What's been keeping me busy...

Today, is the last day of my capping class and it has been a very interesting journey. At Marist, instead of writing a senior thesis students taking a capping class and in many of these classes the students can do basically whatever they want. (where "whatever they want" translates to: a project that the professor of said class deems appropriate for a senior-level, semester-long project). In my case, I had no clue what I was going to do. A great part of me considered a photojournalism project, a photo book, exhibit, documentary, etc. But then, I decided I wanted to go back to those years of theory classes and communication strategy and create something that combined web media and a strong communication plan with hopes of creating something that had some staying power.

Well, what happened is my classmate, and long-time friend, Jim Urso (@JimUrso, for all you tweet-heads) decided to create a blog that would give back to Marist and we hoped the pilot that we ran could help convince some higher-ups at the school it was worth pursuing. So, we created Marist Office Hours and alongside of it a well-researched proposal for why something like this should be expanded and continued with sponsorship by the school.

While, I don't think it has succeeded on its own as well as we had hoped I have learned a lot. We've spent a lot of time reading, researching, studying, and writing. Now, we are coming to the end of a proposal that we are hoping to present to the Dean of the School of Communications and the Arts. Wish us luck!

That's been only one-facet of these last few months. In the first week of November, I started interning at IBM as part of the Technology Adoption Program (TAP). It's been a great experience, and not fetching coffee, but doing actually working including blogging, community management, surveys, and a lot more (especially, as we dwindled to a 2-man operation). I can say too much about it, but MIT Tech Review wrote a great article that focused on us called Experimenting on Themselves.

I've worked with some great people, experienced some ups and downs and gained a lot of experience. Not just from work, but from managing a schedule that often includes 30-40 hours of work and a full class schedule and the occasional photo gig and a stray social event.

I have not abandoned my pursuits in photography! I've been taking Advanced Photography here it's a traditional dark room photography class, well, not sure its traditional. We've been working with 4x5 press cameras, 8x10 pinholes and other bizarre photo techniques inside the lab and outside. Including most recently, cyanotypes (those are those blue-tinged prints you've probably seen learn more here..)

Also, there are some digital shots that I've yet to share here. So, check 'em out for now and expect much more as I've started collecting more classic cameras and am itching to use them as my schedule allows...

State of the State

Governor Cuomo gave a State of the State address at Marist and I covered it for the Marist Circle.

Also, I took some photos of Art Himmelberger for a feature on him for FoxTalk magazine, the official magazine of the school of Communication and the Arts.

FoxTalk

One of the most exciting changes in my personal life has been moving into a new apartment and getting my first pet, Soro!

Soro (Zorro)

And last, but far from the least, here's a link to an album that consolidates all the pictures from the past 3 years of my postings. It's a quick and easy study for newcomers and an easy way to just glance through. Though I'd recommend going post-by-post to ensure you don't miss out on any of my insightful comments... ;-)

RJH Photo

Where have I been? Will there be updates? Answers below.

I realize that I have not posted here since November and actually that is about the time I started at IBM. Between work and school, I just haven't had time for this blog (I actually blog and write for both) and I also haven't been photographing much. I have worked quite a bit in the studio learning more about large format films and even working with 8x10' film in a pinhole camera and as of yesterday, my first cyanotype!

I know, I know. I should be posting that work, but I want to get a high-quality scanner, so that I can do the prints some sort of justice and share them here.

I've been working on my senior project blog Marist Office Hours. The blog is the culmination of an idea that my good friend, Jim Urso and I had been kicking around for awhile. It developed into that blog and a proposal and work into determining the value and desire for blogging in a way that supports and showcases the college. Essentially, marketing it in an indirect way. Really, it's brand journalism and we created a pilot and took a first stab at product that I wish we had several more months for.

Alas, my college graduation lies 23 days away and after that I will only (ha!) be working for IBM, for as long as they'll have me, and after that who knows! But, I promise to myself, that I am going to blog more and take more pictures!

In the mean time, I'd like to share some of the pictures I took on my most photo-centric event of 2011. I went to the MAAC basketball tournament again this year, this time it was in Bridgeport, Connecticut.




The Marist men improved from their horrible 1-30 season to win about 6 games and win the play-in game of the tournament. The Marist women continued to show that they are an elite mid-major program and contended on a national stage, winning the MAAC tournament, defeating Iowa State in the NCAA first round and barely lost to, tournament #2 seed, Duke in what I really saw as a statement game. After losing the best player in program history, the 2010-11 Red Foxes were better than the year before and I hope to see them continue at this high level for many more years!

Abandoned: Piano

Check out these shots I took a couple weeks back of a piano in an abandoned resort. It's creepy, no?

More Fall Drives!

Here are a few more shots from a drive I took back in October with my lovely girlfriend. Our eventual destination is Sleepy Hollow, but we saw some beautiful things along the way.

Down & East

In the last 2ish years that I have lived in Poughkeepsie I have been mostly interested in what is up the Hudson and west of the Hudson (or really anyway to ocassionally break the "Marist bubble"). I have explored many of the little villages and sites around here and in to the Catskill mountains. This morning, post-workout, reading Sartre, debate writing and powerpointing I noticed a trend in my autumn extra-cirrucular activities.

I have been drawn to what is down and east. Partially the impending doom that is graduation is bringing me towards the more densely-populated areas (see: Westchester, NYC) that hold at least a sliver of occupational hope. Fortunately, I started at IBM yesterday and will be there for several months. It was a great day, very interesting. Snow on the way to work and a bunch of tax paperwork failed to impact the Christmas-like feeling of opening a new laptop and getting my name badge, office key and starting at what feels like a "perfect fit" job. Yet again, this new experience is down and east in Somers, NY.

So, as I sit here on this gray, chilly day I'm finally getting to share some photos from pre-Halloween. Luckily, the weather was much nicer on the weekend before Halloween and it led me and my girlfriend down the Hudson as far as Sleepy Hollow. I hope that these images help to brighten the day!

Fall & Autumn, Part II- On the Road

Fall & Autumn

Fall is a very interesting word. After this month, I personally prefer autumn. In the last month fall meant something else to me than to most in October. It meant an injured back, missed classes and physical therapy. So, as I feel much better from that and am pushing on at full speed again I'd like to share some of the better parts of this autumn and enjoy these last days before New York freezes up for the winter months.

On to autumn, autumn has overall been good to me. I got hired an intern at IBM, I'm doing well in my classes (even after missing a good number) and I've gotten back into the photography again. This summer I may have taken many shots, but it was more task-oriented rather than art. The art of photograph happens in a millisecond and also takes hours. While the image may be recorded on to your digital or celluloid recording device (both are great) in a split second, the adaptation, manipulation and life of that image has just begun.

Digressing back to my fall for a moment, what was the reason behind it? I was in a rush. My key didn't work in the door. I was frustrated. Angry. I turned around and fell on slippery steps. It was scary. All that rushing can not only be bad for you literally it makes us miss a lot of great things. So, as I traveled quite a bit throughout the Hudson Valley on weekend adventures, and doing routine tasks, I tried to stop. Look around and snap some pictures.

The pictures that I am including here today came from a weekend that started out rushing. Trying to get a tire replaced on my car. Shop. Stress. Not fun. Then my wonderful girlfriend and I decided to meander up to a bookstore and through the farm country of the Hudson Valley and explore and enjoy the world that is around us. The American car-focused culture can lead to a tunnel vision, the same places and faces blur together as we rush from work to appointments, classes and home. Instead of finding freedom behind the wheel it is easy to feel chained to it and become frustrated. Now, when I am stuck at one of the lights by Marist for the umpteenth time or am lost in an unfamiliar place, I stop and look around and try to see the beauty and be mindful of the moment.

I'm including a few pictures from Poughkeepsie and from that Saturday drive to show a contrast of night and day. Town and country. I enjoyed capturing these moments and hope that they highlight some of the things that we often don't allow to stop and notice.