Topics

1

Graphic Design & Illustration / Graphic Designer Wanted

« on: July 07, 2011, 10:04:54 AM »

Posting this for a friend who's looking for a designer for the ad agency where she works.

 Graphic Designer -- Mid Level -- min. 2 to 4 yrs. exp. Award-winning, full-service ad agency seeks energetic, organized, and ambitious talent to join our eclectic team of professionals in a relaxed and creative work environment. An exciting mix of projects and clients in hospitality, IT, political, retail, automotive categories and more awaits. Projects include ads, web/coding, direct mail, corporate ID and high-end collateral. Must send digital samples AND SALARY REQUIREMENTS to be considered. Candidates must have an outstanding portfolio showing examples of high quality, high-concept ads and  collateral/dm design. Requires demonstrated ability to work directly with clients and vendors and success with managing projects and solid Mac skills in InDesign, Illustrator, DW/Flash/HTML and   Photoshop. Illustration skills a plus. May start on a contract basis (INCLUDE HOURLY RATE). Full-time positions include great healthcare, retirement, other benefits. Send resume and any relevant materials to graphic_designer_opp@yahoo.com. NO CALLS please. EOE. References required

2

The lounge / Oscar Wilde's quote about art being useless...

« on: January 12, 2010, 01:12:51 PM »

Today I discovered a site called "Letters of note" which collects and post letter from notable figures.  It's pretty cool.  The link below goes to a letter that Oscar Wilde wrote in response to a graduate student asking for clarification on a line in the preface to "A Picture of Dorian Gray" that said "All art is quite useless."



http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/11/slaughterhouse-five.html

3

Photo Discussion / New Polaroids

« on: October 15, 2009, 11:24:43 PM »

I took my Polaroid 320 and some Fuji color pack film to Los Angeles with me on a recent trip.  I love the Fuji...such blue skies!



The rest of the set is here:
http://bit.ly/17dhuw

4

Graphic Design & Illustration / Full-time gig for graphic designer

« on: October 09, 2009, 11:25:12 AM »

I work for a consulting firm that works on government marketing and education programs to protect the environment and children's health.  We're looking for a full-time graphic designer for our Arlington office.  The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience, familiarity working with the Adobe creative suite in a PC environment, be skilled in designing for print and web, and have solid flash animation skills.

Email me if you are interested in being considered.

Kerri
ksindc@yahoo.com

5

AOM Archive / not Brashed, but.....

« on: June 14, 2009, 08:12:23 AM »

Last night at some point, someone left a poster behind the peep show box.  It was a signed and numbered print of a collage of UPC codes in red and blue.  Someone thought that they had seen the same image on a post card on one of the lower floors, so I walked around and tried to find it, but had no luck.  While walking around, though, found another artist who had been left the same poster.  There was no note or anything on mine or theirs. Have other people gotten posters left in their space?  Any idea as to the source?

Kerri

6

Photo Discussion / Digital Polaroid?

« on: January 08, 2009, 03:15:21 PM »

Review: The Polaroid camera is back, in digital (AP)

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch Wednesday 07th January, 11:07:55 PM

 
LAS VEGAS - A strange little ritual used to go along with Polaroid cameras. The shooter would grab the print as it came out of the camera and wave it in the air, as if that would stimulate the chemicals and make the picture appear faster. It didn't. Yet it felt dumb to just stand there, waiting for the picture to develop.

Polaroid stopped making film packs last year, so this little piece of tech culture will soon be just a memory. But just as the film-based Polaroid camera is fading away, along comes its digital replacement.

That's right: Polaroid was set to announce Thursday at the International Consumer Electronics Show that it is introducing a digital camera that produces prints right on the spot. You can even call them "instant" prints, but they take nearly a minute to appear, so they're only as "instant" as the old film prints.

Essentially, the $200 PoGo is a camera that contains a built-in color printer. It produces 2-by-3 inch photos by selectively heating spots on specially treated paper. It has nothing to do with the old chemical Polaroid process, but the prints convey some of the same Pop Art charm: They're grainy and the colors are slightly off, with faces tending toward a deathly blue-green.

The camera is a successor to a standalone printer Polaroid put out last summer, designed to connect to camera phones and digital cameras. When I reviewed it, I noted that if Polaroid combined the printer with an image sensor and an LCD screen, it would be a resurrection of the instant camera. It turns out that's exactly what Polaroid was working on.

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait to get your hands on the camera: Polaroid says it will go on sale in late March or early April.

The camera is a fun product, and people who have been lamenting the death of the Polaroid will find solace in it. Its prints can be peeled apart to reveal a sticky back, which makes them easy to paste on fridges, doors, books, computers, cell phones and other surfaces you want to personalize. For a colleague's going-away party, I took a photo of him, printed out a couple of copies and pasted them on soda cans for an instant "commemorative edition."

The PoGo also has crucial advantages over the old film cameras. You can look at what you shot on the LCD screen, then choose whether you want to print it. You can produce multiple prints of an image, or print something you shot some time ago.

The standalone printer and the new camera use the same paper, which costs $5 for a 10-pack, or $13 for a 30-pack. It's expensive compared to inkjet paper, but about a third of the price of Polaroid film (there are still stocks in stores). No ink or toner is needed.

Despite its high points, The PoGo has the feel of a first-generation product, with noteworthy shortcomings.

As a camera, it's primitive. It doesn't have auto-focus, just a switch for infinity or close-up shots. The resolution is five megapixels, far below that of cheaper compact cameras. Neither of these things matter much for the quality of the prints, which are small and of low resolution anyway, but they do matter if you want to use the digital captures for other purposes.

Like some other cheap digital cameras, there's a substantial lag from the time you press the shutter to when the picture actually is taken, making it nearly impossible to capture action or fleeting expressions.

The prints are narrower than the image captured by the sensor, so you can't print the exact image you see on the screen. Substantial slices are trimmed from the top and bottom of the image to produce the print. In the default shooting mode, the camera doesn't warn you about this effect. You can crop images you've shot, zooming in on parts of them, but there is no way to reduce the size of the image to fit it all on the print.

The life of the rechargeable battery is limited, because of the energy needed to heat up the prints. You can get a bit more than 20 prints on one charge if you do them in one sitting. If you make a print only now and then, you'll get fewer on a charge, because the camera will need to heat up the print head every time. (The old Polaroid cameras didn't have battery problems, because most of them had batteries built into the film packs — a brilliant design. But enough nostalgia.)

None of these flaws are fatal. If you don't like the way the PoGo works as a camera, you can shoot pictures with another camera that uses an SD memory card, then move the card over to the PoGo and print the pictures. But if that's what you plan to use the camera for, you might as well buy the $100 PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, which is slightly smaller. It doesn't take memory cards, but will connect to other cameras with a USB cable.

The camera is much simpler to use than the printer, and it fits the bill for those who want to recapture the simple, spontaneous spirit of Polaroid shooting. Sadly, Polaroid declared bankruptcy in December because of troubles at its parent company. That puts the future supply of PoGo printer paper in question, but Polaroid is still operating, and it appears it will continue for the foreseeable future. In any case, it's likely the portable printing technology will live on, because what it does is unique.

___

On the Net:

http://www.thenewinstant.com

7

Photo Discussion / Woot Shirt today

« on: November 03, 2008, 02:00:30 PM »

for photographers...

www.shirt.woot.com

8

Photo Discussion / Cats with Cameras

« on: November 02, 2008, 01:11:50 PM »

Someone who wanted to know what his cat got up to during the day created a camera that attaches to their collar and takes a picture every 30 seconds.   There are some interesting and beautiful photos in the user gallery. My faves are:

Cooper
http://mr-lee-catcam.de/pe_cc_u16.htm

and
Goliath
http://mr-lee-catcam.de/pe_cc_u11.htm

See all the galleries here:
http://mr-lee-catcam.de/pe_cc_u.htm

If you want one for your cat/dog, the hard-to-find order page is here:
http://mr-lee-catcam.de/pe_cc_o1_en.htm

9

General Art Discussion / Someone to do portraits in Boston area?

« on: September 12, 2008, 08:12:50 AM »

Can anyone give me a recommendation for a portrait photographer in the Boston area?  I need to get some corporate executive head shots done for my company, which is headquartered in Watertown, MA. 

Kerri

10

Photo Discussion / beach polaroids

« on: August 25, 2008, 10:41:32 PM »

I spent a couple of days in Rehoboth this past weekend.  The weather was beautiful and I took a bunch of Polaroid 669 color film with me.  I got some good results, but I honestly think the color is a touch more vibrant with the fuji film.

See the full set here: www.adifferentvision.com/polaroid4.html

Here's a little taste...

11

General Art Discussion / Kerri - day to day

« on: August 21, 2008, 09:53:21 PM »

The Challenge of Creating for Money for the Government

I didn't see the note asking for posts yesterday because I was too busy at work to get on my personal email and worked late getting ready for today, so I'm a day late, but hopefully not a dollar short.

Today was a full, long day in the glamorous  world of video production.  In my day job, I am a project manager at an environmental consulting firm, doing marketing work for the Environmental Protection Agency and I'm one of the few people in my firm's marketing practice that can manage a video shoot, so I serve as the in-house producer at my firm.    Working with a shooter and sound guy from a local production house, I produce marketing videos for a couple of different program areas at EPA. 

This particular video is one I've been working on in dribs and drabs for almost two years.  For me, that's the hardest thing about doing anything remotely creative while doing work for the government:  the timelines.  My natural inclination is to have a pretty short attention span, so staying excited, committed and focused is sometimes difficult when projects get drawn out like this.   But, luckily, I also have a side that becomes bull-headedly determined to finish something, come hell or high water, after a certain point when a bunch of time and money has been sunk into it.  That's the part of me that keeps my government work on track. 

Today's script was something I have kicked back and forth with the client for several months now.  I believe what we shot from today was version 18.   The video is about a specific approach to home improvement that centers on making your home more energy efficient.  We've been capturing b-roll for the last two years as EPA people have been having improvements done at their homes and the scenes we shot today were the stand-ups and demonstrations that brought all the other visuals I've been gathering together.  The "talent" were two program managers from EPA (I wasn't allowed to hire actors), only one of whom had been through media training or done any video work.  We ran their lines for 3 hours on Tuesday and 2 hours yesterday and still needed to rent a portable prompter to get the job done.  But we DID get it done, and we'll go to editing in September, so I'm really in the home stretch now.  That was the goal today, was to get it done in less than 10 hours and get us over this interminable hump we've been stuck on for the last several months.

In shoots like this, I serve as both producer and director, which is challenging.  I have a couple of really great shooters that I work with, though, and they are an enormous help.  The one I worked with today is particularly good at making sure I get everything I need, questioning me when I need it, and helping me stay focused, especially toward the end of the day, when my brain gets a little mushy.  These days are tough for me, though, and I can't imagine doing this every day for my job.

In the end, I think we got good stuff today, but we all worked hard for every bit of it.  Doing something like this makes me realize how lucky I am to have occasional outside projects where 1) I use actors instead of non-actors, 2) I only have to be producer, not director, and 3) I can make something that actually gets finished and out the door in less than a year.

I think that the drawn out nature of what I do for a living is the reason I get so fiendish about my art at times.  I was thinking about this today, particularly in regard to how I've been with my Polaroid the past couple of weeks. I love the instant nature of it so much.  I love being able to capture and manipulate the image, then have a print in my hands on the spot.  Each photo produces a little rush, each one is like a little hit of something good, even the bad ones.

Which is different from when I do sculpture.  My sculptures seem to wax and wane and the creative portion of it is more like my job...I can circle the same tree without making any progress for a long time...the sculpture has a different instant quality though, one that feeds the obsessive part of my brain...as I continue to work and work the clay, I see and feel every change, which can be very satisfying.

That said, I like what I do.  I like my work a lot: I like the fact that I can do creative projects, that I supervise our creative services folks and can help guide and direct their design work, and that my job is about more than managing a budget spreadsheet and sitting on conference calls all day. 

Tomorrow, I'm headed to the Delaware beaches for the weekend and am taking the Polaroid.   More to follow.

12

Photo Discussion / Self-polaroids

« on: August 17, 2008, 08:33:00 AM »

I did some self-portraits with my polaroid yesterday.





the other two are on the front page of my web site...www.adifferentvision.com

13

Photo Discussion / I took my polaroid sailing today

« on: August 14, 2008, 11:29:06 PM »

Here's a sample







See more here:

http://www.adifferentvision.com/polaroid2.html

14

Film, Theater, and Dance / Video PSA Contest $2500 prize

« on: August 11, 2008, 02:47:56 PM »

Hi everyone:

EPA is running a contest to produce :30-60 PSAs about the dangers of Radon.  The first prize is $2500, the deadline is 8/25 08.  Right now, only 2 people have produced and posted spots, so your chances are pretty good if you decide to produce something.  Here's the info from the web site.  Please spread the word if you think you know folks who might be interested in participating. 

Thanks,

Kerri

http://www.epa.gov/radon/videocontest.html


=====================================
We need your help to save lives by getting the word out about radon.  Exposure to indoor radon is a serious health risk -- it's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.  But the risk can be managed when people test their homes and take action to reduce high radon levels.

To make sure everyone knows how to save a life, EPA is looking for 30 to 60 second videos to educate the public on the health risks of radon and simple steps to protect your health by mitigating high radon levels.

The winning video submission will receive a $2,500 award, be featured here on our site, and debuted at the 2008 National Radon Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.  Entries must be received by August 25, 2008. The contest winner will be notified in September via e-mail.

We seek videos that convey the message: Radon: Test, Fix, Save a Life.  Radon is a major health risk, causing more than 20,000 deaths each year.  The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test your home.  When high radon levels are detected a professional can install a mitigation system to lower levels in your home.  Help us to get the word out and save lives.  Create a video that convinces all Americans to test their homes for radon and have them fixed if high radon levels are found.

15

Photo Discussion / New Polaroids

« on: August 09, 2008, 05:53:42 PM »

I recently received a Polaroid pack camera that belonged to my grandmother and decided to have a little fun with double exposure.

www.adifferentvision.com/polaroid.html

16

News? / Media Mention DC Wall-Mountables

« on: August 09, 2008, 07:59:41 AM »

In case no one posted this yet....


http://tinyurl.com/6e3usl

Thanks to Rania for sending me this.

17

Photo Discussion / Montgomery County Fair - Post your photos

« on: August 08, 2008, 08:57:59 AM »

The Montgomery County Fair opens today.    I always find fun stuff to photograph when i go, so I thought I'd start a thread and invite everyone to post photos from the fair here....Food stalls, games, animals, people, and junk food - what's not to love?

18

News? / Boobs? An evil, corrupting influence that must be covered by disposable plates

« on: August 01, 2008, 09:48:39 AM »

Waterside art gallery covers breasts for window shoppers

NORFOLK

Behind the glass walls of Mayer Fine Art, a gallery inside Waterside Festival Marketplace, air currents rustled the disposable plates covering breasts on a drawing.

The Styrofoam plates were there because late last week, after a visitor complained about an image featuring exposed breasts, gallery owner Sheila Giolitti was asked by Waterside management to put the artwork in a less conspicuous spot. Since she could find none, she improvised.

Giolitti's plan was to invite the public to stop by and decorate the Styrofoam-plate "pasties," she said, and to supply the glitter and pens.

"I think it's a ridiculous concern and should be treated as such," she said on Wednesday, stressing that she was irritated with the complainer, not the management. "This nude is so tame."

The art was inside the gallery, but much of the work on display can be clearly seen by passers-by on the second floor of Waterside.

"My opinion is, it's a big to-do about nothing," said Lane Brown, general manager of Waterside.

Brown was on vacation last week when the issue arose. He said he won't ask Giolitti to remove the art. While he wishes she had a more discreet spot for the work, he is accepting her solution.

"If people have a problem with it," he said, "I don't know. It's artwork. You go to the Chrysler Museum, go anywhere, and you'll see similar things. I can appreciate their position, but you can't satisfy everybody."

On Wednesday, every once in a while, a brisk current nudged one of the plates off its mark. From about 11 a.m. to noon, however, none of the passers-by even glanced at the offending artwork.

When the drawing was brought to their attention, visitors expressed widely varying opinions.

"I just feel like a woman's private parts are hers," said Jane Bruno, 42, of Suffolk, who added that she would rather not see exposed breasts in public.

"Because it is art, it doesn't offend me that way," said Jaz Brown, 26, a Virginia Beach construction worker on a break. "Art is trying to capture the person. I think it's beautiful."

"What about little kids, though?" said his co-worker, Daniel Pitino, 35, of Virginia Beach. "Not sure. Not sure."

A mother with a 3-1/2-year-old son said it didn't offend her to see nudity in art. "But my little boy would be asking questions," said Kimberly Heath-Shoup, 32, of Chesapeake.

"Adam and Eve were naked before they got the apple from the tree. Nobody thought about these things until that happened," Heath-Shoup said.

The drawing is part of a show, which runs until Aug. 20, featuring work by 16 undergraduate art students from various colleges. Much of the work is abstract.

The piece in question is Erika Risko's "Martyrdom," a realistic rendering of the figure on four sheets of paper. She is a senior at the Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia.

Speaking from Philadelphia, Risko said Giolitti told her on Wednesday about the controversy. "I just think it's all very funny, that a community that accepts a Hooters can't accept a piece of fine art that's in the tradition of Greco-Roman art dating back thousands of years."

Teresa Annas, (757) 446-2485, teresa.annas@pilotonline.com

19

The lounge / The truth...she stings

« on: July 22, 2008, 08:55:12 AM »

As someone who works on the account side of things, ouch. 

As someone who works on the creative side of this...tell me something I DON'T know.

http://www.uglydoggy.com/2008/07/its-friday-just-stop.html

20

Photo Discussion / Kiev problem - suggestions?

« on: July 08, 2008, 11:07:16 PM »

My bliss with my Russian Mail-order Bride was short lived...she's given me overlapping frames in one roll of 4, and uneven exposure across each individual frame in the last two rolls.  I"m more worried about the exposure than the overlap.  What's causing it? Shutter malfunction? Something else?  Has anyone else encountered this?




Thoughts?