My Waking Life

New Blog :: david.luceoimages.com

2008-10-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

http://david.luceoimages.com

Mr. Tim Lytvinenko was kind enough to hook me up with a new blog under the Luceo Images domain. My new diggs features a new design, bigger photos and a freedom of Blogger's questionable policy regarding image rights. So please check me out, and change your bookmarks.

Green

2008-10-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my lapse in posts. Been shooting a number of jobs that can't be posted in my blogosphere right now but will have some fun new material as soon as some work gets published, especially a four-part series for XXL Magazine that I'm pretty excited about. Also in the process of migrating my blog to a new domain under the flag of Luceo Images and should have that new link within the week. So here's a few images from life and times and more to come.

RNC 2008 :: Finale

2008-09-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Two weeks, 1,000 miles, 5,897 photographs, one can of pepper spray in the face, and countless amazing experiences and here I am at the end of the political circus that is the DNC and the RNC. Quite a wild ride and definitely left a new-found taste for political photography on my pallet. Within the next week I should have a more comprehensive edit on my website for anyone interested.

Fortunately and unfortunately I missed the police brutality and tear gassing trying to slide into the convention last night at the last minute. Had the lucky chance to walk and listen to the wise words of Ed Kashi on the long walk to the Xcel Center where the RNC was housed. The man is an amazing photographer and spoke with a certain candor that was refreshing in the world of spin I've lived in for the past couple weeks.

Last but not least a big thank-you to Alex Boerner and his brother and sister-in-law who were kind enough to put me up for the week. Also some thanks to the talented Edmund Fountain who helped keep me informed this week and shot some bad-ass images that can be found on the newly formed Rapport photo agency site and to the infamous Ramin Rahimian for being his oddly wonderful self. Oh and that Matt Slaby character for putting up with me for two weeks and shooting some great photographs.

RNC 2008 :: Palin Takes the Stage

2008-09-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Spent the whole day inside and right at the gate yesterday. No pepper spray, just a lot of Republicans in red. Here's a slice from the night. Oh, and any photo editors who come across this, I do have a large selection online and available for licensing.

RNC :: First Half

2008-09-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Been an interesting ride so far here in St. Paul, Minnesota. Spent most of my first day of coverage recovering from a direct hit of pepper spray which covered most my torso including my eyes and made my skin blister up. At least my misery made for some humorous photos for other photographers I know (in my cynical viewpoint anyway). Second day had another big confrontation between the police and protesters which I was stuck behind police lines and missed unfortunately. More images to come but here's a few anyway.

The Gap Between

2008-09-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Went on a little road trip across middle America with Matt Slaby on our way from the Republican National Convention to the Democratic National Convention. The whole stretch was absolutely beautiful and bizarre in a wonderful way. More to come from the RNC in St. Paul Minnesota.

DNC 2008 :: The Big Show

2008-08-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Shot the final day of the DNC at Invesco Stadium yesterday and had a great time doing it. I ended up getting the floor pass that I had my heart set on but then got annoyed with getting pushed around by secret service who continued to force photographers further and further back until the pass was a waste of time. I could have worked some ninja magic to stay down there (like Matt Slaby and a number of others did) but I decided instead to go to the absolute highest level of the stadium behind the podium where I knew I could play around and not be hassled. I was pretty happy with the results. For any editors who happen to read this, Luceo Images photographers have hundreds of images available for licensing in an online gallery upon request and we will be covering the Republican National Convention this upcoming week.

And last but not least, here's some of the bad-ass photographers I had the pleasure of working around and hanging out with this week (if I forgot to list you, then I still love you and just forgot your last name or something like that, like Michal).

Matt Slaby
Ramin Rahimian
Christian Hansen
Chris Detrich
Melissa Lyttle
Preston Gannaway
Noah Rabinowitz
Yoon S. Byun
Tim Hussin
Eric Thayer
Melissa Golden
Katie Orlinsky
Theo Rigby
Silvia Razgova
Juan Carlos
Nathan Armes

DNC 2008 :: Protests & Surprise Obama's

2008-08-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Quick blog post as I'm running out the door. The Iraq Veterans Against the War led a protest followed by the Anarchist and all the other people fighting for a cause for about four miles from a Rage Against the Machine concert to the Pepsi Center where it almost turned into a violent confrontation. After it was finally settled by the Police making the most simple concession of giving the Vets a chance to let their word be heard I rushed into the convention just in time to catch the surprise visit from Barack.

DNC 2008 :: Hillarama

2008-08-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Today Hillary spoke and gave a powerful if not predictable speech pledging her allegiance to Barack Obama and urging her fervent followers to do the same. Was a relatively mild day as far as protests go despite the police raiding a house where they found the makings for the dreaded 'feces bomb' which I can't help but find hilarious. Although, despite the relatively mild police action, fellow photographer Theo Rigby did directly observe a small girl dressed in pink and peace signs be violently slammed to the ground with an officers over-sized club with no provocation. As tensions rise and exhaustion sets in I imagine mistakes may be made but hopefully not.

DNC 2008 :: It Begins

2008-08-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the official first day of the Democratic National Convention and my first day in the actual convention center. Still feel like there's way better images to be made but I'm starting to find my groove. Having a blast shooting this stuff despite my lack of sleep and general feeling that I've been hit by a bus but it's all good. Shooting inside the convention center is interesting but it's so incredibly staged and produced it makes you feel like a little bit of a sucker shooting it. I much prefer shooting outside although I'm sure I'll spend a lot of time inside. Yesterday I missed a huge protest just to shoot some talking heads and kind of regretted it, but Kennedy's outstanding speech was worth it I suppose.

DNC 2008 :: Cops and Anarchist

2008-08-24T20:13:00.001-07:00

The big show starts tomorrow and the protests have begun. Spent most the day today shooting a protest march, getting burnt to a lovely lobster shade, and observing some near-violent standoffs with the armed-to-the-teeth cops that have descended upon Denver. Here's a few from the day.

DNC Coverage 2008 Begins

2008-08-24T00:38:00.000-07:00

Hit the ground in Denver today to cover the Democratic National Convention for Stern Magazine. Such a strange energy in the air here and the city is completely overrun. Such a strange melding pot between the activists, the amped up cops in riot gear and the political junkies all swirling around in with the theatrical and circus-like production of the convention.

After this week, I'll be headed for a drive across the heartland from Denver to Minneapolis to cover the Republican National Convention. Needless to say, it should be an interesting couple weeks so stay tuned.

Red Green Yellow & My Cool Hat

2008-08-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a few images from shooting and playing with lights with some friends from the talented staff at the August Chronicle where my lovely lady, Kendrick Brinson, works. Nicole here in the yellow photo isn't quite staff but she's a surrogate member. Love hanging out with these folks. Soon to come are images from the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, both of which I'm shooting for the wonderful people at Stern Magazine.

Cannabis Story Continued

2008-08-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here's another image from the Cannabis Culture essay I'm working on. Hopefully I'll be making some more progress on this while I'm out in Denver covering the DNC next week. I have a lead that may or may not prove fruitful.

Luceo Images Official Launch

2008-08-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud to announce the launch of Luceo Images, a photographic collective that has been in the works for the better part of a year. I'm thrilled to be involved in this endeavor with some of my favorite photographers.

Our founding members:
Kevin German
Matt Eich
Chip Litherland
Kendrick Brinson
Matt Slaby
David Walter Banks
Tim Lytvinenko

In Transit

2008-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Spent the past 10 days in transit. First was a week in NYC visiting editors and it was a fantastic trip. The wonderful talented Krisanne Johnson was kind enough to take me and the infamous Matt Slaby in for the week. Even got to hang out with some other great photographers in between the business-as-usual.

To top it all off I flew down to the Sunshine State to attend Geekfest, the annual photo-conference for members of A Photo A Day (APAD). These folks are without a doubt the main force that has helped me grow as a photographer and kept my creative juices flowing. If any of you out there read this, thank you and I love you all.

Traveling and meeting new folks in this photographic community never ceases to give me the jump-start I need. Here's some images from the excursion.

In NYC for the week :: Call me 706.295.3085

2008-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Holga Dreams & Mandolins

2008-07-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a little Holga double-exposure that made me dream of the beach. On mandolin is Frank Heflin, musician, humanitarian, and all-around great guy.

Two Shoots for Sunday New York Times

2008-07-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Shot two assignments that ran in this past Sunday's New York Times.

One was for a story on rising gas prices causing police to patrol on foot. Went on a few ride-alongs but this was my favorite image of Officer Adam Crenshaw while he was patrolling through the mall. I suppose it was my editors favorite too since it ran - always nice when that coincides.

The other was a portrait of Marshall Akers who has amassed a huge collection of tapes from the game show 'To Tell The Truth'. Akers started a website to help those who were on the program or their friends and family to obtain a copy of the episode they were in. Marshall was a real sport and allowed me to rearrange his house (a common practice of mine) and try about 20 different set-ups until it felt right. Thanks Marshall.

New Tattoos :: Old Love :: New Stock

2008-07-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

On a whim and a prayer myself and my lady-love walked into Americana Tattoo in Augusta, Ga. and walked out with some new ink. So the next day we decided to have a little portrait session and simultaneously knock out our Shoot! The Day stock assignment for the good folks over at PhotoShelter with our version of 'youth culture'. So here's my collaboration with Ms. Brinson.

The Redneck Games :: The Mud Pit

2008-07-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Traveled to East Dublin, Ga. for the annual Redneck Games to do a little personal documentary work. The games included everything from a watermelon-seed spitting contest to bobbing for pigs feet and even featured a redneck wedding, but my favorite slice of the games was the infamous mud pit. An official belly-flop competition also took place in the giant pool of Georgia red clay, but before that it was just a redneck free-for-all. Thank goodness for my wonderful rain gear because I looked about like the subjects in my photos by the end of it all.

Brief Escapes

2008-07-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Amongst our ever-present quest to succeed and work, work, work, I think it's easy to loose sight of what really matters. To me, what really matters is my family, friends and loved ones (especially my lady). So here's a few images of those fleeting moments between assignments, billing, editing, and filing.

Civil Rights for NYTimes

2008-06-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a few images from a recent shoot for New York Times on an exhibit at the High Museum of Art entitled, Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968.

My subject was Dr. Doris Derby, photographer, civil rights advocate, activist, and current director of African American Student Services and Programs at Georgia State University. Her stories of her life and path during the Civil Rights movement were heartfelt and eye-opening. It was my pleasure to meet and photograph this impressive woman.

New Horizons - Director of Photography

2008-05-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

I believe that in this business it is important to always push yourself to never stop learning and to continually innovate the work you are producing. With that in mind, I took a positions as Director of Photography on an Independent action-adventure feature-film called Kerberos.

The movie is named after the mythological three-headed beast that guards the gates of hell. The film deals with the thin lines between good and evil, darkness and light and the mass of gray area in between as well as the idea of redemption among other various themes.

Needless to say it has been an eye-opening learning experience to dip into a new medium. I look forward to incorporating video into my still work in the future with the same cinematic approach used in the world of film-making.

Not much time for me to take stills on set but here's a few quick images I was able to grab.

New Clip - XXL

2008-04-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a full-page clip from the June 2008 issue of XXL Magazine for a story on V.I.C. The second image attached is from a second shoot I did for the June issue of with the rap group Cash Camp. This one ran smaller towards the front of the magazine so here's a bigger version. Both artists were great to work with and I hope to continue my relationship with the good folks at XXL. For more from the V.I.C. shoot go here.

Cannabis Culture in the US

2008-04-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a few images from a new project I'll be working on if I can gain the access I need. The story would offer a glimpse inside the subculture of marijuana in the Unites States. I believe it to be a interesting and socially relevant issue and would like to explore both it's negative and positive impact on society. Further investigation of the story will be put off until I can research the legal ramifications of the story for myself and my subjects.

In Da Club

2008-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Went to a new club Friday to celebrate a good old friend's birthday. Here's a few images from the VIP room before I got denied by the bouncer who was not too happy about my questioning of his authority. I never have been one for bowing out gracefully.

Never

2008-04-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Met a killer graffiti artist last weekend named Never. He was working on a friend's room so I snagged this photo of him real quick. No light in there at the time so it doesn't do his work any justice - see more of Never's work here or here.

Conversation:
Me - "So never, where can I see your work around town?"
Never - "Everywhere."

Duct Tape

2008-03-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

I crashed the Southern Short Course in News Photography Saturday night and hung out with some great people and a bunch of wonderful photographers (it was great to see you all).

As always, anything goes at photo conferences - including Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Michael Williamson putting duct tape on his mouth and allowing San Antonio News-Express photographer Lisa Krantz to rip it off all in the name of art.

This was part of a series of portraits Raleigh News & Observer photographer Shawn Rocco was doing on Polaroid of conference goers. I just got in on the action during the shoot and snagged a few frames.

Hopefully Rocco will post the photos somewhere, and I'll post a link here.

Legs

2008-03-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Because who doesn't like legs.

Blurry Surrey

2008-03-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Found some cool light and some good music at a little dive bar called Surrey Tavern.

New York Times Cover

2008-03-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was pretty stoked this Easter Sunday to find my photo on the cover of the Sunday New York Times. There was another inside as well. It was a first and hopefully not a last. Here's some of the clips and a few of the real images.

V.I.C. for XXL Magazine

2008-03-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

V.I.C. was great to work with - a gentleman and a scholar, if you will. XXL is great too and I look forward to doing more work with them on the exploding ATL rap scene. I'm always so pleasantly surprised how easy many of these musicians are to work with - it must be the beard that puts them at ease.

Antonio Cromartie for Sporting News

2008-03-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Did a shoot with Antonio Cromartie and his mother for Sporting News. Both of them were great people and a pleasure to be around. I won't give anything away but they have a pretty amazing story and the article by Matt Crossman should be great.

A Nightmare I Once Had

2008-03-06T16:13:00.001-08:00

Here's a shot I did for fun with my buddy Nick and his medieval flail while testing my lights this afternoon for a shoot tomorrow with Sporting News. It reminds me of a nightmare I once had.

Music :: 2007

2008-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Had a number of great assignments to photograph musicians in 2007, a trend I hope to continue in 2008. New music clients included Spin Magazine and Interscope Records as well as a continued relationship with one of my favorite magazines, The FADER. Here's a few of my favorites.

New Relationship - Wonderful Machine

2008-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of what the good folks at Wonderful Machine are doing and I'm proud to be listed amongst the ranks of such a high quality roster of photographers. I'm also a big fan of non-exclusive relationships that are for the good of all parties involved. I'm excited to see where Wonderful Machine will go in the coming years.

Textures

2008-02-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here's some images from a recent study on texture.

Muse

2008-02-27T09:42:00.001-08:00

Photographer, friend, girlfriend, travel companion, model, advice giver, muse, Kendrick Brinson.

Childhood Malnutrition

2008-02-26T18:33:00.001-08:00

According to UNICEF, Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America and ranks sixth in the world for chronic malnutrition. More than 1 million children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition. An estimated 69.5 percent are indigenous children. An estimated 53 percent of children who die under the age of five die as a result of complications linked to malnutrition. The Centro de Recuperacion Nutricional Infantil Bethania, simply known as Centro Bethania, nourishes children with acute malnutrition back to health. The center treats about 400 children each year and on average eight don't survive.

Guatemala

2008-02-25T17:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a little backlog bloggin' for ya. I spent most of January in Guatemala with photographer (and girlfriend) Kendrick Brinson. While there we worked on a story on childhood malnutrition but most of our time was spent just traveling and experiencing - of course documenting along the way. Here's a few images from the trip.

Smoke & Mirrors

2008-02-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well, steam and hats really. I shot this image of a hat shaper at Augusta Futurity 2008, a cattle competition in Augusta, Ga. I'm inexplicably drawn to images that provoke questions as much as they produce answers. I guess I just feel that viewers are more intelligent than we give them credit for. With the overload of visual stimulation we're exposed to every day, something has to leave a few questions for the viewer to stop and take notice. I certainly aim to tell stories with my images, I just want to leave a slight taste of the unknown on my viewer's palate.

New Beginnings

2008-02-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

This blog is meant to be a visual diary of my life and aimed at me better understanding myself and my photographic life. It will be a home for assignment and personal work alike. It will also contain news of the day and musings from David Walter Banks Photography. Here's a creepy photo of my girl's eye for you as I try to open mine wider. I hope you enjoy the journey.