As you can tell, this blog isn’t focused on just one thing. It suits my personality this way, especially after I almost had that nervous breakdown that one day when I was trying to figure out where everything should go….ooops…I’m getting off track…
One of the main reasons why this blog isn’t dedicated to just weddings or events or photography technique or whatever else is because I personally believe that there are a lot of really great blogs out there that cover these things. Instead, I can use this space to talk about things like, why I like the color purple and that I really want a cockerspaniel…Off track again.
I say ALL of this to say that I discovered a new and really cool wedding blog here in DC. It’s called District Weddings. It’s run by Devon, an event planner in DC. Check it out when you have a chance!
Last Friday, I shot Kenny Kaos and DJ Manifesto at Station 9 in Washington, DC. As I mentioned in a previous post, they are a DJ + drummer duo pretty similar to Travis Barker and DJ AM. Manifesto spins the tracks while Kenny plays the drums live. Pretty cool stuff. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the night. I’m going to work on a quick promo video from the photos so I will post that when it’s done.
Kaotic?
Kenny Kaos on drums
I love the way you can see the rhythm
DJ Manifesto
One day I'm going to wear that outfit. Ok, maybe not, but I will have that much fun.
I really have to get better at naming these photos. SMH (shaking my head). Today was another day that I was stuck in my apartment. I just can’t kick this cold. And so, it was another day that I didn’t really feel like taking a photo. But, I did. I stumbled and stared for a good time, took photos of a few things, and then I finally fixed my eyes on my basketball.
Many people don’t realize that I’m a huge basketball fan so imagine how stunned they are when they realize that I played–the look of disbelief is intensified if I’m having a really girly day. But it’s true. I’m a huge fan and I can still hold my own on a court.
I took this photo because it’s another one of my talents, but one that I don’t think that I nurtured enough. However, I still plan on doing something with basketball one day. Maybe coach a girl’s team?
I posted this video a few weeks ago on the In the Light blog and I thought it only fair that I post it here as well. It’s an old Apple (love Apple!) commercial. It gives me quite a bit of motivation on days when I feel like being mediocre. I also love it because the slogan they were using here is “Think different.” and our slogan is “See differently.”
Check it out and let me know what you think. It’s pretty short, so you have time!
As I mentioned yesterday (or early this morning), I was going to do a photo a day for lent. When I wrote that, I fully expected to be outside roaming the streets. Alas, I’m still sick and had to pick something random in my apartment. Let me tell you, today, I definitely did not feel like taking any type of photo of anything. This little thing called the flu is really killing me. Sigh. But, I’m getting better…slowly.
So, without further ado, here’s today’s photo. It’s a photo of my “good luck” necklace. It has the words “hope, dream, and believe” inscribed on it. Thoughts?
I don’t often talk about religion or politics here. But I figure that since I post wedding photos and that’s generally a pretty religious event, I can get away with one post without offending anyone. Hopefully…*fingers crossed. Besides, this is all tied into photography.
So lent starts tomorrow. By the time I post this it will actually be today. This year for lent, I’ve decided to take a picture a day. I know, I know…it doesn’t fall into the “rules,” right? Well, I’ve never been a huge fan of rules anyway and I think my purpose makes a whole lot of sense…to me anyway.
Here’s my reasoning as I explained it to one of my friends a few moments ago:
I think sometimes I take advantage of how blessed and fortunate that I am. When I’m shooting things for myself it connects me to my spiritual side because it forces me to take nature into consideration and really evaluate how I see the small treasures in the world. I don’t do it often because I get lazy and so caught up in making sure my business survives and other external things. Forcing myself to take a picture a day makes me stop and think and appreciate things the way they are and how they fit into this thing we call the world.
This isn’t my usual photography or art post, but it seems like an excellent time to share my love for Smashing Magazine. They offer tons of inspirational stuff for designers and even photographers. It’s where I pick up great ideas for logo designs, flyers, brochures, letterhead, etc. Their latest gem is a new wordpress theme called “Magazeen.” You can get it now for the great price of free.99.
If you’re not familiar with wordpress, you’re missing out on a lot and should take this time to get familiar! It’s by far the best blogging platform (sorry blogger fans) and also makes for an incredible content management system. (Yes, I can be a bit of a computer geek.) Wordpress is also what makes this blog run (unless you’re still using Internet Explorer 6 and that’s a completely different story).
So, if you’re the least bit interested in wordpress themes, see the preview below. If not, then just add this to the pile of posts where Shannon rambles about something she finds interesting.
Here’s the link for the demo. Download the theme from the Smashing Magazine site. Want to know why wordpress is so great? Leave a message in the comments and I’ll fill you in.
There is a pretty cool event taking place in Georgetown on March 19, 2009. The ladies of Hitched Bridal Couture + Creative Planning Salon are hosting a mixer with wedding expert Anne Chertoff. It’s free, but you have to register soon to reserve a spot. Additional details below.
Get inspired with event décor, sample cocktails & decadent sweets, win fabulous raffle prizes and take home a wonderful assortment of goodies too.
Where:Hitched Salon (located in Georgetown) 1523 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington , DC 20007
RSVP: The event is complimentary and you must register to attend. Space is very limited and open to brides + 1 guest only. Please RSVP early to fromiwilltoido@gmail.com with your first & last name, wedding date, email, phone, mailing address and guest’s name.
and I’m not happy about it. This random sore throat and miserable cough snuck up on me. I say all this to see that I missed the reggae symposium at the Jamaican embassy tonight. If anyone happened to go, please leave a comment, send me an email or even a twit and let me know how it was.
My birthday weekend was great, although it’s left me a wee bit tired. Both shoots went really well and I had enough time to have some fun.
The first was for Club Relaford. The photos were of Iraq policy maker Secretary Schmirer. Interesting to say the least. I won’t give my personal thoughts. I’ll just link to the article once it comes out.
The second shoot was for a new DJ/Drummer duo–Kenny Kaos and DJ Manifesto. I was actually very impressed. The concept is that DJ Manifesto is spinning records (trance and house this particular night) while Kaos plays live drums. Again I say…I was impressed. I’m still working on those photos, but I’ll post a few when they are all done.
I have quite a few things coming up this week…a reggae symposium at the Jamaican embassy…a dance performance on Friday…headshots on Saturday. Thankfully, I’ve picked up a new sketchbook or else I would be completely lost.
Not sure how many of you were following this whole Facebookterms of service fiasco. Pretty much Facebook created some crazily controversial clause saying that it owned all the content that users uploaded…forever. Meaning, even if you completely delete..get rid of…close..shut down…do away with..etc, your account, they still own the content you put on the site.
Crazy much?
I’m already not comfortable with them having rights to what I upload there and now they want to keep it forever…forever ever (outkast). Yeah, not going for it. For photographers, our copyright is everything. And I’m definitely not giving it away to Facebook.
Well, it seems that they’ve come to their senses (for now) and backtracked the policy. I’m waiting to see what they come up with. But regardless, I won’t upload anything to Facebook again. I’m glad this controvery started over the new clause, but honestly, the old terms weren’t (and still aren’t) cool.
Here are some links to what the rest of the blog world is saying about it:
Mashable…”Smart move, Facebook. Unlike the breakdown over Beacon, which lasted for weeks, Facebook has diffused this crisis in a matter of days.”
The Inquisitr…”To me, that change makes no difference, because it was the TOS to begin with which was where I objected, and many others have, the archive rights only served to highlight the flaws.”
Rubenerd…”Did people really think a closed, gated community such as Facebook where external search engines weren’t allowed access and where your uploaded media was only available to people who created accounts would breed ethical behaviour? Did people really think Facebook would behave ethically at all in the first place?”
Well actually it’s tomorrow, but I plan on doing some celebrating tonight. I have two shoots on Friday so that kind of rules anything out for the actual day. I don’t mind though. I actually feel lucky to be doing something that I love on my birthday.
So here’s the weekend line-up.
Work: The first shoot is at 10 am tomorrow morning and it’s for Club Relaford magazine. Then later that night, I’ll take photos of a new drummer+DJ duo at Station 9 on U street.
Definitely Play: All work and no play is a bad idea. So since I believe in having my fair share of fun (who doesn’t), I’ll join some of my closest friends for happy hour at Indulj. Then I’ll tip-toe over to Almaz when nobody is looking. Almaz is a relatively new Ethiopan restaurant on U street and I just found out that they have a reggae night on Thursdays. AND they play reggae dub. If there’s one thing that you should know about me, it’s that I love reggae and my new obsession is dub. I appreciate the mellowness of it…the heavy bass lines….the…wait…you don’t know what dub is? Hmmmm…ok then…peep the video below.
Work…check…happy hour…check…reggae…check…oh yeah, then we’ll do dinner on Saturday…check… Yup, sounds like a solid weekend to me!
I need new business cards..desperately. Not really desperately, but the ones I have are about 2 years old and I’ve made a lot of changes since then. And as everyone knows, business cards are a great way to reinforce your brand rather inexpensively.
I love the concept of my current cards. The mirror image always gets “oooos and ahhhhs.” But just when I thought I had it all figured out, I discovered Moo. Nope, it doesn’t have anything to do with milk. Instead, they make clever photo products including business cards, mini cards and notecards.
Ironically, I never wanted photos on my cards, but they do them so well. Sigh…off to make my cards,
Some day soon, I’ll write about different ways that Moo cards can be used. They list some clever ones for weddings. I thought of a few more and for artists too.
I’ll also post the photos of my Moo cards once I get them. Until then, here’s a cool photo from Electronick.
My new quest to participate in at least one art show has forced me to do some research on upcoming photography/art exhibits in the DC area. Since I couldn’t find a complete list anywhere, I decided to put what I’ve found here. I’ll continue to update it. Some I’ll attend, some I’ll try to participate in and the others just seem really cool.
Artomatic: The 10th anniversary of Artomatic will be held May 29-July 5. Registration begins in March and will be open to all artists — including painters, photographers, sculptors, graphic designers, musicians, poets, actors and dancers. Artomatic is an unjuried event, so all artists are welcome, from professionals to beginners.
DCist Exposed: The third annual DCist Exposed Photography Show will be held at The Gallery at Flashpoint on February 20, 2009. The show closes on March 7, 2009.
Soul Rebel: I’ve avoided putting closed events on this list, BUT this is Bob Marley and it’s an exhibit I’ll definitely go see before it closes. The photographs are by David Burnett. The exhibit runs until March 28, 2009 at the Govinda Gallery.
WPA 28th Annual Art Gallery Auction: This noted event has grown in recognition and reputation as Washington’s premiere contemporary art event for not only art collectors but also business, social, and art leaders in the community.
I abso love tea! I easily drink three cups a day. If I’m having a really productive day, I’ll have up to 6 cups. And I simply can’t edit photos without some.
I’ve recently discovered two new things that I love. The first is Tazo’s Om, although I can’t seem to find it anymore. And the second is black tea + fresh mint leaves.
I do all this rambling to say: I was thrilled when I took the shot below at Solomon’s Porch in Brooklyn, NY. Ironically, I don’t like decaf earl grey.
I was supposed to do a Valentine’s day shoot yesterday. I found someone, went to Georgetown, picked the perfect location…and then they had a flat tire. So instead, I adapted and took a few photos of what I felt like. Pretty refreshing.
Then I attended the “Luck of the Draw” art show that Artomatic was having in Southwest. As I was there, I realized that there was really no reason that I wasn’t exhibiting my stuff. I’m pretty proud of what I shoot all the time, but especially when I’m just shooting something for myself. So now, one of my personal goals for this year is to exhibit some of my stuff. No use hiding all this talent! Artomatic registration opens in March and I’ll be applying. Wish me luck!
Here’s a photo I took in Georgetown on Saturday. You can see the others on flickr.
Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s day. I just happen to believe that love and such things should be celebrated every day. BUT, since it’s here, it’s only fitting that I thank everyone for their support and kind wishes. I hope you enjoy this day and every day.
I was supposed to do an engagement shoot today–which would have been pretty cool–but it was rescheduled so I won’t have any cool Valentine’s day photos. Hmmm…actually, I’m going to pick a random couple and take photos tomorrow, just because.
Until then, here is a photo from one of my favorite couples (you’re all my favorites!).
Yeah, the title to this post makes absolutely no sense. However, when I hear “Twestival,” I want to say “festivus for the rest of us.” Seinfeld? No?
Anyway, last night was Twestival in DC. It was a great event for a great cause. It was pretty cool to meet fellow twitterers. Below is one of my favorite photos from the night. You can see the rest here.
When I was first started my journey as an “artist,” I picked up this book by Rainer Maria Rilke called Letters to a Young Poet (one of my favorites). One of the things that Rilke mentions to the poet is:
“Don’t write love poems; avoid those forms that are too facile and ordinary: they are the hardest to work with, and it takes great, fully ripened power to create something individual where good, even glorious, traditions exist in abundance.”
I completely agree. And this is where my great friend Olu Burrell comes in. His work is great and his words on love are unlike anything I’ve read before. Take a look at one of his pieces.
The Four-Letter World
by Olu Burrell
I’ve taken the liberty
Of placing my heart
In your grasp’s captivity
Allowing me
To fall heart-first
Into this four-letter world
Called L-O-V-E
And now I just want to return the favor
Of the one who causes me
Such sensations
As the pitter-pattering of my heart
— A direct result of my cheeks’ inflammation
(In other words, you make me blush)
I’d rather be a scream from your consciousness
Than to part from your touch
So what is the rush?
I want to know if there is a possibility of “you”
And “I”
Becoming an “us”
If so, then please let me know
Because I am the type of brotha’
Who believes that talk is cheap
Unless you are hosting a show
So I’ll show you
Verbally
And hopefully by the end of my confession
I will leave you deep in a state that
You’d only otherwise reach
Herbally
Oh, undeserving me…
I’m having such a rough day. It’s my own doing. I lost my focus. There are so many things that I want to do and I always feel like I’m running out of time (I’m really not). I get so caught up in the things that I might possibly want to do in the next 3-5 years that I sometimes forget to ask myself why I want to do those things. And not only that, but what about the things that I want to do right now.
Sometimes, I have really big ideas that get caught up with fear from how I think they’ll be perceived (fear, who does he think he is). And that’s when I try to go back and fix it and change it until it confirms with what someone else wants. When actually, it was really what I wanted in the first place.
I say all this to say that this blog will be exactly the way I envisioned it in the first place. It will be a place for my ramblings, a place for my photographs, a place for my quirks, a place for stuff that I really dig that have absolutely nothing to do with anything else, a place for memories, a place for inspiration, and a place for you.
So welcome to My Life as a Photographer. The day has already gotten better!
Remember those few weeks when I wasn’t around, well I was working hard. Really hard…really really hard…really..ok, I think you get the idea.
Well, what we were working on is branding Sevan Photography. It’s more than just a logo or a name or colors. We want to make sure that we’re always working for our clients, delivering quality work and providing a place that is fun and always in high spirits. It’s pretty important to us.
So, in the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out our new logo and colors, newsletter, referral program and parties! I’m excited and I hope you are too.
Twitter is my new favorite thing. If you’re not on twitter, do so ASAP (and follow me!). It’s a great way to keep in touch with people and to meet new people.It gives me a place to dump all my random thoughts. Lol.
Anyway, twitterers all over the world are coming offline on February 12th for a great cause. It’s called Twestival and it’s happening in over 175+ cities in the world. Proceeds from the night will benefit charity:water. Check out the list of cities and attend an event. Even if you can’t attend, you can still donate to charity:water through the previous link.
I’ll be the “official” photographer for the DC Twestival. If you’re in the District, join us at Local 16 on U street. Photos will come shortly after, of course.
This is a question that I’ve seen a lot of brides ask. I’m sure there are a couple of photographers that have answered the question, but I haven’t seen too many. So, here is my guide–an unbiased guide of course-to choosing a wedding photographer for the big day.
1. Look at the photographers work. Pretty simple, right? It is, but here is something that you might not have thought of…don’t just look at the photos on the website, look at an entire wedding. Clearly, we put our best work on the website. Wouldn’t you? That doesn’t mean that the other work isn’t great also! You just want to make sure.
2. Decide what style photography you like. This should be used in conjunction with #1. You’ve already looked at hundreds of photographs from wedding magazines, your best friend’s wedding, your mother’s wedding, your coworker’s daughter’s friend’s wedding, etc, so by now, you have a pretty good idea of what you like. Do you prefer the freedom of photojournalism? Do you like more traditional and posed shots? Do you want to feel like your photographer isn’t even there or would you prefer to know every time they take a shot (or just about)? After you decide, make sure that you think about these things when looking at a photographer’s work.
3. Do I like this person? You’ve searched the Internet madly, received a few referrals, looked at dozens of portfolios and have a small list of your favorites. The next thing to do, if possible, is to sit down and talk to this photographer. You’ll ask tons of questions (I’ll get to that next) but you’ll also want to make sure you mesh. Do you feel comfortable with this person. After all, they will spent a lot of time with you on your wedding day. If you love their work, but can’t stand them, keep looking.
4. Ask tons of questions (you knew this was coming). Every photographer has a different process–from what is included in their package to their routine the day of. This could use a separate post, so I’ll elaborate on it in the next few days. Until then, here are some questions to think about. What is included in my package? Are there any extra costs for black/white photos, etc? How soon after my wedding will photos be received? What happens if the photographer gets sick? Who exactly will be shooting your wedding?
5. And also be very specific about what you’re looking for. Remember in number #2 when I said to thnk about what kind of photography that you like? This is the time to make sure that you tell the photographer that. This is your wedding so you should get exactly what you’re looking for. But the photographer will never know unless you tell them. A “must have shots” list is great. Are there any very important people in your wedding that the photographer should know about? Are there some things that you generally dislike? Are there certain people that might be uncomfortable in a photo together?
Tbese are the top five tips for now. In future posts, I’ll elaborate on a few of the things I discussed. If I missed anything or you have any questions, add them in the comments!
No, really this time. The quick break turned into a little bit longer than I expected. But I promise not to leave that long again. Even if I’m not here, you can always catch up with me on twitter (my latest obsession).
What’s been keeping “sevan” busy? Quite a bit actually…During the inauguration, we shot an inaugural ball (a few photos below). We’ve also been pretty busy with the In the Light project and we’ve made a lot of progress. The other thing is that we’ve hit wedding season–well, the beginning–so we’ve been working on booking up that schedule.
We have a lot more exciting things planned for this year and we can’t wait to share them with you, until then, enjoy a few of the Hip Hop Summit Inaugural Ball photos.
