VSCO

Tintypes with Josh Wool

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One of the reasons I love living in NYC is that it's put me in contact with fellow artists I've only been able to follow via tumblrs or personal blogs.  It's a thrill running into (and sometimes living down the street from) photographers I really respect.  Such is the case with Josh Wool.  

Josh has been doing some amazing work lately, and his recent tintype portraits have been incredible.  He recently earned a spot in VSCO's Artist Initiative Program, and has been traveling around the Hudson Valley making some beautiful images.  

It takes a lot of work (and chemicals) to set up a single frame, so I was honored when he asked me to sit for a quick tintype a few days before he packed up his gear and hit the road for his VSCO project. It's a slow process with the sitter having to stay perfectly still for the sometimes 4-second exposure.  Josh has his processing down, and as you can see, the results are really stunning. See more of Josh's work here, and keep up with his progress via his VSCO grid here.  Thanks Josh!

I BELIEVE

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The World Cup wraps up in just a few more days, and it's been a crazy ride.  Watching Team USA  this year has been particularly stressful, with close wins, last minute draws, and a final push from our Portuguese friends to get us out of the Group of Death and into the round of 16.  This is my favorite time of the year (every four years), so I was excited to make the trip out to Governor's Island last week to watch the USA take on Belgium at the official FIFA viewing zone. 

The energy was amazing, and it was awesome to see wave after wave of rowdy fans get off the ferry with flags, painted faces, USA jerseys, and a steady chorus of "I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN" chants.  

With an incredible performance by keeper Tim Howard, the U.S. stuck around and finally broke through in extra time thanks to a GOLAZO by Julian Green and got back in the game 2-1.  But even with some great (gut wrenching) chances at the end, we still came up short and were eliminated.  

I've been playing soccer my whole life, and it's great to see the enthusiasm that's slowly building around the sport, especially during these last two World Cups.  There's a lot of progress to make, and of course team adjustments to be made, but if fans stay this passionate and invested, I'd say soccer in the U.S. could be something really special in the next 5-10 years.  

See you in 2018, Team USA!