Campus Kitchen

[Winston-Salem, NC]

friends,

i’ve returned with the autumn leaves to Wake Forest University, a small liberal arts school in western North Carolina.  though it may not be the intense visual stimulus that is Latin America, my season back at school has already churned more inspiration than i knew to expect.

for the next several months my geographic location will be relatively fixed (as i write this i can’t help but wonder the validity of this statement..)  as i continue in pursuit of my bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

i’ve decided to maintain this blog with the challenge to myself to continue to provide you with compelling, quality images accompanied by musings that vary in nature from shallow reflections to (hopefully) those that will stir your soul.  

i’ve begun to freelance for Wake Forest Magazine, a publication i worked with briefly a year or so back.  together we’re working on a bit of an image gallery that will reflect on service.  as i work on this essay, as well as other assignments, i’ll keep you posted and share stories and images that i’ve found to be inspiring...  stay tuned, and by all means, send me feedback!

 the images above are of De’Noia, Saunders, and Bradley who volunteer with Campus Kitchen.  student volunteers trade of shifts to collect leftovers from the campus cafeteria and Fresh Market to cook meals which are then donated to shelters and homes in the Winston-Salem area.  find out more at www.campuskitchens.org

 xo,

 lauren

seven secrets for the night

[Winston-Salem, NC]

the images above are two of many in a series of night portraits..  experimenting with available light and in this instance without a tripod.  friends, do try this at home.  tonight, i ran into a colleague at Krankie’s (one of my favorite venues/galleries/coffee shops in Winston.}  she saw a handful of concert images and asked for tips on shooting in low light..  ISO, shutter speed, lens?  two other photographers had asked for pointers earlier this week.. so i thought i’d share some of my favorites with you.

1. bring a cell phone.  have your subject hold it at his eyes (or the desired point of focus) and set your focus, then switch the lens to manual focus.  if you are shooting aperture priority or anything other than full manual this will prevent the camera from adjusting to the shadow areas which may overexpose the image.
2. remember when you shoot at night, it isn’t important to expose for the whole frame.  set the exposure for the subject and let everything else fall into the background.  
3. if you start shooting in aperture priority and find an exposure that you like, remember it and reset it in manual.  (this of course as well as the focus will have to be adjusted as you reframe.)
4. don’t zoom.  if you have a prime lens, use it.  if you don’t have fixed aperture lenses, zoom all the way out to get the widest aperture possible then zoom with your feet!
5. just because it’s night doesn’t mean you should push the ISO.  sure, sometimes you’ll drop to 1600 but remember, you’re exposing to your subject.  in the top image above the ISO was 400, metered to Brett’s face, not the whole picture.
6. play with available light!  you never want your flash to be obvious, so if you can get away without one, why not?  we opened a window to capture the first image above and used a street light for the second. car lights, garden lights, and candles are also great light sources.
7. make mistakes.  give yourself plenty of time to mess up and learn from your mistakes, don’t get discouraged.  so many photographers avoid night time completely because it’s a tricky time to shoot.  when you get home, look at the metadata to figure out what worked and what didn’t and then get outside and keep shooting!

send along your thoughts on low light imaging along with photos you’d like to share, perhaps we’ll publish them in a future post :) 

xo,

lauren

lauren@lauren-martinez.com

Pilot Mountain

[Pilot Mountain, NC]

today is Sunday, the Lord’s day.

 we jumped in the car with a large handful of friends and made our way west towards one of my preferred sanctuaries, Pilot Mountain.  before ten we were scaling up friendly named routes such as Goldilocks-- though by the end of the day the crevice at Papa Bear got the better of me, i’ll be returning soon with fresh forearms to give him another shot.

above, the trees diffused the light for kinder shooting well into the late morning and afternoon.  Dan steadies his grip, on Papa Bear, almost to the top.  below, Nick cheeses at the top of the warm-up climb on Goldilocks.

be blessed,

lauren

Revista La Noche

[Santiago, Chile]

This summer I had the joy of sharing my images with editor Jaime Pina of La Noche magazine in Santiago.  We spent the better part of an afternoon sipping instant coffee and leafing through everything I had shot since the beginning of the year.  Above you’ll find the cover of the magazine as well as the article which includes an interview and the images we chose.  Below you’ll find the interview-- translated to english for more fluid reading.  Enjoy!

¿Qué has aprendido con la fotografía?

La vista debe ser nutrida; nacemos sin el conocimiento del “cómo observar” lo que vemos. Tal como aprendemos a hablar o amar, partir de nuestro nacimiento, aprendemos a ver.  Tal como nuestra perspectiva, la vista debe ser constantemente ajustada y reajustada. Toma tiempo aprender a experimentar con la luz y el movimiento.

What have you learned from photography?

Sight must be nurtured. We are not born knowing how to see anymore than were born knowing how to speak or love. Like our perspective, sight must constantly be adjusted and readjusted.  It takes time to learn to experience light and motion.

 ¿Qué estudias regularmente a parte de la fotografía y por qué?

Soy un poco fanática de los estímulos visuales.  Me muevo siempre de lugar en lugar hasta lograr encontrar mi inspiración.  Frecuentemente, paso tiempo en galerías y museos para desafiar mi propia percepción y encontrar inspiración en obras de artistas con talento incomparable con mi.

Existen innumerables sitios que fotógrafos pueden utilizar. Especialmente, yo disfruto en Burn Magazine(www.burnmagazine.org) y TWIP podcast. Burn ofrece una serie constante de fotografías de calidad, especialmente de artistas jóvenes que destapan mi imaginación. TWIP (gratis en iTunes) es un sitio bueno para estar actualizado en técnicas, cámaras y lentes, cosas que interesan al adepto a la fotografía.

What do you regularly study in terms of photography and why?

I am a bit of a visual-phile.  I move about squinting and shifting to better study the world around me to fetch a bit of inspiration.  I frequent museums and galleries to challenge my own perspective—but mostly just to appreciate work wildly more compelling than my own. 

There are tons of resources out there for photographers.  A couple I enjoy are Burn Magazine (www.burnmagazine.org) and TWIP podcast.  Burn offers a consistent stream of quality photo essays from emerging artists—it’s fresh and keeps me thinking.  TWIP (free on iTunes) is a good source to stay up-to-date on the latest in gear and techniques... geek stuff. 

¿Qué hace una mujer estadounidense de 20 años en Chile?

 He disfrutado de un semestre en Argentina y Chile, donde pude tener tiempo para evaluar mi trabajo y tomar fotografías para mi portafolio personal. Estoy también trabajando para  obtener mi primer título en Ciencias Políticas, con una especialización en América Latina, por lo cual este viaje ha conjugado mis dos intereses.

What’s a 20 year old American girl doing in Chile?

I’ve been blessed to spend the last several months studying and traveling about Argentina and Chile.  I’ve taken time to write and work on a bit of photography for my personal portfolio.  Also, I’m working on a degree in political science with a focus on Latin America.

¿En qué has trabajado en Chile? 

 Mi foco ha estado un poco disperso. He realizado montones de retratos… que en realidad es sólo una excusa para ver a la gente. Me encanta “atrapar” a personas en su inconsciencia de una cámara presente. Esas son las imágenes más valiosas. Ellos nos dan una ventana a un instante, a menudo olvidado, de nuestra experiencia humana -un momento que generalmente observamos, pero rara vez se lo apreciamos. He estado manteniendo un blog para hacer un seguimiento de mi aventura e imágenes, lo pueden encontrar linkeado dentro de mi sitio web.

What have you been working on in Chile?

My focus has been a little scattered.  I’ve been shooting a lot of portraits… which really is just an excuse to people watch. I love catching people as they move about unconscious of the camera.  These are the most valuable images.  They give us a window into an often forgotten moment of our human experience—a moment we often observe but seldom appreciate.  I’ve been keeping a blog to keep track of my adventures and images, you can find it linked to my website.

¿Cómo vez la noche desde un ángulo fotográfico? 

 La noche es tentadora. Ella viene poco a poco, con la gracia de la última luz del día -una de las mejores luces para fotógrafos - y luego se desliza en las imágenes más atractivas que a veces son imposibles de registrar. Hay que entender, la fotografía es un juego de reproducción. Los fotógrafos no son como los pintores o escultores que llegan a crear a partir de lo salvaje de su imaginación, nosotros nos tomamos un poco de licencia artística, pero estamos algo limitados en el marco de la experiencia real.

How is the night from a photographic perspective?

The night is a temptress.  She comes in slowly, with the grace of the last light of day—some of the best light for photographers—and then quickly slips into the most enticing visuals that are sometimes impossible to record.  You understand, photography is a game of reproduction.  Photographers aren’t like painters or sculptures that get to create from the wilds of their imagination.  We do take quite a bit of artistic license but we’re somewhat limited to the framework of real experience.

Summer Nights

[Kill Devil Hills, NC]

there’s no time of day that can compare with the daylight hours of summer.  

dawn and dusk make the events of the day possible like a warm up/cool down laps.. slow, gentle.  warm, golden light.  indispensable.

but the night.  summer’s night has refined her craft. she piggy-backs on the endorphins that naturally result from an active summer day.  she’s more tender.  and though she plays to your folly, she’s a caress. 

lately, perhaps due to long days on the water and afternoons in the office, i’ve been waiting to shoot until night has fallen thick and then playing with available light.. at the dinner table.

above, Rob sips a draft on the patio of Slice Pizzeria.  to your right, Jon shares a laugh on the deck of Roadside Bar and Grille in Duck.

Salar de Atacama

[San Pedro de Atacama, Chile]

Chile vs Education

[Santiago, Chile]

as of late it is almost impossible to move about Santiago without encountering some sort of protest.  universities and primary schools are barricaded by stacks of desks and chairs draped with red and white demands for the state to reform its education budget.  athletics, hippies, mothers, and businessmen join together under the cry SIN REPRESAS, Patagonia without dams.  farmers and copper miners demand fair pay, cyclists want to be protected from speeding traffic, homosexuals want equal rights.  the state has not seen protests in such volume since the 1980’s when tens of thousands took to the streets to end the bureaucratic-authoritarian regime of Augusto Pinochet.

the image above was snapped today on the way to the metro (just around the corner to the left.)  bystanders flee to escape tear gas released by tanks rallied to break up a student protest.

for more on the protests, check out this article from The Economist.

Sin Airbags

[Santiago, Chile]

following the last article on a typical Santiago commute, one might understand the appeal of cycling.  the problem of cycling in Santiago, as well as in any large city, is of course the danger of competing with racing traffic.  too often there is a lack of attention to cyclists from those behind the wheel and in projects sanctioned by public works (which tend to focus on public subway or bus systems and increasing the flow of commuter traffic.)  

on Saturday,  a group of cyclists joined the international movement to raise awareness for the safety of urban cyclists.  they gather to ride naked or in bathing suits under the cry that next to a speeding vehicle, cyclists are just vulnerable as if they were naked.  

the above image shows one of the event’s organizers arrested under the charge of compromising public morality.  

www.bicicultura.cl 

Santiago, When it Rains

[Santiago, Chile]

for those seeking variety of adventure, Santiago is perhaps one of the top locations to settle.  from any given point, it’s an hour’s drive to premier skiing, surfing, trekking, and climbing and not inconvenient plane rides to Easter Island, Patagonia, Mendoza, and San Pedro de Atacama.  the city itself its tucked neatly between the two cordilleras of the Andes Mountains-- a sweet little perk to city life is a 360 degree view of the spectacular. unfortunately, for the majority of the year, the mountains are greatly distorted by a thick layer or smog.  many days they are unrecognizable; particularly in the wintertime (beginning in may) when the chilled air causes the smog to thicken.  the mountains keep the city protected from extremes of weather and, unfortunately, systems that would usually bring rain.  as a result, since February, the city has seen fewer than a handful rainy days.   

rain in Santiago is treasured for two reasons.  the first, somewhat obvious reason is of course that rain means water.  it means happy plants and animals.  the second is that rain clears the skies of pollution; if only for a few days.  the difference in air quality is staggering.  i imagine it would be similar to what a smoker would experience were he able to breathe through clean lungs.  not only can one feel and breathe the difference but one can literally see the difference in air quality. and the previously unrecognized view of the Andes smacks you in  the face.

MetroArte

[Santiago, Chile]

if we’ve had so much as thirty minutes of face time since february, you’ve probably heard my whimpers regarding the daily commute.. 

it’s a minimum of an hour which begins with a quiet walk (usually rushed, usually spilling coffee.)  followed by a ten to thirty minute bus ride (depending on traffic..) sometimes the bus is on-point, other times its a twenty minute wait.. sometimes its jam-packed, impossible to fit one more passenger. its at this point is when five, ten, twenty more passengers squeeze aboard.  standing room only is a laughable understatement.  the bus ends at the metro station where our feet join the shuffling of leaves and briefcases moving with the tin determination of toy soldiers.  that is to say we’re tough, determined, but if you mess with our routine... we’ll crumble in an instant.  a couple blocks later we board the metro (repeat above description of overcrowding,) and in twenty more minutes we’re delivered just three blocks from the university.  

two hours amidst such hustle does a number on creative energies.  though in as much as i’d like to blame the transantiago for political violence, world hunger, and the HIV epidemic, the Santiago metro system has done an unsurmountable job of creating an intellectually (free decent newspapers upon entrance,) auditory (music videos on LCD screens as you wait for the next train,) and visually stimulating experience.  the Red Line, which we frequent, features compelling works of public art throughout.  (other lines do feature works but to varying degrees.)  the above are two of my favorites both found within the Baquedano station.  the first above the train which connects with the Green Line, the second on the way to the Green Line in the direction of Plaza del Maipo.

 there’s really something to be said for a society that embraces artists and public expression of art.  and though the stigma of the starving artist has put nearly every other cliche to shame, we’ll tip our hats to museums, parks, galleries, blogs, dedicated to the preservation and proliferation of art.  which is to say the preservation and proliferation of our voice, our lives, the subtle though profound mark we each hope to leave on this blessed earth.