heroes gone and where are all the guards? Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
My girl - This is her caricature of how people smile for the camera. She’s too young to be so calculating, dammit! Down this road lie body image problems, bulimia, substance abuse, an affair with a chain-smoking Spaniard, and possibly a record deal, “leaked” sex tape, and jail time. Just like Paris Hilton. SHOOT ME NOW.
vitruvian woman. Seriously, a great contrast to most fanny-packed dumpy americans trudging through the sand carrying a Big Gulp.
timeless: A man walks in the surf with his little girl - I like to pretend this picture is from a thousand years ago, or a thousand from now. I shall price it accordingly!
I know these are simple, but the colors are gorgeous. Call me maudlin, trite, hackneyed, if you must.
Kids are awesome - he’s just thinking, “This is the BEST!” Meanwhile, his dad’s worrying about bills, his career, where he parked, what to get for dinner and when they should leave. Growing up blows!
I’m just starting to use Flickr, but you can click on any of the pics to go there and see some other pics in the same vein. Eventually, more may appear, inshallah.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Rachel // May 9, 2007 at 3:34 pm
The one of the kid about to hit the softball is great. He’s so darn excited. Great shot.
2 Rain // May 9, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I was wondering when you were finally going to put up some pics on flickr….nice ones! can’t wait for more…keep them coming!
3 Tony // May 13, 2007 at 11:22 am
You got a 500mm lens?! I’m so jealous… BTW, I’m shooting a D50 now.
4 Lygia McMillan // May 14, 2007 at 6:28 am
Your daughter is beautiful, I had the same thoughts about mine when she was young and brilliant, however, she has turned out pretty good so far. She has vowed not to kiss until her wedding day. (she turned 19 on Friday) So far so good. We’ll see how long that will last….
5 the miz // May 15, 2007 at 4:27 am
You’re a racist and your website should be banned for the sake of humanity.
- Miz
6 Tom // May 19, 2007 at 8:41 am
My girlfriend wanted me to let you know that she thinks your daughter is very beautiful and that it’s a good thing she got your wife’s nose!
Love the photos! Makes me wish I had more than a simple Konica-Minolta Tourist camera.
7 Mac // May 20, 2007 at 2:39 am
Some very nice shots. Considering buying a D50. I doubt you’re a racist. When will people stop getting so excited about finding the perfect negative labels for one another.
I live in China now. The bad English is everywhere. But I certainly appreciate the attempt. I mean how many Chinese signs do we have in America. So far my favorite sign was on the stairs of a tower: “Slip and fall carefully!”
Take care
8 Lygia McMillan // May 21, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Is that person kidding? You are about as far from a racist as someone can be. Stupid people should not post on blogs, it just makes them look more stupid.
P.S. the Rachel that posted first is MY Rachel, the brilliant one I spoke about before!
9 jon // May 21, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Hi Lygia - thanks for sticking up for me, but the person (on this post at least) calling me a racist is an old, dear, alcoholic friend nicknamed Miz.
Remind me to tell you all about the time he yelled Gaelic at an old drunk Irishman at a Jack-In-The-Box and got yelled at. Or about the time he was offered fellatio in return for basic human compassion from a blasted Alaskan native who thought I was his father. (I’m two weeks YOUNGER than him!)
Come to think of it, this deserves more thought, detail, and forensic reconstruction. More later.
10 Carrie // Mar 28, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Hi, Jon –
Your sun photos are magnificent! But my camera’s instruction book says never to aim it into the sun lest you damage it. Have you had any problem from doing that, or do you have special equipment or filters that enable you to get away with it?
As you must surmise, I’m catching up with your old posts as I just found your wonderful site a few days ago.
Keep ‘em coming!
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