Having built the anticipation (right?) I am proud to display the first image of my yet to be named series. After having been inspired by photographer Maggie Taylor and songstress Lenka, I decided to take my Innocence, In A Sense series to another level. I loved those images and what they revealed about my inner working but I felt as though it was time to take it in a slightly different direction by adding some manipulation and unrealistic scenarios. It is all a bit silly and to some I might have “jumped the shark” but I cannot help but look at them and “well, that’s me!”
As more days come by I will post more images. Right now I have 3 absolutely done, 2 in editing and 2 locations being scouted. Anyone have a horse I can borrow?
any of a number of sister goddesses, originally given as Aoede (song), Melete (meditation), and Mneme (memory), but latterly and more commonly as the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over various arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious music), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy); identified by the Romans with the Camenae.
b.
any goddess presiding over a particular art.
2.
(sometimes lowercase) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
3.
(lowercase) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.
Andy Warhol had Edie, Stephanie Meyer has Muse, and now I have found my own. The idea of Muse stems back into mythological times with the goddesses that presided over the arts. A Muse’s purpose is to inspire and make an artist bigger and better than themselves. After 23 years of searching, I found my Muse in the songstress Lenka.
Her sound is quirky, pop, light-hearted and sometimes even silly. When I listen to her songs I think, “this is me in a nutshell.” Underneath it all, her songs understand who I am.
With finding my muse I have found a new inspiration within who I am and my art. Please keep your eyes on my site for my newest self portrait series. It is being prepped as we speak.
One of my latest photography assignments was to explore the color of night and what it means to me. With having spent almost 2 years in the nightlife industry, my thoughts automatically go there. But the week the assignment was handed out my beautiful car’s window was smashed and robbed. Night immediately took on a new form and a new idea was bred.
I am amazed at what people do when they think no one is looking. At nighttime this translates even more so because not only do people they they are alone but there is also darkness to behind. Everyone struggles with the balance of right and wrong, even little things; how easy it would be to run a red light or throw the trash on the ground. After all, no one is looking.
My images took on that meaning but to the extreme. Below you will find only 4 of the series because they are my favorite. Mary is hit by a car and soon stashed in the trunk. The images not seen give a little more back story as to who the driver is and what was behind their thinking or lack there of. It all happens so quickly and once that first step is taken it is too hard to go back.
I hope you enjoy. Major kudos to Mary for modeling this series. She contorted her body and held her breath like a champ.
It seems like my blog is becoming the expert generalist in terms of “john parrella dublin football” and although you are close you are not quite there.
Tomorrow marks my first image series critique for the color photography class and I cannot seem to narrow down my 11 images to 5. I have 3 or 4 that are my absolute favorites but I am needing an outside eye to help me grasp which images are best. Check them out below (just click to enlarge) and these images have been “saved for web” so they are slightly desaturated in the processes.
After having the most amazing “Fro Yo 4 Lunch” date, my partner in crime and I could not let our jolly spirits go to waste. Instead we jetted over to the San Jose Museum of Art to see their current Road Trip exhibit. It was very unique and I walked away with a new photographer love who will be shared with you at the beginning of next month. SJ Muse Art also had their Robot’s exhibit still on display… now I know i have talked about this exhibit before and even showed you pictures of a robot I built out of cloth but even the 3rd or 4th time visiting it I still love it.
Like kids to an ice cream truck, we swarmed to the center of the exhibit which had tables to build lego robots and spent about an hour building. We are obviously not engineers seeing as it took us that long to make our robots stand up straight. But the real reason for this post is about the images we took of the robots. I hadn’t brought my camera so instead we had a hand held pocket camera but made the images grainy and not vibrant in color.
I didn’t want to discard the only images I had of my beautiful robot (and his dog/horse) so I instead decided to have a little fun with it. I went through my file of textures that I have been collecting over the years until I found one that I thought just fit the look I was going for. I also added a slight vignette to the original photo then but the texture on top and changed the color mode. I believe I did hard light but after switching from one to another until it was perfect, I have long forgotten.
Now that my background was perfect I had to make my robots visible. Using a quick magic wand because the background was basically white I was able to get a decent hold on the robots and then able to do minor adjustments. Once my robots were all selected, up they went to a new layer above the texture where they were treated to leveling and saturation adjustments.
The final touches included the insert of hearts because Poncho Villa is nothing without Lefty and my robot is nothing without his horse / dog.
Click play and watch this amazing video from Kyle Webster. Overnight it moved him from a freelance nobody to household name. For the graphic designers or beginner users the inside jokes in his rap will be sure to get a laugh! Then after the jump read the article that HOW Magazine published all about his promotional success!
After the jump you will find an article from the first of September about Valley Christian High School’s football team. I can’t believe how proud I am of the school, team, and my father. I truly believe you are only as strong as your leader and I’m greatful that his vision for the school is coming to fruition even if he is no longer there.
Article and photography courtesy of Diablo Magazine
Don’t get me wrong, I am no Seth Godin. But when it comes to marketing… I just have it. I have no issues admitting this out loud because I have spent the previous 15 years trying to be a Neuroscience guru and boy, I didn’t get it.
When you know what it’s like to go big and fall hard, there is no insecurity screaming when you finally strike gold.
Back to the point… Even the most seasoned professionals (and I am sure Seth Godin is included) need to stop and ask, “Who am I trying to reach again?”
In my recent quest to find a part time job that can help me to survive in my last year of school but still keep me looking good in shoes I completely forgot to ask that question and check myself.
Instead, I updated my resume, looked it over, then patted myself on the back thinking “Man am I a catch!”. I had all of my graphic design, marketing, and managerial skills lined up like ducks in a pond. I then proceeded to canvas my resume to every Jane, Dick and Tom retail store that I wouldn’t mind wearing their clothes and asking the important question, “Did anyone help you today?”
I still haven’t received a single call.
Feeling a bit like a loser and blaming the lack of interest on the economy, I sent my resume over to a trusted ally to find out what I can do to get a call back.
Sentences were tweaked and bullet points where cut but at the end my ally was agreeing with me, “Boy are you a catch!” Then they asked, “So where are you looking for a job?”
Jane, Dick and Tom retail stores…. duh!
Then it hit me… it actually slammed into me like a mack truck which was then confirmed by my reader.
My resume wasn’t reaching Jane, Dick and Tom! I spent all of this effort to show off my marketing/graphics amazingness but failed to show how I would be qualified to handle something as simple as, “Did anyone help you today?”
It is so easy to get caught up in the big story that we lose track of who we are actually trying to reach. It is why advertising campaigns always start with the research.
Who is your current audience and who do you want to reach.
I am regretfully still on my jaw surgery schedule where I get so worn out halfway through the day that I must take a nap. But that leaves me bright eyed and bored well after midnight! Thankfully, it is in the wee hours that I find entertainment just for you!
Below you will find two you tube videos. One is a user generated video of a “glitch” they found when playing Tiger Woods golfing video. The second video is a response by EA Games created by Wieden + Kennedy.
Take a peak but I think it is brilliant. This viral/guerrilla marketing is exactly where my heart is and Wieden has hit the mark in this creation. Not only have I watched it multiple times but I am also planning to email it out. [In the morning, of course... I don't want EVERYONE to know I am up at 2 am!]
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