A girl, her camera and a fat cat.

Thank you Spike Jonze for making amazing music videos again!

2010-11-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

You are bringing it back to 1995. Now if we only had Alternative Nation to watch it old school style.

Cats + Driving + Rocking Out + Explosions = Best Video Ever!

2010-10-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I can watch this over and over and over again......

5 Years Later....

2010-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone that knows me, knows how much I love New Orleans. This past weekend was the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Some people might argue that the city is fully recovered but it sadly still has a lot of catching up to do. Sure, walk down Bourbon Street and everything looks fine and dandy. But if you venture to the non tourist destinations, you will still see the struggles that people are still facing to bring life back to normal. Mario Tama was able to capture different stages of the recovery through his lens. He initially went there as the levees broke and then went back a few years later and now has returned recently to document the rebuilding of the city and the life of one of the most amazing cities I have ever traveled to.

Thank you Tierney Gearon for reminding me why I love film!

2010-08-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Two words: DOUBLE EXPOSURE!

Tierney Gearon was one of the first photographers that I really got into when I started working as an art buyer. She has this way of capturing a moment that should feel intrusive but she somehow magically transforms it into something very personal and somehow endearing.

Cabin Fever

2010-04-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Back in February, we all got together in the woods to celebrate my amazing friend, Cory's birthday. The cabin we stayed at was the shit! Wood burning stove, projection television and a hot tub which is my favorite. Sharing the cabin were a group of talented photographers that attended ICP with Cory. One of the photographers, Kelly Shimoda, captured me in my natural habitat. When I say "natural habitat" I mean me in a hot tub in the middle of the woods. She just sent me the photos and I just love them! Normally, I really don't like being the subject but she definitely did a wonderful job photographing me plus she still shoots film which gets more bonus points!

© Kelly Shimoda

Enough about me........let's talk more about Kelly and her photography! I fell in love with her series The Last Skate. I have such nostalgia for old school roller rinks. The images take on a life of their own through color, lighting and the energy them seem to convey. Here are my favorites:

Thanks so much Kelly for sharing with me and look forward to our next cabin adventure!

The Selby

2010-04-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a small book signing at Jane Hotel for the photographer, Todd Selby. Todd is releasing his first book this Spring called The Selby is in your place. This project consist of Todd photographing creative people all over the world in their natural environments which normally is their homes or studios. I just love the honest endearing feel that he captures. It shows you how their surroundings influence their creativeness and how their personalities come through in everything.

If Todd can go by "The Selby" can I go by "The Stella"? Just a thought.........

Future Islands.....You are so awesome!

2010-04-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a really great video for Tin Man by one of my favorite Bmore bands, Future Islands:

Future Islands - Tin Man from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

If Kitties Ran the World

2010-04-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how this photography series somehow slipped by me. It is flippin amazing! Tim Barber created this miniature city ran by kittens for Vice magazine.

Please note the mini 40s of Old English and the tiny little Budweiser cans! Malt liquor has never looked so cute before......

Just when I thought I could not find any inspiration tonight.......Man, I would of paid them to be on this set.

Doggie Portraits Never Get Old!

2010-03-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

I think these images from photographer Maarten Wetsema can speak for themselves.......

Oh man!

First Big Bike Ride of the Season!

2010-03-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

With the temperatures in New York being in the seventies this weekend, I decided to finally get back on my bike and ride! How I have missed my long bike rides over the winter. Since I was a bit rusty, I wanted to see how far I could ride without injuring myself. I really wanted to ride all the way to Fort Tilden but didn't fully end up there:

I did see ocean which was exciting. Here are some pictures I took with my iphone from my journey.

One thing I did come across that made me sad was storm damage. Apparently, the bad storms we had recently took away my favorite bike path. So sad. Let's hope it gets fixed before the summer.

Oh Wes Anderson....How Do You Make Me Feel Better All The Time?

2010-03-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today I was having one of those melancholy days. Maybe it is because Spring is almost here finally and I am completely over this weather! Whenever I am feeling a bit blue, I turn to my old and dear friend, Wes Anderson. I can not tell you how many times I have seen all of his movies. There is something magical about his films. I am not sure if it is the way he envisions his work or the genus play list each movie has. He is just amazing. So for this Tuesday night which we are anticipating yet another snow storm, I leave you with some Wes Anderson trailers:

Bottle Rocket:

His first film which is brilliant.

Rushmore:

My first introduction to Jason Schwartzman!

Royal Tenenbaums:

His big Hollywood film but hands down, my favorite. I can't even start to imagine how many times I have watched this movie.

Life Aquatic:

One of my least favorite movies from him but the scene when they finally find the Jaguar shark is so amazing.

Darjeeling Limited:

Considered his growing up movie, this touched me in a different way then his normal films. Can't really explain it but just so great!

WTF Vampire Weekend

2010-02-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

So I came across the new Vampire Weekend video for "Giving Up The Gun." I am not sure if I like it or if I am just really confused on what the hell is going on. And is that really Daft Punk making a cameo?

Polariod 100 Project by Lina Scheynius

2010-02-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

The Swedish photographer, Lina Scheynius, is best known for her very intimate and provocative fashion work.

As I was exploring her site the other day, I came across a section called "Polariod100Project." Lina's reaction to when Polariod announced it was stopping production on it's film was to create a new project for herself. She has a series of Polariods from 2007 and 2008 for sale on her site. Each cost 100 euros with a number, signature and a little note saying where and why it was taken. The series is quite stunning.

Open Call for Artist!

2010-02-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Recently, me and my friends started a artist collective called blanks nyc.

It consist of djs, musicans, artists and anything else you can think of that invokes creativity! We started with a small mix CD party then it evolved to a monthly dance party at Broadway East with bands, djs and lots of visuals. Our next venture is an art show that is open to everyone! It is titled "Blank Magic." The show deals with the idea of modern talismans which is open to interruption. The basis of this show is very DIY. You show up that night and put up your work and then you take it home with you. We are organizing a swap at the end of the night with whoever is interested. So you can take home an awesome unique piece of artwork!

Date: Sunday March 14th
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Location: Cameo Art Gallery
93 N. 6th st. Brooklyn, NY

For more information on the show, click here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=260257929463&ref=ts

For more information on blanks nyc and to become a fan, click here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Tiger/121576306614?v=info#!/pages/blanks-nyc/176065278682?ref=ts

Can't wait to see what everyone creates!

Michel Gondry

2010-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Oh Michel Gondry.......how I love you!

Mia Doi Todd "Open Your Heart" dir. Michel Gondry from Viewers Like You on Vimeo.

The Other Side of Jersey

2010-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

As I watch the amazing show, "The Jersey Shore" (please be aware of the sarcasm), I remind myself of an whole other side of the armpit of America state. Joshua Lutz has a really great series he did that depict the seedy side of the area in Jersey know as The Meadowlands. His portraits and landscapes are both captivating and mesmerizing. It makes you never want to live there but also makes you want to know everyone's story.

My year in photographs

2010-01-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Moochie - The cheese ball obseesed talking hamster!

2009-12-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

The ad agency, David & Goliath, created a bunch of webisodes called "Moochie." They are about three dead beat roommates who have a talking hamster named Moochie who is obsessed with cheese balls....AMAZING! The ultimate goal of these shorts are to promote a car company. I think it is brilliant in the sense of how not so in your face the product placement is. Well sit back and enjoy the tale of the talking hamster:

Oh yeah, and Dan Deacon did all the music for these!

Jason Frank Rothenberg

2009-12-14T17:56:00.001-08:00

I recently came across the work of Jason Frank Rothenberg when I was researching album cover art. He shot the cover of the latest Dirty Projectors album cover which was everywhere this year. I was surprised to see his body of work which was not at all what I was imagining. A lot of times when you see music photographers, their work tends to fit a specific mold. I am not saying it is bad, but just expected. Jason completely pushes his work way past that line.

His work has this very fantasy whimsically feel to it. He captures the light so preciously and the muted colors tend to have this dreamlike feel. Even his simple landscapes transforms you to another place.

Ever have one of those days?

2009-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dophins with Wings, Cats on Rollerskates, Rainbows......

2009-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Can it get any cuter then this?

I really don't think so! New York Lottery launched their new campaign and it is brilliant! The moment I saw the print ads on the subway, I was obsessed. Their interactive website just kept the cuteness going. Check it out:
http://sweetmillion.com

I am having a problem finding the print ads that were done for this which are running in the NY subways right now. But the commercial is so amazing! If you ever have a bad day, I suggest watching this over and over again.

Whartscape 2009

2009-07-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I traveled to the far off land of Baltimore, Maryland for the Whartscape Music Festival. This is a 3 day and night music festival that D an Deaco n puts on every year. It is a mix between bizarre experimental music and indie rock! This was my first time in Baltimore which just really reminded me of Philly. We had to catch a bus back to New York on Sunday night which made us miss Dan Deacon but left on a good note to
Future Islands rocking out on stage. This weekend was fulled with fluorescence fanny packs, pizza for every meal and a can of Natty Bo when ever we got a chance to pound one between sets. All and all, it was a great weekend. I was on music overload! Here are images from my trip:

Kinda funny that none of these images have anything to do with music. Oh well. Here is a link to my friend, Nate's, music images from the festival to give you a better idea of the randomness this weekend turned out to be:

Impose Magazine

And I will leave you with yet another kittie image. This one is from the coolest menu ever!

Diana Camera

2009-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I made my first camera purchase in years and instead of buying a long over due digital camera, I decided to kick it old school. I bought a Diana camera. For those who aren't familiar with this camera, it is a replica of the original Diana camera from the 60s. It is a plastic camera that takes 120 film. This camera captures a vignetting image with a soft focus to it. Here are some examples of my test roll that I shot with at the Clinton Hill bar, Sweet Revenge. Please keep in mind that I am still experimenting with this camera so lets hope the images get better the more I shoot!

By the way, I bought the flash for the Diana Camera which turned out to be fun! It comes with a bunch of colored gels which I have not experimented with yet. But it has a bulb setting which allows you to shoot with a flash then let ambient light bleed in.

And it also allows you to double exposure. KITTER!!!!

Listen and See - Grizzly Bear

2009-06-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard of the band, Grizzly Bear....You must be living in a cave! This Brooklyn based band has been everywhere. I mean everywhere! I was flipping through some gossip magazine the other day only to quickly see that their new album, Veckatimest, reached #8 on the top 10 selling records of the week. Bizarre. I knew they were big in the New York scene, but to be among Hannah Montana, that is just crazy! And how can we forget their publicity plan gone awry when they released an actual bear in the suburbs of Philly. Oh silly indie rockers! Here is a great images of the band on the Asbury Park boardwalk. The colors and lighting gives the image an eery and dreamy feel to it which I also get from their music.

I am so out of the loop, I wonder if they are getting played on MTV now. Oh wait, MTV doesn't play music anymore.......silly me! Well here is their kinda creepy video for Two Weeks off their latest album.

I am getting flash backs to my Catholic school days. Churches kinda scary me just a litte and this video is so not helping.

Mark your calendars for their free show in Williamsburg on August 30th.

Polanoid Fun!

2009-06-15T20:01:00.001-07:00

My cubemate introduced me to this site where you download this software and then it magically turns any digital photo into a polaroid. Well, when I say a polaroid, it really isn't an actual polaroid but it is allowing me to be somewhat creative. The site is called Polanoid and it is completely addicting. I started with the standard cat picture. Here is the before and after pictures:

Not only does it create the amazing square format and polaroid border that you love so much, it gives the image a soft focus and distorted color. I decided to experiment with some of my actual art work (sorry cats). I was pretty impressed with the outcome. Here are some images I played around with:

By the way, I would still prefer a tradional polaroid any day over the digital version. It is completely still not the same!

Listen and See - Andrew Bird

2009-06-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am still working on getting a solid title for this addition to my blog but this time around, here is Andrew Bird:

He has definitely creeped into my necessary daily music listening. Wait, here is another image from the same shoot and photographer, Cameron W ittig:

Listen and See - Modest Mouse

2009-06-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Music and photography are two of the strongest elements in my life. Both push my creativity everyday so I wanted to have them collaborate together somehow on my blog. I have decided to post one amazing band photo every week. Band photography always intrigued me. I really love when the imagery somehow reflects the feel and personality of the band and their music. When I was first entering the world of photography, my dream job was shooting for Rolling Stones or Spin magazine but that never worked out. I did enjoy a 3 month period of working at Music Choice where I was a somewhat photo editor there. I got to look at music photography everyday! Below is a really great image of one of my favorite bands, Modest Mouse, shot by an equally talented photographer, Chris Anthony. I think I am drawn to this one image and Anthony's work due to the theatrically aspect of it.

Zach Galifianakis - Brillant!

2009-06-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

I thought I needed to write about the other person that I have been stalking in my hood recently as they film an up and coming HBO series called "Bored to Death." I am not sure what exactly it is about but it stars two of my favorites: Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis! I had the pleasure of walking right next to them the other day. I completely had a moment with Zach. He might of not noticed, but I totally did! He is on his way to blowing up....well....blowing up in the good way! He stars in the new comedy "Hang Over" which I am kinda excited to go see. When
ever anyone ask me who he is, the first movie that comes to mind is "Out Cold." Most people probably have not even seen nor heard of this movie but it is definitely a cult classic. Well, maybe only in my head it is a cult classic. It is the stereotypical stoner movie but is all about snowboarding and a ski resort in Alaska that is going to be sold to a big evil corporation....blah blah blah.....you pretty much know the plot. But I fell in love with Zach in that movie. I am not sure why or how but he is just that guy! It is funny because Jason London was the star in the movie when he was kinda big (was it him or his twin bro in Party of Five..probably doesn't matter that much) but now every review of that movie puts Zach as the star! He completely deserves the attention!

Here are some really classic interviews of Zach for your enjoyment:

NY Times

NY Mag

Here is one I found from my good friend, Nate's, magazine:

Impose Magazine

I really like this one below which is Zach talking about how he met some of his famous friends. I particularly like how he met Fiona Apple: "I remember going up to Fiona and saying something like, 'I have diarrhea.' " Hehe. Why am I like 12 years old all the time?

Paste Magazine

Ok, get your butt out there and see his new movie! I am sure he will provide some giggles for you!

Another Reason Why Portland is So Amazing!

2009-05-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I have been freelancing for Scholastic recently doing photo editing/researching. My favorite way to focus while working is to listen to music. I have found my love for Pandora Radio again. It is great to find new music although it seems to have a problem with trying to tell me that I should like Coldplay even after I give it the thumbs down over and over again. Just like Radiohead....my ass!

So one of the bands I came across was Blind Pil ot. I was initially attracted to the simplicity of their music. It has a very folky pop feel to it and the vocals are prefect. Alright, maybe it is a bit hippy but I will always be one in my heart! Not only their music is amazing but they are just amazing people in general. They come from the great faraway placed called Portland, OR. Last year, they went on a tour of the West Coast via bikes! I mean they transported all their gear and everything with their bicycles. I couldn't even imagine. It must of been one hell of a journey.

After listening to their album, I couldn't stop. It is that album that I could just sit on a porch in the middle of the woods, drink in my hand and just watching the fireflies around me. It is the perfect summer album for me. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I have.

Yet another reason why I need to move to Portland.

Jason Schwartzman-How I Heart Him!

2009-05-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I found out that this band I started listening to recently was none other then Jason Schwartzman's solo project. I was never really a fan of Phantom Planet but his new project I am kinda digging, Coconut Records. I came across some really great Polaroids of him on Band of Outsiders website. They actually have some really great imagery on their site. There is a mix of clothing, photography and legos, yes, legos. Apparently, they are obsessed! Anyway, here are some of my favorites of Jason for your viewing:

Bust Craft Fair

2009-05-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, I decided to take a break from Dumbo and the NYPH to enjoy some crafts! One of my favorite magazines, Bust, was having it's spring fling Craftacular in Greenpoint. It was a complete mad house but still a lot of fun. I got some really great ideas for projects I want to start on while enjoying yummy little cupcakes from Nine Cakes. Everytime I go to these fairs, I feel overwhelmed. I can never make up my mind on what to purchase. Every corner you turn, there is something else that is ever cooler then the previous booth. So, after a long debate in my head, I decided to purchase a print for my room. Seattle Show Poster has a really great and affordable selection. They even had glow in the dark prints. Amazing! Well, I finally decided on the "Unhappy Puppet" print. If you saw my room, you would understand. I have this taste for bizarre animal art. It sounds weirder then it actually is.

After a minor mishap at Matchless enjoying a post craft fair cocktail, my print somehow ended up in water. I was unhappy just like my poster! But I am glad to report that the poster is doing well and I am giving it some TLC to repair the water damage. Important lesson learned....do not bring art that you just purchased to the bar!

Well, here is a wish list of goodies I came across that day:

Me and my nature themed jewelry. Plus, someone used a lazer cutter....amazing!

© Ach Ach Liebling
Come on! Who doesn't want a stache necklace? Really??

© pinecone + chickadee
Not only is it the cutest card ever, it is the cuteness name for a company.

© kg + ab
Um, yeah! Does this make me a crazy old lady because I want to collect little knick knacks of little ceramic animals? I really don't think so!

© Beehive Kitchenware
If only I had a fancy kitchen to put this in.

Who Wouldn't Want to Ride on a Gaint Panda? Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

This video makes me happy!

All the way from the heart of Bed-Stuy, comes the Brooklynite Gallery

2009-04-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I ventured uneasily into the heart of Bed-Stuy for an art opening that I only heard about from my friend, Sarah, who heard it from her father that lives in upstate New York. I was a bit hesitated to journey out there for a show and gallery I knew nothing about. It takes 2 buses to get there (of course we did a car service.....1 bus-fine....2 buses-no way!) Once we got there, I was completely relieved and overwhelmed! The building itself was amazing. You first walk in to a normal gallery space and think that is it! But once turning the corner, there was a huge backyard that had grass, walls with art work on it, dj and bar. It was probably the coolest gallery I have been to in awhile. I always struggle with the idea of having an outside viewing area but it completely worked here. And the amount of people in attendance was surprising considering how far we were from public transportation. So enough about the gallery space, the artists are truely what took center stage! The two artists were Joe Black and Miss Bugs. Although they are both completely different in technique, the themes of iconic imagery was what brought them together. Here are some examples of their work:

Miss Bugs:

Joe Black:

Seriously, get your butt there to see this show!! It is worth the two buses.......the show is on till May 2nd! Even if you miss the show, this gallery is worth checking out.

http://www.brooklynitegallery.com/

Coney Island....Sad.....

2009-03-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was feeling adventurous and decided to ride my bike all the way to Coney Island. I am not sure why I needed to do this because it was so not beach weather! After the long journey, I saw ocean. It was quite amazing since I have been stuck in my apartment for months dealing with the worst winter. As I rode my cruiser on the boardwalk, I started to notice things. Everything was under construction. So sad! I knew that they were tearing down Coney Island and I have seen pictures but I still don't want to believe it! What are we suppose to do on those random hot summer afternoons when we have nothing better to do then sit on the subway for an hour to get the beach? Rockaway? Oh man, every other beach is going to be crazy crowded now. So in honor of Coney Island, I am going to post some of my own images for the first time. These are from a random day that me, Brian and Chris decided to sit on the beach for hours. That was one of my favorite summer days in New York that I can remember.

Williamsburg Art!

2009-03-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

So this weekend, Williamsburg had all their galleries open late in conjunction with the Armory Show. I never realized how many galleries there are! I found one on the block I lived on for a year that I never even noticed. Kinda amazing! Although some of the art I saw was not the greatest, I did enjoy a couple of shows. The first show I came across that I really loved was at the gallery, Like the Spice on Roebling and South 2nd.

The artist was Rahel Beach who works with wood veneer and oil paints. Each piece was very individual in shape and color. I loved the way she would paint on the piece which would somewhat mimic the natural grain of the wood. She took something so organic in form and made it very delicate.

So I moved on the Mccaig Welles gallery which was having a show of Nick Kuszyk's robot art.

Kuszyk is a pretty well known Williamsburg artist. He has a huge mural on the wall of The Bagel Shop on Bedford Ave. I managed to get to this show 10 minutes before closing and noticed all the red dots everywhere. The show was pretty close to sold out and I am not surprised. The walls was covered in all different sized wood pieces painted with his signature robots everywhere. The larger pieces had so much intense detail and colors in them while the smaller ones were very simple yet just as enjoyable!

There is something that I love about Brooklyn art over Manhattan art. It feels more raw and less portentous. Unfortunately, I never made it to the Armory Show this weekend but it was still an eventful time!

The End of Tradional Darkrooms Everywhere?

2009-03-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Mia, sent me this article which made me a bit sad.

http://www.richardnicholson.com/darkroom/

Richard Nicholson is doing a series that is documenting the few wet labs left in London. It is a bit scary to think that something so intriguing and important as learning how to print the traditional way, will become extinct. Many schools that teach photography have already traded in their wet labs for new digital labs. Students will go through 4 years without even picking up a film tank or waiting intensely to see what will appear on the paper once it hits the developer. They will not fully understand dodging or burning and contrast filters. Sure, Photoshop has all these features but are not as hands on then a traditional darkroom. Call me old fashion but you need to learn the basics before jumping on the computer and pressing a button here and there till you feel fine with the results. There is also something that is very relaxing and grounding spending hours and hours in the dark printing.

Michel Gondry

2009-03-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Due to the amazing technology of YouTube, I am able to catch up with shows that I can not watch on a normal basis. HBO has really not impressed me lately since the end of Six Feet Under and The Sopranos. I thought this till the word leaked out that my favorite director, Michel Gondry, was directing an episode of The Flight of the Conchords. You could imagine the excitement that shot through me! Although I am not the biggest fan of the show, the thought of this collaboration was amazing. Both have this unique kirky sense of imagination. Gondry did start his career out making music videos but put that aside for a long time to work on full length features. He is someone who makes you wonder how his mind works? How does his thought process even begin . Visually, everything is breathtaking! So long story short, here are the clips of the episode that aired in the middle of February. They are very fun and light music videos that make me fall more in love with Gondry. Enjoy!

The world might be ending!

2009-02-03T09:26:00.001-08:00

So, last night I was enjoying a nice evening in New Jersey with the folks when there was something that felt like an explosion of sorts. After investigating the house for anything strange, we just wrote it off as some random noise that only affected us. This morning I checked my email only to discover that it was an earthquake! What is going on here? Earthquakes in North Jersey?

Bring it on! I am ready for it!

I am back!

2009-02-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

I have taken a bit of hiatus from my blog recently but will be back in full force thanks to my purchase of a spanking new computer!

Yay!

Andreas Gursky Goes Electronic.....

2008-11-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight at the Matthew Marks Gallery, there will be an opening for Andreas Gursky's new series of The Cocoon Club in Frankfurt. In this series, he is combining his art with his love for electronic music.
Gursky is famous for producing large scale images of nature or architectural structures. Often people are present in his images which tend to create a very graphic feel to the photograph.

Matthew Marks Gallery
523 W 24th st NY NY
Opening: Wednesday, November 5, 6-8
Show runs till December 24th

Election

2008-10-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

The election is around the corner and you can feel the excitement in the air. I spent the whole day just watching political videos on YouTube! It is amazing how many people out there can have completely different views. Also, how the media can be so bios. A part of me feels like we will never actually know the truth about a lot of different issues the candidates have. I do know who I am voting for and pray to God he wins!

Sad to see the princess go!

2008-10-30T16:16:00.001-07:00

This week and last, I have been studio sitting for a painter that was commissioned to come over from Italy to paint someone's portrait. It was a really great experience to just witness the progression that went on during the whole process. Having a background in photography, I feel not as educated in painting as I should. So that said, I am going to investigate some modern painters for you! Be back in a few with some for you...........

Wow.....Last Halloween in my 20's......

2008-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Crap....totally getting old!

sad times.......

2008-10-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

With all this time on my hands, I have been catching up with my advertising and media gossip. It is really quite sad right now. Every day a new magazine folds......a moment of sadness for Radar.....

I found a website that was created solely for tracking the death of different publications.

www.magazinedeathpool.com

Scary!!!

Another blow would be my past employer's ultimate competitor, Digital Railroad. They sent out an email to all their photogs giving them 24 hours to retrieve their images before they delete everything. Needless to say........people are pissed! For everyone that is not a photo nerd like me.......Digital Railroad was a service that photographers paid for to digitally archive their images for extra protection in case anything happens to their computers and hard drives. It was driven on the idea of keeping your images extra extra safe. Long live Photoshelter....oh wait.....nevermind!

One more thing that makes me sad.....Getty finally bought Jupiter Images for $96 million! Can someone smell a monopoly?

Aaron Ruell

2008-10-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by now, photography is my main love in life. Through my career as an art buyer and photo editor, I have been exposed to many genres of photography. When I was working at BBDO, I had the job of tracking all the portfolios that went through the whole department. This was great because I was able to view so many commercial portfolios that not everyone gets to see. It is amazing to see how different certain photographers could be with their commercial work and their editorial work. Terry Richardson's commerical portfolio was very different then his standard editorial work that I was familiar with. One photographer I came across but did not get the chance to view his book was Aaron Ruell. More people might be familiar with him as Kip in Napoleon Dynamite.

But he is also an accomplished photographer and film maker. What I love about his photography is this bizarre retro feel that he captures. He creates these characters that are surrounded in an equally bizarre environment. His set design is fantastic! Definitely, not anything I worked on for Bed Bath & Beyond!

I would love to know what goes through his mind while he is creating these images. Does he create the environment around the character or vise versa? There is such detail with every little thing that is in the frame. Also, his graphic layout of the images are amazing. I am sure a sucker for graphic imagery.

Here is a perfect example of someone doing commercial work while keeping to their own personal style:

Amazing................

Check out his website:

www.aruell.com

He also has some stills from The Postal Service video "We will become silhouettes" on his site.

He is currently with Giant Artist which ironically represents Jeremy & Claire Weiss who I attended County College of Morris with back in the day. Their stuff is also great! More band and celebrity work:

www.day19.com

Flood Gates Opened.........

2008-10-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

So......yesterday.......while Princess watching.....we had a little problem. When I say "little problem" I actually mean a very, very big problem. Apparently, plumbing is not one of my skills! I learned that you must turn a knob to the right and not to the left to turn off water.

Photo by Stephen Swintek/Getty Images

So needless to say, I caused a huge ass flood in my friend's studio. Steaming hot water started to fly everywhere. I was soaked!!! Not knowing what the hell to do, I closed the bathroom door and ran for help. After coming across architects that knew nothing about plumbing (stupid arcs), the super came to my rescue. So there I was......completely drenched, the owner of the studio running around trying to save everything and everyone from below coming up and complaining about a small leak they are having. It took five guys with wet vacs to clean up the mess. But the most important part was.......the painting was saved! I learned a valuable lesson which was......don't touch anything!!! So my punishment was to sit all day with wet unders being cold and really uncomfortable! Now I can laugh at it...yesterday was just tears!

How I chose the poor life of a photographer..........

2008-10-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

So one of the main reasons I wanted to create a blog was to talk about photography. Photography has been my passion since I was 10 when I found my father's old National Geographic magazines in the basement. And when I was 16, he gave me his prize Pentax K1000 camera. Everyone knows this camera. Back in the day, it would be the ideal camera to start off with. With digital now, everything has changed.....sad.......

The Pentax K1000 was a very simple manual camera. I feel when you have the least technology, you are able to focus more on the the image itself. At times, I wish I could go back to the basics and not over think while I am capture an image. So that said, my first true venture into photography was photography 1 at Roxbury high school. At first, it was an easy way to go to the parking lot and smoke a butt. When ever the security guard would find you, all you had to do was pick up your camera and politely notify them it was part of class. Surprisingly, this worked! Photography quickly turned into my favorite class! Once I hit the darkroom, I was hooked. I really need to fish out some of my earlier work. It is really bad but it is great to witness the transformation my eye and skills over the years. I remember I was so proud when one of my pieces got chosen to be in a show at the Ledgewood mall. Got to love Jersey for somehow involving the great mall with everything possible.

From tap dancing Jersey girl to "freelancing" Brooklynite Part 1

2008-10-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

OK. So I am bad at this whole biography about myself but figured just in case someone randomly comes across my blog and has no idea why they should give a shit about me or not............you probably won't anyway......but here is my journey from a tap dancing jersey girl to a "freelancing" Brooklynite:

I was born in a tiny town in North Jersey called Mine Hill. The town was so small that it was a huge cerebration when we received our own zip code but was sad when we had to share another town's police department. I am the youngest of three kids. My sister, Michelle, was the perfect daughter. She was a good student and star soccer playing in high school and then went on to marry her college sweetheart. Currently, she is working on the 2.5 kids and a cute little dog named Bella. We shared a room together till I moved out at 21. Ever night would consist of her throwing my smokey clothes in the hallway (only smokey from the 5 hours I spent at the dinner...um...eating cheese fries and watching other people smoke). She also had the tendency of not letting me turn on any lights in our room past ten. So, as you could imagine, it was a difficult tasked to somehow maneuver into bed with a billion stuffed animals covering ever inch of my bed (my mom would not let me get rid of them...I swear) in complete darkness without making a peep. Man, sharing a room with someone blows! We also had an imaginary line in the closet to divide our clothing and was only allowed to have two posters on the wall. Of course, I had my beloved Nirvana and Sonic Youth posters up. My sister's taste was more like 10,000 Maniacs and Bon Jovi. We grew up in different worlds but are now closer then ever. I just saw Rachel getting married and completely related to the sisters' relationship. By the way, that movie was really good. I almost cried....almost!

So I guess this entry is more about me and my sister. I will continue on with my journey to Brooklyn in a later date. This blog will hopefully be an outlet for my loves in my life:

-photography

-music

-saving the earth

-and my fat ass cat, chubs!!!! (seriously, she is the most amazing creature you will ever come across)

First blog on this raining saturday afternoon........

2008-10-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to start a blog due to all this free time on my hands right now. It is number 12 on my to do list while unemployed. Today I am studio sitting and thought....instead of watching a bunch on crap on Youtube, why not be productive? So here it is world.........Erin Stella's thoughts and images for everyone to enjoy! As you all know, I like to ramble and ramble on about nothing with no point....so hopefully I will ramble on here rather then rambling on to my friends!

So that said......enjoy!