I encountered this homeless man in Philadelphia early one morning in March of 2009. He was kind, compassionate, and only had one real possession: an old radio.
He was kind enough to be allow me to photograph him. When he asked what he should do I suggested he pick up the radio. It was the way he looked at it that will always stay with me. I gave him whatever cash I had on me at the time and never saw him again.
This picture will forever haunt me.
Here's a high-res photo I took of the "fire sky" that I did time lapse video of.
Outside a movie theater in Philadelphia for the 18+ crowd.
A strange view of windows.
A car makes a turn at an intersection during a New England blizzard.
Playgrounds are for playing in.
Construction has just been completed on the local Dairy Queen, and people came out in hoards tonight to the take-out window.
A photo of my wife on a picnic table, which was on a frozen lake.
This electrical tower makes this an official 21st century landscape.
Ice lit ever so slightly under a dark blue sky.
My friend's dog Molly posing by a guitar. She might be the smallest grown dog I have ever seen in my life.
Driving by a cornfield at dusk.
All sorts of circles through a car window.
This one came out looking like a Bob Peak painting (he did the paintings for the "Apocalypse Now" and "Superman" posters, among many others.)
Christmas decorations featuring house lights and reindeer.
A truck passes over a bridge at sunset.
A row of kayaks along a river in Massachusetts.
Random dirty objects found in a construction site basement.
My dog Abbey (on the left) and her pal Cali (right) sprint across a field, without a care in the world; the way it should be for all of us, right?
An effectively simple sign for a local tattoo parlor in Massachusetts.
A shot I took of St. Mary's Church in Dartmouth, Massachusetts just before sundown.
An old mill building was just filled with these tangled dead vines.
I took a photo of this home that is next door to a park. It was interesting to me that a large tree was in between the park and house.
A portrait I took of my wife in the forest.
The sun going down along the Hudson River in New York.
A group of birds stick together on a ledge on a particularly beautiful day.
Working in a projection booth with a reel of film.
A rather decrepit window captures the afternoon sunset within its glass.
An electric light breaks the void of the darkness.
One thing is for sure: birds love sitting on power lines.
A teacher from an urban school's science department.
One of the best smiles I have ever seen.
A science teacher beneath a shower for dangerous chemicals.
A teacher with light projected onto him.
The road to Gooseberry Island in Westport, MA.
I took this mostly for someone to sample if they need textures or some kind of moody image for something down the road...
We challenge to give what you can to the people of Haiti.
Nighttime in snowy Massachusetts, with fresh tracks taking shape.
A reel of film spinning up in a movie theater projection booth.
The box to an ancient typewriter of mine.
A strange looking device I discovered in a projection booth.
A moose statue looks out upon the city of Philadelphia.
This is a grainy film print of a plane flying over some post modern buildings in Cambridge, MA.
An old fashioned lantern in the cobblestone area of New Bedford, MA.
A view of Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts.
The famous LOVE statue in Philadelphia.
Some Russian art is boldly painted on the side of this bar in Cambridge, MA.
A family takes some time to relax on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
An old bathroom window looking out on a backyard.
The sun shines down on those that use their iPhone in the woods.
What is the normal sized object(s)? The chair or the girls?
This is from an exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum on Western architecture.
Lots of crossover going on here.
The icicles are starting to melt on this warehouse.
An old bar - long since closed - with a wall of glass.
A torn plastic bag sways in the wind at a murky reservoir.
A skyscraper captures a glimmer of sunlight in its windows.
Some ice had formed between some rocks and those interesting white ice lines were created.
A variation on another attic-themed photo I took, this one has a bit more going on in it, including light pouring through a window.
Wall-mounted tools in a basement. These clearly hadn't been used for some time.
A variety of structures in New York's epic Times Square.
A statue of a family doing some pretty crazy aerodynamic moves.
I took this shot in Philadelphia. Oh, and I'm a big fan of bikes.
A skyscraper's reflection in another skyscraper's windows from New York City.
A man looking out of a subway window en route to New York City.
The reflection of a Buddha statue on a table.
A field in Massachusetts. Wheat, maybe?
An historic whaler monument in New Bedford, MA.
There is some very interesting architecture designs above this entryway at a building in Cambridge, MA.
Sun shining through some thick clouds in Florida.
A self portrait I took at a bus stop in Somerville, MA.
This was taken in an old attic and I believe it is a chain that was once used for transporting items from one floor to the next. Or maybe for flushing a toilet. I'm not really sure.
My friend Luke and I stumbled upon a seemingly endless empty road along the outskirts of Philadelphia. It was very "I Am Legend."
My dog Abbey gets awoken and ices me out with her weary eyes.
She would return to sleep moments later.
Overlooking Manhattan, right near the Madison Square Garden.
Working on movie projection reels at a theater.
The moon shines above an old gate.
An antique video camera near a toy Ferris Wheel.
Top steps to a creepy basement.
An alley completely dedicated to graffiti artwork.
Billiard balls just waiting for $1.00 in quarters.
A graffiti wall in Cambridge, MA.
The ramp of an apartment building's parking garage.
An A/C unit mounted within a dark alley in Philadelphia.
A long shadow is cast within Boston's historic Faneul Hall.
A basketball court inside a junk yard.
A plastic rock that doubles as a night light.
An old fashioned leather shop at night.
Futuristic work environment.
Simply uploading this mostly blank book as a building block for a book cover I'm working on.
A cowboy figurine for sale in a storefront window.
A statue of a transparent globe outdoors in Portland, ME.
Fog begins to come in at a waterfront spot in Lakeville, MA.
The old fashioned way to heat a home.
An exterior view of an apartment building stairwell.
A highly saturated view of a jet streak over New York City.
This uniquely beautiful grave looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie.
Several items stay dry on a porch as it rains ferociously outside.
A cook in Little Italy fries up some treats.
Various items of office furniture for sale at an antique sale.
Outside of a subway station at night in Camridge, MA.
This sign happens to be completely hollow.
Some debris on a basement floor.
An airplane exhibit in Philadelphia.
Moody red light is cast on this attic stairwell in a Boston bar.
This pay phone on an urban corner was ripped out some time ago...
Layers of fire escapes in an alley.
An outside exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.
A daddy long legs spider hangs out in a basement.
A concrete lounge area at UMass Dartmouth.
A can holder for a Budweiser.
A pretty dark view of a simple shower curtain.
The sun manages to just barely break through the clouds above a corn field.
Some interesting geometric shapes in some buildings.
I took this photo of an "Alice In Wonderland" plate we have on our mantle at home.
A glimpse at the inner workings of a light bulb.
A towering portrait outside of Boston's City Hall.
This magnifying glass/light combo is used in a projection booth.
I discovered this eerie tunnel entrance while roaming through the outskirts of Philadelphia.
A female protester sports a megaphone at a protest in Palestine's defense.
A group of rabbis participate in a rally at Boston City Hall.
This woman stands before police with a sign supporting the people of Iraq.
My friend, my wife, and I at the Shepard Fairey art exhibit in South Boston.
This sink has seen cleaner days.
A protester in Boston sports a "Fight Racism" shirt at City Hall.
Police stand in a row before a group of protesters against the war in Iraq.
A statue of George Washington in the Public Gardens of Boston.
A whaler statue in New Bedford, the whaling capital of the world and the setting for "Moby Dick."
Stacks of boxes containing old hats from a vintage clothing store.
A grumpy gentleman crossing the street in New York near Times Square.
This was taken during the first snow in Massachusetts in 2009.
My friend Laura and this wonderful gentlemen have a brief May/December relationship in South Boston.
Rock faces are stuck together forever in this sculpture in Cambridge, MA.
The dimly lit entrance to a bar in Philadelphia.
An Irishman all cheerful on the Irish holiday.
This skyscraper in Philadelphia looked like it was made out of tin foil.
A creepy photo I took in the attic of an old home.
A self portrait from one of my old apartments.
Nothing like some coffee and cereal around midnight.
An apartment with several balconies in New Bedford, MA.
The children are our future... and Wu-Tang is for the babies.
The sun sets over a windy field.
This trash can art almost looks like the work of Banksy.
I'm no flower expert but these are three, uh, flowers.
You can see into part of this body of water, as well as see its reflection.
A plastic skeleton sits on this sign.
A set of daisies on a street corner.
Players of a popular game in Chinatown.
This is a patch of a hardcore bunny.
This warehouse alerts the public in bright lights that it is indeed closed.
I took this exterior shot of the Chelsea Hotel in New York. Check out Ethan Hawke's movie "Chelsea Walls" if you haven't already.
Cellular devices fry your brain.
A peace sign is carved into this tree.
Street art in New York featuring none other than Einstein himself.
Some various things on the mantle above my fireplace.
Some docked ferries along the Hudson River.
Just a few colorful shirts from my small collection.
A junked ambulance in Cambridge, MA.
This office is officially closed as the sun begins to set.
A religious establishment has its cross lit by some pretty creepy lighting.
Even on a nice evening people just have to check Facebook from their mobile devices.
A portrait I took of my dog Abbey.
It was quite a sight to see this rainbow surround the sun on a road trip up to Maine.
A low angle view of a sight seeing bus tour through New York.
These have to be the biggest clouds I have ever seen.
A framed portrait of my mother in high school has a crack in it.
A sunset above a refurbished shoe loft.
Just a small amount of light hits this garage wall.
A building with a pretty sharp point.
The lobby of the Yankee Peddlar hotel in Connecticut.
An interesting photo posted to a tree in Providence, RI.
A photo of power lines that I may have over saturated just a little bit.
A Yale sweatshirt hanging beside a towel.
This chair shot benefits from some ominous lighting.
A New York pedestrian gets hit by rain at a cross walk.
The approach to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The glow from a sign looks like it is melting the chain link fence. Or not.
One of the many spray painted stencils in New York.
Miles of valleys could be seen from this particular mountain summit at sunset.
Some cool street art from L.A.
This is me, 75% silhouetted by the sun, at the top of a mountain in New Hampshire.
A series of out of focus trees in the forest.
Near the borders of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York the sun begins to set over the rolling hills below.
A truck sits by the curb as a storm starts to brew in the sky above.
This skateboarder gets in a nasty accident in a New York park.
A seagull takes flight over a frozen lake in winter.
A sink in an elementary school art room.
The headquarters to Variety in Los Angeles.
This particular office was very David Fincher.
Some wall art featuring surgical masks.
The sun sets on the Charles River near Harvard University.
A view from the peak of Mount Monadnock.
A tree surrounded by dimly lit fog.
I syumbled upon a legion of para-sailors once in South Boston.
Now I don't support the use of gasoline for anything more than just necessary means, but this Shell sign in Cambridge, MA looks pretty cool to me.
My friend Bill holds Molly, the smallest fully grown dog I have ever seen.
My friend Liam hikes in silhouette form near the Connecticut and Massachusetts border.
A still photo of Stanley Kubrick and its faint reflection.
I captured a still frame of digital blue lightning from a video display window.
This rock looks as if Picasso himself had sculpted it into a face.
My friends, Billy and Danny, are polar opposite twins when it comes to fashion.
This particular church is a very symmetrical creation.
An old fashioned mirror adds to the strange vibe of this ancient hotel hallway.
This church had what appeared to be golden windows during a sunset in the fall.
This Friendly's Ice Cream restaurant is surrounded by an imposing storm system.
I discovered this rotting Frankie Avalon RECord when I entered a run down trailer filled with decaying junk.
A flock of ducks make their way from the fumes of a gas station back to their natural habitat.
My dog Abbey sports the finest in dog sweater fashion during a walk through the woods in winter.
Some reservoir water takes on some dark reflections.
Some interesting shapes and shadows I saw on a church at night.
A courtyard lit with an eerie orange glow.
"Chew" is quite a popular graffiti tag in Wompatuk State Park.
The view from the bridge control station at the Padanaram Bridge in Dartmouth, MA.
An old fashioned restaurant with a rather contemporary BBQ sign.
This parking lot ended up looking a lot like "The Exorcist" poster with a couple automobiles in place of Max Von Sydow.
Goofing around in the woods by jumping off a rock and doing my best not to break any bones.
I captured the sunset pouring through some blinds the other day. It created quite an array of beautiful colors.
This is a shot I took of my hiking buddy Liam at the summit of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
A shot of a child's set of watercolor paint.
This section of UMass Dartmouth is fascinatingly asymmetrical.
I followed this man around New York as he would scream about social injustice to everyone he encountered.
Another example that money is indeed the root of all evil.
This color coordinated roller skater crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in style.
This billboard features the Dalai Lama and a message of peace.
Outside of an abandoned doorway to a decrepit home.
A tray of make up and cosmetics.
I met this homeless man near Central Park in New York. He had been homeless for over 20 years and was originally from a suburb of Connecticut.
These orbs are from the base of a green lamp.
This is a strip of celluloid in a movie theater projection booth.
This doorway looks like one that you would need a password to enter.
This old church in Copley Square lies before a massive skyscraper.
This bird reminded me of the pigeon that flies away from Rutger Hauer in "Blade Runner."
A row of books is slightly illuminated by the light of dusk.
This was taken during a power outage.
I saw this fascinatingly insane statue in a storefront window near Central Park in New York.
A man spends the afternoon near the corner of Grand Central Station in New York City.
An angry New Yorker flashes what may or may not be a winning ticket.
A wall is filled with light pouring in from an old window.
Strong shadows on an old sink at an antique shop.
This was an abrupt sunset over an abandoned warehouse.
A self portrait taken at a public phone in Philadelphia.
This random framed novelty art caught my eye in a New York storefront one afternoon.
It reads: "The World Fascinates Me," a quote from Andy Warhol.
My buddy Dan puffs away on a cigarette after we had been lost for several hours on a series of mountains bordering Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.
My friend Liam and I hiked Mt. Lafayette in New Hampshire this morning but had to turn back due to severe weather conditions just below the summit.
This is me several hundred feet before it got real nasty. The Franconia Ridge is in the background.
Representing Aldous Huxley.
The view of a stunning sunset outside the Back Eddy restaurant in Westport, MA.
My friend brought home this skull necklace after a month stay in Bali.
My dog Scout likes to lie down all exhausted under the front seat of the car after our daily trek through the woods.
Snapped this shot of an upside down rainbow today at the Freetown State Forest in Massachusetts.
A sequel to "Rock Jumping."
My dog Abbey passively ignores a group of fenced in alpacas at a local farm.
The ground is falling apart beneath us.
Geometry is all around us, which is what makes even hallway architecture fascinating.
A small amount of light makes its way onto a brick wall.
A shot of me blending into the leaves all around me.
* This might be a good image to make transparent for a Portrait Madness collaboration project.
A basement window during a massive rain storm.
The leaves of spring get energized by the power of the sun.
These white branches ended up really standing out in an interesting way.
Here I am posing below a statue of one of my heroes: Joshua Chamberlain of Maine.
For those unaware of Chamberlain, he led one of the greatest military defenses of all time during the battle of Gettysburg. And please, if you haven't already, watch Jeff Daniels' portrayal of Chamberlain in "Gettysburg." It's easily one of the most captivating performances ever.
This statue is at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine (a beautiful place to visit.)
This tree branch ended up being an intriguing contrast to the moss behind it.
These two faces are creepy. That's all I have to say.
A librarian made out of wood.
A group of skeletons begin their exodus from a haunted house.
Nature gets very involved with parking garages sometimes.
This farm's silo has seen better days in the roof department.
An atmospheric shot of a parking garage roof during a particularly foggy evening.
Some lumber disappearing into the darkness.
Windshield rain turns red at an intersection light.
A mansion is surrounded by a very intense sunset in Whitman, MA.
Look through the window. This house was the victim of arson. The entire roof and back of the home is burnt to a crisp.
A flurry of storm clouds begin to roll in over this house.
This condominium in the Charlestown Navy Yard is where Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) resided in Scorsese's "The Departed." I used to live really close to here. It's a really unique waterfront area. Very historic.
A man waits for the train in the early afternoon.
A black and white shot I took of my friend's kitchen.
Light finds its way into a dreary basement toward the end of the day.
One way to close a store officially is to newspaper up all the windows.
My wife and I took this photo of ourselves on the highway at 11 AM for our submission to the "A Moment In Time" photo project (see REsource for more information.)
We're just doing our small part to spread world peace and promote excessive coffee drinking.
I pulled up to my new apartment to start moving stuff in right at 11:11 AM.
A black and white shot of a brick building near Downtown New Bedford, MA.
Surely there a lot of memories packed into the grains of this chair.
A quiet street, just prior to a heavy dose of midnight fog.
My grandmother-in-law's ashes were spread at Gooseberry Island in Westport, MA this past Sunday. They were placed on the beach in the morning by my mother-in-law in the shape of a heart.
It was a beautiful ceremony for our family.
Some interesting branches I found on a recent hike.
I took this last night in a dark park at midnight. The sprinklers were still going off.
An advertisement tries to reach consumers through the massive fog.
A playground drenched in moisture.
Two rows of park benches at night.
Branches over a rock wall in the middle of the woods.
Last night, June 10th, I had the honor of being the recipient of the Massachusetts Education Association's "Friend of Education Award" for making the documentary "Painting the Past." Here I am pictured with my mom, Peggy Call-Conley, after the ceremony. And I made a new hitRECord button just for the occasion.
I just re-posted a link on Vimeo to the documentary: http://vimeo.com/12398643
I'm working on bringing the concept in the film (children interpreting stories from the elderly and painting them) to a more national level, and it would really mean a lot to me for everyone here to check out the documentary and share their reactions to it.
Thanks for all your support, guys! <3
And yes, that is indeed a 1940's hairstyle I'm sporting in this photo op.
I pour a strong cup of coffee like a true pro.
This puddle is inside an abandoned car that I discovered in the forest, pretty much burnt to a crisp.
One word that describes hitRECord possibly better than any other word.
A drummer sculpture from the "Path of Life" sculpture garden in Windsor, Vermont.
I took this shot at The Joint in Las Vegas on June 19, 2010. I got married at the Little White Chapel on The Strip the day before and had an awesome honeymoon at this show.
Last fall I got to do background extra work for James Mangold's "Knight and Day" when it filmed in Boston, MA. It was my second time doing background work. The first was in Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone."
It was a great experience doing "K&D" because the director, actors, and crew were all such wonderful people.
I took this shot just off set in Southie when we wrapped at the end of the day.
This is right by my computer. Thanks again!
The kinds of shapes tires make on sand. And then just add a shadow.
The shape of this tree is emphasized by a park light.
Some interesting things are floating around on the surface of this pond.
My Welsh Corgi puppy named Scout gives a good shake and releases a ton of water into the air.
Surely this boat in Padanaram Harbor (Dartmouth, MA) is Morgan M. Morgansen's sea vessel.
This is my dream totem, a Japanese Red Cross key chain that was given to me by an old friend about five years ago. It was the last day I ever saw him, and I make sure that it's always on my desk.
It weighs exactly .64 ounces... Actually I made that up. I have no idea how much it weighs.
A part of Sundance in my home. The cold weather can stay in Park City though
Taken within Central Park during a public concert.
Looking out into New York City from within Central Park.
A Statue of Liberty miniature is for sale at this New York souvenir shop.
I just received this beautiful hitRECOrd bracelet from Madeline ("imadealine" on hitRECord) all the way from California. Madeline is my pen pal and she sent me a really special package with all kinds of cool stuff, including a really nice letter.
Now that I've posted this on the site, I've gotten out my pen and pad to write a reply to her.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MADELINE!!! <3
Astrud (AKA RECharged) and I, each armed with a camcorder, took Boston by storm and did lots of RECording this afternoon/evening. Lots of dance footage and plenty of interviews with future hitRECorders to come...
Had to release at least one photo from earlier tonight... This time lapse performance was hypnotizing and majestic. I'll never forget it.
Joe RECords Nels in front of the moving city.
Joe discusses the Tiny Stories collaboration.
Nels shreds a solo over JeffPeff's time lapse beat.
Pianos turns into Cloud City.
The intensity of the music starts to heighten as flowers begin to bloom.
Marke's "Summer Live Stream!" image is on display as the audience rolls into Pianos.
A motion capture from the screening of "MMM 2" at the first "Summer In the City!"
Nels orchestrates a musical theme to SFBakstad's views of nature.
Yuka plays against the backdrop of the accelerated city.
wirrow's creations don the "Summer In the City!" screen as Nels plays guitar.
Joe RECords beneath the backdrop of wirrow's animation during a performance of "Everything Is On Fire."
Lizzie illuminates the "Summer In the City!" screen.
...a Carole King reference.
Flowers continue to take full bloom during Nels and Yuka's epic time lapse performance.
Members of the audience take the stage for some collaborative RECording of Nels and Yuka.
Time lapse RECording before SFBakstad's beautiful RECords.
Nels and Joe jump out of focus during "Summer In the City!"
An awesome collaborative rendition of "Row Your Boat" at "Summer In the City!"
hitRECorders take the stage to read from the Tiny Book of Tiny Stories.
Here is a shot of what my dad's RECord collection looked like. Circa 1985.
Group shot after the third "Summer In the City!"
Another group shot after the third "Summer In the City!"
RegularJOE talks with Haus of Glitch on stage at the third "Summer In the City!" show in New York.
RegularJOE and Lula do a live reading of "The Zeppelin Zoo" with Lionel up on the big screen.
My dog Scout catches up on some Tiny Stories.
This studio space was available for rent a few blocks away from Pianos in New York City. Just had to stop and take an overexposed picture of it.
The hotel I stayed at in Rockland, Maine was having a gathering for vintage car owners. This car, and composition, really stood out to me. It felt very Wes Anderson.
An old sink for washing dishes and miscellaneous items.
Steps with steps on them.
Believe it or not, but some inns have common areas that look like this. And no, that TV does not get 1080p resolution.
This is how the sun rises on Bailey Island, Maine.
A couple of porch chairs looking out at the coast of Maine.
The bathroom in this old inn has remained the same for some time.
Early morning along the coast of Bailey Island, Maine.
Easily the most disturbing photograph I've ever taken.
Rock piles in spiritual unison along a ledge in bailey Island, Maine.
A sailboat passes by the Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland, Maine. The lighthouse resides at the end of a jetty approximately 3/4 of a mile off the mainland. It's a beautiful spot which I highly recommend going to if you're on the East Coast.
The view from the Driftwood Inn on Bailey Island, Maine early on an October morning.
A statue of a soldier in Clasky Commons, a park in New Bedford, MA.
This is a memorial for the soldiers of New Bedford, MA who fought in the Korean War. It is in Clasky Commons.
All this moisture makes the window view blurry.
There's light on the outside.
A dreary afternoon leaves nature out of focus.
These two Amish figurines are obviously thinking about how much electricity sucks.
I was ALMOST Howard Hughes for Halloween this year. Shaved the mustache and shed the shirt and tie at the last minute.
The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future... The way of the future...
I took this in one of the art studios at UMass Amherst. The walls were filled with concrete tiles.
How I saw the architecture of UMass Amherst through my lens this past weekend for the Massachusetts Art Education Association's Fall Conference.
My mom and I presented our art documentary "Painting the Past" at UMass Amherst this Saturday for the Massachusetts Art Education Association's Fall Conference. As part of our presentation, we encouraged the art teacher attendees of our seminar to begin their own community-orientated projects with their students. Instead of the traditional hand-out, we gave each teacher a note card and had them write the following questions down so that they could begin to form their idea, its direction, and its eventual audience:
1. What do I want to show?
2. What do they need to see?
3. What are some ways I can show that?
4. When can I begin?
5. Who will I invite to collaborate?
Unfortunately the educational climate of today tends to cut the arts first once budget issues arise. i think that now, more than ever, it is of the utmost importance to integrate the arts from the classroom and out into the community.
Hopefully our presentation at UMass Amherst will encourage some teachers to think outside the box and break through the boundaries of the classroom, bringing their students' creations out into the community more.
Light can be dark or bright. Accept it all.
The new hairstyle for twenty/thirty-something males: The I don't give a fuck cut.
Not much going on at 8:00 on a Tuesday in New Bedford.
...and the rug factory is officially closed for the day.
The unofficial sequel to "Closing Time."
Sometimes you want to turn your back to the city, and just look the other way.
A barber shop in New Bedford, MA.
Silent streets where the automobiles wait impatiently to depart for the race tracks.
Some people park their cars here. Some people don't.
This gate is locked firmly against a dimly lit wall.
This gated sidewalk is about to take a drastic curve to the right ahead.
Hopefully one day this garage will be lined with rows of bicycles.
On top of Mount Cartigan in New Hampshire.
Getting my face burnt by the harsh wind and snow of Mount Cartigan. All for a silhouetted photograph at the summit.
Results of some mad scientist's evil experiments no doubt.
Customers went elsewhere on this Black Friday.
This is a playground in New Bedford, MA you SHOULDN'T go to at night and take photos in.
Several cars storm through a highway underpass.
A condemned warehouse in the bad side of the city.
Concrete beams surround this New Bedford skate park.
The brick wall of an urban school late at night.
Nature shines down on all of us and so seldom do we notice, or return the favor.
My pal awakens in the lodge we stayed in at the base of Mount Cartigan in New Hampshire.
One way out of the darkness is up a flight of stairs toward the highway.
This photo reminds me of Hyman Roth's quote from "The Godfather Part II" - "We're bigger than U.S. steel."
I found that these adjoining buildings created an interesting, and slightly unusual, composition.
...or should I say the SHADY loading dock...
One could easily get lost going from the first to second floor of this office building.
My dog Scout always stares out the window and watches me leave the house.
At sunset the world can appear to be made out of solid blocks.
Interpret the title as you will.
A vacant urban playground at night.
One of the gloomier driveways 'round the city.
For all of your vehicle cleaning needs...
All is not right with this particular supernatural street.
An uneven fence lurks beside an out-of-business Chinese restaurant.
I found this house interesting during "magic hour."
Objects may appear stranger when silhouetted.
A rather inanimate guard dog.
A supermarket customer starts to enter their car so they can get the hell out of the supermarket.
This light is less expensive than a wall-mounted flat screen TV.
But more useful.
My dog Scout had been going after the Christmas tree and its ornaments so we had to put her in jail for a few minutes.
My dog Scout and I read the Tiny Book of Tiny Stories together. Well, I read and she poses for the camera.
Purchase copies for you and your pets here: http://hitrecord.org/store/tiny_book.html
This old courthouse in New Bedford, MA gets nailed with a snowstorm.
It's not the North Pole... It's the Snow Pole.
All the cool kids take this bus to school.
Hanging out with a bunch of randoms in my hitRECord hat at a bar.
My wife and I aren’t sure if it’s a boy or a girl. We just know it’s an artist that can’t wait until the summer to get their first glimpse of the world. <3
I gave my mom a copy of The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories for Christmas and she delightfully posed in front of her house, still fully painted with copyright material from the movie "Inception."
Here are the links to the videos that inspired this:
"Inception" House Art - http://hitrecord.org/records/99173
"Inception" House Art: Part 2 - http://hitrecord.org/records/100683
* I did this really quickly. If a graphic design REmixer could come in and add some promo graphics (like the hitRECord logo, or the Tiny Stories promo logo) that would be great. The "Copyright Material" text can be center justified too. It'd be awesome for this to simply get polished a bit.
Angles, shapes, and shades are everywhere.
But you already knew that.
The view up from beneath a highway overpass.
This insect makes the trek to get to the high ground of some fabric.
A bunch of old computer monitor screens piled high at UMass Amherst.
Who wants to put some visuals into those screens?!
Signs of early attempts at eradicating the inch or so of snow in Southeastern Massachusetts.
...and moisture. Lots of moisture.
As Nas would say: "Never on schedule / But always on time."
LEFT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
Society certainly has its pressure on us all. One time I declared in high school I was going "the briefcase route" and started looking at my friends' dads who seemed "financially sound" and decided I'd possibly pursue what they did. You know, so I'd too have a Mercedes.
One guy I considered modeling my future after was an engineer and I did about two seconds of researching what an engineer does and said "No way!" and continued to make movies with my buddies every weekend, garnering $0 for years in the filmmaking category. And yet those days of being carelessly creative are what truly laid down a foundation I always look to for added inspiration or insight into the essentials of the creative process.
To this day I've never held a briefcase.
RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
Over the years I've overcome the term "ultimate slacker" while eventually managing to tune out the bells and whistles attached to the corporate environment. I've seen my status rise and fall on the ladder chiseled with the "c" word, and for a while I'd look back to that period of my life and feel pretty hollow and lifeless. Even my departures into art couldn't heal those feelings for quite a while.
But these days I I do exactly what I want to do. And if I ever feel trapped in doing something I'm not fully interested in or passionate about, I simply find the most interesting vantage point to view that thing from and find a way to relate it to the bigger picture of life, which always a satisfying form of reflection.
While our mortality is a very difficult subject matter to fully understand or digest, I'm a firm believer that one must focus on collecting as many precious moments, friendships, and dreams along the way as possible, while leaving behind the same in all different shapes and sizes.
My dog Scout just ordered a few batches of hitRECord buttons to support the people, Welsh Corgis, and all the other animals affected by the tragedy in Japan.
Please donate here: http://www.hitrecord.org/store/rec_button.html
Outside this window... is a bunch of branches.
Maybe this can serve as part of a visual REmix.
Got my hair did for tonight's "hitRECord at the Movies" telecast.
Got my new 'Banner T-Shirt' from the RECord Store. It gives me the energy I need to edit.
I think wirrow sent me the wrong book in the mail. :0
...THANKS, DUDE!!!
Snapped a photo at sunset of one of those marble globes below a window. It sort of did something for me. Perhaps parts of this could work their way into "a new hevn."
Jennifer made my daughter Kaia a series of onesies featuring artwork from the site by jonthewallflower and imadealine. <3 Thanks so much for everything Jennifer!!!
Some mirrors and the like down in Newport, RI.
Some ceiling track lights mid-afternoon.
Both ends of the spectrum.
Christmas comes early this year! “RECollection” has arrived!
Opening it feels like stepping on the bus during the first day of school or something - ya know, that nervous excitement. <3
Experiencing "RECollection" makes me feel like I'm 3 years old - all over again.
<3
Here's a Polaroid of my younger brother dressed up as a pumpkin on Halloween, around 1987 or so.
There are some interesting textures here that could be useful.
The stoop: for beer drinking and shadow seeking.
Taken on the Brown University campus in Providence, RI.
A toy house from a miniature train set.
Part of the business district from a miniature train set.
Took this shot at the Boston Aquarium.
Gotta start 'em young with books.
