The Weisman crows

I know just about every amateur and professional photographer in Minnesota has shot the Weisman on the University of Minnesota campus. But, you know what? I never had... until yesterday. In the 38 years I have lived in Minneapolis, I have never done much of anything in a typical or predictable manner. So, when I decided to go visit the Weisman yesterday, I decided I would try to photograph the building in a different way. After I arrived, I began shooting a little, and studying the architecture and reflectivity of the light on it's shiny metal surface. After about ten minutes, a lone crow on the roof line caught my attention. I focused on him, but my 105mm with a 1.5x frame factor on my 10D wasn't quite cutting it. After a couple minutes of frantic shooting, hoping to get some sort of interesting image, I was saved. Some of the crows' buddies showed up and made it possible for me the capture the whole gang!

I have been in Minneapolis since Saturday night, and I am ecstatic to be home for the holidays! I have been able to explore some of my old hang-outs and visit family and friends. I still have a few days and hope I can do a lot more shooting and visiting and exploring. There is a storm brewing out west and causing me much anxiety about my return trip to Palm Springs, but I am trying to be optimistic and enjoy my time here as best I can.

Christmas kitty

Merry Christmas

I made this card myself... I composited the santa hat into the shot and added the type. I sent the card out via snail-mail to friends. I am in Minneapolis this week for the holidays. A little snow... not too cold. But I still prefer the weather in Palm Springs.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Another fun day in the studio...

Can you guess what these are?

one for the money...

This is a test shot for a set I was designing for a shoot with a CPA. It was tedious to get the money to hang just right, and the location of the money was critical in relation to our depth of field so we could attract the viewer's eye to our subject.

Christmas coffee

Today I spent a little time at Koffi, which is the nearest equivalent to Dunn Bros. that we have here in Palm Springs. It isn't a franchise, and it is very original to all the other coffee shop chains. I have only been there a few times since my arrival in Palm Springs, but I will probably spend more time there as it has a more urban, yet eclectic vibe... much better than the commercial juice at Starbucks and Caribou and Coffee Bean. But, I do frequent all, depending on my mood and urgent need for caffeine. But, man, I can't wait to get some fresh-roasted beans at the D-Bros.! It's just less than two weeks til I get home for Christmas and can have a real latte!

praying mantis

When I returned home after a week on the road a few weeks back, I found this female praying mantis laying her eggs in the tread groove of one of my truck's tires. I was very excited as I had never seen a praying mantis before. After studying her for a bit, I decided I would take a few shots. I was surprised how close I could get, and if it weren't for the long lens I was using, I could have gotten closer than the three feet my focus would allow me. The next day, when I had some time to peruse the images, I wished I had used the shorter macro lens when I discovered some soft images due to the low light and the long lens. But I think this is an acceptable shot after a little photoshop work. I was amazed to find out how many different species of praying mantis there are. Check it out here. I learned that most species are not harmful to humans, but they are very defensive when it comes to leaving their eggs in your tire tread and you want to leave so you can go home and pass out after a long week of shooting!

(Not) My Neighbor's Holiday Lights

I found this video while surfing tonight. The house is supposedly in Minneapolis at 32nd St E and 41st Ave S

flour mill stacks

Here's another shot from Minneapolis, near the new Guthrie Theater. These silos have been restored to preserve the past integrity of Minneapolis' past claim as the flour milling capital of the world. You can find out lots more about that at the Mill City Museum.

Where's that damn bus?!

This shot was taken in June while I was in Cincinnati on a location shoot. I just happened to be out wandering around downtown one day and this woman attracted my attention as I sensed a certain impatience about her.

Fire, fire...

When I first moved back to L.A.in July, I found a place in Van Nuys with two other roomies. The place was cool, for the most part, but the neighborhood wasn’t that great. It was fine, so long as you didn’t look at someone the wrong way or flipped someone off in a fit of road rage. I did come out one morning and found a pair of sneakers dangling from the power lines over the front yard, but didn’t think too much of it. Probably just some of the local kids messing around.

Then, one day, I came home from work to find my next door neighbor’s front yard torched. There was a high hedge, about chest -high, that encompassed the house. I suppose a spark from a car or some kid playing with fireworks or matches could have started it, but it seemed too much a coincindence in relation to the strung-up sneakers from a couple weeks previous. The weird thing is, they were hanging in my yard, and I doubt my roomies or I had done anything to cause any sort of a retaliation. And our neighbor, who was about 60 years-old and lived alone and pretty much kept to himself was even less likely to have done anything to instigate such an act.

The photos shows the damage to the neighbors front yard. My place was just to the left of this house and was very similar in appearance, since they were a part of the same complex. You can see how the palm tree was scorched by the flames from the hedge, but never really caught fire. The palm leaves were just partly singed. Thankfully, there was no damage to the house and no one was hurt.

Uptown Theater marquee

Another marquee... I dig the lines here.

Suburban World marquee

Another shot from Uptown Minneapolis April, 2006
I have been back in California now for four months now, and in Palm Springs for about six weeks. I know it sounds surprising, but I am really homesick, especially since I have found some blogs from people back home and seeing all their pics and videos about all the familiar places to me. It will be good to get home for Christmas!

phone sax

Street musician in Uptown, Minneapolis April, 2006

old in, new out

This is a shot from a couple years ago from someplace in Minneapolis. The image appeared to me while on an aimless photojournalistic wandering... the kind that I have frequently. Can you guess where it is?

Stealth fighter

After a few passes from the three prop-engine fighters, the crowd at the Palm Springs Veterans Day parade witnessed another flyover from what I believe was an F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. Another link to the F117A.

USAF Flyover

I am not in any way an advocate of the military, war, or weapons of mass destruction. But I do resonate with many of the principles on which our country was founded. I am just trying to understand what the hell is happening to this country nowadays, like so many other people. At any rate, I found myself hanging out at the Coffee Bean in downtown Palm Springs on Sunday afternoon, just prior to the start of the Veterans Day parade. I had not completely decided if I was going to even watch the parade, as I am torn inside about all the pomp and circumstance that emanates from such attention to this sort of public celebration of military and war. And, at the same time, I feel a great deal of gratitude and loyalty to those who gave their lives so that I may live in a free country (even it is a false sense of freedom). Well, I got the camera out (just in case, as a good photographer will do) and had it standing by as I worked on some photoshop files while I sat outside on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, these WWII fighter planes came zipping out of nowhere. Luckily, they made a few more passes and I was able to click off a few frames. I remember always being fascinated with planes as a kid, and I guess I still am today. I am in awe of their raw power and sleek lines. I just don't like what these planes represent and stand for in today's world. But then, it's still a cool picture. So much contradiction in my life!

meep meep

I usually only see this guy in the mornings when I am leaving for work. He's usually just poking around here and there, scavenging for bugs and lizards and whatever he can dig outta the dumpster. And, I wanna tell you, the roadrunner cartoon was not an exaggeration... these guys can fly! I even heard this guy make that sort of plugging raspberry sound that the cartoon roadrunner would make just as he is about to speed off, as he stuck out his tongue mocking poor 'ol Wile E. Coyote. I think they make the sound by flapping their wings quickly as they start to run off. See more about roadrunners.

Still unsettled...

I have been trying to get more settled in my new surroundings here in Palm Springs. It’s been an adjustment, in so many ways, since uprooting again from home in Minneapolis, then to Los Angeles, and two months later again to the desert. For the most part, it’s been interesting and cool. But now that I’ve been here for a month, I am starting to feel the restlessness once again.

My new job as a studio manager, photographer, and assistant keeps me very busy. Maybe too busy, as I still have much unpacking to do at home. But maybe I have been a bit lazy about that, also. My new boss and coworkers are all pretty cool. There have been only a few of those awkward, stick-my-foot-in-my-mouth moments. Some days I work from 8 AM until 8 PM, but then I can usually sleep in the next day if there aren’t any shoots scheduled in the morning. My boss gives me a lot of room to work in my own way and puts a lot of trust in my abilities and work ethic. But, at the same time, I can get a bit overwhelmed with all the responsibility, and begin getting burned out even when there are a lot of exciting things going on around me. All in all, the new job is pretty cool. It’s just that I have been so busy working that I have little energy left over to use on the home and social fronts.

There are many hiking trails here, but I have only been out on two occasions. I have found some internet resources and picked up a book on the local trails, so I am hoping that I will eventually be able to get out there. I guess I have been a bit reluctant also because I am so out of shape. But I am tired of making so many excuses. I really just need to get out there!

Today's pic is the view facing my backyard. I stepped out onto the street to avoid the obstruction of the lovely pink cinder-block walls encircling the camp. What you are looking at is Mt. San Jacinto, the second highest peak in California at 10,834 feet above sea level (my apartment is at about 350 feet above sea level). I took the tram up to the top and spent the day hiking around a couple weeks ago. It was quite impressive, to say the least.

Am I coming or going?

I have been a bit remiss in my blogging. My apologies. But I do have a good excuse. I moved, again. Almost three weeks ago I relocated from L.A. to Palm Springs. I found a good gig working as a studio manager and photographer/assistant. I have been extremely busy since I landed back in L.A. a few months ago, and now the busy-ness has evolved to a whole new level. But I am starting to get settled into my new apartment and better acquainted with my surroundings, so I expect I will be able to devote more time to my blogs, photography, and maybe even some hiking.

A week after I moved, I was off to Flagstaff for a shoot at a golf resort. The weather change made me feel like I was back home in Minneapolis! It was a successful trip, but long and weary, as I was (and still am) quite unsettled in many different ways. Just imagine leaving Minneapolis on about a week’s notice back in July, drive to Los Angeles in two days in scorching 100+ degree heat, looking for an apartment and work in L.A., then uprooting again two months later and moving to an even hotter climate! Whew! Thankfully, now my biggest concerns are cable or directv, and if the cockroaches will turn up again after a major infestation upon my initial arrival.

Holy Mackerel, part 5

This is the view of Pacific Park, from the observation deck at the western-most end of the Santa Monica Pier.

Check out more about the pier's history at:
http://www.santamonicapier.org/
http://www.westland.net/piercam/

Holy Mackerel, part 4

There was a huge stack of white smoke, billowing upward, and then out to sea. I didn't see any flames, and I couldn't tell if it was a brush fire, or if some structure was ablaze. Some people on the pier noticed the smoke, and others only did as they saw the others pointing and talking and exclaiming Oh My!. I kinda chuckled at this too, because I was probably one of the first ones to see the smoke, but didn't carry on too much, as I was more interested in the fishermen I had been observing and shooting.

Then, I heard the sirens screaming up the PCH. The firemen were dousing the flames just moments later, as a huge water canon drenched the fire. I suddenly felt very tired and decided it was time to head home.

Holy Mackerel, part 3

Most everyone from the fishing group had sat down for a late lunch, or early dinner... I couldn't tell. I was impressed with their spread because I remember the colorful salad they were all munching on. No sooner had my mouth started salivating when one of the baited pole's reel began dragging, as something big had taken the bait. I saw the pole bend and fidget under the weight of the fish at the other end of the line. Everyone in the fishing party dropped their meal and grabbed a rod around the pole that had the fish on, so as to keep the lines from tangling. The man who had grabbed the pole with the fish on readied himself to set the hook. There was a sense of urgency in the air, as it was apparent that there may not be much time to land the fish. He decided to set the hook after momentarily sizing up the situation, even while everyone was still frantically reeling in their lines.

As he was setting the hook, I maneuvered in closer to the rail, to see if I could get a shot of the fish as it surfaced, and sure enough, there it was... a big, nasty-looking brown thing! I had no idea what it was... I thought it might be a shark, but it was shaped funny, like an arrow. Maybe it was a halibut... same sorta color? No, too warm here. I didn't know! I determined that I would ask later, because by this time, the fisherman was hoisting the flailing fish from the water and up the eighty feet or so, to the deck of the pier. Everything was happening so fast! I snapped the shutter a few more times as they brought the catch onto the pier and slammed him down on the deck, to stun him and keep him from flopping around and hurting someone. The crowd that had gathered all exclaimed with oooh's and aaaah's in an almost naive surprise at the sight. I chuckled at this, even though I was a bit naive myself.

I chatted with the man from the group that seemed to be kind of the father figure. He was very nice, and I showed him a few of the shots from the back of my 10D. He told me that it was a shovel-nose shark that they had caught, and I asked him if it was edible, even though I figured it was, since his daughter had run off to clean the shark. He told me it was a delicacy, very sweet tasting meat... better than crab! We chatted a little more and I let him get back to his dinner once his daughter had returned with what looked to be about twenty pounds of meat. Some other people were still milling about, trying to guess what kind of fish it was, rather than just come out and ask someone. Too much!

I poked around a little while longer, but felt it was time to mosey on down the road. I scanned the pier again for anything I may have missed, when I caught sight of a huge plume of smoke coming from up the coast.

Holy Mackerel, part 2

One of the members of this latino group that were fishing the Santa Monica Pier told me he was from Palmdale. They were down for two days of fishing and spending time with family and friends. They were planning on spending the night on the pier and fish all night. I took many shots of them and they didn't seem to mind at all. They even caught a decent sized shovel-head shark while I was there!

Holy Mackerel, part 1

I spent some time in Venice and Santa Monica today. It was so hot in the Valley... I just needed to get away. Halfway over the hill, on the 405, I realized it was Labor Day Weekend and I immediately started crabbing about how busy it was gonna be at the beach. I calmed down after a few moments, figuring it would be better than sitting in 100-degree heat!

I roller-bladed from Pico, off Ocean, all the way to the Venice pier, and then back. I decided to get the camera from the truck and take a walk, to see what photo opps I could find, or create. It is in this process of spontaneous, unassigned, and just-for-fun shooting that I really get in touch with my creative soul. I feel inspired from within, seeing light and vibrant colors that speak to me, evoking a spiritual sense of poetic license. I guess what I am really trying to say is that it was a great day!

I walked west, or north, (depending on your Angeleeno-displacement) on the beach, toward the Santa Monica Pier. I took in the sun and surf and wind... watching all the kids digging tide-pools in the sand. I saw some white roses washed-up in the foam and seaweed. I studied a few for a short time, and, determining my frustratin with the scene, I continued on toward the pier. Once I got on the pier, I focused on all the people that were present. Families walking by, boyfriend/girlfriend's, park employes, and street performers. I started seeing the light giving form to everything around me. All the sharp contrasts, subtle shades, and colorful energies were presenting a palette of life surrounding me.

I found a group of people fishing on the end of the pier, a family with some friends perhaps. They were having a great time, the men baiting their hooks, a few women watching after the kids. They had an arsenal of fishing rods, bait, tackle, ice-chests with food and sodas. They were definitely fishing! And having a blast, even while the rest of the world were watching them all as if they were street entertainment. It was pretty cool to observe.

Brutal Honesty

I think we can all learn something from this humble man!

Restless and bored...

I was unusually restless today, not to mention bored... I found myself wandering around Uptown. I checked out the used bookstore I drop in on once in a while. Nothing there to inspire me. I went back to the truck and got my camera, plugged the meter with a few quarters, and headed off down Hennepin Avenue searching for only god-knows-what. I only had an hour, so I wasn’t about to wander too far. But, that’s the cool thing about Uptown. You usually don’t have to go too far before you see something that makes you stop and investigate. But then, I am easily amused.

kiteboarder_01

kiteboarder_01, originally uploaded by timophoto.

When I saw kiteboarding a couple years ago I was sort of laughing inside. I figured it wouldn't last--it seemed a very expensive and laborious recreational sport. But, in spite of my doubts, it has flourished, especially here in Minneapolis. What else are you gonna do on a cold-ass, windy day in February?

salongirl_01

salongirl_01, originally uploaded by timophoto.

Sometimes I just go out wandering, with no specific idea in mind other than to see what I find. I love the spontaneaity of street photography! I was parking my truck downtown to go into a cool little coffee shop I found recently in the north loop. I think I was listening to a hockey game or some program on the radio, so I was in no hurry. I noticed this woman working behind the counter of a salon through the window. She had a presence about her and I was immediately interested in observing her as she was finishing with a customer. I decided to try to take a few shots and came up with something mildly interesting and acceptable. When I returned home I played with it in photoshop and came up with this b&w noisy rendering.

How do you see the world?

My blog consists of photos from my world of visual exploration. I am a freelance photographer from Minneapolis. I work in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. I mostly shoot people photography--headshots, portraits, etc. I also like to shoot sports and stuff for stock. I also work as a photo assistant.

All content on this webblog © Tim Olsen