365 Project August Wrap Up

September 14, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

The end of holidays means a return to routine.

The majority of the photos in this project have all been mined from the same area of Taipei, close to my house.

Walking the same beat has gotten a little monotonous. However, I did experience my first instance of confrontation this month. An angry man ran up demanding that I delete the photo I had shot of the outside of his business. I explained that he has no right to forbid photography on the street around his shop. He said that he had put up a sign disallowing photography. The absurdity of his claim was making me angry, so I simply deleted the photo and walked away, not needing the situation to escalate.

I hope you enjoy this month’s photos, although I do feel the repetitious nature of this project is sucking some of the creativity and joy from what used to be a spontaneous activity. Check out the full gallery.

Posted in 365 Project, Street

365 Project July Wrap Up

August 15, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

July turned out to be a pretty interesting month. Having summer holidays really helps one bust out of their rut.

I got to enjoy metal shows in the middle of the week. I had a fantastic tropical holiday on a sublimely beautiful island in Malaysia. I enjoyed a sojourn in Singapore and had a chance to catch up with good friends there. Got serious with my friendly neighborhood tattooer and started a collage of old school tats on my leg.

I did deviate from one of the fundamental guidelines of my project. There are a few shots that contain no people. Oh well. I don’t feel that I have violated the spirit of my project, which was to introduce more of a human element into my photography.

Oh yeah, I’ve started shooting digital again. It’s more convenient, I didn’t want to travel with a bunch of film, and it is difficult to regulate the temperature of developing chemicals in the summer.

Don’t forget to check out my other monthly wrap ups and the full gallery.

Posted in 365 Project, Street

365 Project June Wrap Up

July 11, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

I’ve made it to the halfway point! There have been a few days where I lacked motivation and didn’t put any heart into my shot, but I’m glad I never gave up.

I can’t say that I have gained any deep insights into photography. Always carry a camera, don’t get bummed out about the one that got away, and do it for yourself.

Make sure you check out the full gallery. See you next month!

Posted in 365 Project, Street

Taipei Players: The Royal Threesome at the Crown

June 23, 2011 by Brent | 4 Comments

English theatre in Taiwan! The Taipei Players are ready to unleash another great stage performance. Once again I have the opportunity to work with this talented group of people.

I took pictures at one of their previous performances, An Evening of Shorts III. The photos must have been good, because they want me to shoot them again. Or, more likely, there were simply no better photographers available.

I got my camera warmed up last Sunday. There was a VIP function that I manged to sneak into and get a few photos. Poor security indeed. The function was attended by some of Taipei’s best DJs, blues performers, burlesque troupe members, rapscallion LEO37 who will be DJing at the performance, and the lovely Janet Hsieh. Chocolate was provided by Awfully Chocolate. I managed to eat some and not get it all over my camera.

Everything goes down this weekend. Check out the official Facebook event for the dirty details.

Posted in Uncategorized

365 Project May Wrap Up

June 14, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

The month of May took my 365 Project to new and unexpected places. Despite the fact that I am doing the same thing every day, I am finding new and interesting ways of doing it. I have used a disposable plastic camera. I have been stopping and asking permission to shoot people’s portraits.

This has been the most interesting change. Reactions vary wildly, from a dismissive wave to a consenting nod, or a great big smile. Admittedly, I sometimes have to work up the courage to ask people for their photo, but I am almost always rewarded with a smile and hopefully a flattering photo. Some have even contacted me and requested a copy of the picture.

I have also compiled my photos from this project and put them together in a gallery. I find it gratifying to look at the gallery of currently 151 photos that I have spent many hours collecting.

Posted in 365 Project, Portrait, Street

Black and White Street Portraits

June 9, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

Black and white film makes much nicer street portraits than the disposable camera. But what can you expect from a plastic lens, cheap film, and a nuclear flash?

I’ve created a gallery to store all of my street portraits. Some of the shots are out of focus. My bad, and apologies to those who took the time to pose for a blurry picture.

EDIT: Odd, the gallery below is incomplete, it refuses to display all of the photos. Please visit the Street Portrait gallery to see all of the shots.

Posted in Portrait, Street, Uncategorized

Street Portraits, May 2011, Part 2

May 25, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

Got the negatives back from my second Fujifilm disposable camera. It’s fun to shoot with such a simple camera. I found it works really well in dark bars because it doesn’t have to focus or do any exposure calculations. It takes a shot immediately, making it work well in mosh pits or dark alleys.

Despite these incredible traits, I’ve decided to return to my beloved Nikon FE2 and Kodak Tri-X film. The novelty of such a cheap camera has already worn off, the little flash nuking my subjects looks terrible, and the parallax error makes it hard to compose accurately.

Gallery Navigation Protip: If the navigation arrows disappear because your monitor’s resolution is too low, use your keyboard’s arrow keys to advance to the next photo.

Posted in Portrait, Ramblings, Street

Excuse Me, Can I Take Your Picture?

May 19, 2011 by Brent | 3 Comments

Thanks to all the people in the street who took the time to stand in front of my camera.

The most recent direction that my 365 Project has taken me in is asking people to pose on the street. Until now, I have been shooting primarily candids.

I’ve also been shooting with a Fujifilm disposable camera. This is truly an exercise in simplicity. No settings, no adjustments, just compose though the viewfinder and shoot. The only choice is whether to use flash or not. It is definitely not intimidating, most people find my choice of camera pretty amusing.

This project dovetails with my 365 Project. I’ve ended up shooting more than one person a day, and it wouldn’t be fair to exclude anyone that was kind enough to let me take their picture. I will be updating the gallery as I continue to shoot more people.

I hardly think these photos represent photographic excellence. They are off the cuff shots that were done in a manner to least annoy the participants. This project is more about the process than results. It’s about getting myself to approach a stranger even when I’m not in the mood. It’s about using different gear. It’s about meeting new people and sharing a smile.

If you recognize yourself in this gallery and would like your photo, please contact me: info@brentfranke.com.

Posted in Ramblings, Street

365 Project April Wrap Up

May 12, 2011 by Brent | 3 Comments

Yeah, I know my updates are falling behind. Film takes time. Sue me. Not like anyone actually reads this thing anyway.

My sharper eyed readers (the few of you that there are) will notice that some photos were not shot on black and white film. I broke all of my rules and used a zoom lens on a digital body with color processing. Convenience wins sometimes. I went down to sunny Kenting to partake in Spring Scream, the best indie music festival in the solar system. Didn’t want my pockets bulging with rolls of film, they were already full of beer. Check out my Spring Scream 2010 set.

I’m starting to enjoy the process of photography more and care less about the results. I like exploring the city and having interaction with other Taipei dwellers.

Anyway, here’s my shots from April. Mostly the same formula, Nikon FE2, 50 1.8, Kodak Tri-X developed in Ilford LC-29. Streets. People. Outrageous Japanese band.

Posted in 365 Project, Ramblings, Street

Return of the Bobble Heads

May 3, 2011 by Brent | Leave a comment

My blog is less than a year old and I’m already repeating myself. I posted shots of another religious procession here.

After close to a decade in Taiwan, my camera still makes me feel like a tourist and keeps me looking at this country with fresh eyes. Something interesting is almost guaranteed to happen every time I walk out my front door.

It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement of one of these parades. The figures are larger than life and the sound of firecrackers makes your blood pump as the smell of gunpowder fills your nostrils.

All photos were shot with my Nikon FE2 and 50 1.8 on Kodak Tri-X @ISO 400. Enjoy.