» Collective photography spanning Miller’s Mill,
and a
COFFEE CAMERA a photography journal
McDonough, Rex Mill, and Southerness. Featured Photographer Justin Phillips
» » Why History Matters
Miller’s Mill // Stockbridge
Southerness // Stockbridge
Rex Mill // Clayton County
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COFFEE AND A CAMERA • ISSUE 1 COFFEE AND A CAMERA // founders PETO FALLAS // peto@coffeeandacamera.com // RYAN ROARK // ryan@coffeeandacamera.com // JASON MORRISON // jason@coffeeandacamera.com //
INQUIRIES // reach@coffeeandacamera.com ONLINE // www.coffeeandacamera.com All content copyright their respective photographers and authors and are used within this publication with permission. No portion of this publication may be reprinted in whole, or in part, without prior written authorization. The publishers and editors reserve the right, without giving specific reason, to refuse submissions and advertising. Acceptance of any advertising does not carry the endorsement of the publishers. Submissions to Coffee and a Camera: A Photography Journal are made by members only. Written inquiries should be submitted to CNC, 289 Jonesboro Road, Suite 431, McDonough, Georgia 30253. To join Coffee and a Camera, please find us on Facebook and request to be added to the group.
COVER This old barn at Miller’s Mill, located in Stockbridge, Georgia, is shown shrouded and canvased by the early morning landscape. It was taken by Jason Morrison with a Nikon D700 & Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, processed with both Adobe Lightroom 3 and Adobe Photoshop CS4.
» ISO1600 | 1/2500th » www.dubtastic.com
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10 // MILLER’S MILL 9 // SUGGESTED READING 66 // CAMERA STRAP SHOWDOWN 42 // JUSTIN PHILLIPS MANIFESTO 4 // ORIGINS OF COFFEE AND A CAMERA
26 // THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
28 // REX MILL
56 // SOUTHERNESS
7 // GEAR CHECK
OPINION 6 // WHY THE HOLGA IS THE BEST CAMERA IN THE WORLD
68 // OUTTAKES ISSUE 1 • 2011
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manifesto THE ORIGINS OF COFFEE AND A CAMERA ⁄⁄ PETO FALLAS
It’s 11:00 p.m. on Saturday January 29, 2011 and I sit here full of excitement as tomorrow morning we meet again. Tomorrows trip: Oakland Cemetery. Many times some of the best ideas have come to me when I go jogging, or when I totally separate from the daily routine. On one of my early morning jogs during the month of September 2010, the idea of coffee and a camera was born. As a coffee lover (of course, I come from Costa Rica) and as a growing interest in photography, I thought about mixing both. The first meeting involved only two photographers, the second session also two photographers, and the rest is history. Starting with just shooting pictures of nature, we have grown to having different themes on each Sunday. Ranging from abandoned homes, to abandoned golf courses, mills, lakes, and even asylums. Coffee and a Camera is definitely here to stay, and grow. All it takes is one trip, and you are hooked. I
have
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encouraging people to focus their energy on positive things, and early morning photography is one of them. You could compare it with activities like yoga. It’s mind cleansing to be away from the daily and stressful routine. The tradition is to meet usually
Coffee and a Camera is definitely here to stay, and grow. All it takes is one trip, and you are hooked.
enjoyed
CATCH THE CREW ONLINE: ww w. c off e ea ndaca mer a . co m
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thirty minutes prior to sunrise for coffee and socializing. After that the group hits the trail and we drive to a specific location, or locations, where all of us take pictures for a couple of hours. We all go home, choose our best pictures, edit them and post them on various social media sites such as Facebook and Flickr. For us photographers of all levels, amateurs to professionals, it’s always a learning experience. Some members include doctors, police officers, builders, educators, entrepreneurs, government workers, bankers, and many more professions. Our trips vary. From local Henry County locations to out of state trips. This coming May we are taking it a little further, as some of us are visiting Costa Rica. In the near future, a website will be available for the photographers to share and sell their work. Stay tuned, grab your camera, a cup of coffee and let’s all say big CHEERS.
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opinion why the holga is the best camera in the world ⁄⁄ JASON MORRISON
We have all been there. Out of any large group of photographers appears, the seemingly inevitable gear comparison conversation rears its ugly head. “You have the 500? Well, I shoot with the 800. It also does laundry and prevents uneven tire wear.” We have all heard it, said directly to us or to a friend. Enter the Holga. This wonderful little camera, designed originally in 1981, is a medium format 120 film camera. The photography community frequently classifies the Holga as a “toy camera”. Its appeal is unlike other cameras in that it is not necessarily what the camera does right but what it does wrong. Cheap construction frequently results in light leaks, blurring, and other defects that many photographers find appealing. When purchasing a Holga one usually hears “throw the lens cap away” and “cover the back of that thing with gaffers tape”. Certainly not a high end modern DSLR. Making its debut in China, the purpose of the Holga was to provide an affordable camera to a very large number of people. Once 35mm film became the standard, 120 film was placed on the back burner and forced the makers of the Holga to market the unit in new territory. The camera has now almost become a sensation among photographers and film enthusiasts. Unlimited colors, modifications, and accessories are available. With a wine cork and tape, you can convert a Holga to a 35mm camera. Stereo Holgas and even Holgaroids, Holgas with a Polaroid back, have surfaced and produced stunning imagery. More than the defects, accessories, modifications, affordable price (you can pick up a Holga for $20), and other fascinating features of this toy camera, comes the reduction of photography to one of its most simple and basic elements: point and shoot. With little options for adjustment, you simply aim and fire and anxiously await the results of the film being developed. With the Holga, there are no debates on full frame versus crop, Nikon versus Canon, or zoom versus prime. As you stand in a group of photographers with your little $20 piece of plastic, you remove yourself immediately from any and all equipment debates, when the next model is said to be released, what the rumor websites are saying, or whether or not your camera is capable of shooting video. You are merely a photographer with one of the most beautifully simple cameras. That is why the Holga is one of the best cameras in the world.
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gear check
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1 In his Tamarac bag, photographer Ryan Roark totes his Nikon D700, Nikon 85mm f/1.8, Nikon 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye, Zeiss 50mm f/1.4, and Sigma 1.4 Teleconverter 2 In his Crumpler bag, a Leica M8 with Zeiss 50mm 1.5 lens and a Leica X1 fixed 24mm 2.8 lens. Other Ryan also shoots with a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, Nikon 300mm f/2.8, Zeiss 25mm 2.0 with his Leica M8, and two Nikon SB-900s. Ryan also carries a Canon G12 and is sponsored by Patagonia Vests.
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Beauty in Decay: The Art of Urban Exploration Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints. This is the unspoken rule of urban explorers, who sometimes risk their safety, police records, and even their lives to explore abandoned buildings, sewers and storm drains, transit tunnels, utility tunnels, high-security areas of inhabited buildings, and even catacombs such as those in Paris, Rome, Odessa and Naples. Although these urban explorers usually work solo or in small teams, they collectively put forth a ground cry against a modern culture that embraces the new, polished, uniform, and mundane. Urban explorers find the beauty: layers of graffiti by years worth of writers, multi-hued peeling paint, antique objects, someone's initials left in the dust on a broken stained glass window and physical manifestations of memory that abandoned, impermanent urban spaces can hold. Beauty in Decay features the best in fullcolor, panoramic photographs from urban exploration or Urbex around the world. Available at Amazon.com
Wall and Piece The collected works of Britain’s most wanted artist. Artistic genius, political activist, painter and decorator, mythic legend or notorious graffiti artist? The work of Banksy is unmistakable (except maybe when it’s squatting in the New York’s Metropolitan Museum or Museum of Modern Art.) Banksy is responsible for decorating the streets, walls, bridges and zoos of towns and cites throughout the world. Witty and subversive, his stencils show monkeys with weapons of mass destruction, policeman with smiley faces, rats with drills and umbrellas. If you look hard enough you’ll find your own. His statements, incitements, ironies and epigrams are by turns intelligent and witty comments on everything from the monarchy and capitalism to the war in Iraq and farm animals. His identity remains unknown, but his work is prolific. And now for the first time, he’s putting together the best of his work—old and new—in a fully illustrated color volume. Available at Amazon.com.
reading
Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals Architect and photographer Christopher Payne spent six years documenting the decay of state mental hospitals like these, visiting seventy institutions in thirty states. Through his lens we see splendid, palatial exteriors (some designed by such prominent architects as H. H. Richardson and Samuel Sloan) and crumbling interiors—chairs stacked against walls with peeling paint in a grand hallway; brightly colored toothbrushes still hanging on a rack; stacks of suitcases, never packed for the trip home. The book is available at Amazon and through the artist’s website at www.chrispaynephoto.com.
Need a Dose of Sarcasm? Wedding photographers will certainly appreciate following @bitterwedphotog and @uncle_bob on Twitter. For the general photography enthusiast, be sure to visit Photographer’s Math at http://photogmath.blogspot.com.
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PHOTO BY JASON MORRISON
millers mill
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miller’s mill
Above Michelle Blount Opposite Peto Fallas
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1 James Blount 2 Peto Fallas 3 Jorge Mayorga 4 Jason Morrison Opposite Jorge Mayorga
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PHOTO BY RODNEY CHRISTOPHER
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James Blount
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Ryan Roark
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Jorge Mayorga
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miller’s mill
Rodney Christopher
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Above Rodney Christopher Opposite Ryan Roark
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PHOTO BY JASON MORRISON
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h g u o r h t “ ” y h p a r photog ory portance of hist im e th to in t gh insi by beau kelley and photography
A photograph is a magnificent, mysterious thing. Photographs are visual artwork. They can take something ordinary and elevate it to a position of honor. With every picture you take, you are freezing a moment in time; capturing a view that will never be exactly the same again. Yet we have become so accustomed to them that we often take them for granted. The same goes for time. As it was once said, “It’s awfully difficult to keep the line between the past and the present.” We are so busy looking ahead that we forget where we came from. I’ve always been history, with fascinated and ancestry particularly , ects resp architecture. In some I’ve been very lucky. My family’s history in Henry County is welldocumented for the most part. I have a great relationship with my
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grandparents, and have learned volumes from their remembrances and stories. Growing up, I spent a great deal of my youth hanging out with my grandfather’s friends down at the in owns he store country Kelleytown. I would sit and listen intently to the wonderful stories they would tell of a way of life that is no longer known in Henry County - from unpaved streets and horse-drawn wagons to grand cotton mills and dirt-floor schools. Sadly, today many of those people are no longer with us. And their stories have gone with them. perishable a are Memories commodity. The one thing I like about photographs is that they can tell a story long after memories have faded. A picture is a window into the past.
Kelley Homeplace in Kelleytown, GA Circa 1896
Photography spans time and distance as a bridge betwee n lost worlds. One of the aspect s of Coffee & a Camera that I hav e most enjoyed is visits to aba ndoned architecture. I am drawn to the mystery and unexpected beauty found in these crumbling bui ldings and neglected monuments. Like memories, they are fading testaments that our place in this world is temporary. These seemingly forgotten mills, bridges, mansions, churches, theatres and storefronts still have a story to tell. These are the modern ruins of Ame rica, filled with the echoes of the
voices and footfalls of our forefathers. You don’t miss them until they are gone. But wha t may eventually fall under the wre cking ball now lives forever throug h my photographs. It’s an honor tha t is hard to express with words. Through photography, I am an artist, historian, storyt eller, archaeologist and preservat ionist all rolled into one. Wit h the click of a shutter I can be Vincent Van Gogh, Ansel Adams, Mark Twain, Indiana Jones, or Henry Thoreau. All the while I’m just Beau Kelley looking thr ough the viewfinder.
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rex mill â „â „ JASON MORRISON
Along the edge of Big Cotton Indian Creek, now nestled nearly out of sight from regular commuters, you will find historic Rex Village. The National Register of Historic Places contains an entry for Rex Mill dating back to 1979. Its historic significance is of an architecture and engineering nature with a period of significance said to have been between 1825 and 1849. In 2010, Rex Village was included on the Places in Peril list by The Georgia Trust. Once a very busy operation, farmers were said to have traveled by horse to have their grain processed. The Mill area now consists of a few lifeless buildings seemingly forgotten alongside a closed road. The only noise would be a passing train or cars humming along the newly constructed bypass. At 7am the Mill is silent, cold, and found under a blanket of red and green artificial light. Little moves save the cars off along the horizon and portions of the area are dotted with No
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Trespassing and No Parking signs, proof that the area once had a pulse. The traffic lights bookending the old one-way steel bridge remain constant red. At one side of the Mill area sits an old building, most likely used at some point for a variety of services, but now stands empty. Plywood replaced curtains and windows and the bright coat of paint and colors have long since
The Georgia Trust named Rex Village in their Places in Peril list for 2011.
given way to a corroded skeleton of a structure. The old road, now diverted, can still be seen and is capped with signage indicating its closure; weeds and nature slowing reclaiming it. Opposite side of the bridge is a small trail that has been traveled by vehicles enough to carve a small path. Running parallel to the creek that feeds into the Mill and spills over and under the bridge, the trail offers a glimpse into an old factory hidden behind some modern warehouse exterior that faces the road. The C+C crew has visited this location twice now, each time fascinated by the wonderful history and photogenic nature of the area, as if it begs to be the spotlight again. Perhaps if restoration efforts continue, this area will indeed see flowering life. Until then, it will remain tucked away and a hidden gem of the south.
PHOTO BY PETO FALLAS
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PHOTO BY PETO FALLAS
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Above Kim Adams Opposite Sarah Knight
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Russ Lamp
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Jorge Mayorga
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Jason Morrison
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PHOTO BY KIM ADAMS
Jason Morrison
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rex mill
Peto Fallas
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justin phillips Recently, McDonough based photographer, Justin Phillips, sat down with Coffee and a Camera and explained why New Mexico is so cool, the love of shooting people, 365 Projects, and why he wants to go on an African Safari.
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For those out there who do not know you, how about a little introduction? I am a 36-year-old photographer from McDonough, Georgia that loves to take photos of all kinds of people and interesting subjects. I am happily married to my best friend Beck, and I am the father to three awesome dogs that like to beg...all the time. When did you first get started with photography and what about it interested you? Well, I grew up in a somewhat artistic family, so growing up, I was always taught to see things for their beauty, different textures and depth. My father and mother are both “artsy” in their own way, so it rubbed off on me. Allowing me to travel to beautiful places and letting me see things my way allowed me to develop my eye for the things I love to photograph. I was drawn to photography while traveling and living in New Mexico. While there, I went into a gallery and saw an Ansel Adams photo taken at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Northern New Mexico. This happened to be the place I was working at the time. I was in this spot in the photo nearly every day, and it looked more real and interesting in the photo than it did in real life. I was amazed, in awe really. I bought my first film camera in the mid 90’s from a pawnshop. I had no clue what to buy so I bought the shiniest cleanest film camera I could find. I spent $150 and went through 20 rolls of film my first day taking photos of everything I saw. I was hooked!
feature Rebel Film camera. Sometimes I wonder if I had bought the other camera, if my style would have developed any differently. Now, I shoot Canon. Maybe out of sheer dedication to the brand that started me off. When you are out on a shoot, what gear do you always bring with you? I shoot Canon 5D mkII. I love this camera. The colors just pop. I carry 3 lenses most of the time. These are the 24105mm F/4 L, EF 85mm 1.8, EF 50mm 1.4. I know these lenses backwards and forwards, and I also enjoy the weight when shooting weddings, as they are lighter than the F/1.2 lens. I carry a few 580EXII flashes and a few SunPak PZ40X cheapo flashes that fire every time. I carry 4 to 5 Pocket Wizard wireless triggers for my off camera flash usage. I carry a few 4 gig cards, and a few 8 gig cards, and a Sekonic light meter as well. Pretty simple, but I do have a bit of gear that I haul all the time in the back of my vehicle. Ranging from Beauty Dishes, AB1600’s, stands, booms, softboxes etc.
I was drawn to photography while traveling and living in New Mexico.
I know that you are a Canon guy. What you chose that brand over others? I shoot Canon because it was the shiniest cleanest camera in the shop that day. It looked newer than the Pentax 67 the guy was trying to talk me in to buying. I mean, Andre Agassi was the spokesman! So, I bought the spiffy Canon
Many photographers feel that post-processing transforms the work from a pure state into something that can no longer be labeled as photography. Where do you draw the line between digital art and photography? I actually welcome digital art in all aspects of photography. I am a fan and am amazed by some of my peers in digital artistry. They combine the two together to make incredible images. I find myself using the digital mediums as a tool to see what I see when I take photos. I enjoy being behind the camera more than I do behind the computer, but think the digital workflow and post processing aspects are a part of being a photographer in this age. I try to draw the line
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PHOTO BY JUSTIN PHILLIPS
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between the two when things look extremely unnatural in my photos. Some of the digital art is mind blowing awesome though.
I know that I have grown as a photographer and am starting to come into my own style but I want to continue to grow, and have bodies of work and not clippings.
During a recent presentation to the Henry County Photography Club, you made mention that shooting people was probably your favorite. Why is that? I used to be the photographer that took photos of everything but people. I am a natural people watcher, and I enjoy people and their mannerisms. I took a film workshop a few years ago with Debbie Fleming Caffery on documentary portraits and it changed how I saw photography. Before, I wanted to shoot landscapes like Ansel. Traveling to these beautiful places is the easy part. The difficulty lies in getting the lighting and timing right to capture beautiful landscape images. Since the workshop, all I want to do is shoot people. I can put them in light, get emotions, capture memories, and bring out the happy or sad moments. I just absolutely love photographing people from all walks of life. I even asked my wife to marry me as I was taking her portrait, just to capture her emotions on film. Talk about nervous… I nearly shot the 24 exposures before she said yes... I actually get antsy now when I am not shooting. I really love it. If you were granted a healthy amount of money to take a few months off work strictly to work on a personal photography project, and have that project documented, what would it be? I would like to find all the people that have influenced me in my life, up to this point, and capture them as I saw them. I would love to put them in the environments that I remember most about them and do a portrait series. It wouldn’t be life changing to anyone else but me, but it would mean a lot personally and I feel like it would make people think about who and what influenced them in life. A selfish project, maybe, a meaningful one for me,
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definitely. There are two projects I would like to focus on this year. The first, photographing the crazy people in my neighborhood. The other would be a photo series of the blue-collar labor groups that have been forgotten in the digital/technology age. I am always dreaming of projects.
What photographers do you feel directly influence your style or merely inspire you to do more with your craft? Debbie Fleming Caffery was a big influence on me, and through the workshop she turned me on to one of my favorite photographers by the name of Shelby Lee Adams. I love his work and how he used his lighting on his portraits. I also am a fan of Sebastião Salgado. When it comes to my wedding inspirations, I find Jonas Peterson, Marc Climie, and Denis Reggie each incredible in their own way. And since my favorite type of photography is black and white, I fell in love recently with Nick Brandts book “On this Earth, A Shadow Falls” and the incredible images of animals in Africa. Some of the most absolutely stunning images I’ve ever seen. It literally made me start thinking of an African safari soon. When it comes to my strobist style shooting, I am a fan of the one light godfather Zack Arias, David E Jackson, and a guy names Dustin Diaz I found through Flickr. It would appear you have started another 365 project. I think many people would agree that a photo a day is difficult at best. What about that project is so interesting to you? I have no clue why I even torture myself by trying this project! The last time I tried it, I became overwhelmed and only lasted about 5 months. This time, I plan on using my iPhone, processing less, and doing strobist setup photos whenever I feel like it. The last one I did, I racked my brain every day to come up with something. The good thing about a 365, is that it forces you to be creative and
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contents ...All I want to do is shoot people. I can put them in light, get emotions, capture memories, and bring out the happy or sad moments. I just absolutely love photographing people from all walks of life.
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think of 365 different ways to shoot any type of photo. This one will be mix of self-portraits and other things I find cool. I think everyone should at least try it. You know, to get your creative juices flowing and to make you accountable. Get off your butt to shoot something everyday. You’ll begin to see light, composition and subjects very differently. “I just got $800 and want to get my first camera. What do I get and do I need anything else?” This is a tricky question. I will give you a starter option for Canon. Currently on Craigslist, you can buy Canon T1i for
$485 with an 18-55 kit lens. I would sell that lens for $85, then buy a 50mm 1.8 for $85. With my remaining $400, I would buy a Strobist Starving Student SC1 Lighting kit. That leaves me $100. I would then take $10 every two weeks and go shoot at Atlanta Photographers Guild (APG) at Elliot St Pub and learn everything I could. That lens and camera setup is something that will work in many situations and allow you to use the wide-open ƒ/1.8 with the higher ISO of the newer Canon T1i rebel. The Lumopro flashes are such a deal with that kit too. I am thinking of adding a few to my bag.
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SEE MORE FROM JUSTIN PHILLIPS ONLINE www. 4 sq uar ephot os. com
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feature If you take a step back and look at all of your work, is it where you would like it to be? If not, where do you see it going in the next 5 years? Right now, my work is nowhere near where I want it to be. I mean, I know that I have grown as a photographer and am starting to come into my own style but I want to continue to grow, and have bodies of work and not clippings. Hopefully some of these projects I am working on now will fill that void. Then I will be able to work on newer ones that I dream up!
Lastly, where can people find more of your work, news, and updates online? You can visit my website at www.4squarephotos.com and see more frequent updates on projects on my blog at www.4squarephotos.com/blog. Thank you for letting me ramble! For links to some of the items mentioned in this interview, please refer to the page 75.
JUSTINS BLOG ww w. 4 sq uar e ph ot os. c o/bl og
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PHOTO BY RYAN ROARK
Few signs of activity were present upon our visit on December 5th, 2010. It was easily the coldest Coffee and a Camera to date. For someone who has never been to Southerness, the property is vast and easily daunting. The signature of the fairways is nondescript, almost defunct, and nature has quickly moved to reclaim the land. The club house sits vacant and securely closed, the large wooden deck empty and cold. Vines and thorns have nearly closed off portions of the deck entrance. The once pristine and manicured water hazards have taken on the appearance of some backwoods pond that has yet to see a human touch. Portions of small shacks and buildings exist along the cart paths, and the occasional manmade object is found in the brush, though heavily overgrown.
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Southerness, formerly a golf course and club, is slowing falling victim to demolition by neglect. Originally designed by Clyde Johnston, the course was built in 1991 as a semi-private, bent grass golf course and was quickly voted as Best New Course in the Atlanta area. The fairways were once fenced with trees and the course featured a variety of water hazards in addition to sand and grass bunkers. Hole #17 was said to have been a 394-yard par 4. In 2003, Southerness hosted the Georgia Public Links Championship. One year later the State of Georgia purchased the property, which was to become passive park land with walking trails, and closed the course.
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southerness
Ryan Roark
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Jorge Mayorga
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PHOTO BY JAMES BLOUNT
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southerness
Above Ryan Roark Opposite Jason Morrison
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strap showdown ⁄⁄ JASON MORRISON
I have always been a Nikon shooter. I have nothing against Canon and think they make a great camera, I just happen to have started with Nikon. As much as I enjoy their cameras and lenses, I am extremely frustrated with their standard neck strap that comes with each camera body. If you have used one, you can easily attest to the fact that their standard issue neck strap is sharp enough to slice tomatoes. And if it strong enough to do that, it is certainly strong enough to place a serious amount of discomfort on your neck. Throw in a DSLR, heavy glass, and flash, and that seems to be a little too much weight pulling the Nikon strap down into the back of your neck. If you shoot enough and want a strap, you most certainly have gone looking for something better. Back in October of 2008 I attended a workshop in the Locust Grove area. The photographer leading the workshop had an interesting strap made by a relatively new company named Black Rapid. What intrigued me most about the strap was that it allowed the photographer’s hands to be free as the camera hangs at the side. The connecter (shown at the left) screws into the tripod mount. While the design at the left has drastically improved over the initial line of straps, I was fearful of allowing my gear to hang at my side connected only at that single spot on the camera. I was worried the strap connector would fail with my camera attached and that a lens or body would be damaged as a result. And if you are anything like me, you really cannot afford to just toss your camera on the ground. Moving from a very clunky and oversized camera backpack, some good friends purchased a Crumpler bag for me in December of last year. The bag is awesome and absolutely perfect to take on photo strolls or shoots where changing lenses needs to be done relatively quickly. The bag fits very comfortable on me and I sling it toward my right side. Only trouble with that setup is that is where I prefer my camera to rest when using the Black Rapid strap. Since I was pretty hung up on the Black Rapid model, I was not looking forward to trying something different or going back to the Nikon neck slicer model.
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Enter the Crumpler strap, also purchased by the same good friends that purchased the Crumpler bag for me. I was at first hesitant about switching over to this strap because I was so used to having the Black Rapid strap and camera to my side. After all, using something for a few years tends to get you into a certain pattern. In fact, it was awkward having the camera resting in front of me on my chest again. As I mentioned earlier, with my new camera bag hanging off to my right side, I really did not want my camera hanging there as well. That just wouldn’t make much sense. But the Crumpler did not disappoint. As you can see in the photo (bottom right) of the Crumpler “Industry Disgrace” model, the area where the strap rests on your neck has some extra padding and support. The straps wrap around and come to a thicker spot around your neck and are also padded for comfort. In terms of cost, both are “basically” in the same range. The Crumpler “Industry Disgrace” is available in brown or black for just $30. The Black Rapid models start at $53 and move up a little depending on the model and are only available in black. While more pricey than the Crumpler, the Black Rapid models do give you some pocket and storage room for items such as batteries, business cards, and extra memory cards, something the Crumpler model does not offer. In terms of durability, I have not owned the Crumpler long enough to compare it to the Black Rapid. The Black Rapid model is the second strap I have purchased from them, and my first one, which was used for about 2 years, is still in great shape. It really took a beating and has lasted quite a while now. I have used it on just about any kind of shoot and photo stroll that you could think about. The Crumpler has not been tested under the same conditions but it will be soon. I have taken it with me on a variety of shoots and it has performed and always been comfortable. It too has taken quite a
review beating in some unforgiving environments but remains new to the eye. The biggest disadvantage, for me, when shooting using the Crumpler strap, was shooting portrait orientation. The Black Rapid connects to the tripod mount under the camera so the strap hangs conveniently out of the way. The Crumpler strap is going to hang in your way of the viewfinder on occasion and can easily get on your nerves. If that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, that is the strap you need on your camera. When carrying the Crumpler bag, their strap is a must. When shooting weddings or if I am at a place where I want my hands free and camera out of the way, The Black Rapid strap is my strap of choice. In an effort to summarize this whole debate, I really believe that you need to consider what works best for how you shoot. Just with purchasing any gear, go with what works best for how you move and function during your shoots. Both of these straps are really great models, durable, and most important, comfortable through long periods of shooting.
CHECK THEM OUT ONLINE: C h e c k o u t t he Bla ck Ra pi d st ra ps at ww w.bla ckr api d.c om and
th e Cru m p l er l i n e of s tr a p s a t ww w. cr ump le r. com.
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PHOTO BY JASON MORRISON
outtakes
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Coffee and a Camera outings always have their benefits. Photographers get to stretch their creative legs and shoot new and interesting locations on a weekly basis. One aspect that is nearly more enjoyable than taking photos, is the fun that is had in the car, on location, or out to eat after. Here are some fun outtakes Below (L to R): Jason Morrison, Ryan Roark, Martimus Knight, Sarah Knight, Billy Dixon, Peto Fallas, Otto Kitchens, Kat Milby; Taken at Miller Theater in Augusta. Stay tuned as next issue we will have a special section featuring this amazing location.
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1 James Blount photographs Peto Fallas lying in the leaves at Southerness. 2 Always smiling, Jorge Mayorga has fun despite the freezing cold at Panola Park, as photographed by Ryan Roark. 3 James Blount took this photo of his wife Michelle at a location in McDonough. 4 Peto Fallas captures Jason Morrison holding up a pair of dirty underwear inside of an abandoned house in the McDonough area.
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1 Ryan Roark gets crushed by Jason Morrison’s fingers as viewed through a fisheye lens. 2 A purveyor of fine head wear, Billy Dixon, composes a shot in the McDonough area, as photographed by Peto Fallas. 3 A cup of Starbucks coffee sits on a tailgate before another early morning excursion. 4 A unique view of some of the early morning crew as captured by Peto Fallas. 5 Standing back taking this shot, James Blount watched as Thomas Wolfe, Justin Phillips, and Jason Morrison explore an abandoned golf course along an old cart path. 6 Ryan Roark catches Peto Fallas and Billy Dixon hanging out during the trip to Oakland Cemetery. 7 Rodney Christopher shoots Peto Fallas and Jason Morrison posing with Ryan Roark’s monster Nikon lens.
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on deck whats up next in issue #2 ⁄⁄ Photo by Kat Milby
Who knew that just a few months ago that this group would see the growth that it has seen. What started as three or four photographers has turned into a group nearly 60 members strong. Each outing produces new friendships, new photographs, new challenges, and new inspirations. The group has grown to the point where many of the outtings have to be limited to a specific number of participants. Imagine where it will be in another few months... This first issue of the magazine, while a modest beginning, will hopefully grow just as the group has grown. We want to help utilize this publication as not only a showcase for the talented group of photographers that is Coffee and a Camera, but also as a way to creatively preserve our community with photography. The next issue will cover two locations in the Hampton area, the historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, an open gallery exhibit entitled “Favorites”, and a special visit to a historic location in despair and in need of restoration. If you own or manage a historic or unique location and would like to have that location preserved through photography, we would be more than willing to talk with you. If you have any suggestions of great places to photography, please send your recommendations to reach@coffeeandacamera.com.
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credits SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND AUTHORS This first edition of Coffee and a Camera: A Photography Journal would not be possible without the vision of Peto Fallas to create such a fun and positive group. The photographers that venture out every Sunday morning make the trips so worthwhile and interesting. Our photographers included in this issue, in alphabetical order, are Kim Adams (p30, 35 & 38), Michelle Blount (p13), James Blount (p15, 18 & 62), Rodney Christopher (p16, 21 & 23), Peto Fallas (p12, 15, 29, 30, 32, 41 & 58), Sara Knight (p34), Russ Lamp (p30 & 36), Jorge Mayorga (p14, 15, 20, 36, 60 & 61), Kat Milby (p73), Ryan Roark (p19, 22, 56, 59 & 65), Jason Morrison (p10, 15, 24, 30, 37, 40 & 64), and featured photographer Justin Phillips (pp42-53). Thank you to author and photographer Beau Kelley, for lending his writing talents and special take on history. To contact an artist about commissioning work, purchase prints, or other photography related services, please send an email to reach@coffeeandacamera.com and we will have the artist contact you.
Through Photography • The photo is of the Kelley Homeplace in Kelleytown, GA Circa 1896. Image courtesy Beau Kelley. Beau Kelley is a Henry County native and real estate broker. In his spare time he enjoys traveling with his wife, volunteer work, and shaking his moneymaker for local charities.
Rex Mill • Hall, Joel. "Rex Village seeks historic designation." Clayton News Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. http://tinyurl.com/4cexrz5 • “The Georgia Trust - Places in Peril." The Georgia Trust - The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. http://www.georgiatrust.org/news/2011places.php. • Joyner, Tammy. "Historic Rex named to Georgia's Places in Peril List" The Atlanta JournalConstitution. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/4flbgrz.
Justin Phillips Interview • Strobist Starving Student SC1 Lighting Kit: www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12314.html • Atlanta Photographer’s Guild: www.flickr.com/groups/atlantaguild/
Southerness • "Southerness Golf Club." Clyde Johnston Designs. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2011. http://www.clydejohnston.com/completed_courses/southerness.htm. • "Southerness Golf Club." WorldGolf.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2011. http://tinyurl.com/48l7vct.
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