Recipe For Success

Glad to be back in New York, back on my bike, back racing the cabbies, after traveling/shooting over much of the holidays. I love being on the road and all of the wild adventures I usually encounter. Here are some of the staples I can't live without while on the road shooting.

-A bundle of cigars. I think and write better when smoking a cigar, it relaxes me. A cigar also helps pass the time on long drives.

-Depending if I am flying or driving to my destination: a big heavy wrench I can stick in my back pocket, brass knuckles or a knife. Self defense, I ain't going down without a good fight baby.

-Good playlists on my ipod, either sad lonely songs or something to get me amped up.

-A Moleskin and Foray pen. Gotta have something for when the ideas flow, to record locations I will return to, to get the names and addresses of my subjects so I can mail them a print, and of course to record the details of each photograph I make.

-In the summer, a good bandana, to wipe the sweat away, it gets hot under that dark cloth and lugging all that gear around. In the winter, a good pair of gloves, my fingers get freezing carrying that tripod and focusing those knobs on the camera.

-A vest to keep all my stuff: a flash light, loup, light meter, business cards, batteries, poncho, film holders, random pictures I cut out of magazines that I look at for inspiration, my moleskin and pens, a shot list of words and ideas, snacks, keys, phone, weapons and the random things I find on the street.

-Whatever book of poetry I am into at the moment and that is an influence for the project I am working on.

-Granola bars, trail mix with M&Ms, peanut butter crackers that come in plastic wrap, and several double shot Starbucks espresso cans. All can fit into my vest and be had when desired.

-My shooting cap. Really it is just an ironworker's cap that many construction workers (of all trades) wear under their hard hats to keep the sweat away. I used to wear one when I did construction and I continue to wear one because it reminds me of that time, when I was a warrior. No matter what I am doing I will always be a worker and have that blue collar tough as nails approach to my work.

-A lucky $2 bill. I have the worst luck ever and whatever bad thing might possibly happen, usually ends up happening to me, I need all the luck I can get. However, I usually end up giving the lucky $2 bill away to someone who looks like they could use some luck a lot more than I could.

-A cold beer. I rarely drink when I am shooting, but after a long exhausting day nothing is better than an ice cold watered down American beer to wash down all the sweat and dirt. Ahhhh