Thanksgiving Weekend 2010 (1901)

I dint have much to do for thanksgiving as my family is abroad so I thought of doing something different. I went back in time. I took a couple of photographs from the hat project and I traveled in the New York of the early XXth century, I think it was around 1901, just at the turn of the century. Very cold that year in November. I had an exact address. I went to the Camera Club of New York, on Twenty-ninth street. Mr. Steichen, the photographer, happened to be there so I met him, I told him about the hat project and I showed my prints. He didn't like it at all but he told me I could at least improve the printing. You know, I went with a digital print! very flat and no texture. Mrs Steichen was then working with the gum bichromate printing technique which I loved. He took a picture of my prints with his large format camera and we printed the shots using this cool process. Please see the result below.
Before coming back I got a coffee from a street cart, very nice.

WORD: ASKEW

Askew:
To one side; awry

WORD: LUST

Lust:
Intense or unrestrained sexual craving

WORD: SPEECHLESS

Speechless:
Unexpressed or inexpressible in words

Week 18 (October 17)

WORD:

Week 18 (October 16)

pensieri

He stood still, chose his words carefully and then proceeded to speak in an eloquent, courteous tone.

"The wild beasts that roam over Italy, have their dens and holes to lurk in, but the men who fight and die for our country enjoy the common air and light and nothing else. It is their lot to wander with their wives and children, houseless and homeless, over the face of the earth. And when our generals appeal to their soldiers before a battle to defend their ancestors' tombs and their temples against the enemy, their words are a lie and a mockery, for not a man in their audience possesses a family altar; not one out of all those Romans owns an ancestral tomb. The truth is that they fight and die to protect the wealth and luxury of others. They are called the masters of the world, but they do not possess a single clod of earth which is truly their own."
Tiberius Gracchus, Roman consul. Roman forum 133BC

Week 18 (October 12)

WORD: "HYPERBOLE"

Hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect

WORD: "GENUINE"

Genuine:
Actually possessing the alleged or apparent attribute or character

WORD: "POTENTIAL"

Potential:
The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being

WORD: "MISSING"

Missing:
Not able to be found

Week 16 (October 5)

WORD: "SMILE"

Smile:
A pleasant or favorable disposition or aspect

WORD: "DOTYK"

Dotyc (polish for 'Touch'):
To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel

WORD: "CREATIVITY"

Creativity:
The ability to create

Week 14 (September 20)

WORD: "EMPATHY"

Empathy:
The power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings

Today I tried something different. I shoot the subject like I always do, with the dark jacket and the white shirt but then I tried to shoot him like he came into my apartment/studio: with his t-shirt on. Today I still prefer the 'classic' shot but I think I will keep doing that for a while and see what I prefer.
The original idea of this project was to have everybody look the same, just the face different. With no eyes of course. I listened to some critiques and I decided that this project can evolve... I am going to keep the hat and the lighting as a unifier but try different look. That may be interesting as it can reveal more about the personality of the subject. I am still not sure thought. I still like the challenge of creating interesting images changing only the expression (with no eyes) - the eyes are the mirror of the soul... I want to get the soul out without showing them!

Any feedback? anybody out there?

I love today's word.

Also, I shot a beautiful portrait of the same subject. He is a writer and I think it shows in the photo. Also, the eyes are closed, and you tell me if the soul is not showing!
It is not part of the project but I want to show it anyway... cos it is nice, and I guess it is a nice break from the 'hat project', the eyes are not showing anyway! F

Week 13 (September 15)

WORD: "INCROYABLE"

Incroyable (French):
Not to be believed

Week 12 (September 9)

WORD: "AWESOMENESS"

Awesomeness: Inspiring awe

Week 12 (September 6)

WORD: "IRONIC"

Ironic: characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is

Today is labor day. This day is celebrated symbolically by most Americans as the end of summer. It is the last day of a long weekend, I can imagine the traffic on the roads with all the cars coming back from a nice break from the everyday routine. I did not go away. New York city was nice and empty, it starts to be cooler.

And I took this nice shot.

Fabio

Week 11 (September 2nd)

WORD: "STOICISM"

Stoicism:
A form of conduct conforming to the precepts of the Stoics, especially as characterized by indifference to pain and pleasure

WORD: "SPIRITED"

Spirited:
Full of or characterized by animation, vigor, or courage

There is a storm coming.

night...

if you want to participate to the project please send me an email: fabio.luzzi@gmail.com

Week 8 (August 10)

WORD: "FEARLESS"

Fearless:
Without fear (fear: extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power)

I actually have a story related to this word. It was a time when I experienced what it means to be fearless. Many years ago I was in my parents car driving at night in the suburbs or Rome. I was with a friend of mine and we were going nowhere. I remember my friend being upset for something but I can't recall the reason why. At some point we got kind of lost end we ended up in some secondary road, there were no buildings around but just a few small houses with big land around them. There were no street lights and I remember it being a dark night, probably no full moon and cloudy sky. So pretty dark. After a small discussion I convince my friend that we should make a u turn and go back to the city. The road was narrow so I had to enter into this private land to make a u turn and drive back where we came from. So I drive in and I start to maneuver, I could not see a thing. Then I hear this fucking dog barking like crazy, if there is a devil for dogs that dog was it. I could not see it but it sounded so pissed off. He was right there. So listen to this... my friend goes 'this fucking dog is driving me crazy', he OPENS the door and steps outside the car to face the dog. Well, I thought that was it. It was a long 20 seconds... I thought my friend was going to die first and then the dog would have came inside and fucking eat my face. Then I don't hear the dog anymore, my friend enters the car again and goes "let's go". He scared the dog away.

WORD: "RELIEF"

Relief:
Something that affords a diversion from monotony

Week number 7 (August 5)

WORD: "CRAVE"

Crave:
To desire intensely

So happy with today's session. I started with the guy, we took few serious looking shots and they were great. Then I say - let's try something different now, let's try a few smiles.
He goes - ok... actually can I scream? -yes, do whatever you feel like doing. I say
and he goes - can I actually scream? or do you want me to fake it?
- scream man.
god, that was loud! and long... imagine the scream of someone that is fearing death, that is about to be killed. It was that kind of scream.
I liked the shot and we did many different screams but I picked the first that I shot. I love it.

WORD: "MISCHIEVOUS"

Mischievous:
Playful in a naughty or teasing way.

And the girl, lovely. This was a difficult choice. When I started working on this project I didn't really pictured having portraits of people sticking their tongue out, but this shot is too nice I had to use it. I had many different ones: serious, smiley, pissed off... a collection of many different emotions from this lovely girl. But this one is just too good, it looks so natural I wonder if she was really doing that to me! I did not ask her to do it, she just did it!

What a week! people, keep coming...

Fabio

Week number 7 (August 4th)

WORD: missing

WORD: "LOVE"

Love:

The son of goddess Venus and god Mars. Also known as Cupid.

This nice man is so tall that I had to use a chair to look through the viewfinder, and I am 6 feet tall! He told me he will retire soon and then will go to Paris for one year with his wife.

He traveled almost two hours to come and get a photo with a hat on, I am glad he did.

His word is 'love', I looked for a definition but did not like any. So I just used Cupid, the god of love. Some words you can't really define them with one definition I guess.

Week number 6 (July 29 2010)

WORD: "FEISTY"

Feisty:

Full of spirit or pluck. Lively, resilient, and self-reliant

She is an actress. I saw her once on stage, she is a very good actress, and I knew it was going to be an easy shot. It is always easy with actors. I just have to press the shutter release, they do the rest. And it is always good. Beautiful picture.

Tutto fu ambito e tutto fu tentato.

Quel che non fu fatto io lo sognai

e tanto era l'ardore che il sogno eguagliò l'atto

GdA

To be continued...

Fabio

Week number 6 (July 27)

WORD: "LIBERTAD"

Libertad (Spanish):

The power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.

WORD: "VERDAD"

Verdad (Spanish):

The quality of being true, genuine, actual, or factual

Hi there. Thank you to all my followers.

One thing that I start liking about this is that I am taking pictures of people I have never seen before, I only meet them when they come for the shoot! in front of the camera's eye.

It makes me think of the following story. I met a photographer this year that is working on a project taking pictures of mums, he never meets them before the shooting sessions. He has an agent that looks for women with children and in a certain age range. And... this is the most interesting part: he takes the photos with a large format camera (one of those old school camera) without even looking at the subject. He takes two shots, and he choose the best of the two...

Here are some other shots from previous weeks:

WORD: missing

WORD: missing

WORD: "CURIOSITY"

Curiosity:
An eager desire to know

Good night
Fabio

Week number 5 (July, 22 2010)

WORD: "RENAISSANCE"

Renaissance:

A revival of intellectual or artistic achievement and vigor.

Another week went by.. this project makes me feel even more how time waits for no man.

Another two beautiful subjects and two nice words. It is interesting how when reading the word next to the photo, any word to any photo, the word gets a different 'sound'...

Here my second friend:

WORD: "LUNACY"

Lunacy:
Insanity, especially insanity relieved intermittently by periods of clear-mindedness.

Today I will close with a verse, cos I feel like it:

"Four o'clock,
Here is the number on the door.
Memory!
You have the key,
The little lamp spread a ring on the stair.
Mount,
The bed is open; the tooth-brush hangs on the wall,
Put your shoes at the door, sleep, prepare for life"
TSE

Week number 4 (July 15 2010)

WORD: "KISMET"

Kismet:

Fate or Destiny in Turkish and Urdu, a predetermined course of events, from Persian qesmat, from Arabic qisma, lot, from qasama, to divide, allot; see qsmin Semitic roots.

Amigos,

It has been a thought week. But finally after 2 cancelled appointments (of which one was cancelled last minute, actually past the minute. I was ready to shoot and the lady text me saying "I am still on a boat" - for a second I thought I was still living in Miami!) I finally shot again!

Two great subjects. It was fun.

PHOTO 1 - So guys, I introduce you to one of the two shots of the day. There, above, the male shot.

What do you think? it's my first real laugh on the project.

I also have the word: KISMET. I never heard this word before, so new word for me! it means 'fate', it doesn't sound like an English word right?

PHOTO 2 - Here is the second subject of the day, the female subject. I really like this one, it is so simple but so nice at the same time. I don't have a word yet, will get it and update it soon...

WORD: "FACADE"

Facade:

An artificial or deceptive front

Technical details: I placed a white umbrella on one of the lights and placed it between the background and the subject and now the background is nice and white - no photoshop necessary - before I used to have it behind the background as initially I wanted to have some kind of halo. I think all white is nicer for this project. The umbrella is pointing at the background. I want to try the opposite also...

Buona notte

Fabio

The beginning

Week number 3 (July 7th) - NYC

It all started with this self portrait that I had to take for a photography assignment...

I set up the lights, put a hat on and pushed the remote. I got a decent self-portrait that I printed and hanged over my bed.
Why? my teacher once said "I hang my work where I can see it before going to bed so it sticks in my subconscious in my sleep. If I still like the shot after few days then that's it, it goes into the project box"... cool.

After few days I still liked the shot and I actually had an idea: I want to take at least 100 portraits of other people with the same hat on and their eyes shadowed. Men and women, al nationalities, all color, all ages (almost). NYC is the perfect city for this.

If I take 3 portraits per week I can get 100 portraits in ~33 weeks, that is ~233 days. So more or less I am giving myself one year to finish this... or maybe I will just keep going...

Why am I doing this? I have 14 portraits so far and I don't have an answer yet, but it's a lot of fun. It's fun to take the photos and it's great to look at the results.

Actually: I will publish a portrait book.

Do you want to be bart of the project?

I have 3 rules only:
1) everybody has to wear the same hat (of course) provided by me and the same clothes style as follows. Men: white shirt and black suit jacket; Girls: strapless (jewelry as they like)
2) you will need to sign a standard model release form
3) you will have to give me one word to go with your photo. The word does not have to be related to the picture. It is just a word that for some reason is meaningful to you.
I can give you a 5x7 print for free if you like but I will not be able to give you the file. I can make bigger prints for a small fee to pay for the ink (it is super expensive and the printer sucks like a biatch)

These are not fashion portraits, it is about real people with a (real) hat on...

start your engines... few of my latest:

WORD: "GLOW"

Glow:
A light produced by a body heated to luminosity

WORD: "INSPIRED"

Inspired:

adj. Of such surpassing brilliance or excellence as to suggest divine inspiration: an inspired musician; an inspired performance.

WORD: "REDELICIOUS"

WORD: "QUANTUM"

Quantum:

A quantity or amount. Physics: The smallest amount of a physical quantity that can exist independently.

WORD: "NOMAD"

Nomad:

A person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer.

l'ultima (per oggi...)

WORD: "CUPCAKE"

Cupcake:

n. A small cake baked in a cup-shaped container.

Goodnight ma frends,
Fabio