Tag Archives: matthew pace photographer

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When You expect Rain, You Get the Sun

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London…I don’t know what they’re talking about…Rain? Bad weather? So they say. There’s even a coat named for it , London Fog , but not one drop the entire time we were there in July. In fact, I got tan…imagine coming from Florida to get a tan in London!

But there we were with our water resistant shoes, raincoat, umbrellas, multiple changes of clothes, prime examples of being pure tourists, with the whole works for our expedition except one thing…SunTan Lotion.

Sometimes what you expect becomes the unexpected.

#more images#London#travel#matthewpace

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Tales From the New World #15 Skateboards and Smiles

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She made me smile as she past in front of me, her hair dancing in the wind, her arms outstretched pushing her skateboard along with one foot, without any hesitation nor care of her surrounding, oblivious to me at the stop sign. She was in the blissful zone of youth, eyes semi closed, enjoying the sun’s embrace on her face, a free spirited soul in flight, gliding along as she crossed in front of my car.

I felt her youth and re-called mine, that feeling of freedom, being in the moment without any knowledge of the heaped on responsibilities that come with adulthood, the worries of tomorrow while wrestling the realities of today. I watched her happiness that everything youth offers that is good, and sat there basking in the aura she left behind, a vortex that sucked my feelings in. For a brief moment, I was her age again.

She made me smile…It wasn’t her but but about her, that struck me, like the spark of a match , while not a fire, ignites one. It was brief and then she disappeared and I continued to smile………all the way……….. to the supermarket.

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Tales From The New World # 13

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Lucky Charms,Talismans, Religious Icons

A recent visit brought me to this door.

When I was a kid, it was considered lucky to have a rabbit’s foot keychain. Maybe not so lucky for poor rabbit but certainly lucky for the business that produced it. They came in many colors but Mine was white or au natural, nails included. If you rubbed it, luck would be had, although it didn’t help my love life. Maybe I was rubbing the wrong thing.

A friend of mine had a “ Lucky Buddha ” where if you rubbed his belly clockwise luck and happiness would come your way. If only that was all it took, but I’ve seen this statue many time over. Chinese restaurants have a waving cat, sure you’ve seen it and it’s not a clock. Finding a penny heads up brings you luck too.

I went to Catholic school and as you see here, they never run out of things and artifacts to host in good fortune, answer prayers, watch over you and sometimes even act as proxy for something to pray to…Statues, pictures, beads, even water.The list of things goes on and on all the way back to when men worshiped the sun and carried a spiritual animal tooth necklace.The only power they have is the power we give them and that in itself is a little sad.

They say you make your own luck in life. I guess some of us need to reach elsewhere for a little help, from items endowed with supernatural powers, even if those items were made in China.

#www.matthewpace.com#photography

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Weston Made Me Do It:

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It’s Christmas and I’m sitting here wondering what the next year will bring judging by what the last one did. Work being more than slow hasn’t been too encouraging and my camera has taken the vow of silence to boot. I keep thinking of all the places I traveled to and fantasizing about all the places I want to go to, mostly in hopes of finding new images and the thrill of finding them. Meanwhile I sit as my thoughts become more and more complicated as to what to do next.

I decided to go food shopping when I came upon them, big beautiful Poblano Peppers, sitting lustfully against each other. I had to have them, and so I did. At first I thought of a recipe I had experienced in California, a Southwestern dish that I could try, but for the moment I just left them sit for a couple of days in the fridge. Every time I opened it I thought about them…what to do what to do… then somewhere I heard Edward Weston… ( at least I like to think that ) and how when things were down he bought a pepper and photographed it multiple times by his window with very long exposures before he finally came to Pepper#33, a signature shot that I had the opportunity once to see the original. 

With that in mind I eagerly pulled out the poblanos and started to shoot and shoot ( thank God it’s not film ) until I came up with my final composition, pretty much what I had pre-visualized to start with…. keeping it simple in a complicated time….and maybe that’s the lesson here. Despite what’s happening, don’t complicate things by over thinking or worrying…just go simple. 

Thank you Edward…. 

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Message from Florence, Italy

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The high spot in Firenze, Italy is the Duomo. One can’t stop going back to it during the day both for its beauty and activity. It also serves as landmark in case you’re lost, just look for it and go from there.

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Around the backside a message was left, easier said than done.

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Got Wood?

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We all know him, along with a whole lot of other “wooden” people, except we know when this one is lying. Pinocchio, brought to life by Disney, was created by an Italian writer, Carlo Collodi, a journalist who presented his character very differently than Disney’s film. His book “The Adventures of Pinocchio” shows him not charming, but as a very bad boy, who ends up tragically, an ending I prefer.

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Street corner vendors in Florence sell them in many forms

 

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but this particular store is the mecca of Pinocchios, a place to return to and find the Geppetto who makes this great collection…..on my list…

 

 

 

Follow me this summer on my return to Firenze, Italia to continue my book

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Love Locks

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On many bridges in Italy, you’ll see locks…many locks. In fact so many that time to time the local authorities have to cut them off. In Paris, removed locks amounted to around 45 tons worth, accumulated over many years. Here in Florence, not so heavy…maybe the French have more lovers? They’re put there by people who profess their love via a padlock attached to the bridge, throwing the key into the river. From time to time they go in with it but that’s another story!

Here’s is this one:

Lover Locks

Love Locks

Locked together, a testament, a couple’s love forever spent.

Into the river their keys went, while time leaves behind their monument

to rust away and break the chain of some who lost while some remain.

Ralph Espina

Follow me this summer on my return to Firenze,Italia to continue my book

Read more here.

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Art in the Heart

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If art isn’t in your blood when you visit Florence,Italy, it will be racing through your veins by the time you leave. You’ll find it everywhere you go from on its streets right down to on your table with the foods presented to you.

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Art is in the air and that’s what makes this city so inspiring for your soul.

It brings out an appreciation of beautiful things big and small. Just taking a casual walk will make you understand what “La Dolce Vita” really means.

More on my book project in Florence,Italy

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If you want to visit the museums the best way is with the Firenze Card.

 

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Prosciutto

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Prosciutto has to be the national meat of Italy…at least to me. Who hasn’t had a thin slice over a cold wedge of cantaloupe, not to mention with tomato and mozzarella? Hopefully not you but if so what are you waiting for!

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So what is Prosciutto? It’s an air dried,cured salted ham, talking anywhere from 9-24 months to cure. Various regions in Italy produce it and each does it a little differently, according to taste. Less slat, sweeter ham. There are two types of processing, Crudo or Cotto which means dried or cooked. Crudo is the preferred and Italian Prosciutto especially the one from Parma is strictly regulated…and savored.

This man sells many pork items, but Prosciutto is his specialty and his place sits on a corner aisle at the Mercato in Florence, where he is happy to let you taste but not happy to have his picture taken. When I see him again on my trip this summer, perhaps I’ll get him to smile!

More on my book project in Florence,Italy

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Matthew Pace Photographer_prosciutto_ 2017-7755

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Tasting Italy

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How can you resist a work of art on your plate? Masterful in presentation as well as in your mouth, it expresses a pride of work and a joy in doing it even though this cost around 4 Euros!

If only this post had a scratch and taste, I could really convey the simple experience of flavor in an every day, “let’s stop for a snack” This is one of the best reasons I have for returning there…and believe it or not, we had this at the train station.

More on my book project on Italy 

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#Italy#Florence#photography#matthewpace#foodphotography#Travelphotography#Miamiphotographer