One night on the train I thought I should make a short film. I visualized some shots and lighting, and when I got home at two in the morning I started filming. I filmed one more night and then started editing. This is what came out after a couple of days of editing. I am pleased with this experiment and would like to look into more video projects.
Recoil from D Scott Clark on Vimeo.
I don't know why it looks squished, Vimeo did that for some reason.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Couch Surfers
I have started hosting Couch Surfers at my apartment, and I decided to document each one if they agree. Here are the first two.
Jörn from Germany
Little bit of a mess up, but I like it.
Natalie from New Zealand
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Broken Equipment, Blessings from Canon
The last few nights I've been filming a short film in my apartment, just experimenting with lighting and angles. I am excited to finish editing and see what it looks like all together. I am enjoying this venture into video and the learning process that comes along with it. Monday night I had my camera all set up for a shot and was doing some test runs before I did the actual shot. On my camera, 5DMarkII, you have press the "Set" button at the center of the scroll wheel to start and stop, as well as preview the video. I was previewing the last test before doing the actual shot and when I pressed in the button, it never came out. I tried tapping it, using gravity, finding something to suction it out - nothing worked. I called CanonUSA and they said I needed to send it in for repairs. If I were in the US, it would fully be covered under warranty, but Canon India doesn't have to honor my warranty.
I am only two train stops away from the Canon India Master Service Center, so yesterday I set out with a list of errands to do on my way: Buy bus tickets, pay internet bill, get pictures printed, etc. I was an hour and half into the errands and walking toward the station when I remembered...I didn't put my camera in my bag. I HATE when that happens. I had to walk back to the bus station, run after the bus I needed (everyone stares at the white guy sprinting down the road after the big red bus), run to my apartment and grab the camera, and run back to the bus stop to try and catch the bus on its return trip. By this point I am hot and sweaty. Running needlessly in Mumbai is not recommended.
The Customer Care Representative recognizes me immediately when I walk in the door. I have met him too many times before. He calls me over and asks, "What is it this time?" Well, I have a present for you. He takes the camera into the repair shop and asks me to wait to see if they can just pop the button back out. After a bit he calls me in to show me moisture inside the body. Apparently its not as water tight as it claims to be (I've had it in the rain several times). "It might need some repairs, it will take 3-4 days." Buh, I need the camera, but I have my 20D back up, so its standable. I'm packing up my stuff to leave and he comes bounding out..."The button just popped back out, we're putting it back together and will have it out in a second. I'm just going to charge you inspection fees." Awesome! Instead of $50 mandatory maintenance fee they charge me $4.25 inspection fee. I am thankful for this man helping me out. I do feel like having past working relationship with him before helped though.
The Dharavi slum school pictures were post-poned last friday and have not been rescheduled yet. I will post the update after they occur.
I am only two train stops away from the Canon India Master Service Center, so yesterday I set out with a list of errands to do on my way: Buy bus tickets, pay internet bill, get pictures printed, etc. I was an hour and half into the errands and walking toward the station when I remembered...I didn't put my camera in my bag. I HATE when that happens. I had to walk back to the bus station, run after the bus I needed (everyone stares at the white guy sprinting down the road after the big red bus), run to my apartment and grab the camera, and run back to the bus stop to try and catch the bus on its return trip. By this point I am hot and sweaty. Running needlessly in Mumbai is not recommended.
The Customer Care Representative recognizes me immediately when I walk in the door. I have met him too many times before. He calls me over and asks, "What is it this time?" Well, I have a present for you. He takes the camera into the repair shop and asks me to wait to see if they can just pop the button back out. After a bit he calls me in to show me moisture inside the body. Apparently its not as water tight as it claims to be (I've had it in the rain several times). "It might need some repairs, it will take 3-4 days." Buh, I need the camera, but I have my 20D back up, so its standable. I'm packing up my stuff to leave and he comes bounding out..."The button just popped back out, we're putting it back together and will have it out in a second. I'm just going to charge you inspection fees." Awesome! Instead of $50 mandatory maintenance fee they charge me $4.25 inspection fee. I am thankful for this man helping me out. I do feel like having past working relationship with him before helped though.
The Dharavi slum school pictures were post-poned last friday and have not been rescheduled yet. I will post the update after they occur.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Another School Post full of Chillins
Yesterday I had the pleasure of going out of the big city to a small village area about two and half hours north by train. After a long bumpy bus ride I arrived at the school. The director of the school is an incredible woman named Patricia that took over operations about three years ago, but she has been involved with the school for a while. She had been sending children affected by HIV/AIDS to the school, but on closer inspection found it sub par. She started getting investment and government grants to build better facilities, from proper bathrooms to classrooms. The school houses about 500 at risk students who live on the campus. Some are orphans, some have parents that are constantly moving or can't support them, but some live in the surrounding areas. The children have a large garden where they grow vegetables and fruit, and they are in charge of landscaping the campus. Patricia made it sound like they didn't have to be told what to do, the kids wanted it to look nice. The students are taught in Marati, the local language, Hindi, and English. Many of the students excel and are sent on to good universities. The teachers are enthusiastic and the children seem to be very happy. They are well fed and healthy. I asked about organized sports and Patricia reported that a girl from the school just placed 6th in the state track and field meet, and the boys have the best cricket team in the area. I was very impressed by everything that I saw and would love to go back and spend more time with the kids.
The students keep everything they do very neat and orderly, even their shoes outside the classroom
The library is lacking in books and an organization system, but there is plenty of room in the newly renovated hall. The children love to check out what books they have. I finished "Gulliver's Travels" on the way to the school, so I donated it to them.
The school has the only chemistry/biology/physics lab in the area
I just loved the lighting on these bags coming from a skylight in the dorms
More photos after the break! Click -->
The students keep everything they do very neat and orderly, even their shoes outside the classroomThe library is lacking in books and an organization system, but there is plenty of room in the newly renovated hall. The children love to check out what books they have. I finished "Gulliver's Travels" on the way to the school, so I donated it to them.The school has the only chemistry/biology/physics lab in the area I just loved the lighting on these bags coming from a skylight in the dormsMore photos after the break! Click -->
Monday, November 16, 2009
Chapter 1 - Diu, Gujarat, West India
October 23
I have lived in India now for four and half months and I had yet to travel far beyond the cities of Hyderabad and Bombay before spontaneously leaving over a week ago to join my friend in Ahmedabad. Stephen Keefauver came from Bloomington on the night of the 17th November, flying over a Bombay sky filled with fireworks. After a pretty quick tour of Bombay he headed off to Ahmedabad while I struggled to supply my apartment with working internet. Everything was finally installed on Thursday, so Friday I go to the tourist office in CST train station to buy a last minute ticket to Ahmedabad. Luckily I get on the train that leaves at 8:30pm and gets me to Ahmedabad around 5am.
October 24
Stephen meets me at the train station and we walk the kilometer and half or so to the Gujarat State Bus Station where we plan on taking a bus to the island of Diu. Stephen had already seen all of Ahmedabad, and I was not severely interested. We take a relaxing breakfast before loading on a bus that would torture us for the next 11 hours. The bus left at 8am and we are told we should arrive around 2pm. Sounds good. Stephen and I find comfortable enough seats by a window that opens all the way, but our knees stick squarely into the plastic backing of the seats in front of us. When the seats in front of us are occupied we find the fellows' heads right in front of our chins; the seat backs almost completely broken. We are completely trapped and uncomfortable but not the worst off - many are stuck standing. Around 2pm we ask how much longer. "Oh, about 4 hours." But you said…??? We arrive after 7pm in the most wretched of conditions, tired of being cramped up in that cage. Not only were we cramped, but a group of local boys badgered us the entire 11 hours. Miserable I was.
Read more after the break! Lots of Photos!
I have lived in India now for four and half months and I had yet to travel far beyond the cities of Hyderabad and Bombay before spontaneously leaving over a week ago to join my friend in Ahmedabad. Stephen Keefauver came from Bloomington on the night of the 17th November, flying over a Bombay sky filled with fireworks. After a pretty quick tour of Bombay he headed off to Ahmedabad while I struggled to supply my apartment with working internet. Everything was finally installed on Thursday, so Friday I go to the tourist office in CST train station to buy a last minute ticket to Ahmedabad. Luckily I get on the train that leaves at 8:30pm and gets me to Ahmedabad around 5am.
October 24
Stephen meets me at the train station and we walk the kilometer and half or so to the Gujarat State Bus Station where we plan on taking a bus to the island of Diu. Stephen had already seen all of Ahmedabad, and I was not severely interested. We take a relaxing breakfast before loading on a bus that would torture us for the next 11 hours. The bus left at 8am and we are told we should arrive around 2pm. Sounds good. Stephen and I find comfortable enough seats by a window that opens all the way, but our knees stick squarely into the plastic backing of the seats in front of us. When the seats in front of us are occupied we find the fellows' heads right in front of our chins; the seat backs almost completely broken. We are completely trapped and uncomfortable but not the worst off - many are stuck standing. Around 2pm we ask how much longer. "Oh, about 4 hours." But you said…??? We arrive after 7pm in the most wretched of conditions, tired of being cramped up in that cage. Not only were we cramped, but a group of local boys badgered us the entire 11 hours. Miserable I was.
Read more after the break! Lots of Photos!
Chapter 2 - Bhuj, Gujarat, West
October 28
The seats are not broken - that is a major plus to this bus - and it is overnight so we get some amount of sleep, but it stops so often and the guys on the bus will not stop talking to us. They cannot believe that I cannot take Indian Chai (milk and tea) and every time we stop they again try to make me drink some. We finally reach Bhuj around 6:00am and stumble through the city trying to find our hotel. We ask people on every corner and they give us different directions, pointing this way and that. Eventually a woman tells us it's just down this little alley.
The City Guest House is much larger than I expected, three stories and built like a proper hotel with rooms overlooking a courtyard. We awake the workers sleeping on the floor of the office and they deliver us to our simple room on the first floor, then we sleep till sometime in the afternoon. We rent peddle bicycles and roam around the city, struggle up the road on the hill with a wall that resembles the Great Wall of China, and finally make it to the police station where we get permission to visit the outlying villages between Bhuj and Pakistan. I had the whole day been traveling around with my heavy backpack on full of photo gear, and I reached inside to pull out my camera. My lenses are there, my accessories, but no camera! I had forgotten that I took out my camera to repack the backpack and left the camera sitting on my bed. I carried all that weight all day for absolutely no reason!
Lots of photos! Read on -->
The seats are not broken - that is a major plus to this bus - and it is overnight so we get some amount of sleep, but it stops so often and the guys on the bus will not stop talking to us. They cannot believe that I cannot take Indian Chai (milk and tea) and every time we stop they again try to make me drink some. We finally reach Bhuj around 6:00am and stumble through the city trying to find our hotel. We ask people on every corner and they give us different directions, pointing this way and that. Eventually a woman tells us it's just down this little alley.
The City Guest House is much larger than I expected, three stories and built like a proper hotel with rooms overlooking a courtyard. We awake the workers sleeping on the floor of the office and they deliver us to our simple room on the first floor, then we sleep till sometime in the afternoon. We rent peddle bicycles and roam around the city, struggle up the road on the hill with a wall that resembles the Great Wall of China, and finally make it to the police station where we get permission to visit the outlying villages between Bhuj and Pakistan. I had the whole day been traveling around with my heavy backpack on full of photo gear, and I reached inside to pull out my camera. My lenses are there, my accessories, but no camera! I had forgotten that I took out my camera to repack the backpack and left the camera sitting on my bed. I carried all that weight all day for absolutely no reason!
Lots of photos! Read on -->
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cute Chillins
This week I started a project for an NGO that works on education for children who would otherwise wind up on the streets. This particular school works with special education. The day was frustrating sometimes, but over all it was good. Plus I didn't have any equipment failures!
Read More after the Jump --> A lot more photos!
Read More after the Jump --> A lot more photos!
Broken Chacos - Unthinkable
About a month ago I was playing cricket with some local kids in south Bombay. After a big hit I took off running and something snapped on my right Chaco. The outside heel riser had completely separated. I was is absolute awe that my indestructible Chacos broke.
Chaco asked me to send pictures for proof and to see if they will replace them. I hope they will, would be awfully nice of them.
I shot these on my floor with my Canon speedlite 430EX as the back light bouncing off my white wall and my 580EXII on board my camera either bouncing off the ceiling or as a fill, stopped down to 1/64th power.
Chaco asked me to send pictures for proof and to see if they will replace them. I hope they will, would be awfully nice of them.
I shot these on my floor with my Canon speedlite 430EX as the back light bouncing off my white wall and my 580EXII on board my camera either bouncing off the ceiling or as a fill, stopped down to 1/64th power.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Work!
Things are happening here in Mumbai along with the very unseasonal rains (people say they have never seen rain in November, and it is forecast to continue into next week!). I spent last weekend in Hyderabad visiting some friends and attending a wedding. I will just say that I am glad that I am not an Indian and will not have to endure my own Indian wedding. Not for me...
I am finishing up my visual journal from my trip with my friend Stephen around the state of Gujarat. There were some great adventures and some exciting photo opportunities.
Today I did some volunteer work for an NGO. My photographs of school children and teachers will be used in a calendar to sell to corporates to raise money for the NGO. It was fun and frustrating working with the children. Should be some good results. I played around with using my ring flash as a defused key light, which worked out very nicely with great prospects for future use. There should be some more work for the calendar in the next couple of weeks.
I am working with a friend who is an actor, doing some headshots and personality photos, as well as working on a stop-action project he is directing.
I have also stepped into the shoes of a graphic designer, working on a logo and design for a clothing company start up that has a focus on helping rescue women from the sex-slave trade in India and train them in skills so they can earn a living. I am excited to be involved in the project and hope to see it come to reality. I hopefully will have more information on that in coming months.
My broken photo equipment should be fully repaired and returned to me within another week, so I can go out and start doing some more portfolio work in nearby high-end hotels. Once I am happy with the work I have I will start presenting to architecture and interior design magazines.
I am excited to be doing work again. Not doing purposeful work for almost 4 and half months was draining on me. I will have photo updates soon! Cheers!
I am finishing up my visual journal from my trip with my friend Stephen around the state of Gujarat. There were some great adventures and some exciting photo opportunities.
Today I did some volunteer work for an NGO. My photographs of school children and teachers will be used in a calendar to sell to corporates to raise money for the NGO. It was fun and frustrating working with the children. Should be some good results. I played around with using my ring flash as a defused key light, which worked out very nicely with great prospects for future use. There should be some more work for the calendar in the next couple of weeks.
I am working with a friend who is an actor, doing some headshots and personality photos, as well as working on a stop-action project he is directing.
I have also stepped into the shoes of a graphic designer, working on a logo and design for a clothing company start up that has a focus on helping rescue women from the sex-slave trade in India and train them in skills so they can earn a living. I am excited to be involved in the project and hope to see it come to reality. I hopefully will have more information on that in coming months.
My broken photo equipment should be fully repaired and returned to me within another week, so I can go out and start doing some more portfolio work in nearby high-end hotels. Once I am happy with the work I have I will start presenting to architecture and interior design magazines.
I am excited to be doing work again. Not doing purposeful work for almost 4 and half months was draining on me. I will have photo updates soon! Cheers!
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Climbing Of Mt. Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia
I have uploaded a new video that tells the story of climbing Mt. Rinjani on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. I am enjoying working with video. I would like to develop it some more.
Climbing Mt. Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia from D Scott Clark on Vimeo.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sketches
I have been wanting to draw more. I would like to try and draw something every day, but I fail daily. A few weeks ago I went to a village a few hours north of Mumbai with a friend. I was asked not to take photos so when I ventured out I sat and drew for a while. I was in a quite valley surrounded by small mountains. Children sat quietly around me while I drew, whispering to each other and looking over my shoulder. After I finished this I asked one of the boys if he wanted to draw something (asked is a stretch. I tried to motion to him to take my pen and draw), but he declined so I started drawing a portrait of him. When I tore it out, signed it, and had him sign his name on it, he ran and proudly showed it to his mother. I have to say I was actually proud of the portrait. I do miss drawing.