Chrysler 300, Dean Martin and I
Well this is non-photo-related and a bit weird and disturbing.
Back in 1999, when I was a musician making electronic dance music under the name The Rip Off Artist (among other names), I had a little track released that, while never a ‘hit’, got used on a few movie soundtracks and such. It was a remix of an old lounge tune called “Sway”. I took versions by Dean Martin and Julie London and did a mash up of the two (before “mash up” was even a term), and it was released on a compilation of lounge remixes called Electro Lounge.
So tonight my wife turned off the TV. As she did, I heard this little snippet of music…and yelled “wait!!!!” I turned the TV back on, and there’s my friggin’ remix, being used for the current Chrysler 300 commercial.
Sigh. And it was a flat fee buyout. I made my money back in 1999, and it has continued to make Universal money ever since. 
It’s weird being dragged back into my ‘other life’, even for a brief moment.
And the Fog Rolls In
These images are from a family portrait shoot last Friday. I was hired to photograph someone’s grandchildren, who were visiting from out of state. The clients and I were hoping for a beautiful sunset on the beach! But what we got instead was…
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Women of the Wild West (Model Portfolio Shoot)
This shoot was from back in July, so some of the details might be sketchy or downright wrong. I’m trying to get caught up on my model-portfolio blog posts. Tiffany, who you might remember from this post, wanted to shoot with her friend Elizabeth. So we set up a time and decided to shoot at Corriganville Park. Yes I’ve been to that place a lot this year. Three times if I recall, all for model portfolios. I swear I won’t go there again for at least a few months!
Our shoot idea was based on something I’d seen in French Vogue: color and black and white images in dry desert conditions. Denim, simple shirts and accessories, and Vogue-esqe dramatic makeup. The end result, as you might imagine, looks nothing like what I’d seen in Vogue. But that’s ok…it was meant to be a starting point.
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Adapt or Die.
I see a common sentiment among many photographers. Most recently I noticed it in the comments to a blog post at A Photo Editor. The basic complaint, which is repeated over and over, is that either a) clients are demanding more return for less money, b) competitors are offering more for less, or c) some unholy union where a) and b) have gotten together and didn’t invite anyone else to the party.
The solution offered is usually…
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Thanks (again), Ventura County!
For the second year in a row, Ventura County has voted me “best photographer” in the Ventura County Reporter’s “best of” readers poll. Thanks everyone for voting! I’m extremely touched and humbled by the honor. I attended the VC Reporter gala this evening to receive my award. Here’s a link.
That First Paid Job: Five Fashion Shooters Tell All!
I wrote a post a little while ago where I interviewed three top fashion photographers, and asked them to tell the story of their first paid fashion shoots. What they had to do to land the job, how the shoot went, what did it lead to down the way, any funny stories or helpful tips to share etc. Fashion photography is something many photographers aspire to, and it can seem like an impossible leap from “wannabe” to “fully employed”. Which is why I continue to ask the question: “tell me about your first paid fashion shoot.”
This time around, we’ve got five—FIVE!—established fashion photographers revealing the juicy details of those first forays into the business. Read on to hear the stories of Richard Warren, Jason Christopher, Jordan Doner, Hugh Kretschmer and Chloe Crespi.
And by the way, if you leave a substantive comment on this post, I will donate a canned food item to a local charity in your honor.
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