As many of you know, I’m a dude. I seriously enjoy being a dude for many reasons. Like my muscles look bigger when I have a mustache. And. Beer bellies are kinda cool. And. Back hair makes me look tough. And. I look good in a ratty, stinky trucker hat that I found on the side of the road yesterday. And. My gruffness can be played off as testosterone, when in fact I’m just being, ehem, unbalanced.
No matter how much you subscribe to the photographer first, gear second ideology, a game changing camera will always turn your head. The Canon 5D Mark II was such a camera. The Canon 5D Mark III will follow proudly in its footsteps.
One morning a friend, Dan Dedrick, recommended the idea of photographing Chinatown, Oakland in the morning. It was a cool December morning and it seemed like a great way to start off the weekend. The mood and energy of Chinatown is captivating, electric. There is a constant commerce that rings through the air, but with that, notes of quiet, patience, and almost longing. I can’t really explain that staring out into space that you tend to see there. These are both zen moments at the same time they are glimmers of fatigue, or maybe frustration, or just pure solemn reflection.
The following is a series of photographs that are post processed into high contrast black and white. Some reveal light, some harbor dark. With those tones are also contrasting movements, some quick – some graniticly intentional. They all are part of the Chinatown scene. Happy year of the Dragon! Continue reading
Lech Naumovich Photography 