When I was younger, my grandfather would give me his old Popular Photography magazines. I loved leafing through them, and aside from the occasional nude, what struck me most was how pretentious and way too serious a lot of the photographers seemed to be. Always posing with their gear, and nary a smile...
I have nothing against good or even great photography. But what I love most is coming across someone for whom photography tells a story, and preferably, their story. Someone who shoots for the sheer joy of it, who understands that mistakes frequently do not matter, someone who prefers a good laugh over professional adulation.
perfection is boring...

"Perhaps, if I am very lucky, the feeble efforts of my lifetime will someday be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they will be acknowledged as the greatest works of genius ever created by man."
-Jack Handey

Collage portrait by the amazing Noli Novak

"There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters."
~Alice Thomas Ellis
Photos of elston (670)
elston's favorite photos from other Flickr members (432)
Contacts (296)
-
*julia
Julia
-
DumpsterDiver
Lexi Walshe
-
Sasaphraz
Jenna
-
catsanat
Jennifer Kent
-
nightshooter09
No real name given
-
°Kristamas is...
Kristamas Klousch
-
Seth Fronzoli
Seth Fronzoli
-
LindaFoster2009
No real name given
-
Omeyisland
No real name given
-
serenamatthews
Serena Matthews
-
.sweeney
No real name given
-
decom
André Carlos de...
Groups (50)
- Photos taken with an Apple iPhone 113971 photos, 10057 members
- Lightzone 2924 photos, 408 members
- Noise and Dust Through The Viewfinder 211 photos, 2958 members
- Textures for Layers 10592 photos, 12556 members
- Mask Portraits and Self-Portraits 1687 photos, 646 members
- Alien Bees 25923 photos, 3518 members
- flexplore 0 photos, 444 members
- 12 Flickr Superstars 339 photos, 858 members
- Between The Frames 74 photos, 131 members
- 'Roid Week 2009 6101 photos, 1588 members
- Pittsburgh Graffiti 504 photos, 95 members
- Fog of Life 6634 photos, 1267 members
- Shaving Heads to Cure Cancer- St. Baldrick's 141 photos, 34 members
- Ice is nice! 28617 photos, 5184 members
- Lookin' Like Lincoln 15 photos, 42 members
- [CameraBag] 14979 photos, 1626 members
- Stuff on my head 41 photos, 17 members
- Assignment: Pittsburgh 352 photos, 108 members
- Pittsburgh Strobist 452 photos, 79 members
- The Mighty Boosh 380 photos, 117 members
- Star Wars 19788 photos, 3074 members
- Kennywood 602 photos, 132 members
- It Was A Dark And Stormy Night 9 photos, 25 members
- Kilted Life 8806 photos, 1735 members
- Virgin Mary 7804 photos, 951 members
- Beyond Tradition 869 photos, 234 members
- Carnegie Museums 247 photos, 29 members
- Wedding Photography 102875 photos, 22248 members
- Fauxtobooth 943 photos, 473 members
- Through The Viewfinder 41530 photos, 5540 members
- utilikilts 1356 photos, 474 members
- 100 strangers 11974 photos, 4002 members
- 'Roid Week 2008 3219 photos, 951 members
- Photographic Possibilities 10920 photos, 1018 members
- Hryckowian in Hats 20 photos, 6 members
- Damn Hell Bathrooms 4067 photos, 790 members
- Photobooth Friday 1599 photos, 548 members
- Graffiti / Street Art 234519 photos, 6982 members
- The Illadelph 2585 photos, 138 members
- Zombie Capital of the World 231 photos, 47 members
- Old And Beautiful (buildings ,barns, shacks, and abandoned homes 46989 photos, 5859 members
- Tattoos 36899 photos, 13011 members
- Renaissance Festivals and faires 16231 photos, 929 members
- HDR 366541 photos, 53559 members
- Head Through The Hole 70 photos, 39 members
- Hand Colored Photographs (Vintage) 676 photos, 223 members
- Street Portraitist 13959 photos, 1151 members
- Toy Noir-y 795 photos, 117 members
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium 2362 photos, 252 members
- Strobist.com 295627 photos, 66406 members
Testimonials (10)
-
sophielovespeanutbutter says:
"elston is, unequivocally, the King of the one-liner."
26th January, 2007
-
Hryck. says:
"I heard someone say that through Flickr, they’ve met better quality people in the last year than they had in the past several. I would say that this definitely applies to Chuck. Since getting to know him, the music I listen has gotten better, I've seen better movies, I eat brunch more often, I’ve gained a better understanding of what icing is, and I general, I have more fun. If that isn’t a great thing, then I don’t know what is."
24th August, 2006
-
ShimmeeGrrl says:
"life lessons inspired by chuck --
-- jump for joy often and snap others that do with jedi-like timing
-- men should wear kilts
-- it's keen to know who farted
-- one person's junk can be an awesome photo find
-- a Penn State alum and a Nebraskan can discuss football (and then hug)
-- always bring a hula-hoop to parties
-- skip lightly, carry a tiny cam, and get a fantastic shot every time
-- hockey is life
-- and know where the chips are so you can steal them
there's no room for hair because he knows EVERYTHING!
storage space must be an issue.
great friends make you laugh --
chuck makes me laugh.
:)"20th July, 2006
-
Box of Light says:
"Hear ye, Hear ye:
If there was such a thing as my "most favorited"-est flickrer, elston would be mine.
(take note, i'm not talking about elston favoriting my photos the most--although he should, and so should you--i'm talking about He's. MY. favorite. y'heard?)
maybe the "most interestingness" of all my flickr pals, too.
hey people, anything's possible..."22nd February, 2006
-
Rob Lee says:
"It is all Chuck's fault! Everything! He got me hooked on Flickr like a bad drug. I recommend adding Chuck (aka Elston) as a contact - he's got a good steady stream of interesting shots. Keep 'em coming Chuck."
18th August, 2005
-
SeenyaRita says:
"I believe the following things about this guy named Elston to be true (but don't take my word for it cause I have been known to be completely wrong about some things):
--he invented collage
--he makes daily life in and around Pittsburgh look practically exciting.
--he shaves his head
--he's Amish
--he's got a sharp eye and an even sharper mind
--he is very very punny
--he's the tiger woods of frisbee golf
--he's a levitation expert (both literally and figuratively)
--he can play poker but he doesn't know how to row a boat
--good guys like him are very hard to find"30th June, 2005
-
btezra says:
"~as a fellow Pittsburgh I am constantly impressed with what I see from elston, he presents me with views of the city (that I call home) that I have to discover for myself...~"
30th June, 2005
-
spleeny says:
"Elston's head sports a smooth and stylish exterior, not unlike a cartoon bomb.
Elston's head sports a vast, intricate, unexpected, and explosive interior, not unlike a cartoon bomb.
When Elston's head explodes, not unlike a cartoon bomb, those in the general vicinity may experience some abnormal visual effects, temporary muteness, stoppage of breath, and tingling within the extremities.
Thankfully, Elston has seen fit to record a small fraction of the evidentiary history of these explosions within this photographic log.
Please note that, besides the above-mentioned short-term side effects, perusal of these images may incur long-lasting, chronic after-effects.
Enjoy."15th June, 2005
-
gardengal says:
"elston is awesome!
say it with me, now:
elston. is. awesome!"20th March, 2005
-
drp says:
"Elston's a real "slice of life" kind of guy. No flash, no glamor, just raw and real images of the world around him. He captures those everyday moments beautifully. And I'd jump my scrawny ass in the air any day if he's the one taking the shot."
19th November, 2004























