When I was younger, I learned the hard way not to buy cheap hand bags. I bought a bunch of these (including illegitimate knockoffs sold to me in a backroom somewhere in Chinatown — which I will never again do for so many reasons!) and they would never last.
Lo & Sons "The Claremont" bag that I'm parting ways with
Now that I'm older and (so I hope) somewhat wiser, I invest in handbags that will last me a while and put up with abuse. I take the subway almost every day of the week so bags I wear can't just look pretty but they really have to function, especially under stress. A bag I carry should be able to get bumped into by a hobo and brush it off! Not only that, it should be able to fit all the junk I need in a day (wallet, digital devices, makeup, etc). Continue reading "In Search Of a Good Camera Bag"
Now that Labor Day has come and gone, I cry in a corner wishing for a do-over of summer think about how I spent my summer and reminisce.
Much of the summer was spent in the city. As is always the case for me, I start to get tired of it and I need a change of pace to remind me why I call this gem of a city home.
First stop, San Diego.
Glittery Beach
We took on Coronado Beach which, due to the presence of mica, glitters like someone dropped a glitter bomb across the entire beach. Also notable were the donuts (and donut-like poptarts) at The Donut Bar.
Many years ago, when I was still new to digital photography, I started using Apple's software Aperture to manage my digital asset library. I've continued using Aperture, even after Apple announced that they were discontinuing it. For a little while, I refused to believe that they were ceasing support considering how much progress they had made with analogous products like Final Cut but it's truly over.
When I was in college (which feels like so many moons ago!), I took an Intro to Photography class. I took the class because, with the easy availability of digital cameras, I had already started taking a ton of photos but wanted to do it a little better. I didn't know what an SLR was (or what those letters even meant) and had no idea about all the different components you can manipulate to take a picture, all to different effect.
Beautiful Sunday — one of my favorite photos as it makes a nice desktop background!
I think I ended up getting a film SLR (that's single-lens-reflex, by the way) camera for Christmas and using that for a while throughout the class but the exposure triangle kind of alluded me for a long time. It wasn't until I started using a digital SLR — with the abundant low cost tolerance for trial and error — that it finally clicked.
A friend of ours suggested we visit the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx this past weekend to check out the Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibition. I happily obliged. The NYBG is one of my favorite places to go in the city. When I was "fun-employed" — that planned period of time between ending one job and starting a new one — I made a point of heading over there. I don't know if many transplants to the city visit it, but they should; it's a beautiful garden and you almost forget you are in the midst of 8 million people.
Lately, I've been into carrying smaller purses on the weekends. It forces me to think about the bare essentials and probably reduces strain on my shoulders that are accustomed to carrying a bag that can at worst accommodate a 13" work laptop or at best carry around my 9" iPad plus a number of other odds and ends (giant wallet, makeup bag, etc).
This is a big shift for me as, for a while, I was only buying bags that could fit my camera. Since my camera (Canon DSLR) takes up a lot of room, I've been seriously considering down-sizing and have rented other cameras over the last 6 months just to get an idea of what I might like to buy (or not). When Adorama Camera had their infamous Passover rental special (10 days more or less for the cost of a weekend), I decided to pick up a camera I had wanted to try the last time they had one of these sales — the Leica Q. Continue reading "Reviewing the Leica Q"
It's February which means I'm officially back in New York City (at least for now). I've always wanted to travel in January and February but husband and I historically have rarely been able to get our act together to do it. This time, I was traveling for work so everything was booked and mostly organized before 2016 was over. Of course, there's a saying about the best laid plans…in short, they don't always go as planned.
I happened to be flying to London the day of the first major snowfall of 2017 in New York City. Of course it would be a snowy day! Why wouldn't it be? Throughout the day, I kept checking on the status of my flight and it continued to say it was "on time." Meanwhile, the cost of my Uber to the airport was double the cost of a regular taxi (hello, surge pricing!) and the fact that I even took an Uber tells you a lot as I never take Uber (for personal reasons I'll discuss at another time).
To make a long story short, my flight did not depart until FOUR HOURS after its scheduled time. I think I learned my lesson about flying during peak New York snow season! However, I did get to fly Premium Economy on a Delta flight operated by Virgin Atlantic. In this class, I was greeted with a welcome sparkling wine. Delays and all, I could definitely get used to flying like this.
I can get used to welcome champagne and a cute little overnight bag.
Champagne I enjoyed at midnight in New Orleans (photo taken by Fuji X100T camera I rented – click on any photo to see full size version on Flickr)
After many days off from work and some fun travels, I'm now back in New York City and ready to resume my normal routines again — well, somewhat. The new year is all about resolutions but I didn't make any specific ones. Instead, I'm striving to have a majority of happy and healthy days in 2017. In keeping with that, there are a lot of things I will continue to do, or simply do more often, but I'm not aiming for some sort of dramatic change.
I think, despite what we say every January 1st, we are all creatures of habit. I'm going to focus on all my good habits like investing in my body with exercise and eating well and hobbies like reading (now with my new kindle paperwhite – thanks, Santa!), writing and taking photos.
And, speaking of photos, I took a bunch over the past week or so. I've been meaning to try out a mirrorless camera for a WHILE and I just haven't gotten around to it. I think this also ties into my being a creature of habit; I love my old Canon SLR and it, in return, has been very good to me over many many years. I'm typically pretty good with my electronics so they last a while – this camera is no different. That said, it's a little big for traveling and doesn't have any of the bells and whistles that newer cameras have.
So when Adorama (one of my favorite places for camera equipment in the city) was having a Christmas rental deal, I decided to go all out and rent a Leica Q. But that was taken because I didn't act fast enough, so I ended up with the Fuji X100T instead. In truth, I'm glad I ended up with the Fuji because it is way less expensive and therefore something I could consider buying in the future. Though, honestly, I still think I need to do a little more digging before I settle on a mirrorless camera. While the X100T is a really nice camera, there are some things about it that quickly became deal breakers for me. Continue reading "New Year and New Camera"
At work, there is a gallery show for our department called the "Art of the Commute." Below are my submissions:
At the Start by Jen GallardoAn Empty CarBlue, in need of OrangeThe Ghosts of MidtownMaybe Breakfast?Exiting Last Leg
Essentially, my approach was to photograph the disparity between where I begin my commute and where my commute lands me. I begin in my neighborhood which is pretty calm and quiet (for the most part). Most days, I get to the station and I will find a seat on the train as I'm at the last stop on the A train (where it terminates and then begins to head back downtown).
In contrast, after about 30 minutes on the train or so, I end up at 59th Street Columbus Circle. This is a relatively large station on the west side and a big connection point in the morning. As such, there is always a lot of hustle and bustle and tons of people walking around. I used long exposures to show in one frame the multitude of movement and people that's happening at that time of day.
It's here where I start the second leg of my trip, waiting for a B or D train to take me to Rockefeller Center where the building I work in is currently located. The Rockefeller station it not as big but just as nearly populated as so many other commuter's trips terminate there. There is a network of office buildings connected underground so there are a lot of people in and around the station. The revolving doors in the station lead to the underground shops in the "Concourse" level where one can find breakfast and emergency dry cleaning and shoe shining, among other things.
Perhaps if the series could have been longer (we were limited to a certain number of photos), I would have considered taking a photo of my desk (where my commute officially ends) or perhaps even my bed (where my commute officially begins).
My boyfriend Anthony is probably my greatest model. He is always ready and willing to stand by and let me take his portrait. Secretly, I think he enjoys being in front of the camera a tiny bit (even though he will never admit this). Below are some photos I captured of Anthony with a one light set up. The one light, besides ambient lighting, was a Canon flash unit that I shot through a softbox.
Anthony Test Portrait #1 by Jen GallardoAnthony Test Portrait #2 by Jen GallardoAnthony Test Portrait #3 by Jen Gallardo
