Sooty Handed Brooke

 1. The shot below was produced by sheer dumb luck.

The model is Brooke, an interpid teenager, who popped my radar back during the MySpace days (mid 2000's?). 

I approached her about simply taking portraits, pitched my idea, & was relieved to have her talk to her mom about it. I had no idea she was a teenager but encouraged her to give my info to her mom & invited her to come along.

I'm always a little nervous when working with minors because though they may be kosher with my age-appropriate pics, it can be a complete crapshoot whether the parent will see it that way.

Regardless talked to her mom  directly & everything seemed to be on the level.

The overall premise was to shoot inside a burned out hotel, to contrast the prettiness of the model against the dirt & grime of the old fire damage. Before anyone asks, it was in a semi-rural area & there is no shortage of abandoned building where the residents were there one day & literally up & left the next.

As we're shooting, Brooke's hands get all sooty from touching the burnt wood & just randomly starts wiping them on her arms & face.

I chuckle & am like, "I'm going with it" & snapped away.

Stuff like that you just can't plan no matter how hard you try. Those manufactured moments never have the same effect as when they're spontaneous.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Contemplating Hope

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. The model put herself on my radar by sending me a message, "I was a girl who always said she'd never do nudes but after seeing your work, I'm might have to reconsider."

Sounds like a good intro to me!

We set up a shoot & made it happen soon thereafter. And as Rick said to Louie at the end of Casablanca, it was the "start of a beautiful friendship."

Project Unbreakable

Like everyone else in the country, I am truly shocked & horrified at yet another senseless shooting this past Friday at an elementary school in Newton, CT. You will eventually hear my own thoughts on this but at the moment, I'm still trying to process & articulate what I want to say.

In the meantime I'm bringing you something constructive. Bringing to light another tragedy that is equally horrific to those involved & how they've chosen to deal with the situation.

Its called "Project Unbreakable". Giving you the short version, its a campaign addressing & combating sexual violence & assault.

Below is a YouTube video from the founder.



As a photographer, I'm impressed with its simplicity. No elaborate concepts, no fancy illustrative reenactment of the violence. Just the victim & a placard w/ the words the perpetrator used in quotes. The very definition of the K.I.S.S. Principle (keep it simple, stupid).

Its revolting to read what the perpetrator says. Its even revolting to read what people have said who are SUPPOSED TO BE supporting the victim, people like family & law enforcement.

Its nice knowing a project that starts as simple as helping a friend can completely take on a life of its own in a good way.


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Moving on...
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As a photographer, its an extra special treat working w/ people on an unintentionally long-term basis. You're blessed with being a part of the big moments in their lives. See them find love (& sometimes heartbreak), get hitched, start a family, sometimes even seeing those family members grow up & having them in front of my camera.

Ceri is one of those people.

This was taken back in 2008 for my never-ending Abandonment Project. The locations may change but my interest in the visual contrast between the "dirty, blah" environment (something most people overlook) juxtaposed against the "pretty" model hasn't.



Feel free to comment away if you so desire.

WAMC Fundraising Questions

NPR's WAMC recently held their latest fund-drive for $1 million in listener donations. Considering that they run these infernal fund-drives at least once a quarter (it certainly seems like more), that'd mean they get $4 million a year.

I know they have to factor in for rate of inflation, increased programming fees, decreased financial support from Congress but would that not effect EVERY NPR station proportionally the same? Yet member stations like NCPR (based in Canton, NY) & WRVO (based out of Syracuse) have only sought 1% per quarter than from what they were asking in 2002 yet WAMC has sought a 400% increase than what they were asking over the same time period.

So this begs the question, what exactly is WAMC using all that money for?

I ask because usually when times are tough such as these, nonprofits either make do w/ what they've got (therefore making the money stretch) or they ask for a livable less or cut their bloated overhead expenses.

Because of HOW all NPR stations conduct their fund drives (they keep going whether its for 7 hours, 7 days, or 7 weeks until they meet their goals), the station isn't compelled to take a hard look at their fiances.

Considering Alan Chertock's, WAMC's CEO & Chief on-air personality, ego would put Narcissus to shame, I'd question as whether he really cares. Don't believe me, here's a 3rd party report of the station playing "We Shall Overcome" & "Imagine" when they finally met their latest fund-raising goal. Sorry but I don't think Pete Seeger & Lennon pictured greed in being something to be proud of.

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This is Brittany, taking part in my "Abandonment Adventure" Series.

Unfortunately, this shoot got cut short from the cops shooing us away. :(



Feel free to comment away if you so desire.

Madden Hotel Sale

I'm conflicted.

A part of me wants to unleash my scorn at Jack Diamond (the Glens Falls mayor), the Post-Star, and the city system of Glens Falls for their collusionary eminent domain tactics in closing the Madden Hotel. It was clear from the start that no matter who owned it, nor how much they compiled w/ the city's request to get it in code compliance, the city was going to force a closure. The city was bound & determined to get their way, kicking out even legitimate residents like the Open Door food kitchen. I guess they are collateral damage in this tiff.

The city has spent so much tax payer dollars cracking down on the property & its residents, one has to wonder if those expenses could not have been spent more wisely. Like fixing the drainage system by Kensington Elementary School that floods everytime there's a minor rain or snowstorm.

Then there are days like today when I walk to my local library. My route takes me past the hotel. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, there is ALWAYS riff-raff in front of that place clogging the sidewalk. Furthermore, they act like I'm burdening them when I politely say "excuse me" because I'd like to pass through.

I'm not delusional in thinking that the Madden's closure will actually solve the problems of finding a place in the city for affordable housing. But if its closure (& hopefully its demolition) addresses trying to get rid of the riff-raff that's CONSTANTLY there, all I can say is good riddance.

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This here is Danielle.

The antcedote behind this image is that the day prior it was an unseasonably humid 80 degrees. The day this was shot it was a frigid 50 degrees. It didn't help matters that a downpour earlier that day forced me to cancel a shoot w/ her roommate. Well, that & any sort of inclement weather turns drivers into complete (expletive deleted) morons one of which nearly sideswiped her while yacking on their cell phone.

Anyway, Danielle was participating in my ongoing Abandonment Adventure series. The one people sometime refer to as "Urbexing" or "Urban Exploration." I like the visual contrast between the "dirty, blah" environment juxtaposed against the "pretty, clean" model.



Feel free & comment away if you so choose.

Enjoy.

Whole Lotta Nothing

I had a blog planned out but I just don't feel like posting it anymore.

It ran something along the lines of ass-hat says something questionable; I challenge said notion & ask for a clarification; ass-hate opens mouth & proves they're an ass-hat (as opposed to keeping it shut & giving himself reasonable doubt).

Whatever. The schmuck isn't worth the effort.

Stuff really hasn't changed much or has been said better elsewhere.

1. The idiots in the NYS legislature still haven't reached a budget as I write this. Depsite this being, 2 months overdue if not more. God forbid they do their one constitutional duties. I'm not sure which is worse, them taking off 2 months last year because they cannot act like adults & getting paid for it or pretending to act like adults, still getting nothing done, & STILL get paid for it.

Its a shame because the Governor is the only one TRYING to get something done & is actually in tune w/ the economic reality we're in because the voters don't like him & is on the way out anyway. While the rest are to busy trying to get reelected.

If we the voters are to stupid to keep these guys in office, sometimes I think its the government we deserve.

2. I've kinda gotten into World Cup fever. Its definately not a sport that Americans are accustomed to watching (constant scoring, breaks in the action). Not to mention, most (timed) regulation games revolve around the 60 minute timeframe plus halftime, soccer (at least at that level) revolve around the 90 minute games plus halftime. But once you get passed that, its sorta like hockey in the sense that its the scoring chances & the near misses that make exciting. That & the inevitable controversies but I'm not going to get into that.

3. Its been pretty hot lately. I wish I could be sympathetic but I've lived (& worked) in a tropical juggle for a year & a half. There was literally zero difference between the sun & the shade.

Don't like the heat? Do something about it. No sense whining about it because doing so isn't going to make it any cooler. Or one could think of it this way, would you rather it be blistering hot or blistering cold? Me, I'd rather have it blistering hot because at least I can operate outside my house doing (I dunno) taking a drive w/ the windows rolled down (the original air conditioner), take a swim in any of the natural swimming spots here in the beautiful Adirondacks, hover around the air-conditioner, cool off w/ the hose.

Just have to keep things in perspective.

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This here is Rika participating in my Abandonment project. People sometimes refer to stuff like this as "urbexing" or "urban decay" or "urban exploration".

Anyway, this is her outfits but playing around w/ one of my fabric thingies that I always seem to have. I just kinda ran w/ it at that moment.



Feel free & comment away if you so choose.

Baseball Hall of Fame

This weekend, my brother & I took my baseball-loving father to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as a belated Father's Day present.

As a fan myself, the biggest question I had going in was how they were going to address the performance enhancing issue. I soon got my answer because of how we choose to tour the museum (visiting the most recent stuff to the least recent). Maybe I should say that I got my answer by what they weren't showing.

On the contrary, they acknowledge the steroid issue by having a big exhibit of Hank Aaron, the former holder of the all-time home run record & generally agreed upon nonsteroid user. They acknowledge the various records (most home runs, most doubles, most games played, etc) & those that hold it. But other than that, no artifacts of tainted players. No special no-hitter balls, no bats, no uniform items, etc.

Conclusion: Steroid users have no place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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This here is my dear friend, Melanie, who is participating in my never-ending abandonment project (sometimes commonly referred to as "urbexing" or "urban decay"). Locations like these, I've learned to use them as much as you freakin' can because they WILL NOT be there indefinitely.



Feel free & comment away about any part of this blog if you wish.

Falling Apart

I'm remembering a conversation I had w/ a friend while out in Boston. We were walking from the friend's apartment to her local hangout. She had mentioned that she always liked going from her apartment to the hangout because everything aesthetically got nicer the closer we got there, brightening her spirits. When she returned home, it got more "depressing" because the aesthetic went from nice to scummier.

For clarification purpose, it wasn't anything remotely like crack neighborhood scummy. More like blue collar respectable.

This is an interesting contrast w/ me because I find the grime consistantly more interesting. The polished finish is what's meant to be seen. Its a boring mask that's trying to pull the wool over my eyes. May also be my mentality where I associate a mask w/ a "perception spin".

I dunno.

Anyway, people scratch their heads "why (I) enjoy tramping around in disgusting, abandoned buildings." Its because I get to find macbre stuff like this.



While we're on the topic of dilapidated man-made structures, History Channel has this pretty decent program, entitled "Life after People." It doesn't go into detail about HOW man has passed on, just for whatever reason he has, almost like we've just up & left. Its focus is illustrating what would happen to the things we leave behind & what Mother Nature would do to it. In other cases, how animals would use said structures or whatever. They often use known instances as a reference to compare & contrast it.

The program is half way decent. I just hate it when the History Channel pretends that BS pseudoscience (like aliens, Nostradamus, the Mayan 2012, or the Bermuda Triangle) should be taken seriously. The all WWII, all the time gets ridiculously annoying as well.