Discarded
Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by admin in blog
I am amazed at the amount of stuff we toss to the side in a discarded heap. When I find these heaps I photograph them. What also strikes me is that these seemingly simple objects, most likely once meant something to someone, somewhere in a more meaningful way – be it a pair of gold slippers, two sad and deflated balloons or a discarded baby stroller.
‘Discarded’ will be an ongoing project to showcase things that I find just laying around – be it in a dumpster, trashed on the street or just junk left sitting around to rust. Take a look around you on your way home from work or to the store. Junk is all around you, when you start to gather notes you start to really notice how much of it there really is.
These pictures are taken on my iPhone – a camera that I have handy 24/7. I’ll be working on various iPhone projects throughout the year in an effort to stay creative, sharp and to have fun documenting the world around me.
Visit my Freshwater Images Flickr account for a further collection of my iPhone only work.
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Cheers,
Nathan
Hello Athens, Greece
Posted on 31. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
Just a quick post to say hello from Freshwater’s first overseas visitor!
Hello to the folks in Athens, Greece! Or should we say, ’γεια σου.’
Cheers,
Nathan
SIA Day 3 – Gear Photos
Posted on 31. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
The ski and snow sports world enjoys a unique culture of outdoor fun, healthy people and of course gear. Saturday was my geek out day for gear photos. I have a stack of dealer books almost 7 inches thick from only a few manufactures. They are filled with stunning images, specs and details that most gear heads would drool over.
As a photographer, I am drawn to the images used by these companies. Stellar work that documents the product in their natural habitat – outdoors and in the snow – and sometimes vertical, backwards or airborne. Some even call this type of imagery; ski porn. I can agree with that.
My mission assigned to me, was to take a few product line shots – a difficult task to stack up against the glossy dealer books. Here is a slideshow of just a few of the images, have fun at your last day of SIA. I plan to add more photos in a ‘wrap up’ gallery later this afternoon/evening.
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Cheers,
Nathan
Denver Beer Culture
Posted on 29. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
Interesting, according to a recent article on denver.org, the mile high city brews more beer than any other city in the country.
That is good because I love beer, wine makes me tired and champagne costs too much. Beer is the perfect beverage to end a long day or enjoy with friends after skiing, biking, building a house, geeking out on Twitter all day … you get the point, its pretty much perfect for any occasion.
The complexity of beer and the variety of brewers has skyrocketed over the past few years and for that, we beer lovers are grateful.
When I first moved to Denver I noticed right away that my city likes to drink – but not drink like a college kid – but drink finely crafted microbrews to be enjoyed with a meal from one of the many fantastic restaurants.
The article has a great list that further details Denver’s microbrews and breweries – which got me think about a story I shot for ESCALA magazine, the official inflight magazine for Aeromexico a few months ago, regarding Denver’s beer culture.
Yes, I got to try the beer …. I really love my job and work!
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“There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking.” - Ben Franklin
Cheers,
Nathan
SIA Day 1
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
Today was the first official day of the SIA Snow Show in Denver and I’m sure it was fun – I would not know because I was walking around the convention center in a daze from a head cold that crept in sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
With still so much to see on Friday I’m truly looking forward to a good night’s sleep tonight and meeting some great folks. By the way, I created a SIA-2010 Twitter List if you’d like to check it out.
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Cheers,
Nathan
SIA Fashion Show
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
This week I’m covering the SIA Snow Show in Denver for an editorial client and really looking forward to seeing what 2011 has to offer the ski industry. I’m certain that there is a lot of collective finger crossing that 2011 will be the year everyone will remember for the deepest powder and the coldest Après beers.
Wednesday night, as a welcoming celebration and to showcase snow sports fashions, the SIA threw a party – that just happened to include a fashion show. Food, wine and pants that would have said ‘Swish’ when they strutted past on the catwalk should you could have heard it over the bumping tracks from DJ Rootz.
Last night I was shooting for fun and for the thrill of the sights and the sounds that every fashion show is bound to bring.
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Cheers,
Nathan
Twittering
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
Twitter. Twittering. Tweets.
Just a few years ago, while chatting up a client at a cocktail party or meeting over lunch, if you would have said any form of these three words they might have thought you a bit unbalanced.
“Check please.”
Honestly, it took me a bit to fully grasp the idea of social media as more than a place to re-up with old friends or college roommates. Social media to me means more than just sharing links, which I’m very good at, but to engage people that I would not normally have contact with. Social media as a whole has been pretty good to me. I get my message and photos out.
Freshwater Images was founded in March 2009. My first tweet through @freshwatertweet follows:
launching a new brand, company and creative direction all in the same day, might need some more coffee.
2:21 PM Mar 8th from web
While I still share lots of random links and self promote I also try to provide value to anyone and everyone. I try not to simply climb to top of a tall building and scream, “Here I am. Now pay attention to me.”
That example is like a car alarm. Why do people even use such an annoying device. No one listens anyway. I have never gotten up and said, “Wow, some dude’s car is getting stolen around the block. We should check it out.” Be honest, have you ever checked it out? I love my neighbors, but my neighbors also don’t have car alarms. I value my neighbors not having car alarms.
>Social media, in a way, works in the same function. A wise man, @tonyfelice, gave me the tip to provide value. It totally makes sense and he’s right.
What is the point if you don’t give something of value? You have such a small space to focus your words but an unlimited amount of ideas and thoughts that someone or many someone’s may build from or improve. The hope is that someone or those many someone’s will do the same with their limited amount of space and provide you with something of value.
Below is a word cloud of just a few days of Tweets. I’ve been experimenting with hashtags (shift+3) – small markers that include more information or metadata into your otherwise awesome Tweet. Say you work on an organic farm and Tweet between chores. A good example of using a hashtag would be:
Bright Ridge Farms is looking for some good ideas regarding #organic-farms and #organic-food for our next round table discussion.
There is no formula for being a genius social networker. Some may disagree with that statement, but what can be agreed on is that there are many known unknowns – as someone once said.
Your job is to figure out the known unknowns, for your company or brand, and Tweet with the Twitter you are given.
Cheers,
Nathan
(Author’s Note: This was previously posted on a former blog of mine. You can berate me in the comment section for recycling a post, if you feel the need.)
Fresh From Oven, Heartfelt Help To Haiti
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in blog
From a distance, the child’s handwriting on homemade signs, looked like the typical advertisement for your neighborhood lemonade stand. Classic Americana surrounded the children swarming the cramped stand; wide streets, picket fences and front porch swings. But as you ventured closer to the stand you notice words out of context for this landscape.
The words, scrawled in black magic marker by 8-year-old Michaela Hourigan, ‘Cupcakes for Haiti’ was carefully taped to her stand.
From watching television footage of the earthquake that struck the small island nation, Hourigan came up with a simple, yet brilliant, social entrepreneurial solution to a huge problem.
Cupcakes, fresh from the oven, would show the sweet and heartfelt help for Haiti that was taking place in this Denver neighborhood. For each cupcake sold, sprinkles or not, (a $1.00 for the small cupcakes and $2.00 for the larger) went directly to the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter where Hourigan raised $1000 for relief aid.
I was alerted to this story through Twitter and simply contacted the young social entrepreneur’s mother and scheduled a time to swing by to meet, take some photographs and of course, buy a cupcake. I pitched the story idea to one of my longtime editorial clients, The Denver Post, and was given the green light by an editor to take a look.
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For those of you, by you I mean that one guy or gal (quite possibly my mom) that read my other Freshwater Images blog … may remember me noting that I would like to profile more social entrepreneurs, local business leaders and creative folks that have really great ideas.
I never thought that the first entry on this new blog would feature a slight and curly haired 8-year-old and the youngest social entrepreneur that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
Good luck Michaela.
For more information you can visit the Cupcakes For A Cause Facebook page where you can still donate money directly to the Red Cross.
Cheers,
Nathan
Be Social and Connect
