... Next to Godliness

News:
Hi. My name is Aaron. It has been almost 9 months since my last blog.

Hmph. I almost felt like a member of AA writing that. Or a "practicing" Catholic in a confessional. Either way, there is guilt in my heart, so here I am - looking for welcoming arms, organizing my thoughts, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that my next leap, will be the leap home. Well... those last two things might have been from Quantum Leap. Regardless, I am ready to clean up the cob webs around here and breathe some life back into my blog!

This place has always been my area to document what I've been up to (especially while overseas), where I've been shooting, and when to look out for more of my work. I still want to focus on those, but I'd like to add some "whys" and "hows" to the mix. If I can get more behind-the-scene looks into my process, I think it will give people a better view of how I work, and why I do the things I do on my sets. I really think people like to see how things are done sometimes. I know I do.

Also, because of Facebook & Twitter, I've often given my blog the cold shoulder. So, in combination with social networks, I'm going to try to utilize this area in ways that are more befitting. The more info that's out there about me, the better. I'll be actively utilizing more ways for people to find me, engage with me and my work, and share it with others. So keep checking in with me right here!


Photo by Jeff Tolley aka gltchcom

Where in the World is Aaron Brown?

News:
Dude! I'm home. I'm in America - specifically, Crown Point, IN. I've been here since mid June, but I've been a busy, busy, guy. Sorry for the delinquency that is this blog. Unacceptable, I know. Never fear, though. I will be whipping this place back into shape with new galleries in the Exhibit area of my website as well as more interesting blog posts, right here - and all of this more often! For now, you can see a handful of shots I've been working on at My Flickr account. Holy moly. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Here's the quick gist of it:

Since Shannon and I returned home in the middle of June, we've been enjoying time with friends and family, eating all the food we've missed, and re-adjusting to the American lifestyle. More importantly, we've been looking for work - 'cause the money we saved up quickly disappeared. After filling out over 71 applications, Shannon finally got an interview and was hired at Goodwill Industries. I've been hustling photography - you know, slanging film on the corner, snappin' shots of fools, lighting people on the street. Hustlin'. It's going surprising well, though. I've been lining up a lot of portrait sessions and weddings, but it's a lot of work trying to start your own business and be your own boss. I'm hopeful. By this time next year, I should be earning just under minimum wage... if all goes well ;)

Thanks for checking in! More to come... soon... I promise!
- ab


Photo by Jeff Tolley aka gltchcom

Ilsan - Home of the Whopper

Review:
I've been sitting on this one since mid-February. I wrote up 1,200 words or so about Ilsan (my hometown for the last two years while living in South Korea) for assistant editor, David Carruth over at 10 Magazine in Seoul, South Korea. Being the successful magazine that it is, time and plenty enough magazine content were foes of mine while trying to get it to print. That left the original article being pushed back several months and eventually being cut down to half its size. Aww... But it's not the size that counts. At least, that's what I've been told. Aww... Regardless, it finally made it to print with a handful of my photos in June's issue, and trust me, I'm a happy guy for it. I'll do just about anything to see my name in print. I once wrote to Wizard Magazine in the 90s and asked if Superboy was related to Superman. Sure I was just stuffing an envelope with a meaningless question in order to get the envelope itself (a rendition of Beavis and Butthead dressed as Scorpion and Sub-Zero of Mortal Kombat fame) printed in the "letter art" section. My question showed up in issue 21; the drawing was never to be seen again, however. Bringing things back on topic, I've decided to publish the unedited version of the article instead of the final 10 Magazine revision for anyone interested -- which is like three or four of you -- to check out. Seeing that I'm leaving for American in less than a week, it seemed fitting to finally get this out as my time here comes to a close. I hope somebody visiting Ilsan can someday make use of this carnival show of a write-up. And I hope not too many of you clicked away mid-rant above. Those of you still reading, enjoy!

HDR: High Dynamic Range

Review:
I'm often asked about why some of my shots look so different, or more like paintings than photographs, and also how I managed to pull 'em off. It has a lot to do with my post-processing, and I do plan to detail out, step by step, how I've edited one of my images sometime in the future. But for now, here's a basic overview of a process that I think is pretty damn cool -- HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Photo Essay: Han River Sunset

Muse:
Beautiful isn’t a word often used to describe your typical Korean sky, but spring isn’t your typical Korean season. The few weeks that come together bridging the bitter Korean winter and the stroke inducing Korean summer are quite magical. The land comes alive; birds sing; flowers bloom; children run amuck. After the yellow dust blows through, something often forgotten, especially in the bigger cities, appears: the sky! Grab your loved ones and get out to the Han River. Walk around all day in the colorful gardens. Play in the parks. Experience one of the many outdoor cultural events going on at any given time. Just be sure at the end of the day you take time to enjoy the sun setting across the seemingly endless sky above. Before you know it, the rain will come, the mosquitoes will follow, time will pass and the dreary greys will return. Bask in the beauty while you can!

Super Mario Bros. Crossover - Best. Game. Ever.

Review:
So today's post does not have anything to do with the photography field, but it's something I just had to share with anyone reading here. I want to keep this post short because the game speaks for itself, but I hope you go to the full post for the (meager portion of) meat of the article and the link to the genius behind this.

Play it after the jump!

Groove Magazine: We Need Surgery - The Album

News:
So, I made it into another awesome issue of Groove Magazine with the shots I took of the awesome band We Need Surgery - one of the best known bands in Korea - taken at E-Sound Studio near the Hongdae area of Seoul while they were putting the finishing touches on their long awaited debut album. Tenative title: Chinese Democracy. Cool name!