Archive for August, 2009

Going to the Wal-Mart and…

By Patricia On August 28, 2009 In Graphics, Photography, Travels With 4 Comments Permanent Link to Going to the Wal-Mart and…Permalink

Meant to post these along with the Matt and Talat wedding photos, but then got caught up in other things and never got around to resizing and editing. It doesn’t help that my laptop at home is increasingly slow and useless when working with Photoshop. It won’t even open Photoshop and Illustrator at the same time without crashing one or the other. 

After the wedding ceremonies in the cabin, we all headed to dinner and, obviously, to the local Wal-Mart. Because who wouldn’t do that on their wedding day? It was fun times roaming around the beer aisle with a party of dressed-up people and, oh, is that person wearing a WEDDING DRESS?!

 

Other projects— My dad asked me to design some business cards for him, and I thought it would be a good idea to use one of the many old family photos that he uses on his website. The font was meant to match the old/historical theme of the photos. The quote says “Memories are the only paradise from which we can never be expelled” or something like that, but again, we thought it fit perfectly with his theme and website, which does focus on “uncovering” these photos from past. The photo and quote are powerful enough to get people’s curiosity going, hopefully encouraging them to want to find out more.

 

For printing, I used this shop in Tempe called Think!, which I recommend to anyone needing printing services in the area. Great quality, price, and quick turn-around (even same day!), and awesome customer service. The only thing I was kinda ‘eh’ about was that the old paper, rustic effect on the text size didn’t print out too well. The color didn’t match and it was far more faded than I thought, so you can barely see it. I don’t think that’s their fault or anything. It’s just so tough to know what printers are calibrated to. I’ll have to look into that for next time. 

For those of you on Twitter, I succumbed to the mob mentality, and @jacysmith’s bullying, really, so feel free to follow me. I’ve come to realize it’s true value for sharing links and updated info, so don’t expect it to be full of TMIs and details about what I ate for breakfast (no offense to anyone who does, ahem, Jacy…). Anyways, here goes nothing @patriciaelenie

Online projects

By Patricia On August 13, 2009 In Graphics, Multimedia, Sailing With 6 Comments Permanent Link to Online projectsPermalink

This website has always focused on my photography, particularly my concert photography, but I also work on online projects here and there. We’ve had a few trainings at work to improve our multimedia skills. Until recently we were working with HTML and CSS. I particularly started playing with JQUERY.

I wanted to share a project I undertook, mainly to have something to practice on that, in the end, could potentially have some applicable use. I would like to have a more comprehensive portfolio of online work. I have the skills to put together portfolio-type personal websites, so I figure, why not market those skills? Since lot of people nowadays are interested in having their own .coms.

So I combined three things I like: photography, web-design and sailing into one project:

Click on the image to go to the site, or HERE. It’s not really ready to “go live” as they say. The text is mostly just whatever, but it gives you an idea of what the website could look like.

Now, moving onto Flash. For years, I’ve been stuck with ActionScript 2, but we’ve just started learning AS3, and hopefully I’ll have a few more project coming my way to develop those skills further. Here’s an interesting project I worked on last week, about what’s probably the WORST marathon on the face of the planet. It’s 135 miles right through Death Valley, in JULY. Check out the photos, soundslides and story. It’s just fascinating that people, sane people, willingly choose to do something like this. You have to give ‘em mad respect though.

I worked on the interactive graphic part, but I also had to do quite a bit of research and (gasp!) math to get some of the time averages. Overall, an interesting project, but hopefully next time I’ll be able to code it with AS3 and save me a variety of headaches.

Anyone need a website? I’m what you’d call, cheap labor.

Judas Priest @ Dodge Theatre

By Patricia On August 9, 2009 In Arizona, Music, Phoenix With 4 Comments Permanent Link to Judas Priest @ Dodge TheatrePermalink

I got a ton of great photos from the Judas Priest show on Friday. Even though it was at the Dodge Theatre, which usually doesn’t have a pit for photographers. But since it was a heavy metal show, I guess they do put a barrier and some space between the crowd and the stage. The guys worked it out with goodwill, even with our cameras right in their noses. I love shooting these type of shows. Rob Halford and company were jumping around with tons of energy, making for easy good shots. There are a ton more photos over at azcentral.com, and you can go see them (but come back!) by clicking here.

Now, I’m sure you’ve noticed the website is looking different. Love it or hate it, I just wanted to try something radically different, and it’s a proven fact that photos look better on black backgrounds, or so I vaguely remember hearing at school. At any rate, I’m sure I’ll get tired of it soon enough and try something new again. The banner was inspired by the sticker/photo pass that photographers get at every show. They’re all different, and some are pretty cool. I really liked the shape of the Judas Priest one, so I nabbed that one and Photoshoped the hell out of it.

I was excited about shooting the Bob Dylan show on Tuesday, but it was canceled because of the ‘heat’. WTF@3$%^ were the organizers expecting in an outdoor venue at 5 p.m. in AUGUST in PHOENIX? Did they think it was going to be mid-70s with a light breeze?

An open letter to Keith Urban and his ‘People’

By Patricia On August 2, 2009 In Music, Phoenix, fail With 8 Comments Permanent Link to An open letter to Keith Urban and his ‘People’Permalink

Dear Keith Urban and People,

I appreciate that you, as a music superstar or superstar associate, have the right to dictate all aspects of media relations. For example, you can determine where photographers stand during your shows, how many songs they can shoot, etc. Perhaps there are certain aspects about photography that you are unaware of, which is totally acceptable since you’re not a photographer. I’m interested in clarifying this. If you place photographers 50 rows back at the same floor level as everyone else, it makes it rather difficult if not impossible to get a decent shot of the performer that doesn’t include at least half dozen heads. Not to mention that it’s rather discriminatory to height-challenged photogs, such as myself.

Listen, maybe you do understand all that and you just don’t care. I’m not being facetious when I say that I get that maybe you just don’t care to have photographers bobbing up and down in your face at the start of your concert and you would rather have them at a considerable distance. I am, personally, completely ok with that. It is after all about the music. But give us a ledge, some stools or just let us stand on empty chairs. You can place me two miles away if you’d like but at least allow me a relatively clear view of the stage. All I’m asking is to be given a chance, some hope of at least one good picture. 

Why even invite photographers when you’re going to treat them so shabbily? You don’t invite people to your house and then make them sit in the laundry room (although I’m sure Mr. Urban’s laundry room is a palatial abode compared to most places I visit or live in).  

That said, I must praise you on the nice hi-definition screens you had at the venue. Very nice. Still and all, I must politely ask for a reimbursement of the $27.13 I spent to rent a lens that ended up being useless, it not being submarine telescope. Feel free to contact me through this website. Thanks! 

Your most humble servant,

Me

 

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here are some (mediocre) photos from the Blondie show @ Dodge Theatre. I freely admit I did not procure the right lenses, feeling a little burned out after the Keith Urban and Kid Cudi/Asher Roth debacles (the latter one didn’t have photo passes for me). I crossed my fingers and hoped there would be good enough lighting and unfortunately that was a major FAIL.