Social Issues

35 MM / Cameras / DSLR / Digital Photography / Events / Nikon D70 / Social Issues / Strobist / Technique — No Comments
9
Feb 10

Photoshoot for cast of MLK in a Hip Hop World

A little background information about this act sourced from a PR release:

Rooted and grounded in the civil rights era, “MLK in a Hip Hop World” allows audiences to observe dramatic scenes through the lens of the hip-hop generation. We are reminded that hip-hop is not just a form of music but an undeniable social movement.“MLK in a Hip Hop World” examines the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., contemplates his work and lifts his legacy to the rhythm and pulse of the streets.

“MLK” reminds viewers of Dr. King’s history and philosophy through a cultural perspective that has influenced our progress as a diverse nation.“MLK in a Hip Hop World” is an original theatre piece written and performed by ACT alumni and Asante Touring Company members Jocque “Coosto” Carey, Cleo “The Dark Knight” House, Vincent “LL” Jordan and “King” David Orr, under the direction of Deborah Asante, Founder and Artistic Director.

Camera Phone / Digital Photography / Social Issues — 2 Comments
27
Oct 09

Don’t know what to believe anymore!

IMG00025(Disclaimer: I do not endorse the above website, but I thought the flyer was interesting. Seen at the intersection of Guilford and Westfield in Broad Ripple Village)I don’t know what to believe anymore. I read NY Times but quickly scan to the technology section. I have turned a blind eye to the economic news, yes we are recovering but where are the jobs? Now we hear that banks are conducting business as usual, when will they learn? I am disappointed by our government. It is held hostage by special interests. There have to be term limits in Congress – to stop some from sabotaging the work of many. I am disappointed by the double standards our Government applies to Nations. If it is convenient we turn a blind eye to human rights abuses. We import products of suspect quality to save a few bucks. We allow drug companies peddle their junk science. We are wasting money creating drugs for diseases that don’t exist while ignoring those that do because there is no profit to be made. I am disappointed!

Alternate Cameras / Camera Phone / Digital Photography / Social Issues / Thoughts — 1 Comment
13
Oct 09

Never too young to start training for McDonald’s Job

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I was at Target the other day shopping for some baby stuff and came across this toy. It is a replica of cash register with replicas of the various food items sold at McDonald’s stores. I understand that for many teens across the world a job at McDonald’s is a good deal and a nice training ground for future careers. But a toy for 3 year olds may be going a bit too far, what do you think?

Social Issues / Thoughts — 1 Comment
9
Oct 09

Mr. President turn down the Nobel Peace Prize

barrack-obama-at-the-un-pic-reuters-454708089I cannot believe I am saying this but I agree somewhat with a NY Post article about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes his achievements are great but the Prize should be awarded for a body of work with concrete results and not hypothetical projections. I felt the same way when Vice President Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for his work on Climate Change. If a pretty presentation can win you the prize then Apple CEO Steve Jobs should win for his amazing Keynotes. This award may actually end up hurting President’s chances of steering his domestic and international agenda. President Obama should do the right thing and politely decline the award. He can then use this opportunity to press his agenda forward. Mr. President Turn Down This Award!

Camera Phone / Digital Photography / Indianapolis / Social Issues / Street Photography / Thoughts — No Comments
8
Oct 09

Legitimate anger or misguided nationalism?

Looks like the economy is finally takings its toll. I saw one sign of it yesterday at a local gas station on 62nd Street (Broad Ripple Ave.). Someone pasted stickers on the pumps with what seemed to be some kind of a nationalistic statement. It looked like the gas station operator/owner made an unsuccessful attempt to remove them.
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The same person may have also written in permanent marker “Stop All Jap Crap” which to me seemed like a call for boycotting Japanese car brands.
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I personally think that this person is taking his anger out on the wrong people. Japanese Companies make most of their cars in the US or Canada pumping millions of dollars into the local economy. Just ask the folks in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio where Honda and Toyota manufacture bulk of their cars.
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We are all suffering from this poor economy in our own unique way, some are just more fortunate than the others.

Events / Indianapolis / Social Issues — No Comments
21
Aug 09

Second Helpings Graduates it’s 55th Culinary Class

Second Helpings, an Indianapolis based NPO, graduated it’s 55th culinary class. It was an emotional affair both for the graduates and the staff. Here are some photos from the event:

Digital Photography / Events / Indianapolis / Portraits / Social Issues / Street Photography — 1 Comment
20
Aug 09

IndyFringe opens with a bang and a raucous party!

20090820-20090820-59The 2009 edition of the IndyFringe Festival opened with a raucous party under a giant big tent. The honorable mayor of Indianapolis, Greg Ballard, opened the festival with the help of Indy’s coolest weatherman,radio personality bar none, 50% of the ‘Off the Cuff” web comedy show , the one and only, Paul Poteet. Several of us will be seeing plays at various venues around town and will be blogging about them on Smaller Indiana. In the meantime here are some photos yours truly took over the course of the evening.

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18
Aug 09

Protected: Indiana Campus Compact Social Venture Institute

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35 MM / Digital Photography / Indianapolis / Rangefinder / Social Issues / Technique — 3 Comments
15
Aug 09

A Spirited Debate on Healthcare Reform without Angry Mobs

Last night around 80 hoosiers gathered at the IndyFringe Theater (719 East St. Clair Street, Indianapolis, IN) to listen to two very qualified teams debate whether healthcare was a right or privilege. For more details about the debate visit the debate page on Smaller Indiana. I had the privilege of photographing this debate using both a Nikon D70 DSLR (18-35mm and 80-200mm lenses) and a Canonet QL17 rangefinder (with Fuji Neopan 1600). I still have to finish shooting the roll to develop the film, but in the meantime here are the photos from the DSLR.

Digital Workflow Details:
Camera: Nikon D70 with 18-35mm and 80-200mm AF Nikkor Lenses
ISO: 1600 (Did not want to use flash) in Raw+ JPEG Mode
Image Logging and Processing: Adobe Lightroom
Adjustments: Noise Reduction applied to both Color and Luminance until desired results achieved
Output: Converted to JPEGs using Lightroom export feature at 50% quality to reduce size

35 MM / Indianapolis / Portraits / Social Issues / Technique — 1 Comment
8
Aug 09

The Americans (PK Edition) [Images from The Indiana State Fair 2009]

Indiana State Fair 2009 Tractor Shuttle or Midwest on Wheels

Click on the Photo to View The hi-res Version

Recently I borrowed Robert Frank’s book “The Americans” from the Glendale branch of the IMCPL. It is a collection of photographs taken by the author and is considered to be one of the most important collections of of photographs since WWII. I wish I could do the same, but I have to be realistic. Instead of venturing out and traveling the country, I decided to go where the people from all walks of life are guaranteed to show up – the State Fair. At first I thought about walking around the State Fair grounds and taking photos, but it was too uncomfortable (with a baby stroller) and difficult for me especially with the crowds milling around. Then I had a great idea – again inspired by Robert Frank’s photo (see below):

Street Car by Robert Frank

Street Car by Robert Frank

I decided to park myself on a bench under a tree and wait for the Tractor Shuttle to go by. I set my camera to 1/500 s at f/16 to ensure I had enough DOF and not worry about focussing too much and only composition. What you see above are all the photos put together to look like one big Tractor Shuttle.

Technical Details:

Camera: Canon AE-1 with 50mm Normal Lens
Film: Fuji Neopan 1600 rated 1000
Exposure: 1/500 sec at f/16
Developer: Kodak HC-110 (Dilution H) 14 Minutes at 68ºF
Scanner: Nikon Coolscan 4000
Software: Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS3

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