My name is David and I want to be a filmmaker and I also love photography. This is a place to watch my videos, browse my pictures, hear what I'm listening to and read my thoughts. I'm currently a sophomore film and photography student in upstate New York. I go home to the upper midwest.
This is my final photo project for the semester. I’ve included my artist statement below. Let me know what you think! Peace.
Chasing After Deer-
These photos show a range of interactions that people have with nature, some of them direct, others are more subtle. There is an increasing attempt for environmental consciousness in society and with it has come this trend to return to a more natural state of being and this takes many different forms. These images are meant to show something very natural along with something very human. They ask the question of whether or not we can ever return to that state of being as well as the question of to what extent do we succeed in doing what is natural. The title comes from a song by the band Midlake, by the same name, and part of the words go:
For myself I must remind That the woods are usually kind And the sea is not mine And when you’re all alone And chasing after deer Don’t be upset if it’s scared And you can’t reach it
Yesterday was the last day of classes and with that came an amazing show featuring stellar performances from The Antlers, Man Man and Yeasayer. So much fun. After that some of my friends and I climbed trees and by 2 a.m. we were having a mud fight in the rain. A perfect way to end the semester. Peace.
I gotta get her new album. I like everything I hear of hers. I’m gonna have to make a record store run when I get home. Others on my list: The Hold Steady’s Heaven is Whenever, Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast and Turbo Fruit’s Echo Kid.
Edit: Also- Xiu Xiu’s Dear God I Hate Myself. Yes. Peace.
So as promised, I learned how to scan my negatives so I can post all my film photos I’ve been taking. This is from a series I did over Spring break while I was traveling around Pennsylvania. This is my friend Noah at the Italian Market in south Philly.
These guys are giving away two song from their upcoming release Expo 86 over here. Check it out! Even if only for the fact that they’re Canadian. Peace.
So you may remember me asking you to vote for the video that my roommate and I made for that contest over at patheos.com. Well today we found out that we won the grand prize of $2500! So thank you to everyone who voted. It was a total surprise. Here’s the video again:
As I’ve done from time to time since coming to school out here, I like to compile a little list of some new music that I’ve been introduced to that has struck me as particularly great.
Turbo Fruits- I saw these guys open for Surfer Blood at a coffee shop near my school and it was one of the best shows I’ve seen all year. These guys have a lot of energy and can really kick some ass. They’re from Nashville and you should head over to their site and download the songs they are giving away. I’ve been especially loving the ever so catchy whistling in “Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain.”
Surfer Blood- These guys put on a great show as I mentioned earlier and I especially liked the cool percussion things they were doing (blocks and cowbells and other fun stuff like that). They looked super young and I don’t know how old they are but it was cool to see such talent coming from them. I’m excited to see these guys mature and create.
Why?- I’ve mentioned these guys before but in the last 6 months, this band has quickly risen to the top of my most played list. They blend elements of hip-hop with pop hooks and rock elements while doing some cool experimental stuff along the way. I can’t get enough. They’re playing this summer in Minneapolis with Deerhoof and I’m currently trying to get those tickets.
Now I should get to some real work that needs to get done. Have a lovely evening folks. Peace.
So I saw the Flaming Lips tonight. It was in a word: amazing. I saw them a few years ago at the Minnesota State Fair but I was just getting into their music at that point so this was a totally different experience. My friends and I were up close, the 6th row or so and I had the pleasure of touching Wayne Coyne’s shoe as he crowd surfed above us in his inflatable space bubble. The music was stellar, the crowd was energetic (although I would have like more jumping, I was jumping but those around me kept their feet on the ground for the most part which is a shame really), the stage was very impressive and it all made for a perfect show. It was great to be there with so many great friends too; I’m glad I go to a school where many of my friends get as excited about things like this as I do.
This was an unforgettable show and I feel so lucky that I saw them again. It was a total surprise when I heard they were playing, I didn’t believe it at first. I almost still can’t believe it. It was an experience like no other. Peace.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of film photography lately so I haven’t posted any new photos recently. We’re learning how to us the film scanners soon so I hope to get those up as soon as possible. They include my spring break photos from Pennsylvania and this week I’ve been doing some night photography for a project. I’m excited to see how those turn out. Film is a lot of fun, I’ve really enjoyed working in the dark room and I’ve liked the results. I’m shooting on my parents’ old Canon FTb that has a broken advance lever but still works. I’m going to have to find a place back home where I can do dark room developing. I want to do it more. Peace.
