Roids. The curiously instant film.

November 16, 2012 in Personal Work

Somewhere between here and New York, my RZ67's mirror system decided to suddenly and irrevocably die. Annoyed, angry, sad, befuddled, and slightly bewildered (these things aren't supposed to break!) , I procrastinated a week (mourning my loss), twiddled my thumbs a bit, and ordered her replacement (which was actually an updated version. Yay!) . Today FedEx delivered said replacement and I went on a polaroid shooting spree. Too lazy to get my lightmeter from the car, I decided to activate my ninja mental-exposure-guesstimator. She was a bit rusty, but did her job well enough.

Who said film shooters can't have some instant gratification?

Milk, knives, & 5 year olds

November 08, 2012 in Personal Work

We drink raw milk. We can only get it every other week, it costs around $8.70 for half a gallon, doesn't really freeze well, and it has more of a chance of having bad bacteria than the pasteurized, homogenized versions. It's also much healthier. The cows and milk have to live up to much higher standards (regular milk doesn't need to come from healthy cows, they just kill (pasteurize) any bacteria. It has all the good bacteria still there, and tastes a bit richer. In fact most "lactose intolerance" (as in my daughter's case) is only in relation to pasteurized milk. They do fine with the raw stuff. Yes, there's always the fear of some sort of E. Coli situation (although very rare) but I'm okay with that.

If kids didn't play there'd be less broken bones. If we protected them from all sorts of danger they'd be less mature, have less self esteem, and less equipped to handle the unsurities of the world. And in regards to food and medicine they'd be much less healthy.

We don't vaccinate (for the most part) or get anti-biotics "just in case". Because in insuring yourself against possible future harm you are subjecting yourself to a definitely less healthy present (and future).

Here is Zevi wielding a ridiculously huge knife. It's actually his job to cut up the melon on Shabbos and before we go to the park (in the Summer. In the winter it's mostly apples and cheese). Is there a chance of himself cutting himself? Of course there is, and it scares me a bit too. It also scares me when he zooms down the sidewalk on his bike, and I'm sure I'll be freaked when he starts to drive. But we know our kids. And Zevi is a very responsible one, obsessed with rules, structure, and order. He is way more careful with that knife than most adults (look how far his left hand is from the knife). He knows never to use it when we're not around and not to use it on smaller items (such as apples) where there isn't much room for his other hand.

I doubt we'd let the other kids use knives when they get to his age. My Chanaleh is in a different universe most of the time, and Mendel just loves to make trouble, but they have other responsibilities and jobs. And they thrive on it.

Why am I sharing all this? Well firstly, because I'm want to post these photos and don't want y'all to freak out :). But mainly I want people to realize that when it comes to your own life and family you are the expert. No one knows more than you do what each kid needs, and how to discipline, reward, teach, and love each individual member of your family. There will always be the judgers (yes, I know that's not a word, but it works better than judges here, or "those who judge"), the naysayers, and the social normers. Ignore them. Do your own research, trust your gut, and live fully.

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Let us rejoice and be glad in it

October 24, 2012 in Personal Work

In the past year I have dug four holes (not counting the figurative ones). The first is way back in the backyard. Zevi planned on planting a tree so I helped him dig a nice large hole back there. This was almost 10 months ago. We just filled it in last month.

The next two were under the swings so my kids wouldn't constantly hurt their toes (there isn't much yummier than little toes).

And the fourth was on the beach.

Each one was physically exerting and mentally exhilarating. Which is slightly embarrassing, I mean, why should a full grown adult (albeit a slightly short one) so enjoy the simple task of digging a hole?

I very much want to go on a rant right now. About the value of manual labor and the fallacy of making all economical decisions based solely on a time/money merit basis. But I won't. Not here. It's coming though.

I read a great blog post by a great woman who lost her infant and today would be celebrating his third birthday. She mentions "seizing each day". Looking back, what do we remember? For me it's the simple times with my family. None of them really costing much or needing a "high quality of life" (a ripe topic for another rant). Yet we live day by day, just wasting time. Worrying. Over-working. Under-praying, and definitely under-learning. Under-playing.

You have an hour or two (if you don't, then make some)? Grab a kid (preferably yours, or at least one you know), drive to the beach, and dig a hole. It's worth a heck of a lot more than an expensive movie, restaurant, and possibly even more than one of those fancy theme parks. And it's free. Like Pandora.

And just because I like sharing; Samuel Adams Octoberfest. Not worth it. Lagunitas Little 'Sumpin Ale. Very, very worth it.

520 Days of Summer

October 05, 2012 in Commercial Work

5 days a week for 8 weeks for 13 years. That's how much time I spent at the camp currently known an Silver Gan Izzy. Previously known as Camp Gan Israel of Long Beach. Then it moved to Westminster. A few years later they figured that although the property was in Westminster, the actual address (the street in front) was in Huntington Beach. Now, while it may be true that Westminster is an "all American City", winning the prestigious (ummm, maybe) award in 1996 (when I was a wee lad of 12. Probably winning because that's the year I left to New York), Huntington Beach is a much cooler, hipper, prettier, and richer city (it's actually the richest of the largest 100 cities in America (for all my Canadian readers, when I say America I mean the USA. Don't get insulted, I love you guys, your mountains, and your beer (not the exported kinds though))). <<<< yes I just did that. So the address, letterhead, and promotional material were all changed to reflect this fact. More to the point, I spent a large chunk of my life at this joint. 10 years as a camper and 3 as a counselor. Being that I lived there as a counselor, the 520 number may be a bit off (I spent my Sunday's there as well), on the other hand one year I had a ruptured appendix, another I broke my arm (and on the day I had my cast removed I broke my pinkie finger (is that real word? Pinkie?) on the other finger and had I get a full arm cast), and in another I broke my jaw. From a hockey puck. So I may have missed some days...

I also met my wife there. She was a a counselor from the Southern part of town. It's an interesting story (the first time I saw her I was walking on my hands in Knott's Berry Farm (I recently tried that. We had just finished an intense game of soccer (the average age was like 4), and feeling gung-ho after outrunning and out kicking a bunch of little kids I figured I was just as in shape as I used to be. I couldn't hold myself up for even a second, and crashed right down on my back. On a better note, earlier in the day we had family races with 3 of my siblings, and I won! Yay me!)) but one I'll have to share another time.

My kids aren't yet in camp, but I figured I'd take my oldest loin fruit, Zevi, there for a day or two and walk around taking photos. Well it turns out that Zevi wasn't too keen on being left with some strangers (he's never done that before), so he ended up following me around. Which was fun, but I couldn't really spend my time getting the shots I wanted. Lesson learned (I learnt (spelled such to placate my Canadian friends, who live in North America, but are strangely not America) a whole cackle of lessons in the past week. But being a professional photographer I'm not supposed to divulge my human tendencies to be quite far from perfect).

And after all that useless (yet oddly entertaining) preamble, here are the photos from a few hours spent over two days in the good ole Silver Gan Izzy.

a fleeting dream, a passing cloud

September 27, 2012 in Personal Work

Southern California weather. It's the stuff of legends. Always 75 degrees and sunny.

Or so they want you to think.

It's a ponzi scheme. It's a well known phenomenon, that once people pay an over-the-top amount for something, they defend it's worth. "Yeah, I got this camera strap for $389. There's another that does the same and looks the same? Nope, mine is better." Because I paid more for a luxury item, I must defend it's worth (usually subconsciously)

So there were some marketing geniuses (Jews of course) that decided to sell Easterners on California's awesome weather. They bought out all the weather stations, and started reporting that "Sunny skies this week in the mid-70s". Over and over again. Until some people said "hey why the heck are we living in this crazy cold and snow, and humidity and heat. Let's head to California!!

So the real estate goes through the moon, and everyone is so heavily invested in this place that they all tell their friends how beautiful and perfect it is.

It's all a conspiracy.

It rains, and thunders, and lightnings (yeas, that's a verb) all the time.

And my kids love it.

We were supposed to meet up at this apple picking/cider making/hike situation with some other health freaks, but it ended up pouring, we came late and most didn't show. Which was fine, because my kids just wanted to dance in the rain. So we ate. And Danced. Then cleaned up and danced some more. We made some cider, jumped in puddles, danced a bit more. Than we headed across the street for some intense apple pickage. I think we ate more than we picked.

Good times.

It was also my first time scanning film on a real scanner. The Brothers Wright (check 'em out, they are amazing) were kind enough to let me scan some stuff on their Frontier Scanner (it's this huge massive scanning machine). I also used some heavily expired film (Kodak 160VC) so there was some really wonky colors going on (more due to my inexperience with scanning). But I did shoot some new Portra 400, and that stuff scans like a beast. There's a reason they come out with new films.

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There was some crazy thunder going on, and the kids were laughing like crazy (and Estee was like "Zalmy!!! Get that shot", and I'm trying to keep Zusha from eating all the apples, and trying to focus wide open at 1/60 of a second... Not easy).

I got the shot.

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Not sure what happened here (actually I am, but I doubt you'd be interested), but I figured some film peeps would like it (I don't. I want my stuff to be predictably awesome).

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Capturing a family outing is a great way to preserve real memories. Interested? Shoot me an email, or give me a call.

And If you didn't hear the news, I'll be on the East Coast for some time towards the beginning of October. Check out this post for the details.

Geek Speak: RZ67, 110mm, Portra 160vc, Portra 400, Scanned by Superman at the Brothers Wright.

From California, to the New York Island

September 23, 2012 in Announcements

Hear ye, hear ye (yeah, ye. Ink was expensive and ye had less letters than you. And "Hear you" sounds ridiculous).

Zalmy Berkowitz (also known as ZalmyB, Zalmy, Zombie, Sammy, Balmy, The Bearded One, and Superman) will be taking his arsenal of photo capturing devices on a special mission to the Eastern Seaboard. I'll be in the city (when speaking about New York there is only one "the city") From October 11th until a later to be determined date (around a week and a half). After which I'll be mozying down South, with some stops in North Carolina, maybe Georgia...

I have some bookings, but I'd love to fill up, get me some of that yummy East Coast Autumness, hang out with some über cool New Englanders (and semi cool, but ultra hip Southerners), and blast out some amazing family sessions.

If you are anywhere on the East Coast (yeah, that's Maine until Florida, and all you slight inlanders (Vermont, Virginia, Delaware...)) and are interested in a family session, there's a good chance we could make it happen (especially if you want to do a documentary session). Shoot me an email, give me a call (714-460-3967), leave a comment, send a fax, telegram, letter, package...

Documentary sessions are the best way to preserve real memories of your beautiful life. Here's a sample of the awesomeness that can be yours.

Openings are obviously limited. Priority will be given to those who offer good beer. That's a joke. Kind of.

Check out the pricing page for pricing, or to find out the prices.

And just because I've never posted this yet (and what's a post on a photography site without a photo). Here is one of my favorite family photos yet.