Tripping on Asphalt
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.
It feels great to be back just in time for so many of my favorite things: New beginnings. Fall in New England and New York City. Pulling out the hand-knit fashions. Cozy evenings on the couch. Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins and all manner of root vegetables. The scent of roasts and meals lovingly executed in Le Creuset. Decorating and re-decorating. And never too much knitting.
The last couple of months have included tons of exciting events with our friends and family. Baby showers, bridal showers, births, birthdays, and a wedding/honeymoon to name a few. The result is that I’ve added literally thousands of photographs to my hard drive. Thousands of massive RAW files. Just taking up space with no purpose. The thought of organizing, distibuting, displaying and archiving these memories seems daunting even to me as a professional. Actually, it’s making me a little nauseous.
The thing is, I just don’t have a workflow for personal photos. There, I said it. Shame! And truthfully, they get lost on the computer after I edit a mere few and get them out to key people. Sometimes I’ll print one for the wall, or a stray might even make it on this very blog. But most are just lost in the morass. Lost little lambs… *sigh* I mean, lost, huge, hard-drive eating lambs. Inspiring guilt and shame. Did I mention the guilt? And the shame?
So what to do? What to do… We are definitely at a crossroad for digital media. The possibilities are seemingly (and overwhelmingly) endless. I can print pictures and make an album old skool with Photographic Solutions and Target. Or I can make a snazy photo book online at Blurb. But now that I have an iPhone and iPad, you can see my photos in a slideshow that my devices produce pretty randomly if I dump everything in an album (post editing of course. not that I’ve managed to get to that. did you read where I wrote thousands? seriously. thousands.). Or I could design a more impressive slideshow (criminally) easily and add some cool soundtrack using Animoto.
*sigh* Today, one of my colleagues suggested I treat myself as a Client. Block out chunks on the calendar to get my own shit done. And develop a workflow that suits my own needs. Ummm. You mean my stuff doesn’t just happen magically? I have to make appointments with myself?! Oh, how horrible. And how simple.
It’s actually not as simple as it sounds. First, I don’t pay myself. In actual money. And the joy of having organized and jealousy inspiring multimedia albums doesn’t the rent pay. Neither does sending Chewie out with a tin cup, though Lord knows, I’ve tried. Worse is the indecision. I look at Client photos and I know immediately what’s good and what has to go. I know in my gut and I could explain it rationally in a classroom. But when it comes to my vacation photos, I can’t remove myself from the equation. It’s like how Interior Designers often need to hire other Interior Designers to plan their homes. Histrionics, ego, angst, perfectionism? Call it what you will. But I’m determined, and all I want is my own damn album.
So what do you do with your personal photos?
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.
Sweetie, today you are 5 years old. I remember the day you were born and I went to the hospital to meet you, just like we went to meet your little brother this past Saturday. Chewie wasn’t even born yet, and I hadn’t met Dug. Can you believe that? I bet you don’t remember life without them both.
That day was one of the most exciting of my life, when we all stood around in wonder looking at you as a teeny, tiny, little swaddled bundle. We wondered with excitement what you would be like as you grew, and how all our lives would change with you. And a thousand other things we weren’t sure about. You seemed so very small and the world so big.
Well A, you’ve made everyone’s life a million times more fun and so full of love with your sweet smile and your generous nature. You remember everything way better than I do. And you make sure Dug doesn’t mess up too badly when he tries his hardest to make you laugh. You never let him put stamps on his head or eat stuff that’s not food. And for that I thank you. You are a great friend to Chewie who you always say is “cute and funny” and he does always miss you when you both are not together because you’ve grown up into great friends. We still call him Chewgie sometimes because that’s what you called him back when you were learning to talk and could only say a few words. And we all love the fun we have when we do photo shoots together. Sometimes just the girls, and sometimes Dug too.
We are so happy that you love school and the new friends you’ve made this past year. And it’s so much fun that you love pink and all sorts of girlie things. I love reading with you and making art, and Dug’s crazy about drawing and coloring with you. We love that you make us cards and are learning how to write so well. And we’ve had such great times going on the train to NYC together.
I hope you always remember our wedding day. It was so special that you walked down the aisle of the Church like a princess with your Mom. And that you picked your own dress. We had so much fun with you, and you partied harder than any of the grown-ups! We are so excited for our little family that keeps growing! We just know you are going to be the most amazing Big Sister and we are all going to have a great time getting to know Baby C. This is going to be such an exciting year for us all!
Happy 5th Birthday, A!
We love you so much,
Chewie, Dug and LaLa
I am an avid reader. Have been my whole life.
*Points to Goodreads app over yonder left. Feel free to friend me. I also love to see what other people are reading. See how I’m 30 years old on my profile. wink wink *
Recently I have rediscovered the library. Did you know there are still libraries? Where you can get books? Actual books. Made of paper. Torn from murdered trees. Sure, you don’t need the Dewey Decimal System for the card catalog – which is a total disappointment for a nerd like me btw because I had a lot of fun learning about that in school and I love the way the card catalog smelled, mmmmm. The catalog on the computer is fine though because I can put books on hold from home my phone and renew books from home oh, anywhere – that’s the really great part because I’m one who is generally mired in late fines of all sorts. Trivialities.
So, I hopped around different libraries in my realm, and the Main Branch of the Fairfield Public Library is my first string (look DUG, sport!) for best all-around performance, based on quantity and quality of selection, best climate control, best lighting, and highest marks for people leaving me the fuck alone. (oops, too much caffiene today) I even attended a free small business seminar there one night, which I thought was a great idea, but the guy talked for so long that his usefulness expired when my eyes glazed over and I could no longer hear him over my growling stomach.
(If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m a moderate hand-raiser and a complete over-achiever. Case in point, today CawfeeGuy sent me this.)
Well, since we have such a good relationship, my library and I, that is, I decided to take things to the next level. Yes, folks, I friended Fairfield Public Library on Facebook.*
And you know what? They’ve been good to me. They did not warn me in advance of yesterday’s earthquake. And I think they feel pretty bad about it. Because today they’ve let me know that Hurricane Irene is coming. And they’ve given me all sorts of handy tips about preparing to possibly evacuate my home. And that maybe the water levels of my coastal town will be up to 8 feet over normal tide levels. *sigh* I mean, that’s a good Facebook friend. Not one of those stalkers or random commenter who hijack your status updates to have full-on conversations with other people on your status – take it to your own page, Mister. I mean, next level would be actually coming over to pack up my shit and/or prep that emergency kit whose importance they tout but know I am never ever going to prepare on my own because, well, if I need that emergency kit I’m going to have way bigger problems than not having that emergency kit.
So, Fairfield Public Library, I thank you. And while I’m an over-achiever for certain things, I am an under-achiever when it comes to Hurricane Irene. I take your concern for me under advisement, and as a result I will stock my fridge from the Fairfield Cheese Shop, and when I go to sleep, I will leave on my engagement ring. Because, in the case I have to run from the rising tides, I am not going anywhere without that rock (and Chewie) (and possible some Red Hawk). Oh, look! Seems I have an emergency kit and I didn’t even know it!
*Speaking of libraries, and because this is technically a photoblog, I give you these crappy iPhone photos of one of my other favorite local libraries, the Pequot Library in Southport, CT. They clearly don’t have enough money to keep this place in the condition this charming building deserves, but they do their darndest trying. There are so many magical moments in this building and here are a humble few.
A night at the beach with a few of my favorite people. And no bug spray. A good idea gone bad.
Can you believe Little Miss A is almost 5?! She’s the first kid I’ve been photographing since birth. And she’s our beautiful Flower Girl in just a few short weeks… Holy crap… Is that right?! A few weeks? I’ve gotta go do, uh, some stuff… I think… Isn’t there some stuff I should be doing?
Thanks, people. I always appreciate the extra eyes and perspectives.
Keeping it clean over here at Sequined Asphault Studio.
Finding the appropriate stand-in for professional head shots can get rough because you need some height. But the Dyson performed respectably. Don’t hate.
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.
