my picks: arts events for the weekend of 2/2/8

There are a few really cool and free local arts events going on this weekend, and it would be great if we could all get out there and support our fellow artists.

Friday, February 1, 2008
Opening Reception: GreenHeARTs Exhibit
"19 Artists including Local Favorites; Matt Sesow, Kelly Towles, J. Coleman, Dana Ellyn, Anna U Davis and Joe Portnoy. An exhibition of new painting, drawings, and photographs priced at $500 or less. Art will showcase Environmental Awareness with a touch of Valentines Day inspiration. 10% of all sale proceeds will benefit earthecho.org in support of saving our water planet."
7:00pm-10:00pm
Lofts Eleven 8th floor Penthouse - 1125 11th Street, NW (cnr. M St)

RSVP here: http://www.thedroponline.com/2008/01/22/dc-green-heart-exhibit/

Saturday, February 2, 2008
Opening Reception: Project Gallery 4
Project 4 celebrates its 2 year anniversary with a showcase of art around the theme of ornament and nature. Featured artists include currently represented artists as well as the gallery's newcomers.
6PM
903 U St NW (cnr. 9th)

+

Fundraiser: Party, Art Show and Silent Auction to benefit Autism Speaks
"Around nine artists will be painting live as attendees party around them. All guests are invited to eat, drink, dance, buy artwork, and bid on some cool items. Special performance at 9 p.m. featuring the legendary DC band, the LivelyStones."
LeftBank, 2424 18th St, NW
RSVP: Christine Hamershock, christine@oneillstudios.com, tel: 301.530.9030

Thanks to Daily Campanello blog for the last two items.

“a poker player whose sideline was picture-taking”

Robert Capa's lost negatives from his days covering the Spanish War was recently recovered, reported the New York Times. The negatives, rolled neatly into 50 small compartments of a cardboard suitcase, was lost as Capa fled Europe. He had thought that they, along with the contents of his photo lab, were destroyed. The International Center of Photography, created by Capa's brother in New York City, currently has possession of the negatives. Photo archivists in Rochester, NY (a city made famous by George Eastman, founder of Kodak and the inventor of the transportable camera) have stated that the negatives are in surprisingly good condition.

I find this to be really exciting news. I have a fascination with war photography, and Capa happens to be the first, and probably for me, one the most notable war photographers of the modern world. He basically invented embedded photojournalism when his predecessors captured war images either from afar or after the battle had ended. Capa broke tradition by becoming a participating photographer rather than just the observing one. This requires patience and sometimes cunning. William Saroyan, an American writer from the 1940s, described Capa as “a poker player whose sideline was picture-taking”. To me, this quote embodies what photography should be - watch your subject, see the signs so that you can learn to anticipate a great shot coming.

Sugar and Champagne gig

Last week I shot the Washington Humane Society's Sugar and Champagne event for DC Magazine. It was a pretty standard process; shoot the VIPs, attendees, and capture some scene shots. But the event itself was really cool.

Restaurant booths made up the U shape ring, offering delectables such as bite sized brownies, mousses, exotic cheese samples (including a goat cheese called purple haze. hm.), and in some cases, doggie treats. I nearly fell over when I saw a bulldog try to scavenge some bits off a high end restaurant booth. I think he was going for the chocolate cake with raspberry coulis; I know I would have. In the middle of the U, guest were offered beverages . The bubbly and other drinks ranged from wine to vodka to illy espresso to boutique sodas.

This is a kind of random observation, but there were these these plastic plates that were really quite ingenious - transparent plastic with a champagne-holder on the corner. Take a look at the photo. As I made countless circles around the venue, I noticed that these plates were really handy since most people held their plate in one hand while the other was pulled in all sorts of directions from their leashed dogs.

And the dogs! I love dogs, particularly bulldogs and frenchies, of which there were a few =) Lots of mini daschhunds, gold retrievers, and toy things - dressed up pugs/yorkies/maltese... not really my style but whatever.

I got the chance to see three interesting dogs: a rottweiler with a tail, which usually cropped at a young age, a long haired german shephard, and an albino boxer with icy blue eyes. The boxer didn't quite know what to do with me; just stared at me while my flash went off. Unfortunately, because her eyes were so blue, red eye was a problem. I can't even imagine what the dogs felt, it must have been really an overwhelming situation for them, especially for the two dogs that were up for adoption by WHS.

Lots of photogs there too. WHS set up a portrait booth to one side where guests received their prints on-site as a keepsake. An AFP photog was there but he was stationery with a mobile lighting kit with him (also noticed that we both use photo equipment bags by Think Tank), and a seriously professional event photographer with a fancy flash contraption strapped to his camera body (As a green photog I try to use flash only minimally, even at weddings).

I've noticed that - in general - DC society magazines aren't really into the action / participation shot. To me, those photos really describe the event; the fun people are having, why they are having fun, and just overall people interaction. It's almost impossible to get a sense of this through rigid and formal posed portraits.

PS_ please excuse the photo formatting. not that adept at posting photos on a blog yet =(

photoblog sites (and the obstacles to updating my own)

The number of photoblogs in existence is completely mind boggling. I spent the majority of my day looking at photoblogs and researching how to make mine more savvy, and I have to say I'm more confused and overwhelmed than when I began my search.

There are so many amazing blogs and applications out there, and most of them revolve around actual photo postings than text narrative like my blog... which made me realise that I somehow need to link my blog to my website, or have the two accessible from the one location, or something. But I have no idea how to do this!!

Here are the 3 coolest sites I stumbled across today:

• chromasia.com - Beautiful photographs but a not so intuitive site. An example of how a hobby became an award winning site
  

• caryscott.com/photoblog - I found this site when looking for lomography groups or clubs in the DC area, and some of his photos are taken with lomographic cameras (for more info on this, go to lomography.com)

• aphotoeditor.com - The former photo director of a major men's magazine offers his take on editorial and commercial photography
  

Here's a list of photoblog community sites (not ranked):

• photoblog-community.com - A free photoblog directory
  
• coolphotoblogs.com - A site that ranks the coolest photoblogs worldwide
  
• photoblogs.org - A resource to find any photoblog created, ever

And finally, some photoblog application resources. I haven't included a description because I'm still trying to figure these out and learn how to use them:

• photos.vfxy.com
• pixelpost.org

Published in DC Magazine, January 2008 issue

Turn to p. 131 of the Jan. 2008 issue of DC Magazine - My photos from the Hay-Adams Wine Dinner, organized and hosted by DC Mag Publisher, Peter Abrahams, are featured in the About Town section!

This was the second event I had photographed for this publication. The first, the HomeAid Gala, was a massive event, and an unnerving one at that. There were over 300 guests and very limited lighting. I was particularly annoyed when another photographer at the event, not assigned by DC Magazine, came up to me and basically gave me "permission" to get up closer to the stage and shoot. What he didn't know is that the magazine has specific requirements, and the shot he was taking did not fit into those parameters.

This event, the Hay-Adams Wine Dinner, was a very small, intimate affair with an attendance cap of 15. I only needed to take photos during the cocktail hour, and was released when the guests were seated for dinner. I was very happy with the arrangement, and relieved that I didn't have to photograph the meal. From my experience with wedding photography, that's because no one likes to have their photo taken in the middle of a bite.

My next event assignment for DC Magazine is the Washington Humane Society's Sugar and Champagne fundraiser. I'm super excited for this since there will be dogs at this event, and I LOVE dogs!