Last week, while on vacay in NYC I had the awesome opportunity to photograph Janella. What made it awesome was that she’s a great person & it was her birthday, working on the Brooklyn Bridge & then getting a mini tour of Brooklyn during the course of the shoot.

I told Suite Suzy that working with Janella was the best shoot I had all summer. It was totally easy going, not too hot & we laughed all the way through it.  I cannot work & be serious without laughter!

Janella is totally a Brooklyn girl & describes herself as an intense but free-spirited workaholic (a union representative who LOVES her career).  She also says that she is a bit much (but she’s cool with that). She’s happy,  loves to laugh, and makes the effort to be a good friend to really good people.

I say that, she’s just all that!

Since Janella is all things Brooklyn, she wanted to incorporate her city in the shoot, so the Brooklyn Bridge seemed like a natural location choice.

My one concern was that people would be all over the place on the bridge but that was far from the case. People that walked past cleared the way & even complimented my model. That was pretty cool.

This may sound crazy but I really felt like I knew what I was doing when we were on the bridge. I was in a very nice zone!

After we wrapped at the BB, we headed to the Brooklyn Museum, which is MASSIVE! Outside of the museum are some great backdrop features that could yield some very diverse images. Shit, it was almost like being in a candy store.

Oh, I have to mention that Janella & I both had assistants on the shoot. Olivia was my right hand woman working the reflector, swapping out lenses for me & making sure I had water.  Janella was assisted by out mutual GREAT friend Renea! Without Renea, my last two shoots in NYC would have not been positive.

Renea certainly helped Janella throughout the shoot but moreover she was the on-set comedienne. Her impersonations are totally classic. At one point, she gave me a brain freeze laughing at her Iman voice impersonation. That shit needs to be recorded!!!!

Anyway, as we got ready to wrap, we stumbled upon a reflection pool at the museum & my imagination got a little wild.  Before you know it, Janella was in the middle of the pool & from there, my favorite shot of the day was born.

It was a well spent & productive 3 hours!

Post shoot, Olivia & I met up with the rest of the family & had a great lunch at Junior’s where I had a corned beef & pastrami sandwich. Yes!!! I ate beef & it was damn good!

If I ever want to laugh my ass off when talking to my momma, al I have to o is ask her about her childhood hood & figs.

I called her last week after I picked up a few figs last week & asked if she wanted some & she just went off. It was hilarious.

She was like you know I don’t fuck with no figs. I hate them bitches!!!! I am not making this up. You see, my momma & I are almost one in the same when it comes to cussing & talking all kinds of shit. I love her for that.

When we talk, its nothing but laughs unless when we are talking about my sister & how she owes me all kinds of money. That bitch! OK, wait, let me calm down.

Anyway, so in my home, only Sweet Boo Boo & I enjoy figs & we set these off with the quickness. They were great!

With just 19 days left to go, my plan is officially in motion that now that my travel is officially booked for New York Fashion Week.

No, I have not got my official credentials as of yet but like I said before, I’m gonna make this happen one way or the other.

My friend Asia Willis of the NYLA Report joked that waiting for IMG to confirm press credentials is like waiting for a college acceptance letter & that nobody wants a reject letter. I responded by saying that waiting for IMG is like waiting to hear Maury say “You are NOT the father!!!”

Anyway, I’m still pretty nervous all as a newbie but I got even more nervous yesterday after running into fashion photographer Piper Carter who shared some great stories.

In addition to some fascinating stories from Piper’s experience as a Fashion Week photographer with Vogue & various blogs, she gave me some great quick pointers & lens suggestions.

Looks like I need to pick up a Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 (rental of course) OUCH!!!

On a funny note, Piper asked me if I’d have an assistant while work. I told her no, she then looked at me with this wild look & did this funny body move & was like Hmmm, good luck on that…. Oh shit. After this season, Ill have personal knowledge & see how far I can go it alone.

In general, I will need to get my aggressive Detroiter skills in full effect just incase I have to check someone that TRIES to check me.

I hate having to be aggressive while working but you gotta do what you have to do to get the shot….

I tried sangria on my 2nd trip to Barcelona, SP many, many years ago (98′).

I was on a 3-day layover and hanging with my fellow flight attendant buddies, Nitza Rodriguez, Gladys Montisenos & Jorge Carballo who was our self-appointed city tour guide.

On this one particular day, we did a little shopping, people watching & tons of tapas eating. It was perfect! As the sun began to set, Jorge found a little restaurant for us to have dinner.

The restaurant was quite small yet charming & I remember all of the marinating octopi & squid in this case & dangling lights hanging from the ceiling.

Jorge, Nitza & Gladys all had paella & I recall it smelling & looking WONDERFUL but since I cannot eat shell fish, I settled on a chicken dish. The chicken was pan-fried in olive oil with garlic & I swear to this day that it was the best chicken I ever had.

Most importantly, Jorge ordered a pitcher of sangria. When it came to the table, I asked what it was (I was young & not as international & sexy as I am now). When Jorge explained, I was like sure, pour me a glass up.

Well, several glasses later I remember us getting in a cab & me waking up in my hotel room with no sheets on the bed.

After that night out dining, laughing etc, I was hooked on sangria!

Sangria goes with any meal if you ask me but it’s PERFECT on hot summer evenings when enjoyed with friends.

My recipe is fail-safe & certainly a crowd pleaser. If you try it, I hope that you will enjoy.

Ingredients:
- 3 bottles of red wine (Doesn’t need to be super expensive. I used a mix of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- ½ cup Cherry brandy
- ½ cup Grand Marnier
- 2 Apples sliced (granny smith & pink ladies are perfect)
- 1 Orange sliced (I prefer navel)
- 1 Star fruit sliced
- 1 Lemon sliced
- 1 cup Strawberries

The Jump Off:
- In a large pitcher, mix your liquids & sugar until the sugar is dissolved
- Mix in all of your fruit & refrigerate over night.
- Before serving, your sangria give it a good stir then enjoy glass after glass.

Factoid:
Sangria was introduced to America at the 1964 World’s Fair in Ney York City.

This evening I worked an event for the Woodward Avenue Action Association where they celebrated a new Tribute light feature on Woodward Ave in Pontiac.

This newest Tribute light feature is the 2nd on Woodward Ave with the 1st being in Ferndale.  If planning goes well, we will see a 3rd in Detroit next spring.

If you’re not from the Detroit area, Woodward is a significant stretch of roadway because it is thriving as the premier business, creative, cultural, recreational destination in metro-Detroit. Woodward has been recognized as a Michigan Heritage Route and National Scenic Byway & it’s considered as Michigan’s “main street” as it travels along 27 miles through 11 communities.

The timing of the event was perfect because there is TONS of traffic up & down Woodward Ave as people gear up for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Classic cars were all over the place.

Even at the Tribute event, there were several classic Pontiac cars that were built in the city.

So after the event was over, I decided to head to Sonic for a slush & fries & got caught up in all of the madness along Woodward. The traffic was basically bumper-to-bumper for miles on end. People were our looking at the cars, the cars were creeping along slowly as the drivers were flossing the muscle cars, candy coated paint jobs, fat tires & white wall.

It was really a stimulating spectacle.

At one point, I noticed a banana yellow car parked in a light & I basically broke my neck to get over to it.

It was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air & it was PERFECT & so bright. The interior was even more impressive as it was totally new.

After I finished taking snapshots, I jumped on the road & wondered why cars have no imagination anymore.

Will anything we’re driving now be exciting to see in 50 years? I don’t thinks so but then again, I’m no car enthusiast.

Videography + Photography + Music + Blackness = The perfect storm

Kelechi’s use of light & minimalist environment are very inspiring!
———————————————————–
From Director Joel Benson shot with a Canon 7D

“Renowned photographer, Kelechi Amadi Obi, was having a photo session with Nigerian-born international music star, Keziah Jones, and graciously invited me to come watch. I went along with my camera.”

h/t: Kiss My Black Ads

Ingredients:
- 10 Fresh mint leaves
- 3 ounces of rum
- 2 table spoons of cane sugar
- 1/2 of a lime (quartered)
- Ice
- Club soda
- Sugar cane

The Jump Off:
- In your shaker, muddle (I hope you know what this means) your sugar & mint but don’t pulverize it.

- Once your mint & sugar are set, muddle your limes in then toss in your rum & ice.

Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake that shit up!

- Pour your mixture into a high or low ball glass (high ball glass pictured) fill the remainder of your glass with club soda. Note, if you go with a lowball, you’ll be in the zone much faster because there will be less room for club soda.

- Stir & garnish with sugar cane & a sprig of mint.

- Sip, enjoy, rinse glass then repeat until you forget your name.

On a somewhat related note:
- The name Mojito comes from the African word “mojo,” which means to place a little spell. The exact origins of this tasty Cuban beverage are unclear as some say that it was formulated by African slaves while others claim that hero slaver Sir Francis Drake came up with it all on his own. Hmmmmm.

Recommendations:
- If you need a muddler, I HIGHLY reccomend the PUG muddler. I can’t imagine not hacing it in my cocktail gear collection!

- My favorite shaker is the Boston shaker from WMF it really helps you to shake some shit up!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to photograph friend, radio host of Cocoa Mode (XM169 The Power) & DMV area yogini; Shawna Renee.

Shawna & I met 2 years ago when were both in my BFF’s wedding & we’ve been friends ever since. Actually, I was a fan before I was friend but that’s a long radio listener story.

Anyway, Shawna was in need of some new photos for some exciting new projects, so she hit up yours truly.

My original idea for a photo back drop feel through like a mutha. It’s amazing what how 3 locked doors can destroy plans.

Fortunately, Shawna, was very flexible so we made a quick revamp & the rest is history. During our session, we set up shop on the Detroit River Walk, Millender Center & the Dequindre Cut. It was a quick, sweaty & thirst filled 3 hours.

I’m not sure who said photography was easy because it sure is not! With that said, I’d like to send a special shout out to my baby Olivia who assisted me during the shoot.

One of these days, when someone writes my autobiography, I will talk about how I got Shawna to do the butterfly & why she rode my back during the shoot. It’s about that hard work I was just talking about.

Anyway, I’m tired & need to sign off. The weekend was AWESOME but now I’m feeling it.

If you follow me on Twitter of Facebook, then you know that I’m planning on being at New York Fashion Week this fall.

As I said, I’m PLANNING on being there no matter what! My application to photograph has been submitted to IMG & the plan is to work with my home girl, ace boom cool & style-watching partner Asia Willis of The NYLA Report.

While I sit & wait for a yes or no, I’ll be dreaming that I was chosen to work some of the hottest runway shows with a fun team of style/fashion journalist led by Asia.

So if I am not chosen, I will still be in the city with an obviously reduced schedule of events. I plan on just being out & about doing street photography & wrapping up my Analog Portrait series.

Which ever jumps off, it will be a great opportunity & I plan on having a ball because I have chosen to see the silver lining. But, I so want to be chosen.

Speaking of being chosen, just 24 more days before the voting for the Black Weblog Awards are closed for voting.  If you have not already voted, please consider choosing me for the best photo blog.

Your vote can be cast here for “Tafari’s Mindspill” (best photography blog on page 4).

If my blog is chosen for the best photo blog, I will post a video of my doing my happy dance while doing my bitch scream. I know you want to see that so cast a vote!!!!!

By the way, I got my little apprentice Olivia to help me compose this shot. She’s great but hardheaded around my equipment. I guess she’s a lot like me.

And… you will see more of this chair. It’s my new “gentlemen’s chair” that I won in an auction. I saw it in the window 3 months ago at DuMouchelles auction house & I had to have it. One month & 1 bid later, it was mine. Sadly, it fits nowhere in my home but I will find a way to make it work!!!!

The other night I was put up on a website created by Kenan Banks dedicated to celebrity stories written by ?uestlove, ummmm that’s ?uestlove from The Roots.

Many of the stories are absolutely hilarious! Like this one on Bjork

Bjork:

“she broke my heart in 94.

i was her biggest fan and flipped out when i met her.

meanwhile malik roll up and she starts gushing over him and all he says is….

(days later looking for her number)

damn i lost that oriental bitches number….”

Janet Jackson:

“the best story is the tootie facts of life 10/2001 update i did round here.

i can say that janet is one of my biggest supporters when it comes to spinning (i was called to dj her after jawn in philly but she is incapacitated due to exhaustion)

my 2nd gig for her in vegas was a party she hired me for to dj JD’s 30th partyday party.

3 hours in money was DRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZUNK she was in the booth all embarrassed like *hand on my shoulder* please excuse him….he is drunk tonight”

meanwhile im like

*will
*never
*wash
*shoulder
*a
GAIN*”

This site is such a fun & good read, especially the Eddie Murphy & Prince stories.

I drove past a field of sunflowers yesterday & in my head, I was transported into some place far far away. Sunflowers are already the perfect youthful summer bloom but to see a huge field full of them is quite magical.

I just wanted to get out & run through them all but because I’m not a fool, I did not do that. I did not want to get stung by pollenating bees, bite by a snake or ate up by mosquitoes.  So instead, I took a few snapshots from afar & accidentally took a few home.  I have no idea how the 5 sunflower got in my car.

Strange!

One issue that I have when I photograph anything is that I over photograph, then I switch lenses etc. Each shot has subtle differences so when I’m deciding on what to keep & what to toss I go crazy.

While photographing the sunflowers today, I took about 124 photos & kept about 80 of them. Of the 124, I only wanted to post 4 & this is what you see here. Decisions!

The 1st set of photos was taken with my Nikkor 105mm macro lens. As you can see, there are some very sharp elements with lots of detail & soft edges.

The 2nd set was taken with my Lensbaby Composer outfitted with the macro kit.  Images taken with the Lensbaby are often dreamy, with a nice soft focus, little detail & lots of imagination.

It’s always hard for me to choose a favorite version when I compare the Nikkor macro to the Lensbaby. They both offer something very special.