random day photos!

Finaly getting some work.

   I have been freaking out about not having/making any money so I started making some ink jet prints and using matte medium to transfer them onto pieces of wood.  I spend a day or two making these things then I get an email asking if I would like to assist for a week long photo shoot for Crispin Porter and Bogusky.  Then I get a call from Mike asking if I can meet  him and a potential client for coffee.  So long story short, I get all the jobs and my art making turns into a long day of photo taking, a soar back and legs and 4 days of being a high payed gofer.  The first real photography job I have been hired for turned out great.  I had some minor technical difficulties but nothing I could not deal with.  My client is designing an app. for the I-pad to help the culinary disabled.  I got to take photos of cooking tools and food and action shots of the process.  Most would think the action shots would be the most challenging but they would be very wrong.  The hardest stuff to shoot is shiny metal and clear glass.  Now think about what all you use to cook/prepare food, everything is stainless steel and clear glass.  I felt like God was punishing me for something.  The best part was the last shot of the series, so how do you show water in an interesting way,  you get Alex to pour water from a pitcher into a bowl from a few feet up.  Fun splashing and bubbles and a big mess but we got the shot.

 

Working for one of the largest advertising firms in the country was also a pretty cool experience and the shoot was for Domino's Pizza so it was shot in their test kitchen at their corporate headquarters in Ann Arbor.  The whole campaign is based on being real so there was now food styling.  Every pizza was made by a Domino's pizza maker and the photographer and art director would pick the prettiest angle and shoot the thing, no tweezers no fake anything.  It smelled like peperoni all day too, which is awesome even thought I do not eat meat.  I have never been on a set with this many people and lights.  It was eye opening to say the least.  Now I am getting back to the freaking out about not having any work on the horizon but at least there is a little bit of money on the way.  Also I can get back to making art!


-J

Forth of July Weekend

I don't think it was the best ever but we did have a blast this 4th of July weekend.  I was totally missing my friends and family as this is my second favorite holiday behind Thanksgiving.  Friday we had a whole afternoon of frisbee golf and photo taking planed but instead spent the day trying to fix Alex's car because his battery decided to curode the connections off of itself.  I didn't have the camera with me yet because we were just running some quick errands so I can't show you the damage and the frustration that went along with this ordeal but I can tell you there was lodes of jury rigging and treats by me to walk home.  Alex is one of those people who if something is broken or the computer is not working right but we have to be someplace in 10 minuits  will just be late so he can have it working properly so as not to ruin his day by thinking, "oh shit the computer is broken and I have to fix it" the whole time.  So spending 4 hrs at the auto parts store because it is a holiday weekend and all the mechanics have closed up shop early is no big deal to him.  I on the other hand thinking we were just out to get some art supplies for a project I am working on I was not prepared to stand in the sun and try to figure out why the universal battery terminal part would not work on this particular Korean car.  Finally we decided to give up.  We rigged the thing so at least we could start the car and went home for a much deserved cold beer.  Saturday Mike and Jen invited us to go watch fireworks and play frisbee golf at a place in Ann Arbor.  We were like hell yeah after the whole Friday fiasco.  It was totally packed to the gills at this huge park but we did not care, the weather was nice and we were outside enjoying it.  Sunday we drove to St. Clair about an hr north of Detroit and just south of Port Huron to meet up with Alex's dad and his girlfriend Linda.  More fireworks, lots of boats and good food.  We went swimming in the river with Christopher who is Linda's son but the water was so cold we all hopped on floats and and just lounged while admiring the array of people and sport boats.  Linda's Brother and sister in law came over to Linda's mother's house and cooked on the grill and drank beer with us.  It was a pretty good day.