What's in a name?

Places we were yesterday....

Wyoming Delaware

Goldsboro Maryland

Fredrick Maryland

Flintstone Maryland

Frostburg Maryland

Morgantown West Virgina

Beaver Pennsylvania

Windham Ohio

Toledo Ohio

Napoleon Ohio

Defiance Ohio

While driving we came across a small town in Pennsylvania named " Center ".

I thought to myself,  "Center of what?"  Its not a ville,  town, or city.  It was just named "Center" ............. Interesting.

We also took Interstate 68 from Hagerstown Maryland to Morgantown West Virgina. A very beautiful drive. Rolling hills, quaint towns, and farms. Half way is a town named Cumberland. I saw it on a map but never been there. It is out of the way, non-decrepit,  but made me want to come back and explore. I started to wonder what are the people like here? How did they get here? and Why? 

You become your name. The definition of your name should be something we all are familiar with because we are called be our name many times in a day. So you are your name. I believe that you will also carry certain attributes of the place where you born and where you live. 

I will never forget a cold day in early spring. And our kids were playing outside. All of them were dressed appropriately except Noah. He just had a t-shirt on.  I asked Noah "Noah aren't you cold? And he said very offendedly "I'm not cold, I'm Canadian!" Now, Noah is the only one of four kids born in Canada. And we moved to Texas when he was 5 months old.  I don't teach Canadian propaganda in our home. So, read into it as you like. But what it said to me is that he carries something inside him very Canadian. It is something I think on a lot. 

The power of a name.

What are you called?

Where are you from?

Where were you born?

What is your names meaning?

What is your meaning? 

 

Peter

Stimulation!!! A day at the Beach!!!

Ever been over stimulated?

Too much information at once? 

A loud concert?

Fighting Children?

A Walk through a museum?

A long day at work?

I think you can tell where I am going.

Yesterday we decided to make a trip to the beach. We went in my Mom in-laws new van. Fully equipped to entertain the unentertainable. Not one but 2 DVD players, Cirrus Satellite Radio, Am/Fm radio, CD player, and if you are bored with that a 110 outlet for whatever you want to do.  Maybe mix up some cookie batter for later. Dry your hair. Plug in a extra lamp.  Make some coffee. Charge your IPOD or phone. (Of course this was my logical choice)

I was starting to become overwhelmed with the choices. We made it down after few fights (over what movie to watch and he's crowding me) virtually unscathed. 

The beach was a welcome escape from the myriad of technological choices I was soon going to have to make for the trip home. The waves were especially large because of Hurricane Bertha churning far out in the Atlantic. I was drug under by an especially large one and had my day flash before eyes. A mouth full of salt water later I was back out enjoying being tossed and bartered. All and all not a bad time

Hunger had set in, so off to Grotto's Pizza ( A Delaware Tradition ) More choices......? Need I say any more....... We finally settled on plain, Hawaiian, and pepperoni. Good Pizza if you are ever in the area I recommend it.

More stimulation of course is necessary at the beach! 

Funland!

Highway robbery as my Dad would say. You end up paying $45 by pumping quarters into a game with hopes to win a cheap stuffed animal that nobody really ever wants.  Ahhh the thrill, the stimulation the adrenaline rush. 

The bells, whistles, sounds, sights, dreams, sugar rush (s) of going to the beach.

Today I am recovering.

Don't get me wrong.

I fully enjoyed myself and all the choices. But it left me wondering. What about that walk in the woods?

Leaving you stimulated

Peter 

Wow

Well You haven't heard from me in a while.

I feel bad!

No actually I don't.

All my creativity has gone to my photography in the last five months. Imagine that! But I seem to have a little more creative time on my hands lately. Good for you, if you enjoy my ramblings, rants, bursts of genius, and utter nonsense. So you will probably hear from me a little more. See I am going to rather nomadic this summer. Dela-where will enjoy my presence first. Then off to O-Hi-O and then to South AFFricca. 

Wow....... 

W.O.W.

Willing

Open

Wonderment

Wanna see some Wow in your life. 

Your Physical. Your Spiritual. Your Emotion. 

Are you Willing?

Are you Open?

Are you wondering?

(A little Cold Play sure doesn't hurt)

I am sharing this because I have seen more than usual as per normal in my life. It is exhilarating. Fulfilling, refreshing, certainly not boring, strange, scary, beautiful............I love it.  

The Photo sums up my year at school. 

until...?

Peter

Prescription???

When I think of this word.........

I don't like it. It makes me feel like I am supposed to be sick. Or I am sick. Just write me a prescription Doc and I'll be better.

I think there are very few prescriptions in life that work. Now of course I am not refering to the medical profession. ( Although this is very debatable and I would gravitate to the side of the naturalist most of the time)

I am of course referring to photography. But I also think you could apply this to many facsits of your life. Prescription to me means a set way of doing, seeing, processing, or living out parts of life. And this may be indeed the case for you, you, you, and you. Fortunately we are all different and what works for you probably is not going to work for me. The way Ansel Adams saw is different from the way I see. I think most of us would all agree to this for the most part. Right?

For those of you who know me you know this isn't the first time I have been thinking about this. I have been reflecting on this topic in recent days because of school. We have been given a large assignment with 16 different parts that need to fit certain perameters but allow for creativity to be brought in as long as it fits within the assignment. (if the assignment calls for a female you can't use a male) When is it OK to break the rules or the prescription ? This is the path of a creative.  There are always rules and guidlines and there are times in which to break these rules and guidlines.

When I am creating an image for myself. I do not want a prescription. Guidlines are good but I think prescriptions are dangerous. They can styifle, pigeon hole, and distort the creative.

Here's to thinking outside the box, getting in trouble with the establishment, causing a raucus and making people think.

Peter

P.S. The pictures  are from an assignment. We had to interpret an original piece of art. I choose a piece from 1500's by Caravaggio called the "Card Sharps"

Learning my Anticipation

Anticipation.......................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................................

What a great word! 

Expectation would be a meaning I would put with it. To ANTICIPATE. To look forward to. What is around the corner? What"s next? Of course all of you are Anticipating my next blog

So.... What I am I Anticipating? Deep question. Wouldn't you say? Most of us would reflect on this and would be thinking about, Career, A new House, Vacation, or a Move. But I am going in a different direction. ***Creative Anticipation***

What I am thinking about creatively? Where is my creativity going to take me? When I am photographing a subject. I often don't have a specific parameters in mind. Just a few guidelines. So many times when creating  an image the outcome will be......."not defined yet".  I am sort of going with a creative flow which can be painful at times. There is an excitement that comes with this. I love it. I don't know what is around the next corner. What is going to inspire me next?  A snowflake? A bad dream? The way I saw my son looking at me? Late afternoon sunlight spilling in though a window? Rascal Flatts? Lego? (These are just a few of influences right now) 

OR

 (let me indulge you with a few I am coming up with as I write) Green peppers. Sex. Dust Masks. Finger Nails. Old Movies. Maple Syrup, Cowboy Boots. Men of the Cloth. Art. Firemen.

I love it! What is next? I don't know. Where is this all going? Creative inspiration! Anticipation!

Creative Anticipation! 

Do you know the feeling?

 It is like going to the mailbox and not knowing what is there. Maybe you finally won publishers clearance house. 

Or How about, When your wife comes around the corner and has that glint in her eye and you know what is next. 

And who could forget "Christmas morning".  

After nine months of pregnancy finding out Boy? or Girl? 

That feeling is what it is like for me when creating my images. What a great life we/I get to live!

BUT... What happens when when this "Anticipation" lets you down. And does not produce the results you wanted or expected. How many times do I have an idea that is *s*h*i*t*. More than I can remember. Dust off, feel, and remember how terrible it is and move on to the next idea. For me it is all part of the creative process.

The pictures are of my friend Dave H. A good looking fellow. Thanks Dave!

(Sorry about the layout blogger and me have a love hate relationship)

Peter Eisses

Re...Re...Re...Re...Re...

Re-use....

Re-deuce...

Re-cycle...

Re-turn...

Re-do...

Re-place...

Re-live...

Re-touch...

I think you can put Re... in front of just about any word. Why you ask  am I bringing this up??? Well, its the last one I mentioned "Re-touch",  and I will add "ing" to it as well, has got me thinking. It is a large part of photography and is the last stage of creating an image. Taking out dust or that finger that got in the way of the shutter (I did that today).

We have been learning Photo-shop, extensively. Dodging, burning, layers, spot healing, the magic wand, I could go on and on. I am far from having grasped it. But if I look where I am from where I started. I certainly have come a long way.

Want to loose 20 lb's, gray hair, or that mole... Hey just talk to a retoucher. (it is an actual profession) You don't think all those models really look like that do you?

Re..... and whatever you put behind it. Is signifying "to do again". Negatively, I have been thinking about all the things I have to do again or "re-do-ing". Why I am I doing them over again? Because I was not satisfied the first time. (I am speaking photographically and life stuff) Ahhh the learning process. I learn best by bungling something up. And then trying to fix that mistake.

 

So......I guess I better start looking at the "Re" as more positive than negative. And you know "R" is my favorite character in our western language types. It sounds funny when other folks from other languages say it. They either can't (which causes barrels of laughs or frustration) or they make it sound better (like the Dutch who rrrrrol it).

Next time you are Re-cycling your beer bottles, Re-using that plastic bag for your lunch the fifth time, or Re-turning that Christmas sweater you always wanted. Think of me and my quest to grasp Photoshop and Re-touch-ing.

Peter E

P.S. You are probably sick of seeing my ugly mug. So I put up a couple of my recent images.

Its A New Year

2008......

An Olympic year.

A leap year.

An election year. (in the states anyways)

A move of some sort for us.

Lots to look forward to. 

Its been a while since I last wrote. Piled up assignments, Christmas, new years, a wedding, and about 650 miles between me and my computer are my excuses. I think valid enough.

Our Christmas was great.

Hockey games...... played, and watched.

Snow storms........ (four to be exact) played in and watched.

Family time......... conversation, catching up, time spent, and hallway soccer.

Games................... Uno, scrabble, settlers and many many more.

Photography........I had five assignments to do over the holidays. And was able to get pretty much all of it done.

A killer view when looking out my parents living room window at our very white holiday.

We got back here to the metropolis of TURNERS FALLS on the 5Th. Only to be met with balmy temperatures and a very "unwinter" feel. (I'll take the cold winter feel any day) I got 2 more assignments to run the total to nine that are due in the next two weeks. And that does not include the ones that we will receive next week. I haven't pulled my hair out yet but I think its good that have full head of it. 

BUT, like I said before. "I am loving it" My photography is progressing and I am enjoying the results.

Keep you posted on my hair.

Peter Eisses