Frank Calabretta's Bail House Bail Bonds
2009 was a fine year. I opened AJPN Studio and have came a long way towards getting the studio to where I would like it to be. I still have a ways to go and I feel confident that before the end of the first year I will be well on my way to exceeding those goals.
Here’s to everyone who has helped my along my way and here’s to an even more productive year in 2010. See you soon.
Tony
Wind Swept (1986)
I was a teenager when I truly discovered my passion for taking pictures. Unfortunately, photography was not offered as an elective at my high school, but I’m sure that had it been, I would have enrolled in the program.
I got my hands on a 35mm Pentax and started taking it everywhere I would go. At that time, even though it as difficult to get developed, I preferred shooting with black and white film. In fact, the only time I resorted to using color film was when I couldn’t locate something monochromatic.
Sel Portrait (1985)
When I finally put my pursuit of music aside it was nearly as much the echoes of those voices as my former passion that encouraged my return to photography.
For several years I shot only with film, but in 2002, I started shooting digital and in 2003, I purchased my first Digital SLR. Since that time, my 35mm SLR has been seeing less and less use. Within a year of that eventful purchase one of my images saw publication.
Another image I took in 2004 was picked POW (Photo of the Week) on Photo.net. It’s quite a prestigious honor and the image has been viewed well over 1.7 million times. Later that image would see publication in two separate magazines.
I began shooting occasional professional work in 2005. Since then I have taken on more and more work as a photographer and earlier this year I decided I would open a studio and pursue it full time. In April, I found a space at 985 Lincoln Way, Suite 204 in Auburn, California. The studio is now open and you are welcome to drop in anytime Monday through Friday. I take appointments on the weekend as well. The phone number is (530)885-5375.
In my next blog I will discuss elements of life’s experiences and the manners in which people communicate and the impact I feel that both have on my Philosophy of Photography.
2009 Furr Ball
Me, being the gracious guy that I am, suggested, HEY, why don’t you guys make it a combination benefit party for your camp while you’re at it? And they were like, Why didn’t we think of that? All I could do is shrug.
So yeah, you can support one of the most awesome camps on the playa while you are also celebrating my birthday. And as an added bonus I will take some kind of amazing photo of you in your furry finest.
That’s right, in lieu of a gift there is an advanced $20 donation required. Hey, $20 bucks for 8 hours of solid rollicking partying, the likes you haven’t seen, well, since Erin threw me that bash last year. And this time there is going to be performances and fire and all kinds of insanity. It’s really going to be something.
Need more information? There’s plenty of it here.
But why bother with information. Just go buy tickets right now and save yourself some trouble. Buy tickets here.
Okay, so to be honest this doesn’t have anything to do with my birthday. It just happens to correspond with the actual day. And I will be shooting special portraits there, which will be posted in a gallery on my site and announced, probably a week or two after.
Sky's the Limit, Right?
As they say—in politically correct language, “Things happen”.
With the current state of our economy, I have decided that the time has come to either get into the tank or, well… to be honest there aren’t any other options.
So I have been looking for a location to open a studio. I have found one or two interesting possibilities, but I am trying to be realistic as far as expenses go. This week I found a place I was thinking might be the perfect fit.
I was psyched.
the Guff
At the moment I am still waiting to see what, if any, incentive they might offer.
Hopefully, when this all works out, which I am sure it eventually will, I can get back to a regular routine.
In the meantime I am working on galleries for all of the Firedrums events I have been to in the past. Not a lot of technically sound images, but for the sake of those performing I am going to post them soon anyway. Watch for an update.
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
I only snapped a few images, most of them either around the neon light in the bar or using an off camera flash. But I did get a few images I thought were worth sharing. It was a cold night and we ended up staying close to the fire in order to stay warm. Great idea for a party though.
Check out the gallery here.
Our Hosts Erin & Lars
This has to be a record for my posting a gallery. 176 pictures. This party was a real blast. Lots of new faces (for me and my camera). Thank you Erin & Lars. And congratulations. I think there are some great shots of the two of you.
I mixed them up. Each page is consecutive in order, but the pages are not.
See them in the Gone Beyond Folder here.
Creepy Creepy!
My favorite fact about Friday the 13th is that if you get one in February—unless it’s a leap year—you’re going to get another in March. I first realized this when I was in high school. And now, today, I have discovered that if those two facts are the case then we will also have a third Friday the 13th during the year as well. Look for it in November.
I never took the superstition too seriously myself even though the movie franchise started at about the same time I realized the aforementioned details. That is until I was going to college in Ohio in 1983. It was on Friday the 13th in May that year. I had a friend who lived next door. His name was Frank.
Many Hospitals have no Room 13
Frank was a very cool cat, who introduced me to the New York City music scene. While I was at school there were few days that the two of us didn’t hang out. That Friday I dropped in for a visit. As I came in, he and one of his roommates were laughing about their third roommate.
Even though it was late in the afternoon the roommate was still in bed. And he refused to get up. Even though everyone harassed him the guy refused to get out of bed and did not get out of bed all day long. He was that freaked out by the day. And as I have discovered his was not a fear all his own.
The great Franklin Roosevelt refused to travel on and Friday the 13th. He also refused to host thirteen guests at his table. No word on whether he counted himself as a guest or not. And his predecessor, the debatably not so great, President Hubert Hoover also feared the day.
Back to New York City for a moment. While I was there five years later in 1988, I remember seeing many buildings, especially buildings that were built prior to or during the early twentieth century, that did not have a 13th floor. No kidding. Elevators with no 13. How lame is that.
There is nothing to fear except fear itself!
What is it with all of this negative 13th business? Realistically speaking, thirteen should be a respected numeral. For one, there really should be thirteen months in the year since there are thirteen cycles of the moon. Forget this twelve business being the most complete number. I have even heard that many years ago there were actually thirteen months in the year, as there should be now. If there were, I believe we could avoid this leap year every four years as well. Don’t quote me on that. I may be wrong!
Anyway, if you ask me this fear of thirteen is completely ridiculous and uncalled for. Oh, and if you’re not sure it’s referred to as Triskaidekaphobia. A word that confusing shouldn’t even exist.
From Merriam-Webster::
Main Entry: triskaidekaphobia
Pronunciation: tris-kī-de-kə-‘fō-bē-ə
Function: noun
Etymology:New Latin, from Greek treiskaideka thirteen (from treis three + kai and + deka ten) + New Latin phobia more at THREE, TEN
Date:circa 1911
: fear of the number 13
January 20th, 2009
It’s also the time that our new president has been in office. But that isn’t why I wrote this blog. I was out riding my bike on January 20th and I happened to see this crow lying dead on the side of the road. I don’t much like crows. They’re annoying and sometimes I can hear them pestering my cat outside. So seeing one dead didn’t bother me too much. I stopped and took a few pictures.
He was relatively intact. Probably hit by a car only a few days before. Yesterday, I went out for a ride again. And I rode down the same road. I have ridden quite a few times since January 20th, but this was the first time I have ridden on this road again.
March 9th
On the off chance that the crow might still be there I looked in the place I had seen him before. I figured that a coyote or a vulture, or even another crow would have cleaned him up by now, so I was surprised he was still there. He was moved a few feet, but must not have been worth dragging off.
I still didn’t feel much for him. I was impressed with his resilience though. Just like when a crow is alive they don’t really give in. They’re persistent and even if you chase one off there’s a very good chance they’ll come back the moment you turn away. I looked at his carcass and thought even dead the bastard doesn’t give in!
Then I thought of my cat. I have often watched him just sit there not caring one bit that a big crow was up in the tree squawking like a jerk. He just ignores them without a concern in the world. I love that about my cat. I don’t see you, I don’t hear you and I don’t care.
Well, except for maybe when he does that to me!
See more images of the crow here.
Tennis Stilettoes
See the January 2009 Gallery here.
No Line on the Horizon
If I were to listen to those records now I would wonder what the heck it was I liked about them. The songs sound frail and weak, as if played on toy instruments. But at the time I loved them. I was totally hooked. When Boy came out stateside shortly thereafter, I bought that too. I don’t know how many times I listened to ‘Out of Control’, but I wore that song to the bone.
Yes I was some kind of geek for underground punk and new wave at the time. When everyone else was doing airbands to Molly Hatchet and Van Halen my senior year, we did U2. There is a video floating around of that performance somewhere. I wish I could see it now! There were people throwing stuff at us when we came out, but at the end we got rousing applause.
Just to speak of my dedication, I had missed seeing U2 several times before I finally saw them on the War tour twice in 1983. The reasons I missed them were always because of circumstances beyond my control.
Ohio 5.19.83
A few months later I finally got tickets to see them in Sacramento opening for J Geils of all bands. I hated J Geils, but the sacrifice would have to be made. A few days before the show U2 cancelled. Rumors of fatigue were blamed, but more likely, their being booed off the stage in Seattle at an earlier date opening for Geils was the real reason.
The next time I would have an opportunity to see them was in Ohio. They were playing a couple of hundred miles away in Cleveland from where I was going to school in Ohio. The date was May 19th, 1983. I had no car and I had actually seen Roxy Music the day before with friends, also in Cleveland. No one wanted to see U2 so I was out. I was walking to a class the next morning, thinking about it and being depressed that I was once again going to miss them. Suddenly, this car pulls up alongside of me and the window goes down. These two dudes I vaguely knew from school go, “Hey Tony, we’re going to see U2 in Cleveland. You wanna go?”
Civic 1983
I have no words to describe the rush I got at that show. I walked out with a bruised cheek from Bono kicking me in the face when he jumped into the audience. I didn’t notice. I was literally steaming when I walked out of that show. It was amazing. I came back to SF a few weeks later and saw them again with a group of my best friends. That was amazing too.
1984
That wasn’t really why I lost respect for them though. That happened many years later.
The real reason I lost respect for U2 is that I think Bono is more concerned with getting a Peace Prize than he is honestly trying to help people. It’s kind of like AJ and BP. I don’t trust them. With the star set it just feels like everything is about self promotion first. Helping the needy seems to be a tool to achieve that. Maybe I’m wrong. I certainly hope so, but I have much more respect for the way Bill Gates goes about it that any of the stars do. As more of a private cruisade.
1985
Back when Bob Geldof made that silly Christmas record it seemed sincere and fresh. Now it seems passé. Does that mean I think that Bono and Angie should stop trying to help starving Africans and such? No. But I think it should be illegal for them to profit from it. Now do I believe you can separate the two? Probably not. In fact, I will be the first to admit that is impossible. Does that mean I’m to going to vent about it? Hell no.
That said I think U2 did something last night on David Letterman that incorporated what they have been known for musically for many years along with something vaguely early rap influenced (at the beginning), which I thought was kind of cool.
Plus, I like Letterman better than Leno or that other knucklehead that is taking over for Leno in short order. How can I not, Letterman is an Aries.
Am I going to buy U2’s new album? Even though, for the first time since War, Steve Lillywhite helped with producing a U2 album, the answer is a resounding, No.
