DC & Potomac Fog

2 years ago I ventured into downtown DC early before sunrise, parked on the mall, jumped on my bike and then tooled around photographing many of the monuments and landmarks as the sun came up.  For some reason I never did get a decent shot of the Washington monument.  So this week I thought I'd venture down again and do a similar excursion.  I had forgotten of course that the Washington monument was still being repaired from the damage caused by the earthquake last year.  Although mostly repaired, scaffolding was still 1/3 of the way up the monolith.  I decided to go down anyway early Monday to capture other sites...only to be driving through a thick fog along the Washington parkway.  Getting there I found I could no longer park along the mall as it is more restrictive than ever.  I head up towards the monument and right there was a parking space.  The fog was thick, but miraculously it only covered up the scaffolding.  I jumped out and got a quick frame before it was completely enveloped in a think soup.  Fearing I would be towed, I jumped back in the car and started heading toward the Jefferson memorial only to find myself heading out of town on to I-395.  I knew enough to know it was heading me back towards where I was staying in Alexandria, so I decided to get back on the parkway that ran south down the Potomac.  I pulled off at several spots and as luck would have it gave me ample opportunity to create some memorable images.  Both the "Dock Light" and the "Osprey Nest" are my favorites of the morning.  The lesson is that one just has to adapt to changing conditions and find what is there.  Even had time for a good cup of Joe at Starbucks in old town Alexandria.

30 Year Anniversary of NC States' 1983 Championship Run

It was the home game at Virginia that Derick Whittenberg came down on Orthel Wilsons foot and broke his ankle.   It was a potentially season ending injury for the senior guard and a severe blow to a team that was showing potential to win an ACC championship.  In the photograph below Valvano helps Whittenberg from the floor along with head trainer Jim Rebock.  Whittenberg had to sit on the sidelines as State went to Carmichael only to see State lose to Michael Jordan and the Tar Heels.

Freshman Ernie Myers and Terry Gannon took a larger role however, and coming home to Reynolds Coliseum, pandemonium broke out as State beat UNC even without Whittenberg.  More to come.

AlienSkin Blog Post

http://blog.alienskin.com/simon-griffiths-on-black-white

Our work was just featured on the Alien Skin Blog.  Go check it out.  It highlights how we use their program Exposure to create Black & White conversions.  Having been a Black & White specialist for years, it was fun to find a digital tool that gave me the kind of look I have been searching for representative of traditional black & white.

Finally the Website Reworked!

It takes a while to rework a website.  It's the start of another long process to add new portfolio material to one's primary marketing tool.   I always struggle to decide what work should stay and what should go.  Inevitably, I have to toss out images that I really like that just don't fit the mold of what I'm trying to do.   That is perhaps the biggest struggle photographers have... deciding what defines their style.  I enjoy so many aspects of photography that I tend to show different styles, hoping that what I bring to the table however is a fresh and unique interpretation of the subject.   I steer away from trends in photography.

Whether I am successful or not is up to interpretation.  I don't toot my own horn, but I have to get out and show what I enjoy doing.  

Please check out the new website at:

http://www.simong.com

Martin Luther King Jr. First Holiday - January 20th, 1986

I started my business officially on January 1st, 1986.  I had just graduated from NC State in May of 85, and spent the summer working as a surveyor and then back to shooting sports from various editorial and University clients.  I had been working for Associated Press and UPI during college and was often sent out to cover various events.   In 1983, Ronald Reagan signed into law the official Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to take place on the third Monday in January...the closest to his actual birthday of January 15th.   He would be 84 years old today.   These photographs represent Raleigh's celebration and march to commemorate the very first MLKJr. holiday on January 20th, 1986.

27 years has gone by very quickly.  Raleigh has changed dramatically since that time.  I would like to think that much of the negative culture of that time has vanished.  I can't say completely, but we have an African American President in the White House today.  Regardless of your politics, this is something that was probably unthinkable in 1986.   I was photographing KKK rallies on occasion in downtown Raleigh during that era as well.  I don't think I will ever want to pull those images out and post them.  Although this wasn't my first assignment working as Simon Griffiths Photography, it was certainly one of the first.  I often wonder what happened to the people.   The little boy is now in his 30's.  Who did he become?  Maybe he is on his way to becoming President one day.  Maybe, he's a photographer.

Finding 20 year old 4x5 Transparencies!

Back in the early 90's, I almost always kept a 4x5 camera in the car whenever I traveled.  I can't tell you how many times I hiked it over trails to catch the light over a scene at dusk, or in the early morning.  It wasn't a fancy Zone V field camera either...it was a an old Cambo studio camera with one very heavy Gitzo tripod. Every once in a while...like today...I run across some transparencies or negatives that I never got around to scanning until now.  Spent the better part of the afternoon scanning these images taken during the production of the North Carolina 4th Grade textbook.  Obviously, the Nantahala River is at the top followed by several scenes unidentified by location with the exception of the Whitewater Falls in the southwestern part of the state.   My favorite is actually the guys sitting around at the gas station...cigarette butts everywhere, but not paying much attention to some young guy setting up a huge camera in front of them.  That's one I think I'm going to have to print really big!

Our character is defined by how we live our life.

There is much talk that this country is becoming more and more polarized...I think it may have a lot to do with Facebook and it's ability to rant and rave without impunity.   Here I see more and more rhetoric hurled at both sides with little respect for opposing opinion and plenty of posting, reposting of ridiculous, insulting, and negative rants.  I have no desire to enter into political discussions with friends on Facebook where supposed facts and insults are tossed around like hot potatoes.  The world will not end if Obama is elected, nor will the world end if Romney is elected.  In fact no matter who is elected, next week will be better, because all this rhetoric will hopefully abate.

We tend to surround ourselves with friends with like minds and political persuasions, yet can't seem to enter into reasonable debate without throwing insults around.  About 10 years ago I participated in an online debate that evolved into a political discussion.  It dissolved into my friend throwing extreme insults my way that completely not only ended our discussion, but ended our friendship.  That's why I don't enter into online debates anymore and rarely into political discussions.  I completely respect one's right to further their own political cause, but not at the expense or disrespect of other individuals.
The minute insults are thrown, then all credibility to their cause is lost.

Part of the problem is that we just don't listen to each other.  We listen to sound bites provided by media  sympathetic to our own agenda.  As a result, we tend not to listen to what is really being said.  We are shocked and outraged at what we perceive as the complete ignorance of the other side.  The internet is an amazing thing, but instead of allowing us to educate ourselves beyond our own belief system, we have moved home to work and only visit sites that support our own belief system.  We are actually becoming more and more isolated individually and more polarized as a result.

 I will make my choice hoping my candidate can accomplish something positive but I will deal with whatever the majority chooses.  I'm sure there will be negative consequences no matter who is elected, but also positive consequences no matter who is elected.  One issue should not elect a President, nor defeat one.  My vote counts, but if my vote goes to a losing candidate, I'll move on and live my life the best way I know how.  Being a positive person helps a lot.  Negativity has no room in my life or on my facebook page.  I encourage all of you to look at this election in a positive way and no matter who wins (or loses), not project your negativity my way or to anyone else for that matter.  Have a great week.

And... I used this photograph because Todd inspired me that day.  After falling towards the beginning of a Cyclocross race, his bike was unridable.  Rules state you can't change your bike until the pitstop so Todd threw his bike on his shoulder and proceeded to run in cleats 1/2 mile at least to the pitstop assuring that he would probably finish last in the race.  However, instead of quitting, Todd finished despite the setback.  No matter what setback you and your party think you have tomorrow...life will go on.