The art of flight

I had the privilege of flying yesterday morning over the city I currently live in, Santa Barbara. And this has been possible thanks to my good friend Julien Lecomte, who just had his license.

After a night of bad sleep, I got up at 6 AM, packed my photo gear and drove to the Santa Barbara airport, where he was waiting for me. After sneaking in the airport (you just open a small door with a card and you are in. I wish you could do that at LAX too!), we prepared the airplane (especially me), filled it with fuel and took off. By the way, don’t go to refill you car at the airport, it’s more expensive…

It was an amazing experience that everybody should try at least once in their life. Plus, I always wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid, and even if I wasn’t driving it was amazing just to be there. I was more worried the night before, but I guess it was only excitement. On the plane I felt like it was natural to be there. I’m thinking to get my own license right now…

Anyway! Too many words… This is the story in pictures. Better than words… But not even close to what is “flying”.

yes, gopro. Julien probably had crazy tricks and turns in mind. I’m glad that he didn’t do any!Ciao mamma shotI like photograph where there’s a big sense of composition, order, geometry. I like it when it is very graphic and ordered. This is why I’ve always wanted to shoot houses from above. We all think that our house is special. It’s big, small, it’s “bigger than”, it’s “nicer”. It’s ours… From above they are just  boxes. Big, small, red green or blue. They are just the same. 

Digital Vs. Film

They say that digital have made photography so much easier. That in the old days with film you couldn’t see what you were taking pictures of, and since now you can do that, you can repair a bad shot instantly. Thus life is way easier nowadays… Or it should be…

I really don’t agree with this at all! I feel that not only life is not easier, but also you have to work much more! And part of this comes from the fact that shooting more doesn’t cost money. But the problem is not just “how much you shoot”. The problem is also “how much you work on a single file”. You can work for years on a single picture and always get a new one. I’ve found out that with the film pictures I already have, the 60% is “good as it is”. If you don’t process and develop the negative on your own, you already have the final picture, there’s not much you can do. And if you’ve been shooting that in black and white film, black and white will be. Maybe it’s also the fact that the beauty of film resides in its being imperfect, so you just go with it… And I love it!

Now you start from the original file, and you think “let me see thins in black and white”. Then “let me see this in black and white with more contrast”, “let me see this in black and white but with a washed out look”, “what about a sepia tone?”…. And so on…

Life is definitely not easier!

Fifteen virtual copies of Lexus Gallegos, talented photographer, painter, designer and friend