For the photographers out there:

I've got a Hasselblad body, and I can only afford one lens for it. Which lens should I get? I'm going to pretty much dedicate it to being a portrait camera - mainly full body environmental portraits and ~3/4's, but I want to be able to do head shots.

I'm thinking the 80mm 2.8 Planar is the only one that I could realistically do that with. I don't think I want to shoot head shots with a 50, although I've seen wide angle close ups pulled off on occasion. And the 150 might be a little long. I don't think I can afford the 100mm. A ton of great portraits were made with a standard lens by Avedon, Penn, Arbus, and a host of other talented photographers.

I'm pretty much decided on the 80 for now, unless someone can give me a good reason to go with one of the other ones?

Of course I could sell my Sinar gear and buy all the lenses for the Hassy...

Here's a little essay on what I've learned since I first decided to become an artist, in the summer of 1994.

early frustration:

I was 20, and had already failed at my first 'calling,' which was electrical engineering. I hadn't really failed as much as I had just dropped out of school. Now, I figured, it was time to get serious. As I leaned on the fridge in the kitchen of the restaurant where I worked, subtly checking out the ass of an eighteen year old hostess, I planned my future.

I had chosen engineering by default. It's what my dad had done for 30+ years, and I was good at math. The only problem was, I hated it. It was all about computers, and this was a couple of years before I associated computers with free pornography, so it was when I still hated computers.

Travel - that's what I wanted to do! Travel, see exciting places, and avoid real work. How could I make that into a career, preferably a career that hot chicks would find fascinating? One word came to mind: photojournalism. At that fateful moment, I made a decision.

"Stop looking at my ass," said the hostess.

"But I'm going to be a famous photographer," I replied.

"Then take a picture," she said, and walked off. I knew, someday,I would be shooting wars from helicopters in rain forests. Girls would fondle my Pulitzer (that's what I call my wang). Guys would envy my beautiful Nikon (that's another pet name for my wang). I would somehow develop an Italian accent.

read the rest

I had to change the URL of my blog. It can now be found here: http://postmodernwasteland.blogspot.com/. Have a look at it. It's much more entertaining than my lj. :oP

I also made it so that anyone can leave comments. No account needed!

I'm still going to keep up this LJ some, but I have started another blog which I think I can do more with. It will be a place for my creative writing, photography, and random commentary. I'm trying to make it interesting - it will be more publishy-finalized-pretty than this LJ which is pretty much just personal thoughts. Please give it a look and bookmark it if you like it. Pass the link on to anyone who might like it as well.

love,

Lucky

If someone called me a 'nappy headed ho', I would laugh.

It's pathetic that we can't make jokes anymore, everyone is offended by every little thing. We've become a nation of whiners.

Racism is bad. Jokes are not. Racist jokes are not a big deal. What Imus said wasn't particularly in good taste, but who gives a shit?

I guarantee that anyone can call me any name they want to, and I will never really care. I got over that in like, fourth grade. Sticks and stones.

I'm just sick of hearing people make a huge deal out of every little thing. Why do we even listen to these people? If you don't like what a radio announcer is saying, change the channel. It's America. We have the right to free speech, even if that means some people say bad things. It's much better than the alternative.

Jesus, get over yourselves people.

I want to see how it works. It's a variation of the web gallery that Photoshop CS2 creates. It has space for 'feedback', but it is kind of not user friendly. I think that you leave comments on several images, and when you are ready hit 'email feedback'. It will send your comments to me. I won't sell your email addresses, I promise.

I like a lot of these shots, but they are just strait from the camera, I haven't optimized them yet.

unedited images from Miami & Globe, Arizona

This is a work in progress, so forgive the lens flares, sketchy tonality, etc.

my all-time favorite cartoon.

jpeg compression really ruins the color and contrast, but this is my first attempt at an HDR image (high dynamic range)

come on down. we will have beer, wine, munchies & of course, sexy people! maybe some art, too.

It feels like everything has come down at once. The gallery is going through growing pains, I'm experiencing a lot of pressure at work and have started to lose my enthusiasm and love for it, and at home the roommate situation is up and down. We are both really used to living alone, and it is hard work to put up with each other's quirks, habits & expectations.

I keep coming in late for work, and I'm getting shit for it. The thing is, that I am staying late to cover for other people, and I've been working an extra day (for no extra pay) every week for 2 months now. I'm totally burnt out, working 5-10 extra hours every week, then getting 'talked to' for coming in late. It's like there is no oasis, no time for me to just relax, and everything I do is suffering. When I work a 5 hour day, I get 5 good hours of stuff done. If I work a 10 hour day, I just sit around and am depressed about it, and don't get half as much done. I'm thinking of making a big change, whether that means a new job, or going back to school, or 'walking the earth like Caine', I don't know.

I really just want the resources to do what I do and enjoy it: have time to relax, money to pay the bills and have a little left over. Why do we get so latched on to jobs, furniture, cars, etc?

I secretly envy those crazy people that live in a trailer in the desert and don't take part in 'society'.

I did get to go out and shoot some ultra-cool construction last night. Having a cute girl with you has its benefits. I am used to security guards kicking me out of these areas. Last night, with Drea along, the security guard approached us and asked if we would like access to the rooftop!





some crazy shit

In case you never want to leave your computer again, check out the most addictive firefox add-on ever:

www.stumbleupon.com

You will once again find yourself up at 4am, unable to get off the damn internet, even though your eyes are red and watering, and you have to go to work in three hours. It's the best thing ever.

Yes, ladies, this turkish stud is available.

Wow. He's funny again.

The girl at the MVD put down my birthday as may 6 instead of may 9 when I transferred my license to AZ. It's effectively changed my official date of birth.