My dilemma, New Adventures, A Promise.

I've been a year on, a year off, with the blog for quite a while now. I'm not sure what it is but it most definitely mimics my life in a way. The last 2-3 years I feel I've become quite short of words. Even when I think something I never can quite get it to come out of my mouth. I guess with age I've just started to become sick of so many people who have so much to say but they are either full of shit or full of drama. My feelings have become about doing and not so much about talking about it. Sure, after a few beers I might blabble a bit. I'm not who I used to be though, that is for certain.

If you follow me on facebook or know me personally you have a good idea what I've been up to. My last post which was many moons ago, was the beginning of becoming somewhat serious about freediving and spearfishing. That progress is evolving as well, that is a story for another time.

I've stumbled upon some new friends since joining this sport and it has led to something much bigger than myself. Since my entire life's experiences have revolved around team sports this is nothing new to me, and kind of what I'm all about. It takes some dedication, it takes humility, and you have to see the big picture and not just who's in the mirror.

My feelings so far are, well, I fit in quite nicely with the people at Spearing Magazine. We have become dive buddy's in the mean time and put out a pretty darn nice publication when the rubber hits the road. Issue 5.2 was my first with the crew so I'm still the rookie of the bunch. My responsibilities are still expanding and I am a bigger component than I ever thought I would be when I was initially approached. Thats a good thing as I have really enjoyed it.

I help out with the photo editing for all articles and wrote my own in the last issue. I also have some photos spread out for various products and pages. After feeling all but out of photography in a professional sense, my snaps have come full circle. I spent years trying to get my work to be seen by the masses, it never happened and the industry itself is just strange. I happily left it behind as it tainted my photographic enjoyment for quite some time.  All of the sudden now my work is being circulated by the 10's of thousands. That hasn't quite hit me yet. Probably because I am just doing it because I want to and not because I have to. Its good to keep some things in your heart and out of your wallet.

My dilemma now has become that although I feel like updating this blog more often I have to save the photos, for print. With the mag being every 3 months and whats seems like, might be regular articles from me, I have to keep the best photos unpublished. That means here and facebook.

I believe my interest in sharing my thoughts is usually received pretty well and will benefit both my personal goals and cross promote the magazine. It looks like I'll have to start taking more photos, that way my B-roll stuff is good enough to keep interest in my readers.

Did I say readers? Well yea, I think there are still subscribers that exist but to feed your virtual me, I have to make you a promise. That is that this blog can no longer sit dorment. I have to find a way to get my thoughts onto this canvas. It has been focused on photos in the past but with my writing now on the main stage, and I have no clue how that happened, I need to practice. My mind needs some strides so that my vocabulary exceeds that of what might be necessary to dive and kill fish.

If I sound like a dimwit for the near future its just because I'm getting back in the game. Give me some time, and follow my new adventures. Your support is appreciated, as are your comments.

JP

Down Under

For real, i've been gone for a long time. It seems the same creativity that leads to my photos alsopulls the words from my brain. I haven't taken snaps and I haven't had much to say.

I've been reunited to something that was a big part of my life when I was younger. I used to live for spearfishing when I was younger. Its all I remember wanting to do, besides hitting batting practice anyway. College changed that as I got overwhelmed by the game, not in a bad way, but in a way that was necessary to stay at the level I was at. I got to shoot a few times when home from ball but those few times are what led to my 5 year absence from diving. I blew my ear drum twice. It hurt so bad I thought I would never dive again.

A few years removed from college and I needed a new challenge and decided to get certified for Scuba. I was scared to death but had no problems whatsoever. Dove 90 ft. without a single equalization issue. While I got into that for a minute, I was still scared to free dive. I decided to start trying to get down to 20 ft. or so which was where I had previously imploded. It was nerve wrecking but as long as I took my time equalizing it was fine... Fast forward.

About 3 months from getting back into it I've started to accept the challenge and want nothing to do but get submerged. I can remember 12 weeks ago when my first few dives were difficult at 10 ft. It was seriously like I was choking. I started reading more and more. When I get dedicated, its pretty much obsession. If you are reading this you know my photography. I learned almost every single thing I knew from reading and practicing, being dedicated. Just a few weeks ago I got comfortable in 20 ft. for the first time ever. That shallow depth is such a barrier. A mental barrier most the people I know have. I just couldn't accept it as my limit. I recently bought a dive watch and started diving with more experienced freedivers. The first week after I got my watch I hit 30 ft. for the first time. To good divers that is cake. For me it was pretty important. It was breaking the barrier.

I have only dove one time since then. I was fine in 30 plus all day. I ended up shooting a nice hog at 41 ft. Only one dive after hitting 30 ft. for the first time.

We have been feeding ourselves pretty well too. Some nice big gulf hogs and red grouper. Enjoy the photos. Hopefully I will visit more often. If not, its cause I'm down under. JP

Just About

Their has been more time than usual between blog posts. I have been busy at work and that is mostly up the keys. Being in the office makes it difficult to get out and take photos. I went to dinner tonight and just wanted to get something worth posting. Not great but shallow depth plus ISO 6400 are unique in their own way. Enjoy, I promise to have something more substantial soon, JP.

To the Fort Again - Dry Tortugas

One of the main reasons I didn't move out of Key West from this horrible economy, and way to expensive cost of living it the Dry Tortugas. Although this year has only brought me one trip, its kind of like hitting that one good iron shot in a round of golf. The fishing wasn't the greatest being that its the end of summer and the water is at its warmest. We ended up with 50 yellowtail so that was a good thing. The weekend that was picked could not have been better. It was 5-7 mph wind on the way there and variable breeze on the way back. The only wind we got was camping at night around 10 mph which was as perfect a trip weather wise as one could ask.

This trip was also special because of who I went with. The Davila's treat me as good as my own family and are always fun to be around. And the best thing about them, I know will take enough beer ;~).

On a sadder note. We got haggled. And haggled badly. Someone from the park service there was under the dock cleaning off the underwater streaming video camera lens. There was a dive flag on the dock post. Our captain did not see the flag. I will admit, I did see the flag. When I saw the flag sitting on top of the dock post I surely thought someone who left that morning had forgotten it. I did NOT think that putting a dive flag on land denoted divers around. After sitting on sure for about 45 minutes the park rangers came. They brought all the power trip they could find too. Tried to accuse us of reckless behavior, idling up to a dock with a dive flag on it where there is a posted "NO SWIMMING" sign? Accused us of drinking too much after we had been on land for almost an hour, and yes we did have some beers. Made us stay on the island for our own safety since we had been drinking and one of us got cited for endangering the lives of the divers at over $300. It was incredible and from my take and that of countless others, not very legal.

Of the handful of people I know that frequent the trip to the park, none have had a good thing to say. And all but one had at least a story or two of being approached in an unfriendly manner (screwed with unnecessarily).

Hopefully the right person reads this.

Enjoy the photos and the small video captured with gopro HD heros. JP

On The Flats

If there is one thing I haven't done enough of lately is flats fishing. Although I have been doing some really good tarpon fishing its just not the same as sight casting in the shallow water. We only hooked one permit this day. The weather was almost too good and most the permit got spooked from the boat a good 70 feet away.
Photographically these were taken with my manual 35mm f/2 Nikkor that was $85 and is probably 20 years old. Enjoy, JP.

From the Fourth

There are a couple holidays that are always consistent in my life and the main one is the 4th of July. It is one of the days of the year that is represented by being on the water all day long. I am always around a large group of friends. We usually have a few to many drinks and then somehow always make it to the fire works off of the pier. Here are a few abstracts to keep you interested. Enjoy, JP.

I'm So Shallow

All my talk on Facebook and Twitter about selling the already legendary Zeiss 100/2 ZF just lost even more luster. As commercial work picks up my career yearns for the new 24-70mm 2.8. But even the great Bokeh talk about the mid range Nikkor just can't match the butter smoothness of this modern manual focus. True, anyone can be a good photographer but the saying "its not the camera" which in principle means that the gear doesn't make the photographer gets washed away anytime you put a lens of this magnitude in front the sensor. Enjoy the randoms, only 5 blocks from home. JP

I like Sunsets, she likes Shoes.

Nothing to say. Enjoy, JP.

Studio Party

After a not-so-good dinner out on the town I decided that was about time I used this studio I pay for. I called a couple friends, got a bottle of rum and some beers and set up the seamless. It was just about getting together and creating memories, the ones that last. I home this is something I can get to happen more often and with a larger turn out. I had some trouble with the fill light not wanting to join the party but he'll get replaced soon enough. Enjoy, JP.

Tobacco Road

This was the most challenging light you can think of. The venue was an outdoor incredibly 'not' lit semi-stage, with other stages throughout the place with upcoming musicians putting in their 30 minutes of fame. It smokin hot as their was no air flow, and all I had was my Zeiss 100mm f/2, which if you didn't know, is only manual focus. So these were my shooting choices 1.) 100mm, f/2, ISO 12800, and whatever shutter (between 1/20 and 1/50) was given from those max settings... and... did I say choices? That was it, besides buying a D3s and Nikon 85/1.4. Surprising enough I actually got some neat shots and had a great time. The band we watched 'BredCrumbs' was pretty amazing. They were moving like maniacs and were literally in less than a candle of light. Enjoy the photos, JP