Jay Trinidad, Photographer

The greatest photograph I never took.

2012-01-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

It was in the middle of a vibrant street market in one of the squares in Marseilles.

It was of a group of Muslim women, crowded and pressing up against each other, pawing around a 8' x 8' table filled with colorful assortment of undergarments, ranging from push-up bras to strapless numbers, as well as the great diversity of panties from small to smaller, and to smallest. The banter was highly animated and full of laughter, with women helping other women find that special something, even holding up bras to model.

The light was perfect. The colors, spectacular. I could have taken 2 shots without breaking stride. I knew I could.

If I lifted my camera, it could have become an extremely unpleasant scene very quickly.

So, as I walked by, I lifted the camera to my eye in my imagination alone. I know my camera like the back of my hand, so I know what would have been where in the frame at the precise moment I would have fired the shutter. I saw my focus point.

They are beautiful photographs. I think I like the first one better than the second. Perhaps, one day, though some as-yet-unknown scientific process, we will be able to create the pictures that live in our memory. When that day comes, I promise to post it here.

There is no reason.

2012-01-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

2012 Snow Diptych, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Q: Why did you take that picture?

A: For no other reason than I wanted to. It was an impulse to make a photograph.

Q: But what are you trying to say?

A: Why do I have to be saying anything?

If you like this photo. . .

2012-01-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

The first snow, Bainbridge Island, Washignton.

One of the things that I think is funny is there is a great need for photographers, and artists in general, to be held out as singular visionaries, whose genius springs forth from their brains, as complete as Zeus' children.

The fact of the matter is that any photographer who is worth anything has in his or her brain millions of images that have come before. And that is just talking about photographs. No more than our bodies, to a greater or lesser extent, reflect what you feed them, how we photograph is a reflection of what we choose to look at.

People often ask me how one learns photography. I think it was Walker Evans who admonished his students to really look, to stare. I would add to that, look at good photography.

I tend to like "old school" photographers. One of the greatest was Harry Callahan. [Wikipedia will be offline on Jan. 18, 2012 to protest SOPA.] The photograph on the right is one of many Callahan took of his wife, Eleanor. If you interested, here is a link to an interview of Harry Callahan from early 1980s. He's as unpretentious a photographer as you will find.

It seems a little unfashionable in certain photography circles to talk about who your inspirations are. I have no problem telling you that Harry Callahan is one of my artistic heroes.

Winter light.

2012-01-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Small reflection.

2012-01-10T16:27:00.001-08:00

When I am in between jobs I walk around with my camera and take photos of whatever interests me. I like to think of if as taking batting practice, but where I get to keep the triples and home runs. I got some nice hits today.

Looks like a crime scene to me. (Part IV)

2012-01-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

Phil, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

I live on an island that lies a 35 minute ferry boat ride from Seattle. In the early 1900s, Bainbridge Island was the center of shipbuilding on the West Coast, on account of the quality and quantity of timber. Bainbridge is nearly the exact dimensions of Manhattan. The entire island was clear-cut more than 100 years ago.

Where trees were not replaced, farms were born. If you have read Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson, you have read of the fictionalized life of Bainbridge Island. It is a place where Japanese farmers settled in the early part of the 20th century to farm strawberries.

Farms live and die. There are efforts underway to bring several back to life. Some, though, are being reclaimed by the land. This is a photograph of just such a place.

Joining the great stream of images.

2012-01-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

In this post-modern world, the real smarties go around saying that are no original thoughts. The annoying thing about these post-modernists is that if they knew Ecclesiastes, they would have realized that their important insight about unoriginality is, in fact, a very unoriginal thought.

This is a rather round about way of introducing you to a new addition to my website, called Projects. I create a tremendous amount of images, not simply as commercial work, but from my own need to photograph. For the last three years, I have probably averaged 35k images per year. (I raised the question of "how many photos do you take a year" once in a photography forum. A lot of people had some very strong opinions about the value of working one way or another, which I found odd, as if there were some correct way to produce a photograph. I was just curious how many photos other photographers took, as I don't hang out with photographers, except virtually.)

In fulfilling my own need to photograph, patterns and themes and objects naturally arise. There isn't anything I am not interested in photographing. Under the new heading of Projects, I will be presenting different collections of images. Some with be quite linear, like the first entry: Chairs. Others will not be.

If you want a trip down back in time to 1950s America and want to see another photographer (some punk named Robert Frank) who liked chairs, visit this issue of Life Magazine.

What we don't see.

2012-01-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

One of the aspects of photography that I enjoy is the silent collaboration I have with every person that looks at my photographs. As a photographer, I can only hope my images find people who are in the mood to look.

I took this photo last September on Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

I was struck immediately by the way this man walked out of the water. He strode. There are certain men whose movements are marked by having served in the military. This man was one of them.

His friend is enjoying a dip in the warm and blue waters of Waikiki. They have been life long friends. They like to travel. His friend loves to swim.

"It's his favorite thing," the man told me.

Walking around Bremerton with Walker Evans and William Eggleston.

2012-01-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

When I am between assignments, I wander with my camera.

I took these 5 photographs this afternoon in Bremerton, Washington. They are of the environment around a discount shopping mall. It has a Value Village, a second-hand store based in the Pacific Northwest. The old Dollar Store is now vacant. Another huge retail space, former home of Stupid Prices, sits empty. A Grocery Outlet thrives.

When I get tired of looking at depressing urban environments, I look at trees. When I get tired of looking at trees, I look at people. When I get tired of people, I look at water. I never get tired of looking. That was one of the things I found so re-assuring when I discovered Walker Evans and William Eggleston: neither man seems/ed to get tired of looking at the world.

Looks like a crime scene to me.

2011-12-27T23:23:00.000-08:00

I began posting a series under this title several weeks ago on my Facebook page. I will repost the earlier entries later this week.

I took this photograph in the woods behind a public housing project that was in the process of being demolished. Apparently, whoever was trying to steal this fridge gave up. I think that this would be a wonderful opening scene for a movie.

Chill, Bremerton, Washington.

I like the force/power/impact that a displaced object can have on a viewer. Duchamp and Oldenburg rely on it in their respective works.

What's for dinner?

2011-12-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Over the next year, I will be collaborating with Brendan McGill, chef at the highly acclaimed Hitchcock Restaurant & Deli, to bring you photographs of the regional farmers, ranchers, and purveyors that he relies on to bring his menu to life. McGill is one of the new generation of American chefs who have taken upon themselves to challenge the depersonalized factory farming that dominates dinner tables throughout America.

Hitchcock and Hitchcock Deli are located on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride away from Seattle. The lovely (and local) beast featured here is a Highland cattle, a breed developed in Scotland and now dispersed throughout the world.

A rotating exhibition of images will be on view at Hitchcock Deli, beginning in mid-February. Currently, photographs of the woods, forests, and streams of Bainbridge Island are on display.

A new direction.

2011-11-28T16:27:00.001-08:00

With this posting, I am taking the blog in a new direction. When I started this blog several years ago, my father suggested I write a little something about my photographs. He wanted more of a story than just the image and a title.

Like many things my father has suggested, it has taken me a couple of years to see the wisdom in what he was saying. One of the goals of my photography is to invite the viewer to see the world in a different way. Writing about my work is a part of that process.

When my wife gave me a digital camera in the fall of 2008, I had no idea how much it would change the direction of my life. Today, I find myself preparing to venture out into the larger world of photography. I am nervous and excited and I look forward to sharing the adventure with you.

Cheers.

New incarnation ahead.

2011-10-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

The next evolution of my blog is coming.

Why don't you come over and see my newly relaunched website: www.jaytrinidad.com

I am a stranger in a strange land.

2011-10-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Canopy

2011-09-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

Hale'iwa, Hawai'i

Three Variations on a Theme: Sunset

2011-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Sunset, O'ahu, Hawai'i

Chair at sunset on Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i

Big Toot off of Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i

Keeping it real with the people.

2011-09-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yet another installment in my quest to document the life of the orange cone in the early twenty-first century, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

2011-07-27T00:34:00.001-07:00

She thinks this is a splendid little island, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

2011-07-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

She's a grand old flag, Harpswell, Maine.

2011-07-16T22:55:00.001-07:00

She trusts me about as far as she can throw me, Bath, Maine.

2011-07-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

Lucas dreams in summer.

2011-07-15T14:43:00.001-07:00

Lisa Anne II, Newburyport, Massachusetts.

2011-07-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

I knew that if I didn't stop, this was going to happen eventually.

2011-07-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Nice Horse, Nice, France

2011-07-13T00:28:00.001-07:00

Still Life with Orange Cone.

2011-06-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Grey Poupon is for losers.

2011-06-29T23:11:00.001-07:00

Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Dog is my co-pilot.

2011-06-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Anarchy in the forest.

2011-06-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Even construction workers on Bainbridge Island do yoga.

2011-06-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

Big Mexican Guns

2011-06-21T17:34:00.001-07:00

Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Flowerboy

2011-06-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington.

New Sculptural Work

2011-05-30T22:00:00.002-07:00

220' Timber Wall, permanent installation, May 2011, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

And now for something completely different.

2011-05-30T22:00:00.001-07:00

Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Remember, they did not die so you could have a 3-day weekend.

2011-05-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Bremerton, Washington.

What happens in Florence stays in Florence.

2011-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Florence, Italy.

Sometimes I think I am nothing more than a monkey who takes pictures of other monkeys.

2011-05-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Seattle, Washington.

Morning Practice

2011-04-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

Stanford Women's Rowing, Palo Alto, California, April 12, 2011.

Moments later he jumped out and attacked the woman on the right with his broadsword.

2011-03-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Florence, Italy.

2011 Chilly Hilly, Bainbridge Island, Washington

2011-02-27T16:28:00.000-08:00

2011 Chilly Hilly, Bainbridge Island, Washington, photographs taken from the back of a motorcycle.

Click on for HQ video.

Today

2011-02-22T13:05:00.002-08:00

E. Fudd

2011-02-22T13:05:00.001-08:00

Reflections of a Roman Holiday

2011-02-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

Meloncholy

2011-02-19T23:43:00.001-08:00

Fashion Week

2011-02-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

"All water is off on a journey unless it's in the sea, and it's homesick, and bound to make its way home someday."

2011-02-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

For Zora Neal Hurston

The yellow door.

2011-02-14T16:04:00.001-08:00

Ghost

2011-02-13T00:26:00.000-08:00

Friday

2011-02-11T16:28:00.003-08:00

Spring arrived a couple of days ago.

2011-02-11T16:28:00.001-08:00

The Herefords

2011-02-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Myth: It always rains in Seattle in winter.

2011-02-10T08:44:00.001-08:00

Mubarak

2011-02-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Box Office Lady

2011-02-10T01:19:00.000-08:00

Marie-Thérèse Walter as a tree.

2011-02-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

Red Dress Trilogy.

2011-02-07T00:17:00.001-08:00

Calendar Dogs

2011-02-04T22:09:00.001-08:00

She understood that there was no place for her in his life.

2011-02-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

Abandoned car.

2011-02-02T15:46:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the Universe is very direct.

2011-02-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

I looked up today and this is what I saw.

2011-02-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

Exhibitionists

2011-01-22T13:04:00.001-08:00

Dawgs love trucks.

2011-01-20T23:27:00.001-08:00

Order in the woods.

2011-01-18T16:18:00.001-08:00

3 of America in 2010

2011-01-07T01:15:00.000-08:00

General Motors had quite a range.

2011-01-05T22:09:00.001-08:00

Aldermen

2011-01-03T23:21:00.001-08:00

White Cadillac

2011-01-03T23:16:00.000-08:00

New Series: Walks in the woods.

2011-01-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

No. 1

Two studies in form and motion.

2011-01-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

Woman & Rope

2011-01-02T18:33:00.001-08:00

Blue Holiday

2011-01-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

East Coast meets Far East

2011-01-02T18:09:00.001-08:00

The Red Metal Chairs, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

The Ghost's Knee

2010-12-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

Image No. 3

New Series: Smoke

2010-12-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

Image No. 2

Where I walk my dogs.

2010-12-29T22:55:00.002-08:00

Sailing off Battle Point, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

New Series: Smoke

2010-12-29T22:55:00.001-08:00

No. 1

Fan Club Photos

2010-12-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

LowRiDer

2010-12-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

Viking Lowrider, Poulsbo, Washington.

Malcolm's X-mas Lights (2008)

2010-12-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

I made this photo by leaving the shutter open for 10 seconds and swinging the camera around.

Looking up at 801 Second Ave, Seattle.

2010-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

No. 4

2010-12-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

Circle of Life, Beach Bone Series, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Vise

2010-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Visual Grenade No. 1

2010-12-13T19:39:00.002-08:00

Americana

She is the welcoming committee.

2010-12-13T19:39:00.001-08:00

West Seattle

2010-12-13T19:38:00.001-08:00

Lady's Gnome

2010-12-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

Trophy Wife

2010-12-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

Looking up downtown.

2010-12-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

Utility Pole at Night, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

That's no moon. . .

2010-12-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

Ornament in a shop window, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Lighting: David Lynch

2010-12-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

Fallen leaf on the dock, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Beautiful window on Northern Virgnia.

2010-11-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hanging around the Town Center, Reston, Virginia.

The south end of the island.

2010-11-30T22:15:00.001-08:00

Lytle Beach after a storm, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Economic Still Life

2010-11-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Shopping Cart, Bremerton, Washington.

Virginia is for polluters.

2010-11-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Tire in a pond, Herndon, Virginia.

One thinks he is Tom Cruise and the other is a Thug.

2010-11-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Seattle's Finest, Seattle, Washington.

Please remember that not everyone loves the snow.

2010-11-22T13:46:00.001-08:00

Please help me, Seattle, Washington.

Newly distilled.

2010-11-21T00:08:00.002-08:00

Moonshine on my roof at 11:48 p.m. on November 10, 2010, Bainbridge Island, Washingotn.

Helicopters got too expensive.

2010-11-19T20:17:00.002-08:00

Black School Bus, Seattle, Washington.

Jay Trinidad, Photographer

The greatest photograph I never took.

There is no reason.

If you like this photo. . .

Winter light.

Small reflection.

Looks like a crime scene to me. (Part IV)

Joining the great stream of images.

What we don't see.

Walking around Bremerton with Walker Evans and William Eggleston.

Looks like a crime scene to me.

What's for dinner?

A new direction.

New incarnation ahead.

I am a stranger in a strange land.

Canopy

Three Variations on a Theme: Sunset

Keeping it real with the people.

Yet another installment in my quest to document the life of the orange cone in the early twenty-first century, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

She thinks this is a splendid little island, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

She's a grand old flag, Harpswell, Maine.

She trusts me about as far as she can throw me, Bath, Maine.

Lucas dreams in summer.

Lisa Anne II, Newburyport, Massachusetts.

I knew that if I didn't stop, this was going to happen eventually.

Nice Horse, Nice, France

Still Life with Orange Cone.

Grey Poupon is for losers.

Recently Updated

Dog is my co-pilot.

Anarchy in the forest.

Even construction workers on Bainbridge Island do yoga.

Big Mexican Guns

Flowerboy

New Sculptural Work

And now for something completely different.

Remember, they did not die so you could have a 3-day weekend.

What happens in Florence stays in Florence.

Sometimes I think I am nothing more than a monkey who takes pictures of other monkeys.

Morning Practice

Moments later he jumped out and attacked the woman on the right with his broadsword.

2011 Chilly Hilly, Bainbridge Island, Washington

Today

E. Fudd

Reflections of a Roman Holiday

Meloncholy

Fashion Week

"All water is off on a journey unless it's in the sea, and it's homesick, and bound to make its way home someday."

The yellow door.

Ghost

Friday

Spring arrived a couple of days ago.

The Herefords

Myth: It always rains in Seattle in winter.

Mubarak

Box Office Lady

Marie-Thérèse Walter as a tree.

Red Dress Trilogy.

Calendar Dogs

She understood that there was no place for her in his life.

Abandoned car.

Sometimes the Universe is very direct.

I looked up today and this is what I saw.

Exhibitionists

Dawgs love trucks.

Order in the woods.

3 of America in 2010

General Motors had quite a range.

Aldermen

White Cadillac

New Series: Walks in the woods.

Two studies in form and motion.

Woman & Rope

Blue Holiday

East Coast meets Far East

The Ghost's Knee

New Series: Smoke

Where I walk my dogs.

New Series: Smoke

Fan Club Photos