Channing's Blog Party

Party Hopping

2009-02-26T15:21:00.006-05:00

I'm retiring the Blog Party. But don't worry, the only thing changing is the venue.

This isn't the end, it's the beginning: www.channingjohnsonblog.com

Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

2009-01-30T08:44:00.010-05:00

I took a little trip down Appalachia way to visit my friend Brett in Whitesburg, KY. It had all the fixings for my favorite type of travel. Good food, good people, no itinerary, and a little bit of exploring.

We went over to Joel and Amelia's house the first night for a delicious home-cooked meal. Amelia is a wonderful cook. And it was great to listen to records, drink wine and chat with the other Appalshop affiliates. You'll have to guess who the impostors are in the beard picture Rebecca took below.

Over the four years I've known Brett, most of his stories have begun with "This one time me and my buddy Steve . . . ". Steve was also visiting Whitesburg for the first time, and it was great to finally meet him.

On Tuesday we went on a little 'splorin' trip over the mountain, through Cumberland and on into Lynch. Lynch was once the largest coal camp in the world. It was plotted as a company town and grew to 10,000 people in the 1940's. Coal production stopped more than 40 years ago, but the buildings and much of the machinery still remain. It was erie to walk along the quiet tipple that at one time moved 500 tons of coal an hour.

Transition

2009-01-21T11:06:00.004-05:00

Wiqan, Suk, Kai, Erik and I went to Grendel's Den in Harvard Square to witness history yesterday. Strangers felt like friends as we clapped, cheered, drank champagne and listened to Aretha sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee".

It's enough to make someone feel patriotic.

Little Man

2009-01-17T22:11:00.003-05:00

Work

2009-01-17T22:06:00.007-05:00

I work from home. Brooke works from work. So each morning she heads off into the world, and I'm left to be productive with a variety of distractions and no one to keep an eye on me. I do my best. And I enjoy it. But one of the greatest parts of my day is when Brooke comes back home.

The New Yorker

2009-01-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

Yoon grew up all over the world. But he spent enough formative years in New York City to make it a big deal to purchase a Red Sox hat this morning. There was a good amount of inner turmoil.

We had talked over breakfast at the Eastern Standard how much we've enjoyed living in Boston. Afterwards we walked to Fenway Park, and Yoon pulled the trigger.

He hopes his New York friends will still welcome him back.

Archive: Noah's Last Day

2009-01-08T16:33:00.001-05:00

I think this is taken in 2003. It was Noah's last day in Columbia. He was the first one to leave.

Grand-baby

2008-12-31T17:21:00.001-05:00

Intimacy

2008-12-31T17:19:00.000-05:00

I Love You in the Wintertime

2008-12-22T22:17:00.000-05:00

Cookies

2008-12-22T22:03:00.002-05:00

My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came over to bake and decorate cookies with Brooke and I. Our artistry quickly went morose with the sad snowmen. But it went too far with the frowning Christmas trees. I really underestimated how disturbing that might be.

Brooke took the one of me and the little one on my lap. This is his first Christmas, but you can tell he wasn't happy with my decorating.

Navin Holiday Party

2008-12-21T19:45:00.005-05:00

Sean tries to quiet the mutineers during the Yankee-liquor swap as people debate the rules. Brian pays no mind to the rules and simply enjoys his new bottle of "French Kiss".

Fountain Soda

2008-12-21T19:32:00.003-05:00

Brooke's favorite way to drink Coke is from a fountain machine. Her second favorite consumption method is from a can. Her third, but last, choice is Coke from a 2-liter bottle poured into a cup.

While we were snowed in on Saturday Brooke walked to the store to pick up some things. On the way back I caught her drinking a fountain soda.

Storm

2008-12-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

Deep Ellum

2008-12-21T19:15:00.003-05:00

Ashley, Connie and I met at Deep Ellum on Thursday to recap the wedding season. Or, that was our excuse to drink during the day.

Bon Iver

2008-12-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

Brooke and I treated ourselves to Bon Iver at the Wilbur Theater on Sunday.

Chris Buck

2008-12-11T12:23:00.005-05:00

Great Chris Buck interview over at APE.

"One of the main things is that most people don’t make it quickly. They think that If you are meant to be successful in photography it should just take a few years and the obvious stories are about Irving Penn, or David LaChappelle. Larry Fink is a great example of the alternate narrative and one of the things I really admire about his career is that in a way his name became known to most people 30 years into his career and that’s kind of amazing. The young photographers tend to know about the people who made it in 5 years but that’s really, really unusual. If you go look at the top 100 photographers working today most of them made it in 10 to 15 years not in under 5. I think that’s really important to know. People get into it and in 3 years they’re like “I’m getting good feedback but I’m not getting a ton of work.” It took me 12 years before people started saying to me “wow, you’ve made it.”

Chris Farley, Elvis Costello, and Billy Bob Thornton by Chris Buck . . .

Tears On My Pillow

2008-12-11T10:34:00.010-05:00

A little piece of me died last night.

The new owner of my first car came and took my freedom away. From here on out Brooke and I will be sharing a car. I know this is the best thing financially and environmentally. It will probably even improve my quality of life. Over the past few months I could feel myself becoming an aggressive Boston driver. I was the inconsiderate, opportunistic driver you cursed at. There will be less of that now I've traded my car in for a bus pass.

I've always lived simply. Never attached to possessions. But my 2005 Corolla CE was more of a memory box. I've spent so much of the past 3 years in it. Like that time when Brooke flew out to Michigan to meet me for the second time ever and then drive to Vermont with me. And remember that time a rock punctured the AC condenser the morning before my sister, brother-in-law and Brooke drove to North Carolina in the sweltering summer heat? And each time I moved, from Michigan to Vermont and Vermont to Boston, it told me what to keep and what to give away: if it didn't fit in the Corolla it stayed.

And the worst part is my betrayal. The car was kind of like my "Giving Tree". Two months before I quit my job to freelance I was hit from behind in a minor accident that was just severe enough to warrant a $1200 cosmetic repair. I kept the money and turned it into a camera. As my car suffered, I profited. As the Corolla did so much for me I would openly talk about how I dreamed of one day not owning a car. I would say these things as the car labored for over 78,000 miles with no complaints. No repairs. And now that I've had my way with it I let some stranger come and drive off with it. Now that it's all over it doesn't feel like I thought it would.

I have nothing else to say . . . I'm sorry.

Francis

2008-12-01T10:06:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:07:00.001-05:00

Tagged

2008-11-26T11:04:00.006-05:00

I've been tagged by my friend Megan Tidd for a Kreative Blogger Award. I think the "award" part is a loose label, but I'm flattered Megan gave me a nod. She's one of the best blog writers out there.

This is what I have to do:

- List six things that I do for joy
- Pass the award on to 6 more creative bloggers
- Link back to the person who gave me the award
- Link to the people I am passing it on to

THINGS CHANNING DOES FOR JOY

1. I like to wash dishes for joy. It's less the dishes and more the distraction I enjoy. I work from home so anything I can do to procrastinate I like to do. Also, we keep our house cold so the hot water on my hands feels really good. Washing dishes gives me a sense of accomplishment. Everything else I do is on a computer so when I finish something my desk looks the same way it did when I started, maybe messier. But when I wash dishes I start with a pile of chaos and end with a shiny sink basin. That feels good. I'm also really into domesticity right now.

2. I like to suffer for joy. Deprivation also gives me a sense of accomplishment. This includes sitting in a cold house thinking about all the polar bears I'm saving or making myself go to the gym even though it's the last thing I want to do when I wake up. When I was about 10 my father made some joke about how he likes to catch bees in the palm of his hand because it feels so good when the pain from the sting subsides. I've taken that one a long way.

3. I like to take pictures for joy. It make me sad that "this" will never happen again, so I takes "its" picture and feel better about time moving on.

4. I like to watch movies for joy. All kinds of movies. I like the light-hearted, happy, romantic comedy ones, and I also like the dark, depressing ones. Have you ever seen "The River" ?

5. I like to spend time with family and friends for joy. I'm from North Carolina, but my sister introduced me to my fiance so I would move to Boston where my sister lives. This makes me happy because not only am I lucky to spend everyday with Brooke, I'm also near my sister and brother-in-law who produced a really cute nephew for me. Once my parents move north everything will be perfect.

6. I like to go to hotel bars for joy. I like the dingy ones and the ritzy ones. In Boston I like going to the ritzy ones because the drinks aren't usually more expensive than anywhere else, they aren't crowded on the weekend, they are impeccably designed, and you can hear not only your conversation, but you can eavesdrop effectively on others. And there's lots of good conversations going on in hotel bars.

Channing's nominations for great blog reads:
Elise
Ikuru
Kevin M.
Elizabeth
Myndi
Nina

Up North

2008-11-25T14:20:00.005-05:00

Brooke closes the door behind her as we end a wonderful evening on Snow Pond. Thanks to Chelsea and Lori for great food and a wonderful time.

Birds

2008-11-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

Inspiration

2008-11-20T17:16:00.007-05:00

Yoon brought a little gift to the Boston photo community by organizing us into a (so far) monthly gathering where we can share work for feed back, or just because. For a profession of folks who usually thrive on being around people, it can sometimes be a little lonely out there. Thanks for bringing us together, Yoon.

Last week Mark, below, shared some deeply personal work that greatly inspired me.

If anyone else is interested in being notified of future photo nights, send me an e-mail.

Homeland

2008-11-09T15:06:00.010-05:00

My nephew made his first trip to the homeland last week. It was a good time to introduce him to the South as Barack Obama swung through Charlotte the day we landed there. We later watched the country elect its 44th president.

I documented the trip on my iPhone. Thanks for the inspiration, Chris.

My President

2008-11-09T12:54:00.006-05:00

I had a few run-ins with President-Elect Barack Obama over the past 21 months. He doesn't know me, but I know him.

The Party

2008-10-25T12:51:00.009-04:00

Brooke had been bugging me to do a photo booth like this for a while, and I finally caved in. I'm glad I did.

Brooke

2008-10-22T17:00:00.005-04:00

This post is to honor the love of my life and the day she was born.

She helped bring a maternal instinct to my second round of nephew-babysitting on Sunday. She also left me Nilla Wafer crumbs for when I slid my cold feet into bed on Monday. That's ok though.

Happy Birthday, Darlin'.

The Last Supper

2008-10-18T08:26:00.008-04:00

Peter put an official end to the Sunday Night Dinner we casually started 2 years ago (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. He's moving to San Francisco to make it in the big city. I drove up to Vermont to experience the ritual with Peter one last time.

God Speed, Jamison.

Archive: Adam

2008-10-09T10:08:00.003-04:00

I took this picture of Adam back in March of 2004 when I figured he wouldn't amount to much. At that time we had just graduated college. Now Adam's a certified lawyer. He just passed the Bar.

I'm going to have to take back all those disparaging things I said about him. I'm kind of proud of him now.

I Heart My Uncle Channy

2008-10-03T18:07:00.005-04:00

I got the feeling that Jack was initially alarmed that he was being left alone with his uncle for a few hours. Although his mother probably told him I've never been responsible for someone who can't flush a toilet, I was kind of hurt by the lack of confidence.

Jack was quickly forgiven for doubting me when I saw his t-shirt. I got that for him when he was born, and I guess he was saving it for the perfect occasion.

The sweet gesture made it easier to forgive him for promptly desecrating his pants as soon as his mother left us alone.

Reflection

2008-09-29T20:15:00.004-04:00

Yoon gets his game face on before shooting a wedding.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2008-09-28T18:01:00.003-04:00

Westward

2008-09-28T17:54:00.003-04:00

Alex is moving to Washington. The state. I got to see him last week in his studio before he headed out West to make a better life for himself. Not that his life here was mediocre or anything.

Dinner Guests

2008-09-18T20:24:00.003-04:00

Kerry + Travis

2008-09-12T12:30:00.004-04:00

There's a few more of these over at the wedding journal.

Horseshoes

2008-09-05T12:32:00.003-04:00

Three-Month Birthday

2008-09-05T12:29:00.002-04:00

Jack turned 3-months-old this past weekend. Brooke took this picture. I'm slowly becoming obsolete.

Snob

2008-08-27T22:40:00.005-04:00

Brooke invented a new drink this week. She took a California white wine and spiced it up with some Polar Diet Orange Dry.

You scoff now, but wait until you try it. And imagine what it will taste like with Sunkist, instead of the cheap stuff.

Camping

2008-08-15T16:35:00.000-04:00

Shed Party

2008-08-07T15:57:00.003-04:00

Archive: Tennis

2008-08-07T14:07:00.004-04:00

This is from my first assignment at my first real internship on January 8, 2004. I'm still always nervous before an assignment, but that day I was terrified.

I think it's also interesting I found my favorite composition that day: symmetrical frame with the point of interest in an upper or lower third.

I still over use it.

My Nephew

2008-07-27T21:43:00.004-04:00

Archive: Portrait

2008-07-25T12:46:00.015-04:00

In the summer of 2003 I did my first newspaper internship. I also did a project on a camp in my free time. That's me on the right. One of the girls in the camp asked if she could take my picture.

That camera bag is still in use. I can't imagine what was in it then. All I had was a Nikon FM2 and two lenses.

The motivation to do the story on the camp was primarily because I really liked its director, Mr. Pitts. He reminded me of my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Quigly. They both treated kids like adults; as if they expected something from them.

This picture, below, could have been a good one if I had a clue what I was doing.

Hampton Beach Is For Lovers

2008-07-21T20:58:00.001-04:00

Archive: Barn

2008-07-18T11:57:00.004-04:00

I'm in the process of moving every digital image I've ever taken from DVDs to one big hard-drive. I've come across a few gems in the sea of mediocrity.

On July 2, 2005 I was hanging out with a farmer in Midland, Michigan and took this single frame of light coming in through the barn.

Engagement

2008-07-10T15:05:00.005-04:00

It wasn't five minutes after I asked Brooke to join me in marriage that this street musician came up to us on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and began to play.

I was as surprised as my fiancee, but I did my best to play it off like it had all been arranged. As if eating take-out penne sorrentina (with one meatball) at the edge of our beautiful city weren't enough.

What do you think about a Spring wedding?

Thetford, Vermont

2008-07-04T00:18:00.004-04:00

L.A. Beaten

2008-06-19T14:25:00.004-04:00

Festival of the Photograph

2008-06-16T14:57:00.003-04:00

Yoon and I spent the past three days in Charlottesville, Virginia at The Festival of the Photograph. We hung out with old friends and met people who had just been names under beautiful pictures before this weekend. A truly inspirational and relaxing experience. I'll be back next year.

Here's Yoon acting on some of that inspiration somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Wind Blown

2008-06-16T14:43:00.001-04:00

Cradle

2008-06-16T14:24:00.003-04:00

Bocce Tournament 2008

2008-06-10T14:13:00.003-04:00

I got a new point-and-shoot with video capabilities.

Jack's First Bar-B-Que

2008-06-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

Little Man

2008-06-06T13:17:00.004-04:00

Jack was born on Sunday. When I saw him for the first time the next day he looked like he had been here for awhile. I had expected him to look stressed out from the whole miracle-of-life thing, but that wasn't the case.

Maybe it's just because I'm his uncle, but I think we're going to get along pretty well.

Beat L.A.

2008-06-06T13:16:00.002-04:00

Yoon in the Kitchen

2008-06-06T12:00:00.004-04:00

Sunshine

2008-05-30T11:41:00.002-04:00

B'More Pleasant

2008-05-28T12:23:00.004-04:00

Myndi and Charlie savor their last months in "the land of pleasant living" before their next adventure begins in the Windy City this summer. After spending the weekend in Baltimore with them, we know why they're sad to leave.

Westward

2008-05-17T17:58:00.008-04:00

Brooke and I decided to speed up our Spring a little bit with a tour of Arizona. It was just a two-day jaunt from Phoenix to the mighty Grand Canyon and back through Sedona's red rocks.

If it wasn't for the absence of a large body of water, we might have considered putting down roots. The air was perfect, the views were gorgeous, and the people seemed particularly friendly.

The Street Team

2008-05-13T22:41:00.004-04:00

Timmy Lyt swung through Boston with The Rosebuds tonight. He's their official documenter and part-time merchandise man. Our star-crossed schedules allowed me to spend 15 minutes with Tim while he pushed "merch" on kids with disposable incomes.

You can see more of his and The Rosebuds' journey here.

The Harvard Club

2008-05-13T22:31:00.003-04:00

Summersong

2008-05-09T12:36:00.007-04:00

A year ago this month I moved to the big city to follow my dreams. With few exceptions it's all been rather dreamy: I haven't had to borrow money from any family members, and I have a personal life.

The pinnacle of this life outside work involves cooking recipes cut out of the Boston Globe food section with Brooke. It also includes watching trashy television after a long day of acting like adults. Forgive us.

Other highlights include date nights downtown, getting drinks with fellow freelancers, access to a wide variety of theatrical releases, out-of-town guests, public transportation, being close to family, Game 2 in the best of seven series against the Cavaliers, walking to accomplish things, and eating good food with friends.

Here's a picture of our quaint Boston neighborhood:

Gallows

2008-04-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

Maine

2008-04-28T10:44:00.004-04:00

Nap

2008-04-21T10:20:00.003-04:00

Varsity

2008-04-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

Rock of Love

2008-04-21T10:18:00.000-04:00

Spring

2008-04-21T10:17:00.004-04:00

Baltimore to Beantown

2008-04-06T17:39:00.003-04:00

Myndi and Charlie do Boston.

Parker House

2008-04-06T17:38:00.001-04:00

Clubbin'

2008-04-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

Harvard

2008-04-06T17:35:00.000-04:00

Baby Blue

2008-04-06T17:34:00.001-04:00

Hyacinthus Orientalis

2008-03-30T11:57:00.000-04:00

Mom's Visit

2008-03-30T11:55:00.003-04:00

Brian Masticates

2008-03-30T11:54:00.001-04:00

Last night Brian celebrated regaining the full use of his jaw. Welcome back, Bri.

Yoon and Noah

2008-03-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ron Paul

2008-03-17T14:56:00.003-04:00

Adam and Melissa

2008-03-17T14:54:00.000-04:00

I Hate Your Freedom

2008-03-17T14:53:00.004-04:00

Romania

2008-03-11T18:00:00.002-04:00

Here's a shout out to my man Ikuru and his Eastern European travels.

This one is from Christmas in Timisoara many years ago. I stayed with my friend Andrea whose mother nourished my travel-weary frame with cake and sarmies.

La Chambre Verte (1978)

2008-02-26T20:48:00.007-05:00

Erin D.

2008-02-21T15:08:00.003-05:00

Erin said goodbye to some friends last night as they celebrated her move to the MFA. She won't be going far though, just down the street.

Pantalones

2008-02-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

Brooke

2008-02-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Noah R.

2008-02-19T15:59:00.002-05:00

Yoon

2008-02-19T15:55:00.003-05:00

Hunter

2008-02-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

Record

2008-02-16T23:15:00.003-05:00

Poor Brooke. All she wants is a photo album of another year together.

Unfortunately, I make her suffer through multiple rounds of edits. Loose to tight. Very tight. No visual redundancies. One picture per page (exceptions are made for multiple images creating a third effect). Faces and lines must lead into the book, not off the page.

It's not about looking cute, Darlin'. There's a story to tell.

Storrow Drive

2008-02-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

Our First Kitchen

2008-02-10T21:26:00.000-05:00

Sara and Dave

2008-02-05T18:48:00.000-05:00

Jen

2008-02-05T18:36:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was Jen's second-annual Sawnee Bean Hill Sledding Party in Vermont. We drank hot cocoa and hot cider on the hill before hiking back to the house for a pot-luck feast centered around Jen's now infamous turkey-in-a-bucket, which debuted last year.

Mother and Daughter

2008-02-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

Cohabitation

2008-01-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

Brooke and I are settling into our new living space this week. This is the first time either of us have shared quarters with a significant other. We are currently taking tips on how to prolong our manners and our mutual respect for each other.

Feel free to leave you hard-earned lessons in a comment.

Buttons

2008-01-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

Jose and Bella

2008-01-20T11:25:00.001-05:00

MBTA Gothic

2008-01-13T14:26:00.001-05:00

Afternoon Drive

2008-01-06T18:21:00.000-05:00