Life without a lenscap

Full size images of the above here:
Trombone: here
Guitar [Missing]: here
Cameras: here
Climbing: here
Knitting: here

Oh snap. Kids. I do too much.

So. I divided into some categories!

THE FIRST IS MUSICS!
I play a plethora of instruments. I've been playing guitar for 8 years now, and while I don't play out, I play alot in my apartment space. Mostly acoustic, though I recently re-stringed my electric, so maybe I'll use that more often now. It's a nice calming activity, very zen and what-not. I can also play violin and trumpet, some drums, and a little piano. Additionally, I'm learning the accordion, and seeking out a banjo. I'm excited about the banjo.

My best/favorite instrument is assuredly the trombone. I've been playing since 5th grade, so, almost 16 years now.

Wow. Crazy.

I started playing in concert band at my middle school, where I actually had my mom - though she wasn't my main music teacher. I took to the instrument like a virus to an immune system. Wait, what was that metaphor. Whatever, moving on. I practiced a lot in middle school, oddly without any lecturing from my folks. I was put in a private school in 6th grade. I was kind've miserably depressed while I was there, and the resulting apathy caused me to not only do horribly in school, but stop caring about playing. I stopped for a single semester and came back to it as soon as possible. I had missed it a lot. I was in honors band in middle school, and then in high school, as I mentioned before, I was introduced to jazz. All of a sudden trombone made even more sense to me. I began taking lessons [actually, for the second time] with a local trombonist, Jim Fryer. He's amazing. Anyone who downloaded the october mix got to hear him, actually. My new focus on it, combined with some competition from a classmate and a strong desire to place into regionals brought even more focus to it. I played alot in high school. Got into regionals all three years I tried out, narrowly missed all-states the two I tried out for it. My parents sent me to an amazing band camp [I know it's hard, but do not make the joke. There is no music person who has been to band camp who has not heard that joke and does not hate you for referencing it. Seriously. Ask any of them.] It was 3 weeks of non-stop playing. I considered it as a major for college, in fact. SPEAKING OF COLLEGE! I graduated from high school and played in college. At the beginning of my freshman year, I was in Orchestra, Jazz band, Concert Band, and the Pep Band.

I didn't really want to do pep band, and the first rehearsal kind've cemented in my mind that it was not something I wanted, and also it was not something I would be able to do while being a theatre kid. [priorities.] Orchestra I remained in for that semester. There are a couple of reasons it sucked. One: It always sucks to be a brass player in Orchestra. There are some truly amazing parts, but 95% of any given gig is just counting and waiting for them to happen. Two: The orchestra was not very popular, and so it was in part populated by folks from the community, and the other trombone player was fucking. Bat-shit. Crazy. He scared me alot. The tamest example is him yelling at me for drinking water because fishes fuck in it. The last part of that is a quote. I stayed in concert band and jazz band, then my junior year I realized "wait. I don't actually enjoy concert band."

See, in high school you needed to be in concert band to be in jazz band. So I had that mindset. When I realized I didn't need to be in concert band to play the kind of music I really loved, that game ended immediately. I was in jazz band the rest of my college life, with the exception of my final semester. My roommate and good friend Ian and I quit together. The new conductor had sapped all the fun out of jazz. Which is impressive.

I didn't play for almost two years, when I did a craigslist search for a band looking for a trombone player. I happened upon the band I am now in! The Dirty Water Brass Band. I'm hella glad to have found them. They're super fun, and we have an awesome time. We rocked the shit out of our sets at HONK, in my humble opinion, and we're hoping to start picking up more gigs. I'm extremely excited for this. It's my kind of music, with great folks. And I've been in it since NEAR the beginning, and it's fun to notice how very far we've come.

THE SECOND IS PHOTOGRAPHIES!
I got a digital camera my senior year of highschool. It was an old 3.2 megapixel HP. There are images from it on this LJ. I snapped everything for a while, then put it down. Fall my sophomore year of college, I decided I was going to become good at photography. I picked the camera up, and decided to force myself to take ten pictures every day, with the intention of them being more than simply snapshots. I slowly gained knowledge, from people and the internets, but mostly from simply forcing myself to continuously shoot. And I genuinely loved it.

I picked up a film camera that weekend, and loved the control it gave me, but didn't have darkroom access, so after getting film developed a few times, being a poor college student, put it down. At the end of that year, I upgraded my camera for my first digital camera with the ability to manually focus, set aperture, shutter, etcetera. It was a fixed lens SLR, a Panasonix FZ-30. I shot as much as possible, and went further and further down the photo rabbit hole.

Second semester junior year I took an extra course in black and white film photography. My world was blown. Developing my own photos brought everything to an entirely new and far more meaningful level. I didn't have a sensational portfolio at the end of the course, in part thanks to a camera without a working light meter, and a teacher who didn't even teach us how to use filters in the darkroom.
First film portfolio

That summer I began my infamous 365 project. Most of you were here for that, right? If not, um. I did an entire year of shooting a self-portrait every. single. day. You can see them all here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thp365/sets/72157606251703136/

That year, I claim to be the sponsor of most of my photography skills. I learned so much that year through continuous practice and forced creativity that I could not have learned over a year of casually shooting. I recommend it to anyone trying to get further into the world of photography. At this time there was a huge photo community here on LJ, that posted all the time. Angry Alan, Transairn, a bunch of other folks who used to post ALL the time. Many of them still do. bobo dreams, Bitterlawngnome, Rural Rob. The point being that the inspiration and advice and encouragement from the people on this site helped me a thousandfold.

My fall semester senior year, I took another film course at PC, the second level one, and that produced work I am *EXTREMELY* proud of. I learned more, and got hooked on film more.
Second film portfolio

Starting junior year, I was given jobs shooting the archive footage of Providence College theatre productions. I did such photos for the theatre company I worked for after college as well, and last winter I was invited by Mark_shutterbug to help shoot [title of show] at the speakeasy. One of my photos from which ended up in the Boston Globe.

I've shot a few weddings since. An engagement shoot, a headshot shoot, and mostly just a number of shoots for me. Most of the work is here. I love film and shoot it whenever I can. I'm beginning to aquire a collection of classic cameras, which I love. I've been shooting with a Yashica Mat-124 alot lately, I need to work on getting those scanned and online for people to see. Too much to do!

But photography is my main creative and life outlet. I love it, I can't imagine who I would be without it.

The third is electronics/Gamery!
Yes, yes. I am one of those video game playing Hooligans. No, I am not one of those WoW playing types. I don't do drugs, thanks.

I'm not a hardcore gamer, or even an overly skilled one. But I love playing, especially now that the interwebs makes it easier to play with friends / now that I live with roommates who also game.

My favorite games? Okay. Well.

Half-Life 2 is amazing. Just. Totally frigging awesome. I'm probably going to replay that soon. Any classic NES game is awesome, especially Super Mario Bros 3. I love Super Mario Galaxy a lot. Ask my college roommates about how much I slept after we got that game. Answer: not very much. Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are amazing games. My coworkers also play them, so we'll often take a breather to just all get in together and play. Nothing quite as fun as killing zombies. I'd say I play those two the most. [thethp on steam] OH. Did I mention: Portal. Portal is frigging awesome. Portal 2 is just around the corner, that's exciting.

I also love board games, on the game front. The classic, simple games like scrabble, [I can play scrabble for hours.] and the more complicated geek games like settlers of catan. Any board game really. Or card games. Card games are awesome.

I included electronics because I also like to toy with computers and circuits. I am a code monkey at heart, and have been known to happily code on my own projects at home. I recently made an amp, too, also.

The fourth is Climbing/Physical Activity!
I rock climb, kids. It's my favorite way to expell energy. I'm at a solid 5.11 now, been climbing near weekly for over a year now. The pooch and I climb together, it's a good time. It's like physical exercise, but with mental stimulation. The best combination ever.

I used to be really into Parkour. I'm working on getting back into it. I kind've fell out of the community when I moved to Boston, but once my shoulder heals up I'm going to be right back in there, vaulting with the best. It's a great discipline, very freeing and exciting, also an amazing outlet.

I bike! A lot. Although, recently not as much because my bike is broked due to an accident. Geting it fixed and back on wheels soon though. I actually bike[d] to work every single day. It's a great way to start and end the day, really. We'll see how long it lasts now that it's all brisk out.

Oh, and I play on a wicked awesome dodgeball team. The flying Wombats. Respect the wombat.

And skiing. I love skiing.

The fifth is knitting!
I hesitated to include this one. I just started about 2 months ago. But I'm really really enjoying it, and plan to continue to, so here it is. So far I've only made a scarf and a hat and sweater sampler, but I'm about to start my first sweater, so yay.

madknits got me into it, actually. It was a pleasant happenstance, and I'm really glad for it. Also glad for the fun time hanging out with him and his knitting krew on monday nights. It's quite pleasant. Knitting is very zen for me, it's a nice detox.


I didn't include theatre in the image above, because I don't really ACTIVELY help make theatre anymore. I probably should get back involved, but I lack the time right now, really. ALTHOUGH. I am planning to start doing long-form improv again, which I've heavily missed.


Holy shit, dudes. If you actually made it this far in reading this blathering page of hobby describing, you're impressive. I'm exhausted. Bye.

A few months ago, I was thumbing through the tour dates of bands I like, and I stumbled across the fact that Between The Buried And Me was going to be soon playing in Albany. Now I learned about the band from my friend and amazing photographer Angry Alan [link]. Alan lives in Albany, so I contacted him to see if he was going. Not only was he going, but he managed to score us free tickets and photo passes. This was my first time having a photo pass to a concert, and it was pretty effing thrilling. I pretty much lost it.


Between The Buried And Me is a heavy metal band based out of Raleigh, NC. The members of this band are some of the most talented musicians I have encountered. They provide sharp tactful harmonies at a speed that is dizzying to jet fighters. But they aren't simply hard or fast to be hard or fast, they have carefully thought out rhythms, every instrument and vocal working together to make a song that is more like an artistic piece. The lyrics are impacting and powerful, and they slow it down occasionally, showing their diversity and skill as musicians is not limited to one styling. Seeing them live was a rather unbelievable experience.

( 10 more images under here - including my 3 FAVORITES. )

March is apparently question month. To ask me a question, post a comment here: toddpage.livejournal.com/370916.html [Comments are screened]

All questions: Here

Question 11:As an amateur shutterbug, I've wondered, at times, if the appeal of photography is (in part) that sometimes it's easier (or more comfortable) to gaze outwards than to gaze within. Is that something that resonates at all for you?

Ah yes, the Mark complex! In this, I am referring to Mark, from RENT... to quote Roger, during Goodbye Love

"...but who Mark are you?
'Mark has got his work', they say
'Mark lives for his work
and Mark's in love with his work'
Mark Hides in his work.
...From facing your failure
Facing your loneliness
facing the fact you live a lie..
...You're always preaching not to be numb
When that's how you thrive
You pretend to create and observe
when you really detach from feeling alive..."

Okay, so that has me listening to a show I haven't in like 4 years. Whoa.

Moving right along!

I think there is certainly some appeal in that. It's certainly easier to look out and capture others lives and struggles... and at times it can certainly be a distraction and avoidance of your own. I think it'd be really interesting to see what my answer would've been, to this, before my first year of the 365 project. For those of you new to my little, crazy, world... A: Hello! B: My first year of 365's was an entire year of self portraits. Every day I got in front of the camera. This meant that on the shittiest days I took an image. I think before then, it was definetly easier for it to be simply a way to gaze outwards. I tended to do alot of street shots in my first year of actually taking pictures all the time... alot of hip shots and candids of people around me, doing there thing. I think alot of that was just noticing others and not paying attention to my own thoughts. At the same time, I feel very confident I put alot of myself into every image. I may not often use words to tell people about myself, but I think that more often than not, my images show me. And especially at times when I'm going through something difficult, there is alot of .. within-gazing in my self-portraits, and other shots. I can remember very specific weeks and time periods where the combination of pose, lighting, and lyrics in my shots, to me, explained everything I was thinking and feeling to the world. Everything inside of me. EG: Ex1, Ex2, Ex3. I mean, there are times when there is moody lighting and the like because it's a concept and lighting I liked... maybe that happens more often, and I guess I'm the only person who WOULD be able to recognize when its one or the other. Interestingly enough, alot of these are also my favorites.

I guess that says that my favorites are the ones I really go out and pursue because I have a very specific emotion that I need to get out... and I do that via my photos. Which in turn says, to me, that, at least with my self-portraits, there is often gazing within done via them. I think it's certainly easier to look outwards... but I do believe that taking the time to focus inwards and concentrate on the things is important... and I like to think I do that.

Did I answer this? Call me out on it if I somehow missed the point in my blathering on.

[self-portrait]

now all I have to do is start using literary quotes again and I'll be right back where I was.

I have a bunch of related photos to post soon... I spent about an hour taking them yesterday... I kind of want to take some variations today... prolly post 'em tomorrow... which means I hafta wonder why I'm bothering to explain now.

Right now I'm listening to: Moose The Mooch - Charlie Parker

which reminds me - to find new musics, check out www.pandora.com - guaranteed to amaze.


Just like peppabear & transairn - I had to try it!


Smores Night f/3.6 - 10 sec exp.


My grandma collects turtles


This is she


Confused?


( 6 more under the cut here.... there kinda big, so I'm cutting it up. )

For those who are drasticly confused - I am not a cannibal or a viking - thats a PC theater tradition we do before every show... its strange, but its fun, and everyone gets pumped up. that is all for now. I have some pictures to upload laterish.

{ramble}
on that subject- sorry if the pictures are a big old bother. I hope its not too much of a pain in the ass. I can put them behind a cut, or put up less if that'd be better for everyone. I'm kind of putting them here A. because its a more vivid recollection, methinks. B. because I'm trying to get better, and one way to do that is have other people look at it. and C. so I can visibly watch myself improve, hopefully. I'll try and post better pictures in the future and such.
{/ramble}