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By mike, 27 November 2009 1:39 am

Went to my first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since I was five years old.

I remembered the floats being a lot bigger.

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By mike, 22 September 2009 7:06 pm

I shot my first fashion show while off on my forced hiatus, specifically the show for Allison Parris. It is with no exaggeration when I say that there were more people with cameras than there were models. Though I suppose it’s to be expected, it was still a little surprising to see. Prior to the show the small backstage area was a zoo of people, clothing, and camera gear.

One of the nice things about being at an event with a massive surplus of shooters, however, is that it gives you a little more freedom. When you’re working solo or one of two or three photographers, you’re expected to be everywhere and capture everything. When you’re one of about a dozen, however, you’re free to shoot what you will.

I opted to stay backstage the entire show, largely because the photographer’s pit was at capacity, but also because no one else was back there. It let me get a singular behind-the-scenes perspective of the show. And, much as I enjoy looking at and photographing beautiful women, shooting backstage was less of fashion photography and more of documentary shooting, my personal preference.

I do have to admit that I was surprised at how quickly the show was over. Hours of preparation and buildup, and then the event itself barely lasted ten or fifteen minutes before it was done and everyone was going home.

Why does that sound so familiar?

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By mike, 26 July 2009 11:14 am

I went to Comic Con last week, my second time (the first being in 2005). It was fun, though overwhelming at times and very easy to get lost in (in more ways than one).

It’s interesting, seeing how more and more mainstream this once niche convention has become. There is talk that San Diego revoked plans for a new hotel next door to the convention center in order to reserve that space for the hall to expand into.  And of course, how counter-culture can you really consider yourself when a large portion of your attendees are preteen girls and their middle-aged mothers, all there to shriek over Twilight? There were actual idi people that camped out for two nights in order to make it into the 6500-capacity hall in order to see the panel. Oy.

At the risk of sounding like That Guy, Comic Con used to be about the nerds. It’s always been about promotion, but it used to be our stuff that they were promoting. Hardcore sci-fi and fantasy. Nerdcore stuff. Not sparklevampires and their abusive passionate relationships. For cripes’ sake, they promoted a new Patricia Heaton mom-comedy that had nothing to do with anything even remotely nerd-oriented. Granted, it tickles me that only 75 people showed up to the 2,000-capacity ballroom, but still. It shouldn’t have been there in the first place. This is our thing. Don’t pollute it with Everybody Loves Raymond’s Wife.

Speaking of nerds, I shot this photo while wandering the con. Looking at it I realize how neatly it encapsulates the con: An overweight nerd, wearing chainmail in 85º heat, swordfighting while simultaneously quoting The Princess Bride. I can’t think of a better analogy if I tried.