Just Because

During the DNC I escaped those crazy Dems only to find the crazy GOP in Golden.

This college republican was preparing for a "Dunk the Democrat" game. It really was as awkward as this photo looks.

DNC Polaroid

The Democratic National Convention was a crazy week. I covered several assignments for various publications in three countries. I also worked on a new multimedia project which looked into several perspectives of different anarchists and activists demonstrating at the convention. Please take a look at the project on my website here. It was a lot of shooting and a lot of editing. I think it turned out pretty good though.

I wasn't able to get inside the convention as much as I had hoped despite getting credentials at the last second. I was just too busy working with the activists and my other commitments. The one night I did go in I spent most of my time looking for portraits to shoot with my polaroid. I only stayed inside for an hour.

The biggest protest of the convention in Denver was put on by the Iraq Veterans Against the War. It was a nice march in which veterans showed their dislike of the war by marching in full uniform to the Pepsi Center outside the convention. The event drew two or three thousand people.

The funny people, fanatic attitudes, and crazy circus that is politics is overwhelming. It is only intensified during conventions, protests, and election seasons. Once in a while it is good to get this perspective first hand.

My digital images will come soon.

Summer Sky

It's not only the smell and the open sky that make Boulder such a nice place. It's the ability to take a walk at night and encounter an animal larger than myself. To be able to walk in the rain while at the same time watching shooting stars fly by. It's about not hearing traffic and electricity.

It's amazing and it never gets old.

The Waiting Game

Sometimes you just find yourself watching. Not really thinking or composing, just watching. It is amazing how different moments can work together. A new face can match a past gesture or a small change of position can correct an off balanced moment. Perhaps it takes a solitary object to make moments meet. Here people were looking for their plane departure times on a monitor. I think the gestures between people match pretty well. I don't think this is because their surroundings were the same, but rather their sense of urgency was the same. Even while movements were different there was a similar feeling of anxiousness throughout.

Cherries

It is Thursday.
The water steams. I see the final crystals from the plastic bottle containing my instant coffee pour into a cup.
"Would you like room for milk?"
"Yes," I respond. I always do. "Cream and sugar, please."
"Oh sorry. We are out of milk."
"Oh. Well...just an extra spoonful of sugar should do the trick."
As I leave, chattering sounds regarding politics and global warming flow from recently depleted ceramic mugs of coffee painted with Chinese designs. A smile grows as I am rewarded with my decision to get my drink in a paper cup...to-go.
I notice my right shoe has faded slightly more than my left.
My car starts. A left, a right, another right and two more lefts. I pull into the second to last parking spot.
"Three bags of the mulch marked '30 percent off' please." I ask seconds before realizing the young man wearing a Home Depot shirt didn't in fact work at the Home Depot.
"Um, I don't work here," he smuggly responds while not actually looking in my direction.
"But you're wearing a Home Depot shirt," I mock trying to imitate his smart-ass manner.
"Dude. Heard of second hand?"
I suppose his name wasn't actually Shawn either. I turn around and walk away, not fast but not exactly slow. I think of all the wittier responses that could have been.
At the stoplight, the radio host annoys me with another pledge drive interruption. "I'd rather listen to traffic," I complain to myself as I roll down the window and firmly press the off button. Two lefts, a right, and two more lefts. I pull in. I'm out of change so I risk a ticket from the meter-maid.
I see Paul walking toward me on the other side of the street. I don't really want to talk, but I figure it isn't worth the hassle. I am hot and I am tired. I cross the street.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Got work today?" he asks.
No is my answer.
"Hmmm."
"I did pick some cherries," I respond with a selfish smile. Happy that I have something unique to say, my smile grows and I cross my arms with a certain cockiness.
"Wow. For a pie? I love those sour cherries," Paul inquires much to my surprise.
"No. I prefer them dried," I snap back. It's true. I always hated pies. I think it is the crust I don't like. I do like dried goods. They last longer.
"No way. Pies are much better. And take more care with preparation."
I try to hide my eagerness to leave and instead look at my feet, uncross my arms, and step on a bug. All cockiness has evaporated.
"Well I have a thousand more cherries. So maybe tomorrow." I am trying to avoid an obvious and painful debate. I regret my unique statement.
I make an bad excuse about going to a fake appointment I wish I did have in reality.
At home I look at my cherries. They are almost dried. Looking smaller and less appealing than I had hoped, I knew I should have made a pie.

Portraits 2x

A few changes have been made.

1. A new blog name. Love it? Hate it? Don't care? I still giggle, so really, who cares what you think?

2. I have updated the website with a few new photos. Many of which have been on the blog. A couple which have not. Regardless, take a look. If for nothing else, at least do it to help boost my ego when I look at the web stats.

www.mattnager.com

Here are two recent photos. One is from a recent trip through Mexico on the last passenger train still running. I am hoping the story with make it into publication. I am still waiting to finalize the deal. Soon I will be able to share the photos with you.

The other is my girlfriend's father. He is a retired tailor, who now tends to his land filled with olive trees, lime trees, and a few plums. Nice place to have family.

A Kiss

It's a cliché. A kiss that is.

What? It is.

Passionate and romantic. It's a simple gesture. Everyone likes a kiss. Even the bitter lover waits for a moment to close his eye and escape.

A reassuring kiss can hide a detailed fabrication or recreate a lost dream. A kiss can dry a tear or open a wound depending on the moment.

It's not a bad cliché. One of my favorites. I miss my cliché.

Before I leave

I am leaving for Mexico tomorrow. A small adventure through Copper Canyon. There should be plenty of photos to follow.

Enjoy your week.

A Face To Remember

Sometimes you just see light that matches any person, any face, and any tone. Churches and temples often create this light; perfectly diffused and hinting of Annie Leibovitz (minus the lighting team.)

It is also great when you see a face that can grab you and make you stare. It can be frustrating to see a person with the perfect face get shy once a camera is seen. For this reason, I usually shoot at least one frame before asking them to pose.

This was the one frame I was able to snap before the woman became aware and nervous.

Growing Up and Down

A sky-blue balsa wood car winning third place, a river trip with skipping stones and wet socks, and a faded comic book drawn by me but visualized by my father. These are the memories that surround Boy Scouts. I didn't make it very far. Past Cub Scouts and passing through Webelos I gave it up for more lazy activities. It's not that I regret it. Looking back, given the religious undertones fixed within the Boy Scouts establishment, I probably did well to avoid any heavenly promises at the expense of a good foundation.

Admittedly, the Boy Scouts often does promote community awareness and the awareness of communities place within nature. Qualifying nature's position and potential power over community is an important and under valued ideology.

It was inspiring to find a group of young kids from the city admiring the forest. Building a trail for bikes out of a trash filled forest is a good start for a Dallas, a city with almost no nature. I hope the trail works out.