Let's Have a Stairing Contest

Some of you may recall that back in January, my friend, bandmate and fellow photographer, Rico Molden, and I tried our hand at a friendly photographic competition. Some of you may have even helped with the voting and subsequent crowning of Rico as the champion! Well, he and I are at it again. But this time, as with any sequel, the stakes have changed, the details have become more complicated, and (unlike most sequels, actually) the whole thing is going to be much more fun!


First off, we have a couple more photographers who wanted in on the action.


Christopher Uller is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley with a major in English. In addition to creative writing, he enjoys a variety of activities including tennis, hiking, guitar and photography!

Jacquelynn Buck is a nationally recognized portrait photographer located in Valdosta, Georgia. Her trademark Real Women art was shown this month in the Color of Energy Gallery in Dayton, Ohio. On the heels of having her work recently published in Rangefinder Magazine, Jacquelynn will be teaching a Master's class in February at the Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International (WPPI) convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rico and I are very happy to have Chris and Jackie joining us this time around! The number of players and images has doubled! How's that for word of mouth?

As with last time, the contest will be handled with voting here on my blog. But, in another awesome twist, we are happy to announce that you can also view these images live and in print at The Last Drop Cafe in Claremont, CA (located in The Village at 119 Harvard Ave., (909) 482-1870). They have graciously agreed to display our work in the brick and mortar world, and have even let us set up a ballot right there in the store. So come on out to see the photos in print (hard to miss, they're up on the wall as you enter), cast your vote, and stay for a fine cup of coffee or milk tea. Go now!


Chris Uller, standing proudly near the print display at The Last Drop Cafe


The contest itself consists of our four unique perspectives when it comes to Stairs. Yep, you heard me, those things you walk up and down on all day long have become artwork. So, after hours of shooting, selecting and editing...the entries are in and once again, the polls are officially open! You are invited to help judge this competition, by choosing your favorite photo in each of the five categories: Iron, Black and White, Stairs with a Human Model, Spiral, and Interpretive Stairs. The images are presented below, with the copyright identity masked by a random and annonymous presentation. Hope you enjoy playing photographic judge for a day! Remember to make your selections by leaving a comment below (simply type the category and choose "A," "B," "C," or "D" for each). Remember, it's all in fun, so try not to over-think it. Thanks for playing!

"Spiral" entries:


Spiral A



Spiral B



Spiral C



Spiral D



"Black & White" entries:


Black & White A



Black & White B



Black & White C



Black & White D



"Stairs with a Human Model" entries:


Stairs with a Human Model A



Stairs with a Human Model B



Stairs with a Human Model C



Stairs with a Human Model D



"Interpretive Stairs" entries:


Interpretive Stairs A



Interpretive Stairs B



Interpretive Stairs C



Interpretive Stairs D



"Iron" entries:


Iron A



Iron B



Iron C



Iron D

Please post your comments here or make your selections in store by Friday, October 15th; the results will be posted shortly thereafter. By the way - the photog with the most overall "wins" in our last competition got to have his image displayed in the loser's house for a couple weeks. What should the stakes be this time around? Let us know what you think. I think "loser buys a round of coffee" sounds like a good place to start.

ME vs. ME at House of Blues on the Sunset Strip

Not even President Barack Obama could prevent the rock and roll from happening recently in Hollywood. Not that he didn't try. His visit to Hancock Park on August 16th for a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser barricaded the whole south side of the city, actually, and practically cost high desert alt rockers, ME vs. ME their highly anticipated time slot at the famed House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. But not to worry, the boys made it with just enough time to tear the place up for those fortunate few who were able to make it through the chaotic traffic to see the opening set of the night.

Some of you may recall from an earlier post, I caught up with ME vs. Me at a much more intimate show in Claremont, CA. I liked what I heard quite a bit, and when I found out they were going to be coming to the HOB, I knew I had to make plans to hear them (and shoot them, of course) again. This time, I was determined to get a better look and to produce more varied images than what I was able to get just in passing before. Thanks to the band, I was able to score an all access press pass, and had free reign of the venue for the whole night. I used a Canon 70-200mm f2.8L for most of the show, and shot wide-open to take full advantage of the fast glass. The band was really feeling the extra energy from the fans that turned out to show their support, and it came through in their performance. Here are some of my favorites from the Me vs. Me set. I'll also share images from the other bands on the bill in future posts.



Singer/Guitarist Sean Espinoza and drummer Trevor Clemente


Josh Mejia connects with the fans



An explosion of energy from Trevor











Can't. Stop. The Rock.



The view from the wings















Artist pass only? No problem here.



The band receives notes from Sean Amato and Lifehouse's own Ben Carey



ME Vs. ME, enjoying the moment


I welcome your thoughts here on the blog if you care to comment on anything you see. Whether or not you like what you see, I'd love to hear what you have to say. Can't get enough Me vs. Me shots? There are lots more images from the evening over on my Flickr page. Please check them out!

Something New - And Delicious!

Today's entry was penned by my lovely wife, Erin E. Barrett. (That's her with the pretty face and the gorgeous sandwich.) She is a brilliant writer and, I was sure, would do much better with today's subject than I could. Take it away, Erin!



Something New
by Erin Barrett

I love food. I know what I like, so I don’t need to try new things very often, and I’m comfortable with that. As a confirmed worrywart, there are certain places I do not enjoy going, and there are certain places in which I am afraid to dine. But this weekend marked an occasion in the Barrett house: I tried something new!

It has taken months of subtle suggesting, hopefully requesting and outright begging on my husband’s part to get me to venture to Los Angeles to try the famed Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant “world famous pastrami.” And at last, just yesterday, I agreed. Admittedly, I am ridiculous, and I despise most of LA with a fearful passion. The thought of heading into a gritty area without the aid of pepper spray causes me some concern, but the siren song of the pastrami sandwich was too great.

Jason assured me as we hopped into the car that the deli was located in a business district, because it caters to the professional crowd during the week. It might cater to the suit-and-tie characters in the area, but the stuff about location was a lie. The deli itself is located at the corner of 7th and Alvarado. The parking lot is about a block away, so after idling in the middle of a side street, waiting for a spot to open up, you get to walk through a lovely area of downtown, complete with suspect store fronts, graffiti-covered buildings, dark alleyways and illegal sidewalk sales, some sections of which smell faintly of urine. Delightful.

When we reached the restaurant, there was a line out the door—promising. We put our name in with the hostess who was sprinting around the sidewalk, and waited. It didn’t take long before we were seated in a small booth in the front section of the restaurant. The place was packed, and the corned beef and pastrami was flying out of the little kitchen, located behind a small counter, so you could see everything.

Our waiter—a nice gentleman in a black bow-tie—took our order. We both got pastrami sandwiches, JB the pastrami and coleslaw with Russian dressing, me the Langer’s Deli most popular sandwich, the #19, a pastrami on rye with Russian dressing, coleslaw and Swiss cheese. The only difference between the two sandwiches was about seventy-five cents.

The sandwiches arrived at our table no more than five minutes after placing our order, and we began to mow. While everyone else chatted contentedly with loved ones, enjoyed the ambiance that only a good deli can offer, and savored their meals, Jason and I sat in silence, greedily devouring the pastrami sandwiches like we had a time limit.

Now, I am not a food critic, nor am I a professional blogger on the topic of food, but I will do my best to describe the experience. I am not a huge fan of the cured meats (bacon excluded), but for this particular sandwich, I will make an exception. In the past, I have had pastrami that was too fatty, too dry, and just too much. But this was a special brand of pastrami, my friends. The meat itself was a gorgeous red wine color, with a dark, almost black crust on the outside. The chefs were generous, but there wasn’t too much meat, as so often is the case with pastrami sandwiches. On top of the hot pastrami rested the coleslaw (just juicy enough), the dressing, and the cheese. All of these ingredients were piled high, but well contained in the most perfect rye bread I have ever eaten. The crusts were perfectly crisp, but the center of the bread remained soft and pliable, so that when you picked up the sandwich, the bread seemed to form around the ingredients inside, creating a kind of bread cage for all the goodness within.

Ok, let’s get back to the meat. Each slice of pastrami was about one quarter inch thick, and could have easily been sliced from the slab with a butter knife. What fat was still attached to the trim cut of meat simply melted away when it touched the tongue, and the pastrami itself barely required chewing. And the flavor was amazing. Just salty enough, with a melody of flavors like no other pastrami I have ever had. The deli offered various sizes of pastrami platters, containing just the meat and a few pickles or something, and now I know why. It’s good enough to be eaten entirely on it’s own. It was unbelievably tender, cooked to absolute pastrami perfection, and it made me question what kind of witchcraft was going on in the kitchen to produce such scrumptious results from a slab of farm animal.

As soon as I took my first bite, conversation ceased. I’m sure many of you out there will agree that when there is awesome food involved, there is no room for anything but eating. Sorry dining companions, that’s the rule. And the sandwiches in this place seemed to have a calming effect on everyone inside. Each patron was smiling, enjoying themselves, and one lady in a booth nearby even smiled and laughed when Jason started taking pictures of me chowing down.

Friendly service, quaint surroundings, and a sandwich that countless times made me call out to a higher power, makes this place the home of my now favorite pastrami sandwich. The walk back to the car past shouting LA residents and that guy talking to himself on the corner even seemed more pleasant. Just a few miles away from the deli, we came upon the promised business district. It was shiny and well-kempt, and I even caught myself looking at condominium buildings and thinking how cool it would be to live there. Yes, the pastrami is that good.
Now, of course, my husband is walking around our house with a satisfied grin on his face, because he got me to a restaurant I didn’t want to go to, and it didn’t kill me, and I want to go back. All the time. Maybe one day he’ll get me to that little Indian restaurant down the street. But probably not. EB



The exterior of Langer's Delicatessen-Restaurant, on the corner of 7th and Alvarado Streets.



Behold, the Langer's #19. Almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.



The other half of Erin's #19 proved too much to bite off in one sitting. But it made the safe trip home in a doggy bag for my later consumption.




Erin giving me an "ok, put the camera away before you get mugged" look. The landmark Library Tower (aka US Bank building) can be seen looming in the distance.

Rock Night at the Hip Kitty

The Hip Kitty is a restaurant and bar in Claremont, CA which is known more as a jazz venue with tasty fondue than a loud rock and roll club. But Thursday nights seem to be the time when they deviate from the norm and feature local indie and rock bands from all around. I was there on a recent Thursday to catch my friend Greg Jackson sitting in with Sean Amato (Fiction Alley, Podgiegaloop) and his band. They kept the mostly young crowd entertained with tracks from the Podgiegaloop release as well as new original roots rock tunes.

The featured band on that particular night was the alt rock band, ME vs. ME. Hailing from Hesperia, CA, this local indie favorite is comprised of Sean Espinoza (guitar/lead vocals), Trevor Clemente (drums), and Josh Mejia (bass/vocals). They drew an exceptionally large crowd to see their high energy show, considering the week night Claremont crowd isn't known for staying awake much past 10 o'clock. The boys gave the locals a reason to stay up and hang out with their catchy songs and tight performance. This band is definitely hot, with big shows recently played at the Dragonfly and Viper Room, and a big upcoming date supporting Rock Sugar at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. Their success may have something to do with their association with Sean Amato as well as Ben Carey from Lifehouse, who have been offering guidance and opportunity to the young trio. Watch for big news from ME vs. ME.

I shot both bands using the available light in the room, fast shutter speeds and high ISO. I definitely could have benefitted from a little bit of front light, but the hanging lamps on the stage threw off some interesting highlight and shadow patterns nonetheless.



Sean Amato feeling the Hip Kitty energy















The Hip Kitty features all kinds of cool artwork, including these lighted paintings.







Guitarist Greg Jackson got a chance to take the lead on a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Mary Jane's Last Dance."



Josh Mejia, playing on an awesome Gibson Les Paul bass.



Singer/Guitarist Sean Espinoza charged up the relaxed dinner crowd.







Trevor Clemente aims for the floor.

My Approach: Slightly More Focused

photo courtesy Photography by Jacquelynn Buck



It's been a while since I've written. Truth is, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking about the photos I've made in the past, and about what I'd like to be shooting in the future, both as an amateur and professional. I believe I've found something worth focusing on, and for those who know me well, I don't suppose it should be all that surprising. I've reworked the look of jasonbarrettphoto.com, reworked the look of this blog, and have been spending as much time as possible working on my updated style of photography, which has really been a part of me all along. But now it's become more focused for me. I still plan to utilize this blog to bring you the latest, whether posting my work as a professional photographer, or sharing sights and scenes from my routine observations and travels, and I hope you will continue to follow along and enjoy it all!

Here then, is a passage I wrote which will give you a taste of the approach I've been alluding to. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share about this, I welcome comments below.



Right up front, let me reveal this:



I am music.



Let me explain. I am music because I have a soundtrack to my life. It influences my appearance and shapes the way I interact. It defines my lifestyle. Music drives the choices I make, how I live, how I love. It drives me.



Why does this matter? Because what if? What if you are music too? What if a soundtrack also drives you? And what if I understand? What if you had a chance to have your musical side recorded with images, by a photographer that knows why it matters - would you want to take it?



Suppose you’re a musician or artist with an upcoming performance. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have someone there to capture your energy and emotions as you take the stage? Someone who is also a musician himself, and who knows what highlights of a performance to watch for?



Perhaps you’re not a bona fide performer, but you just love taking center stage. When was the last time you had a portrait sitting that made you look and feel like a rock star? Something a little edgier, a little grittier, than the average image? Something a bit more musical, a bit more…you.



If you’re introverted by nature, but have a desire to let your closet extrovert out to play for a while, I can put you at ease and make it fun. Whether you’re a little bit country or have hard-rock coursing through your veins, I can be there to direct your energy into the focal plane of my camera. Let’s play your songs, and tell your story the way it was meant to be told.



Is this approach to photography a little unusual? Yes. Is it different? Sure is. And it’s what I love to do. Let’s make it happen today! Let’s rock!!

Happy Earth Day 2010

April 22 brings us Earth Day 2010, and some of my co-workers thought it would be a nice idea to organize a photo contest based on Earth Day; more specifically, around an "Ocean" theme. It seemed appropriate enough, since Disneynature is marking the occasion by releasing another in its series of nature films, Oceans. Given my recent history when it comes to photo contests, I don't know if I should hold my breath, but I wanted to share a few of the images I selected to enter in the competition. Check out the sampling below, and please see the link at the bottom to see more. There are anywhere from a few to 50 co-workers competing, and the winning three images are going to adorn our office walls. I think that'll be pretty cool. But I don't suppose it does much to help the environment...oh well, I'll continue to do my part with reusable bags and coffee mugs in the meantime.




Sunset in Newport Beach, CA



Little Corona Del Mar, CA



Dolphin-safe!



Gulls and seaweed, Pismo Beach, CA



An eerie fog in Avila Beach, CA



See more ocean images over on my Flickr page. And please leave me a comment, if you're so inclined. Happy Earth Day!