The SnapClap

reality
Originally uploaded by Christina Lutze

A while back, I was cruising through emusic and I stumbled onto this group Dept. of Transportation. They have an EP entitled ‘World Outside’ and since I’m always trying to push the boundaries of my musical palette, I downloaded it after the 30 second sample peaked my interest. The title track, ‘World Outside’ has a light ethereal two bar melody that loops in the background and sharp, short, highly syncopated percussion; seemingly played in double time. While indicative of what you’d find on most Broken Beat records, ‘World Outside’ is different. For some reason, its empty open light production style seems deeper, heavier and more meaningful than other songs in the same still slippery-for-me-to-define genre broken beat. World Outside is definitely a case of less is more.

As I listen to this song on my way to work in the morning, I’m always reminded of how beautiful the world is. I find myself focusing on and enjoying the little beautiful things that God created. As I listen, I feel like I’m the narrator of the world, and I’m able to step outside of my surroundings and marvel at the minutia. Trees, birds, the wind, grass, people, cars; everything just seems to be working in this great big fantastic harmony when World Outside comes up on my ipod. If the world had a narrator, World Outside would be their theme music.

I also find myself thinking of the all of the places in the world I haven’t been. Yeah, they say the internet and technology are making the world smaller, . . but it sure didn’t seem any smaller on my 12 hour flight to Nigeria. The world is still a giant place, filled with beautiful little things waiting to be discovered and observed and appreciated and photographed; living, breathing examples of God’s magnificence.

The photo above spoke all those things to me. Its like the visual representation of the song. Perhaps its going from seeing a postcard to actually ‘being there’ you know? I’ve seen hundreds of pictures of the Maldives, but I’ve never been there before. Paris, France; the Galapagos Islands, South Africa, Chile, Perth, Moscow, Hong Kong; the list of places to visit is almost infinite.

Needless to say, it’s usually a let down when I finally arrive at work and realize that my world, is inside a six foot cubicle for the next few hours. As the music slowly fades out, I slowly settle into the tedium of the work day but my soul breaks out of the four corners of postcards and cubicles and imagines actually ‘being there’ and traveling to the far reaches of the earth; not for shopping or eating, or tourism but simply to admire, photograph and appreciate the vast incredible, beautiful, perfect World Outside.

Originally uploaded by Craig Battle

I was out at the DC Caribbean Carnival on Saturday. Although, I‘ve been to countless Labor Day Parades on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The DC parade goes down Georgia Avenue from like Missouri down to Howard University. While, Georgia Avenue is a main thoroughfare; a parkway it is not. It was really, really difficult to shoot because for the most part I was in the Parade. I didn’t have much wiggle room on either side of the floats, revelers and masqueraders. I mean, it was tight. Also, I was enjoying being in the moment of the parade and it was hard to separate myself from that and taking pictures.

I also feel like I was at a disadvantage not having a high powered flash and diffuser. The sun was up high, straight up and most of the participants had on masks, headdresses and embellishments. SO, I was getting these nasty shadows under their eyes, noses and all over their faces. Oh well.

Not to mention, (most likely as a result of me not having a flash) I like shooting great images out of the camera, you know? I mean some of the most famous pictures of all time where shot with available light and had little to no post processing. So with that said, I sometimes like to go ‘guerilla’ as I call it. I just go out armed with my Digital Rebel, the vertical grip with two fully charged cells and my Tamron 17 – 28mm 2.8. No bag, no tripod, no nothing; just me and the camera (not even a filter; the Tamron has a 67mm diameter; . . . polarizing filters are like $100!?!?)

This technique works for me sometimes; ‘cause I get to focus on taking pictures, with what I have rather than focus on the gadgets in my bag. Also, I find sometimes that if I focus on my gadgets; the moment is lost. So, I just try to use what’s around me to my benefit; no tripod: lean against a pole; no flash: try to get your subject to look up towards the sun etc. At the end of the day I had fun and I even took a few ‘okay’ pictures, but I do think I’m due for a new camera and a new tripod though. Hopefully I’ll still enjoy the challenge of taking pics and working with what I have, even when I get my 1Ds mark III.

I know, I know, I know. I haven’t really held up to my side of the whole podcast bargain right. Well, if its any excuse; I’m getting married in 87 days and I haven’t found the time. Sorry.

What I have found time for is DJ Cappel and Smitty’s Mixtape Blue eyes meets BedStuy. This mixtape pairs Frank Sinatra’s music and voice with Notorious B.I.G. acapellas. I had the occasion to listen to the Blue Eyes Meets Bed Stuy mixtape this evening and was plesently surprised.
As Josh Spears put it;

I’m not telling what barely-legal file-sharing service you’ll need to use to get ahold of the Blue Eyes Meets Bed-Stuy Mashup, by Dj Cappel & Smitty–but it’s worth the hunt.

I was surprised that this tape came out in 2005 and I just found out about it now in 2007, becasue its a pretty good mashup (and word of mouth usually travels faster than anything else) Furthermore, this tape doesn’t suffer

from the same mismatched volumes on vocals and beats that some mashups do; no, no Blues Eyes Meets Bed Stuy sounds crisp and clear as if done in a large studio. At the end of the day, no this won’t be a classic record for you, however it is exceptionally creative and worth a good listen or two. Its weird, but Frank and Biggie actually sound pretty good together.

Yahoo
Originally uploaded by Ahmed Zahid
Above is an image from Flickr photographer Ahmed Zahid. His images are perhaps the best I’ve seen on Flickr so far. Not because he has some great shots, but because EVERY SINGLE SHOT is INCREDIBLE. I mean, this guy makes everything look like Heaven. EVERYTHING. I guess if I lived in the Maldives, I’d benefit from a great backdrop as well, but it’s so much more than that. His eye is perfect. His execution is flawless. I really, really really like the photos he takes, for real. Do yourself a favor and click the link above which will take you to the rest of Zahid’s photos. You’ll thank me later, after you get off the phone with your travel agent and book a flight to the Maldives.

Dumbo, Brooklyn NY
Originally uploaded by Ddrive75

I love DUMBO. For the uninitiated, DUMBO is a Brooklyn, New York neighborhood. Its actually an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. DUMBO’s got more lofts than a little bit and moreover, its where all the artists live; at least before the yuppies moved in. My cousin took this shot. Its actually the same shot that my finace and I used for our wedding’s ‘Save the Date’ refrigerator magnet. Its a pretty famous shot, especially seing as how the Empire state building falls right between the arches of the Manhattan Bridge. Great shot. I love Brooklyn. I’ll miss Coney Island.

Over the weekend, someone was telling me about a recent California Court of Appeals decision involving Torrestspy. For those who don’t know Torrestspy is a popular torrent tracker where users can download, warez, mp3’s and even movies.Apparently, Torresntspy is going to have to start tracking its users and visitors, which will most likely lead to them restricting access to U.S. users. While, Torrentspy has a week or so to file an appeal, it doesn’t look like they have a good chance of winning.

So, while I may have utilized this tracker at one point in my life, I haven’t used it in a while. I mean, I seriously have been a member of eMusic, since like its inception. They got me on the FREE 50 MP3’s promo and I really never looked back. Also, I belong to Digiwaxx as well, and Digiwaxx allows for secure legal downloading of tons of MP3’s as long as you review them and provide rotation in your radioshow, mixtape, podcast etc.

Now, mind you, I’m not totally down with the record companies and the RIAA either. I think alot of record companies are bloated and they make these records and videos that cost millions, its no wonder why you gotta sell platinum to recoup that money.

I’m just saying there are alternatives that music listeners might not have explored yet. Maybe it’s cool for me, since I don’t listen to the stuff on the radio, but I think it should apply to everyone. Who could be mad at a totally free, commercial-free, payola-free podcast? You know? Especially when the alternative is a cease and desist order from your ISP.

According to Nobodysmiling.com Lupe Fiasco’s business partner Charles ‘Chilly’ Patton just got sentenced to 44 years on heroin charges.  Prosecutors did not present evidence of a link between the 1st and 15th Record Company and drug dealing but the connection ‘was implied’.

Didn’t the Kennedy’s make their money bootleggin during the prohibition and then clean up their money and run for office?  I guess this business model never fails, unless you sell heroin and get caught.  But then again, the money is made and Lupe is one of the hottest rappers on the planet right now. Mission Accomplished!

Based on this model, perhaps we’ll see little Sean Carter Jr become president one day.  I know he’s not born yet, but between, Beyonce and the Jigga-man, who wouldn’t vote for this kid?  He’s a shoe in.  Never to know the run down row houses his pops sold smack from in Brooklyn and Newark.  I guess that’s why Jigga pulled the plug on the Dream Hampton assisted autobiography. 

In a totally unrelated topic I just found out that they are tearing down Astroland in Coney Island.  What the hell am I doing in DC, I need to be back in Brooklyn!  I need to take pics of Astroland like everyday for a week before they tear it down.  What a sad day that’ll be.  What’s the world coming to.

Anyway, I heard the single and saw Kaye’s new video.  What’s this dude talking about right?  I really wasn’t feeling it?  Maybe I should listen again or something.  I have no doubt that the album will be full of surprises and it’ll be dope, but this lead off single just threw me for a loop.  Word on the street is the album is getting pushed back again.  They need to stop frontin’.  I know hip hop aint sellin’ like it used to, but this is Kanye.  He’ll move 150 thousand units the first week after shipping platinum.

Lastly, Al Sharpton is continuing to do his part in ‘cleaning’ up Hip hop.  He’s bringing his campaign to Detroit in conjunction with the NAACP’s mock funeral for the N-word.  At a press conference in front of the Motown Museum Sharpton spoke of the 60’s and James Brown and how women were not denigrated nor was the N-word used.

I don’t know I still got mixed emotions.  Yeah in the 60’s we struggled, we didn’t have it like we do today.  Today we use the N-word, although we’ve made tremendous inroads and some black folks are really wealthy.  It seems backwards, but it’s true.

50 cent owns 10% share of Glaceau, makers of Vitamin Water.  And on May 25, 2007, The Coca-Cola Company agreed to buy Glaceau in a cash deal valued at $4.1 billion.  Now, I know this is all ‘paper money’ but technically that means 50 is well on his way to half a billion dollars!  But he uses the N-word and denigrates women.  At the same time the machine that is 50, has probably paid for salaries and doctors and put food on the plates of many, many people.

So, which is right?  Who is the ‘better’ person?  A James Brown type person, who influenced a generation with positivity and creativity but beat his wife and abused drugs (may he rest in peace, I’m just stating the facts) OR; a 50 cent type person who denigrates people publicly but privately funds an empire that may employ hundreds if not thousands of people.

The aforementioned Kennedy’s were dirty for a point.  No ones pointing any fingers at them.  Does that mean what they did is ok, or just in the past.  Is it ok if 50 goes straight and never has another booty shake in his video? 

Yes, these words are bad.  No question.  I’m just having a hard time drawing the line.  I find myself constantly reevaluating what’s ok and what’s not ok.  Is it cool to have nudity on TV (Europe does it and they are far less violent than we are as a society) should prostitution be legal, should we ban the use of the N-word, should we even care about the N-word, should weed be legal, should abortion be legal, so actors can say the N-word and rappers can’t, actors can depict violence (to a chainsaw massacre degree) but rappers can’t talk about it?  Meanwhile, they’re all making millions.  I’m sitting at home trying to draw the line and they’re all making money hand over fist.  I guess that’s just the Nacirema Dream, right?  Maybe little Marquis Jackson will be Sean Carter Jr’s running mate.  The slogan will be “Carter/Jackson 2040 - These Niggas aint Playing”

I’ve shot two events for the Mid-East music group.  They have an up and coming stable of singers and spitters from the DC metro area.  While I’ve been introduced to several ‘underground’ artists in the area, Mid-East is different.  Their sound is polished, their songs are complete and they move as a cohesive unit.  Some cats need management and art direction and stylists etc, but Mid-East are like their own artist/managers, and a damn fine job they’re doing it at.

At any rate, I shoot two shows for them.  The lighting at the venue was horrible; it was way dark and I really don’t like using flash, especially in such a small intimate venue like this.  I was really trying to go for a certain style and look to the pics.  Check out Urban Voyeur, this guy Jose’s stuff is just so amazing to me.  He shoots at alot of the smaller venues in New York. I think he shoots shows at Joe’s Pub alot. Ahhh, Joe’s Pub; I had some good nights there; (thanks to Sapna for hooking us up!)  like the time where both of my cousins swore Kelis was giving them some googly eyes.  It was too crowded so we never got to find out if it was true.

Anyway, I’ll just put up three pics from the last Mid-east show I did ( I got a whole bunch more and I can snag some free time and you promise to act right, maybe I’ll get down to posting them one of these days).  These were my favorite.  I know they might be a bit underexposed, but what do you want from me?  It was dark in there and ‘No’ I don’t have the new 1ds mark III that can easily shoot up to like 3200 iso with no noise or something like that.  I did shoot raw though so I might be able to get like a stop and a half more of light, but I kinda like these shots as is.  Call me old fashioned but sometimes I just like getting the best image I can out of the camera and leaving it as is.  Also, these are the closest that I could get Urban Voyeur styled photos, . .so I’m leaving ‘em as is.  Enjoy.

PS – click here for the Mid-East Music groups web page; you can get their new cd, and check for updates and show information.