Mar
19
Five years ago I had two of my images selected to be on Jones Soda bottle labels and was reminded of this when Sabrena, a friend from college and fellow photographer mentioned me in her blog post about it yesterday. Sabrena blogs about all things wedding related in addition to her photography, and yesterday’s Take A Look post was about customized photo labels for special events such as weddings, rehearsal dinners, favors, and showers (they’re also great for graduation/birthday parties, family reunions, etc.). The likelihood of having one of your images selected to be used is quite slim as there are a gazillion submissions so to find out that both of mine were picked was pretty freaking awesome. I didn’t get the news that mine were selected until months later when I received two plump envelopes full of labels that had clearly been through the postal service a few times since I had moved between the time I made the submissions and the time they were selected and printed…but they eventually found their way to my new home. And I will always make sure to fill out mail forwarding forms because of this.
We never found my Green Apple label but my friend Laurie was in a Starbucks in Florida one day and spotted my picture on a bottle of Black Cherry. She didn’t even know to look for it but immediately recognized the image and was kind enough to make the purchase and send it to me. It was pretty exciting to know that one of my bottles was in major coffee shop, many states away, and we had family members on a scavenger hunt checking every retail store and gas station in their area which was pretty fun. So yeah…if you have any special events coming up, you can make your own custom labels at myjones.com. Otherwise, you should totally submit your own images to Jones Soda. The more random the image, the better.
Mar
17
In 2007, there were six days I will never forget. One of them being when I decided to quit my job at the newspaper to pick my life up and move to NYC. Another when Jeff asked me to marry him. And the other four were what kick-started all of the above: The Eddie Adams Workshop.
The application process is now open for this year’s lucky attendants, and if you or someone you know has a passion for photojournalism, then you should definitely apply if you’re eligible. It’s like church for photographers in a barn full of hopefuls being coached by the absolute best in the industry. And it’s tuition-free. While most workshops require thousands of your dollars to attend, this one accepts you based on merit and not your ability to pay. Eddie Adams said “I just want[ed] to get all my friends there and make it the best damn workshop they’ve ever been to,” and make it something that he wanted to attend. And he did. And it’s totally fulfilling, encouraging, exhausting and inspiring. I was star-struck by the faculty and staff and in awe of the amount of talent that surrounded me. It kicked my ass and opened my eyes to so many things even though my eyes could barely stay open as I only got about 10 hours of sleep the entire four days I was there. When they say it’s an intensive workshop, they mean it’s an intensive workshop. Portfolio reviews go well into the mornings with some of the top editors and photographers in the world and it is a gold-mine as far as networking goes. I can not stress how amazing this opportunity is.
On that same note, if you like documentaries or are interested in photojournalism and haven’t seen An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams Story, then go, now, find it, and watch it. I get goosebumps every time I see it and it’ll definitely inspire you if that’s something that you need. On my first night at the workshop they debuted this documentary and I’m not quite sure there was a dry eye in the room. Mostly because we were surrounded by his colleagues who miss him dearly (he passed away in 2004), but also because for me at least, I felt like in a way we were watching something that we were just about to be a part of. And it was really really important. Most of you who read this already know my ties and the many webs of connections it has weaved in my life, but if you’re considering applying and have any questions, feel free to get in touch! I’d love to tell you more about it.
Our class photo—I’m in the front row, left side in the grey to the right of the green:
Mar
04
Last weekend we had a photo session with Adam Barnes of Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography in Lynchburg and I am sooo lovin’ the images! We met Adam a few years ago when we collaborated on a book project and have been trying to work together ever since. It was pretty darn cold and windy and I’m so glad that he was shooting film because had he been able to pick up every single crispy pixel you would totally see my goosebumps. We really enjoyed ourselves and it’s always fun seeing how other photographers work and of course stepping in front of the camera together without having to set up a tripod and self-timer :) Adam made us feel so comfortable and gave great direction…easily one of the easiest people you could ever work with. Below are a few of my favorites (there are many more) and you can see the rest of the first batch of images here. More photos are still being processed and we can’t wait to see the rest!
Update: Our photo session was featured on The Bride’s Cafe!
Mar
04
Today I stumbled upon The Still Image With Crash Taylor via Jasmine Star’s blog. If you’re a wedding photographer, you should definitely be following Jasmine’s blog because not only are her images eye candy, she has FAQ posts that answer questions that readers ask and I’ve always taken away at least one new piece of information from each of those. The first post that I ever read by Jasmine was an FAQ entry she made about First Looks (the bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony for a photo session) and it’s what convinced me and Jeff to do a First Look on our wedding day. We were very clear from the start about not wanting to know anything about what the other would be wearing and making sure that the first time we saw each other that day was at opposite ends of the aisle as I made my way towards him. But after reading Jasmine’s take on it, my mind had changed. And I am so glad we did it cause it was just so much more relaxed not trying to cram it in between the ceremony and hors d’oeuvres. If you’re getting married, consider doing this. If you’re shooting a big wedding and need to propose this as an option for your clients, consider reading this.
The Still Image With Crash Taylor is also a super helpful site because Crash interviews the world’s finest photographers and asks how they make certain images which is a question that most of us wonder when looking at a captivating photo. Each post contains the location, what type of camera and lens, lighting, creative process and post-production which is pretty much everything you need to know about how to make a picture. I think it’s really great when photographers share information…it keeps the industry at a higher standard.
Here’s one of my favorites from our First Look. It rained on our wedding day but we sucked it up and took photos outside anyway. My mom would’ve killed me if she knew I was out in the rain after getting my hair done and potentially dirtying up my gown before anyone even had the chance to see me in it but it was totally worth it. It was the only alone time that Jeff and I had together our wedding day (with the exception of our photographer being with us) and it was very much needed.
Photo by Tec Petaja
Mar
02
Me & My Medium Format is curated by our good friend Joshua and I surprisingly stumbled upon one of my images on the site today (it is the frame that was taken right after this one below) (also, thanks, Josh!). It’s an image from the archives and seeing it again makes me miss shooting with the Hasselblad. That sound. Oh that shutter release sound. My ears can’t get enough of it. If anyone sees a good deal on one, do let me know.
Another great film photography site that has launched today is They Shoot Film: A Photo Collective by Patrice Esser (hi, Patrice!) and Garrick Fujii. Looking at the different images of different spaces on this site really took me away for a bit. Do take a look.
RESTON, VA
Feb
23
Things that I am thankful for: tripods, self-timers, and a husband who doesn’t mind pulling over the side of the road when I spot a lovely field :)
Jeff and I have just about everything in common, and no that doesn’t make things boring, it makes things so much more enjoyable because there isn’t much we need to compromise on. Except for food. He could be a little more adventurous when it comes to food…but I’ve got to give him credit for trying more now than he would when we first met. Baby steps. It’s so much fun having someone be totally okay with me having a camera in their face anytime I want, to understand and have patience and want to learn the same things together, and to venture off the beaten path making a long road trip even longer just because we’ve spotted a beautiful photo location. The latter is what happened this weekend. We were on our way out of town and hauled camera equipment just in case. And I’m glad that we did. This is my favorite that I took (to view larger, click on image). A few more are on flickr.
BEDFORD, VA
Feb
19
Title quote from Brida by Paulo Coelho.
Feb
18
Lots of fellas take part in the yearly Whiskerino beard growing competition which ends on the 28th for the 2009 winter run. Though Patrick is not a contestant, he certainly has a beard, and a crazy mustache at that. We decided to do some impromptu test shots one snowy day and these are them. Not my usual style but more will be uploaded to flickr later.
ROANOKE, VA
Feb
16
I stumbled upon this quote by Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC on my friend Cameron’s tumbler via Joshua Blankenship. Now I understand why it’s called “the web.”
This quote was first posted on these gentlemen’s internet estate at some point last year and was one of those “things that I read then write in my moleskine.” I was prompted to thumb through my quad-ruled pages today looking for it after reading a post by Philadelphia children’s photographer, Kristen Kalp, entitled “On Haters,” referring to those who think they can do better in regards to various aspects of photography, and really, the entire creative world. Definitely give it a read then check out her Greatest Hits section for some useful marketing tips. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the main things I’ve learned from my apprenticeships with big wig photographers is that you need to be a better marketer than photographer in order to have a successful business.
Bon appetit!
Feb
15
When I was a kid I was quite the hustler. Lunar New Year always meant family reunions and a house full of guests, eating lots of delicious food, exchanging scripted but sincere wishes for good health and prosperity, little red envelopes with money for the kids, and playing various games, especially black jack. I’m sure there’s some sort of strategy with playing the game (I have no idea how ’cause it seems like just random chance to me) but I always made out like a bandit since we played for money. I remember one year I had the biggest wad of ones in my back pocket that my only option of sitting was to do so lopsided. There have been many strange incidents of me having the ability to pick and choose the winning number or picture or seat, etc, and my dad always said he couldn’t wait to take me to a casino once I was of age ’cause he thought I had a lot of luck. Haven’t been yet but would like to see if I can bank on this so-called luck.
We spent this past weekend in Pennsylvania with my family to celebrate (this year, the first day of the New Year happened to be on Valentine’s) and I learned more about the customs that are associated with what is probably the most important holiday in the Vietnamese culture. Apparently the things you do, the kind of people you encounter, your temperament, etc, on the first day will determine the fortune for your year. So if good things come to the family on the first day of the Lunar New Year then the entire year will be full of blessings. I wore new clothes (which you’re supposed to do even though I didn’t know that) and my mom was very quick to take her friend’s baby out of the mother’s arms and into mine to see how the baby would react to me. Sophia (who’s 4 months old) was nothing but smiles and I honestly didn’t want to let her go (she is seriously one of the happiest and most adorable babies I have ever met and I wish I had a picture to prove that it’s true). My mom got all excited and told me it was a good sign and then I realized why she threw a baby at me on this day. Every time we visit she always asks if we have good news for her yet :)
The ochna integerrima has flowers that are similar to cherry blossoms except they’re yellow. In Vietnamese, they’re called “bong mai” and it’s the traditional flower for the New Year (in the south) because of its bright yellow color (which symbolizes luck) and the abundance of it being seasonal at this time of year. My mom is always excited about bringing this tree into the house every year and though there weren’t many blooms on it while we were there, I managed to capture the budding few.
LANCASTER, PA
