Retrofitting
I’m taking this blog back. Back to 2008.
It wasn’t that long ago that I kept a continuous two year, photo-a-day run going on this site. Then I decided to become a little more professional. Of course now mobile blogs are the new hotness. So I’m bringing it back to its original purpose – a self-centered ego-booster, and a place to be as creative as possible.
Starting today I’m moving the”professional” posts to my new blog at rajahbose.com/blog where I’ll update more often with regular updates about photography, the business, and what I’ve been doing.
As always, thanks for your support. I hope you’ll bookmark both sites, and check back often.
Project: Help-Portrait
A few weeks ago I heard about Help-Portrait, a worldwide event to bring photographer and communities together.
After talking with local photographer and friend Jed Conklin about the idea, we rolled out the lights in downtown Spokane and photographed a few dozen families who stopped by over the course of the day. Once they figured we weren’t selling anything, people were ecstatic to be part of the shoot. We let everyone take a peak at the images, pick a photo they liked and sent everyone home with a printed picture. We met people and families from all over Spokane, some who hadn’t had their picture taken in years.
The worldwide event included thousands of photographers who photographed hundreds of thousands of people. If you missed us, we’ll be doing it again in December 2010. If you’re interested in helping or being part of the day, visit the above site or send me a note.
in the name of running
We all have addictions, but most of us call them by other names.
Sometimes we call them disorders.
And sometimes we call them hobbies.
Lisa Bliss runs ultra marathons. And like many with her addiction, her toenails are often impacted enough on the long trails and roads to fall off. That was until a few years ago when she had them permanently surgically removed. Since then scar tissue has replaced where the nail had been. She says the only time she really notices is when she stubs her toe.
Bliss won the Badwater, the 135-mile race in Death Valley, in 2007 and recently returned from completing Spartathlon, a 245km ultra marathon run from Athens to Sparta.
designer, photographer, musician, shameless egotist promoter
This may seem a little self serving, but remind yourself that you are reading a blog after all.
Also, I’m not trying to convince you to check out the show, just to look at this poster that Kim conceptualized and I photographed for an upcoming show that we just happen to be playing as well. And now, since you’ve come this far, you might as well put it on the iCal.
Come for the enchanting sounds of Banjo and Cello from The Dela Project, stay for the aromatic Bookwalter Cabernet. Maybe somewhere between we’ll play you a song.
Sorry, no Freebird.
The Craft
Lately, I’ve been trying to take the time to make pictures for myself again, putting away studio lights and avoiding the elaborate setups and just finding the moments in the scenes as they unfold. I find that when you take a few moments to let things in, luck and irony have a way of finding you. I only know this because when I’m not paying attention, I can’t see.
There’s almost nothing more satisfying to me than to capture something as authentic as it is fleeting – it’s the reason I really fell for photography.
A note for the locals: If you know anyone interested in learning more about the photography craft, or just needing a reason to use their digital camera, I’m teaching a course through a local workshop group, much like parks and rec. They are also offering other classes in painting, writing, SLAM poetry and others and have a great list of acclaimed instructors. Check out their online catalog here.
and please message me if you’re interested
The Financial Lives of Jess Walter
It seems to be conventional wisdom that Jess Walter lives the life that others dream of.
Less specifically, that to some, the life of a writer is akin to that of Kobe or the Jonas Brothers. And as long as you can get past the lack of fans removing their clothing for you and cereal boxes with your picture, this might be your Shangri-La.
But you’ll have to put in the time. Up every morning with the sun and off to his office just a wiffleball hit from his back porch, Walter will put in 60 hours a week at his laptop – and that’s all 7 days.
I was able to trail Jess around town thanks to a story about the release his fifth novel, “The Financial Lives of the Poets”, which is already being touted as one of the best books of the Fall – and it hasn’t even hit bookstores yet.
So what’s it like to be Jess Walter? Well, it resembles the day-to-day of a 40-some with a wife and three kids – cul-de-sac basketball games on the weekends and poker with the guys on Tuesday nights. Then afterward, you wake up at dawn and spend the rest of the day putting it down on paper.
Maybe that dream isn’t so bad.
(The story appears in this week’s Inlander.)
Financial Lives is out Sept 22.
Hoop it up
Hoopfest weekend in Spokane is incomparable to any other event.
Thousands of ballers, from the dreamers wearing their shiny new Jordans on the pocketed asphalt to the guys who come back to relive the their high school days, teams clog downtown streets in the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world.
For the 20th anniversary of the two day party, the NY Times picked up on the vibe and sent out John Branch who put together a great story on the event.
Check it out here
Here’s a few snaps.
by rajah
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