day 033

today's fun was trying to color balance for the next shoot and realizing that not all my lamps are balanced the same.


no bueno. will write more later

day 032

today was the first day of on model alternate view photography. the first day of a shoot that lasts until mid january. today was for men's outerwear and we only had one model, the senator Tim, from new hampshire. on monday we kick off women's with two models per day for the remainder of the shoot.

all in all, not a bad day. definitely a rough start, but it ended on a positive note. the bummer about the day, all the work with trying to match lighting the night prior was a waste. because i made a decision without consulting anyone else, the "anyone else" was a bit shocked with the change come this morning's first shot. for some odd reason, i took it a bit personal. i know it wasn't meant to be, but i felt beaten down. i am not saying anyone was rude or disrespectful. not at all. i think the feeling came because i was trying to improve on the appearance of my work and make it better and more visually appealing, and that was not welcomed. that just kind of stinks when you do something you feel good about, and then find out you just screwed up.

anyway, bummer.

what creative fun was had for the day? nothing really. i didn't work on anything. i was at the studio until nearly 7, then straight home to let the boy out of his crate to pee and poo. then to nicole's, then dinner, then back to the boy, then back to nicole's, then sex then bed. pretty darn busy day. there is some indirect creative-ness to mention for the day. congrats to tugboat for getting a positive response from your proposal.

i will have an f-ton of time to be creative this weekend. the lovely lady-friend is out of town, so i will be weeping behind my camera all weekend. mostly because she will be in dallas in 80° weather enjoying my old stomping grounds. ¡no chinga bueno!

day 031

today's creative fun-ness? nicole and i trekked up to the studio to set up for the men's outerwear shoot. we dialed in the lighting for tomorrow and also finessed it enough to match the lighting being used in the catalog for on-figure silo. so that was good. not super creative, but a definite step in improving my studio abilities.

what i really need to do soon is something completely off the wall creative. just a stupid little graphic piece or something.

day 030

first off, i am a day late on posting for this day. flat out pathetic.

yesterday was a long day for me. i could list some reasons why, but they really don't matter. i say that not to belittle the items, but mostly because they are in the past and they are resolved. so i don't feel the need to reflect on them now.

but let's get to the meat of this post! the creative work of the day! can you feel the excitement!?!

i test printed the raw file from the delta print. i needed to see if it was corrupt or not. and now you are wondering if it worked!?! right!?! IT DID!!!!!

the raw printed from my work computer to the work printer. so, i don't think the file is corrupt. that is the good news.

that is it.

day 029

oops, i forgot to post yesterday. well, i didn't really forget to. i think i just got too frustrated and pissy to want to get back onto the puter and post.

i was trying to post up a revised food portfolio for steve on picassa. i posted my shots at their full size (16x10" @ 100 dpi) in hopes that he could then pull down which ever ones he wanted and still have them at a decent size to post to his site. after i posted everything and reorganized it so that it was in the flow i wanted it to be shown, i took a gander at the whole piece as a slide show. and for some f-ing reason, everything was look extremely desaturated. so i thought that maybe it was just because they were on the web, and when steve pulls them down he would have them back at their original saturation. so, i pulled one down from the web and opened it in photoshop next tot he original. nope, still desaturated.

so i figured i would just burn them to a cd and hand it over on my way home the next day. no big deal. so i deleted to album and the order i hand placed everything in. this is where i got frustrated and pissy. i didn't think to record the order.

that burned me, but i was already in a pissy mood even before that. after i got home i went for one of the best runs i have had in a long time. i didn't do an especially long distance, only a little over 6 miles. but it was the energy i had and the speed at which i ran. i swear i could not slow down. i felt like i was sprinting for nearly all of it. and on the uphills i was keeping pace with what i usually ran the downhills on other days. it felt great. usually that just wakes me up and i am gunned for the rest of the evening. but not this time. nor did i get hit with a tsunami of ideas like i typically do. weird.

i did have one good idea. i thought of shooting a guy and gal in a vintage car in a typical make-out spot at night. the shots would be about the the garments no about the models. so not really fashion photography. for example: camera looking dead into the side of the car, with the door open and the guy standing tot he right of the door with his shirt off and pants slightly undone. the crop is a landscape and you don't see his feet or anything above the top of the stomach. his hand is resting to his side with a lit cigarette. in the car, out of focus, you see a female pulling back on a stocking. the scene is that they just finished their naughty escapade. all the shots would be about the garments, with the bodies and the naughtiness out of focus and not the center of attention. something to expand on for a future test hopefully.

so, what did i accomplish yesterday? i did make pegs of all my food portfolio pieces and edited out the ones which i would not show. that is a good thing. now if i could have just saved the order.

day 028

what a productive sunday. started the day off with a run home from farmer nicole's. showered and hit up the good egg for breakfast, then split to whole paycheck. nicole kept me on track and we picked up a few veggies to test with. made it back to the casa and just started testing. first carrots, then some strange orange looking tomatoes thingys, then the coffee beans. actually picked up a few new shots.

hasta

day 027

most importantly, it is my b-day. i turned 30 today.

what did i do creatively today? nothing. i did nothing, and i am oddly okay with that. i felt guilty about it for the beginning of the day, but then realized it was not that big of a deal. that was also after nicole and i decided to knock out some hands holding fruit and shit shots tomorrow. now that she is on it, i know they will get done.

but now i am hitting the sack early. hasta

day 026.2

i had the joy of taking the second half of the day off. i had some intensely pleasurable activities planned. i had molar #19 removed. removed is putting it pleasantly. it was more like 4 injections of novocaine, 1 set of sturdy surgical grade pliers, 2 set of arm restraints, wait, that was a different pleasure to the day.

anyway, they yanked that SOB right on out and i now have a gaping hole in the rear of my left jaw. i was hoping the left side of my face would be so numb, and the absence of a tooth would be so bloody, that a stream of blood-drool would slowly seep from the corner of my mouth as i strolled the aisles of whole foods looking for a decent, non-vegan, soup. but i wasn't that lucky. anyway, i will have a pick of the crown they removed from the top of the tooth. they let me take it home in a miniature manila envelope. as soon as i can get it under a macro lens you are in for a treat.

but before that delightful experience i was able to go through my portfolio with our new york photo sales rep. i was also able to show her some of my newer work and get her opinion on some concepts. that went well and i received some positive feedback.

after the dentist, i tried running a print of the delta image. the weirdest thing is that it would not print. it would not send the file to the printer queue. it would do nothing. i was able to print another document. but the delta just wouldn't come out. i still never did receive a quote from the young lass from portland color.

i will have you printed, i will have you shipped this weekend along with a pair of snazzy boots to pat for Halloween.

oh, and i started the cleaning of my work space. pretty good start.

i also picked up a few veggies and fruit to shoot a test with this weekend. trying to help a brother out with a pitch to a new client.

oh, and tomorrow is my b-day. no, tooth = no solid food for a few days. guess the b-day feast will have to wait.

day 026

it is way too early in the day for me to actually be posting my productivity.

but i have to just share the amazing cupcakes i had this morning! dulce de lecce! f-ing amazing. hold on, let me say that again, but in all caps. F-ING AMAZING!!!! did that still not get the point across, how about all caps, italics and red. F-ING AMAZING!!!!!

big shout out to Elise for the above and beyond gesture! ¡mucho gracias!

day 025

i am a day late posting again. i can not make a habit of this, but at least i am getting to it.

not too much to report on the day. worked, had a nice dinner with associates, then back tot he casa for a shower then running a few more product portfolio prints.

spoke with a friend about testing a few shots this weekend, so i have some fun stuff on the horizon.

that is about it.

day 024

a new day, yay!

so i finished designing the poster for the portfolio review, and i printed the poster and i trimmed the poster and i took a pic of myself with the poster. cause, why wouldn't you?

i am strongly hoping that the printer paper i ordered will have arrived today. i need to knock out some prints by tomorrow and have them trimmed out and such.
we shall see. there may be an amendment to this post before end of day.

and here is the amendment: i printed more portfolio pieces. and i also ruined a night for someone i love, albeit inadvertently. i am too often inadvertently an ass.

day 023

a rough day. just long, and my workout didn't really help relieve the tension in my shoulders. but who cares, it's another day.

actually, i forgot to post yesterday, but i was somewhat creative. i had to design a poster for the portfolio review happening this friday. so i started that, but i didn't finish it until the next morning (aka, this morning).

so not a total loss, but more could have been done.

day 022

mostly i worked with the images mahlia and i shot yesterday. i tweaked a few and placed them into my portfolio spread and such.

i also worked an exterior shot of Emilitsa. both of those are done, so i can hand those over this week.

i just wish i was a better architectural shooter.

day 021

very productive day. started with a wonderful meal and company @ local 188. then off to home depot to grab some beautiful astro-turf.

mahlia and then took off to the studio and shot our asses off. very fun stuff.

here is a sampling.

there is more to come.

day 020

i am a rock star!

well, maybe i still have my training wheels on, but i am coming close to having the removed. i say this because i wrote my name in candied sugar tonight. i had wanted to see if i could create a new self logo out of the hardened confection i saw used on the desserts at Emilitsa. well, i gots it tonight. i think i did cook it for too long and it came out a bit dark. but, it might be a blessing in disguise since i will more than likely back light the logo. so the darker the confection the more it will hold its color over light.

i was also able to get out and pick up the majority of the props needed for tomorrow's test with mahlia. i grabbed marble rye, pastrami, grainy mustard, pickles, chips, parchment paper, etc. we meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. @ local 188. from there, off to the studio.

i also ordered printer paper so i could finish printing my portfolio for next friday's review.

on the topic of printer paper, and photo supplies as a whole, can i just say i hate photo market on forest ave.? well, maybe not hate, that is a rather strong word. actually i think i view it more as job for the photographically retarded. think of the boy bagging your groceries at the super market. kinda has the stubby fingers, elongated forehead, narrow eyes (yes, i am talking about down syndrome). that is pretty much the same image i get of the people working at photo market.

i am not pompous all the time (don't argue that point with me). but i will become a big prick when someone working behind a counter speaks condescendingly to me and tries to tell me how to do my job. if you are such a good photographer and have superior knowledge and skill to me, then why are you having to work behind a counter to pay your bills? fucktard, whether i am a talented photographer or not, i at least make a living taking pictures.

so the first time i walked into photo market i got attitude fro them, and there has not been a time since that i have not been greeted by some arrogant prick.

long story short, i called there today to see if they had the paper in stock that i needed for my portfolio. it was around 3 on a saturday, and they were closed, which just boggles me in itself. anyway, here is the conversation i had with photo market:

photo market - "photo market, we are not actually open today, just here cleaning. how can i help you?"

me - "i don't see how you could help me if you are not open today. i kinda need to buy printer paper. do you carry epson velvet fine art paper?"

pm - "we carry a small selection of epson papers and a large selection of other brands comparable to epson"

me - "okay........thanks"

guess you just had to be there. the guy sounded like an computer automated corky voice.

back to the original point: i may not exactly hate photo market, but i strongly despise them and would suggest that anyone else in the market for photographic supplies minus the arrogance go somewhere else. also, they strongly support nikon. nikon lost it's professional edge as soon as people started shooting digital. it is what people use to shoot ill-composed shots of casco bay with a fucking oil tanker in them (seriously, i saw this shot on a postcard for sale in the old port today. look honey at the majestic beauty of the portland water front! let's send it to cheney!)

blah blah blah. time to rest these betty davis eyes.

day 019

what did i do today? i would be lyin' if i said i was über productive. it was more of a planing day. mahlia and i made plans for sunday testing.

another bit of planning i did was to head to le roux kitchen and grab a silpat. this is what i need to make my name out of candied sugar. i think i will play with making some tomorrow.

i also spoke with sara @ zane about helping her with some new photography. we are meeting at 1pm tomorrow to talk details.

what, what, what else. i think that is it. now i must eat before i drink.

oh....one more thing i almost forgot. i started working on a new marketing piece for myself to showcase some food photography. i was going to design it to fold out to a larger image of cheese, with pear and honey. on the outside it was to have a pic of a cow on one side and the mailing info on the other. when i put it together, it just did not look that appealing. it had a very amateur feel to it. maybe i will try and massage it a bit when i am back at the studio.

day 018

a day late, i know. it was an interesting day yesterday. not necessarily one i wish to repeat anytime soon. i had a chunk of shit on my mind and i couldn't quite shake it. not until late last night.

i was productive in the fact that i woke up early and went for a run before work. usually this would have destroyed any creative dams. didn't quite have that effect though.

i was also productive in the fact that i could not sit idle while at work. so for the first half of the day, i trimmed out all remaining 4x6" mailers. those are done, so i guess i can't use them as an excuse any more.

i also started jotting down some shoot ideas:

- meat heart - yeah, just as it sounds. i want to get those really think steaks and stitch them together to make a heart. not exactly sure why, but it could make for a good prop in a shot.

- my name minus the honey - i need to figure out some way to have my name show up in honey. basically, imagine a wall with a very thick pour of honey running down it. in the body of the honey, my name is excluded from the honey and showing just the wall.

- spiked heel - a spiked heel driven through a raw piece of steak. high contrast and poppy.

- Bresca table top - i have a shot of a place setting at Bresca. i want to shoot other proteins and veggies and breads separately and then print, and layer over the original printing of the table top. think about the delta shot using glass and prints to layer a shot rather than using photoshop.

- shooting ties - i want to shoot a series of nice expensive ties on dress shirts. the models wearing the shirts and ties would have their necks and forearms all tattooed up. this would only be shown in the shadows and not as the main subject. so basically a subtle hint. very moody lighting and dark.

- t.v. and boobs - i want a normal looking female to hold an older looking t.v. that is showing a pornographic image of a female body. basically showing the juxtaposition of reality and fantasy between true and fake beauty. of something metaphorical like that. i also want to do the same thing with a man in some fashion.

i wish i could better explain the final idea, but mahlia is nagging me to actually work and shoot something on set.

hasta.

day 017

friggin lame. all i did today was trim post cards. but hey, i hear talk of new testing on the horizon.

day 016

i am done printing my 4x6" mailers. i completed printing the backs this evening before heading out for dinner with the fam.

no, i only need to print off a few more prints for my portfolio, and i should be completely caught up for the portfolio presentation next friday. yippeee!!!!!

day 015

this day has flown by. it seems that there were less hours in this day than normal. i just woke up and ran home only a few hours ago, i swear i did.

i did alright today. i was able to knock out some work at the studio while the shoot was on vacation. stuff i would not have been able to get done while if we were in production.

i worked an image for emilitsa. it was a shot of the exterior of the restaurant that i took the other night.

i have printed all the fronts to my mailers and i am not starting on the backs.

today was rather mundane then. i swear i will get back to some more original and fun stuff. i think having my parents in town is sort of holding me back. i hate saying that because their presence is far from a burden, so i don't want it to sound negative. just sometime your priorities change, and right now my priority is spending time with me family. when they leave, my priority will go back to working creatively.

the thing that sucks about today; i had some ideas earlier in the day. i think they came to me while i was running. but now i can not remember them. i think i was conjuring up some more ways to play with layering on set, and not in photoshop. but i can't remember what the subject matter was.

i did have one idea for shooting food. i was going to head over to tu casa and just start popping off shots of the food right there in the restaurant when i order it. they have the fake wood table surfaces, green and red salsa in syrup table jars, cheap napkins, everything. i thought it might give it that Sauveur feel.

another good thing about today, i found myself yearning to shoot something and be creative. i felt a bit stale today. so maybe this blog thing forcing myself to create is actually training me to be productive every day. to the point that i have withdrawals if i skip a day. almost sounds like a vice in a sense. i could hang with that. gettin' my fix of putting some stupid idea on paper or on the puter.

day 014.2

just one more pic to toss in. i thought it was fun

day 014

i know the day isn't over yet, but i wanted to work these shots and get them up before i didn't have time later.

my parents, nicole and i started off at local 188 for brunch, then headed to a farm to check out a local cheese maker. so, i snapped along and i think i will be using a few of the shots in my portfolio. i think some of the shots of the cows will work well on a spread with some cheese shots. who know, it is something to play with and it is creative. yippeeee!!!!

time to shower and get ready for dinner. maybe write more later, maybe not.

day 013

again, runnin' around with the fam. we walked around p-town, took bertie about and just kinda hung out in some beautiful weather.

so what did i do creatively? i printed mailers. yup i was running prints before the parents came over for dinner. i knocked out a quarter of what i have to get done by 10.23, so that ain't too shabby.

anyway, back to run around with the fam.

day 012

wow, again with no true creativity.

once i split form work it was time to meet the parents and walk the dog, and grab dinner, and now rest. i was going to try and run some prints tonight, but i am wiped out from the day.

here is one thing. tomorrow we go on a bit of a cheese excursion. so i packed my camera and needed items to grab some shots from the farm where we will be watching them make cheese and tasting some as well. so, maybe a little story cheese series for the portfolio. either way, i plan on shooting tomorrow.

i know, it doesn't really count. i will try and make it up.

day 011

i think today (even though i am posting the morning after) was probably the least productive of days since i started this project.

it wasn't a bad day, or too busy of one. i worked all day with the talented and supreme stylist mahlia carrey (i say that only because i know she reads this crap), then headed home to get a walk with the pooch in before my parents arrived in town. i did go through numerous food magazines at work yesterday and pulled tears to use as inspiration. i also brought home a 4x6" mailer that i was going to print. i did have the intention of printing off a few before bed last night. but everything was thrown out of whack when my parents arrived 2 hours earlier than expected, and the fact that i stayed at the lady friends house last night, so i couldn't make any prints.

so, complete loss? did i just waste away on the couch and not even bother planning or thinking of anything to work on or towards? no, not really, but i still don't have much to show for the day.

i won't let it happen again.

day 010

today was a pretty busy day. it started with me being startled at how late i had slept.

the day wasn't bad, just a less than relaxed start. we had a meeting, and went to work.

as for the creative part of the day, not too much to report on that end either. i did trim out the prints i made last night, so that was productive and good, although not that creative.

i had run out of paper last night, so i ran out to the photo store in sOpO to snag some more, but they were out of the 13x19" size, so i had to grab the 8.5x11" size, which i will use to print mailers tomorrow night.

at home, i started trying to align my front and back layer in the photoshop file so i can print double sided and have my trim marks line up. again, not exactly creative, but productive towards other creative endeavors.

i also grabbed 3 food mags for me ti pilfer for new concepts. i am about to hit those up, then crash.

hasta

day 009

nothing but prints today. printing, printing, printing. there is a portfolio showing next friday, the 24th and i need to have some new stuff printed for it.

i also worked on a 4x6" mailer to go along with the portfolio showing.

but i ran out of paper. and i think i am also nearly out of ink. oh well, buy more tomorrow.

so creativity today: designed a mailer, printed about 10 new portfolio pieces.

day 008

i don't think i have a heck of a lot to report. as far as the creative aspect goes, i worked on more of the Emilitsa images (http://picasaweb.google.com/zackbowen/Emilitsa100408) and also burned a dis of the images for the restaurant to sift through and make picks.

i was able to go running again today. not the best run i have had, nor the worst. i didn't get hit the creative landslide like i normally do. i kept having the same idea replay in my head. i kept seeing the image of a man with deer or bear head, shirtless, wearing a tie and cuffs but no sleeves and cuff links. you don't see below mid-torso and it is light dark and moody with the emphasis being on the neck tie and cuff links. the fact that it is an animals head is almost in the shadows and not really the point of the image.

also, the animal heads are not cute. they are oddly realistic, but some how slightly distorted. like the deer expression would be one of being calm and smooth, like he owned a night club. yet, still not in a comical way. i can see it, but i just can't write it.

so maybe i will start trying to track down an artist to make me some animal heads. could be fun.

good night.

day 007

today has been a pretty pleasant day. i had a great meal at local 188 for breakfast, met with mahlia and discussed ideas for new tests, and the sun was out.

after breakfast i headed straight to the studio to knock out my rooster project.

a little back history as to why i started this project. pat once told me of a tom robbins quote which reads "i long to greet your delta like the rooster greets the sun." we were both smitten with the imagery the sentenced evoked. i thought it would make for a great poster and immediately had the layout and composition in my head. i also thought it, being the final poster, would make for a great gift to pat.

so now the poster is done, and i will be having it printed this week and shipped out to pat as a belated or very early b-day present.

just so you know, there is no photoshop, aside from creating contrast and cropping, done to the image. i printed out the image of the rooster, which i had shot some months ago, and all the text. the red background was a piece of paper i painted some time back. i used clamps and plexiglass to have the pieces hover over one another. so, all in one shot.

day 006

today was amazing. it was one of those days that everything was hitting on cue, all was right on the world. i could not take the smile off my face.

i first went for a nice walk with bertie to grab some coffee. made it back to the house and started working on prints for Zane (shopzane.com) as a "thank you" for letting me borrow some threads for the last test i did. gathered my prints, pulled my gear and headed out the door. stopped by Zane and handed over the prints then headed over to Emilitsa.

if you are in the portland area and looking for an amazing meal go to Emilitsa. i would have said the same thing weeks ago before i was welcomed in to shoot their food. i have never left with anything less than a sense of euphoric-belly-bliss. the food is amazing, the service is above and beyond, and the atmosphere is modern, well thought out, simplistic, intimate and cozy. i cannot sing enough praises about Emilitsa. there is not a single detail left out of the experience: flavor, hospitality and atmosphere.

so today i was able to get in and test with their food. most of the time when you test, you may shoot a 100 shots and walk away with only one to show in your portfolio. today was the rare occasion when everything you shoot works. some are better than others, yes. but their was not a single dish that left the kitchen that would not photograph well. this was probably the most fruitful and easiest food test i have ever been a part of. Demo, John, Kaitlin (i hope i am spelling her name correctly) and Mark were open, easy going, hospitable and very receptive. which is something to consider when i am hovering over their every move in the kitchen with a lens nearly pressed against their cheek or hand trying to snap a capture of the craft.

i don't know what else to say, except thank you to Emilitsa. i cannot say thank you enough.

here is a link to some quick shots from the day. check back because i will be adding more to the album possibly over the next few days.

http://picasaweb.google.com/zackbowen/Emilitsa100408#

day 005

the day isn't over yet and i still might pull a rabbit out of a hat.

i need to go back to the studio and finish some admin work that i will not have time (or want) to do saturday or sunday, or any time next week, blah blah blah.

i did make a new header. i had a friend tell me to stick to photography when he saw the original header. and i also pulled all my gear for tomorrow's test. so i have been productive, but i still want to play some more in the studio. but i know if i start to play this evening i will not accomplish the work that actually supports my paycheck. those are a bit important. so who knows.

day 004

i forgot to post last night, or rather, i didn't post last night. i remembered to. i did further a project along, and i also set up a date and time to shoot in Emilitsa for new food portfolio pieces. so i was productive, i just didn't sign in to log my entry.

anyway, i also went running yesterday after work. it was the first time i had the time and energy to get out in about a week. i had forgotten how amazing and energetic and creative i feel after a run.

now i must run into the shower and get to work. for your enjoyment, i present my new cock.

day 003

i thought i might not be creatively productive today. i had a long day of running around town, loading and unloading. the mind wasn't really kickin' into full gear for the most part. my mind was stuck on what i wanted to accomplish this weekend, and how i was going to finagle space in the studio to accomplish it.

anyway, i did get something done. i started and then shelved a poster project nearly a year ago now. it is a reference to a Tom Robbins quote. over the last 11 months i had done various parts of it, but never finalizing any of it. so tonight i took several steps closer to completing the poster. i printed 3 of the 4 pieces needed for the layering. i will print the 4th piece sometime this week and then be able to shoot the final piece during the weekend. good times.

i was also able to run a few test prints of new portfolio pieces.