23.12.07

Eastward Bound

Hi everyone, I am off to Japan for the holidays and could not be more excited!
How great does it feel to get the last of your files archived and shut down the computer for the rest of the year? I am about to find out. I hope next year I can figure out how to post pictures on here with the blog so I can share some of the stuff I am about to see.
So the studio seems under control. I am told there is more steel being added because of all the insane structural challenges we have run into, and I told the crew the place better look a whole lot different (AKA: DRYWALL) when I get back or else! Actually, I love those guys, I told them to make sure and not work on Christmas. I try to be tough though.
We did finish a couple of INSANE shoots this month. I shot a POP for Icehouse that involved a group of crazy 20-somethings (25 and over to be exact for the legal eagles out there) splashing around in a steamy hot springs (read pool in Chicago). We had some challenges to put it nicely but the results are great and I cant wait to see the final piece.
Then, I produced and shot a fashion series with wardrobe from Bonnie and Clyde's boutique. The pictures look super! But I need to give a shout out to Robert for driving the RV 4 hours each way to and from the location. And to the models for trying not to look cold; and the crew for not forming an outright mutiny.
I will post that when I get back from my trip, I am hoping the 2007 portfolio will be complete in January and I can post a fresh grouping on my site soon.
Lastly, I am reading You, Inc. I know, do I ever stop thinking about work? I guess I love my job a little too much, but I am working on my outside interests :)
But it is a good (quick) read. The main message is that everyone is super overwhelmed by media and life's demands so in order to be successful everything you do/say/produce/write needs to be super short and concise. The whole book is probably shorter that this blog post - I'll be finished with it momentarily. So I am not sure whether to be inspired or depressed by the findings, but I guess if you can't beat them... Happy New Year!

7.12.07

late night catch up

hi all, i realized today that people actually look at my blog! how exciting and scary at once! so then i felt guilty about neglecting this (of course i don't feel guilty about neglecting my dog, my health, my social life, but god forbid the blog go unattended!)
so, what is new. i am relentlessly listening to bob dylan because i heard 'just like a woman' covered at the gallery open mic last night and found myself singing along with it with a random stranger so i thought i had better update my itunes and get that and 'baby blue' so i can over listen to them both immediately just like i did in junior high. i have also been craving bob marley, who i need to buy (i used to own all this stuff on CD, no? where the heck are my CDs, i am too busy archiving my images and taking up all the shelf space!) it will bring me back to days traveling and being carefree. maybe i can rekindle some of that on my big Japan trip later this month. Robert's surprise birthday trip got let out of the bag by way of spam so now the poor guy is stuck planning his own trip. but i think he has something fabulous planned so i am excited to get away and of course take pictures. :)
so, i spent the day testing for a beer shoot. my new favorite special effects guy, Dieter Sturm was there helping and we had a blast even though all the air vents were open and our fog was blowing everywhere. but we have plans in place to solve all our problems so everything is cool for the big day next week. i want to give a special shout out to my stylist Liz Klafeta for helping SO MUCH today. i could not have done it without her and i promise her that she will never have to do that again.
so what is new with the studio? i am in denial as usual. a bunch of appliances were delivered over there today, probably way too early but we got the floor models and needed somewhere to put them. all our fuses had blown on my set when they called, of course so i was no help. i wish all the worker bees over there luck.