CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT | photog

Night Life

Christopher Onstott — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:39:08 +0000

Down Town Walk Around

Christopher Onstott — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:40:52 +0000

My flight back to Portland wasn’t till 6pm out of LAX so I took the opportunity to walk around down town LA (near the Rose Bowl Media Hotel) for a couple hours and make some pictures. The sun was high and it was hot, well hot for January. I was surprised at the lack of activity in the down town area, really quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. There are lots of high rise buildings, and offices, but very few people. I even strolled across roads j-walking with ease, as there where no cars on the road. After making my first picture I decided to focus on dramatic light and strong compositions.

Ducks win the Rose Bowl

Christopher Onstott — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:18:39 +0000

Blazers Fan Game Photos

Christopher Onstott — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:58:25 +0000

OPP non-violent standoff with Police

Christopher Onstott — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:37:03 +0000

Mission St. San Fran @ 6×6

Christopher Onstott — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:13:40 +0000

I took my Hasselblad out on Mission Street in San Fran a couple weeks back on a brilliantly sunny afternoon and found a couple pictures.

Seeing Windows

Christopher Onstott — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:23:19 +0000

Picking the last dahlia

Christopher Onstott — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:19:49 +0000

I was on assignment today down by South Waterfront and found a picture. There’s a field of dahlias surrounded on all sides by two high-rise buildings, OHSU, the river, and a ship yard. Not your typical flower patch, and tomorrow it will be gone. The owner of the you-cut-dahlia farm picked the last of his flowers today and will mow the rest down Nov. 1st. Apparently the lot was sold and new construction will be going in its place.

Red – 10/31/2011

Christopher Onstott — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:09:30 +0000

I was complaining to a friend the other day about some of the assignments I have to shoot for work. Complaining about lots of things, for lots of reasons, but really I have nothing at all to complain about. So he suggested that I pick something to photograph, an essay of sorts, so I picked red. From now on when I’m shooting for work I’ll also be shooting for myself in a complete nonsensical way.

Avoid?

Christopher Onstott — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:56:12 +0000

“Do you smell that? I smell ink…. Smells like truth.” - H. Thompson

I have neglegted my blog for far to long, and for that I am sorry. Not to those who stop by from time to time and check in, but to myself.

Moving on.

It dawned on me today that photography in its simplest form is subjective. That single unavoidable truth is why it is so easy to be objective as a photojournalist. The observations ascertained by a single image can stir ideas and conversation, but the act of observation has no bearing on the act of creating an image. Maybe because the creation comes before the observation. This is what makes my job so easy as a journalist. It doesn’t matter how I feel about a situation because a photo caries with it no bias, the bias is attached in post by the viewer.

I am not happy with the way Occupy Portland protestors have treated the four parks they have taken over, but when I’m walking among them with my camera those views are not with me. I am occupied with the task of finding interesting images. I never gave much thought to this process until I posted the above photo on facebook today and it stirred some conversation. So then ask yourself, what does it take to cut through all the white noise filling our world and make impact that is without bias. Impact that spurs progress and is void of an agenda. Maybe that’s what the occupation is all about, once you peal back the mess it has created in our beloved public space. Revolution/change/progress, these are all messy things and this occupation is not short on messy.