IN THE BUSINESS

So I was going through some ideas to get some business cards printed and I got stumped on designs for the card. I started thinking out some of the designs such as: Should I use one of my Landscape Pictures? Should it be something with just my contact information? Should use a card with some crazy graphic design? All these ideas just had me delay my card from being made, and my chance of just putting myself out there. One day I was going through some random business cards online and I came across this post of some cool examples of business card ideas people have tried and here are my top 3 choices:

The first one I liked was this one by Jason Permenter for The Rabbit & The Duck. I love this card for the fact that it has that simplistic look combined with the old school letter work on it. Its a very clean and well designed card. This idea I originally wanted to try but gave up on it because it seems too simple to draw people in for my pictures. 

The second one I saw that caught my interest was this alluminum made card for the NATIONAL GREYHOUND ADOPTION PROGRAM. Putting it bluntly, this card is just so f*&!%$! cool. What really drew it to me is I'm a big fan of the military look. The fact that this company has a business card that resembles dog tags is a very clever idea. however, I couldn't use something like that because I would feel it would give me a categorizing limit saying I only do certain types of pictures. Even so, its still crazy that this could be a used as a business card. I tip my hat off to whomever thought of that.

 I saw this crazy cool card Alexandre Thomas has for his card. Its a translucent card with that shows the perspective of a camera through the card. The card also on the corners of it displays his contact information with the battery life in it. So far, I think that is the best business card I've seen so far. I find it to be simple, sweet, and very creative. I honestly didn't even know someone could make a card like that which is very good to know. I might do a remix of this card, but I have some great ideas for what I'm going to do. Special thanks for these companies and I hope for the best in your future work. Godspeed.

K.R.E.A.M part 2

I went to the city earlier this week to look for this pair of kicks I heard released in early 2012. Naturally since I've been collecting for a good number years, I know of some good spots all around New York. Anyway, I went inside one of my old spots off Broadway in SoHo, and met up with one of my old friends that runs the store. He said there was little chance that the stores would have them but gave me this flyer that you see above. Basically if there was any place I would find them, this convention would definitely have them.

Sneaker Con is basically a convention that happens every couple months. Its a great way for sneaker heads to buy, sell, and even trade kicks. They also have people that have little tables to promote their clothing brands, sell little accessories, and just show off their collection. Even some celebrities have shown up to these conventions. Just the last one I went to, Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets came to support his Adidas sneakers.

I've been going to these conventions since I was around 17 and its given me experience in both sneaker knowledge and knowledge of how to hustle. Even if you're not too much into sneakers, its still a good experience to see and learn about. I will be there to sell and also take some good shots. If anyone is interested, feel free to visit the site to learn more. Godspeed.  

CAREFUL CLICK CLICK

I was cleaning out my draw and I ran into something very interesting. I found this camera I got as a christmas gift a couple of years back and never really got around to using it. I mean, if you had an SLR camera you'd probably do the same thing. So I did a couple of shots with it recently and found out its actually a pretty decent camera. So today, I'm doing a sort of review on the Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera. This camera is the "new school" version of what the past original Polaroid cameras used to look like. Unlike the older one, this model comes with a build in screen and a few more buttons built on top. The photo paper used to print the pictures is located in the back of the camera; Its a hidden slot where it is ready at anytime to print the pictures. The design is pretty nice, definitely not similar to an ordinary digital camera. Now without further ado, I'll talk about how it works. 

PROS:
 The cool thing about this camera is it gives you an option of which pictures you want to print. The original Polaroid models is only able to print the picture as you take it. It's also interesting that this camera does NOT require any ink to print those said pictures. The paper used is also better quality than the paper used in the older models. instead of putting the picture upside down to develop, it automatically comes out the camera complete. I must say, it is amazing what technology is capable of these days.

CONS:
although this camera has abilities much more convenient than the older polaroid models, one thing it lacks is, to me, the most important thing: The quality of the picture. when the pictures are printed out it doesn't have that same "vintage" feeling to that of the antique models. the quality on the new model is equivalent to a regular cheap digital camera. If I still had my previous polaroid, I would do a comparison shot between the two, but sadly its no longer in my possession. OVERALL, it was a very nice present and I'm glad I found it. I actually started using it more since I found it. Never again will it leave my side. Godspeed. 

ADDICTION

I am confessing to one of my biggest habits/hobbies. This habit has been apart of who I was/who I am for as long as I could remember. Okay, let me start again; My name is Paul Howard, and I am a sneaker head. *note, all of these shoes were mine at some point, but I don't own anymore. I have newer kicks/ pictures but chose these older pictures for the sake of reminiscing on my work. It will be explained why I don't own them anymore so be patient!

THE COME UP:
Around the time of high school I think it started. I was mostly into what other perceived as the hot shoes (majority were typical Nikes and Air Jordans). What I loved mostly about it was all the crazy designs and colors that made it stand out. The compliments and attention that came with it didn't hurt either. Towards the end of high school, it sort of got tiresome seeing so many people wearing the same shoes that I had. It sort of felt like it was mainstream music that you couldn't escape because somebody is ALWAYS playing it. That however didn't stop the addiction. I eventually found out about these hidden sneaker stores that either sold exclusive kicks not known to mainstream stores or sold kicks that were so old, it was unlikely to come across them again. These stores were so low key back then, you could literally walk right past it and not even know.  

I also found out about these places/events where you can buy, and even sell your own kicks for more exclusive pairs called the Dunk Xchange. It was sort of like a really secret sneaker society that was just really cool to be apart of. It's also crazy thinking about how much money I've made in the past going to these conventions and selling all my stuff. One of my most memorable sells was a pair of Jordans I found in a thrift shop for $35 and sold it for around $650. In its own way, this sneaker obsession gave me great lessons in both being a entrepreneur, and the concept of Supply-and-Demand.    

 Although it doesn't seem like it, sneaker loving/hunting are actually a culture in its very own. It was influenced by things such as sports and music, but became its own thing from there. Through my perspective, being into sneakers is also being into the arts. Each shoe model was designed by an artist. Certain color ways and materials are also chosen by artists as well. The Nike Air Jordan 5 (above) for example, was made by nike, and designed by Tinker Hatfield. It was inspired by a WW2 fight Jet, and made popular by Michael Jordan. These people had a part in making the shoe hot, and I would find it an honor that so many people love my work like that. Its true most people don't care about the art behind the shoe, but it doesn't mean it should be overlooked. Art is art, so don't judge. Godspeed.  

GO OUTSIDE

So I was online showing a longboard to my cousin, then all of a sudden I ran into this image of a new type of longboard. This is the Longboard Stroller; the new way of rolling through town with your children. If this idea wasn't a way to reach the hipsters, I don't know what is. 

CONSTRUCTION:
As any longboard, it comes with your standard parts: a deck (board by itself), wheels, trucks, bearings, and bushings. The board itself is concave (in other words, the middle drops), giving it that close to the ground sort of feel. Last but not least, is the stroller attachment for the front. Personally, my biggest concern with this design is: 1. will it be able to securely keep your infant on there without tipping forward if your not on it? and 2. Is there some sort of wheel stopper built in that would keep it from rolling while your child is on? I didn't see this in person, so I'm not sure if it has these problems. Anyway, let's dive into the Pros and Cons. 

PROS:
Short and sweet, this can potentially be an awesome idea. Its a fast way for you and your child to get to where you need to be. It also makes it convenient for carrying groceries in the stroller, along with other things. It could also be a fun way to introduce your child into the life of skating and develop a strong bond with him/her. Most of all, this just looks cool as hell. I would have loved to be in something like that when I was younger, and grow up saying "Man, I have some cool ass parents that would cruise around with me riding shotgun on their board". Bragging rights anyone?

CONS:
As cool as I think this is, I think this idea is a bit much for infants. It's already a dangerous sport WITHOUT a stroller attachment. WITH it, it seems like a way of endangering your child's life (I say this because I personally do a LOT of reckless shit with my long board). Especially out here in New York, home of the crazy taxis, and buses, it just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Another thing that comes with long boarding is dealing with the stumbling. What I mean by that is if you come across something, like a pebble or bottle cap for example, that could cause you to not necessarily fall, but stumble hard enough where you lose control of the board and end up swinging the board, along with the infant, into traffic. With that being said, I would rather play it safe and stick with a stroller.

CONCLUSION:
I believe that this is definitely worth looking into, as well as purchasing. I don't have kids, but I would use it more for running errands. it seems like a secure way of holding groceries/bags, and I am very curious to see how this thing rides. Thanks for reading guys. Godspeed.

VOYAGER

Previously on the last post, I ended by saying I was gonna introduce a good example of landscape photography along with great photos with the miniature effect. So for today, I'm going to share with you my experience in the journey for shots! 

So last January, I went on vacation to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I went there with family to stay at my grandfather's house for a couple of weeks. So while we were there My brother Chris (bottom left), and my cousin Justin (middle) make a decision with me to climb up an inactive volcano on the island called Mt. Soufriere. 

The journey itself was a BITCH. When we first started, we were basically going through a rain forest terrain combined with man-made bamboo steps both steep and slippery(the picture above is my cousin on those steps). Because earlier that year a hurricane hit the island, the path was in pretty bad shape. The mugginess was unbearable to say the least. I swear it felt like I was getting showered with my own sweat.  On top of that, it was a VERY long trail to the top. I think it took about 2 1/2 hours actually. We started out with this pretty big group, but most of them gave up 1/4 of the way there. HOWEVER, 2 1/2 hours later out of the rain forest, we were finally able to see something special....

What you see here is the inside of the inactive volcano. It was absolutely breathtaking. This and the picture below are both done in the miniature effects, and personally these are my favorite shots with this effect. Even so, these pictures don't do justice to how nice it was on being on top of the island.

Unlike the journey, the top itself was FREEZING. As you saw in the top picture, I was in a tank top this whole journey; I still remember shivering on top of that damn volcano. I wouldn't change a thing though. Being on top with my brother, and cousin with nothing but my camera and some apples was an awesome experience. Hopefully I'll get another chance to do some hiking soon, and show you guys some more examples of landscape photography. Godspeed.

    

ITS A SMALL WORLD AFTERALL

So this year, I've been messing around with adding miniature effects to particular shots. For those who don't know, this is an effect that makes things seem smaller than what it might/might not be. Its a useful effect on pictures involving landscape or just on top of buildings.  The picture above is an example I taken during a vacation out to California. This is a hiking trail  that goes right below the Hollywood sign. Although it might not look it I'm actually a lot higher up than these people on a different trail.

This picture was taken at the observatory not too far of from the Hollywood sign. Its a full view of the city; I decided to give the picture an older look because it seemed to go along with the theme I wanted at the time.

This shot I got when I went on a hiking trip upstate with my cousin, uncle, and a couple of their hiking buddies. This one was well earned considering how steep these cliffs were. To think that since I did so much Long-boarding, I thought I wouldn't have that much trouble keeping up. DEAD WRONG! It also didn't help that the rocks were especially slippery. However, when we finally made it, the feeling of standing out on this huge cliff with a beautiful view of their valley just made up for all that trouble. I actually have another great example of great miniature hots, but the theme behind that was so good, that it deserves its own post. So next post, I'll show you guys a great example of not only miniature effects, but a great look into landscape photography. Godspeed.