Yesterday 3.29.08

Kore
On Mine
Laurie and I went on a art fag expedition to a bunch of Chelsea galleries. I saw this on a staircase wall and couldn't resist. The words were scrawled in lipstick. I was instantly attracted to the blocks of color, and the text is pretty appropriate.
On Her's
This photo is so amazing. I love how rich the colors are. The whole thing seems damp to me, which is totally fitting to the scene. The sax player is the coolest guy ever. He almost looks like a statue. Or, I suppose, a zombie out of The Forbidden Zone.
Em
On mine
Charles and I went over to Balboa Park to take a walk and shoot some pictures. As we were leaving I heard tremendously loud Sax and I turned around and spotted this guy. I took a few pictures of him, and really, he kind of looked like a zombie. I liked how the colors turned out in this picture, especially the brightness of the orange lights from across the street. They almost seem like eyes watching me, Charles and the musician.
On her's
I chose this picture because I thought the colors were great and I can't help but like what the graffiti says. It's a fairly simple shot, but sometimes those simple shots have more of an impact to someones eye that you would imagine as the photographer.

Yesterday 3.28.08

Kore
On Mine
On Friday, I went to my the opening of my sister's senior show. She goes LaGuardia High School, where I spent my first two years of H.S. It was the first time I'd been there since I was 16. Soon after I arrived, I recruited Miriam into accompanying me on my roundabout tour of youthful nostalgia. This photo was taken from the back stall of the now infamous 7th floor bathroom. These stalls offered my compatriots and I refuge from the doldrums and general lameitudes of early high school life. We would cut class, hide from security guards, smoke cigarettes, and talk for hours about absolutely nothing. As much as I hated it then, and despite how complicated my choices made the period which followed, I look back on those days with a great fondness. In some ways, I was more alive then than at any other time that I can remember.
On Her's
I'm definitely not a dog person, but Mojo is the greatest dog to ever live. The juxtaposed angles of Mojo's legs are amazing. The light from the window adds to the stretchy-sleepy feeling that, for me, is so evident in this photo. Now that I know that the black is Charles' shirt, the photo is made even more sentimental. Its as if Mojo is giving his pal a friendly pat on the back.
Em
On Mine
Mojo is just a red fuzzy ball of love. He's warm and affectionate, but loves to be in the way. Getting up on the couch while Charles is trying to do something is his forte. He always wants to be near either me or Charles all the time. So, during this picture, Mojo had situated himself behind Charles so that he could not lean back on the couch. But he made up for it with a light back massage.
On Her's
Aww siblings. I loved this picture because so often you turn around and suddenly you see a different person walking in or out of a door. I have never actually met Karina's sister but I have seen pictures. When she was showing me the pictures for the 28th, all from her sister's art show, I was in shock at how much older she had gotten. This photo is apparently from the bathroom of Karina's old high school, and it's an interesting feeling that you get walking through your old haunts from when you were younger. That fleeting nostalgia is really captured here.

Yesterday 3.27.08

Kore
On Mine
To say that Bill loves audio equipment is a vast understatement. He sells high end hi-fi all day and then comes home a relaxes to the workings of his snazzy stereo system. Last night, Bill met some friends at Lucky 13's and brought them home with him. Upon being asked about his record player, he proceeded to dismantle the thing in explanation of exactly how it works. This went on for about an hour. Bill gets very much into his detailed descriptions of those wires and blinkie lights he loves so much.
On Her's
To me, this photo looks like it belongs in a comic book. I love how it almost looks painted. The way Charles is sitting on the rack, especially the positioning of his legs, seems very whimsical to me. I know I keep choosing photos of Charles, and maybe you, dear reader, are tired of seeing his face. To that I counter that em takes amazing photos of her love, and you should all be happy to see so many different faces of the great and powerful Chazwell.
Em
On Mine
I do take a lot of pictures of Charles it's true. I liked this picture because him and my mother were currently immersed in a powerful discussion on religion. Charles is a staunch atheist and my mother is a Christian, yet extremaly open minded. As you can see, it was a relaxed conversation. I only wish I had a picture of my mom, flailing her arms to pair with this.
On Her's
I think that once again our wondertwin brain powers matched up again. I love this picture of Bill, it's pseudo vintage looking and well, Bill is straight out of a page of the past. I like the way he is holding the record, my eye zoned in on that right away. I don't know who the other person it though, but it looks like Bill is probably explaining something from his vast knowledge of audio equipment.

Yesterday 3.26.08

Kore
On Mine
This is a hallway in the Building where I work. One of the cool things about working at the Rhonda Schaller Studio is that its in a building filled with other galleries. My favourite gallery in all of NYC, the Aperture Gallery, is just downstairs from me. Sometimes, when I'm walking around the building, I try and imagine what it was like to be there when it was still all factories. Probably not great, but it definitely leaves an impression. EDIT: em is telling me I need to link to a larger version, because apparently this photo is "raaaaaaad."
On Her's
Whee perspective is fun!
Em
On Mine
I shot this picture attempting to illustrate how low we keep our speakers in contrast to the loud ass jerk neighbor. However, the picture I liked the best did not have the volume dial in focus, so here, is a perspective shot of Charles' receiver (a gift from my mom).
On Her's
Me, my mother and Charles were sitting in front of the computer when Karina sent me her three photos for the day. Each one of us gasped when we saw this one. It was the first that came up on screen and it was surely the favorite of the group. Maybe it was group think, but Charles loved the distortion caused by the large rug, I loved the stark contrast of the white back walls to the closer (wood?) wall where the door is located and my mother was awed at the brilliance of colors and the effect of the light streaming in through the back window. Another great picture.

Yesterday 3.25.08

Kore
On Mine
Its very strange to me that, since em and I have started this blog, I've been taking so many non-portrait photos. I used to think that the only things I could photograph effectively were people, though now I'm starting to disbelieve that. This photo was taken on 17th street, on my way to the grocery store. The crosses pictured in this post are still up. They're a few houses down the hill from where I was standing. And yes, they still inspire giggles everytime I see them.
On Her's
Jack and I have a weird relationship. We used to not be friends at all. This was due to his constant attempts at attacking me, much like a ninja. It all began when em was still living in her one bedroom in Astoria. I had a huge duffel bag filled with clothes (when upright, the bag is almost as tall as me) which em and I were going to use for picture-taking-dress up. The bag was angled diagonally on top of em's bed. I was digging through the bag, when suddenly I felt something sharp against my hand. I let go as the bag fell backwards, and realized that Jack was attempting to scale the bag, probably in an effort to claw my eyes out. The last time I was in SD, Jack was really nice to me. Maybe he's left his ninja-ing days behind. So now I guess we're friends. Or are we?
Em
On Mine
Jack has always been a pretty photogenic cat. I found him lounging on top of a foam mattress topper in the living room right in front of a large painting of a fish that me and my little cousin are working on. I just thought it was cute the whole cat/fish relationship. This time, the fish is huge and ominous whereas jack is tiny in comparison. I have also been spending a lot of time at home, so I suppose you should all see pictures of things other than Charles and myself.
On Her's
This street photo really made me miss New York. A lot. I guess that there was some emotion behind me choosing this picture for the diptych. Those brownstones are just so incredibly Brooklyn to me that I just wanted to be there walking up the street with her. The sidewalk looks like it goes on forever and just kinda sputters out on the horizon.

Yesterday 3.23.08

Kore
On Mine
I went to Bill's parents house in Westchester for Easter dinner. Bill's parents and I have a strained relationship at best, and the experience was... complicated. But it gave me a lot of time to be outside and take photos in a different landscape, which was really fun. I took this photo at night (obviously) with a long exposure. As soon as the sun went down, I knew I wanted to take some night shots. I didn't have a tripod, so I had to stack my zippo on top of a pack of cigarettes which rested on the stone path to the front door. I balanced the tip of the lens against the edge of my pile and hoped for 15 seconds of stillness. I'm fairly certain that the camera picked up many more stars than my eye did. To see it full size, click here.
On Her's
I really like this photo. It just seems so real to me. I can easily imagine walking in on this scene. I love how warm all the colors feel, in contrast with the stark shadows. I wonder if Charles is looking at our blog, as hes been known to do on occasion. Or just pictures of dead babies. Maybe both, at the same time!
Em
On Mine
Mine seemed to put me in a bit of a funk yesterday. I mean, this is pretty much a picture of what I do every day, thank god for the boy in the picture. I kinda wish that my house was as warm and inviting as it looks in this picture, I would not have as big of an issue being couped up in it all the time.
On Her's
I am in love with this picture. And yesI would marry it. I love the brightness of the lights in the house from the long exposure. It looks like an advertisement for a forest resort or retreat. The composition is also awesome, the trees going from smaller to larger, from background to foreground lends to a great depth to this picture. Almost makes me miss Westchester!

Red

Kore
On Mine
Somehow all three of my Red pictures ended up being from nightclubs. I love disco balls. I love them so much that I have one hanging over my bed. I took this photo at Home Sweet Home, a venue with an excessively low ceiling. In fact, I knocked my hand on that disco ball several times throughout the night. Nightclubs always use light to extreme effects. The environment is created due partially to the combination of a dark dance floor and bright lights. My favourite thing about this picture is the red squares reflected on the ceiling. From eye level, the red squares cover the entire room.
On Her's
This was definitely my hardest choice yet. I was stuck between choosing the thematic best versus the compositionally best. Ultimately, I went with theme. The red in this photo is integral to its message. If all the red was taken out and replaced with another color, this photo would be entirely different. There is something about the urgency of red that speaks so much to a child's desire for 25 cent toys. The red is bright, shiny, and disorienting. It grabs your attention immediately, until all you can think about is how badly you need a plastic ring, toy soldier, or sticker for your social studies notebook.
Em
On Mine
There is a bodega type store up the street from where I live. I go get stoges there pretty often and the guy who works there always stores up a few Parliament light buy one get one frees for me. I shot this gumball machine next to the door and was planning on using it for one of my "yesterday" photos, but then my brain kicked in and I realized that it was perfect as a red themed picture.
On Her's
Ah, disco balls. If anything screams class it's a disco ball. But really, I liked the effect of the red light on the ball surrounded by darkness. It makes the color the most important part of the picture for me.

Yesterday 3.22.08

Kore
On Mine
Last night was crazy, in a way that reaffirmed my desire to get the hell out of here. This photo has nothing to do with that though, so ill just leave it at that. I took it at Lucky 13, a metal bar a few blocks from my apartment. I think its like a visual manifestation of beer goggles. I love the effect of looking half through the pint glass.
On Her's
I think em takes incredible posed portraits. Charles oozes cool through the frame. Its contrasty and dramatic and I love it. Somehow, em always knows exactly what to tell you to do to make you look fabulous. I especially like how the black of his tattoos looks against the white of his beater.
Em
On Mine
Kore and I used to get bored a lot in NY and take pictures. Not just candid pictures, but silly dressed up, make up-ed pictures. I think everyone does this. But the results were most often surprising and became some of my favorite photographs of mine and hers. I have not had the chance to take pictures like this since I moved from NY, so when Charles said he was fine with me fiddling around and snapping some slightly more posed shots of him I jumped at the chance. I love when he has this slightly 50's era look, the pork pie, beater, studded belt and boot cut cuffed pants over a pair of jump boots. I wanted to create a more timeless feel to this photo while still retaining a bit of a candid look. I suppose the reality also is that I just wanted to take a sexy picture of my boyfriend. I tend to take darker pictures with dramatic lighting when I go through the trouble. I am happy with the result.
On Her's
I think that we both see our boyfriends as these amazingly wonderful, beautiful creatures that should be constantly documented. I remember Bill being slightly hesitant about getting his picture taken when they first started dating. It seems as though this aversion to having his soul stolen has lessened greatly, which is awesome because Karina's pictures of Bill tend to be amazing. I think it's because she tries to capture him how she sees him, in all his wonderfulness.

Yesterday 3.21.08

Kore
On Mine
Ben and I went out dancing last night. We went to Trash! at Home Sweet Home and The Ruff Club at The Annex, both on the LES. I've been going to nightclubs since way before I was legal to enter them. Sometimes I just get that itch, meaning that its time for me to dance under the heat of blaring lights and booming bass. I took this photo at The Annex, from the upper level which looks down on the first floor.
On Her's
The thing I like the most about this photo is the Charles in the corner. The curve of his wrist seems in perfect balance with his upturned profile. The smoke he's blowing gives the photo a real depth and mood. This is another one of those photos that makes me feel like I'm there, smoking stoges with friends in the parking lot.
Em
On Mine
I chilled at Raeven's house last night, it was chill though sometimes my brain does stupid things. Hiding behind a camera always helps and I shot a few pictures I liked of the people who were there. Again, this is a picture of Raeven and Charles. I really like the fact that Charles is in focus and Raeven is a little out of focus, it adds a little more depth to the picture for me. Damn her for leaving soon! She's giving me so many pictures!!!
On Her's
I really liked the way the black frames this picture. I really miss going out and dancing, so I suppose there was a little bit of jealousy there for me! Karina is good at taking pictures at clubs, where as I get so freakin confused and buzzed that I can't pay attention long enough to get a good picture. So kudos to you woman!

Yesterday 3.20.08

Kore
On Mine
Being as yesterday was the first day of spring, I took a lot of photos of my fire escape garden. The pots and plants are just starting to sprout green (even though they're mostly weeds that must be pulled) and the sun was shining in that way it only seems to shine at the break of spring. The photo above is of my downstairs neighbor's backyard, shot from out my kitchen window. I thought the bright green eating into the white and gray of the concrete was exactly like the winter-to-spring transition I've (happily) been seeing in the last week or so. I'm really excited to start planting again. Its so nice to have fresh herbs and veggies whenever you want them!
On Her's
I love the texture of this shot. Its like you can reach into the frame and feel the crinkles of the paper and the smooth tape around it. I also really like how graphic and bright the colors are, passing along a sense of urgency. Secretly, I hope someone sees this poster on our blog and it helps them find the missing pup.
Em
On Mine
Every time I take my dog for a walk up Elm Street I see a new missing dog sign up. It makes me sad that people so easily loose their dogs around this neighborhood. I remember being little and our dog Setka would run away on a semi-consistent basis. We would put signs up EVERYWHERE and be so frightened that we would never see him again. We would always find him, but still the idea of these little animals having so much impact on someones life. I see these and I know that that person is freaking out about their dog, and I always hope that suddenly, immediately after seeing the sign, their dog will run out of a bush and I will victoriously bring the puppy home to it's owners. This, does not really ever happen.
On Her's
Oddly enough, (well when living in wondertwin land, these things just stop seeming odd) during this dog walk yesterday I was thinking about how in California, spring rips out of the ground, bears it's teeth and shoots burning hot rays of sun down on your back. In New York, as is shown in this picture, spring is more covert. You know it's coming, and the beginning is filled with mud and rain. But you can see little green shoots sticking out everywhere, flowers begin to bloom, they don't just, explode in color around you. I chose this picture because I felt as though the contrast between the pavement and the natural earth was very telling of this creeping spring. I liked the composition a lot as well as the colors and texture of the photo.