Scenes from a mall…

Abstraction of Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Word on the street is that Santa is coming to town, and he’s not taking any prisoners. But that’s okay, because we’re all holly and jolly, and the time is now to get stimulating with our economy. Despite what “they” might have you believe, it’s really what makes the world go ’round.

But I digress…

It’s time for the mobs at the mall, so I took my G11 out for a ride the other day to downtown Seattle to see the action of the buying populace in full swing.

Abstraction of Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle, WA, USA. Photo by Richard Walker

Large mobs tend to frazzle me, and at that point the only solution is to go into full-bore abstraction mode. The urban and the modern tend to take on an even more bizarre look.

Hey, can I get some coffee here?

Shoppers on an electric stairway to heaven in a mall, downtown Seattle, WA, USA. Photo by Richard Walker

Abstraction of Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle, WA, USA. Photo by Richard Walker

Vintage Volvo

A Volvo in West Seattle. Photo by Richard Walker

They don’t make ‘em like they used to…

The white stuff…

2010 November 23 - A group of boys jump a sled down a snowy SW Edmunds Street near 45th Avenue SW in West Seattle, WA, USA. CREDIT: Richard Walker/Vecta Photo

Things got pretty real pretty quick here in Seattle in the last few days. Snow fell, and then the ice came around, and basically people lost their minds.

It was fun going out into the 20-something-degree tundra and shooting photos. The Vecta Photo stock archive came out the real winner, though…

Shake it…

Fake iPhone Polaroids. Top: Baseball at Safeco Field, Seattle. Bottom left: Billiards table, West Seattle. Bottom right: Bush and wall, Portland. Photos by Richard Walker

I have an iPhone, and one of the apps I find myself using quite a bit is the fake Polaroid camera called ShakeItPhoto.

I’ve pretty much eliminated any semblance of film from my life (although I still get the occasional jones to fondle an old Nikon F3), so traipsing around with a “real” Polaroid camera is pretty much out of the question. But I do almost always have my iPhone on me, and like they say, the best camera is the one you’re holding. Or something like that.

The file sizes aren’t terribly large, but they’re decent enough, and the colors are rendered in pseudo-retro colors “for effect.” Works for me.

I’m still figuring out what I’m going to do with my growing collection, however.

Alki…

A seagull rests atop a street light along Alki Beach in West Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker/Vecta Photo

Now that Vecta Photo is actually coming to fruition, one of the things we’re trying to do is develop some sort of image archive in addition to our contract work. Where does one start? Sure, I have a pile of older images I’ve been hoarding, but let’s get fresh.

So Tony and I headed down to Alki Beach the other day after meeting with a client. In addition to being rather therapeutic, the walk was some nice exercise, a breath of fresh air, and the opportunity to find some interesting imagery.

Spinning…

Hendrix and vinyl make for some good inspiration. Photo by Richard Walker

Sorry, it’s been a while.

How are you? As for me, I’m doing much better, thank you, after being completely out of commission for a few months I’m on the road to, well, bigger and better things.

Sometimes a brief spin out can make things clearer. Some big things are in the works. A little ditty I like to call Vecta Photo. We’ll be doing weddings here in Seattle, as well as trying to hit the portrait market. Something I was doing with Richard Walker photography, but with new partner Tony Blazejack, this venture is looking promising…

The Melvins

Buzz Osborne, guitarist and vocalist of The Melvins, performs at The Showbox at the Market July 06, 2010. Photo by Richard Walker

I made it down to The Showbox Market the other night to photograph the legendary Melvins. I didn’t know what to really expect since I’d only shot one other time at the venue. I was surprised to find that there was no barrier in front of the stage, so I had to compete with the fans to get in front to shoot. With their two drummers set up front and center, I decided I’d shoot from the left to get images of Buzz Osborne. Fans were cool in the front, letting me get up against the fence. I was only allowed the first three songs, so I wasn’t in their way for long.

I shot about a song an a half before moving to the back of the venue to shoot long shots, then went to the right to shoot the drummers and bassist.

A nice benefit was sticking around for the rest of the two set show. An epic band indeed.

Drummers Coady Willis, center, and Dale Crover, right, of The Melvins perform at The Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Behind is vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne. Photo by Richard Walker

Buzz Osborne, guitarist and vocalist of The Melvins performs at The Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Buzz Osborne, guitarist and vocalist of The Melvins performs at The Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

808 in the 206

Vocalist Jimbo LaPierre of Ooklah The Moc performs at Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

I was driving by the Showbox at the Market on 1st in downtown Seattle recently when I saw Ooklah the Moc and Natural Vibrations advertised on the marquee. I know a few guys in Ooklah and got in touch with them so I could go down and photograph the show. It was my first time at the Showbox, and the place was packed with expats from Hawaii. There were some that had come from as far away as Portland to get their fix of local music.

It’s a great venue, with lots of good light and the staff is great to work with. I’m looking forward to shooting more shows there…

Ooklah The Moc performs at Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Vocalist Peni Pua’auli of Natural Vibrations performs at Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Guitarist Wayne Enos of Natural Vibrations performs at Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Jehua Evans of Natural Vibrations performs at Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Low light…

Grim Smiley performs at Blue Moon bar in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Recently shot the band Grim Smiley this month at the venerable Seattle watering hole Blue Moon. Out in the U district, the place is, well, funky. Just what I like. Plus, the PBR was cheap. But I digress…

Did I mention it was dark? Dark woods, dark lights, dark floors. A pit of doom. Well, maybe not pitch dark, but relatively speaking, close enough.

I briefly pondered setting up lights, but there was no decent place to set them, and I didn’t have stands or magic arms. So, it was ambient the whole way. It worked out in the end, and it was kind of an exercise in slow-shutter speed and pan photography.

Luckily the Nikon D3 and 70-200 2.8 combo works stunning magic in situations like these. Low noise and good vibration reduction do well to save bad situations.

Grim Smiley performs at Blue Moon bar in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Grim Smiley performs at Blue Moon bar in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Grim Smiley performs at Blue Moon bar in Seattle, WA. Photo by Richard Walker

Tulip Time

Rows of tulips were in full bloom at Roozengaarde Farm in Skagit Valley, WA, during the 2010 Tulip Festival. Photo by Richard Walker

I headed up north earlier this week to see what the excitement over the tulips was all about. With spring in the air, the tulips are sprouting like, well, so many tulips. I may as well have been in Holland. All that was missing were windmills (well, there was a fake one by the gift shop) and those funky wooden shoes.

Photo by Richard Walker

Photo by Richard Walker