the photography:
two years ago this summer, my sister-in-law maeve, was living in china. that's right. china. she was spending her junior year abroad from college traveling, studying, and honing her chinese language skills. she was also fulfilling her own personal dream of constantly being the most awkward person in the room. picture this: 5'10" blond white girl amongst a dense asian population. she stuck out like a sore thumb. she even wrote a blog about it. check it: Awkward in China

now the reason i am telling you all about this is because just yesterday, maeve flew back to china for another 6 month stint. i'm so excited for her and i wish we could bring a new born baby (still in the womb but headed out shortly) with us to visit her. but alas... almost two years ago, cath and i spent a little under two weeks leapfrogging from shanghai, to beijing, to hong kong, and back to shanghai. it was an incredible journey with lots of stuff to see and experience. walking around the cities, seeing all the sights, hearing all the sounds, it was just an amazing experience. i could walk through the markets for the rest of my days, meeting merchants, haggling over squid heads (i never actually haggled over squid heads but i did witness it...), buying porcelain mao's, and eating smelly tofu. i could do it all day, every day.

so since maeve is headed back to china, and since i don't have a ton of time to take more photographs (as i am getting ready to welcome a new baby in about a month) i figure i could post a few sets of photos from our time in eastern asia. have i mentioned before that i would live in hong kong at the drop of a hat? all it would take was a good job offer and i would pack the family up in jiffy. i just don't really like the 14 hour plane ride... jeez. i am

this first set is from walking around the streets of hong kong. photos were shot with the 5D and my EF 24-105mm f/4.0L USM. it was the perfect camera and lens package to not seem too much like a tourist but to still get everything i needed out of a camera and a zoom. sigh. i miss exploring in asia. it was just simply magical.

the music:
i may have spoken the wonders that are 'the gentlemen' on this blog before but let me re-iterate for those non-believers, non-listeners, and never-heard-ofs... these four men from the boston region kick so much ass, it's not even funny. the gentlemen are a combination of two boston area (via upstate new york and connecticut) bands that have done their time in the eastern seaboard touring trenches. hardened living, hard drinking, fast women, and loud playing are the themes that run through their music.

they are just so damn good.

if any of these bands make it through your town, you need to be there. your life will never be the same:
the figgs
the gravel pit
the gentlemen

if all three play on the same bill? you can bet your sweet ass i'll be there.

the photography:

Portrait #34 is Shannon

holy crap it's been a while since i've posted one of these. if you think i went over board on the pictures... you should see the out takes. it was the toughest group of photos i have ever had to whittle down. jeeeeeez...

i first heard about miss shannon from a mutual friend via twitter. it was a mention here, a twitpic there, and before you know it, i was tracking her down for a chance to model for the the 50 Portraits Project. it's crazy how social media and the online world works with all the idea-megaphones (blogs), personal advertisements (facebook pages), and instant friend-of-a-friend connections (you may know so-and-so). the fact that i can connect with and follow like-minded people from all over the world and check out their content, view their video blogs, and read about their creative process' is mind blowing. like minded people should really band together. maybe that's exactly what i've been trying to accomplish with this project. maybe i'll call it my 50 Peeps Club when all is said and done...

shannon is one of those people that likes stuff that i like. shannon moonlights as a food/horror movie buff who writes and video blogs about the connections she makes between the two. her blog, Slash and Dine, and her videos pair recipes to fit bloody classics. when she's not enjoying her time in the kitchen (and her time with her BFF #33, Miss Bake and Destroy, she's styling hair and educating her fellow stylists at a high-end salon in chicago. judging from her personality, her outgoingness, and her overall demeanor, i'm guessing she has a lot of repeat clients who love her work (and that's without factoring in her expert skills as a stylist). let's all just agree that shannon is pretty flipping rad ok?!

currently, shannon really loves the color orange. the kitchen walls are covered in the most warming and comforting shade of orange. if given the chance, why not "go big" in the one room of the house that you spend the most amount of time in? any way you slice it (i have a lot of knife jokes...), it works smashingly. her design style and aesthetic shine through from the art work on the walls to the vintage chairs and table to the vases on the half wall. sigh... with all the natural light and spot-on layout, shannon could rent her kitchen to those photographers in need of a kitchen set. it's totally sweet.

as a side note, it turns out shannon has done some modeling in the past but really? that should surprise no one. this girl has style, style, and more style. it was a pleasure getting to know her and it was a breeze taking pictures as all i had to do was sit back and soak it all in. please make sure to check out her writing and videos at Slash and Dine and at Brutal Snack when you get the chance. as usual, the photos were with the trusty 5DMKII and the always present, 28mm f1.8. cheers.

the music:

if you choose to look beyond the skin-deep visuals of hard core and punk rock in america there is one music scene that sprouted some of the truest bands lyrically, the straightest bands ethically, and the most forward thinking bands musically. since the early 80's, the Washington D.C. hard core/punk scene has been the birthplace of many of the truly great underground/DIY bands of my generation: Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring, Youth Brigade, Government Issue, Fire Party, The Nation Of Ulysses, Jawbox, Q And Not U, Circus Lupus, and of course, Fugazi (just to name a few...).

Teen Idles is one of the first bands to break the DC scene wide open. this band is why Dischord Records started. this band is why it all came together. and they were pretty impressive. shannon's framed cover of Minor Threat's s/t record on the wall in her kitchen kick started my DC review on my iPod. it's pretty awesome to try to soak up an entire scene via the magic of digital music. looking back, the Teen Idles were raw and powerful, sloppy and trite. but they were just what the youth of DC needed. art needs a catalyst sometimes. in the early 80's, leaders like Reagan provided that riff. sigh. the kids on the streets today just aren't that interested in making a difference. that's a tough truth to swallow...

the photography:
i am currently hanging out in my parents dining room amidst the tap-tap-tapping of my wife on my mother's old white iMac laptop. it's a fitting scene for a snowy and flipping freezing afternoon in February. the high for today? looking at a whopping 8 degrees above zero. oh crap. days like this prove that mittens are not just for second graders.

we are in vermont to celebrate my sister-in-law's graduation from college. graduation from college is a special occasion that i have celebrated with friends and family at least a dozen times (only once for myself) and i am always amazed by the jubilation, awe, and just plain "scared shitless" emotions that make the entire day so energized and full of smiles. now if only you could repeat this feeling of accomplishment later on in your life when you could use a little pick-me-up to get you through the doldrums (also known as your "20's"). i think half the reason so many people go to graduate school is to feel that sense of accomplishment again. i know that if i could celebrate my college graduation over and over and over, i would. even if i had to listen to "i've got you babe" every morning for the rest of my life.

as an 18 year old entering the doors of academia, i distinctly remember that college was going to prepare me for the business world that lay ahead of me as an adult. i honestly thought that college was going to prepare me for a career path or at the very least, give me the smallest inkling of what i wanted to do. in fact, college did not do this. in fact, college prepared me with the social tools to be able to STOMACH the business world (not how to navigate it). for these social preparations, i am extremely grateful for my experiences during my four years of school. i just wish that during my senior year one of my professors had taken me aside and reassured me that while i would be trying to navigate this vast and very very serious business world that i would be shipwrecked and marooned at least four times.

for if i had known this, i would not have felt so down upon myself when i was working 50 hours a week and feeling so very alone and unhappy with where i was headed. professional loneliness (for a lack of a better term) is never pointed out as a possibility within the halls of academia. it's not even mentioned. i think it should be mandatory and embraced. when i left the academic bubble, all i got was a "here's the alumni network" and a peppy "enjoy your first job!". strong words to make you feel important and dearly missed but these words hold little water when you resumé lists "Bakery Delivery Driver - six months", "Freelance newspaper advertisement designer - 2 months", and (my personal favorite) "Band photographer - 1 band".

oh well... it's not planting the flag on the top of the mountain that defines us... it's the climb. right? right?

photos are with the 5DMKII and my EF 24-105mm f/4.0L USM. i want to say it one more time but it was silly cold outside... 8 degrees yo. sunny, but c'mon. 8 degrees!!!

the music:
whenever i get to hang out at my parents house, people are always chatting. the conversation topics range dynamically from the government (the vermont state secessionist movement is currently high on the list), artists (local photographers are my fave), books (my mom is the head of the board of trustees at the local public library), and the obligatory where-are-they-now-Champlain-Valley-Union-High-School-class-of-1996 check-in. it's always fun to chew the fat and music is also always on the tip of my father's tongue when the conversation turns boring. the CD players in the living room and in the cars are always loaded with something fun and exciting. my father's newest kick? punk rock music with an irish twist. you heard it here first.

edd's current favorite records:
The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
Flogging Molly - Swagger
The Dropkick Murphy's - Blackout

what the what? that's right... my dad is listening to the Murphy's. amazing. the man who introduced me to Tom Waits has come full circle and instead of scatting off the quick witted "Step Right Up" he serenades the bar world of broads with "Kiss Me I'm Shit Faced".

i couldn't be prouder. but right now i'm kicking back and listening to the original (which i was totally unaware of BTW) Respect by Otis. my friend poor-white-trashley would be proud. hit it otis. hit it.

the photography:
you know what's fun? taking an outsider's stance while standing in an insider's job. confused? you should be. i'll lay it out for you:

a) i work in the automotive industry as a photojournalist
b) i'm not an enthusiast (or at least i wasn't before i started this job) nor am i an automotive blogger
c) i'm not a reporter
d) and i'm not easily swayed (or impressed for that matter) by those who are

when i'm working the show floor, i'm simply a photographer with a job to do and a deadline to meet. thank you so much for understanding my frustration when you step in front of me to make sure you take a camera phone photo of your buddy for facebook. please be polite and get out of my way.

this (almost) oblivious mind-set allows me to work at an auto show as efficiently and as objectively as humanly possible. auto shows are basically cavernous rooms filled with PR suits, reflectively clean metalic cars, million dollar plastic replicas, and thousands of people wanting to know what this that and the other thing are all about. there are freelancers, writers, photographers, and videographers everywhere, snapping pictures, taking video, tweeting, and producing everything from newspaper columns to the occasional online web-isode video about transmission fluid. it's an interesting group of people to say the least.

by staying in an almost oblivious state of mind, i find that i don't easily wrap myself up in the notorious game of cat and mouse that i have dubbed, shiny objects (shiny objects is a marketing ploy which causes the buyer or viewer to stare at a new shiny object and because said new shiny object is so amazingly shiny and new, the buyer/viewer's head is cleared of any thoughts whatsoever. ending scenario? buyer/viewer's head has clouded over and any sense of how said shiny object fits into the "big picture" is lost; it's a distraction method employed by many and understood by few).

one of the few historic sights (and the grandest of shiny objects) from the auto show circuit that always draws my attention above the sea of noise, news, lights, and commotion are the gorgeous (and highly-suspect) auto show models. dressed to the nines and paid to stand next to a large hunk of steel and plastic, these models eek out a living looking pretty, standing at attention, and smiling like they don't know how to frown. unlike their runway cousins, the auto show model must not only fit the part (visually matching the brand) but they must also stand next to their respective vehicle and touch it occasionaly, thus drawing needed attention to whatever is being displayed. it sounds silly, but picture bob barker repeatedly announcing "A new Car!!!" over and over. car show models are a lot like that. imagine this job description:

seeking size 0-3 female, at least 5'9"
must be able to stand under hot lights with very little clothing for 5 hours straight
must be able to smile entire four hours
must be able to stand smell of armor all
must be able to stand up to sleezy reporters and photographers who want to possibly smooch you or buy you drink
must be able to stomach new chrysler lineup
must be able to do all this in 4" heels

there are more than a few deal breakers in there. jeez...

so anyways, i took some quick pics of the models. my mind always works in funny ways so i tried to create a dichotomy between images of the models being models and hamming it up for the camera, and of models not paying attention to me. i think it works well. the funny thing is, half the time i'm at an auto show, i pay zero attention to the models. zero. except unless they ask me to get them a sandwich (model humor... too soon?!) or possibly a 2,500 calorie protein shake? (way too soon)

photos are with the 5DMKII and the 24-70mm f2.8L and the new 70-200mm f2.8L. i likey. thanks for another smashing year detroit, i actually miss you already. Joe? i'm gonna take you up on that offer to do a DETROIT-IN-24-HOURS-PHOTOGRAPHY-MARATHON. that will be fun.

and just to clarify, i am a little jaded at the process but i love the people i work with and i love what i do for a living. some of the best days of my year are spent walking around detroit during the auto show. i really dig it.

the music:
i enjoyed spending much of my downtime today reading hilarious braid facts posted by their bass player Tod Bell over his twitter feed. this stroll down memory lane obviously led to me playing lots and lots of braid over the headphones. i could listen to them forever. i'm a nerd, a geek, a husband, a former jock, a soon to be father, a photographer, and a braid fan. but not in that order.