Callie Lipkin's Photography Blog

Migrating Blog

2010-12-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

After much thought about how to continue my blogging, I have decided to move my recent work news over to my wordpress blog here:

callielipkin.wordpress.com

You can view my archives here, but please visit me there for recent posts, thanks!

Contributors Page

2010-11-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Its always an honor to be listed on the contributors page, special thanks to On Wall Street for putting me there this month. As is my favorite technique these days, we shot this using all natural light.

New Portraits

2010-11-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of working with some new models yesterday in the studio, here are some of my favorites

More new corporate work

2010-10-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

This one was for a web redesign and the site turned out really great. There is nothing better than clients who simply allow me do my best work.

New corporate work

2010-10-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from some recent corporate projects I had the pleasure of working on. I should have some more of these soon but will post these now while I have a minute:

Found Folios

2010-10-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

You can now see an online portfolio of my lifestyle work on found folios

Living Art

2010-10-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

I went to see Alexx Henry speak at Columbia College last night to present his work and discuss the concept of 'living art' which uses motion/video technology to create an extension of a photograph. Robert actually went out to a conference where he spoke in LA in August of 2009 and the information really inspired us to take the leap and create these three pieces as our own foray into video. These were really the catalyst and inspiration to start working more seriously with the medium so I thought I would repost them here.

The Burlesque piece has been living ever since on the Vaudezilla website which is a great example of a potential client application in the future.

Nationwide Billboard

2010-10-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

I just got this billboard sample in from a series of Nationwide pieces we shot this summer with McKinney. This was a lot of fun to shoot - great job especially from Bob Wiltfong (talent) and Ann Marie Weinert (makeup).

Final Eckrich pieces

2010-09-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

I just received the pieces we shot this summer in Columbus for Eckrich with Kirk Herbstreit. My favorite is the grilling one. Thanks again to the agency and to the great crew we worked with there!

New Miller Image - Football Season

2010-09-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

I finally have the last piece of the puzzle. This one was super fun to shoot - thanks again to our wonderful cast and crew! We shot the bottle, wings, and talent all in one shot.

Behind the scenes

2010-08-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video I edited from behind the scenes footage of our lifestyle test from Minnesota this summer. Special thanks to Bryce Bordenkecher for shooting the flip footage and Jon Deitemyer for the jazzy tunes. Enjoy!

Becoming Burlesque Video

2010-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally post this - big thanks to Vaudezilla for allowing me to come in and document all the things that go into their burlesque performances. And to Sean Eden for composing the original music.

Shooting city green spots

2010-07-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

It can be challenging to find new environments in the city - especially ones that are not overrun with city-ness. I stumbled on this great spot just north of my studio on Milwaukee Ave and it made the perfect location for a jazz drummer portrait. It would be great to hear about others favorite city spots and see how other photographers see them.

Above: drummer Jon Deitemyer

New Burlesque Video

2010-07-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the first of two documentary style videos I am adding to my moving pictures collection on my site. The next one should be finished in another week or two. Enjoy!

I like photographing smart people

2010-07-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here is my photo of Raghu Rajan in this week's Barron's.

New Miller Image

2010-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is the second of a three part series we shot last fall, we did the product and the lifestyle all in the same shot. Makes me want to throw a barbecue!

Burlesque Party Video on No Plastic Sleeves

2010-06-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Check out today's No Plastic Sleeves blog

It features a piece about my burlesque party and promotional video - which you can also view here.

3rd Annual Burlesque Party - photos and thanks

2010-06-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

The party this year was a huge success- here are some photos my new intern, Kirsten Miccoli, shot during the event. Can't wait to start planning next year.

Thanks to Vaudezilla and the Daniel Knox Band for providing such great entertainment, and to FIG Catering, Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique and Chocolat Chicago for the yummies!

PDN online article

2010-04-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Louisa Curtis for writing a fantastic piece about my photography, my annual burlesque event and just me in general. I am honored! Link to the article here:

The Revelettes!

2010-04-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun shots from a shoot I did in the studio with this group of rowdy ladies this past weekend.
Fun times!

Hospira Annual in print

2010-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here it is, another lovely annual. Huge thank you to my awesome clients for including me on so many great projects this year!

Burlesque Evolution

2010-04-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

If you want to see how miss Maria gets so beautiful before a big photo shoot, just watch here as the lovely and multi talented Anne Marie Weinert styles her up into a burlesque diva. I couldn't resist the Dove parody.

Dead umbrellas

2010-04-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Spent a few days in NYC last week - saw lots of these. Luckily my pink polka dot number held up better than these drab failures. Hope to be back soon in nicer weather.

New Miller pieces

2010-03-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

I received the Miller Lite samples today from the POS project we shot late last year. I really love how they turned out! We shot both the product and the people which was a fun new challenge. Thanks to my awesome crew and amazing talent for all your hard work on this series!

Red Hot Annie

2010-03-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Always a pleasure to work with this lovely lady. She is usually behind the scenes with her hair and makeup artistry, but I had her center stage during a prelight over the weekend. So pretty!

AT&T Annual Report out

2010-03-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

Super excited to see these finally in print, this was an incredible job, thanks to everyone involved!

vaudezilla video splash

2010-03-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

I am really excited about the video I created for my good friends over at Vaudezilla - they are using it on their home page:
vaudezilla.com
I am also barely able to contain my excitement about some upcoming projects expanding on the burlesque theme I started last year. Stay tuned for new stills and video...

Ebony Bones

2010-02-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun shots I did of performer Ebony Bones before her show Saturday night -- she was an absolute doll to work with.

Travel Log part III

2010-02-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

Last installment for now, we do have a vacation planned this month if we can actually squeeze it in.

Hopped on another plane - flew over Indiana:

I have always loved taking photos out of a car window, here was our cab ride in NYC:

French Roast and Cowgirl Cafe in the Village:

We were in the Village shooting all morning on Monday and the weather was just warm enough.

My favorite part of the trip, two hours of much needed laughter at the comedy cellar:

Then back to Atlanta and one more shoot with the orange backdrop, here is Robert helping:

The last part of the project is a bunch of retouching and one last shoot in Chicago. Can't wait to post the results from our journeys - probably in March.
xo

Travel Log part II

2010-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Robert at the airport in Ft Lauderdale

We had a few too many bags and no carts in sight

Flaming bananas at the Mai Kai

Our location in Plantation Florida

Ft Lauderdale airport again

St Louis from our hotel

Set up for our shoot in NJ

Newark Aiport

Waiting for our cab - off to NYC next!

Travel Log

2010-01-19T09:44:00.001-08:00

Five shoots down and seven to go! Most pix here taken with my Iphone.
After setting up for our executive team at AT&T in Dallas Robert and I headed home for a quick shoot with our local crew at Chicago Indoor Sports where Robert set up a tiny tripod outside the soccer field we were shooting at

Then, we headed off to see the country. Starting with Santa Monica where we were lucky enough to stay at Shutters
And shoot out on the water (thanks Aaron and Taylor!)

We were sad to leave!
We then headed to Atlanta and saw some culture between shoots

Then we caught another empty flight to DC
Where we saw the sights from the cab and walked through a National Geographic outdoor exhibit

We shot in the Adams Morgan neighborhood and the weather cooperated!

After the shoot we headed back to Chicago for a few days before going back out on the road

Check back next week for more snaps from the tour!

Traveling

2010-01-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

Robert and I are off for 10 cities in two weeks to shoot an annual report. If I can figure out how to add photos on my iPhone I'll post some snaps from the road. Isn't there a blogspot app?

Video projects

2009-12-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

I realized I have not blogged about this yet, so much to blog about that maybe can't be shared yet its hard to keep it all straight.
Robert and I did a series of video projects in the studio, they are posted on my website in the 'Moving Pictures' section. This is a still from one of them, inspired of course by burlesque. Check it out and let me know what you think, thanks!

Altpick first place!

2009-11-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, my 'Everyday Burlesque' series has been awarded first place in the Altpick awards for photo series. After pouring my heart and soul into it all last winter and spring it feels great to know others saw it and got it. I am so grateful, not only for the honor, but also for the number of incredible dancers, stylists and crew who helped me realize this vision. See all the winners here: altpick winners
Thanks!

New Representation

2009-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Great News - as of last week I have teamed up with a fantastic new agent here in Chicago, Bunny Fisher. We have already won our first job together. Like it was meant to be. Cheers!

Halloween Book Complete!

2009-11-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic turnout at the Halloween party on Saturday - you can buy the book with pictures of everyone who attended if you like here:
Halloween Book

Planet Earth Casting Yesterday

2009-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was super fun - thanks to everyone for coming out to our casting for Planet Earth Agency. You can view these and other Chicago talent on their website: Planet Earth Agency

Halloween Pre-Party Photo Shoot

2009-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone want to come over in their costume on the 31st for a quick portrait session? Robert and I will be in costume, lets make a whole book of wacky Halloween costume photos! I have even provided these embarrassing photos of us from Halloweens past to get you in the mood (and as proof that one should not have one's chin up in pictures. Ever.) In case it is not clear, I am dressed as a cat lady. :)

Bring your friends. Or just anyone you see wandering around in a cool costume.

Banners are up

2009-09-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

I was excited to see the Steppenwolf banners up today - they look great, thanks so much to everyone who helped with this and the theater's great marketing team for giving me the opportunity to execute.

Fuji banners

2009-09-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

I just got to look at these today - lovely job Dave!

Annual is out

2009-09-08T15:41:00.001-07:00

The Mesirow report we worked on earlier this summer has been posted to their site - it looks great, here is a page grab. Extra special thanks to their designers for working so hard on it!

Super Lawyers!

2009-09-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Much thanks to the ABA for thinking this up - and to Liz Klafeta for styling and Tim from Ford for modeling, this was a fun one!

Also, special thanks to the rebels themselves whom I photographed as well: Patrick Lamb of Valorem Group, Bill Henderson of Indiana University and David Van Zandt of Northwestern University, along with the great staff at the ABA for helping make the whole project happen! See the whole project here:

Legal Rebels

Venus fashion spread

2009-08-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

This was a collaborative effort between Denise Gibson at Venus, Liz Klafeta selecting wardrobe, Via Tania modeling and myself. I shot all the backgrounds over the course of a few weeks before the shoot and we shot Tania in the studio. Hours in front of the computer later, and voila - I had my pictures. Great to see it in print!

More PDN

2009-08-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

More good news, I have a featured portfolio on the PDN homepage:

photoserve.com

all thanks to those lovely burlesque ladies!

Steppenwolf Project

2009-08-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

I was honored to be asked to work on the imagery for the Steppenwolf Theater's 09-10 season this summer. Here is the first of the 5 pieces.

Score!

2009-08-07T05:36:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped on this - you guys are awesome!!

PDN

2009-07-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am honored to be included in PDN about the lovely Chicago photo market this month, even features my pic:

click for link

Been so busy!

2009-07-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have been busy digging up this mound of ?
That is my excuse for not blogging. Should have TONS of new pictures to post once they all go live - maybe August.
Cheers!

Performances from the great burlesque party

2009-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here you go, visit this link and see the numbers from this years show:

http://www.vimeo.com/album/101073

new project

2009-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Just finished a project that went live today at: www.axeda.com, thanks so much to the extras that helped with this at the last minute, I am so thankful to have met so many great people over the years and call on them for things like this. It was also great to get to do a project that was very much inspired by a sample I shot - great to see that others are entertained by my wacky vision. Extra special thanks to Brian for calling me for this!

The last dance

2009-05-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone -- the last burlesque photo in the series turned out fantastically, as did the behind the scenes video that Keith did. Thanks everyone for your help!

Vixens on the CTA

2009-05-11T07:50:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest behind the scenes video, the final image is also on my website in the Burlesque section.

Orchestra Shoot

2009-04-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

A huge thanks goes out to everyone who made this shoot happen. It started as a crazy idea that I refused to let die-

I can't wait to see Keith's video from this, stay tuned...

New Video Episode

2009-04-06T05:32:00.001-07:00

Keith just finished this adorable video of the shoot I did at the Salt n Pepper diner with the Honey Buns:

Stay tuned, we have a fun one planned for this weekend.

At Edge

2009-03-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just got my images posted up on the At-Edge site:

http://www.at-edge.com/artist.aspx?AID=470

Hope to put more up later, Buster says its time to leave the office!

New Website & Burlesque at the Diner

2009-03-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

At first it was sad to see the old design go, I had it done about a year and a half ago and sadly that is ancient in the web-design world. I have added back a few categories from the past and present of my non-commercial work showcasing my photojournalism and corporate portfolios. Let me know what you think of the new design.

Also, The Honey Buns were adorable in this series shot at the Salt n Pepper diner this past weekend. I really love these images, the accompanying shot can be seen in the burlesque section of my new site. Special thanks to the Honey Buns, all the extras, Ann Marie and Keith and John and Maurice at the diner.

Burlesque at the dentist

2009-03-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Keith - we have another great video episode for you guys:

Special thanks to City Smiles, Maria May I, Roger Welp and Ann Marie Weinert (Red Hot Annie) as always!

Another Video Episode

2009-03-09T13:48:00.001-07:00

Just as fun, minus the snow. Extra thanks to TJJ Laundromat in Wicker Park, the darling Pearl Pistol, Ann Marie Weinert (makeup) and Keith Emroll for this footage and editing. Look for the stills series to launch on my site (www.callielipkin.com) sometime in the next week:

New Video Episode

2009-03-04T06:18:00.001-08:00

Blog template updated - hope this doesn't confuse anyone, but I just needed a change.

Back in Chicago, I can't wait for spring. Hawaii reminded me how to stand up straight, all this shivering and hunching over in the cold is hard on the back. I have been busy with the burlesque project ever since we got back, vacation always helps me recharge and I left with enough ideas to carry me through the year. Keith Emroll has been kind enough to film some of my burlesque project shoots and I have posted the first episode. You can find this in a new page (still being designed so my apologies for how plain it is) located in the about section of my website called 'behind the scenes.'

You can also watch it here:

Stay tuned for more episodes, and visit Keith's Vaudezilla Productions site here: vaudezilla.com

Live from Hawaii

2009-02-11T19:56:00.001-08:00

Need I say more? My obsession with burlesque continues into my yearly vacation.....

And Robert was there to help - even my parents made fabulous assistants and my mom shot these behind the scenes shots.

Special thanks to Violetta Beretta, the lovely burlesque dancer from Hawai'i, Jake Grace for standing in as our surfer, my parents for all their help and Patrick for letting us use this fantastic vintage board. xoxox

new ads

2009-02-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have the first of the Blue Chip Ads that were completed by the creative team.

And the first of two billboards:

It's great after months of planning to see the final!

Shore Cover

2009-01-22T13:08:00.001-08:00

Hooray, we got the cover of Shore Magazine - this time with Top Chef Stephanie Izard.

Down Time

2009-01-19T11:53:00.001-08:00

Yes, I finally have a moment of it! We've been working on an ad project with Blue Chip Casino for the past week, anything to get the shot, right?

Extra special thanks to Tiffany O'Neill for taking that shot while simultaneously trying to keep lights from tumbling in the water.
I also want to thank our patient models and the rest of the crew, what little of it we had: Patte Lau, Dana Berwer, Morgan Blaul and Robert McGuire, for working 3 people's jobs each that first day! Hope to have something to post for all our hard work soon.

Happy New Year's Eve!

2008-12-31T14:03:00.001-08:00

Well, the glorious string of days and weeks we called 2008 is coming to a close. Hooray! I know I am not alone in looking forward to a new one. Ok, as a fair warning to the other shooters out there, I must share that if you get one of these new 5D mark II thingies, do not be fooled by how inexpensive it is. Be prepared to update all your operating systems (we had only one machine holding out) and all your capture one software if you need to tether, AND all your photoshops to CS4 in case you like to be able to process raw images. I know I should have known this in advance, but computer updates are always such a cruel punishment. So enough scrooging about that, I am super excited about a new project I am starting this weekend. I don't want to give away the surprise, but IT IS GOING TO ROCK! It does relate to some new burlesque inspired images I recently shot though:

Yes, it is true- spring is just around the corner and with it will come the 2nd annual burlesque review!!

Miller Time

2008-12-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

I am breathing a big sigh of relief that I can still talk today after all the screaming and cheering that took place yesterday during the Miller Lite shoot. What fun, though, here we are taking a look at the pix in studio (my winter boots are firmly in place until March!)
Thanks to all the agency folks and crew for helping with the cheering section!

I also got some jpgs of the shots we did last year, thanks Kevin!!! Also, thanks to Heath, Tonya and Ari and the crew on this one:

This weekend is full of testing so hopefully I'll have some more to post on that soon.

2008-12-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yum, what better to go with a post-Thanksgiving blog than the midas touch of a Top Chef? We had a great visit with family and are back to the grindstone, a super week of casting leads us into another Miller project next week. Also, there is a rumor that Ms Leibowitz is speaking in town tomorrow. Hopefully I can get myself down there, give props to such a super talented lady!

Winter pix

2008-11-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

Yay, my winter wonderland photos of Nick, Kate, Jon and Mahtab got some attention and are decorating the cover and inside of Shore magazine this month. We also just shot Top Chef Stephanie Izard for them as well. More on that after pub date. Looking forward to a little getaway next week, San Francisco here we come!

Medicine and Magazines

2008-11-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

Well, just magazines for now. There was talk of a pharma concept but talk does not always lead to pictures.
Here is the Shore magazine Bridal issue, thanks to Kristan from Ford for sitting. The new Shore magazine should also be featuring my work on the cover, I'll post that when its released. Peace!

Polka, beer, etc

2008-09-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was thinking last night when Robert was telling me a UFO story that we don't spend much time looking at the sky anymore. Living in the city doesn't do much to encourage it of course, but I do have fond memories of sky-watching back in the day. Just a thought. I realized I also have not put many new photos on here in a while, not that I have not been shooting. We have done a ton of Miller Lite in the past month or two, but of course it won't be public until the programs start. I should have some great layouts and outtakes though early next year. I did a fun test shoot here at the studio that I'll share 2 things from:

I wanted to capture a fantasy carefree memory of my youth with a twist. Sometimes I remember being out with friends and following a meandering path through the night that was wonderfully diverse, impossible to predict. One night in particular in Lisbon, I was with a friend and we met others along the way throughout the night who led us to a salsa bar until 3, a hip-hop club until 6, and a breakfast bar after that where we drank beer and sang along to bad 80's tunes right next to business folks having their morning coffee. In this photographic fantasy, some youngsters are out and they end up in a Polka bar with a bunch of more mature patrons and a band anchored by an expressive accordion player.
Going along with that theme, I created a series of photobooth shots to accompany:

hole in the wall

2008-09-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else watching this show? Some friends turned me on to it last night and I am an instant fan. Anyone want to make a team and face the wall with me? I have not been this excited about a TV show since coming home to Sesame Street after kindergarten. I know, what does this have to do with photography??? Stay tuned, I will figure something out.

Bag-O-Questions

2008-08-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

That is my husband's new nickname for me and my childlike curiosity (as I like to think of it). The Olympics has really brought out this side of me. "Do you think that really hurts when they land on their biceps like that?" Or, "Where are the underwater cameras??" Yes, the Olympics has turned me into a bag-o-questions.
I am sure I am way behind the times in noticing how cool the opening ceremonies can be, since I haven't seen them since I was a lot shorter than I am today, but holy crap was that cool?!?
I don't have any exciting photos to post today because my files are all on my office computer. Do we always need to have visual aids? :)
I am a recent addition to the Facebook website. While others seem to love and loathe it in equal numbers, I am almost completely neutral. I did get kind of excited about this map program they have on there after seeing a friend with it, since I always used to love putting pins into a world map for all the places I had traveled. Now someone is enabling my dorky travel re-living to exist in cyberspace. Pretty cool, except I think it is sponsored by Trip Advisor or something and I can only imagine the kind of depressing spam that will result in by tomorrow. All the flight and hotel specials I cannot indulge in, delivered right to my inbox. woo hoo.
All right, I am back to my line of questioning, and the Olympics, these people are freaking incredible.

Shore Magazine cover

2008-07-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's in print! The Shore Magazine cover I shot a few weeks ago with Michael McKean at the Steppenwolf Theater. I also shot at L2O for Wine Spectator today and just finished a large production for my portfolio over the weekend, will post more about that one shortly. Thanks for visiting!

Networking

2008-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

We are just getting ready to host an APA event for photographers and crew members at the studio on the 24th of July. See the details here:

http://www.apanational.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3297

Also, just finished a project with Purex and shot Michael McKean for Shore Magazine. More later, stay tuned!!

Callie

stuff

2008-06-26T06:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, I know, its been a while since I've updated. I am drowning in to-do lists!
What should I start with, we had a great turn out at the opening party - over a hundred people showed up! Most likely to see the girls on the invitation in their underwear, but we all had to come together somehow, no? It was so awesome I am hoping to make it an annual event. We also just finished shooting the Mesirow Financial annual report earlier this month. Teresa Ging of Sugar Bliss donated a ton of cupcakes to my cupcake test shoot and we wrapped Kelly Anne up like a present the next day.

After all this we wanted to escape to the 'motherland' as we call it (minnesota) for some R&R and of course another test shoot. A big shout out to Floyd and Marcie for modeling, they were such a cute couple! And to Gina Hessburg for production and styling and Robb Kelly for hair and makeup.

Also in the past few weeks I went to Detroit for Newsweek assignment and photographed 3 portraits for Allstate. The photos of Jennifer and Adrienne are on display at Kate Boggiano's online store (www.kateboggiano.com). And SWC is using the first of the conceptual case study portraits I shot for them this spring (www.swc.com). Check back again soon and maybe I will have actually cleaned my office!

girls girls girls!

2008-04-21T17:56:00.001-07:00

Hello!
Last week we shot 15 burlesque dancers (and Heath) for a promo that the lovely Anni Betts designed. I just love these girls so much they were the most adorable, sexy, confident super-women and I thank them SO MUCH for being a part of it! Stay tuned for details I am hosting a burlesque party to help spread the word about the great new space. We also just returned from a weekend up in Ashland Wisconsin photographing Rachel Campos and Sean Duffy of Real World fame for an editorial piece. They are also adorable and had super cute kids that made for a short and sweet session. I must plug the fantastic B&B we camped at overnight, The Inn at Timber Cove. If you have a chance, totally go there. The Summer Kitchen room was super cute and quiet (just what we needed!) but I can't say enough about the breakfast. There was enough food for 5 people and we weren't hungry for about 8 hour which is a serious record for me. That's all for now, sorry for all the thanks and shameless plugs, I just gotta give my people props!
Callie

Moved in!

2008-03-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, we are moved into our new space! Stay tuned for our new studio launch party, website, rental info and more photos... This first photo was shot for an editorial photo illo on artificial sweeteners and features our silver studio kitchen.

I also shot Dan Patrick last week for and ongoing Cousin's sandwiches campaign. Dan was super fun in the studio, I even let him take a few pictures of me during the shoot. He should probably stick to his celebrity sports stuff; but he did have a difficult subject so maybe we'll give him the benefit of the doubt there. :)

The last thing I wanted to share is a shot from my corporate fashion shoot.

Thanks a TON to all the designers who lent some great pieces including Lee Allison, Lara Miller, Kate Boggiano, Lauren Lein, Erin Gallagher, Bonnie and Clyde's, Bess and Loie, Guise and Kaveri. Thanks you guys!!

I will try to post more often now that I have figured out this picture thing. Peace.

Progress

2008-02-07T13:54:00.001-08:00

OK, after recruiting all my friends and an assistant to help paint this crazy studio space I think we can finally stop. The painting is by no means finished, but it is at least at a point that will allow us to move in and finish some of it later without having to get behind desks and such. Who really looks at window trim, anyways?
Buster is highly irritated by the cold, as is Robert. They are both campaigning for winter to end ASAP. I think things could be worse, but that tends to be my response to most challenges these days.
So I have been testing like crazy for about a year and a half and I think I am slowing it down for a few months at least while we move into the new space. I am told the hardwood floors in our upstairs home are finished, but tile is not. Lounge ceiling is framed but not drywalled. Kitchen cabinets are delivered but not fully installed. Repeat. So everything is 1/2 finished and apparently it takes a lot longer to get things looking nice than it did to rip the place up last fall.
Attached are 2 pix from the lovely Jenn Holiday's jewelry collection. Thanks to my super great models Anna and Jameel. I hope we can get this girl a website soon becuase her work is fantastic. That was the last thing I shot at the old space, where I officially turned in the keys this week. Hopefully I won't be studio-less for more than a few weeks.
Keep your fingers crossed for a finished photo in my next post.

Eastward Bound

2007-12-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

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!

late night catch up

2007-12-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

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.

happy thanksgiving

2007-11-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, i havent posted in a while, but i have been busy testing, and shooting a few editorials, etc. I just finished a week-long job with Northwestern too, so i am feeling a little smarter by osmosis. i have a ton of great stuff planned for this weekend and i hope to post some new pictures from all my fashion shoots this month on my site soon. the studio is supposed to be finished being framed by Monday so keep your fingers crossed... i think we are actually still on schedule! my mom is making 2 pies (1/2 a pie per person attending our little day of food tomorrow) yum -happy thanksgiving!

more testing

2007-10-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the shoot went great, i have more that i can even start to pick from thanks to my awesome models from Elite, Stephanie and Stacey. Some new shots are up on my site while I decide what i like best. I am currently planning another test this weekend with a custom garment from one of my favorite designers, Miriam Coffey. October is the month of testing I guess, so hopefully I'll have a great new body of work in a month or so - then i can properly devote some time to planning our Japan trip and also our hawaii trip for my brothers wedding (copycat!). i've tried to stop the ideas from coming to no avail. Robert and I shot a portrait with a large blowup globe today but the globe wouldn't fit in the car so we had to finish inflating it onsite. I probably looked a little silly blowing into a 4ft globe in the parking lot but it was a nice day out and i am used to looking a little crazy!

birds and buildings don't mix

2007-10-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found a tiny bird that had hit a tall building and fallen out of the sky. It landed right next to me in the street and I picked it up. It didn't look like it was going to make it, but we walked a few blocks and I cupped it in my hand. before you know it, the bird was well enough to fly away after one false start, and off it went! I guess we can add 'bird healer' to my list of special skills.
As for the regular studio demolition update, I am told demo will be over this week. We don't have our dumpster yet and poor Slavic has to oversee a worksite that looks like a bomb went off inside. Clean up is planned to take all next week. I am hoping to get in for a quick photo shoot while it is a disaster though. We wont have to clean up afterwards!

10/2/07

2007-10-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

I met with Alderman Reboyras today in the 30th Ward, I am hoping that they are excited to have me as a new neighbor. They signed the necessary letter to approve our project thankfully. Demolition is still slated to start next week. I am in a holding pattern to find either a poodle or an afghan hound for my next test, but more emails have been sent so hopefully that will be resolved sometime next week. I saw some fantastic ceramic work that inspired me at the Pilsen Art Festival this past weekend. A mathematician made it, tiny linked rings that formed fabric and cubes! New portfolios from the lovely Eriko Yahiro are set to arrive here next week too, and website redesign is plodding along. I am resting up to shoot the Chicago Marathon this weekend, not sure I have trained properly :)

my first blog

2007-09-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, welcome to this century Callie and get your own blog already!
I know, blogging is so 2005. As usual, i have been working way too hard trying to fully launch my photo superstardom and am behind on this (along with myspace, friendster, youtube, facebook....... does no one else see the endless cylce of has-been sites compiling here???). Although i have lots to cover i will keep this brief. after working about 7 jobs a week for most of September, Callie Lipkin Photography, Inc. is attepting to regroup and take some much needed catch up time. The studio demolition is set to begin next week, but lets not hold our breath until an actual crew with sledgehammers (or whatever they use for this) appears. For those of you who aren't privy, Robert and i have a new studio space set to be completed in early 2008 in the Avondale neighborhood (just NW of Logan Square for the 99.9% of you who haven't heard of it). let me just officially announce: it is going to be the coolest space ever!! we have a serious amount of renovation to perform, of course, but once the Tandem staffing company's offices are torn to bits, a beautiful, raw, spacious, lovely, concrete-and-brick-with-all-the-ammenities studio will begin to reveal iteslf. we are planning some documentation of this process, so stay tuned.
thanks for stopping!!