My Four Eyed Fantasy » Uncategorized

Things Done Changed…Sorta

Emily — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:17:18 +0000

Seeing as how I’ve posted something about 9/11 on or near 9/11 since I began this blog, it would be hard to let the 10 year anniversary go by silently. I saw this contact sheet on Kareem’s Tumblr a while ago, and hopefully he doesn’t mind me respectfully mooching it for my own purposes. That’s a not so flattering shot of me – top row, second in from the left – on September 11th, 2001. We saw the first tower fall right in front of us. We ran. I never understood the concept of real panic or complete surrender before then. That expression on my face pretty much encapsulates how I felt that day and for many weeks and months following. Horrified and totally confused.

So, here we are in 2011. I didn’t post this yesterday because I was flying from Edinburgh to London and finally back to Los Angeles after my dear friend Anna’s beautiful wedding. (Congrats again buddy!!) If someone had told me on 9/11/01 that in 10 years I’d be on an international flight, married for over five years, and living in LA with a house and a Prius and a bulldog I would’ve said F*ck Off. But all that happened along with lots of other stuff, too. This country is obviously far from perfect, but I am really grateful for the fact that I’m still here able to make a living taking pictures, able to be married to my husband, hang out with friends and parents, travel to other countries, and have new life experiences.

Today I found out that I didn’t book a job I really wanted. I tried super hard to get it, and it just didn’t happen for me this time around. Normally, that would be enough to put me in full on cranky pants mode for at least the remainder of the day and possibly carry on into tomorrow. I’m not going to do that though. Instead I’m trying to remember how I felt on this day 10 years ago. It’s interesting how memories and feelings such as those are burned on one’s brain yet hard to fully access at the same time. I guess that’s our way of self preservation, but it is important (at least for me) not to totally ignore that residual anxiety and uncertainty. It makes the bad stuff today seem pretty minor.

Photo of the Day: The Baroness

Emily — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 03:32:41 +0000

The Baroness at Siren Studios © Emily Shur

I’m back in LA, and Thursday was bring your dog to work day.

20×200 Japan Earthquake Relief Edition

Emily — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:19:55 +0000

Imperial Palace Gardens with Wall, Tokyo, 2006 © Emily Shur

Today, with the help of the good people at 20×200, I have released a print edition to benefit Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund. You can read a little more in the announcement of the edition in 20×200′s newsletter here. You can purchase a print here. All net profits will go to charity. I will not be taking any commission from the sales of this print, and 20×200′s printer has also generously agreed to donate his time to benefit this cause. This is a small gesture in the grand scheme of this disaster, but please help in any way you are able, either by purchasing a print or donating directly to the charity of your choice.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who bought my print through Life Support Japan, made possible by Wall Space Gallery. There are new images being added everyday to the already impressive group of photographs. Proceeds from those sales will benefit Direct Relief International and Habitat for Humanity.

Japan, I Love You

Emily — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:53:49 +0000

Last night I put the finishing touches on all of my rough scans from my most recent trip to Japan. I was planning on posting some today, but clearly now is not the time. Last night I also watched live footage in disbelief as mudslides and tsunami waves demolished entire communities in Japan. Less than two weeks ago, I was there and could have easily been caught up in the tragedy. The news footage was really unlike anything I had ever seen before. Watching nature completely dominate humanity is a very unsettling feeling. It immediately brought me back to 9/11 (also written about here and here) where I was an eyewitness to a man-made tragedy, but regardless of the cause, the point is that colossal events of that sort render us as people powerless. It’s a feeling that I can’t describe to anyone who has not experienced it firsthand. Running for your life, realizing people are dying around you, not knowing what’s happening, what’s going to happen, whether or not you will be there to see it happen…and finally coming to the ultimate conclusion of accepting the fact that you are no different and no more important than any other person who is also running, trying to get out, has a family, friends, and wants to live. That sequence of thoughts ran through my head on 9/11 as I literally ran from the debris of the World Trade Center while it collapsed. To have this realization is transformative. Like I said, it’s hard to explain the severity of it unless you have had it yourself. I’ll be the first to admit that over time, I’ve become less aware of that feeling, and tragedies that haven’t affected me directly…well…they have not affected me directly, and those are the simple facts. Watching Hurricane Katrina unfold was horrible. I spent lots of time in New Orleans as a kid, and I always loved the city, but I was not there during Katrina. The Tsunami of 2004 was hard to comprehend. 230,000 people dead. Again, I was not there, so my level of affect could only reach a certain point. Of course we all felt horrible, but watching something on the news is worlds away from actually being involved.

I guess my point is that I cannot presume to understand what the people in Japan are experiencing right now, but I feel connected to their pain in some small way. It’s a place I have a lot of love for, and just a couple weeks ago I was strolling through quiet, seaside communities with my camera, very much at peace. I can honestly think of few things more terrifying than a massive wave of water, mud, cars, homes, and general debris coming at me with the speed of an airplane. Japan is one of the most prepared and efficient countries in the world, but last night proved even that level of preparedness cannot always provide safety from disasters of this magnitude.

Here in California, earthquakes are part of life. I’ve experienced a few since I’ve been here, but nothing panic inspiring. When it happens we kind of just sit it out and then laugh nervously. It’s a weird feeling. Again, the loss of control is what weirds me out the most. But the truth of the matter is, one day you might wake up and have your whole world turned upside down. The full impact of that feeling has left me since 9/11, but I know a lot of people in Japan are feeling it right now, just like the people of Haiti, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Orleans, New York City, and countless others have felt before them. Japan, I love you, and I’m so sorry this happened.

Video of the Day: The Baroness – Diet Edition

Emily — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:23:52 +0000

The Baroness is on a diet. from Emily Shur on Vimeo.

The Baroness is currently on a treat diet of carrots and apples. Check out her new trick.

Dream, Dream, Dream

Emily — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 07:03:41 +0000

I am waaaay behind on the blog. I was at the above show…not my video, but it was the best sounding one I could find (albeit a tad jumpy) of my favorite Weezer song. If you’re a fan and are familiar, you know that the song builds and you really need to listen to the whole thing. Rivers starts out by proclaiming “1994″ which was a big year for me. It was the year I graduated high school and moved to New York. I was seventeen. That was seventeen years ago. Now I sit on my couch after dying my hair in the bathroom, drinking a glass of wine, knowing I have to get up in 8 hours for one in a series of long shoot days. It took seventeen years to get to this point. Gray hair (no more), a cab/syrah blend, and working very very hard to achieve goals I set for myself so long ago.

Since I have been so remiss in my blog duties, I’ll quickly run down some stuff I am currently liking. If you’re interested in music go see what the husband and his co-workers have deemed The 50 Best Albums of the Year here. If you’re interested in movies, go see Black Swan. Now. If you’re interested in television, get up on your instant Netflix and watch or re-watch season two of the most excellent Parks and Recreation before season three begins in January. Also, support your girl and watch Storage Wars on A&E for which I shot all of the cast portraits. Word on the street (and by the streets I mean my parents) is that it’s a really good show. Speaking of my parents, my mom started a blog. You may think the musings of a 61 year-old mom who just relocated to Denver might not be up your alley, but my mom is a great writer so check it out. Or tell your mom to.

Peaks and Valleys

Emily — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:01:21 +0000

Rainbow, Somewhere in Scotland, 2001 © Emily Shur

This weekend marks the end of summer and what most people in our industry tend to think of as the start of a new season in business-land. The past couple weeks have been the typical up and down roller coaster of emotions regarding work…excitement, disappointment, excitement, disappointment. At this point, I can honestly say that I am almost too familiar with those two extremes and somewhat numb to both. Sometimes I think about what would have happened in my life had I not been able to take a risk in my early twenties and attempt to become a photographer. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I never left New York. Well, I would not be married to my husband. I would not live in this house or be dog-mommy to The Baroness. I wouldn’t have made the friends I’ve made here. I also may not have had such tumultuous recent years, professionally speaking, if I had just stayed in one place and continue to build a career. Then again, it might have been lackluster either way due to the economy and who knows what else. If my career had not been so disappointing at the time, I may not have put so much energy into my personal work which, in my opinion, has been the best thing to happen to my photography in the last five years or so.

Last week I photographed filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and had a really nice talk with him during the shoot. One thing that stood out to me was his acknowledgement of learning the most during the really, really low points in his career. I agreed with him wholeheartedly. As unpleasant as the bad times are, there would be no growth or change without them. When else are you forced to really look at yourself, your path, your decisions, and what could be possible? When everything is awesome, you’re just floating. When you’re stuck, you have to make a conscious effort to get un-stuck. It’s not fun, but I think it’s important.

Things have definitely been way better this year work-wise. They aren’t perfect, and I’m assuming they never will be, but I think having a couple of shitty years actually really helped me. Humility is an extremely underrated virtue. I read a lot of blogs and tweets and Facebook updates about what people are up to, how busy they are, what shoot they just wrapped, where they’re traveling, etc. Hey, I’ve done these things, too…I do it all the time (I think I just did it in the paragraph above this one). However, I think it’s refreshing when I read or hear something truly honest and not just a series of typed and/or audible high fives.

I’m writing this post with someone in mind, and I want nothing more than for this person to get past the shitty time they are having with work. There’s only so much an outsider can do other than be supportive, but I do feel like there is value in misery. For one, when you’ve been miserable you really appreciate when you are no longer miserable, and two, you are forced to make your situation better. And then you do. And then it is.

Yeah!

Emily — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:57:51 +0000

It’s this guy’s birthday today! I love him a lot, and for those of you out there who love him too…let him know. Perhaps by embarrassing him on your blog? Happy birthday to the best husband I’ve ever had! You are very loved.

Flak Photo Today

Emily — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:31:00 +0000

White Buildings, Takao, 2009

Today marks my sixth picture on Flak Photo. This one is shown as part of Flak’s Review Santa Fe 2010 feature. Interesting side note about this picture:

One of the events at Review Santa Fe is a public portfolio viewing where all of the photographers stand at tables with their work in front of them and the public is invited to walk around and check out everyone’s work. This has probably been my least favorite part of both reviews (2009 & 2010), but it’s mandatory. Anyway, this year a woman was looking through my work, and she stopped on the above image and looked totally stunned. She was Japanese, and turns out she and her husband lived in those white buildings before moving to the US. Crazy, huh? This not a well known or busy area. It’s a super quiet side street in Takao which is a small mountain town about an hour away from Tokyo. Small world.

Photo of the Day: The Baroness – You Snooze You Lose Edition

Emily — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:46:21 +0000

The paws just kill me.

Don’t be like The Baroness and sleep your way through life. The week after next brings many exciting contest deadlines. The ones I’ll be entering are The Aperture Portfolio Prize (deadline 7/14), the WIP-LTI Lightside Individual Project Grant (deadline 7/15), the Blurb Photography Book Now Contest (deadline also 7/15), and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize (deadline 7/18). In addition, there’s an interesting post on Conscientious regarding my least favorite thing to do – writing your all-important (yet maybe not so important) statement.