Not sure who took this, but I think it's pretty awesome.

More CVS Prints

I shot this with an old plastic filter over the lens. Those branches, given the effect of the filter, sort of transform into veins when I look at this for long enough. Family of trees...or circulatory system? You decide.

Where You'll Find Me Now

Another song that inspires for reasons unknown. Sometimes I like certain music (or photography or literature or cinema) so much that I wish I had made it myself, so I could experience the creator's fulfillment and the satisfaction that follows the completion of any artistic endeavor.

Cell Phone Documentation

I don't own a DSLR, so my day-to-day recording of all things interesting must take place on my cell phone. It takes surprisingly decent pictures. Anyway, here's the latest and greatest from my phone.

I've been helping my friend's band record a new album in my garage and I decided to document part of my recording setup. Here are two pictures of the homegrown studio I created in my garage. I'll admit, I'm pretty proud of how well those recordings turned out.

For curious viewers, my friend's band is called Foot Foot. Click that link to listen to some of their stuff. If you really like what you hear, they're playing a show this Friday (Sept. 24) at 9pm at The Smell in downtown LA. I'd recommend seeing them live, they do a fantastic job.

Love and Hate

A great scene from Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter, followed by Spike Lee's iteration of the classic monologue for his film Do The Right Thing.






The same message presented in two extremely different contexts, both social and historical.

Robert Montgomery

I Spent It All

Fugazi is hands down one of my favorite music acts. Here's a live performance that was shot over ten years ago for a documentary. This video serves as a general reminder that passion is really what should drive your work (see: Guy Picciotto--the singer). No, I wouldn't advise anyone to handle their camera like these guys handle their instruments, but I think that feeling of confidence and purpose translates to any medium, and ultimately if you care about your work it will show.

If Fugazi's aesthetic is at all intriguing to you, you should take a look at Jem Cohen's documentary, Instrument. Also, to be more relevant on this photo blog, you should find a copy of Keep Your Eyes Open, a book of photos taken by Glen E. Friedman while he toured with the band.

Working Hard

I shot this roll of film while working on a film set and got some prints made at a CVS. These are select images from that roll--to be more specific, images about making images.

Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson is a particularly big influence of mine because he emphasizes a narrative approach to photography. The high production values, as well as the ambiguous subject matter, in each shot take on a cinematic quality, as if we're looking at a still from a feature-length film. There is a lonely serenity to this image (which is common in his work) that really intrigues me. I enjoy it when an image makes me conjure up my own context and explanation for it.

Yo La Tengo - "Gentle Hour"

This song centers me for some strange reason. Whenever I need to contemplate something, especially when it comes to something creative, "Gentle Hour" usually makes an appearence at some point. I get lost in it while I listen, and I space out in the best way possible. Something I like to do when a song like this gets me in a certain mood is to prolong that feeling by throwing the song on repeat and forgetting that it's even being played. You'd be surprised how seamlessly a song like this loops into itself; it almost becomes a part of the environment.

(Side note: If you haven't heard of Yo La Tengo, I highly recommend you take a listen. I also recommend grabbing a copy of the Dark Was The Night compilation that this song is featured on--really good stuff.)

How to load an Arri S 16mm film camera

The Arri S from Dan O'Brien on Vimeo.

Still photography really interests me, but my creative endeavors are more rooted in cinematography. I work in the LMU SFTV Camera Department, and my boss asked me to make this little how-to video for the beginning cinematography classes to use as a reference. 

Loading one of these machines really makes me appreciate the filmmaking process. You rarely see this kind of precision and workmanship anymore; such an intuitive design. Analog equipment is so much cooler than digital gear, if you ask me.

Welcome

I'll start this blog off with an inspiring quote from one of my favorite film directors, Jim Jarmusch:

Jarmusch definitely practices what he preaches: take a look at any of his films and you'll find that he has created a distinct and unmistakable style for himself by borrowing from his own greatest influences.This opinion inspires me because I feel like I work in much the same way that he does, and it's good to know that one of the artists I "steal" from is encouraging me to do it.