Year in Photos

Thanks you for joining me in reviewing my year in photography! Please leave any comments or questions you have at the bottom of the page!

I really feel this has been a great year for me photographically.
The first half of the year was a little slow. I was only taking one photo class in the spring and wasn't feeling very motivated to shoot. There were some bright spots, however. I published my first book, Meet Me on the Moon at the end of April. In May a friend of mine, Jayson Diebel, was hired by Matrix Services, Inc. to make a video of their company performing a lift of an oil tank roof. He asked me to come along and shoot video as well. I brought my digital still camera also and took about 400 photos before and during the operation. It was quite an experience to see a plane of steel plates welded together, 180 ft in diameter, lifted only by air pressure. The crew was great. They seemed excited to get the roof in the air, and were more than willing to have us around taking video and photos. I made a book for them after the project was done and mailed it to them.



Panorama of the inside of the tank prior to the roof lift. Click on the photo for a larger view.




Two of the crew prior to lifting. The goal was to lift the roof to 6.5ft, as marked on the tank wall.




Three of the guys completing a safety check prior to lifting.




Scale shot so you can get an idea of how huge these tanks are.

  I had a quite a lull in creative achievement after this was over. I spent 6 weeks of the summer in math class 4 mornings a week. It really kicked my ass. But once the new semester began I felt more focused than ever. I was really inspired by one of my instructors, Max Gerber.

Max's honest approach to reality, though sometimes (most of the time) harsh, helped me focus on simplifying my approach to shooting. His open attitude towards different ideas in regards to assignments, took the pressure off and allowed for creative thought to flow. I really can't say how much I appreciate him helping me find that inside of me. I liken it to when cavemen were consistently able to light their campfires (though I'm sure they didn't call it a campfire).

Here are some portraits I've taken this year.

The old LA Zoo at Griffith Park has some hidden treasures. Here fellow photog Brent Matsuno poses for a triptych. I began scanning entire negatives around this time. I love the format of this look. It doesn't always translate for every image, but I think it adds to this particular set.

Here on a field trip to Victorville, I took a moment to use this sliver of light to create an interesting portrait of Carly Cram, another photographer at Cypress College.

A disclaimer for this image: I did not shoot this in 2010! It was shot in 2007, processed and printed in 2010. This is one of my favorite images. It has an iconic feel and is representative of what I try to accomplish when I shoot.

Ellie Hamblin. My favorite image from my shoot with Ellie in her front yard. Currently Ellie is somewhere in Mexico. She heads south every winter to relax by a lake deep in the mainland.

Jesus Men. I trip out every time I see these guys in the water. Sometimes it looks like they are walking on water as the legend has it.

Reid Collier. Reed was a great subject to shoot. He was easy going and not shy. And his apartment has AMAZING window light. Many thanks to Reid. 

Yesterday's Tales. I shot this during Yom Kippur at Lauren's grandparent's house. Her grandparents on the outer two who are holding a conversation with the inner two, who are a couple as well. I feel this image is very telling of that generation. Although the men and women aren't interacting with each other directly, they are still communicating with each other.

4x5 Portraits:
I began using the 4x5 camera for shooting portraits this semester. We have some high resolution medium format digital cameras at school but they aren't allowed off campus. The alternative method to getting super high resolution images is the 4x5.

John Wear. John and I have been friends for about 6 years. This is exactly how I have always know John to be. Goofy, funny, silly.

George Katz. George has stories for days. From IRS agent to fighting in WWII. Though George is 87, he's still sharp as a tack. 

Larry. This is my Mom's boyfriend of 6 or so years. Larry is the most easy going person I've ever met. He works for Boeing, and there's a lot that no one knows about going on behind those eyes.

Cypress College Make-up Class:
One project this semester was to shoot for another department at school. I had the opportunity to shoot this class for 2 weeks. Instructed by Barbara Braden Meyer, these students are super talented in applying stage make-up. I really enjoyed shooting this project and I hope I created a need for professional quality photos of the work these students do on a weekly basis.

Pedro:
Pedro, Pedro, Pedro. Where do I start. Pedro was one of my favorite subjects this semester. He was always down for whatever weird, crazy idea I had and pulled it off every time. Great actor, if there was some sort of award like an Oscar, but for photography, he should get it. Thanks for all your help this semester, dude!

The Scowl:
This project was kicked off by Pedro. He grabbed a chair and nailed the pose, and I ran with it. I find it interesting to examine each individual person's scowl. We all have our own way of glaring at someone. Our minds are good at erasing the bad and remembering the good. I wanted to capture the bad and remember it for once.

And, last but definitely not least, John and Ali:

John and I met in the Coast Guard. We slept in adjacent racks for about 2 years. Both of us have since left the organization. I was really happy to hear John met the love of his life, Ali. They contacted me to inquire about me possibly shooting their wedding. We talked for a while and decided to proceed with an engagement shoot in mid December. I decided to take a different route than a traditional engagement shoot since John had arranged to have this truck for their photos. I brought a 4x5 camera and a bunch of black and white film to take their photo. I had a wonderful few hours with them. It was really great to see John, catch up with him, and reminisce all the old salty stories from the Mighty Warship Chase. I am absolutely thrilled to be shooting their wedding in July. And 100% thrilled to see Johnny boy getting hitched! Congrats to the both of you!

I created this triptych for them. I got the idea from some of Richard Avedon's group portraits and really like the way these photos show together. I have since scanned higher resolution copies of these negatives, retouched them and am in the process of making them perfect for printing, and hopefully displaying at their ceremony.

What a way to finish off the year!

Pre-thanks to Mom and Larry for the Mamiya 645 I'm about to get for X-mas! I can't wait to get it and run thousands of rolls of 120 film through it!

Thanks to all the staff in the Cypress College photo dept for your support. You only have me around for one more semester. I know how sad you must be.

Special thanks to everyone who let me take their photo this year and previous years.

Extra special thanks to Lauren Johnson for all the hours she put in sitting on the couch next to me while I edited photos and she watched TV.

I hear the music playing, I guess that means it's time to wrap up my thank you speech. 

See you next year!

Craig