Stuff Magazine and Staying Motivated

I find myself getting inspired from everything around me. People. Shapes. Color. The world is your playground, why not use it for any and all photographic purposes as well? I find that to maintain a connection to your creative self, you need incorporate a delicate balance of work and play with what you love to do. The reason why people don’t make a career out of the things they love is because they are afraid of spoiling what they love by attaching business practices to it. The “thing” that you love should be organic and should be untampered with. Although, I think if you know how to work it correctly, you can find a medium in which you can turn your play into your work. I think it’s important to let your dreams and aspirations become you.

I recently was published in Stuff Magazine twice(page 27, page 90). One for an ad with G2O Spa/Salon and the other for my interior photography work with designer Kristine Mullaney. This was a hip, Hollywood-style home that had elaborate decor and very striking design. It was a lot of fun to shoot, but with limits on time, there was only so much I could shoot.

Work with Kristine Mullaney

Emerge and G20 Spa article

G20 Spa and Salon Advertisement

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A quick one! Site update, inspirational photographers

Hey there in Blogger world, I’m in sunny Florida for a little R&R from the stress of school and from the 1+ feet of snow in Boston. I just wanted to throw up a quick post and say my website is revamped with an html option, so check it if you get a chance.

Also, I’ve been looking at some good photographers lately, one in particular is Danny Clinch (www.dannyclinch.com). He has a vivid, personal touch he ads to his portraits. Another one I envy a lot is a man by the name of Dan Winters (www.danwinters.com). I am working on my style and it seems to encompass the tranquility and honesty of his work, but also the straightforward capture similar to Ben Watts and the like. My own work, I described it as photo-illustrative, conceptual, semi-classical fine-art portraiture. It’s a progressive way of shooting I am really fitting into. How would you describe your work? Whether your a photographer, sculpture, painter, etc?

Hey, have a nice holiday everyone!

 

Ben

www.bengebo.com

¡I got Published/Nikon D700/PSCS4!

Hello everyone out there in Blogger world, how’s your Thursday? It’s a beautiful Autumn afternoon here in Boston. This is my last free week before things will get really busy. I have a lot of projects ahead, like everyone else I’m sure. Anyways, just wanted to touch upon the photography world by discussing new tech stuff, photographers I’ve been paying attention to, etc.

First, I got published in The Standard Times. Check out the article here. I didn’t get a credit, but my photo is the panoramic. It’s an article about friends of mine, The Viennagram, who are in a show with some other bands, fashion show, and other crazy nonsense in the Calico Vintage store in New Beford this Saturday, 10/04. It will be fun, come check it out.

This month Photoshop CS4 will be coming out! Here’s a video sneak peek of the program here. You can pick up the Master Collection for $2,499 if you’re ballsy enough, but you can get CS4 versions of Photoshop, Lightoom, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Fireworks, Bridge, and more for $1,799. It’s all worth the money, no matter what level of photographer you are.

(Canon users skip the following paragraph)

I checked out the Nikon D700 specs and am really thrilled. It’s funny how Nikon doesn’t release any information on the public until the day of the release. I won’t go on for long about it. But, it’s got a full frame sensor, ISO range from 100 to 25600(!!!!!!). Other notable things…It has an on-camera flash, no duel deck for two card readers, 12.1 MP, Continuous shooting up to 5 FPS, 51-point autofocus, dust reduction system, and something really cool: “Active D-Lighting with NEW Auto mode: Unique three-phase dynamic control to capture previously lost details in shadows and highlights while maintaining normalized contrast.(©Nikonusa.com)” It’s a D3 in a D300 body, essentially. Also, it’s only $2,999, body only.

A photographer that I’ve been looking at lately are Brassaï, the Hungarian photographer/filmmaker and sculptor. His night photography is delicate and moving, and he knows how to capture humans in their element. I’d like to see what his work with urban stuff would be like if it were transposed into something with more of a nature oriented setting.

Also, if your band or a band you know needs some photography work done for an upcoming album/live performances/promotional purposes/etc, send me an e-mail. I’m currently booking for new talent in the Boston area.

That’s all I gots for ya! I’ll try to post some stuff from The Viennagram/Fashion/Awesome show this weekend up next week. Stay tuned!

~BenG

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Louisville/Sigur Ros/Destruction

Howdy, friends! I got back from Louisville, Kentucky a few days ago. The day after I arrived the city caught a nasty windstorm left over from Ike. The winds were insane and everyone was without power, road access, etc. A lot of destruction there. It was one of the worst storms the state has ever seen. Needless to say, I took a lot of pictures from the storm damage. Other than that, I visited Lexington and traveled around to various areas to photograph. My models were unable to shoot due to the storm, so I had to find other subjects.

The night after I returned there I went to see Sigur Ros at the Pavillion in Boston. They were amazing. I was still a little peeved I couldn’t get a press pass in time to shoot them playing live. It was a true pleasure to have seen them regardless, so for that I am thankful.

While I was in Kentucky, I saw a lot of stuff. One thing I highly reccomend is this Gallery/Hotel called 21c. It has some amazing artwork an interesting interactive pieces. I am not a fan of James Baker Hall in the least, but he has two full rooms of work, one entitled “Photo/Synthesis.” If you’re a fan of his, check it out. There’s plenty to see there. 21c

There was also a great Play I checked out called 43 Plays for 43 Presidents. It was hilarious, informative, and was extremely entertaining. In light of the upcoming election, I’d reccomend that as well.

Anyways, below are some photo’s from Louisville after traveling around. There are also some photo’s of the destruction from the city too. Enjoy!

 

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Wow, can I really delay…

Howdy do, friends. Sorry about not posting anything lately, I have been uber busy with school work, moving, traveling, etc. This summer has been packed to say the least. Every weekend for the past month and a half I have traveled somewhere. Anyways, I will try to get a post up AT LEAST every two weeks. My website has been on the brink in the past few months and it needed a lot of work to get it to where I’d like it to be. So, I hope by next week I should have it running completely.

Below are some pictures from Bisco. There are just a few of my favorites from the weekend and not all are of the music from the fest. Also, the next post I’ll have some Chicago pictures up from my first visit there. It’s a beautiful city and if you ever get a chance, try and visit.

 

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Camp Bisco!!!!

Howdy, everyone!

I just returned after three music filled days from Camp Bisco in Mariaville, NY. It had Snoop Dogg, Disco Biscuits, The New Deal, Shpongle, Lotus, and many others. The best show, other than Snoop, was probably MSTRKRFT. The whole weekend rocked and I took a load of pictures. I just purchased a 1TB LaCie hard drive and am still setting it up. Once I get it up and running, I’ll load all the photo’s from the weekend on there. Sit tight and I’ll post them up ASAP!

~Ben Gebo

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Another Post, another Toast

A lot of things have been brewing lately. I’ve had a lot of projects that I’ve completed, others I’ve started, others I’m procrastinating. I have some new ideas, but they need a lot of premeditation and thought. It’s really inspiring to watch other friends’ work and help apply it to your own. What’s funny about that is even if the subject and idea is completely unrelated, it can still inspire you you to do something just as fulfilling. It’s the polarization of being in a creative slump and lulling around. So, cheers to people who keep others on their game with or without intention.

One thing I am going to try to work on more is band photography. I’m going to Camp Bisco next month and am going to go nuts. It’s a 3 day music festival in Mariaville, NY with Snoop Dog, Disco Biscuits, !!!, Shpongle, and many others. It’s going to be a fantastic time and a fantastic photographic experience. Before then, I’m justing going to be starting on some new studio projects. Next week, I am going to Vermont for a few days to do some nature photography, which I rarely ever get a chance to do. Lately, I have been going to abandoned buildings; it’s therapeutic and you always leave with good stuff.

 

‘Til next time!

~BenG

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Arrested? For photography? Really?

So my friend Kendra and I wanted to go nightshooting. Her, for some self-portraits, and I for some non-urban night photography. I had it all planned out to where we should go. Somerville, Malden, over to some Reservoir’s in the area, then maybe to Lynn or somewhere near the coast? All sounds great. We got a lot of good stuff as well.

Somerville was good, because it’s out of the city, but not exactly. We went to a small park with a kingdom looking terrace. We did some shooting then left, not before we got asked by a cop to not be loud. Sure thing. We finished up, got a little lost, stopped by some other areas, then decided to keep driving until we saw anything interesting. We ended up in Reading, Massachusetts.

Kendra wanted to finish up her work for the evening, it being 1:30 in the morning already. I felt I needed to follow suite. The shoot we had set up was in the middle of a street off of Rt. 95. Her self-portraits were ironic, simple, and fun. Her in a bathing suit sitting in a lawn chair. It being late, not too many cars came passing through. The ones that did mostly didn’t say anything. Once nice Englishman stopped and said, “Very artsy, be careful!” in a acknowledging, comforting tone. The next was a group of complete drunken <21 year olds all with beers in their hands; including the driver.

“I jhusht want to knnnow…what tha hell are youuu guyz dooin’?”

“We got a photo shoot thing we’re doing.”

“Oh, you guys, good luck, I guess, have, luck.”

The second we got lined up for our last shot for the night, I got this feeling in my throat that we should have left 3 minutes ago. Sure enough, a cop car pulls over. Then follow by two other. “So you think you can just come from the city and shoot in small town, Reading?” We received tons of guff and tremendous amounts of attitude due to Kendra not having her ID on her her. He was just itching to throw us in jail; probably sooner had he known I had no inspection sticker on my car, and a knife in my pocket.

“You know, I would have no problem throwing you both in jail. Is that an F’ing attitude? I’m asking a simple question and you are making this a huge problem for yourself.”

He kept on threatening to throw us in jail. Great. I was fine with it, I didn’t care. The whole time I was going over in my head about how confident I was to go to jail for my art. I was, but I wasn’t willing to go if I had to pay bond money, which I don’t have, to get out.

I have no problems with cops, as long as they aren’t on a power trip and try to intimidate people who had reason to be. Finally, the cop left not too far after. “Why do you think it’s a smart idea to take pictures in the street at 1:30 in the morning?” We’ll, for one, it’s a hell of a lot smarter than taking pictures in the street at 1:30 in the afternoon. I really thought we were going down. Two photography enthusiasts get nearly thrown in jail when a group of four drunken teenagers get to drive around intoxicated? Where’s the justice?

I’ll throw up the pictures once I get them.

~BenG

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First one!

First blog! Hello everyone out there in internet world, I’m here to jump into the blog pool, everyone tells me it’s warm. Let me just state that I’m a photographer from Boston, Massachusetts and am basically going to use this Blog as a way to show my current projects and artwork to get critiques and feedback from other photographers and photography fans. I’ll also throw up random things from time to time just change the atmostphere a little bit. 

I’ll try to post every week or two just to maintain a steady flow. Feel free to comment by putting up some of your own artwork up if it relates to anything in particular that I’m currently working on. This is my first attempt at a blog, so I’ll just see what happens. Also, check out my website (www.bengebo.com) and see some of my work. Thanks!

~BenG

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