JAMES RASP PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO BLOG , Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC

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Black out with a shade of white

I didn’t get into photography the traditional way of shooting black and white film, going to a dark room and developing the images. I started out with a Canon 1d, a digital color camera. Since I never experienced the full black and white world I guess I ever appreciated it. I mean, the camera is turning out great color images, why dumb it down with just black and white?

Well the x100 has yet again opened my eyes. While in Carlisle last week I took the dogs for a run and flipped the camera to black and white jpeg since the woods were a funky shade of funk. The next day I went to see the Hackensaw Boys and decided to snap a few images of them, in black and white mode to see what happens.
We’ll, what happened is I realized yet again, I CAN be wrong, black and white images can be amazing. Will I shoot ever image in black and white? No. Will I shoot more in black and white? Yes. Film camera and dark room? No way. Dirty pubs and loud venues, YES!

If you have a chance to check out Hackensaw Boys, do it!!! Amazing group and now John and Ben from Fox Hunt are playing with them.

Jewel the bull Terrier in Marsh Run in Mt Holly Springs

Ferd and Ben Townsend from the Hackensaw boys at the Holly Inn in Mt Holly Springs
Brian Corby from the Hackensaw boys at the Holly Inn in Mt Holly Springs

Had to add this under the bay bridge sailing out of Annapolis

Bay Bridge in Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay while Sailing

May 29, 2013 | Categories: personal, thirsty thursdays, travels | Tags: Annapolis, black and white, bull terriers, carlisle, fuju x100, Hackensaw Boys, jeff betton, jon skiff, Sailing, street camera, the metal pad, x100s | Leave A Comment »

Chop em down

Call me Baby Bunyan, but instead of Babe, I had a crazy bull terrier.

When I was getting ready to chop down a tree I remember I had my camera in my car so I figured lets film me chopping this thing down. As I put my shoes on, I had the idea to try to do a short feature about cutting down the tree. I took 2 minutes to storyboard everything in my head and off I went with my camera, an ax and Livy. Having never filmed myself or cut down a tree I figured this could be interesting. Moving the camera around and getting Livy to follow me was the easy part, the swinging of the ax was not. After about 20 minutes of jello like arms, the tree finally hit the ground, not taking myself or the dog out.

What do you think, should I become a lumber jack?

Cutting down a tree

May 17, 2013 | Categories: personal, thirsty thursdays, video | Tags: behind the scenes, bull terrier, how to cut down a tree, james rasp, livy, lumberjack, michaux | Leave A Comment »

I am in LOVE

with the Fuji x100……

I know I know, a few years too late, but it still counts as love, right? Who cares I got it used and some other guy had his hands all over her first, it is still love!

I can’t believe who one little camera has changed my outlook on things. I used to carry a 5d with me all the time, but never pulled it out and shot anything as I always thought it was too big and people would look at me funny. Now the x100 is always around my neck, just like my old dog Darcie always had a ball in her mouth. It is almost like it relit a fire that was slowly burning away by big sets and deadlines.

Here are some images from Philly last week.

Love plaza
Business in Philly
Accurate in Philly
Tight Park Job in PHilly
Watch Your step
Vietnamese Garden Employee in Philly Chinatown

This pretty much sums up my day with the x100….. IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

Mar 21, 2013 | Categories: street photos, thirsty thursdays | Tags: cat piss, chinatown, chinatown philly, dumpsters, fuji x100, h2o, ice cube, ice cube it was a good day, it was a good day, philadelphia, Philly, phily shows, rittenhouse square, street photos, x100 | Leave A Comment »

It’s all downhill from here

Here is Steve Rice riding in Michaux.

Steve Rice mountain biking in Michaux by James Rasp

Mountain Biking + Photography = Happy Raspy!

I have been riding and racing mountain bikes for almost 20 years. I got into photography by photographing my friends snowboarding. I was injured and instead of doing nothing and letting my shoulder heal, I picked up a camera and instantly fell in love.

So why has it taken me all this time to photography mountain biking?

Mar 18, 2013 | Categories: portraits, Sports | Tags: downhill, enduro, freeride, happy hour, MBM, michaux, mountain biking, mountain biking michaux, mtb, pennsylvania state parks, riding in, riding in the woods, specialized, specialized bikes, state forest, state parks, steve rice | Leave A Comment »

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There are some games that make me miss not shooting sports full time.

For years, sports were all I shot, and I loved it! Now I have to carry light bags and video equipment to sets, rather than my big 400mm 2.8 lens, that I LOVE.

Last Saturdays game reminded again why I love shooting sports. Dickinson College played host to Marietta in the first round of NCCA tournament play. Dickinson recently won the Centennial Conference Championship, so they gym was packed to see their huge win to advance to the second round in Ohio.

Go Devils!

Chris Cox with a dunk DIckinson College photo by James Rasp
DIckinson College basketball fans photo by James Rasp
Adam Honig with a layup DIckinson College photo by James Rasp

Fans celebrating after DIckinson College basketball win photo by James Rasp