NEW Film! Through a Lens Darkly and the Emergence of a People

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY, directed by Thomas Allen Harris is a film that explores how African American communities have used the camera as a tool for social change from the invention of photography to the present. This epic tale poetically moves between the present and the past, through contemporary photographers and artists whose images and stories seek to reconcile legacies of pride and shame while giving voice to images long suppressed, forgotten, and hidden from sight. 

A SALUTE TO LGBT ARTISTS

Following the film there will be a Q & A with Photographer's Ocean Morisset, Lola Flash and Michael Chambers.

View the trailer and order tickets at the link below! Limited enagement through September 9th at NYC.s Film Forum.

See you at the movies!

http://filmforum.org/events/event/through-a-lens-darkly-salute-to-lgbt-artists-9-4

Call on the ancestors for healing

Black And brown people: In troubled times like these we must call on our ancestor's for healing. Rocks thrown at the strong arm of injustice will land flatly on the ground, but the work of our ancestor's strengthens, protects and lifts us to greater, unreachable heights. 

We come from a legacy of resilience and must never forget. We will continue the work of our ancestor's and in doing so, they will continue to bring vital support to us to fulfill our potential here on earth.

We do not act alone. We are loved.

Ocean Morisset Photography. Image from the Tribute to the Ancestor's of the Middle Passage, 2014.

Sax Player Ray Blue @ Embark Summer Block Party. Peekskill, NY.

Every day I take pictures of the everyday.--OM

"What matters is to live in the moment, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern with your past". -Sai Babba

© Ocean Morisset Photography
Harlem, NYC.

Brotherhood, Protection and Safety, all at one Harlem crosswalk.

© Ocean Morisset

"Ocean, what kind of camera should I get?"

I get questions all the time from friends and acquaintances about which camera is the best one to buy. To that question, there are a myriad of answers based on what you plan to do or shoot with the camera. Even though photography is a technical field, those aspects don't particularly interest me. I get bored with conversation with other pro's about lenses, DOF, and photography RULES. While I agree it's important to know the basic rules of composition, light and of course camera usage I think honing the "eye" is a much more useful lesson to the layperson embarking on a journey through photography. There are many roads to take towards arriving at a successful image and at the end of the day, the viewer will decide based on how the image moves them (or not).

In my opinion, there's no reason to spend thousands of dollars on camera equipment. I've seen "photographers" with the latest of everything and the photography vest to match, but will use their camera on "A" automatic mode, or do all the "photography" using photo-editing software.

To answer the question about which camera to get, I'd say spend little on a camera with an M (manual) mode. This allows you total control of the camera and will force you to learn about exposure, depth of field and shutter speed. You will of course need much practice with composition--how you "frame" what you're shooting, and that takes much practice so shoot A LOT!

Nowadays, there are advancements with camera phone technology and we've all seen what the iphone can do! I happen to shoot OFTEN with my iphone, but my main pro camera--a Nikon D80-- is considered an antique in the rapidly-changing landscape of DSLR and technology. Yet, I still get the job done, pleasing clients and "fans" alike. When I think about how we revere images from the past-- those taken by "Master" photographers--I note that most of those camera's used to shoot historical images are now antiques! This reaffirms the notion that good photography is not only achieved by the (good/expensive) camera, but mostly by the "eye".

The most important thing in all of this is to ENJOY photography. Whatever genre interests you, be it fashion, photojournalism, landscape, still life, etc., it's important to have fun, treat your subject matter with the utmost importance, and try new perspectives.
These days, everyone claims to be a photographer thanks to the mass accessibility of camera phones, so it's important to STAND OUT from the pack in some way, learn from your mistakes, never compare yourself or your work to another photographer and always remain true to yourself!

(iPhone) Photo copyright Ocean Morisset Photography. Peekskill, N.Y

Ode to Harlem Besties

Piggy back ride

transportation of love

with laughter as its fuel

It never tires, 

not for a sister 

or a bestie...

it rages on like fire.

Our friendship

fits like a glove;

passion- burning warmth

on the coldest days

and darkest nights

moved beyond the depths

of all that inspires,

the joy of which takes form

of these words I write. 

A moment in precious time

In the face of a neighborhood 

and a world

in transition

--Uncertainty--

thick like African musk oil

Vaporizes in the heat of a 

Harlem summer

and joins the breeze

as together, we take flight.

And while all things inevitably change

my love for you stands 

the test of time

and soars 

like an iridescent kite.

"Harlem" by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

(Photo copyright Ocean Morisset)

"However long the night may last, there will be morning."

This Morrocan proverb inspired this latest self-portrait I shot at the Peekskill waterfront:

 "However long the night may last, there will be morning."

 I arrived at the waterfront earlier than I wanted to because the sun was still shining brightly and I intended to shoot this image at dusk. It was also Memorial Day and many families were still soaking in final rays of the descending sun, and couples strolled about. I was a little annoyed at myself, because this had been an image I hought about making for weeks, and I picked the worse day of the year to do it. Nevertheless, I changed out of my shorts and t-shirt in my car and put on my white outfit. The white was to symbolize cleansing, purification, spirit and because I ws at the water, a call to the orisha Yemaya.

 As the sun made its slow descent, I spent some time shooting silhouettes and a few waterfront activiteis like a father playing with his son. Finally, with my camera mounted to the tri-pod, I began to explore this vision I had. I tried diffrent exposures and varying shutter speeds, shooting only in Manual mode to achieve the results I wanted. A few times I was interrupted by passersby who observed me run from my "posing" position, back to my camera and back again. Offers to take my picture made me chuckle because it led me to believe that these well-meaning people thought I was simply trying to get a sort of "tourist" shot with the view of the magnificent mountains and bay in the background. When I explained that I'm an artist, and I was creating "art", there was the "oh!" followed by a few lingering eyes that continued to watch me as they slowly strolled away. All in all, I like what I achieved here, but I have so much more to explore of myself at the waterfront.

Peekskill waterfront as dusk began to fall and the fog thickened.

I took my dog Max out for a walk at the waterfront. One thing that is true about any waterfront is that it's beauty changes with the season. Temps in Peekskill are still struggling to get above 50. The snow has finally all just melted. Even though it's spring, the bare tree's are reminiscent of the winter I would rather forget. Nevertheless, the moodiness is undeniable. The scene evoked a loud peace that I wanted to capture and never forget. This was an atmospheric weekend dressed in wind, fog, clouds, and plenty of RAIN. Days like today where the sky is overcast and the light is diffuse is the best light to shoot in, especially if you like moody images like I do. Below are a series I shot with my iphone. I enjoy grain in moody images. Some photographer's prefer images that are super sharp. I think the grain in the images lends itself nicely to a documentary aesthetic. Enjoy the view!

I'm still here!

Self-portrait December 2013

Wow, it's been a minute since I posted here. Facebook and real life have absorbed all my time. I'm still HERE, but you can also see some of my photography updates on my artists page on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/oceanmorissetphotography

I'll be posting here regularly once again. It's a new year and l have many more images to post!

--Ocean

Autumn views in Central Park, NYC.

I love Central Park, and there's no better time to shoot than Autumn! Splashes of color add drama to the transitioning landscape, the distinct smell of dried autumn leaves, and their crunch underneath my feet are all special and distinct elements of fall.

Sunday: Autumnal equinox

Mind's eye

wide open like the autumnal sky.

Saturday: Twilight on the George Washington Bridge, NYC

Photo-essay: 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington 8/24/2013

VOTE as an act of self-defense & self-respect.

On June 25, 2013 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.This decision effectively frees nine states, plus parts of several others with a history of racial discrimination, from having to get federal approval before making changes to their voting laws.This was a key issue being represented and voiced at the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

Marching for justice with a cardboard cut-out of President Barack Obama. President Obama will make a speech at the August 28th commemoration of the the March on Washington, standing in the same place at the Lincoln Memorial as Martin Luther King, Jr. did in the 1963 march on Washington.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington. The march was sponsored by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Martin Luther King III and the NAACP.

The March on Washington is best remembered for Dr. King's stirring vision of a United States free of inequality and prejudice

There were various “mini-marches” of groups protesting an array of social issues throughout the National Mall.

WE ARE ONE. Drummers at the Mall.

Two young boys pose with ninety-two year old William Allison of Mathews, Georgia, who also attended the 1963 March on Washington.

People of all races, ages and backgrounds commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mach on Washington.

Two men take in some of the exhibits at the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington

Demanding an end to racist violence.

Police on horseback keep order along the march route.

The People’s Organization for Progress is an independent, grassroots, community based, politically progressive association of citizens working for racial, social and economic justice and greater unity in the community. At the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington they march for Justice for Trayvon Martin.

Tens of thousands of people marched to commemorate King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, pledging that his dream includes equality for LGBT people, Latinos, the poor and disabled. The event was a homage to a generation of activists that endured fire hoses, police abuse and indignities to demand equality for African-Americans. There was a strong theme of unfinished business.

Martin Luther King III marches with his wife Andrea and two unidentified men to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

Rep John Lewis (D-GA 5th District) marched with thousands of others to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington, when at twenty-three years of age was the youngest person standing shoulder to shoulder with Martin Luther King, Jr., a man he calls his big brother, inspiration and hero.

Activists and Civil rights luminaries lead the 50th anniversary of the1963 March on Washington. In this single image appears Trayvon Martin’s family; parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin and brother Jahvaris Fulton, Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King III, Marc Morial; President of the National Urban League and others.

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Corey Booker marching with thousands of others at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-East Flatbush) at the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

All eyes on the future. A young man holds an NAACP poster “We March to End Racial Profiling”

A young man gets a makeshift telescopic view of the march as his father beams with pride.

WE SHALL OVERCOME!

DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

(Updating blog...posting from April 20th)

APRIL 20, 2013 Harlem, New York City--On the 24th Anniversary of one of the great justice system failures of our time, supporters of the Central Park Five staged a rally and march in Harlem to demand justice for the men, now in their mid-late thirties. On April 19th, 1989 five black and latino teenage men were wrongly accused and convicted of raping Trisha Meili, a white woman, as she jogged at night in New york city’s famed Central Park. The case dubbed the Central Park Jogger case gripped the nation and exposed the racism that weaved itself in the very fabric of America. 

All five men were convicted in 1990 and began serving prison terms ranging from six to eleven years. In 2002, Matias Reyes, a convicted rapist and murderer serving a life sentence for other crimes, confessed to raping Trisha Meili when he was seventeen and that he acted alone, plus DNA evidence confirmed his crime. This led District Attorney Robert Morgenthau’s office to recommend vacating the convictions of the teenagers originally accused and sentenced to prison. In 2003, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana Jr., and Antron McCray, three of the Central Park Five, sued the city for racial discrimination and emotional distress. As of April 2013, the suit is yet to be settled. The city is refusing to settle the suits, citing the "confessions that withstood intense scrutiny, in full and fair pretrial hearings and at two lengthy public trials." Click through the album below to view the images from today’s rally and march.

Kevin Richardson, one of the Central Park Five.

Raymond Santana, Central Park Five

Yusuf Salaam, Central Park Five

Three of the Central Park Five: Yusuf Salaam, Kevin Richardson and raymond Santana.

News clipping of the Central Park Five.