PaulKatcher.com

Photos: Pin-Up Meetup — Gangster/Film Noir

In an effort to get more practice shooting portraits (as opposed to candid street scenes) and to socialize with local photography enthusiasts, I recently joined the New York Pin-Up Photography Meetup Group. This past Saturday, the group of shutterbugs, models and make-up artists met at Blue Ruin, a Hell's Kitchen bar, to cooperatively work on their crafts.

I posted a host of photos from that event. I'm new to this "directing" stuff, and, in fact, I really didn't do much of it, but it's something I hope to improve upon. Follow my progress on Fotki as I attend more event and hopefully make photos that the models, as well as myself, are glad to add to their portfolios.

Also, if anyone can recommend other NYC photo-related Meetups that combine work and play, art and socializing, please send me an e-mail.

Kids See the Darndest Things

While it's always tough to shoot children while remaining respectful of privacy, their sense of wonderment often reminds us of what's plain cool.

Shot on Liberty Harbor Cruise in New York City

Photos: Michael Jackson Funeral Viewing in Harlem

MY PHOTOS

• It was nice to watch the ceremony with hundreds (thousands?) of adoring fans in Harlem. The power of music is very real. A bittersweet scene, and it was clear Michael's music and performances brought them countless good times.

• I agree with Berry Gordy that MJ was the greatest entertainer of all time. Let's just say if there's a back-from-the-dead reunion tour with Elvis, Sinatra, Jackson and all the Beatles and members of Led Zeppelin, Jackson is your headliner.

• On Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson: Two adulterers paying homage to a pedophile. Nice. Johnson's tale of sharing a bucket of fried chicken was cool. I must say that the wealth of first-person accounts of MJ as a regular guy have surprised me a great deal. Let's face it, millionaires who play with chimps and sleep with boys (and don't think there's a problem with it) aren't generally people you're gonna split a bucket of fried chicken with.

• Does Rev. Al realize that Michael Jackson taught black people that they could achieve anything ... as a white person? Seriously, it was a powerful speech, but I kept thinking, "Are we talking about the same guy here? Nothing strange about Michael? NOTHING?!?!" Who does Sharpton think is strange?

• Overall, I thought the Staples ceremony was great, except for the huge elephant in the room. Hey, do they come back tomorrow and talk about Michael Jackson post-1993?

• I learned a lot today about the pressures of fame, the same pressures that caused Johnny Carson and Paul Newman to dye their skin black, dress like a martians and go into debt. Wait, no, they were normal and didn't seek the spotlight. Sorry.

• Think anyone was dumb enough to set a phone alert every time someone tweeted about Michael? Damn iPhone would have blown to smithereens before Berry Gordy was off the stage.

• Thank god Justin Timberlake wasn't up there with Janet again.

• I will always remember the weirdness over talent. If Paul McCartney turned himself black, paid $23 mil in hush money and openly welcomed children into his bed, I'd remember that over "Hey Jude" as well.

Follow Me on Twitter

I don't know what the future holds for this site. Sometimes I feel motivated to return to writing regularly, but then I remember the time commitment it takes to maintain a consistently worthwhile blog.

For now, please add my RSS feed to your reader, so that you'll be alerted when I do make a new post. Also, follow me on Twitter, where I'm just starting to share tweets with friends known and unknown (for now).