Eight Different Ways

this was my attempt at having to contrubuting to a zine, that a guy from flickr was doing, however I didn't make the cut off on time. so my blog will have to suffer the shit.

We often travel outside of our homes to take photographs, to din something exceptionally amazing to show the world around us. What happens if you are away for a year? You can only take a camera with you? The more I have been taking pictures the more cameras I want to learn how to use and what they can do. In September of 2008 I was mobilized for a year deployment to Iraq. Since this day I have been able to have a backpack of personal things, which include my camera, laptop, an external hard drive, and an Ipod. Packing for a year away from home, and not knowing how long you would hang your head in one place. I have had 8 different beds in the last six months, and eight different places to take pictures of my life, of just living conditions. To be honest, it has given me an appreciation for home, and never leaving it for more than a week, if by choice-ever again.
At first I really tried to document everything I was experience and seeing, to share with the world. However, after seeing the same mile of operation space, you can only take so many pictures of the same thing. Therefore, I took on projects, to at least keep my creativity flowing-which in a combat zone is hoping for rain, or a cool day in the midst of summer. With all the changes in places of living and conducting training and our jobs at how would it be hard to find something new to take a picture of, right? Well in all the moving and chaos taking out your camera and shooting, may be the last thing you think of. However I think a way to solve this issue regardless of how busy it does become, if to have projects, you tend to remember that every day you have a self portrait or a picture of a little figure to take. I believe that with photography goals and projects you tend to just to take more pictures, therefore you have more to work with.
My friend Todd Hrykowian gave me a small CLIX figure, Mr. Graves. He is about an inch and a half tall, wearing a black suit with a white shirt. Mr. Graves has been through a lot, and has aided in keeping a camera in my hand. A lot of the people around me think it is funny, and also a little insane that I carry this small figure around and often pull him out in the middle of a meeting, and take his picture. I am very thankful Todd, gave me Mr. Graves, it helps aid in the time here in Iraq, and remember how much we both love Pittsburgh, PA.
Another project I have assigned myself is porta-potty graffiti. People write some of the most ridiculous sayings in porta-johns, just like any public rest-room would serve, paper for peoples poetry or graffiti. The army seems to be obsessed with Chuck Norris, and getting laid.
I have always been self-conscious about getting my picture taking, it has been some sort of fear. Since I have been deployed I have tried to take more pictures of myself doing different things, or making silly faces. By spending the time doing this, I have began overcoming my fear of getting my picture taking. SO along with taking more pictures I am taking risk.
My last project has bizarre written all over it. Since arriving I have been working on a story of zombies invading Iraq, by documenting what they get into everyday. It is pretty historical seeing an adult play with little zombie figures in food, on people’s shoulders going after the soldiers brain. Along with keeping my creativity flowing I am having fun.
The moral of my story, is that regardless of being away from home and having limited photography equipment on hand, be creative. Assign yourself different projects to keep taking pictures. If something as strange as the shape of a rock catches your eye, take pictures of it at different angles.