Dusty Tombstone - { The last place to rest }

 Photos by: { 7 Fotos } - Photography (click and Like)

Graveyards are the least favorite place in the world for most people. ¿Why it shouldn't be? graveyards equals pains, sadness, loneliness, even fear. I believe that all of these feelings can be transformed into something more positive.

The first time I step into one, the only thing I felt was curiosity. ¿ Why this place was so scary? ¿Why grown-ups never wanted to talk about the people that were buried there? Death, unnameable.

Just take a few steps into the cemetery and you will see dozens of names and dates written over the tombstones. It's so unfair really; many years of history reduce to a name and a date. Some tombstones look like they are regularly visited but others have been abandoned. Who could abandon the place where a loved one was buried? Usually, Immediate family; wife, husband, mother, father, children, grandchildren and so on will be the ones who will take care of the loved one resting place but as time goes on these people also dies and the great grandchildren won't take the responsibility of taking care of the tombs.

I think the blame lies on "older" generation. Since there is a phobia to talk about death, deceased and cemeteries there is a high probability, if not a fact, that the new generation won't know that they still have relatives in a cemetery.

Graveyards are actually one of the best place to relax, put everything in perspective and meditate. The cemeteries I have visit were located in large green areas, surrounded by trees. There were lots of family mausoleums most of them looked abandoned but still looked stunning. The most impressive thing for me were the statues of angels, children and crosses of all kinds. The silent witnesses of time in this place.

Don't be afraid of cemeteries, My advice to you; take a day to visit your local cemetery. You will be surprised to find large generations of families and local famous characters. The tour will let you gain a new respect for the death and a new value for the life you still enjoy. Regardless of what everyone will say. It doesn't have to be a morbid and sad experience.

More Photos at: 7Fotos

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It's Halloween! ... if you are not excited then you have problems.

I can't even start to explain why I like Halloween. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't.

What's not to like about getting dressed up, using lots of make up and becoming someone else for a night?

Who doesn't like that? To pretend? or show your real face ? act? or be yourself? and what about the scary stories, the decoration and the sweet morbid atmosphere and the peaceful silence of the spirits. For me is as magical as Xmas but less sentimental and less mainstream. Sure, most people will go out and dress up in their costumes just for the sake of getting drunk but they will never get it, they will never get Halloween

We really are alive on All Hallows' Eve, and we do remember those who have already died. We look for signs all night. Are they real for one night? Are they watching us? Do they walk amongst us? We will never know.

 Death is in the air. You feel it?

That time when I saw Alexz Johnson playing live

It was a Sunday and I was surfing the web when I saw that Alexz Johnson was coming to NYC. I checked her website but went back to see the date and the location to make sure I wasn't confused. I can honestly say that I was very excited to see Alexz because it was my first time AND she was Jude.... Jude from Instant Star. If you haven't seen this show, you have to download it right now.

The show was entertaining, it is neither complicated nor cheesy but the best of it were the songs that Johnson's character sang on the show, some songs that she wrote (in real life) and that she actually sang.

"In each episode of the show, Jude Harrison must deal with the problems and challenges of both her musical career and her personal life, as one weaves into the other. She also faces dilemmas and choices in her relationships, dividing her feelings between the loves in her life, while also recording with G-Major Records. These people are important to her music - the one thread that ties her life together. Her best moments are when she is working with others in creating and performing her music. In addition to her music and her loves, there is much else going on in her personal life and in the lives of those around her." - Wikipedia

People must recognize that this program became a classic show of a generation.

I had to work early the next day and I had to "travel" from Long Island to Lower East side. I never went to that part before but I trusted my GPs. I finally got to Rockwood Music Hall there were like 10 people before me at the line and then came even more. We probably waited from 30 min to an hour when they finally opened the doors, everything was fine until I heard someone saying " Please have your tickets and your ID in your hands, If you are not over 18 you can't go inside". Then I realized that I have forgotten my ID at home. When it was my turn to go inside I got REJECTED, they said there was no way I could go in.

I felt so bad! I got a ticket, I was ready but I was outside looking at all the fans going inside. When all the people went in I begged the bouncer to please, please! let me in, that I came from another country and I would not have another opportunity like this. He finally looked at me ... he took pity on me and he was like " ok, but you can't buy alcohol"-No problem! I answered.

The idea of meeting her and seeing her live was great and I just knew she would probably play only the songs from her new EP and not songs from the show, and I didn't care. I met her and I was starstruck, she was really nice. I didn't know what to say other than "I love your music" (I should have been prepared ) But overall I was relief that she wasn't rude ( fan's worst fear ) or something like that, not at all!. It looks like she genuinely wanted to be there. 

As I saw her playing the guitar and singing, I just thought about all the times I saw her on TV , lying down on the bed (Morning weekends in my PJ's ), and now I stood a few steps from her. She is a great performer, a great voice and energy. It was the first celeb I ever met and it was a great experience.

#InstaPhotography - Back to basics

#InstaPhotography : I haven't found an official description but I will try to explain it in my own words.

-Insta-Photography: "The practice of taking photographs with the application (app) called Instagram and then publishing them to this social network. " - { 7 Fotos }

I don't even remember when it was the first time I heard about Instagram but I have been a faithful user for about 2 years. I didn't know anyone who was using it so everything about this app was new to me.

At first I didn't like it. It felt like a straight up look inside my life, It was even scary, With time you realize you can find ways to control it and to filter yourself. This day, there are lots of people publishing every little thing they do and where they go. Nowadays I have been using it mostly for artistic reasons, I love photography, and you can't get any simpler than Instagram.

The photographers this days, are getting too complicated with this art. They get the most expensive equipment and expensive production, too much gets you distracted from the most important thing. Your Photo.

Instagram takes that weight from your shoulder. Sure, you can't use your cellphone as your work tool and no, the chances are that you won't get money from it but it brings you back to the most basic thing in photography; light and a good eye. Maybe you are a photographer and you are thinking "Everyone thinks they are a photographer now" but the reality is that not everyone can get a great photo, not everyone will feel the love for it. That will be noticed in the photo.

Most of the people that only take pics for the money take empty and artificial photos. Only time will tell when they get tired of it or who were made to be photographers.

For more of my photographs go HERE

#InstaPhotography