Events: TacSea! TacSea! – The Gallery!

Earlier this month, we had the privilege of partaking in the TacSea! TacSea! festivities.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and I’m excited to say we’ve culled, corrected, polished, and published our way to glory.  Take a peek at some of our faves here, digest, laugh, cry, and come on back when you’re ready to let me know what you think via the comments.

If a particular one tickles your fancy, and you’d like a high-res e-Copy, drop me a note and let me know.  Prints are also available in a variety of formats from our lab at greatly discounted rates for this special event.  If you’re interested in a large size print or canvas, let me know and I’ll get that squared away for you.

Bigups to all the artists and attendees.  Let’s do this again.  Soon.

Portraits: Jun

We had an awesomely sunny weekend in Seattle — these have been pretty scarce as of late, so I really can’t complain.  So it was a little cold.. eh.  So it was a little windy.. eh.  Doesn’t matter.  Especially when you’re shooting with Jun.

Jun’s one of those pretty-much-always-genuinely-happy-folks who doesn’t sweat the small stuff.  When the gusts picked up and we could hear it knocking on the walls of her condo, she didn’t panic for the day to come.  When the sharp frost bit as we stepped outside, there was no question in her mind whether it was a good idea to keep going.  And when realized we were approximately a 250 mile uphill hike to prime Kodak-approved locales, I struggled to keep pace with her enthusiastic gait.  Jun’s just one of those easy-going individuals that makes all the goings-on easy.

More words from the wifey on her blog

Roll presses

We’ve gone through I don’t know how many photos in the past few months… stacking, sorting, viewing, editing… but all via digital means.  It all seems so abstract and … funny, just a bit … without having the tangible photo in front of you.

I remember when I was younger I used to spend HOURS sorting through our family photos.  My mom had a drawer in her bedside table where she tucked all our old 4x5s, 4x6s, 5x7s, random 8x10s, wallets, unfinished albums and the mysterious undeveloped rolls of 110, 35mm, or Advantix film.  I was not only transfixed by the frozen familiar, albeit stiff and awkward, expression, but also fascinated with captured-memory lifecycle in front of me — unexposed film to exposed film to scattered negatives to prints to albums to crumpled forgotten photos pinned in drawer crevices.

My dad taught me how to use our first camera.  An old Kodak 110 of some kind that looked more like an intermediary between the Atari and the NES than what we see slung around pale and pasty tourists today.  That was his first mistake.  I’m sure in the 5 or so short years after that I managed to blow approximately $67,483,982.93 on film alone.  Forget the development costs.  I feel so spoiled today, in that I can go from shooting to seeing what was shot in 1 to 2 seconds, rather than 1 to 2 weeks.  Moreover, I can manipulate the look of the photo without worrying about bleach and silver.

Still, there’s just something missing with viewing a photo on the screen, as opposed to holding it in your hands or mounting it on your wall.

What’s my point?  I don’t have one, of course.  But we auditioned a new lab this week, and are uberhappy with the results.  We ordered a 16×20 print of one of our wedding photos (by the amazing Erwin), and 3 8x10s that are very special to us, each for different reasons.

Ami, Bryan, SLM+RJ, and Steph — hope you don’t mind, but we love you too much to not have you with us daily.  Onto the wall with you.

the holy trinity. each of these mean a lot to us, each for different reasons...

still have to score some 8x10s, but i already had a 16x20 for the b&w wedding print in the background

Moo-ve over Alfred Eisenstaedt!

We’ve been playing with our new branding over the past few months, and will continue to do so over the next few more.  We’ve got our contracts, rate sheets, packaging, and watermarks all snapping to the new theme, and have our galleries, portfolio, and blogs in process… but it all started, of course, with the basic moo.

Moo?  Yes, moo.

Semitangent:  I am enamored of awesome things in tight little compact packages.  They’re so goshdern’d kyoot.

When it came to business cards, we decided to go with Moo.  Partly because they are simple and easy to customize (both sides!), partly because we collected (and loved) Ami’s, but mostly because they come in MINI!SIZED!

Stephanie clowned on me for <3ing pink last week, but trust me — pink is ganksta.

so ganksta. supar cool display case for holding / trading cards at say a trade show or mom's basement. there's even dividers to separate yours from mine.

We took 5 of our favorite images and printed them on the reverse.  Behold Vol. 1!  I already have some images in mind for Vol. 2.  This reminds me of when I was a kid and collected baseball cards, except infinitely more meaningful because I actually care about these folks…

As an added plus, Ty, head of our Street Team likes to hand out the ones with his picture on them as part of his grass roots promotion campaigns.  Get at me (or Ty) if you or your loved ones are interested in getting your mitts on one of these babies — freesshh off the presses!

'i got 2-for-5s over here! 2-for-5s over here baby! them cats got garbage down the way! 2-for-5s over here!'

Portraits: Stephanie

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down…

Points to whoever knows what song that’s from.  I do love Saturdays, but have been dreading this one for the week for one reason:  Rain.

OK, so usually I don’t mind it (the rain), but today we had scheduled a shoot with the lovely Stephanie, and I really wanted some good sun for it.  The day started out pretty decent, and the sun even peeked through around lunch time to tease and taunt me, but by the time we met up with Steph… yep… rain.

Well almost.. you could tell it was imminent, and the winds were really picking up, so we opted to postpone so we could really knock it out right.  Rather than head out into Seattle proper to shoot, we stopped by Steph’s place to hang for a little bit.  It was right as the rain outside started to finally come down that the thundershowers and lightning bolts of inspiration hit.  While it was wet outside, I guess you could say we had a bit of a dry run indoors for our soon-to-be-rescheduled shoot.  We even got a little brave toward the end and ventured outdoors.

A wise photographer once told me that as you near the perfect shot, you will know it because you will see a glow… and you will shout things.  I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered perfect, but I will say that I am surprised none of the neighbors called the cops fearing the worst from Cindi’s and my sporadic, sudden, seemingly random bursts of enthusiastic expletives.  Steph. just. makes. it. too. easy.

she's a natural. she just doesn't know it

GORG!

so fierce!

Check out the wifey’s blog for her rundown.  We both can’t wait for round 2.  Thanks Steph for inviting us into your home, being such a great sport, and allowing me to yell inappropriate things 4 inches from your face!

Tastes Like Handcrafted

We’re meeting up with SLM+RJ tomorrow for dinner, so we put the finishing touches on their images tonight.  While my laptizzle was busy kicking out the files all high-tech-like, I headed over to my shameful mess of a desk to work on our packaging all low-tech-like.  That’s right folks, this marks our first client package bearing our new branding. Huzzah!  Handcrafted by yours truly, complete with blood, sweat, and tears.  Except, instead of blood, sweat, and tears I substituted liberal amounts of ribbon, rubber cement, and love.

one of the cookie sheets, fresh out the oven and ready for the cooling rack

the madness

a sprinkling of personal touches

really diggin the petal closure ... because...

..it keeps itself closed!! go go low-tech!

handcut hangtag, and check out that sweet handpunched hole. i got down all amish-like and cut that sucker myself

getting the dress blues on..

all dressed, ready to party..

...and hit the dance floor

In other news, please allow me to shamelessly whore out our new Facebook page.  Happy early Valentine’s Day.  We like you.. do you like us too?

Babies: Sneak Peek – Elsa

You know when you get a bad idea… you know, a really bad idea… really bad idea… you have that friend that talks you out of it?  Pulls you back to sanity, makes you realize the error of your ways, and allows you to continue on with life as if it never happened?  Well, for me, that friend is not Eric.  In fact, Eric is the total opposite.  He’ll instead be the friend that’s out on the ledge with me, or helping me attach my fake mustache while we go over our plan to flee the country and avoid the shame of our failed harebrained scheme.

It’s a common trait in pretty much all of my close friends.  I’m not sure if it’s a function of external factors, such as temperate Pacific Northwest rains pushing inhabitants to be as mad as March hares, of if it’s by necessity that only those with their own pinch of insanity are able to deal with mine.

Lucky for Eric and me, we have wives.  Wives who are completely sane, and not afraid to tell us when we’re not.  So when we hatched the idea of a baby photo shoot, and our wives approved, we knew we had our hands on the formula for low energy nuclear fusion upon which we could retire.  Or, at the very least, we had an idea that wasn’t half bad.  And it also taught us the importance of first qualifying an idea to “shoot the baby” with the more descriptive “photo shoot.”

Baby Elsa’s pics are now in our queue, but we couldn’t resist sharing a few shots. Those of you who follow the wifey’s blog will have already seen a couple of these, but I went ahead and added a bit more.

Events: Sneak Peek – TacSea! TacSea!

On Friday night, Cindi and I had the chance to participate in a great cause.  In the words of the organizers:

The Cause:
All proceeds donated to the Thy Luellen Benevolent Fund. Angel (age 12) and Nevaeh (age 7) lost their two older sisters, father, and grandmother in late September 2010, needless to say, it’s been a very tough last few months for them, their mother Thy, and the rest of the family. Our goal is to produce a series of community music and art events that will raise funds to provide these girls with the means to achieve a bright future.

So start your new year right, knowing you had a positive impact on in the lives of Thy’s family and in the educational careers of these two young girls.

With the craziness over the past few months, Cindi and I didn’t have a chance to attend the prior events, but one of the brains / muscle behind the functions has kept us looped in as things developed, and we were superexcited to be able to finally make one.  Not only do these get bigger and badder (in the gooder sense, of course) with each iteration, but it doesn’t get any better than connecting with good folks.  And if these folks happen to be talented artists and killer acts, well all the better.  Not sure what your community’s up to?  We’re right here…

A mere sampling of folks in attendance.  We’ll be posting a full gallery once we’ve made our way through sorting all the photos.

2 of white center's finest, the gnu deal mc'd and performed at the event

snag treats for your speakers at http://www.thegnudeal.tk/

brooklyn pool

pocket panda

some of the most legit strings this side of the symphony

dj j-fresh

dj kuhnex kept the crowd movin

traq and the essence

50% of the metcalves before hitting the stage

bobby genius of the metcalves

meet larynex

stay tuned for a forthcoming C+C shoot of the metcalves...

On the Run iPhone Fun – On the eve of the flaming rabbit…

Tomorrow begins the year of the rabbit, according to the lunisolar calendar used by many asian cultures.  It’s not used by Filipinos, so I’m not very familiar with it; however, my wife’s family is from China, and ever since we met I’ve gotten down with the lunar new year.  From what I gather, in lieu of fireworks, black tie affairs, and a large ornamental ball descending toward the earth at ultraslow-countdown-speed, Chinese New Year (in the US) means whiskey, excessive amounts of food, red, and an impressive imposing ascension of a representative animal to a metaphorical gilded throne (the size of which is rivaled only by that of the accompanying new year hangover).  The animal brings good fortune, stock picks, a free market analysis, prosperity, and the finest in sensible footwear.  And if it sees its shadow, we get 6 more months of rain.

I haven’t gotten it all sorted, but based on my observations and keen knack at deduction, I think it’s safe to say I’m about (conservative estimate) 97% of the way there.

Seeing as how it’s midweek this year, we kept it low key and hit up Chiang’s Gourmet in Lake Sizzle for easy eats.  Chiang’s is one of those neighborhood joints that snags a steady stream of locals and a deluge of anybody and everybody on special occasions.  One of those spots where it takes you 17.2x as long to receive your food as it does to annihilate it, but it doesn’t matter.  It’s just good.  They’re known for handmade noodles, a dual menu system — the ‘nothing-says-America-like-an-oversized-menu’ listing of standard Americanized ‘Chinese’ food, and a small unassuming, could be mistaken for a wine list, menu of authentic specialties.  If you’ve ever been one of those folks who’s always wanted to roll into a Chinese restaurant, order off the ‘other’ menu, and embark on a gastronomic adventure, but haven’t simply because you weren’t sure if there is an other menu… Chiang’s is your joint.  Not only do they not hide it from you, suitable English translations are listed right there, presented in plain sight.  Check your subconscious sense of xenos at the door my friend, you are welcome here, and the work has been done for you.

Me?  I’ll take the 炸醬麵 and, actually, I can get by just fine with a bowl of ‘Five Star Spicy Chicken.’  Which really arrives as a bowl of fried spicy Szechuan peppers.  Oh, with a side of the most addicting chicken in the world.

beneathe this fiery exterior lies a heart of gold...

behold! mined from the belly of the beast, nuggets of the 11th most addicting crack in the world, masquerading as chicken

Ramblings

I am having the hardest time getting my favicon to work over on Cindi + Chris and I cannot figure out why.  If you do, let me know.  Props to Ami for temporarily playing host.  Also, I have gotten ubersloppy in my scripting in my old age.  Meanwhile, the wifey is making fun of me over at her blog with her new weekly Tidbits feature.  A good read if you’ve ever wondered how we met.

We will now return to your regularly scheduled program.