Social Networking

My generation is the first to truly take to social networking. Keyboard etiquette has taken place of conversational etiquette. So many people now have friends that they have never met from places they will never go. Most meet on places like xbox live and facebook. I decided to start a photo series of the social networking boom to show the people behind the screen-names. Here is the first. A good friend of mine that lives just a block away, but who I talk to while playing video games online more than I do in person.

VA Hospital Visit

For christmas every year the Ossining High School hockey team visits the VA hospital. I was invited to go and photograph them so I brushed the dust off the canon and brought it with me.

More Work Old Photo

I shot a project of classic car parts before and after being restored. The project was cool, but kind of bland. One of the parts was a carburetor off a 1930's Ford Model A. After talking to a great still life photographer, we came up with some ideas and here is where the led so far.

New Mag

I have a new portfolio that I am going to be sending out soon. Here is the shot of the cover. The final version will be able to be viewed on your computer or ipad in about one week.

Me

Today I assisted a photographer I have worked for a lot in the past. We had to set up a lighting situation in the studio similar to something we did a little over a year ago. After it was set up he shot some test shots, and here I am.

Finding the Lost

I am sure I lost some of the few followers I had with my lack of posts since North Dakota. After a great talk on thanksgiving I am going to be adding new content at least twice a week. Here are a few things you missed since I haven't posted in a while. A really fun shoot with the actor Jason Hurt, a new project with giant prints of tiny birds, another project of restored car parts before and after, my engagement to Tammy in Scranton, PA (not my photos but worth mentioning), and an event with the still alive and kicking Pete Seeger.

GM Plant

I haven't written anything since North Dakota. I have been busy doing everything except photography and need to start photographing again. I got a used canon and I am going to be keeping it in the tow truck so I can photograph the great things I see. Today I drove past the abandoned GM plant. I think it would be a cool place to photograph if I can get in there.

Perfect Ending

The trip here is coming to an end. Tomorrow we leave, and today had a perfect ending. After having my last big meal in North Dakota at the house of Tony, the elder who has been spending time with and talking to me Tammy and I went to the pow wow. Yesterday I spent a lot of time talking to a man who was from a reservation in South Dakota and was very traditional. Today I found out he is a medicine man, star reader, and pipe carrier. He often goes on vision quests aided by smoking tobacco and peyote. After talking with him again today for a little over an hour Tammy stopped by and asked to go to the rodeo so we left. As we left the man I had been talking to had a vision of Tammy and I and made a peyote sketching of the his vision. When I came back later to talk some more he gave me this great etching.

Pow Wow

Today's pow wow was great. It was an amazing mix of old tradition and modern times. After the dancing and drumming kids in traditional beaded garments and feather headresses were chasing around their friends in jeans and tshirts, and old women wearing ceremonial jingle dresses were chatting with old women wearing dresses from the sale rack at kmart. I am very excited to go tomorrow and spend all day at the pow wow, but very upset that I will be leaving in two days. Here a just a few of many shots I got today.

90.7 Rez Radio

News is listened to on the radio more than papers, tv, or internet here on the reservation. 90.7 is the local station dubbed "The Heart Beat of the Spirit Lake Nation". I have been searching for where they broadcast from and finally found them yesterday evening. I stopped by and met some great people there and photographed the announcer in the studio. They were even kind enough to give me some t-shirts.

Be Wise, Economize

Home of Economy has this great neon sign, I stopped by tonight to see if it would be lit up night, and to my surprise it was. It doesn't get dark until after 10 PM and the store closes at 6, but they did turn it on.

Nightlife Fort Totten

The part of the reservation I am on is known as Fort Totten. The nightlife here isn't exactly jumping. There is a grocery store/cafe in town. But they close before dark.

Stoves

I guess when people's stove or hot water heater around here break there is only one place to bring them. I found the pile of tons of them. It was weird to find a pile of stoves in the middle of a field, but it is amazing what you get used to.

Bonfire

The gutted houses across from rolling hill that I photographed before I decided to explore a little more. I found out they are being saved for the fire fighters to burn later in the year. I went out and got some pepper spray just in case I ran into someone in them that didn't want me there. I saw some interesting things until something fell in the attic and I ran.

I MISS MY TRUCK

So this whole trip I have been driving Tammy's car and my little dirt bike. I really miss my truck, and everyone here seems to have at least three trucks. Unfortunately most of the trucks that are really cool and old don't work. I am going to start making a collection of all the awesome trucks I find.

Warwick

After passing it twice I found Warwick. There is only a small sign that points to a dirt road. After following the dirt road for a mile you come to main street (another dirt road). I main st. I found this great gas station. It was 9:30 PM and the son was just starting to set. Over the gas station was the only older orange street light. The rest of the lights up and down the road were the newer round blue ones. One by one the round blue ones lit up as the sun set. They were all lit before 10, but it was still a little light out. I waited until 10:15 before the final light I wanted lit up. It was well worth the wait though, all I could keep thinking of was something Carlos told me, "Sometimes we would wait all day doing nothing for the 15 minutes when the light would right." I am so happy the light worked, and I didn't wait all night for a light that was burnt out.

Road to Warwick

Warwick is a town of 75 people not too far away. There isn't too much in Warwick, but there is a post office, gas station, and bar. On the ride their I decided to stop when I saw something interesting. I first found a large pillar of smoke coming from behind a field full of cows. It smelled horrible, those cows must have been so pissed off. As it got darker the dragonflies starting coming out in swarms. The next picture of the watering system has a few dragon flies going by in it, and then I came across one of the many barns that has seen better days.

SOULJAHZ

Out here most Indians have tattoos. They are most common on the forearms. Most older Indians have small initials or names in black on the top of their forearms, a lot of the younger generation have large tattoos on the under part of their forearms. I have had dinner two night in a row at this family's house. I think eating was first discovered by the Indians. Everything has a meal after, and the food is amazing. I had Indian tacos last night which are infinitely better than tacos, and I really liked tacos before. Here is one of the many sons of the family where I have been having dinner. Just like in New York, before dinner we played a few games of call of duty.

Tony and Vina

Tony and Vina are a very nice couple that have taught me a lot since I have been here. They have been married for 51 years. All of the times I have talked with Tony he would tell me stories, and the exact date the stories happened. One was May 28, 1983. He was ordained as a Catholic Deacon then, he also planted the tree he is standing next to that day.

Pow Wow Sample

Today I was invited to the Spirit Lake Ministry for traditional songs and dance. The dancer has been dancing the traditional Indian dances for 20 years and has been in movies for it. The singers were a father and daughter who sing at the Pow Wow as well. Some of the ceremony they showed us will be at the Pow Wow as well but will they will not be able to be photographed there because of the traditions. Luckily tonight I was able to get photographs.