Aisha Mujib Khan

Maham

2012-01-24T10:41:00.002-05:00

Window light and shadows

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Charles and his groomsmen.

And a couple of bonus window shadow photos from Eugene's wedding.

Newseum

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

In the Books!

2012-01-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

Her Safari is a collection of short stories written by Lisa Mikitarian. I had a blast photographing Lisa for an author photo at her house in Woodstock, VA. The fall foliage provided an amazing background and Lisa provided the beautiful laughter. If only all of my shoots were this easy. Check out the photo shoot here.

Meet the Banks Sisters

2012-01-23T01:33:00.002-05:00

Tomii, Shannon, Rachel and their dog, Queen. Tomii is a friend from high school who wanted a photo shoot with her sisters, something which they hadn't had for well over a decade. The day before Christmas Eve proved to be quite blustery and so we shot inside their dad's house, which turned out to be perfect, full of so many nice backgrounds and popping colors.

Another Help Portrait DONE!

2011-12-14T01:33:00.001-05:00

Another year almost over and another successful Help Portrait event wrapped up. Last Saturday was a day of giving across the world. Photographers and other volunteers came together to donate their portrait taking skills to people not usually so fortunate to have professional portraits done.

Help Portrait Baltimore 2011 Helping Up Mission

In Baltimore this year, we had two official locations. People are, of course, carrying out such events year round worldwide, but Help Portrait always has an official date in December just in time for the holidays.

Help Portrait Baltimore 2011 Captivate Church

I opted to partake in the event at the Helping Up Mission. We were a small team of ten, but we worked hard all day to provide the men and their families with some awesome photos. Before we started the shoot, we actually got to go on a tour of the facility. Check out these behind the scenes photos of the day. Thanks to Jon from Helping Up Mission for giving us the tour and answering our questions!

Help Portrait: 3rd Year and Counting

2011-12-05T13:14:00.001-05:00

It's coming!! This Saturday will be the 3rd annual Help Portrait day where photographers, photo editors, make-up artists and anyone who wants to come together to use their skills to give back to the community. We provide professional photographs to people who may have never had their portrait taken before or maybe they can't afford family photos or maybe they never thought they were pretty enough.

I'm constantly surrounded by photographers and immersed in the photo industry so to myself and the people around me photography means a lot! It surprises me sometimes that people don't always realize the worth of a photograph, it's healing quality, it's capability to capture a moment in time that will never be recreated, it's helping to define self worth.

Help Portrait Baltimore 2009

And I'm just going to go ahead and say it. There is no much bad imagery out there, really bad photographs. I'm speaking technically here. To some, any ole camera can do the job as long as it catches a moment, but there is so much more to it. High quality, professional photos can completely change the view of that moment. They have the ability to alter the perception of a moment, besides the fact the fact the initial reaction to photography is that cameras always capture the truth. With the ability to manipulate photos, that isn't always true, but that's a story for another day. Right now I'm referring to the technical quality of a photo, whether it's of your wedding, house, vacation, work or just a self portrait. If the photo is in focus, the colors are true to reality and not dark, but not too bright either, it can help us remember the memory with fondness. If the photo is dark, out of focus and the colors are all over the place, the photo doesn't necessarily convey the same happiness.

Some people aren't aware of the difference, but if you put two copies of a photo in front of them, one technically right and the other wrong, they will gravitate towards the correct photo. A friend asked me to shoot her wedding, but her family thought it was unnecessary. They said they all had their point and shoot cameras and could capture the day. I did end up shooting the wedding and my friend's family was amazed by the quality. They certainly weren't expecting those photos and it stands to reason that they wouldn't have gotten the same quality, not because they didn't have fancy cameras, but because they didn't have the same skill.

As photographers, it's up to us to share our skills and educate. Part of that sharing will be taking place this Saturday around the world. Go to the website and find the page for your city. It's not too late to sign up. You can even just show up that day and no one will turn you away. If your city doesn't already have an event created, you could even start it!

Help Portrait Baltimore 2010. We grew just a tad bit.

We've got two locations in Baltimore this year so come on down and help out. Meet some new people! Check out the details for location one and location two and join us!

Beds Not Benches: A Program then Kicked Out

2011-11-22T01:34:00.001-05:00

It's been about two days since A Bench is Not a Bed, the sleep out to raise awareness for homelessness in front of City Hall, which turned into a night at Occupy Baltimore (more on that later) and although the cold in my toes and the ache in my back from sleeping a few layers away from the concrete have faded, what hasn't faded is the feeling of injustice and inadequacy.

These feelings emanate from our current politicians in Baltimore City specifically for the way the sleep out was handled. How exactly did they feel threatened by a group comprised largely of local college students? Why did they feel the need to have police stand at attention forcing us to leave with the threat of arrest? Ultimately it was decided that we weren't a large enough group to make a statement even if we were arrested so we relocated the sleep out to Occupy Baltimore at McKeldin Square. The Occupiers even made a show earlier in the program in front of City Hall to support the fight against homelessness.

Before we left, we had a good turnout with an open mic for people to voice their thoughts, break out sessions on topics such as policy, re-entry, information from groups working against homelessness and a song to round out the night.

Did you know that there are roughly 4,000 homeless people in Baltimore on any given night? 4,000 people spending their nights on the streets with nowhere to go and we, a group of less than 40 people, couldn't spend the night on the streets in a show of solidarity, to open people's eyes to this epidemic. Do we have to have hit rock bottom ourselves before we're "allowed" to sleep on a bench, not a bed?

Go to the website for The Journey Home: Baltimore's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, and when you scroll down to the bottom of the main page, you'll find a letter from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. In it she says "We cannot end homelessness with money alone – we need smart and effective programs. We need people in the community to do their part. Like many of the city’s greatest challenges, it is bigger than government. Together, we can make Baltimore better, safer and stronger."

She's right. It is bigger than government and we need to work on it together. However, how can we make anything stronger when the people of the city do unite in a cause, but are thwarted with fear? We were given a permit for our program from 6-9PM, but no permit to sleep out. Last year was the same, but a group was able to sleep out successfully without a large threat from the police. So what does that mean? Were they setting an example for the Occupy movement which is also camped out in Baltimore without a permit? Do they become more wary as more social activist groups try to make a difference?

In the end, we were just a group of people uniting under a common cause trying to raise awareness and brainstorm ideas of how we could aid in the fight against homelessness and we were ejected from a space by people who are our supposed allies in this fight. Not to be deterred we'll keep doing what we do.

One Night Stand for Homelessness/A Bench is not a Bed

2011-11-06T13:49:00.001-05:00

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Excuse the Like/Comment buttons. Took this from the FB page for A Bench is Not a Bed.
Props to the designer whose name wasn't posted.

November 12-20 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. One Night Stand for Homelessness is joining A Bench is not a Bed, a sleep out planned by a group of Baltimore city and county students on November 19th at 6PM in front of Baltimore City Hall. Join us and RSVP here. They've actually got many different events planned for this week. The sleep out is the grand finale. Check out their website.

Since I signed up to join One Night Stand for Homelessness and I wrote my letter to the mayor, I've realized that sleeping out in the middle of November with no sleeping bag/layered clothes would not be the wisest decision. We want to raise awareness not lower our body temperature so please come prepared. Check out the sleep out info page of One Night Stand for Homelessness where Lionel details the event, what to wear, what to bring, etc.

Sleeping out on Saturday will be more than just courting stiff muscles the next morning. It's about raising awareness. First of all, actually feeling what it is like to sleep not on a bed under a roof, but to be out in the open, exposed to the elements. Saturday is also about opening people's eyes to the issues around them, the ones that they walk and drive by every day with their eyes averted. We need to plan for the future. If eradicating homelessness were as easy as no one ever sleeping out on the streets again, we could put a roof over everyone's heads and call it a day, but we need to educate and motivate, provide the means for people to become self sufficient so they don't find themselves back at square one.

Being or not being homeless is more than just a state of housing. We can build people's confidence, aid them with getting an education, finding a job and holding onto that job so they take pride in their life and want to maintain a healthy living. We're all here together so why not help each other out?

UPDATE: The city has given the event a permit for the program, but not the sleep out in front of City Hall. Please read below, Lionel Foster, giving the details.

The students who organized the sleep-out have a permit for all of the wonderful programming they've planned (i.e. sleeping bag give-away to the homeless, speakers series, break-out sessions, open mic) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the City would not give us a permit to stay in front of City Hall overnight.

This may not, however, be a problem. In fact, highlighting the City's unwillingness to let peaceful, well-meaning residents sleep outside so that others won't have to could be a very good thing. But with that said, I want you to have all the information you need to make a smart and informed decision, so please read on.

The student organizers I'm working with have seen this before. Last year, a few hundred people came to the early evening programming that was covered under the permit. At 9 p.m., the police came and reminded them that the permit had expired. The students were polite. Everyone stayed put. Officers came back at 11 p.m. The students were still polite, the police left them alone, and about 75 people slept overnight without incident.

This year, the students expect even more participants, and it's their thinking that with reporters like me present, legal observers (volunteer lawyers who will keep the police honest), and potentially lots more people than last year due to the increased publicity, the police are even less likely to insist that people leave.

It is almost 100 percent likely that the police will ask us to leave at 9 p.m., but the organizers put the chance of officers forcing people to leave and/or arresting people at next to zero.

What you do with this information is up to you. No one will judge you for staying or leaving. Just showing your face during the very legal, very permitted portion of the night (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) will mean a lot.

If you are at all concerned, there is a back-up plan. Occupy Baltimore is encamped just down the street at the Inner Harbor, and a few organizers have already been delegated to lead people who'd like to sleep out there to the Occupy Baltimore site at 9 p.m.

What's my best guess of what will happen? My sense is that, if the favorable weather forecast holds, we'll have a great crowd and the police will leave us alone. Think about it. When was the last time you heard about police in Baltimore arresting hundreds of people at once? I don't think it's happened in my lifetime.

So, just to recap, here are you options at 9 p.m.: (1) stay put in front of City Hall while some of the veteran organizers politely negotiate with the police, (2) move to Occupy Baltimore's site or (3) go home. Whatever you decide to do at 9 p.m., please know that your being there in any capacity whatsoever will be a great statement.

Two Gorgeous Girls

2011-11-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

Introducing Maddie and Ori, short for Madeline and Oriana. Not only do they have awesome names, but these are two very awesome girls! The girls were troopers because despite the look of their clothing, this was not a warm day! They rocked it! We're showcasing not only these two lovelies, but the makeup, which was done by Maddie. She is based out of Winchester, VA and is available for all of your makeup needs.

Doesn't Maddie look like she just stepped out of Mad Men? And Ori is our very own disco queen! The bug was a beautiful, random find on the streets. Love when that happens!

Luke + Jessica Together

2011-10-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

These are some of my favorites from Luke and Jessica's wedding, which I helped my friend, Rafael Soldi, shoot in Frederick, Maryland. The church was beautiful and had so many windows; it was a photographer's dream church! Luke was cool as a cucumber, no nerves at all. The next step must be pretty easy after seven years together.

This little darling walked right up to me and asked me to take her picture.

I am a huge fan of dresses with pockets!

The guys were a lot of fun to hang out with.

Yay bow ties!

Check out those shoes!

Isn't it nice to be carried over the mud by your husband?

It's in the Details

2011-10-25T13:21:00.001-04:00

Shooting Luke and Jessica's wedding with Rafael Soldi.

What if we had a cause and we had the power to make it happen?

2011-10-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

"There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed." -Albert Schweitzer


Who can tell me where we are in our Baltimore?

Dear Mayor Rawlings-Blake,

My name is Aisha Mujib Khan and today I read Lionel Foster's article in the City Paper promoting the plan to end homelessness in Baltimore by 2018, TheJourney Home. If you haven't read his article yet, it's just one click away. http://citypaper.com/news/columns/please-don-8217-t-end-homelessness-1.1216427

I appreciate all of the effort our local leaders and nonprofit organizations have been putting into making this plan a reality. However, for it to truly succeed we need to raise awareness, we need everyone's help. Sure, people see the homeless all of the time.They dole out a few dollars or buy a meal for someone in need, but then they continue on their way, going to work, buying groceries, living their lives. We have sympathy, but what we need to create is true empathy! And how better to empathize with a homelessperson than to spend the nights on the streets, even just one night, especially in the cold?

I've never been homeless, but I think if I were, I would feel lucky to be able to camp out in a sleeping bag or a tent or be wearing layers upon layers of clothes. I say, if we're goingto do this, we should do it exactly as if we were homeless, no blankets, no fleece lined coats, just a piece of cardboard (if we're lucky) to cushion our bodies from the hard pavement.

Lionel has started the movement. One Night Stand for Homelessness. I'm down. I'm also spreading the word to everyone I know and I'd like to camp out in front of City Hall with you andall of Baltimore to ensure that no one has to camp out like that again unless they want to! Will you help us? More specifically, will you join us? We're signing up at www.onenightstandforhomelessness.com.A great way to show your interest and support would be to set the date yourself. I work until midnight Sundays through Thursdays, but if you pick the date I will show up at one in the morning and find myself a spot to hunker down in.

Thanks for taking the time and I hope to be laying my head down in front of City Hall with you soon.

Sincerely,

Aisha Mujib Khan

Go check out Lionel's article and the website for One Night Stand for Homelessness. Sign up and write your own letter to the mayor!

There are so many ways to change the world for the better. Helping others pretty much sums it up whether you're spending the night in front of City Hall or volunteering with an organization or advocating for progress.

A few other ways for you to help:

The volunteer page at The Journey Home

Help build houses (and more!) with Habitat for Humanity

Keep some people company by volunteering at a hospital: Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital, Sinai Hospital, Union Memorial

Seek out the best opportunity for you: Volunteer Central.

Our time is gift to be given to other people. Just think of how many people we could help if everyone gave a little love.

Self Sufficiency at its Best

2011-10-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

I grew these sunflowers from seed in my garden. Then, I photographed them on Ilford Delta Pro 400 and developed the roll myself. All I need is a darkroom and I'll print them to my desire as well, but in the mean time I scanned them myself and here they are for all to enjoy!

Just me and my dad

2011-09-29T12:59:00.002-04:00

Another addition to this body of work. My dad with mechanic hands. Me with faux mechanic hands, having helped my dad clean his shop, wishing I knew even a tenth of the amazing knowledge about cars floating around in his head.

Seattle on film

2011-09-27T14:11:00.001-04:00

Shot on Ilford Delta 400 Pro (just in case the letters on the side weren't clear enough) walking around Seattle with Raf.

What don't I love about film? I'm not sure that can be answered. There have been many time I've thought I was born in the wrong era. Being alive a few decades ago when film was really coming into it's own would have been more than nice.

Film scanning has begun

2011-09-14T12:49:00.001-04:00

On one hand it makes me excited to see these gems that I've been shooting and processing and then hoarding. On the other hand, it makes me sad since the reason I'm scanning them is because I don't have a darkroom to work in right now.

I am thrilled to see these puppies though. Some of these rolls are months old and deserve to have some sort of attention.

I'm scanning with an Imacon Flextight Precision II. I know! There is no gel or glass to interfere and I'm not sure my scans can get any more detailed.

I scanned at the highest resolution to see what this puppy could do. 5760! Of course, I may pull back a bit. I can get a 40x50 print out of that at 300 DPI and with the detail I could go bigger, but I'm not sure I'll be Jeff Walling it anytime soon.

This is a lovely scene I captured while driving back from Winchester, VA during the summer. For those who don't know, I lived in Winchester for a bit about a half a decade ago. I still make trips back there to visit with good friends. The best driving is on 340, which takes me through Harper's Ferry on my way back to Baltimore. Side note: The first time I drove through Harper's Ferry I was in awe. I thought I had been transported to Rivendell. My Lord of the Rings fans, you know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I need to remember what town this was taken in. It's one of those only consisting of homes and farms. I believe I had just gone through Berryville or was passing through or was about to pass through and I drove by this awesome craziness. Had to pull a u-turn and go back.

Thankfully, I had a Mamiya 7 II with me fully loaded with a roll of Ilford Delta 400 Professional. Me and Ilford go way back. I actually prefer the 100 because I'm a fan of super fine grain, but I've moved to the 400 for those extra stops, never know when I'll have less light than I want. So glad I got to develop these rolls when I visited Seattle in May. Nothing like the smell of fixer to take you back!

I quite like the photo. Giant stuffed monkey, the flag, yup. I only wish I had taken that small step to the left so it would look like the monkey was holding the flag. Oh well.

New Website Design

2011-09-08T01:24:00.000-04:00

I've changed things up on my website for wedding and portrait work. Check it out!

ROTC: My influence (Part 2)

2011-07-31T15:53:00.000-04:00

The reason I've been having so many memories of my time in ROTC pop up is that this past school year my instructor, Senior Chief Rolando Marucut, retired after having taught at Suitland High School for sixteen years. I got the call from a friend and fellow past cadet. Clearly something had to be done.

Never to shy away from a reunion, I thought of how great it would be to bring Senior Chief's old students together for one big thank you to the man who stuck it out with us for so long through countless bus rides, drill meets, failures and successes. Another friend joined in on the planning and we learned that being the humble man that he is, Senior Chief had never had a ceremony when he retired from the Navy and our thank you manifested in the form of a ceremony where not only former students, but fellow instructors and administrators could come and wish Senior Chief a fond farewell, as well as, honor the sacrifices his family has made during his time away from home.

I feel sad for the future NJROTC students that will not experience the quiet yet steady presence of Senior Chief and also feel lucky and blessed to have had him as a mentor in my own life.

There were a few people who could not make it, but still wanted to send their sentiments. The following videos are from former senior naval science instructor Commander Donald B. Disney and former class of 2001 student Jamira Bryant.

As for the rest, this is what we came up with...

ROTC: My focus, my life and ultimately, my demise (or so I thought) (Part 1)

2011-07-23T19:47:00.002-04:00

When I began high school I joined the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). At the time, I did it because my older sister of three years had been in AFJROTC, the Air Force counterpart to my program at her high school. I could probably count on one hand all of what I knew about ROTC through her: my sister wore a uniform to school once a week, blue to my black, she performed at drill meets, she went to boot camp.

I could never have truly known what I was getting into. The program would change my life, in subtle ways, which I wouldn't notice while still in school and in other more dramatic ways, which would determine whether I graduated high school on time or not.

From middle and elementary school I brought my quiet and shy ways with me. I did my homework, got good grades and didn't usually question authority. That is not to say that I escaped unnoticed, from rebuke, which tainted my cheeks with the red hot stain of shame, or earning compliments, which I could never truly understand the worth of at such a young age. My seventh grade science teacher once told me that if she had had a daughter, she would have liked her to be like me. In eighth grade science I received a failing grade for my science project because I brought it in late. The teacher told me to take it home and when he asked for it again the next week I told him I didn't have it, too proud to make an excuse and rehash the previous week. Yet in eighth grade history, Ms. Halman told me that I always asked questions, which was a good thing; I should never let people stop me from asking because that's how we learned. And to her credit, I never did.

But it was when I entered ROTC that I truly excelled. With my penchant for quick memorization, I learned chains of command, naval history and drill sequences. I earned ribbons and medals and displayed them like a colorful bouquet on the left side of my uniform, close to my heart. I made friends, comrades in battle, the battle of high school and if I was unlucky and erred, my punishment was push ups. The summer between my junior and senior year I was in the best physical shape I've ever been in. Regularly, my friend and I would train after school, he to be a training instructor for the Cadet Officer Leadership Program (COLP), that which we endured to enter into the kingdom of officership and I for Leadership Academy, that which was reserved for those holding the highest positions in the unit.

Today when I reminisce about that time period, I describe myself as Miss ROTC. Others had band, sports, step team. I had ROTC and I had everything. By my senior year I earned important leadership positions in the unit. I was the Battalion Commander, the highest position achieved by a student, Unarmed Drill Team Commander and Varsity Color Guard Commander. I wore my uniform as a badge of honor, that which defined my right to be.

Those who know me, know Spiderman to be my favorite superhero. As silly as it is to quote Peter Parker's uncle, his words ring especially true, "with great power comes great responsibility." And sadly I didn't listen. ROTC was my life and I focused in on it with the attention of a medieval knight whose lance trains on the opposing shield, blocking out all peripheral noise, but what I didn't realize was that the noise was the rest of my life and I had a responsibility to myself to not let it pass me by. I didn't think on it until it was almost too late. I chose to attend the classes I liked and skipped the rest, always returning to ROTC to help drill a platoon or some other such task. It was my shelter from the rest of the school. Here I actually belonged and had a purpose; out there I was just another nameless face in the senior class of 700 students.

I dreamed of attending the Naval Academy. Ironic that that which I aspired to was the furthest from my reach. How could I expect to attend a school as competitive as the Ivy Leagues, which required a recommendation from a congress person when I lacked discipline in every other part of my high school career? I had scored in the 99th percentile of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), but it was all for naught. The principal learned I was courting a GPA less than what was required to participate in extracurricular activities. I was almost stripped of my rank then, but an instructor fought for me and I was given a reprieve; they put me on probation. I could remain Battalion Commander if I raised my other grades and initially I did try, attended classes, turned in homework, but inevitably my self-discipline in those areas was not so strong and I lost everything I had worked so unbelievably hard to achieve.

Halfway through the year I was removed from the position of Battalion Commander because my grades were too low. To say I was devastated would not come remotely close to describing how low I felt. I lost. Hard. And what a stupid reason to lose for, something which was so easy to control. After all, what was school for if not to learn and excel in all areas? That which I had done for the majority of my school career until about the middle of high school. Through the help of some key people, I finally rallied enough towards the end of the year to ensure I didn't fail English, a point which would have meant my failing the entire year and not graduating.

I understood how lucky I was. In the end, we feel like we'll break inside from losing, whether we lose something or someone, but on one fact we can depend: life always goes on. And later as I matured further I gathered wisdom from my fall. The most important lesson it taught me was that single minded focus can be good, but when taken too far, it can end in disaster. Even when we believe we are right, we can be blind to the truth and we would be doing ourselves a favor to not wait until the last minute to fix that which so obviously needs fixing.

I took my ROTC lessons and applied myself in college and achieved far more than my accomplishments in high school. However, I can't say that since that time I've performed nothing short of exemplary in all aspects of my life. We all have our shining moments, our good moments and those moments we'd like to tuck away under the rug and I'm sure we'll continue to have them until our last breath. That is another lesson I accepted as a fact of life. If I want to be proud of the live I lead I have to truly give it my best so no one can question me. No one can tell me I haven't tried my hardest. And if I indeed am lacking, then I only have myself to blame.

Folk Revival with Bill and Mary

2011-04-27T21:23:00.003-04:00

My friend Mary is an amazing musician. I'd only seen her play once back in the day at a coffeehouse I organized so I jumped at the chance to see her perform again. Last time I visited my old town, Winchester, VA, she told me she and her friend, Bill Johnston, would be performing a Folk Revival as William and Mary. So I put it down in the calendar. And it was great. They sang Michael Row the Boat, If I Had a Hammer, Blowing in the Wind, Wayfaring Stranger, my favorite, and many more great folk songs.

What really rounded out the night was the brief history lesson we got between the performances about songs, artists and folk music.

What's even more amazing is that I recently got a message from Mary saying that she is now pursuing her music full time. Love it!

Joe D. Durbin's Headshots

2011-04-24T13:54:00.004-04:00

Joe or as I like to call him, JD, is a great friend of mine back from my Winchester, VA days. We went to school together and ever since I've known him, he's had the acting bug. Not content to sit around and wait for opportunities to fall into his lap, he has gone out and sought many different acting gigs.

I had the extreme pleasure of going back to Virginia to see a screening of one of his movies, Maxwell Stein, and his acting completely fit the character he was playing. The special encore at the end of the screening was JD proposing to his girlfriend, Kate. I could not have been happier for him or prouder of him that night.

Check out his work on his IMDb page. Joe wanted the classic headshot in a studio set up and although I work primarily on location, we made it work. Check them out!

Andrea+Anthony. Married!

2011-04-15T03:01:00.008-04:00

On March 26, my high school friend, Andrea, married her man, Anthony. They had little bottles of BBQ sauce at their reception because it was BBQ sauce and ribs that brought them together at the Smokeshack.

Andrea decided against a first look because she said all of her plans were leading up to Anthony seeing her for the first time when she walked down the aisle. And boy did he see her! No one could miss the beauty and happiness radiating from her that day. They were married at the elegant Notre Dame Chapel at Trinity Washington University in Washington DC.

Andrea, thanks so much for asking me to be your photographer. I'm glad I could come all the way from being in JROTC with you and sitting next to you in history class to experiencing the joy of your wedding day!

See more on their slideshow!

Back again

2011-04-14T04:28:00.001-04:00

Been gone for a minute, busy, busy, busy. It's time to make a come back. Lately it seems all I've had time to write are posts up to 140 characters. Time to breathe new life into the blog. And I think I won't be keeping a separate personal blog in addition to this one. Time to combine the two. Time for one big smorgasbord of Aisha.

And to prove I'm coming back: here's a photo from a shoot I'll be posting soon.

I learn something new everyday (Otherwise my life would be truly pathetic)

2010-11-15T14:15:00.004-05:00

Lately, with shooting photos, I've learned that I'm not a fan of digital editing. Well, I've actually known that about myself for awhile, but every shoot I do reinforces it. Give my a darkroom and I'll stand on my feet for twelve hours straight, go through an entire box of fifty sheet paper and forget about breakfast, lunch and dinner (snacking voraciously just outside of that box of black) to get the perfect balance of time, dodging and burning and/or color. It's been known to happen in the past.

One of my favorite photos, which I've shot in film.
120 film/Ilford 100 Printed on Ilford Multigrade Fiberbase paper using Edwal Ultra Black Print Developer

While at school, my darkroom buddies began to call me a perfectionist although I had never considered myself one. Later, I realized they were correct, but I think what took me so long to accept it was the way in which they said it, not malicious, but as if I tried to hard to get the perfect photo. Often I would get what looked like a great photo, but in examining it with my magnifying glass like eyes I would see one spec of dust and suddenly it wasn't the best it could be and it was back to my little world of enlarger + chemicals + time. My friends would think I was crazy. "No one's gonna see that little spec," they would tell me. But if I could see it, it mattered. How could I put my work on display knowing it was slightly marred, knowing that I didn't try my absolute best to make sure nothing distracted from the point I was trying to make? Not the color, not the blazing white sky, not the infinite specs of dust, which no matter how hard you tried to get rid of in one spot, would manifest in another corner of the image when you weren't looking. (Dust is the enemy! And spot tone just didn't do it for me.)

A digital photo I took in Brussels. Love the colors, wish I had shot it in film.

I sincerely hope my life is still leading me to one with a darkroom, but in the mean time I'll take the digital cameras and the Photoshop and the Lightroom so I can continue to make (not take) photos. And on my way I'm re-teaching myself to get the settings right in camera (like I did with negatives) so that my photos come out looking pretty great because the less time I have to spend in front of the computer editing, the happier I'll be.

L is for Lisa, the Author's Photoshoot

2010-09-28T11:57:00.001-04:00

I have a particularly great friend in my life, Maddie. She's made an appearance on the blog because I did her and Aaron's engagement shoot last year. I believe a lot of who Maddie is comes from her mother, Lisa. Seeing them interact together is watching more than just a mother/daughter relationship. They're sisters, best friends, kindred souls perhaps.

But this blog post isn't about Maddie; it's about her mom. Lisa recently wrote a book, Her Safari. It's a collection of short stories about women in journey that span many ages and backgrounds. It's in the process of being published with a release date of Spring 2011. She wanted a special author photo so I brought the camera and she brought the sweet charm.

I love their lovely house on the hill, which is where we photographed. Maddie, an aspiring makeup artist, did Lisa's makeup as I scouted around the house.

The most striking element was the birch tree in the backyard. Going for a professional, but fun look, we brought a big comfy chair out to sit underneath the birch and a great atmosphere was created.

This is one of my favorites from the shoot. Lisa, you look so natural.

Lisa's dog, Dorian Gray, made a special appearance.

I am such a big fan of laughter!

How about we end with more laughter?

! Teaser ! Lisa Mikitarian you're beautiful!

2010-09-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

Coming up: the awesome shoot with Lisa who rocked the camera without trying. I promise there are photos of you with your eyes open, Lisa (photos in which you look great!), but I love how peaceful and composed you look here. One of my favorites.

More to come.

A #Moment in Time - My Moment

2010-05-11T12:34:00.002-04:00

The New York Times has put together everyone's submissions in quite an amazing way. See them all.

And my particular moment here. Don't have my name there because I think where it asked for name I put Aisha Mujib Khan - Breakfast on Bed, my name and the title, was too much perhaps? I've thought about emailing to see if they could add my name to my submission, but I'm sure they have more important tasks to be completing.

And check it, nine people have already recommended the photo. How nice.

A Moment in Time

2010-05-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

On Sunday at 15:00 UTC (equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time), thousands of people around the world took photographs at the same time in support of a project by The New York Times Lens Blog.

I had briefly thought of a plan, but when that fell through I decided to be truly in the moment and photograph exactly where I happened to be standing and exactly what I happened to be seeing at 15:00 UTC or 11 AM on the east coast.

I was having breakfast in bed. I kept it simple. Last bite on the plate on the sheets, light from the window. Somehow a stray hair managed to find its way on the plate (hazards of having so much on my head), but don't worry, I didn't eat it.

Get your shutter finger ready for May 2nd

2010-04-22T03:17:00.001-04:00

The NY Times Lens blog is creating “A Moment in Time” where photographers around the world will release their shutters simultaneously.

That moment will be 15:00 hours in Coordinated Universal Time or U.T.C., the contemporary equivalent of Greenwich Mean Time. In the United States, under daylight time, this would be 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 10 a.m. in the Midwest, 9 a.m. in the West and 8 a.m. on the West Coast. For local times around the world, you can consult this converter from timeanddate.com.

I'm there. Join us, won't you?.

{thanks Lens}

Cold War Kids. Make your own video.

2010-04-20T02:41:00.001-04:00

The music video by the indie rock band, Cold War Kids, for their song "I've seen enough" is up for a Webby award in the subsection, Best Use of Interactive Video.

They worked with the production company Tool of North America and the director Sam Jones to create the magic. In front of you: The four members of the band. Click the color tabs above them and the singer will use different tones or the musicians will play different instruments.

Below is my preferred mix as of yet. It's kinda weird when the song finishes because the colors go to gray and the guys are just hanging around. I feel like I'm keeping them from something. If I forget and leave the window open for awhile, then eventually come back, I have to close it really quickly so they can get to their next appointment.

{thanks Lens}

Discovering the Soul of the Ringlings’ Circus

2010-04-06T12:16:00.001-04:00

Check out the NYT Lens Blog post for yesterday. Frederick W. Glasier photographically laid bare for us a circus world replete with big tops, strong women, and a gaggle of clowns, offering us a view of the inner-workings of an extravagant production.

Despite the fact that many of the photos featured on the Lens Blog are of people my favorite is the empty big top.

I can imagine it during the shows teaming with people, jostling for space and the best view, but this photo brings into light the times between being set up and the eventual crowd. It's quite beautiful in its empty simplicity. I can feel the silence, the hush of anticipation before a new show, same as the last, but entirely different in so many ways, the chance that anything could change in the new town. Then, the first footfall into its cavern, bringing it to life, each show full of new people, though each crowd always with the same expectation of grandeur and entertainment.

My second favorite is of Mademoiselle Scheel with the lions. I rather like the composition and the carefree pose of Mademoiselle. That look on the face of the laying down is funny as if he's suspicious of Glasier taking the photo.

Along with taking a look at these photographs I recommend reading Water for Elephants written by Sara Gruen. It is a historical novel about a traveling circus during the Depression era. The story is very enjoyable and shows us that not everything about working for a circus was glamorous, just like Disney World, which may be the "happiest place on earth", but probably isn't if you're working there.

There are photos at the beginning of each chapter from archives and museums. And as I sit here going through the book, I've noticed that one of the images is very similar to the one below taken from the Lens Blog, so similar that they had to have been taken within seconds of each other.

How very cool that Glasier's photos are in the book.

Have you ever heard of Vivian Maier?

2010-04-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

She was a photographer from Chicago who was born in 1926 and died in 1990. John Maloof bought her collection, much consisting of undeveloped negatives, from an auction house and after he took up photography himself and learned how much knowledge he could gain from her photographs he unfortunately realized that she passed away not very long after he acquired her photos. However, he still wanted to share her photos with the rest of us as he has done on this blog. There is also more information about how exactly he bought her collection and sparse details about her life.

One of my former professors from MICA, Tom Baird, would tell us that the square format is one of the hardest to master. I think she has done so quite successfully.

But I'm more intrigued with her sudden rise from obscurity. What do you think about someone discovering your work after you die? It has happened many times over the course of history to writers and artists and so many more. Most of us create because we feel the need, we hear the call of creativity, we need a method in which to express ourselves. For some there is the blatant pursuit of fame and riches while the rest of us claim we are merely content just to create, but surely we all would be happy with recognition of our work and talents. We would like to have some sort of standing among our peers, no?

If we truly needed nothing but art for art's sake we would not need agents, gallery representation or shows. We wouldn't care about sharing with the rest of the world. Perhaps we would be content, as Vivian Maier was, to photograph, but keep the fruits of our labor to ourselves. Sadly we can't even ask her how she would feel now that her photographs are publicized, now that so many people are aware of them and look at her work on the blog and will see more in the soon to be released book.

Would she be happy with her recognition?

From Kodak: Announcing AROMATOGRAPHY - An unbelievable sensory experience.

2010-04-01T22:06:00.000-04:00

Get ready for some serious smelling action to accompany your visual experiences. Kodak is making it happen. I know what's running through your mind, "What will they think of next?" Check the details here.

{thanks APE}

World Press Photo

2010-03-10T21:31:00.001-05:00

The World Press Photo Contest winners were announced in February. You can find all of them here.

This is an interesting article about the contest and questions the validity of the contest as actually being one about press photos in the world or three separate entities: "world" + "press" + "photo". It also goes on to bring on other interesting points, specifically about the winning photo and whether it deserved to win as a single image since it was actually taken from an entry that was submitted as a group. The rest I will let you discover on your own.

Teaching youth in Baltimore about photography

2010-02-24T14:35:00.001-05:00

I just discovered a very cool organization in Baltimore that teaches youth about photography and how to use it as a creative outlet. Youthlight is an "after-school photography and media literacy program" founded by Marshall Clarke, a local freelance photographer. How amazing. I wonder if they need photographers to help...

2010-02-19T02:51:00.000-05:00

Photographers. We’re strange, right? We can’t stop. We run when others walk. We work when others relax. We have no sense of weekends, holidays, time off, time on, or time in general, except as it relates to sunrise or set. When there’s a football game on TV, we aren’t looking always at the action on the field. We’re looking at the sidelines to see if any our buds are covering the game and how much of the long glass out there is black or white. We walk around like addled sumbitches, staring at strange stuff, hovering at the edge of human activity, aching to be accepted, dying for a moment, breathless in anticipation for that which mostly never happens. Curious behavior, at best. That’s putting it nicely. Most folks would just chalk it up to damn strange and tell their youngsters to stay away from us.....

{thanks Joe}
I don't know this guy, but I feel that to call him Joe McNally would be wrong, simply Joe will suffice.

UK Government to Photographers: "Bend Over."

2010-02-18T12:43:00.001-05:00

Got that title from Strobist, works so well. Now is it fair enough that I credited him or did I need to ask his permission to use it? Or technically, anyone could have written that and as long as whoever did doesn't find out I took it, I'm in the clear.

Therein lies the dilemma the UK has now led us to.

"The Digital Economy Bill is now expected to become law within the next 6 weeks."

It's about to get that much harder to maintain copyright of your work and make sure no one steals it out from under your nose and considering how massive the internet is, how ever will we keep track of who's pilfering what where?

Read all about it here.

{thanks Strobist}

I need my own high quality printer

2010-02-16T12:32:00.007-05:00

Even with monitor calibration and profiles I am realizing again that I AM A PERFECTIONIST WHO NEEDS CONTROL OF EVERY PART OF THE PROCESS!

I was this way with film, it only makes sense that I'll be this way with digital.

When I was in school, I needed to develop my own rolls, print everything myself until I was sure I had a great print. Not perfect because there is always room for improvement. The only film I didn't develop myself was color because it was such a sensitive process and I didn't want to ruin it, but if I had had the time and the money to spend on test rolls, you better believe I would have practiced and gotten that process down as well.

And now I have prints that I didn't print and I'm not happy with.

Argh!

New from London and Prague

2010-02-15T12:56:00.001-05:00

I think it's time for me to stop adding more photos from my time in Europe. There's only so many I like and if I try to force it I'll end up picking some duds, which I think I may have already done. Perhaps it's time for an edit. I think some time spent not looking at them will allow me to come back later and discover anew. These are the last two I'll be putting online, for now.

Prague

London

Editing London

2010-02-12T21:19:00.002-05:00

New photos from London on the site.

London Eye

Trafalgar Square, London

Big Ben, London

Donate for Haiti checks

2010-01-30T17:13:00.002-05:00

Just a note about payment. Please make checks out to the Honor and Respect Foundation. I will then send them in a group. It's much simpler that way.
Thank you so much to those of you who have bought prints so far and thank you in advance to anyone else who will and super thanks to everyone for putting up with my emails. High fives all around!

Also, check out this article in the New Yorker about Maxo, who was an amazing Haitian determined to spread love and help those around him.

Donate for Haiti

2010-01-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning my own print sale today to benefit Haiti like so many other talented artists have already done. Check out my photos. Everything except the Restoration page is available to purchase. Select any photo you like and email me your choice. You will get one 8x10 print for $50. The printing and shipping expenses will be taken care of by myself so your entire $50 will be donated towards Haiti.
All of the proceeds will be given to the Honor and Respect Foundation http://www.hrfhaiti.org, which "seeks to establish funds in support of several specific programs carried out by grassroots groups in the poorest neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Rather than create relationships of dependence with no end in sight, they endeavor to assist Haitians who are empowering themselves to strengthen their communities and their country."

At this time I'm only excepting personal checks because that is the free option and I want all of the money raised to go to helping Haiti and none to be wasted in fees. When you email me I will reply with my address so you know where to send your check. If for some reason this option doesn't work for you, please let me know and I will attempt to arrange another method.

Now go support Haiti!

Photographer’s Stop Motion Video Nominated For A Grammy

2010-01-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

Photographer Eyal Landseman created a stop motion music video for Oren Lavie’s song “Her Morning Elegance” and now it’s up for a Grammy Award (here). How cool is that?
The photographer is exhibiting and selling 22 prints from the 2,321 images that make up video in a nice little publicity stunt (here).

I love Oren Lavie's song and the video for Her Morning Elegance. I actually discovered him when Erica Madden posted the video on facebook a couple years ago. His album, The Opposite Side of the Sea, reminds me of living in London and backpacking through Europe because it was one of the albums that I played constantly while riding the train.

{thanks APE}

Knowing and understanding before photographing

2010-01-22T15:07:00.000-05:00

This is exactly what I worry about looking like/becoming while I try to take my photographs. I feel that while striving to be a social documentary photographer, many of the stories I want to tell will be of sensitive issues and I never want to be the exploiter. I never want to feel as though I'm taking advantage of the situation and I always want to respect the people and places I photograph.

When I tell people about my goal to travel the world and photograph, I make clear that I don't just want to be a photographer that passes through a town as quickly as possible, snapping photos. Instead I want to spend months there, getting to know the people, the environment and culture. I want to be completely immersed in the society.

I think this is why even now when I am in a culture and society I know well, I still feel awkward snapping photos. I'm not sure it is my right to photograph, especially people, a) without asking permission first and b) without truly knowing what is going on.

This would explain why the few stories I have worked on thus far, my father's auto shop and my friend Shani's life as a 1st generation American of Indian descent, were places and people that I knew for some time before I began photographing them.

It's an interesting point of view because at the same time I've wanted to get into photojournalism for newspapers and magazines and my previous experiences have shown me that more often than not, there's barely advanced notice of where you're are going when being given an assignment. You may only get an address and a name and be sent off to get a picture.

A fine balance to find.

Editing my photos is coming along

2010-01-21T15:01:00.001-05:00

While looking through my hard drive, found work from years ago, back when I was in my wildlife and landscape kick.

The Photographer's Myth

2010-01-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

"The mythology of my profession suggests that photojournalists can reveal subjects in ways most others miss. The camera is credited with the ability to probe personalities, to parse meaning from the chaos of life. Photographers often encourage these beliefs, as the myths imbue the profession with power, mystery, and, perhaps most important, romance. Photographers themselves believe the myths because that’s what we’re taught, and because they make us feel good about our jobs."

Incredible article by Lane Turner for The Boston Globe about how he feels being a photojournalist and the preconceived ideas that come with the job.

{thanks duckrabbit}

Handy way to measure white balance

2010-01-19T01:29:00.001-05:00

You may think automatic white balance is good enough. But if you've ever had to fix dozens (or even 100s) of photos with just slightly different colors, one-by-one, you know the true meaning of pain.

The White Balance Lens Cap leaves you no excuse for not properly white-balancing every situation you encounter.

Simply flip your camera into custom White Balance mode, snap a photo with your White Balance Lens Cap on, and your camera creates a perfect profile of the actual lighting in front of you.

Best of all, unlike a gray card, the White Balance Cap takes no extra room in your gear bag. Just replace your existing lens cap with this one and you'll always be able to white balance with no additional equipment.

{thanks swissmiss}

It has offically begun

2010-01-18T12:24:00.002-05:00

Buy art to support Haiti.

http://haitiprintsale.bigcartel.com/

Haiti Relief Benefit Print Sale commences Monday

2010-01-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

Big Cartel, has generously donated their services free of charge for the print sale. Please click on the image above to see the store and begin buying your fabulous new images in support of Haiti.

Restore Haiti

2010-01-15T16:15:00.003-05:00

This disaster has left Haiti in a horrible state. The Lens Blog of The New York Times has posted photos of Haiti in it's post earthquake state and it is a grim sight.

Damon Winter/The New York Times

My good friend Justin Griffiths-Williams is a photographer from London who has long been in love with Haiti. Speaking with him, it seems like much of his time spent working is always a means to get back to the country. He has taken amazing photographs there and hopefully with much time and effort we can restore the country to a happier time, even better than before.

Haiti/Copyright Justin Griffiths-Williams

Benefit Print Sale for Haiti

2010-01-15T11:12:00.002-05:00

My wonderful friend Rafael Soldi is using the skills that come to him and others best to help the people of Haiti.

He has organized a print sale from some emerging photographers in New York. The website should be ready for your amazing purchases this weekend. Look for a follow up.

So far here's the list of the WONDERFULLY GENEROUS photographers participating:

Molly Landreth
Elle Perez
Rachel Hulin
Caleb Cole
Rafael Soldi
Christopher Simpson
Jason Hanasik
Lesly Deschler-Canossi
Kate Hutchinson
Jamil Hellu
Kate Burnley
Caitlin Arnold
Kate Hutchinson
Ruben Natal-San Miguel
Sarah Sudhoff
Diane Russo
Each artist is donating one print, 8x10 inches at an edition of 10. Each print will be for sale at $50 and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Yele Haiti Foundation.

Please keep an eye out for this and pass the word out!!!

Polaroid has a new, unforseen employee

2010-01-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

Lady Gaga has signed a deal with Polaroid as their creative director. She will be in charge of developing new products to be co-branded and appeal to the younger demographic. Here's hoping Polaroid has a chance.

It was a huge success!

2009-12-15T14:59:00.005-05:00

Photo by Geoffrey S. Baker of OellaWorks

Last Saturday, Help Portrait came together across the world with over 6,000 volunteers working together to create over 30,000 portraits for those that can't afford a private photography session or who just want a photo for the holidays or those that never thought they could feel special.

CNN wrote a great article accompanied by video of the day.

And here is a video that one of our own volunteers, Chip Dizard, created of our busy day.

Baltimore Help Portrait from Aisha M Khan on Vimeo.

Help Portrait

2009-12-05T00:25:00.001-05:00

Saturday the 12th of December (fast approaching) I'm participating in Help Portrait, which is "a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season".

It is an event to make people feel special. Photographers, make up artists and anyone interested come together to take portraits of people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity because they can't afford it or maybe they just never considered something like this accessible in their life.

You volunteer your time and skills. They especially need photographers, all skill levels, and people to do quick edit and cropping as the goal is to print the photos right there so people can take them home with them.
Of course, anyone who wants to help is more than welcome.

Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tu1XrBn3A, which probably does a better job of explaining it all than I do.

It's taking place worldwide. Find your city and sign up. And if you can't find anything in your city, how about starting it off?

National Geographic Adventure Magazine Flips the Last Page

2009-12-04T11:15:00.001-05:00

http://www.theadventurelife.org/2009/12/national-geographic-adventure-magazine-folds/

{thank you APE}

I like this video

2009-11-19T00:09:00.000-05:00

"Everyday I wake up I fall in love with a new girl." -Sam Haskins

{thank you TOP}

LA Sheriff Threatens To Submit Photographer to FBI's Hit List

2009-11-12T14:08:00.001-05:00

Watch your back

2009-11-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

Toyota has been caught using photographs from Flickr without photographer permission. Does everything have to be watched now?

{thanks Livebooks}

Photographers aren't authors, eh?

2009-11-11T16:17:00.001-05:00

Judge in Google book settlement case says photographers are not authors.

Hmmmm, what do you think?

Do you tell a story with your photographs? Are you the creator of your work?

Another Great Passes On

2009-10-29T22:52:00.001-04:00

Roy Decarava passed recently at the age of 89. Unfortunately, we've hit the time where many of the pioneers of photography are getting to that ripe ole age.

The New York Times quoted him. “It doesn’t have to be pretty to be true,” Mr. DeCarava said in a 2001 interview with the contemporary artist Dread Scott. “But if it’s true it’s beautiful. Truth is beautiful. And so my whole work is about what amounts to a reverence for life itself.”

I think The Online Photographer wrote a fitting farewell.

Maddie + Aaron Together

2009-10-26T18:33:00.095-04:00

The Sunday before last I drove all the way out to Woodstock, VA for my amazing friend, Maddie's, bridal shower. We also made time to shoot engagement photos before the festivities, although technically speaking, the wedding was only a week away, so not quite engagement photos, but rather, an excuse to have a fun photo shoot!

I loved hanging out with Maddie and her amazingly goofy Aaron. They met at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, VA, which would also be where I met them. (I got away without marrying them though.)

The weekend in Baltimore was not off to a good start. Rain, clouds and super cold temperatures. I asked Maddie Saturday night if she really wanted to go ahead with it since we were to shoot at a covered bridge near her house. She felt the weather wouldn't be so bad and I'm game for anything so we went ahead.

Sunday morning was even worse. I got up super early and packed the car anyway, leaving a message for Maddie to call me just in case she felt it was undo-able. Of course I made the 300 mile journey to find Woodstock not quite as wet as I was expecting. With many extra layers on my person I braved the weather. Maddie and Aaron were perhaps not so bundled up, but it was their love that kept them warm. (I'm sure Maddie will have some sarcastic comment about that, not because of the lack of love, but just because, hence, my adding it in.)

We were also on deadline with Aaron having to go to an event he'd agreed to earlier. But the bridge was a great place to shoot and the sun even broke through the clouds a few times.

As we stepped off of the bridge every now and then so cars could make their way across, I noticed what a nice balance Maddie and Aaron have. He counters her with his natural goofiness and constantly keeps her smiling while Maddie has plenty of wit to offer. Being such good friends with Maddie, but only having met Aaron a handful of times, I only wish I had been present more throughout the years leading up to their "I do" to witness more of what appears to be a laid back relationship full of love.

I see this being a two part illustration of when Aaron makes a joke.

Maddie first gives him a "Wow, but really?" smile since it was funny and then closes her eyes because it was corny.

This is the "Africa Ring" photo. I asked to see Maddie's ring and then Aaron got excited, talking about his Africa ring, which he found awhile back. He studied history at George Mason University and his concentration was African American studies. (Hope I got that right.) So it was fate that he buy such a ring. It was great when he asked Maddie if that could be his wedding ring. How cool would that be? Too bad Maddie wasn't feeling it. (It was also a "with our powers combined" sort of moment.) So good.

Thanks for a good time guys.

“Why go to Bosnia? The war is right here.”

2009-10-22T17:34:00.001-04:00

Joseph Rodriguez is a photographer who has been documenting Harlem and East L.A. for a long time. He feels a "strong sense of responsibility" and considers himself a "social worker with a camera." Check out his work on the NY Times Lens blog.

"This country lies. They say that we think that family is important. Where? Show me! Show me. That's what my work's about. It's about family."

{thank you duckrabbit}

Jack Wilgus: A Retrospective

2009-10-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

Jack Wilgus, Macroscape/Potassium Ferrocyanide, cibarchrome print, 1978

Thursday night was host to the opening reception of Selected Series: A Retrospective of Photographs by Jack Wilgus, recently retired chairman of the MICA photography department.

2008 marked the final year of Jack's four decades as a professor of photography at MICA, three of which were spent as chair. Now as professor emeritus, he will be continuing his photographic and collector pursuits along side his wife, Beverly Wilgus.

As a final honor and goodbye to him before he moves to Texas, a mixture of his photography series are on display in the Pinkard Gallery at MICA.

Jack Wilgus, Longaberger Basket Company Newark, Ohio from Not to Scale series

I think it's an interesting experience to see a photograph that was brought into class for you to learn from actually hanging in a show, brings back memories. I had the fortune of having Jack as a professor in Color Photography and History of Photography. Before I took the class I had heard many good things about History of Photo, the best being how Jack would bring in photos, daguerreotypes and all sorts of photo related material into class from his personal collection. Nothing like seeing one of Edward Weston's peppers up close and personal to gain an even deeper appreciation for the subtlety of capturing light.

Jack was generous enough to share with us his enormous wealth of knowledge and I consider myself lucky to have attained even a fraction of it.

Travels at the Speed of an Artist's Dream

2009-10-15T01:35:00.002-04:00

How amazing is this Camera Van?

Built by Harrod Blank and his friends, it took two years to build from conception to completion. Driving around taking pictures of unassuming bystanders, capturing their true and natural expressions it has a very distinctive look.

Loss of a Legend

2009-10-07T15:45:00.001-04:00

Irving Penn died at age 92 in his home in Manhattan.

{thank you APhotoEditor}

This is just too hilarious

2009-10-05T12:46:00.003-04:00

I laughed so hard while watching this, had to share it. Poor Mark Carwardine.

Amendment: I'd like to add that if one of my friends were in the same predicament I would laugh AFTER the fact. I would definitely try to get the bird off of you first....Just so you know.

{thank you duckrabbit}

What it Means to be a Photojournalist Today

2009-09-30T11:03:00.007-04:00

Sad when photojournalism has been reduced to this.

And unfortunately I've heard from some people in the biz that this is exactly how things are going down.

{thank you Richard's Notes}

A trip to Robert E. Lee Park

2009-09-29T22:16:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite shots from my hiking trip on Sunday.

Gorillas in the Wild and Those That Help Them

2009-09-25T14:14:00.000-04:00

I've recently come on a board a team of people working towards the better health of gorillas in the wild. There are 700-750 gorillas living in the wild today all either in Rwanda, Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), initially begun at "the request of the late anthropologist, Dr. Dian Fossey", is an organization, also affiliated with the Maryland Zoo, dedicated to keeping these animals healthy and raising their population.

"For nearly 20 years, veterinarians have been helping mountain gorillas survive by providing them with life-saving veterinary care for human-caused or life-threatening illnesses and injuries. The project began as one veterinarian; now it has grown into an entire team. With teams of experienced personnel, MGVP veterinarians track ailing gorillas, observe and treat them when needed - inside their native habitat.

Without the MGVP, mountain gorillas might not exist today. Still, these animals remain highly endangered due to threats from war, poaching, habitat destruction and human disease. Their numbers remain critically low, with no fall back breeding population in sanctuaries or zoos."

One of the trustess of MGVP is Dr. Kim Hammond, founder and veterinarian of the Falls Road Animal Hospital. He was searching for someone to edit images taken in Africa and I was lucky enough to see the posting. I met with him and Roy Heisler, the group's photographer/cinematographer, to learn more about the project and obtain the many images to be worked on.

This is a noteworthy organization. Not only do they care for the gorillas in their native habitat, which means going into the trees, onto the gorilla's turf, but they also work to protect them from people and situations which can mean the gorillas harm.

The National Geographic, among many others, covered the 2007 gorilla murders in Virguna National Park, one of the very parks MGVP works in. The photos taken by Brent Stirton were used around the world to communicate this atrocity.

It seems a shame that with all the efforts put forth to preserve these amazing animals' health, there are still rebels and poachers to contend with. What can one do, but to keep on at it?

Why I Shoot Film or Why Should You Give A Damn

2009-09-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

The link below leads to one man's insightful answer to the question "Do you prefer to shoot digital or film?"

http://arafiqui.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/why-i-shoot-film-or-why-should-you-give-a-damn/

I agree with everything he has written. Despite being born in the age of technology and digital photography innovations, I am a true lover of film. I was schooled in the thought process of carefully metering the situation you want to photograph and assessing the light to pick the right shutter speed and f-stop because you won't be able to see the photo until the negatives are developed. Because of this I am less pleased with digital photography and abhor the process of taking a photo only to look at the digital screen on the back, assessing whether it is good or bad.

I guess I'd rather have the process down, knowing how to capture the photo correctly instead of making a snapshot and then making another when that doesn't turn out to my liking and another and another...

One of the most important reasons I prefer to shoot film though is because I enjoy working in the darkroom so much. I prefer it fifty times over editing photos on a computer. It truly is a mastery of the senses: Getting the feel of the paper down so you know you are printing on the right side, the smell of the chemicals (a smell I didn't realize had become etched in my nasal passages until I brought my sister to the darkroom and she remarked on that weird smell only to be met with my puzzled face), getting all of the film processing chemicals to an exact 68 degrees, listening for that click of the timer, learning how to function in little to no light and then seeing the photo appear like magic.

Staring at a computer screen does not compare. This is why I don't agree with friends who shoot film, but then scan it and print digitally. I understand that they are after the quality of the film, but want to print cheaper. But for me the question of quality is second on my list. If I can't print my negatives in the darkroom, I've lost part of the appeal of shooting film.

That being said, I'm not shooting much film nowadays. Being a recently graduated photography student who returned not too long ago from a seven month stint in Europe has left me with little to no money to spend on buying and processing film.

I do shoot digitally, but it is for what I consider work, assignments and the like I do for other people. My own projects I leave in the hands of film and trust me, I will be shooting again very quickly.