2010 April » Raji Barbir Photography

Dead ends

Apr 272010

It’s not that late but I haven’t been feeling much like myself in the last couple of days, yet I’m forcing myself to stay up to listen to Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talk to students over on YouTube. It’s an hour and a half long, so if you don’t have the time, skip it obviously, but if you do have some time, at the very least check out some of his other stuff on YouTube. He’s immensely intelligent, eloquent and animated, so listening to just about anything he has to say is very exciting.

But in this video, they get to the student questions and one of them asks Neil if there were any impasses he struggled with in his trajectory to who he is now. Moments in his life as a scientist (though clearly this applies to anyone), where he was just stuck.

And he gave a great, though in his usual manner, long, response. I’d like to quote the last few words he spoke on that subject:

“You’ll be measured, not by not having dead ends, but by how well you navigate around them, at the time you notice that they’re there.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson

First model shoot of the year

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 222010

That’s actually not something I’m proud of… First model shoot this year?… That’s terrible!

But here we go anyway and I’m quite proud of some of those. I’ve done another shoot since (where the images absolutely ROCKED!!) and planning at least another two for the coming weeks.

Many thanks to all involved!

I should also mention something. I’m sure some of you have noticed this, but I’ve developed a real thing for black and white photography. So much so that the last concept I shot was designed only as a black and white shoot. Color was never an option. It had to be about movement, composition and more than anything else, the narrative of the story. More on that shoot when I post it. But if you look at the vast majority of these, you’ll see a lot of black and white. I just looked at them and though “Why the hell do I need color in these?”

Enjoy!

(Wil + Ashley) x Love - ⅘ (Carrot) = ⅞ π ⁴ ™©

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 212010

Just look at that mathematical equation up there in the title!! Can you tell that it means Wil and Ashley are engaged?

Have you noticed this lately? Every photographer posting pictures of couples feels compelled to write some basic equation, like “Wil + Ashley = Engaged”.

Well, I decided it was time I took this to the max! So the equation goes like this:

The sum of Wil and Ashley multiplied by love minus four fifths of a carrot equals seven eights of pi to the power of four.

YEAH!!!!!!

And just for good measure I added in a Trademark and a Copyright symbol. Why?! ‘Cause I can, that’s why!! Although I’m sure this is the least likely title anyone will ever steal. In fact, go ahead and take it. Heck, I dare ya to expand on my bogus mathematical equations!

Anyway… So the point is, Wil and Ashley’s engagement session was awesome. Can’t wait to shoot their wedding!

Me and Las Vegas

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 172010

Vegas Lights

Since I’ve come to the United States, every single time I’ve been to Vegas has been a bad experience. Even at its very best, it was a mixed experience, with equal parts happiness and suffering. At its worst…

Well I’d rather not talk about those times in my life…

Las Vegas is a strange place.

Although the strip can’t speak for all of Las Vegas, it’s certainly the part of Vegas tourists think of most when trying to picture the city. And I’ve always wanted to put into words what I feel about that part of it.

Here it is:

Las Vegas wants to strip away whatever dignity you have by the time you leave.

The absolute visual and sonic chaos, flashing lights everywhere begging for attention, every type of smut you can imagine at ever corner, slot machines taking whatever money you came in with, casinos clearly designed to keep you from figuring out where the exit is, fake statues and the occasional classical music trying to pose as class, bar after bar after bar…

Like a black hole in outer space, even the speed of light can’t escape its pull.

Coming home today, I was in the airport and at the gate, I sat across from a young woman who had just turned 21. I’ve never seen anyone sleep like that.

She looked up, our eyes met and she was immediately embarrassed. I didn’t think there had been anything to be embarrassed about, but she obviously felt there was. The poor girl looked ill, disheveled, hung over, shivering at the airport and inside the plane, and as she told me later, she was only wearing the dress she was because she had nothing else left to wear, hated the city and was desperate to get home. As I sat next to her in the plane, she revealed that she’d fought with loved ones and everything that could have gone wrong for her, did.

I had never enjoyed my visits to Vegas either.

Until yesterday.

Because yesterday, I was there for what turned out to be a gorgeous wedding, surrounded by fantastic people, just across from Lake Las Vegas. As I went back to my hotel room, I had to spend a few minutes on the balcony.

Crickets chirping, the faint sound of laughter.

After about half a dozen visits, I had finally, finally experienced Las Vegas in a truly positive light.

Seeing that girl was a bit like looking into my past, minus the drinking. I’d had a terrible time, relationships had changed, I was far poorer than when I’d gone in with nothing to show for it and I couldn’t wait to go home.

At least now, I can’t wait to go back.

Play!

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 132010

We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing. – Charles Schaefer

I was standing steady in the corner of my son’s bedroom, NERF gun in hand, cocked and ready to fire, silently waiting for my two boys to fall into my trap and come to me. My oldest, Gabe, took the lead. “Ok Mason, you take this room, I’ll take that one.” I didn’t know which of the rooms he meant.

I press my finger on the trigger more tightly. Gabe walks in.

I fire. Direct hit!

He screams, laughs and runs back out. Mason in the other bedroom is screaming and running to his brother’s aid. All out war! I reload, fire again, chasing them now.

Oh man that was a fun afternoon. Thought it might be worth sharing

Back to my work, here’s a headshot I did recently for a terrific actor and all-around great guy called Matt Mascaro. He was in NURF Wars, which I’m afraid is still in the works. Anyway, here you go.

Wedding, engagement session and model shoots coming up next, either today or tomorrow.

I [heart] NY: Part 2

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 052010

I still have half a roll of photos that need developing, but I’m not gonna finish that roll until a model shoot in a couple weeks. So as far as I’m concerned, this won’t be a trilogy of posts like my trip to San Francisco. This is the second and last post for New York.

I also forgot to mention yesterday, the reason most of my iPhone shots are in black and white is because I wanted as much as possible to keep my photography of New York colorless. The city doesn’t need color. Sometimes it’s nice, but going in I knew I only needed to buy black and white film, so I figured I should shoot iPhone images expecting to remove all traces of color as well.

Anyway, here are the Holga shots. As you remember from my San Francisco trip, my Holga actually broke, but referring to my current camera as the “Diana F+” is nowhere near as “elegant” as describing my crappy camera as a Holga, so I’m sticking to calling it a Holga.

Here we go:

Yes. This is New York. From a pier on Coney Island.

Some New York humor. Where else will you get notification ON THE GROUND that the picture you’re about to snap is cliché and boring?!

I noticed several performers working for pennies in front of multi-million-dollar corporations and had to laugh a little.

I have an in-focus version of this, but this one is so much more beautiful.

The subway will take you everywhere you need to be…

Like to Washington Square Park, where I happened upon an awesome street performance. This first image is a bit reminiscent of San Francisco, but in New York these performers really brought on their A game.

First he jumped over one terrified woman.

Then he jumped over four of them.

Tough guy? Yeah, I’d say so!

Then, I went home (in color too!)…

And all I can think of?

“I miss New York.”

I [heart] NY

Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 042010

The last of the quiet escapades I’ve been pulling off lately.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

I adore New York.

Before even going to San Francisco, I already knew I needed to be in New York. And the funny thing is, and I’m being totally serious here, although yes, it’s kinda funny anyway; I was really nervous about going to New York.

Why?

Well… You know how when you’re dating around and you’re about to meet with someone new and you already think he/she is awesome and you really hope the date lives up to your expectations?…

Like that. Except I was really hoping my date with a city would live up to my expectations.

This is where you can laugh. I know that’s where I do!

But yeah, New York absolutely rocked my world. It more than lived up to my expectations. I even spent a bunch of time digging through craigslist to find apartments. Never managed to see one in person though. See, I made the mistake of lying to the real estate guy and saying I was gonna move to the city in a few months instead of lying and saying I was gonna move there in two weeks.

Apparently that’s about as far out as these guys were willing to consider in terms of bothering to show me an actual place.

Oh well, I’ll lie better next time so I can see what to expect for $2,000/month for a place around 650 square feet… Yup… I told a close friend of mine this and he jokingly (or maybe not?) said “that price is unmentionable in polite company dude”.

Now I don’t want to involve you in my financial life, but at a glance, that’s basically twice what I pay, for RENT instead of a mortgage, and it gives me roughly three times LESS space and no yard. So I look around my house now thinking “Don’t need this, chuck that, sell this” and so on.

I’ve heard people try to offer a solution and say “Ok here’s what you do; move to Brooklyn –” STOP STOP STOP STOP!!!

Nope. No.

NO.

I’ve been to Brooklyn. It doesn’t feel like New York. You may as well be thousands of miles away. Why would I move 2,000 miles just to miss the bullseye?!

It’s gotta be Manhattan.

So now it’s no longer about “if”, it’s about “how”. It’s gonna take a couple of years for it to happen, but it’s gonna happen.

I’ll be going back to New York twice a year until I move. I’ll get a better feel for the city each time, I’ll meet with Art Buyers each time (hopefully) and I’ll refine the plan for my very own eventual big day.

And since it’s still so far in the future, while we wait, here are some pictures from my trip These are all iPhone shots.

A little bit of New York humor. Read that sign… So who’s cleared and stupid enough to eat the fish in small quantities? Men, ages 15 and up. That’s it!! I couldn’t help but laugh. George Carlin said it best: “I EXPECT a little cancer in MY water!”

The letter Y’s light wasn’t burned out, but apparently this place called COLONY chooses to turn on each individual letter in sequence… Um… Not a good idea.

And finally, the gorgeous, clean lines of the Guggenheim Museum (which by the way has some fantastic art).

Holga shots to come soon.

Dead ends

First model shoot of the year

(Wil + Ashley) x Love - ⅘ (Carrot) = ⅞ π ⁴ ™©

Me and Las Vegas

Play!

I [heart] NY: Part 2

I [heart] NY

Raji Barbir Photography

About

Archives

Subscribe via E-Mail