BLACK & WHITE or COLOR?

YOU DECIDE?!

Another shot from "The Big Easy!"

I remember shooting this and thinking that "if" I got what I wanted it should be a black and white image?

The light, tonal contrast, coupled with the movements in the foreground and the backround, the atmosphere, and the absolute 'timelessness' of the photograph right from the start felt that it was always deemed to be a monochrome image!

However!



Photography is subjective and here is the same image in color!



My wife, Melissa states: "I love black and white photography. It seems timeless and can only be dated by pop culture. However, I happen to prefer this picture in color. I had to look at the picture again, and at second glance, I couldn't say what exactly it was about it that made me originally like it in color. Was it her wild striped pants? Was it the sunset colors of the New Orleans poster? Was it the contrast in the colors of their skin? Perhaps it is the worn pink walls showing time and lack of care ..."

",...what are you talking about woman?! Its all about the "look", the composition, the timing and all these factors are better shown in Black & White!

The image is more striking to the eye, more dynamic in its structure, and to the 'pants' do not enter into the discussion!"

Maybe this is female think?!

That's textbook talk. When you look at a picture you feel. What does the picture make you feel? For me, seeing black and white is the grit of New York City, moreso what it was than the commercial that its becoming. Perhaps the colors of your picture remind me of the colors of New Orleans, the colorful people, stories and past ... like the color of a reux you can't capture in black and white.

Send us your comments and opinions?

Please!

Paul & Melissa.

NEW ORLEANS, 2007.

Beads on a broken balcony.



On the way to working the "Blues!"



Walking onto the front pages!

First shots from "THE BIG EASY"

Here's three photographs taken on our recent trip to New Orleans.

More to come through the coming week!

Cheers,

Paul.



Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, 2007.




Bourbon & Canal Street intersection, 2007.





"Going Home", Frenchman Street, New Orleans, 2007.

"The Big Easy!"

I'm still sorting through the photos and video footage from out recent trip to New Orleans and hope to get some stills up on the site before the end of the week along with some funny and heart breaking anecdotes from some of the wonderful people we had the pleasure of meeting during our stay!

The trip for the French Quarter Jazz festival 2008 is already being planned and I cannot wait to go and invade this fantatstic music scene next April!

More soon!

CLOWN - 42ND ST. SUBWAY STATION.

May 3rd, 2007.
Canon 20D. ASA 1600. Wide Open!

"Away from Her"

So there I was milling around Greenwich Village after work when pop,pop, pop went all the flash bulbs, pop went - wake the fuck up Paul there's a long red carpet over there and then finally, whoah (!) that's the actress I'd had a severe teenage crush on since watching "Dr Zhivago" 20 years or so ago!

Ladies and gentlemen the one and only Julie Christie.


IFC Cinema.
NYC.

Canon 20D. ASA 1600. No flash.

"Skye" 2006/07

"SKYE"

A more than superb supporting act to Matthew Herbert's outstanding gig last New Years Eve!

Great voice! From Brighton Hove, England, the UK!

I used backflash on this shot and got the back of somebody's transparent head that turned out to look like a fingerprint and basically made a photograph out of nothing!

Or so I think?!

Thinking of printing this off in the future - does look a bit soft though even after sharpening?

We'll see.

Leica Digilux 1.

MATTHEW HERBERT, 2006, NYC.

New Years Eve 2006/07

"Matthew Herbert" is the equintessential Englishman, a talented muscian and one the best performers playing the stage these days!

One of a series of photographs taken on the Leica Digilux 1.

The supporting act was "Skye" another native of my homeland and I'll upload a few pics of her performance tomorrow!

Leica was rated at 800 ASA, aperture was wide open, couple of layers in photoshop and then sharpened.

Great music.

New Orleans next week!

So next week I will be in the fair city of New Orleans and we have already planned a visit to the infamous plot in the "St. Louis Cemetry!"

Infamous plot? NO! I'm not talking Sherlock Holmes! I'm talking that, as a teenager I remember watching the classic movie "Easy Rider" and in particular THAT scene in THAT cemetry! I could be talked into doing a midnight visit?!

Fucked up I know but,...we'll see!

Other places of interest include "Jackson Square", "The French Quarter", "Bourbon St", etc,. And then disappearing into the side streets to hunt down the local spots to hopefully catch some 'Cajun', 'Jazz' & 'Blues', sounds and other 'grassroot' music from down 'South!'

Also planned is a visit to the "Bayou" waterways, a couple of Voodoo priests (no, not the dudes from the movies!), eat bloody good food and avoid the tourists! And enjoy our stay in a very charming French hotel in their quarter.

The only thing is I do have mixed feelings about visiting the areas that were thrashed apart by Hurricane "Katerina?"

Do you go - or do you not? The only thing I definately won't do unless absolutely necessary is take a fucking guide tour!

Is it worth it? No! Will the photographs ever sell? Probably NOT!

But, bollocks, I dunno' - I might just get one shot that makes somebody in the 'ether' or 'real' worlds feel satisfied, happy, justified or curious or pacified!

Will I ever find out?

Maybe.

Do I care?

Not anymore.

Why?

I've had this experience many times before but with film and not RAW files!

But I still shoot!

Cheers.