good side

I tend to walk the streets of Los Angeles as a form of therapy. Being present in my life on a daily takes its toll on me and I find it hard to decompress or to process all that has been thrown my way. I admit, though, my life isn’t bad at all. It's the normal run-of-the-mill life—bills, budget, work, family. A life of privilege, some would say. 

As I walk, I tend to photograph places that I and others have done hundreds, if not, thousands of times. I think to myself what if the light was wrong the last time, the angle was skewed, or the focus was not quite right. 

A self-proclaimed perfectionist, I want the photograph to embody the subject in its grandeur. I want to feel that I captured its good side. 

Recently, mom was in town spending time with my son. Snapping away, she captured pictures of him to remember him by. As I looked through them all the lighting wasn’t perfect, the angles were skewed, and the focus was not quite right but she captured my son in all his grandeur. She captured his good side. The side she remembered.

How we see the image through the lens is exactly how we want it to be. It’s perfect to us. 

And sometimes that’s enough. 

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imperfectly perfect

Two months. Or eights weeks to be exact.

The amount time that has gone by since my son was born and the tidal wave of responsibility washed over me. Not a bad responsibility, but one that made me say to him, “I got you, kid. Whatever you need. I am there.” 

Love. Yes, I felt love. But, I realized time was life’s Miracle-Grow and my love for him has grown rapidly.  

Speaking of time, they say enjoy the time with my son because it goes by fast—I am finding it to be true. Though, the older he gets means I am getting older too.

So much to do. So much to say. So little time.  

The intention is to remember each moment clearly. Each smile with clarity and each sound with joy. But, sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. 

And all you’re left with is a fleeting moment—just out of focus, just beyond reach, yet leaving an impression none-the-less. 

This is fatherhood at two months or eight weeks to be exact. 

chasing

Years ago I was chasing the wind. I tried to capture the ethos of the current. The world where crowd sourcing your self esteem created a dopamine surge that made one feel accepted. Double tap here. A filter there. A trendy spot that definitely would have given me curbside appeal on my page.

Regardless of the intentions there was one benefit to the madness. It created opportunities to photograph. And some were good, some were bad, and some looked like everyone else’s captured bliss.

The flip side? Insecurity. Comparison. Jealousy.

Feelings that I can only attribute to myself from experience, not a generalization of others and their feelings.

I was chasing a wind that I couldn’t capture.

I was running next to the Jones’. I was the hare.

May my next forty-years resemble the tortoise—slow with intent of realizing the moment before it’s gone.

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beyond

They say that to travel beyond the confines of one's comfortability will lead to growth and wisdom—but only if one seeks out the accepted normal boundaries that society has set. The first question one must ask though is who are “they?” And the next question is even if one goes against the grain, doesn’t growth and wisdom prevail anyways?

For me traveling is my classroom, the unknown is my test, and the memories are my classmates. 

I realize this can only happen if I leave the great indoors and lift my head away from the ethereal cosmos radiating from my phone.   

Because if I do I’ll know what it feels like to connect with a bygone era—man made relics along side natural wonders.  

A state of mind that has no line or flag but whose borders are as open as the space it crosses. 

And growth and wisdom that manifest itself days, weeks, and years down the road leaving me with insight that life is best enjoyed when you are in the process of living it.  

So why not travel to infinity and beyond?

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a thousand words

Or so they say.

To those who know me, I have an extensive collection of tattoos. Each tattoo reflects a personal story, belief, and/or value in my life. There are some that are easy to talk about, while others are in a safe, with no key, that house memories from another era.

They were selected not for the consumption of others but entirely for me as an outward expression of what was percolating internally.

The same could be said about the subjects I choose to photograph.

I carry my camera as an extension of my heart. An extension of my thoughts.

And as a form of meditation.

Slowly observing the now. Intentionally pursuing. Quietly listening.

And maybe each shot reads like prose revealing who I am to others.

Or maybe it reads like a confession only to me.

Butte, Montana

Butte, Montana

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Town Enclosure | Jackson Hole, WY

Town Enclosure | Jackson Hole, WY

The Getty Villa |Los Angeles, CA

The Getty Villa |Los Angeles, CA

the moving image

I fell in love with the moving image as a child. I saw it as an escape from the world of the mundane rigors of school, homework, and bedtimes.

It was everything that my youth wanted to explore. From a man named Indiana, to a story that never ended, each frame acted as a window into a world far far away.

To say that I always wanted to make films though would be a farce. I loved the idea of expression more. Whether it was music, writing, or photography, I saw each medium as a way to channel my internal need to speak through my art.

Though, my need to speak didn’t necessarily mean I needed to be heard. To create was suffice.

In world where the norm is to be known as a multi-hyphenated artist of sorts, my film offering is nothing more than a mode of human expression and an opportunity to escape.

A series of videos accompanying visual artist James McClung's latest exhibit, Low Land, at Preacher Gallery in Austin, TX.

Film photographer Dusty Ferguson in the dark room as he prepares for his show at Preacher Gallery in Austin, TX along side artist James McClung.

Artist Profile on Los Angeles based tattoo artist Jose Menendez. Credits: Director: Jaime Valdovino Colorist: Daniel Straub Music: "A Timid Malice" by A. Taylor

think different

Inspiration can be found virtually everywhere if one is open enough to think different. The etymology of the slogan, think different, was created by Apple as a marketing campaign. Highlighting historical figures that pushed against the status quo, Apple was able to place themselves amongst the pantheon of cultural icons that helped change the world.  

As a teenager, I saw Apple as a company that I wanted to emulate, not through coding or design, but through innovation by striving to think outside the box. Striving to see what others didn’t. Striving to create art when others saw trash. 

Taking the road less traveled, to be honest, can be lonely and frustrating. The story I sometimes tell myself is that "thinking different" means I am not any good at my art. 

Why? Because the audience is the one who deems what is art and who actually creates it. 

And then I found a kindred spirit, Hélène Binet . Her photography spoke to me and reassured me. It inspired me to look at the subject and find the story from my perspective—something that is a reflection of me that expresses who I am regardless of the audience.  

LACMA—Los Angeles, CA

The Getty Villa—Malibu, CA

Hollywood & Highland—Hollywood, CA

Tongva Park—Santa Monica, CA

the artist

James McClung is a contemporary artist who utilizes his travels and experiences as a muse to create visuals that render discourse on the meaning of his art and what it tries to convey. James uses his craft to obtain a better understanding of himself and of life by creating highly personal pieces that reflect his ethos and essence.

In preparation for James’ latest gallery exhibits at the Kate Oh Gallery in New York City and Preacher Gallery in Austin, Texas, I had the opportunity to create his website along with photography and video to help reacquaint and/or introduce James to the art community.

 

 

 

rue

Urban hiking is nothing more than walking—flat roads in a city, with little to no incline. It is my preferred form of enjoying the outdoors with just one caveat—that I have my film camera in tow. To me, photography, as is any art, is a discipline that needs to be cultivated and practiced. And while obtaining a theoretical knowledgeable is helpful, nothing can help one understand photography more than the act of doing it. 

I see the streets as my practice field—a place where I cut my teeth towards my ten thousand hours. A place where a decision must be made about capturing light, motion, and composition in a decisive manner. And if done properly, producing a moment that is art. 

But it is challenging. Delayed gratification, found in film photography, often reveals short comings and error in one's judgment, leaving a few salvageable frames. It’s those few frames though that keeps one coming back. It gives one motivation to refine their craft with confidence that next time they will get the shot.

To me, that’s where the fun lies—in the process of chasing an elusive moment like the masters of yesteryear.    

Bangkok, Thailand