In the second installment of Lost and Found for the summer of 2010, the crowd was diverse and grew as day went on.  The only setback was when the “real” cops came, for complaints of people having fun.

Everyone was black, except me.  At one point an Asian couple walked in for about 5 minutes then left.  I on the other hand felt somewhat privileged to be there.  I saw it as an opportunity to see the inside underground world of hip hop.  I was introduced to many different musicians.  The bill composed of artists from DC and NYC.

Everybody seemed to know each other and there was a lot of support from the crowd.  I can’t really tell you who were the talents that performed.  Then again I can’t really tell who was part of the crowd or a posse or featured talent.  The microphone was being handed off every minute to a new person rapping.  The entire floor was the stage and there were no limits.  Rappers would walk around with the wireless mic and jump bar counter tops and going in and out of the crowd.  It was very intimate.  Everybody was dancing or putting their hands in the air and cheering.

I thought that photography wise, this was an extremely hard event to cover.  There wasn’t much lighting, everyone is black and I’m not using a flash, and because there was barely any light I had a very hard time focusing.  But what I got was very dramatic lighting, dynamic blurring motion and intensity expressed by the artists performing with all their passion.

A Thousand Blooms was held at Bloombars in Columbia Heights, a small venue that is focused on art and culture.  It may easily be missed as you’re walking down the street, yet once you step in it’s difficult not to feel at home.  The art exhibit received a great turnout as it attracted not only spectators who received an invite in advance, but also random people passing by.

The film screening, which was directed by Richard, was a short film about mixed couples and the prejudice the family goes through.  It was about 30 minutes and received strong support.  Overall, it was an event that received a great response.

X is a local showcase that displays the rising artist talents in a wide spectrum of fields.  I’ve become a regular at the X events and particularly enjoy the fact that all the art displayed is created live.  It makes you feel like you’re a part of something growing and productive on a Friday night, while slowly becoming intoxicated (literally and figuratively).  This month 88 teamed up with Amnesty International and held it over in a tight little spot in Silver Spring, MD called Ceviche.  It was a little bit out of the way, and when I arrived I found myself in a restaurant before being told I needed to be upstairs.  However, the turnout was good and the vibe was just right.

In my experience working in DC, this is something completely new.  I recently have been involving myself in a film production crew to get back in the mode of film making process.  They way that this production has been bringing attention to themselves is by throwing events such as mixers, artist release parties, film festival, etc.  It’s a good active community.  The event took place at MOCA DC in Georgetown.

Anyway, let’s jump to the juicy details.  I felt like this is something out of a Kubrick movie or that I’ve been accepted into some bizarre exclusive club.  The gallery featured all nude art and photography that depicted erotic and near pornographic subject matter. A man with a beard and an eye patch introduces himself to me and tells about the studio and the workshops that go on here.  The models begin to disrobe and the nude photo sessions begin.  Where else do you have nude models walk about the event, free for me to take advantage of (in a good way).

There were a few other photographers grabbing some shots, but no one was really being assertive to help direct the models.  It was possible that it could have been kind of intimidating to be working with naked women in front of a large crowd overlooking your every move, just a little.  I was only suppose to be there to document the event, but since no one was really taking the opportunity I jumped in and started yelling and snapping away.

My only criticism was that the lighting was pretty horrible.  There were only one lit corner, the rest was dark.  So it was the only one little area I could shoot with sufficient lighting.  I wish that they had told me what was going to be available at this event, I would have brought my studio strobes.  But I made the best of it with what I had.

The models were beautiful.  One of the models was quite nervous, because she didn’t expect there to be more than one photographer and that there was going to be a crowd of people watching.  I struck up a conversation with her about art and art school.  After a while she felt a little more comfortable for me to photographer her.  I took her aside and we had a one on one session.  As I photographed her I could hear the echoing of shutter clicks behind me.

I left before the event ended because I drove there with a borrowed car and the other person needed to get to work by midnight.  So I leave you with an abrupt ending, exactly the way my night ended.

Friday night, JQM (Just Quality Music) threw down their second installment in DC, with Derek Plaslaiko.  The opening sets were by Joel Chandler, Clinc, and JQM’s founder Peteone.

Learn more about JQM at: www.justqualitymusic.com

View more of Andy Fundeanu’s photos at: www.liftedinthedistrict.blogspot.com

On February 13th 2010 more than 300 people attended the Cupid’s Undie Run in DC to benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation. The Run started at the Pour House, a local dive bar in South East DC. The run was about 1.75 miles and went around the capital and back. It started was at 2PM and lasted for about an hour. The temperature was about 29f with a mild breeze. Shocked bystanders and tourists where laughing and taking photos of this unusual event that took place after one of the worst blizzards in DC history. After the run all of the attendees returned to the Pour House to warm up with some cold brew.

To learn more, visit: www.cupidsundierun.com

What makes her images even more fascinating, is the use of multiple exposures in a single frame.  Yes, it’s simple to do with today’s highly accessible, highly powerful photo editing software, such as Photoshop.  However, the photos carry a sense of spontaneity and freedom, purity and distortion, beautiful and dirty.  Erin has been featured in many art exhibits, and will be on display at the Block Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD.

Excerpt from Artists Statement:

“After using my high tech cameras with little success, I decided to go back to basics and use a Holga camera to approach the task of making images in my city.  The camera itself is incredibly simple – plastic, very few controls, and prone to irregularity.  This method of making images placed much more of the emphasis on my own mind, for I have to decide what I want to say and how I want to make certain objects relate to each other, and then figure out how to translate that vision to film with minimal technical options.  This process inevitably forced me to become more intertwined with my own environment, for I am taking the time to look for objects and shapes and textures that strike me, and might compliment each other well when overlapped in a frame.  During all this, I found myself becoming more in tune to and comfortable with my surroundings while making my images.”

To learn more about Erin Antognoli, visit: www.eantognoli.com