Imagery From Charlotte, think Opposite of Baghdad

I may be dumb but somehow I never really feel stupid and I am too young to retire. Stolen from Yogi Berra, Modified to fit this particular point in my life by me. I can over analyze the fact that I misspelled and spelled correctly the name of my Subject in an interview essay all I like but that will usually lead to thoughts of darkness. Kristin is there in Chicago and even though she tried to make me feel better rationalizing that people have been incorrectly(KK, you were right that is not necessarily what I wanted to hear but thanks for your understanding) spelling her name for years-bigger more cosmic events followed that show me once again to let it go. Those bigger things are happening in the now while it may seem slow and motionless when you stare at it. These following images were shot in the 2 days of my bike courier work livity/Speed Street fun fest. Not one of these subjects has given me permission to either take the image or share it but by being in public they have passed the right and obligation to me to convey to you what is happening in America. When I finished the shoot I wished I could have boarded a direct flight to Baghdad and spent 12 hours on the ground making images from the streets of their main Avenue outside the Green Zone. Then this project would be complete for I could weave the images to make the perfect photographic literary comparison and contrast.

Click any image you like to see full screen detail-it's worth it

The Hearst Tower holds not only daily Bank of America trade business but is designated Trading Floor contingency back up to BOA NYC-Wall Street. On the morning of 9/11 BOA NYC Trading dropped off the screen, this back up plan involving Charlotte is an effort to prevent that from happening again. In the event of a similar situation The Queen City will electronically pick up trading, almost immediately according to protocol.
Meanwhile Americans are celebrating their freedom

These folks were cued up for over 6 hours to get themselves an autograph. I know this because I asked...

Hey Mom, I just got a slap on coozie!

Slap it on me beeeeotchhh!!

Hey Jethro, the Old man was right them Coke shirts are real nice

?

I picture on the movie screen in the front inside of my skull that the signage communicating the same message in Baghdad is unwritten

and medics carried rifles and wore body armor not extra flesh

another cue for another autograph

At first I thought I was seeing Saints and Halos but then I realized he was selling these for 2.50$ per....

Amazing, right?

I believe

Follow what I do and your needs will be filled....

Raise my right hand, left on the bible

I'm so convinced, I'll raise both

An empty sky, deep Carolina blue, raise your hands high....

this one is my fav just like a tiger dreaming of super sized fries in the jungle, count the logos, boggle your mind, then see the American Flag in Tattoo splatter on young man's calf(not shopped, real)

Plenty of calories sold in trade

A paycheck is made

US NAVY reporting to order but there are no Battle Stations to man, sir?

Free Peanut Butta!!!!

Man, these tires signed are gonna look great on my wall if my ole lady don't try to sell um on Ebay

Cover your faces ladies, this is Persia

No it is not the youth here actually are cool

Dammit

Kristin...
I am so sorry I for letting your name go out in bold as Kristen. You reminded me, you made me spell it Kristin in my little black book which I referred to more than a dozen times while trying to create what I was wanting to be something special for you. I am sorry, truly from everything at the center of my core existence. I think I will go vomit now and get on the Stay Alive giving consideration to retiring from the bloggy......
Honestly
Billy

Interview with more than a Performance Model

Kristin Rose Kisner and herself in photo and print..... She pointing herself out in the background of an image

Rolling up Tryon

Kristin is always being stopped for an autograph or in this case three, here is none other than Team Dicky and Josh the Wonderboy cued up for their Kisner Memorabilia(note: Dicky has two copies for signing, one is his and the other is for his son The Boy)

This fan of Kristin's Performance work was going to frame her signed copy over the weekend

Raymond asked for his to be signed, "Best Wishes"

Trent the ice cream man wanted his catalogue signed

Is she 1million or 1billion times more photogenic than I am?

Urban Velo

This Model loves keeping her girly figure by eating Chocolate Ice Cream

The other Day Kristin Rose Kisner rolled up to me on her Surly Cross hip urban Conversion just as I was talking to an old acquaintance on Tryon. Kristin was right on time for our prearranged interview which I asked her for after Jordy grabbed the most recent Performance catalogue from our bathroom and showed me Kristin's smiling countenance on the glossy pages. After Swazzy stopped by and us to show off his kewl mad skill with a very shaky almost dramatised track stand we rode down to a secret roof local a few blocks off the Square. I wonder why he never shows off like that in front of me while I am alone?

Up on the roof we found a table and sat down in the warm sun. Within a minute or two after Kristin took off her shades I realized that her eyes were a mature version of my daughter's. Perfectly circular azure blue orbs that lighten a bit in color towards the center where the hue transitions into a brown hazel clutch around her black pupils. Her eyes sort of remind me of what the earth might look like from outer space set in two small round white back drops in her face.

Stay focused this is a serious interview here. Kristin and I met once upon a time in around 2005 The Year of the Cool when she was helping run Charlotte's first ever Coffee Cooperative at the very peaceful McGill Rose Garden location. I liked that place as much for the coffee as well as the quiet company who made it for me in my own ceramic mug that stayed behind the wood canoe bar. I did not realize in those early years that Kristin was a working model, it just goes to show that she is thinking about more than just her image career which started with her first modeling job when she was 11 years old.

From then till now Kristin has worked on building a solid resume which recently manifested itself into a contract with Ford Models Inc. out of Chicago. This type of work interests her for reasons that are more than just at the surface of such an image sensitive industry. Kristin says that this type of non-repetitive work helps her remain wholly balanced by allowing her to fulfil personal monetary goals while traveling, riding her bike, swimming in far away oceans, staying strong with pilates(trademark system of physical conditioning) and helping spread the word about good health and the importance of deep breathing.

Kristin has traveled as far away as Greece with her work. On this particular shoot her face started breaking out due to the Mediterranean humidity which caused the photographer to keep asking, "When is your face gonna clear up?" Kristin laughs at the situation then and now saying that they finally decided to take the picture of the back of her head showing off her new dye job. Kristin has an open mind about working off the continent and looks forward to the chance to do so with her new representation.

When I asked her if there was any product she would not be seen in front of the camera with she seriously said, "Cigarettes, I will not try to glamorize smoking cigarettes." Ms. Kisner also said she would avoid working for pharmaceutical companies as well unless they were a completely holistic or organic company "That is the problem with doing stock photo modeling, your picture could wind up anywhere, advertising for any type of business", she said.

The most recent shoot for Performance happened this March in Cary NC. Working for a bike related retailer was fun for her because of her comfort ability on or near bikes. Some of the pictures wind up in the monthly catalogues and some are on line but all of them show not only a product but a human with a peronal identity. My motivation for bringing this story to you is exactly that. Behind the images in print selling whatever there is an individual with their own identity, life dreams and goals. I am glad that Kristin is moving forward both in life and her aspiring career which is not the norm in today's society. Sometimes you find that great person going after their career(4million$) in sacrifice of what is true and important to them and other times you might find that idealistic human who understands the cosmos but can never get past the first month of a job to be able to sustain themselves in this world but rarely will you find those two attributes in one human form. It was nice to ride around with Kristin and get to know her a little bit better from the street level. If you would like an autographed copy of a Performance Catalogue please contact me here and we will see what we can do.

24mins "The Mini-Burn 24 of Next Door" Race Report

Seeing much of my 08 Race Season's budget has been spent on things other than race entries I took advantage of this weekend's 24 minutes of Next Door, the Mini-Burn 24. Wow and what a race it was. At the line and on course were up to 7 die hard competitors and myself going for the 24 minute title. I felt pretty good about winning my category when I realized that I was only competing against 6 racers of which 2 were girls and everyone but me was under 10 years of age. Hell Yea, this is gonna be my day! What a win it was, I rode over 40 laps around the loosely marked course which circled the volley ball court. My competitors never had a chance because of my mad endurance, stacked thighs and Thousand Dollar Wheels. With 6 minutes left I saw Gerardo in the pit straddling his bike and taking a nap, I told him to stop being a Millhouse and get back out on course. He gave me one last attack but in the end I had them all reeled in with a huge win and my first ever 1st place podium spot. I'd like to thank my sponsors, oh wait...I don't really have any.


Here I am right after the big win-photo: Ms Arcen
Here I am early on clearly ahead of my competition Israel, Adriana and the unidentified little fellow on the bright green small wheeled bike photo: Ms Arcen

Israel rolling on the Swamp Bike trying to give me his best Lance look

Me about to put another one in the rear view

Gerardo out of the pit after a nap but he still had nothing for me photo: Unidentified Photographer under 10 years of age

Unidentified rider GOING DOWWWWN!

Israel with sweet Swamp bike line

Me, going wide for a pass to the cheers of the Tifosi Photo: Ms Arcen

Header Image

I made this picture from the park bench where I sat without moving my body, I simply reached into my bag, pulled the camera out, powered up, made an adjustment or 3 and took the picture. The subject is the hand of my 58 year old Liberian friend Jeffery who was relaxing in the sun on the back side of the bench waiting for a fare to help support his family. His hand is unique, it had caught my eye with the amount of information that it seemed to portray. I knew I could make something interesting with it in a photographic composition which is what the one exposure is to me. When you really look at any one's hands you will see the past and character of the individual.

It's a NASCAR Ho'down!!

If I have to see it, so do you. I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings but this stuff is full on in the center of where I do my livity as a bike messenger in the fine city of Charlotte North Carolina which is now the home town of the NASCAR Hall Of Fame. With that said enjoy a few of the images that I made yesterday in an effort to bring all the joy of Speed Street to you where ever you are. If my perceptions of this round and round gas burning spectator sport offend you , I'm sorry it was purely intended!

13 plus blocks of this, that equates to almost 2 miles of nothing or 1/5th of a Stay Alive
for all the energy you need to watch something in the sun go around a track

NASCAR going line dancingthat is one huge crapper bladder, there were 100 more on a truck in the alley

I can't wait to show my department these cool phone pics

Having fun with all the things to see and do

Good Times

Where's the huge energy drink bottle?

Real life cartoons

Sorry young lady, I cannot help but stare at your lovely Coke shirt

Witty Fellow Number 1

Witty Fellow number 2

Not quite sure but the hair is really unique

I don't care how much fun you are not having, stand there and let your dad take your picture!