4th of july before the rain

Originally uploaded by richlouis.

My front porch

Things i learned about today

4th of july bbq fun

For Photography heads:


http://www.lensbabies.com/



BET and KFC are holding a contest for a $500 KFC Gift Certificate

Reposted From Pelerin 89

So The Night Almost Ended in Failure




Photos from Marc Baptiste's Nudes Book Party By Richard Louissaint

I entered my apartment a little after midnight anxious to import the photos i took at the overwhelming and huge gallery opening/book party for Marc Baptiste's latest nude tabletop book; for which i was unimpressed at first glance, as i compared it to his first book which was an important achievement (Beautiful), but looking at the photos, blown up, in the gallery where the event was held, i saw the skill and simplicity of the shots.

But as i connected my card reader, something happened and my mounted flash card disappeared from the screen. This sent me on a 3-hour ordeal to try to reclaim the lost pictures, through google searches for recovery programs on the mac, and getting the program i found to see the card (which i still can't re-format), to finally spending an hour extracting the "lost" photos.

For those who don't know Marc Baptiste is Haitian, accent and all, and one of the top fashion/celebrity photographers in the business, and his crew consists of other talented Haitians including twin designers Ron & Ron. At the conclusion of the party i thought about all the people who were 10, 15 years my senior who were once where i was trying to make things happen, including Baptiste. then later, on the train i turned to Ferentz (the owner of this blog) and said we are the next generation of artist and it's dope that through marriage and kids that Baptiste has a tight knit crew of peers. Of course he replied in his typical fashion downplaying his role as an artist.


more pictures from the party

Status

Currently testing a new image viewer to display new portfolio at www.richardlouissaint.com. the main page is pretty much done but i'm still need a logo because right now i have an "insert logo here" which i think will remain as part of the layout.

the hustle problem

I am very much i have a hustling problem.
no not that kind.
the ability to to consistently be on the grind with my photography and creative work. There periods where i feel all motivated, shooting several things in a row like i did back in January and February of this year, and assisting on shoots. but when nothing is clicking in my head or I'm not finding anything to shoot, i kind of just get stuck.

when i can see other people shooting things left and right especially for their own personal progression, i sigh a little because i don't always have that consistent fervor. it's like my "eyes" can't see things to shoot, at least things i think would end up being portfolio worthy.

I used to carry a camera all the time, enough so that people ask me now where my camera is, but i haven't since late last year. the idea of me dragging around a bag that gets slightly heavy as the day goes on, only to not shoot anything, has turned me off.

i haven't given up but things are just not sparkign the way i want them to.

Some music to listen to:
João Donato - a rã

Photoshop Fun with Sorla

Photoshop Fun with Sorla
Originally uploaded by richlouis.

This picture and more from my shoot with Sorla here

So Sammy Davis Jr. was a photographer

So while waiting for the girl at Borders in the Financial District i noticed this big tabletop book with the words "Photo by Sammy Davis Jr." Who knew that Davis was an avid photographer who spent thousands on cameras and equipment. and with the access he had, which was not the norm for a black man in 50s and 60s, he took some intimate shots of the it personalities including of course the rat pack.



Get Books to kids

Send an ecard to the Cat in the Hat for his 50th birthday.

Just in case you don't know...

I shot three shows this week (Click on the pictures for more shots)

My friend's band Sorla:

Nouveau Riche (Dice Raw's band and featured heavily on The Roots Game Theory album):

Chris Glover:

Test shot of me, by Rob Lowell

Test shot of me, by Rob Lowell, originally uploaded by richlouis.

anyhow, inbetween seeing Pan's Labyrinth and not going to a party at Sputnik, I ended up on Craigslist NY and stumbled upon an photography assisting job that was posted up a couple of hours ago. Strangely, enough it turned out to be a photographer i knew. I send a quick email to him and alas i found myself, yesterday, in his spot helping him shoot his cousin for her promo cards for commercial print work.

Simply, the best part was getting to use some equipment I hadn't touched in while, as well as some i never really got to use, which included:

PocketWizard receiver and transmitter that lets you control your flash and lighting wirelessly, leaving your camera free of cords when you shoot. it was dope in the studio set up in the loft but even doper as we went out on to the Soho streets with me holding the Nikon flash hooked up to the receiver ten feet away from the subject while Rob the photographer was even farther away from us shooting with a zoom lens. the recycle time for the flash was not affected and the flexibility that came with using them was enormous.

The Capture One Pro program that let's you see your pictures on screen as you shoot and edit accordingly.

And various light setups.
Sort of got me motivated again to keep going with the photography.