New camera ... the inevitable

On the camera front...
It was SUCH A STRUGGLE getting photos during the Tiesto show - my camera has had repeated problems with memory stick access. I sucked down the nasty pill and bought a replacement Sony F828 for $125 more than I spent on the F717 a year ago. It'll be nice to move up a step in technology. For now I'll be carrying spare cameras for those times my main decides to act up.

Wish me luck in finding business to cover the cost of this expensive solution.

Tiesto photos

Photos from Thursday's show at State Theatre of DJ Tiesto are on my website and sent to www.ResidentAdvisor.net and www.DetroitClubScene.com.

If you'd like prints of a phoot leave a comment and I'll swap in a higher resolution photo.

Leave comments!!! Photos with comments will be sent to RealDetroit, MetroTimes and other papers! You've only got a day or two to leave comments. Start looking...

Holiday Work Schedule

I've had a number of people say "let me know how your schedule looks so we can work out a shoot". This blog post is for you. I'll be able to refer to it each time someone says this as well. I do use the calendar on MySpace, but it seems that new feature is one that isn't well known.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Nov 27 Photoshoot afternoon for Dirty Show	Nov 28 6:30-9:30pm LFS meeting	Nov 29 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Nov 30 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 1 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 2 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 3
Dec 4	Dec 5 6:30-9:30pm LFS meeting	Dec 6 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 7 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 8 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 9 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 10 9am-2pm Dodge Park photoshoot 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa
Dec 11	Dec 12 6:30-9:30pm LFS meeting	Dec 13 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 14 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 15 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 16 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 17 6pm-11pm Liquid Silver (tentative)
Dec 18 11am-8pm Abandoned In Detroit photoshoot	Dec 19 6:30-9:30pm LFS meeting	Dec 20 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 21 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 22 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa 5pm-9pm Somerset Santa	Dec 23 8am-12:30pm Somerset Santa	Dec 24 perhaps travel to see my daughter?

Updates will be made to this table. I'm referring to it in several emails.

Photo-edit: Latoya

Latoya Editted,
uploaded by Fuzzytek.

I did some image editting on one of Latoya's photos. I really wanted a better image than what the camera captured. In the key photo you'll see the out-of-the-camera image and the editted image.

Those of you that know I use a laptop ... yes a touchpad for my editting. I drag my finger deftly across the surface to achieve the results you see here.

I did recently purchase a USB graphics tablet with mouse and graphics pen. The Adesso CyberTablet 6400 is a lower cost solution that I saw at the MicroCenter store, near Oakland Mall. I haven't embraced using it 100% yet. Just like I've never fully moved away from keyboard shortcuts. So this becomes an ADDITIONAL human interface device.

Liquid Silver postponed from Nov 26

I've been assisting Ziam a bit with his next Liquid Silver show which has been planned for November 26. However there is a problem with the venue we were going to use.

Liquid Silver is postponed at this time until we find a suitable venue and date. The tentative date we are aiming for is December 17.

Information about Liquid Silver can be directed to silverliquidyears@yahoo.com

Thought Collide Productions website

Thought Collide has released an updated website and now has a blog to which I'll be contributing content. I have quite a few photos from the past 9 months to share with people. This was evidenced at the Living for Sundance photo contest night at Edgewise Gallery on Saturday. This evening we held a meeting and Ed indicated about 150 people came through the gallery to view the photos and meet people Living for Sundance.

Abandoned In Detroit planning

An overall plan for Abandoned In Detroit was created on the blog tonight. Check it and get involved.

Photoshoot: Latoya

Saturday I met Latoya and we went to Metro Image Gallery for photos. It was my first time visiting the location which is at 135 Cadillac near Ham Heaven and Checker Grille. So I met Jordan Fox and delivered 3 photos from my shoot with Jon & Briana for display in his gallery. I still owe him money to frame them. It gets pretty expensive to put your work on exhibit! I've spent $450 in ink, paper, frames in the past week. I'm glad Mike's got the Epson R1800 to print the photos with. It beats selecting them and requesting prints from the lab over the internet. Although I think the price from the internet lab is comparable to printing at home.

I've posted proofs from the shoot online. We stopped by MAC at Somerset and picked out makeup for the shoot. Yes - my first time doing makeup for a shoot. I had the artistic concept in my head, all it took is the person and supplies.

We first took photos of Latoya in her own makeup. She got pretty creative in the poses.

Then we took about 20 minutes to apply the metallics. I think I could have used a palette and body lotion in doing the makeup. This first experience I learned how the makeup came out of the kit and applied onto the body.

I'll be printing photos for display at Liquid Silver on Saturday. You'll find wonderful work for sale.

Edgewise Gallery Nov 18 - My photos exhibiting

I will have a selection of photos on display at the Living For Sundance photo contest which opens this Friday, November 18 from 6pm to 9pm.

Galleries, Runways, Random Shoots

OK this is a busy weekend (Nov 11-13) but it is happening in any way other than I have planned. I walk toward an objective and end up getting side-swiped into something different but interesting.

Saturday
I was supposed to deliver framed prints to two galleries. I didn't have the photos printed to be able to do that. I had delays in getting the printer setup and framing supplies to the house.

I had a brief photo shoot with Kelley at Cranbrook since I wasn't going into Detroit. She and I have been planning to do this since February I think. Today's shoot was very good and we're both looking forward to extending it into another more significant shoot.

Sunday
Here are the plans:

• Call Mairi Elle from Columbus about shooting Monday or Tuesday
• Noon shoot with Meghan, first stop will be either downtown Royal Oak or Cranbrook.
• 2pm visit with Meghan to use Porsche in photos plus get photos of Kimmie with the Porsche. Wrap the shoot at 3pm and head home.
• 3:30pm Donovan, Melissa, Leticia come over and we head to an abandoned space for a photoshoot AID style.
• 6pm doors open for a fashion show at the Jazzloft produced by Ziam. The address is 525 Monroe above Golden Fleece Restaurant in Greektown. This is the preparation time for the show.
• 8pm fashion show begins.

Follow-up activities coming up...

• Monday (Nov 14) - potential photoshoot day, several models inquiring - possibly from outside Michigan. Evening meeting of Living for Sundance. Delivery of framed photos for LFS exhibition on Nov 18 (opening night).
• Tuesday (Nov 15) - planning meeting with Ziam (need to confirm this). Again have models interested in shooting - not sure how that will work with planning activities. Evening will be at Landmark Education working with the plans made with Ziam for December, January, February and beyond on Abandoned In Detroit and his projects (such as Liquid Silver).
• Wednesday (Nov 16) - mid-day talk at library announced by ArtServe, undetermined if I'm attending. Probably will be a photoshoot day instead.
• Thursday (Nov 17) - interview at One Source Talent (not sure of reputation, will be listening). Attend the evening tryout for models going to Liquid Silver show on Nov 26.
• Friday (Nov 18) - evening opening of LFS Photo Contest exhibition at Edgewise Gallery. Two doors down from Oslo on Woodward, 3 blocks south of Comerica Park. I would love to have all my friends stop in and check it out.
• Next weekend (Nov 19-20) - working afternoon/evening at Somerset as photographer at Santa's Castle. This is the kick-off weekend for Santa photos. Nov 20 is opening of 2nd gallery requesting prints that weren't delivered today. Maybe I can squeeze some in there - requires some discussion.

Time to sleep and dream of a perfectly executed Sunday.

Busy Thursday ... advanced AID notice

Plan for an Abandoned In Detroit shoot Sunday, December 18, check this blog entry - http://abandonedindetroit.blogspot.com/2005/11/planning-aid-shoot-dec-18.html

Tonight is the tryout for Ziam's runway shows on Nov 13 (Benefit) and Nov 26 (Liquid Silver). The place to be at 9pm is the JazzLoft above Golden Fleece Restaurant, 525 Monroe, Detroit 48226. Height is not a requirement in this runway event - ATTITUDE is required! Funky, fresh and free. This is a celebration of Detroit style.

I will not be able to attend the main portion of activities. I have a Landmark Education seminar completion night this evening and a photographer friend is going to pick me up in Highland Park afterward to make the trip to Detroit. Hopefully things will still be buzzing with Z when I finally get there.

Photos from the Nov 2 AID shoot are online. Check them out!

Weekend in Chicago

I sent the following as an email to my Abandoned In Detroit contacts. I'm dropping a copy here since I'm busy getting things ready to leave now and can't compose anything more.

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A fellow photographer (Dino Mangano) is holding an open shoot Saturday, November 5th at Michigan State University. Take a look at the details in this thread on Model Mayhem - http://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=15678

I will be in Chicago this weekend (Nov 4-6) holding meetings regarding website development. I'm also hoping to hold a few shoots while there as well. Very short notice on my trip there.

Late November Dino is planning a forest shoot. Probably over Thanksgiving weekend. He is targeting designers in this shoot as well. Check the thread on Model Mayhem - http://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=16102

December I may be planning a shoot mid-month. That depends on how working as a Santa photographer at Somerset Mall goes. I'll be on morning shift Wed-Fri also Tues and Thurs evenings, with a couple weekends also.
January will be a time for showcasing the work assembled and holding shoots in the snow.

Please forward this to your interested friends. If I don't have their contact information to receive this directly, please ask them to send name, phone, email, online portfolio IDs, and indicate their talents (model, designer, makeup, hair, stylist, ...). You can also reach me at http://blog.myspace.com/fuzzytek

Our fast shoot a couple days ago had 6 models appear and 4 photographers. There were some issues regarding bringing everyone together at the same time. All that I've spoke with have indicated it was a good shoot. Thanks to those participating in coming with no advance notice.

Thanks,
Stephen and the AID crew
http://www.AbandonedInDetroit.com