Monday, July 18th, 2011
Purchase this album on: Bandcamp
Follow this artist on: Facebook | Youtube
With the debut of their first album “The Western Boundary,” Rat Trap has already made a wave in their coastal city of Santa Cruz. This five-person band shines a bright light back on quality folk music and offers a fresh twist on a genre that sometimes goes unnoticed.
When I heard Rat Trap’s “Songbirds” I was instantly transported back in time to when I first heard music by Bright Eyes. However, Rat Trap definitely takes on a more positive and upbeat stance than Conor Oberst. There is a charming effervescence that seems to radiate from the whole album. And as their album art denotes, there is a carefree lightness that is carried throughout each song, a lightness that can only be achieved through genuine guitar compositions and simple lyrics. The soft twangs from the intricate guitar once again reminded me of one of my other favorite bands, The New Amsterdams, a band known for their rhythmic guitar sequences and soothing melodies.
One thing I noticed, and appreciate within folk and acoustic music, is that the lead singer Grant Simmons effectively takes on a sort of narrator position. He only sings when he needs to, or when he thinks his lyrics will be pertinent to the story. This narrative made me wonder what was coming next, and whether I would still have the same emotions as I did at the start of the song. But even with the simple lyrics or “intrusions” from the narrator, I was never disappointed. I found it simple to hum along and take part in the story, even enjoying the unraveling of it.
Rat Trap’s “Insomnia” and “Untitled” especially remind me of summer, making me think of the ocean, long car rides, and sharing strawberry lemonade with my friends. One of the best things about summer is the relaxing music that accompanies each summer task. And Rat Trap definitely achieves that sense of “summer reminiscing” that I long for in folk music.
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
By Brittany Coleman
As a young boy Tuc Nguyen (above) wanted to be a fighter pilot and go on great adventures around the world. He was an avid wrestler and took karate classes for several years, one day hoping to be a national hero. But as a young college student here in the Bay, Tuc found a different calling. His camera became his fighter plane and the camera lens became his missiles. Tuc became intrigued by being able to tell a person’s story through the eye of his camera. The photographic creative process infatuated Tuc and he was hooked. Currently living in Los Gatos, California, and pursuing a career in Finance, Tuc still takes time to enhance his most favorite hobby. Below are some of his most cherished photos and his explanations for what drives him.
When did you start shooting?
“Like many people’s homes, there was always a camera around mine. Whether it was a simple point and shoot or a film camera, I’ve been experimenting with photography all throughout my life. I did not really become serious about photography until three years ago when I decided to buy my first DSLR and to take photography classes at San Jose State University.”
Why did you start shooting?
“With a career in corporate finance, I’m a very technical person. Photography forces me to be creative and lets me explore my artistic side.”
I love the photos of your nephew Ethan, can you please explain your thought process when shooting him?
“When I take photographs of people, not just Ethan, I don’t like to really establish my presence. I want the pictures to be as natural as possible. People often automatically tousle their hair and throw on a smile when they know their photo is about to be taken. So I often try to get out of the way in order to capture the most honest image possible.”
What/who are your favorite subjects to shoot?
“I enjoy making images of people because there are so many challenges that are presented when you are trying to take a photo of someone. People can be so complex and it takes a good portrait to reveal their uniqueness. This is especially difficult with some people, since everyone acts differently when they realize a camera is pointed at them: some literally bat the camera away or hide behind a fake smile but I always attempt to create a genuine portrayal of a person.”
What is your muse? (What helps get your creative juices flowing?)
“As a creative person, I find myself attracted to creativity in return. I spend a lot of time carefully considering other photographer’s works and trying to understand the messages they intend to portray with their art.”
Can you please explain the “Play me I’m yours” series?
“Well, Play Me, I’m Yours is the creative genius of an artist named Luke Jerram. He takes old pianos and has a team of painters to decorate them with various mediums and these pianos are installed in public in various cities for anyone to play. From August 28th to September 22nd, 2010, Play Me, I’m Yours came to the streets of San Jose. I was so inspired by this project because I feel that art is a thing that creates a relationship between the work and the viewer – the viewer must interact with it. Jerram’s idea is brilliant because it literally brought art and culture to people and helped connect them to other strangers on the street through a simple bonding experience: enjoying music.”
Do you prefer digital or analog? And why?
“Both have their merits. Film is, by far, more pain staking and difficult than digital. You have so careful about every step of a very long process. The images must be shot with perfect exposure and metering. You have to load the film and develop it in a long series of steps. You have to wait for the film to dry. You make a contact sheet. You develop test strips. You develop the images themselves, etc. etc. So why do people still go through this long process? Film photography has more soul. Digital differs so greatly from film because it is much more flexible. You can take an infinite amount of images (unlike with film photography, as the number of shots you end up with are determined by the number of exposures on your roll of film) and they don’t have to be perfect. In the post processing aspect of digital photography, you can sharpen a picture, enhance the colors, fix the lens distortion, all with the click of the mouse. I prefer digital for these reasons.”
Who is your favorite photog (s)?
“Richard Avedon. I have so many collections of his work sitting on my coffee table. I thumb through them occasionally whenever I want to be inspired – his classic portraits and fashion photography never disappoint.”
Do you ever run into any challenges with your art?
“All the time. I think my biggest challenge is taking a shot that preserves the integrity of a moment. People just can’t help but react when they see a huge black camera with an impressive looking lens in their face and automatically revert to a fake smile or cock their head to the side. Some are just shy and shrink away from the camera. Of the thousands and thousands of shots I have taken, only a few truly reveal a genuine expression I was attempting to capture.”
Who/what in your life influenced you the most to start shooting?
“I think my insatiable curiosity has pushed me to pursue photography. I occasionally become fixed on certain things, and once I do, it becomes an obsession for me. Three years ago, I found photography interesting so I dropped a considerable amount of money on some equipment and just went for it.”
Do you have any advice for someone who might be interested in photography?
“Here are some I wished I knew when started:
1. Always shoot in RAW. It makes post-processing photos a breeze and that is one of the most crucial steps in producing a good photo.
2. More is not better. Better is better. When someone learns to being post processing photos, it is really easy to get carried away. I’ve noticed a lot of beginners produce images where the grass radioactive green. Unless you are going for the tripping-on-LSD look, take it easy with the sharpening, contrast, and color saturation tools.
3. Learn to shoot with a prime lens. The flexibility you lose with variable focal length you gain with a much larger range in aperture. Taking a few steps forward or backwards is not a big deal. Having a smaller range in aperture is.
4. Do not get caught up in the Canon v. Nikon debate. Both brands are excellent for different reasons and stubbornly defending your preferred camera brand is not only a great way to waste time on something that isn’t important but also an excellent indicator that you don’t know an awful lot about photography.
5. Don’t start thinking that you are going to be taking breathtakingly beautiful photos because you have a nice big expensive camera. I promise you that you are going to suck at first. But sucking is easily remedied by two things. Take your camera with you everywhere you go and take a lot of images. Remember practice makes perfect. Also, take in constructive criticism. Don’t be affronted if somebody dislikes your composition. Listen carefully to what they have to say and if their critique has merit, take it into account and grow with it.”
Are you currently working on a new or special series?
“I am currently working on a project that features the homeless men of San Francisco. I feel that this project has a special significance because not everybody understands the extent to which poverty strikes us in America. People hear about orphans starving in Kenya all the time but who thinks about the needy Americans? With this project, I hope to bring to light the squalid conditions that some of us fellow Americans live in and promote change.
Choose one of your more complex photos. How did you shoot it? What was the purpose you had in mind?
“This photo was shot in manual mode. I bracketed the exposure in a set of three. I composed it using the rules of 3rd to position my subject and use the lamps to demonstrate repeating patterns and scale the subject. The photo was processed in black and white and textured with own blend of grain pattern to give dimension.”
What do you hope to accomplish with your photography?
“I would like to make images that people cherish.”
