I am a happy photographer today!  Here’s a peak at one of the portraits (below) I took for Fonte Coffee Roaster’s feature in Wine Spectator.  Should be on newsstands in the next week or so!

Moving on to Bigger and Better things…

It’s been all about graduation around my world for the last couple of weeks. Here are some of the shots I took recently for our graduation “campaign” (if you could even call it that). I’ve been doing similar images for our gift department and so it was fun and kind of a challenge to photograph product that all pretty much was similar in one way or another. (Meaning: Purple)  Even though the shots of my “Husky LOVE” couple didn’t make the cut in the end….they deserve some recognition, somewhere, even if just on the world wide web.

This season of moving out and into the unknown has me thinking about the areas in my own life – specifically my  personal work and photography that will be moving and shifting in the coming weeks and months.  What opportunities might arise. Hmmm…yes….but more about this later.  Now it’s about YOU kids and the bear hug the real world will wrap you up in in a the next few weeks.  That is…if you haven’t been snatched up already.

Happy Tuesday!

Thought I’d quickly post a couple of examples of the illustration I was working on today – I have been creating faux vintage Penguin covers for our New, Used, Bargain campaign at work and each one has been a lot of fun. Visual puns are hard – so it’s been a great creative challenge to not be totally literal, but also allude to familiar imagery.  The almost finished product above and the full jungle scene below.  My other covers can be found here.

They say, ‘Do what you love.’

My post the other day about people showing me what they do and what they love got me thinking about what I would want to show & tell right now.  Many of you might know that I have been working as a photo intern for Seattle Magazine for the past five (!) months and I’m often telling people I am busy on certain days or have photo shoots, but they never get to see the full extent of what I do during that time.  It kind of sounds fake when I’m saying it to them.  So here’s a play by play into last weekend’s assignment in the lovely neighborhood of Eastlake!

Usually what happens first is I get an assignment and shot list from my editors – phone numbers and addresses of places to photograph.  This is the legwork part – cold calling. Bleh. But this method is 100% better than catching a business off-guard, willy nilly – most everyone I have ever talked to has opened their business up with open arms, so generous with their time, space….and food!  Then the fun part begins – exploring!

I don’t know what it was about this particular assignment, but it made it’s way into my heart a little.  The conversations and people I met in the area were so inviting, laidback, and welcoming – eager to promote not only their business and the area – but the businesses of their friends down the block.  I was momentarily welcomed into the Eastlake club – the community.

I find that each time I push passed the “hassle” of calling, of meeting strangers, not having the weekend to myself, and the inevitable wall that comes up when you are about to do something you really care about – and get out there and shoot -  I am more and more confirmed that this is what I love doing.  God blesses me with joy and confirmation in my work.  He gets me out of my bubble and into the way of people that are dynamic, interesting, and talented.

Now it’s just a waiting game of two or so months until I find out which six photos they chose from the hundreds that were taken!  We shall see. We shall see.

It’s HERE!

The Christmas (retail) Holiday Season, that is! Earlier and earlier every year, it seems.  I overheard a barista being asked this weekend if he had eggnog yet.  Which he didn’t.  He said to the guy, “Yeah, we’re getting it in a couple weeks.  Didn’t know that Christmas started after Halloween.”  He was totally serious about it, which made it awesome.

It’s interesting thinking about what is already here – Thanksgiving (next week!) -  and then what is not here anymore, namely a bunch of my gear, cause my house got tricked and treated Halloween night.  I’ve been robbed before, but I found myself getting really sad about the photo shoot I had done that day.  All of the conversations I had with business owners and cafe people, their generosity with their time, their hopeful expectations of the photos of their pride and joy.  All of it gone.

I’ve had a few weeks to let it all sink in, and somehow it helps to celebrate the holiday season ridiculously early as a way of softening the blow.  I find that without technology my nights and weekends have more time for knitting, writing, organizing photo albums….reading….cooking.  Not a bad upside, I’d say.

Thought I would share a couple of photos from the upcoming Comfort & Joy holiday campaign I’ve been shooting and designing over the past couple of weeks.  In my continuing effort to further my brothers modeling career, I put him smack dab on the cover (not to mention on banners hanging in store windows, and in the next few weeks – Public Television!).

The last few campaigns I’ve found that in my creative process  I will hit a wall and feel completely lost.  Then a few days later I will look out on the designs/images I have created and find that there is no logical explanation for how it all managed to come together.  Not from me, that’s for sure.  I have to give credit to my Savior. Seriously.  I find that it’s not logical because the creative process is so…other.  Spiritual? Maybe. But that sounds very…Oprah.  The video below is the closest I can come to the description of the emotional roller coaster creatives are on when they create work and the ultimate realization that we must make that we are merely co-conspirators in all of this.  I’m not sure of Gilbert’s belief in God, but I know that what she is saying is worth talking about and makes sense when you look at it from a Christian perspective.  My job is to show up.  Be faithful with the talents I’ve been given.  And marvel in the grace of getting to revel in the benefits of a job well done.

Summer is a season for SALES!

Thought I’d share a couple of projects I’ve recently enjoyed designing at work.  The Dover sale (above), kept me busy this week, and had the added restriction of being type-only.  I enjoyed the “challenge”, but snuck a few circles in there for good measure.  The design easily lends itself to different variations and combinations – which makes my job a whole lot more interesting.  The illustration for the Mountaineers Sale (below), was just fun to do.  I went for a vintage travel poster feel – but could have spent a bit more time on the hiker – his calves are intense!  Will be working on website this weekend – soon there will be more examples of my work to gander at!