A LIST OF THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT

Friday, May 29, 2015

THINGS YOU DON'T TELL YOUR COLLEAGUES

That you smoke drugs
fuck a lot
ask out on dates
drink
marital affairs
your passion
feelings
what you want to eat
The car you drive
music
politics
Job Opportunities
You past on drugs


...because honestly... who the fuck cares...


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THE MORNING CAME

Monday, May 25, 2015

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And Then It Left / Lowell, Ma / March 2015

It was cold for so long and to have the sun suddenly appear in the morning was something to appreciate the most. I missed you so much.

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TAKING A CHANCE

Friday, May 22, 2015

It was one night when two of my friends and I were smoking cigarettes in the front porch and we all wanted to eat, but had no money. Those days were dependent on financial aid to pay for groceries and school supplies. It held me awhile until the next paychecks came in.

Mike took out a $10 bill and said "if I can make this $10 bill into $40 I will take both you and Brandon out to Denny's." We hopped into his car and drove to Table Mountain Casino where he would chance his luck on the slot machines. While on the drive we were trying to play a tape of the band WOODS on his deck, but it kept spewing out. We let the remainder of the drive there talking about nothing.

We entered the casino and it was full of smoke, slot machine lights, and a vibe full of static. I looked around and saw that Brandon and Mike proceeded to evaluate what machine he wanted to use to earn some winnings. I paid no attention as I browsed around in awe of how Vegas like it was.

Mike and Brandon had created some strategies on the slots:

1. spend a dollar each time
2. if you're losing go to another machine
3. if you win play 3 more times and then go to another machine.

After about 20 minutes of browsing and lurking I went up to Mike and Brandon to see their progress. Mike had won about $43 dollars. He told me "dude.. let's cash in." He wen to the bank teller, traded the chips and received the $43. We hopped into his car and went home

Brandon at the first try puts the tape on the deck. The deck receives and plays the WOODS song "Holes".

"Downtown
You seem different don't forget my face
Wrapped around someone different in a different place"

And those first few lines was the drive home.

We walked into Denny's, got seated, looked at the menu and waited for our waiter. The waiter, on his 50's, came up to us with a notepad and a stale face introduces himself.

"Hello, I'm Todd. I will be your waiter today. What can I start you off with?"

That $6 dollar pancakes were the best pancakes I ate.

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COMING HOME EARLY

Monday, May 18, 2015

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Tired of My Job / Middletown, Ct / March 2015

That day I had felt the worst. Maybe not... but looking at this picture I can only imagine how I felt coming home. It felt good. I felt nice. It was much needed after a grueling 8 hours of sitting in a cubicle and processing things that you don't care about.

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WISHFUL THINKING

Friday, May 15, 2015


When this is all over
I'd hope that moment
I can give up my coffee addiction
and remember
that I can sleep
for at least 6 hours

Maybe then
I could feel better
look better
and understand
my life
was alright
when I turned
25

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I'M STILL COLD

Monday, May 11, 2015



Beautiful but it Still Kinda Sucks / East Haddam, Ct / March 2015

I went and visited East Haddam since a friend of mine wanted to jam out some sounds. It was kind of whatever playing music that day, but I made the most of it by getting this shot of the river. It was a crazy day of slight snow and winds, but I was fortunate to get home safe after the jam.

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A POEM FOR BREAKFAST

Friday, May 8, 2015

The first thing I do
when I wake up
is try to figure out
why I'm awake at 3:15
in the morning.

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CHEER UP. YOU HAD BREAKFAST.

Monday, May 4, 2015

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The Zorba Wrap Was Bomb as Hell Though / East Hartford, Ct / February 2015

Here & there Jen and I would have the opportunity to get some breakfast before work if there's a Friday available. I've gotten close with her ever since working my current job. It isn't just the fact that she's asian (and that asian people rule period), but the fact that she understands me and my wife and how we function in society. She has a food blog you should check out. Give it a look.

FOOD ALWAYS ON THE MIND

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HOW TO BECOME CHRIS BUCK

Friday, May 1, 2015

This is repost of Chris Bucks' Five Tips for Becoming a Professional Photographer. I found it slightly amusing.

Five Tips for Becoming a Professional Photographer

Much of the conventional wisdom on to become an advertising and editorial photographer is wrong, so I’ve written up five tips that counter the common narrative. It’s exciting to meet young people who are creative and driven, nothing would make me happier than to see them thrive as professional shooters.

1. Don’t go to College

More and more I’m meeting emerging photographers who are saddled with over 100K of college debt. My advice to young people – skip photo college. You can learn everything you need through books, mentors and short-term courses.

It will be a more challenging road, requiring openness, experimentation, and plenty of trail and error but the dividends are astronomical. Imagine spending your twenties with the freedom to live and work anywhere you wanted without a crippling debt hanging over you demanding a substantial and regular income.

College is great but spending $150,000 to be a photographer is insane.

2. Don’t be a Photo Assistant

Photo assisting is a procrastination tool. One can make amazing money in their mid-twenties as a photo assistant – and have fun and strange experiences on a variety of photo sets - but what you won’t be doing is building a creative foundation that you’ll need when it’s time to get serious in your early thirties. The longer one waits to transition out of assisting the harder it will be – one goes from making great money to no money (at least initially).

A better choice would be interning for a great photographer for a season or two, you’ll be immersed in the world that you want to be a part of, and have the license to ask lots of questions.

3. Don’t Move to New York

I’ve met more than one young person who told me that they moved to New York to be inspired and be a part of a creative community only to find themselves feeling isolated and exploited. It seems that there are two kinds of people in New York, those with a vision, and those without who work for peanuts for those who do.

New York (and other important cities like Los Angeles and London) is primarily a marketplace – cultivate your vision elsewhere then bring it to market and show us something new. New York welcomes you – but come when you have something to say.

4. Don’t be Successful

If you’re any good you’ll find yourself at some point as out of line with the culture. Your clients will be uninterested or confused by your latest work. Go with it, as it means that you’re onto something special.

Of course one needs to make a living, so hit the sweet spot for your clients too, but keep shooting the less obvious pictures along the way – this will be the work that really makes your name down the road.

5. Do be a Hater

I’ve found that I make my most interesting and original work when reacting against a prevalent trend rather than being inspired by some well-achieved work. When you’re inspired by a great photographer you tend to make some variation on that person’s work. But when you react against something you set the bar higher, “these folks are getting it wrong, and I’m going to show them the right way.” For me that means digging deep into myself and asking the hard questions about where photography should be going and how I might help bring it there.


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