Tripping on Asphalt
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This breathtaking, Beinfield, steel fireplace, which I had the pleasure to photograph, is helping. But not as much as my brand new bottle of Marshmallow Smirnoff.
As I sit here working on updates to The Dance Collective web site (while missing a class at The Dance Collective), I am reminded of how rewarding it is to work with my clients. As primarily an Architectural Photographer, the vast majority of my clients are creatives by nature and trade: architects, interior designers, builders, magazines, etc. and so they approach shoots with the same creative energy they approach everything else in life. Even my rogue Clients, including Amanda and Enrique of the The Dance Collective are Creatives. And, seriously, it make for a way more interesting day, or night, as it was in the case of this particular shoot.
During my interiors shoots, I am a focused perfectionist. I shoot directly to the computer and double and triple check everything from the technical aspects of things including my lighting and camera settings, through composition, and a plethora of other artistic decisions. For example, we might move a chair multiple times to get the shot just right. Props are swapped in and out. Books, pillows, ottomans, furniture. Candles or lamps may be lit and extinguished. Until we have that perfect moment. The one that everyone feels is just the right balance. It’s all way more exacting a process than one would ever imagine.
With people it’s a little different. A lot different. There are countless decisions that are made in order to achieve the final shot. But they don’t necessarily build with each shot better than the previous. You can’t get everyone to achieve the same expression, the same posture, or the same grace in every frame. People are unruly. For me, it’s less relaxing and a little more ‘a wing and a prayer.’
So instead of shot 29 being 28 shots more sophisticated than shot 1, sometimes shot 29 looks like this.
And that’s when I’m hoping the bottle of champagne is handy.
We’ve been super fortunate over here at Sequined Asphault Studio, and some exciting news almost got lost in the shuffle. While we were on our honeymoon, Beinfield Architecture received a 2011 AIA Connecticut Design Award for their new House in Ridgefield!
Congrats to Andrew Bartolotta AIA, Bruce Beinfield FAIA and the rest of the Project Team. I was thrilled for the opportunity to photograph the project and had a great time working with the Client. There is tons of inspiration and creative genius, attributable to both Architect and Client, throughout this deceptively simple barn with something modern and surprising at every turn.
Thanks, people. I always appreciate the extra eyes and perspectives.
Here’s a bit of what I was doing last week. Sometimes drinks with Andrew are more productive than other times…
I couldn’t be any farther behind in my blogging and keeping up with social media in general. If we’re friends on Facebook then you’ve already heard me complain that my lists have lists and that my wonderful, fantastic, even magical iPhone4 was stolen and I’m basically interweb and point-and-shoot crippled with my original iPhone rebooted.
It’s not that I need sympathy. I don’t. I’m doing great. And I’ve never been more productive in my life. (Now I’m just bragging, apparently.) But, seriously, big things are happening over here and life and work are just blurred which, turns out, is how I like them. I’m getting married in less than 2 months; we’re looking for some new architecture to call our own, redesign and decorate; babies are being conceived and born right and left (not center, thank you very much); parties are being planned, thrown and attended; businesses are getting run; photo shoots are happening all over the place… oh, and we were published in another one of those glossy magazines! I hope you’re having as great a summer as we are over here at Sequined Asphault Studio. We’re gonna try to stay in better touch…
*sigh* Life is so hard when you have to wander around beautiful places like this…
Actually, the difficult part is getting to places like this. I mean, I’m a city girl. Gimme a metrocard. I am so not prepared for washed out road detours and Dug’s trusty gps sending me down muddy, unpaved, mountain roads. And farms. Did I mention farms and farm equipment?
Well, it was worth it for the spring shoot of the House in the Orchard. You’ve seen it before, in winter. But there’s nothing like spring in the orchard.
One of the benefits of living and working in Connecticut, is living and working in Connecticut. New England is beautiful. And architecturally, it’s history is rich with simple charm and functional beauty.
This spring has been cold and dreary so far. And it’s all starting to wear on me. So much that I’ve taken to carrying my camera around the house. You know, just in case any moments pop up. Bring on spring! If only to save DUG the anxiety of being my subject.
Here are a few more shots of the bathroom featured in yesterday’s Which One? I am completely backlogged in blogland. I have a ton of stuff I’m bursting to share with you. More abandoned places, plenty of architecture, and even some people (well, kids and babies mostly). And then there are the gnomes. But I digress. I’ve been busy shooting and planning a wedding, so I absolutely cannot complain. Hopefully we’ll get more regular very soon. I hear ‘more regular’ is good.
Oh! Speaking of backlogged! Let’s discuss TheKnot.com, wedding bible to the masses. I hate The Knot. Do you know that they sent me an email yesterday? Of course you don’t. I’m telling you now. They sent me an email to remind me that it’s 6 months to the day of my wedding. And they politely implied that’s some sort of crazy milestone and I am supposed to all sorts of freak out because of the thousand things I still have left to do. Well, you know what Knot? Shame on you. Shame on you for making people think they have to spend a gazillion dollars on useless things to have a fun and memorable wedding. (No judgment if you spent a gazillion dollars on your wedding as long as you don’t judge me for trying to keep it simple.) Knot, I dumped you back at ’330 days until your wedding’ when you told me I had to get: a trainer, my teeth professionally whitened, go on a diet, and hire my wedding planner. {And even though, I hate you, Knot, since then I have begged someone to train me starting next week, bought a new box of Crest white strips but not opened them, and started at least 30 different mornings on a diet. But I draw the line at a wedding planner. Though I not so secretly wish someone else would just make this whole deal happen and tell me where to show up. Damn you, Knot.}
Whoo. Bet you didn’t think this was going to be a wedding post with that pretty bathroom sitting up there. I mean, seriously. Have you seen that bathroom?! I should get married in there.
So when you filled in the blank up top, the one you’ve forgotten about because I’ve rambled on so long, was it busy bee or busy beaver? Just wondering…
