getting ready

I'm going to photograph American Analog Set. A possible cover for the Austin Chrnoicle and a very likely candidate for Rollingstone sometime down the road. I'm nurvous. I'm having flashbacks to the DISASTEROUS shoot of Okkervil River done a few months ago with a similar theme.

Looks like it might rain. Not sure what I"m going to do if it does. This shot can't very well be done inside. Guess we could go to the nursery or something. Yikes.

The idea for the shoot is to surround the guys with equipment and then bound there hands with reel to reel tape. If we don't get rained on and not too much of the surrounding yard is visible it could look VERY cool. My new friend Cambria is going to help me with the lights. I should really pick up some sand bags on my way to the shoot. Wonder if I will have time.

the killers

i have poison ivy on my stomach, knee, leg, and neck.

photographed the killers tonight.

got another new lens. this one is for doing portraits in the dark. i'm amazed by how fast it is and by how acurate the color temperature is.

decided i'm going to put together and send a portfolio to rollingstone and spin. i've been looking at them and the photos are no better than mine. figure i have nothing to loose.

Cat Photos

Y'all will be happy to know i'm putting my photographic genius to work. I spent the evening photographing a couple of cats. They are lovely cats and no doubt the apple of thier owners eye, but my they were a pain to photograph!!! they didn't want to be still. i got this shot which is decent of one of the cats, although i don't think the owner will like it because she just loves the cats tail, which isn't in this photo. rrrg. but anywas. here it is. one cat portrait. that will be $200.

Abi's photo of Mary

Abi took this photo last week and I keep forgeting to put it online. it makes me look a bit naked, but i can think of worse things. my silly blog thing won't let me use the return key so i'm going to have another runnon entry with one long confusing paragraph. Got hired today to do another shoot for arthouse. i'm amazed how the jobs are just rolling in. I feel like I'm learning as I go.

Faking It Con't

So I sent the letter from Lisa at RDF onto the folks at Discovery and got this reply

Thank you for contacting TLC. We appreciate your interest in our
programming.

Typically, once a program is filmed, it takes six months to a year to
finish the post-production process. Therefore, programs are not
immediately scheduled to be televised. Our databases do not contain any
program information until programs are actually scheduled. If you are
interested, please contact us again in a few months and we will be happy to
search for the program again. Until the program is aired you may not be
able to receive a copy of it. We apologize for any inconvenience this may
cause.

For more information about Discovery Networks' schedules and programming,
check our website at www.discovery.com.

A reply to this message is not necessary. If you have any further
inquiries or comments, please contact us via our webform at
http://extweb.discovery.com/ViewerRelations. Thank you again for
expressing your interest in our programming.

Sincerely,
Trenai
Viewer Relations
Discovery Networks

rrrggggg!!!! This makes it sound like the show isn't finished. I know its finished because Lisa said it is. I'm going to give them another few months before i start sending notes everyday.

Faking It

Such a shame. I took down this content. If you have any questions about what was here please send me an email ... I'll give you the 10 second version.

This was a post about how long it took for me to get the tape.

Martini??

I'm in a bit of a bad mood. My photo shoot today didn't go as well as I had hoped.

The location was changed at the last minute from a very cool old bar to a music store. The music store recently expanded and has an ambiance that resembles a school cafateria at best. If that wasn't enough to deal with the piano (the subject of the photo) was supposed to be photographed with one person (I was thinking of doing something like corgliano's photo) but instead I had to photograph 7 people with the piano. And not good looking people mind you - geezers.

If all of this wasn't enough to deal with there were two other photographers shooting the same scene - one of whom had lights that were in the way at the very very least. I realise now I went about the photo all wrong. What I should have done was showcased the ugliness of the store and how the other photographers lights were in the way. A photo with him trying to get his photo could have been cool. oh well.

Dexters bath

Well. The cat was filthy when I got home. Sometimes he gets a bit dirty, but this was on the verge of being comedic. I think he did it to rebel.

I gave him a bath. I used the fancy Modern Organic Products on him. That stuff is expensive, but it doesn't smell so great on a wet cat. It sure did make him soft though. Dex was a good sport about it. He only yowled a few times, and didn't try to bite or scrathc me. He liked the scrubbing part and the being under the faucet. He didn't like being dried with the towel. Maybe I was too vigerious.

My big CRUSH

Ok ok. I have a huge silly crush on a boy. His name is Richard Parry. Mmm... He has red hair and likes gourmet vegitarian food. *sigh* I've had my eye on him for about 6 months now, and now that I've met him face to face I'm in full crush mode. Too bad he lives soooo far away from the old ATX . Oh. And he's in a band, and I NEVER date guys in bands. They are always gone and I know they misbehave. (I'm a rock photographer. I've seen it with mine own eyes.)

Lollapalooza

Guess I should post a photo from the music stuff. So here's one of the very old but still lively billy idol.

Lolla...

It's been a long weekend of photographing rock stars. *sigh* Yesturday it was 104 degrees in chicago. Thats hot anywhere but add 50 thousand people to the equation and a 40 pound camera bag. I just decided to think about it like i was doing bikram yoga and all the sweating as being really good for me. I feel really good today, suprisingly. This weekend has been the first time I've gotten much excersice in a long time.

i'm making two resolutions before i go home. one is to get in shape. i'm going to start swimming and doing crunches - i've developed a minor beer belly - the other is to get an all access pass to Austin City Limits. My plan is to send a portfolio later in the week to the group putting the show on. If I were all access it would make it much easier to get stuff in Rolling Stone and Spin.

Houston

Flew to Houston to scout a shoot yesterday. Had a very nice time. Got to have lunch with my dear friend miss Catherine Price. I was elated to hear she has started a line of clothes for fat little girls aged 7-12 available on the internet. The inspiration behind the company is to prevent little girls from "looking like a tent".
My new friend Evan took this photo. He is the creative director for the project in Houston. I was surprised by how kind and chivalrous he is. My guy friends here should take a hint! Also of note. I met Joel Osteen - arguable one of the most well know pastors of our time - or so I've been told. What struck me most about him is 1 - he is not a tall man 2 - his "wife" does not wear a wedding ring 3 - i think he gets carted around in a limo driven by a tuxido wearing blackman who is tough enough to also be a body gaurd.

Etta James

This was my favorite photo for the shoot yesturday, but i'm sure the paper will use something with more edge. This one spoke to me. It isn't as sexual or as boisterous as the other ones, most likely why I like it.

I got the job at DNR. I signed my contract yesturday. I'm not allowed to talk about or show any of work that I do for them until 90 days after the onsale date of the magazine. Sorry y'all won't be the first to see my new work. I'd imagine that most of the publications I work for wouldn't want me to show things here, but I only show one image and it is usually an outtake that I"m sure they won't print. Anyways ... my blog only has a regular readership of about 5 people. How much damage could y'all do?

MURDERBALL

I'd like to be the first to say Marc Zupan is an A + good guy. Working with him was fantastic just wished we had more time.

Alex Coke

Had a fun shoot today. Turns out this guy was friends with my daddy and my uncle John. Small world!!!

Free Kittens - UPDATE

Look. More free kittens!!! The mail lady dropped these off at the office today. They are five weeks old, covered in fleas, and in need of NEW HOMES. If you know anyone who wants a five week old kitten please let me know. They have to find new homes before I leave town next week or I'm going to eat them. (Not really, but it will be a big pain.)

UPDATE FREE KITTENS FOUND NEW HOMES!!!!

Lollopapalooza

Got an email finally verifying my press credentails for Lollapalooza in Chicago! I have the best life in the WHOLE WORLD!!! The line up is just like ACL, but it might not be soooo hot. The layout of Grant Park is going to mean HUGE amounts of walking. I photographed a food festival there a year ago and it is a treck from one end to another.

Forth of July Con't

Happy Birthday USA. The only thing I love more than the USA is Jesus.

Tonight was AWSOME. The guys were having a roman candle fight and Mike Wax hit Andrew McCown point blank! Andrew caught on fire! He is so tough he didn't even stop fighting to put himself out. It was HILAROUS!!! I was hoping he'd stop drop and roll, but instead he took his shirt of and stomped on it.

Andrew got a little burn and Mike Wax felt really guilty, but everythings A-OK. The cool part is chick totally dig scars, and Andrew will have a good story to tell.

Forth of July

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

Eat some burgers, drink some beer and enjoy the day off work!!!

Saucey

My photo shoot today went well, but I'm not 100% happy with it. Charolette was a great model and the vintage BMW 2002 was the perfect car - I just got hot and started to feel like it was all taking too long.

Ads are getting easier to shoot but are not as conceptually strong as the old ones are. If any of y'all have good ideas for ads please share. The wilder the better. I could use some inspiration at this point.

Maybe this photo will grow on me... it isn't that bad. I need a wide angle lens with nice glass. They just cost so much. I'm having trouble deciding which one I want and if I should buy a laptop before or after I get a new lens.