J. Alan Hamill's Photographic Biography.

Behold! The story of my childhood has been unveiled. The following gallery includes a layout of my childhood as told through the schools I attended and the houses I've lived in.



I'd like to continue this vanity project by taking a trip to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Then, I'd have to head up to Boston, Massachusetts. Perhaps, I'll work locally first, and photograph the places I've lived, studied and worked in New York City, New York.

This upcoming weekend I'll be heading to Cleveland, Ohio to shoot a bird watching group. While by now it should be apparent that I love American cultural events I hope to take more everyday things and make them tell the story of living in this country.

I know I promised Obama and I swear that he is coming soon!

Food Connoisseurs still use Welch's Juice in their Cocktails.

Here is a nice tidbit from December 2008. I went to a cocktail party that was sponsored by Welch. Now I was always under the impression that only super, uber, expensive things (like flakes of gold) could be used in a drink meant for New York's food crowd. Guess I was wrong.



As always click the images for a full gallery. New update coming soon. The next one will be Obama pictures.

Thanksgiving in Phoenix, Arizona.

As always I am very late with my photographic workflow. Life has just been forever chaotic since I finished my MFA degree at the School of Visual Arts in May of 2008. In regards to my professional uncertainty, at least I see the end in sight. I have almost completed my MA in English Education from CUNY Brooklyn College. Once that is over I'll be a full-time teacher with plenty of time to catch up and work through all of my artwork.



These photos were taken around Thanksgiving, 2008. I was visiting my Uncle Eric and Aunt Anne for the holiday. While I didn't do too much sightseeing I did try to make some images. I think the captions that go along with my work explain the thought behind the snap, but mostly these were just fun photos.



More news! I am going to be in an upcoming group show at Hiding Gallery. The show will be combined with a party on the night of January 29th, 2009. Theme-wise, this show is drastically more open than the last one I participated in. The write up for the show describes it in the following manner, "The title NO HANDS is subject to definition by the risks surrounding us, the risks we take and everyday encounters. Using the format and medium of photography, NO HANDS is open for a broad range of interpretation." All of the nitty-gritty facts on the show, including directions, artists and volunteering information can be found here.



The curator, Joe Jagos, is a good friend of mine. I want everyone to know that he has put a lot of hard work into the success of this show and of his gallery. I really respect people like Joe because he is attempting to build this gallery from the ground up. A lot of people talk about doing great things but never make the attempt at doing anything. Those of us that live in New York are slightly different because many of us moved to the city in order to accomplish something. None of us have much money, or are successful art stars but Joe is spending his free time physically building the gallery's walls, organizing his friend's artworks together into a cohesive show, promoting the event to ensure people attend and on top of all that, throwing a kick ass party. I hope to see everyone there.

Until my next update...

Newsweek holds a party for American Lion.

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Last time I attempted to update I fell victim to a vicious attack of censorship. But we shall not speak of such things. I just want to move on.

These pictures are from an event I shot over a year ago! Unfortunately I have a serious backlog of pictures and with each post I say that I am going to attempt to pick up the pace with my editing. This time is no different. I sincerely want to move forward because I have been shooting some extremely fun and exciting new projects. These pictures are from a book release party for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek, won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography with this book. I have not been able to read it because of all my other obligations as an English teacher. However, I would like to get a chance to pick it up. The New York Times loved the book. I've included a review of it above. I also want to add that if Mr. Meacham or anyone from Newsweek reads my lowly blog please do not censor me. When giant media companies become scared of a high school English teacher's blog, I feel like I've entered the twilight zone. And I don't mean the movie with all those model-esq vampires.



Brian Williams from NBC's Nightly News was also at the party. I had to do my paparazzi impression and grab some images of him. This is the closest I will ever come to experiencing Anchor Man. By the way, clicking here or on any of the above pictures will take you to the whole gallery of images that I have uploaded.

I know that my work needs to move beyond just having rich people making funny faces at the camera. These images prove that to me. I do think that these pictures are important and perhaps one or two of them deserve a place alongside a larger project like American Pastimes. But alone, these just do not cut it. I have also heard that I need to get closer to my subjects. I'm not sure that is the problem. I'm more convinced that I need a better context with which to place the images. Another way of saying it is that I need a larger idea.

I hope that some of the newer work I have shot will address that. I've been traveling with Matt Baum in search of pictures. Some of the work from those trips I feel will address this issue. I just need to catch up enough with my editing to begin to work with it.

Last but not least, I will be in an upcoming group show called No Hands. It will be at Hiding Gallery. More information about submission to the show can be found here.

Miles From Home

I would officially like to welcome all of my blog readers to the upcoming group show Miles From Home. This show is the first in an upcoming collective involving SVA Alumni. Personally I am very excited and proud to be a part of this fine group of art-makers.

The official press release is as follows,

"In the group show Miles From Home, twelve artists explore the fragmentary and shifting nature of the world around them in correlation to their own development as a newly established collective of creative individuals. The typical notion of 'home' is one of safety and stability; but 'home', particularly now, is subjective, constantly changing, and often based on illusory memories.

Within this realm of uncertainty, these artists utilize the photographic medium to explore the roles that risk play in their lives and work. An artist coming into their own at any time faces the unknown, gazes into the void, and takes a risk by plunging in, by making work, by not giving into society's obvious structures, and by creating their own community within which to create, inspire, and take chances. As the models around us undergo a series of great shifts— in the economy, in the art market, in technology, in distribution modes, in communication itself—these artists see themselves presented with opportunity.

This collection of work does not try to provide answers, or to prophesy the future. Rather, these artists are building their own maps, creating their own pathways through the world and their work, and seeking the roads that will move them forward. They are taking hold of an unpredictable future with a firmer grasp, this show being the first result of their collective strength and inspiration."

The show will be open until September 20th, however only on Saturdays and Sundays. If you want to meet me in person and speak with me I will be at the opening on Saturday, September 5th from 2-5pm and I'll be gallery sitting on Sunday, September 20th from 12 to 6pm.

I would love to meet other artist and I also hope I get to make some new friends.
Cya at the show!

Frank Cisneros takes me to a wine tasting.

My favorite sommelier (yes I had to look up the spelling) took me to a wine buyers tasting in Central Park. The way I saw it my favorite part was taking pictures of all the people attending. When it comes down to attending recreational activities everyone seems equally engaged. I think that is apparent when viewing these photos against my previous NASCAR images or any other images from my collection.



I've started the National Park Service project. I've been shooting it all month and will have images up from some of these first shoots up on this site shortly.

I'd like to also mention that a show I will be exhibiting in will be opening this Saturday, September 5th. The website to check that work out is www.milesfromhome.us.

NASCAR at Richmond International Raceway.

Here is a gallery of photographs from the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Richmond, VA 2008. Jimmie Johnson was the winner. Why do NASCAR drivers all have names like that? Jimmie Johnson...doesn't sound like much of a way to broaden the demographic of people who watch the race. But as these pictures show, it's business as usual there. That isn't to say it isn't fun. These people totally know how to party. In fact they arrive at the track, bright and early, around sunrise in order to secure a parking spot, crack open some beers, and get the festivities rolling.

This following picture pretty much sums up the political feelings of the people at the races. I bet the guy that took his gun to protest reform at the President Obama's Health Care Town Hall Meeting in New Hampshire on Aug 12, 2009, is a fan of NASCAR.


All politicking aside, I did enjoy myself at the event and taking pictures of the party and event was much more open to photographers than many other sporting events I have covered. The important thing to remember is that everyone has feelings and desires regardless of what stereotypes we choose to associate with them.


In other news I know these photographs are a year old. I'm making a push to get caught up with my work. Leaving the newspaper industry last year was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I loved doing it everyday but the financial realities are simple. It was unsustainable. Therefore I was put into a picture taking funk for about a year. Clearly I've been shooting again and now I'm ready to begin posting that work. FYI I am also enjoying my new career track in secondary school teaching.

Alright, well that about wraps this up. I do have a show coming out soon. I will be posting about it in the near future.

Shooting all Summer Long

Sorry I havn't updated recently. At least I have been doing lots of photography. I've been out on the road starting a project I mentioned awhile ago. So far its called NPS or National Park Service. I won't say more now (because I won't be posting photos from the shoots yet) but I am really liking where it is going.

I will post some pictures of my 2nd cousin Johnny and the wood carvings he creates. They are super good! Seriously, if anyone is in the Virginia Beach area and interested in checking them out, then hit me up. He carves them all by hand with simple, woodworking tools. During a brief interview I also found out that these skills developed through being self-taught. Anyway, enough talk. Check out these nautical themed wood-works.







One final note, I recently joined with a group of my fellow SVA alumni in an effort to create an art collective. We are currently working on our first show. It should be sometime next month. More details will be posted as they become available.

SVA MFA Photo Thesis Show 2009

I can't believe a year has gone by since I graduated from the School of Visual Arts. Time really hit me today when I went to check out this years graduates. While I had fun visiting my old classmates, hearing stories about how everyone was doing, and checking out all the new artwork, I must say that for the most part I was disappointed with the output from this class.

Overall I just felt that no one took any risks. I know I encountered this argument even when I was in art school but it just seemed as if all the photographers were scared of tackling their subjects. There were too many pictures of trees, abandoned buildings and people way off in the distance. My praxis is that if one has something to say about the subject, hit the viewer over the head with it. Otherwise it just becomes lost in the onslaught of images that one sees daily.

There were some notable exceptions. My personal favorite was Tina Schula. Her work seemed to be about the escape of Nazi war criminals following the end of World War II. The concept is packed with intrigue. The photographs live up the expectations as far as drama is concerned. My only critique is that I wonder if the viewer would understand if written documentation was unavailable. Some other artists worth checking out include Yiftach Belsky and Lissa Rivera. Both of these artists had theatrical pieces in the show but they came across neatly.

I'd say check the show out. It runs from June 12 — 27, 2009 and is located at
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street, Suite 1502
New York, NY.

High School Girl's Softball

Once again I've been shooting for Five Boro Sports. They are great guys to work with and I admit, it's always fun to shoot the kids, especially now that I'm on my way towards working in a high school as a teacher.



While it may not be the most glamorous job, high school sports are at least very fun to do and the access I receive at these events is way more than I could ever hope for with pro-sports. It seems to me that in the Internet Age more and more corporations are going to be doing their own media promotion. Both the National Football League and Major League Baseball are perfect examples. Both have total control over the use of images that photographers take at their games as well as strong media arms that promote the sports in house, on their websites. The NFL has taken it a step further by forcing newspaper photographers to wear vests with advertisements on them, while shooting the games. The NFL has also refused to allow unconditional use of images to newspapers that they once did allow. Basically, as mass media looses readership, corporations are learning they themselves can fill this gap. The point here being, that while high school or college sports are no where near as prominent as professional sports, at least I don't have to deal with the bureaucratic machines that these higher level sports teams have become.



Check out the whole article on the game here. Or from the loosing perspective here.

Last but not least, here is my gallery of shots, and Five Boro's gallery of shots.


Next week I'm going up to Buffalo. Hopefully I'll be able to shoot a project there I have been trying to get done for six months. Keep you posted.

Maciej Dakowicz

Recently I discovered Maciej Dakowicz and while a lot of his photography isn't groundbreaking, he does have one project which I found to be really entertaining. Mainly this,



While generally I am not a huge fan of party pictures, this project is quirky, fun, and hilarious. Dakowicz is an outsider to these images of Welsh party life in the city of Cardiff. While his motives may be brought into questions one thing is for sure, Welsh women sure look like they should lay off the fast food along with the massive amounts of beer. This work has received a decent amount of press recently. The main article in the Daily Mail can be read here.

After looking at all of Dakowicz's work, my main question was, "Is he a good photographer, or did he simply find a fascinating subject?" Plainly, I just don't know. Many of the images on his site are boring beyond their beauty. They are travel photography with nothing to think about after looking at the image. This image, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (down the street from my house) is a great example of what I am describing.



Others from the travel series contradict my previous statements.



Dakowicz's problem is his editing. Many of the images on his site need to be scaled back. He is a talented man but perhaps the reason his images of binge drinking in Cardiff hit a home run is because of his familiarity with the subject. Dakowicz lives in Cardiff and even though he says that he started photographing these drinkers because of their alien appeal, the time he put into this study clearly shows.



While other image catagories look like a week long holiday trip, binge drinking in Cardiff proves what can happen when time is put into a great project.

Back with Five Boro Sports

So I'm back to shooting for Five Boro Sports. Yesterday I shot a baseball game for them. I enjoyed spending time talking with the reporter Marc. It has been awhile since I've done journalistic work. I miss it but there is no way it could ever really pay the bills.



Anyway, check out these photos of yesterday's game. It was a good one. George Washington defeated Wagner. The score was 4-1. Click to read the article or see the photo gallery that Five Boro Sports produced.

Aperture Gallary: The Edge of Vision

Tonight I attended this new show at Aperture Gallery. There was some SVA professors present and I even saw SVA grad Seth Lambert with work in show.

Overall I had a great time and the show is totally worth checking out. I won't say much about the review of it. One can simply check the release in the above aperture link. I just want to say that it was a good time and I hope to see more of fellow SVA alumni in future shows.
Check the show out! It runs until Thursday, July 9th.

Bruar Falls, Brooklyn NY

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to shoot a new club that opened up on Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The name of the venue is Bruar Falls, and personally I think it's a great place to hang out, drink a beer and listen to some music.

The bar has a great atmosphere. Laid back but fun, hip but not pretentious, great music but not at a ridiculous loud volume. For someone like me, in their late twenties, I thought the crowd was great. No young, fresh from the Heartlands New Yorkers here. Everyone seemed to be 25+.

I shot the club for NYC&Co. I assume they will write about it on their website, nycgo.com. Bruar Falls will probably be placed on the nightlife section of the website. NYC&Co is the company in charge of tourism for the City of New York.

Click on the Photo above to check out shots of the club.

International Center of Photography at the Point.

Summer is on its way so I decided to do a little promoting for one of the New York City's best kept photography secrets. The International Center of Photography runs summer programs for children to learn the art of classic photography. By classic I mean black and white darkroom printing!! Remember the days of water running, fixer stains and hanging your prints to dry? Well if you have a middle or high school child that wants to try his or her hand at it then this might just be the way.

The Point is a community development center in the south Bronx, Hunt's Point, neighborhood. ICP teams up with them in order to give children who might not normally be exposed to this kind of art a chance to try out photography for free.

I helped teach there last summer and found it a most rewarding experience. In fact, that experience is part of the reason why I'm currently working towards a teaching certification for the NYC public school system.
I've included some photographs to give a visual sense of what this program is all about.


I'd like to thank Melanie Diaz, ICP Program Manager at the Point for working really hard to put this program together. If you want to get more information about the summer classes being offered the number is 718-542-4149.

Another year, another dollar.

Hello,
Recently I took a trip down to Washington, DC to work. I drove talent for the Mark Twain Prize. I want to thank my fellow SVA Alum Cat Del Buono for getting me the gig. While I was down there, I didn't have much time for picture taking. However, I did manage to hit up this weird activity.

People do indoor rock climbing on artificial rock surfaces. I had no idea this existed, much less that people pay to join rock climbing gyms. Here is a shot, of my buddy, Paul Khouri, showing me how climbing is done.



The best part of being in DC was being around all that wonderful architecture. The monuments, capitol, white house, all of it gave me my inspiration for my next photo project.

Tomorrow I leave for Phoenix, Arizona. Here I hope to take my next move, and more photographs.

World Savvy Promotes Arts at Queens High School

Hello all,
Sorry about my tardiness in updating my blog. Life has been very crazy these last six month since I graduated from the School of Visual Arts. Briefly, I have decided to pursue teaching full-time. After leaving the Queens Courier I wanted to make sure that my new job would leave me enough time to continue being a photographer. Teaching is the obvious answer to this.
Currently I am enrolled to earn yet another Master's degree at Brooklyn College. This time it will be in English. I hope to start teaching High School, while working on a PhD. And then there is the photography.

This little piece up above is an internet slide show I made in my waning days at the Courier. Think of it as a tidbit while waiting for new work.

I have recently started on my followup to American Pastimes. I'll try to get some samples up

American Pastimes

American Pastimes

American Pastimes

By J. Alan Hamill

Book Preview

I apologize that I have not updated in a couple of months. I have had a very busy time recently. I have graduated school from the School of Visual Arts and have entered the world of photojournalism. In my time away I worked at two different newspapers here in the New York area. Currently I am freelancing for NYC&Co and working on getting more clients.

The book above is the culmination of all my work at SVA. I invite everything to take a look at it and if you wish to support me then buy a copy. I spent a lot of time taking these pictures and I think my view of American culture will amuse quite a few people out there.

I'll try very hard to update more often. I have new work that will be put up shortly.
I'm also trying to put together a sports section on my website.

Talk soon
Alan

John Edwards for President.

So it has been forever since I have posted. As I'm typing Barack Obama was just declared the winner of the Wisconsin primary. John Edwards dropped out of the race a month ago. Obviously these pictures were taken a long time ago. Overall I think these pictures were not much of a success. They are boring and need a much stronger point of view. Honestly I have not been working as hard as I need to be. I recently got a job with the Jersey Journal. I have been working so much that my school work is suffering. Part of me does not care. I only have a couple months left of school and I want to get into the newspaper business. Overall I'm just really stressed as rapid life changes are being thrust upon me.
Anyway, back to the pictures. I think I can do better and hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently.

Arizona Tourist's Attractions

Ah, the desert. Who knew that America's not-so wild west would be prime stomping grounds for the next set of American Pastimes. These were all took over Thanksgiving in Arizona. I have not gotten any feedback on them as of yet so there is not much for me to say. However, I will note that I think my skills at spotting these opportunities are greatly improving.