I haven't really been in the frame of mind to go shooting - even in NYC. And then you meet someone who gives you that proverbial slap in the face, not just from a motivational perspective but in terms of your whole life outlook.His name is Chai Song, and I met him on the Christopher Street Pier. He was anything but uncomfortable about my requst to take his portrait, at the same time he didn't share the origin or nature of his disability. And why should he - he didn't let it define or limit himself. If I ever needed a reminder of why I'm doing this, and why it is a blessing and a privilege, it's personified in this gentleman.
View him larger on my flickr stream.
On the tangent of shoutouts, I'd like to express my gratitude to Jorge Ledesma who approached me out of the blue to help launch an interview series for his blog. I'm not really comfortable talking about what makes me tick (I'd rather do that through my images) so Jorge, thanks for your patience and persistence in making this a great experience.
You can see the entire interview here. It's truly a labor of love! Please stop by and check it out! Looking forward to your comments.
I'm so excited to finally have my own home on the interwebs! It's been a long time coming and this will most definitely be a new beginning for me. Perhaps even a re-orientation of what is truly "me". I seem to have lost part of that recently...
Shoutouts to Deb Pang Davis of Cococello for the fantastic logo design, branding, and web design, and Alex Kendrick of TwoSixCode for the superb ExpressionEngine development work. Two extraordinary professionals who've made this project fun, tedium-free, and truly a collaborative process. Thank you for your hard work!
The main question I was asked by many was: Do I really need this site and blog, in addition to my flickr presence, facebook, twitter, and potentially other portals? The short answer is "yes". I will keep my social media presence to promote what I'm doing, but this site is about more than showcasing my work.
Part of being a street photographer (a term I actually dislike but use because it is somewhat of a common denominator) is not just the creation of images, it's the personal feelings, interactions, countless stories and unique moments that unfold as part of the creative process.
Those aspects really are at the core of why I do this, and what keeps me out on the streets. I'll use zunlee.com to fully explore that, beyond what I can and will share elsewhere. People who want to engage, socialize, enjoy my images, can continue to do so on flickr and elsewhere. I therefore won't be abandoning flickr, it'll be a place for "stream of consciousness" stuff. But hopefully I can create an integrated experience that will keep folks engaged.
My final and most heartfelt thank you's go to anyone whom I've had the privilege of getting in front of a lens, and to anyone who has derived joy from my images. All of this is really for you and because of you.
