Tuesday, January 26, 2010

TooT TooT


OK, I'm not usually one to toot my own horn... at least I don't think I am?
However, today I am very excited. You may remember my blog post "I Executed Matt's Baby".
It explains the SPARK project that Matt and I worked on last year. It was AWESOME for Matt to win Peoples' Choice at the Addys for that project. It is always rewarding to see a client win an award for something they hired you to help them with. That's really what it's all about. Be that as it may, I took a photo from that series and entered it in the 5th Annual Spider Awards, an international black and white photo contest. And guess what...
20/80 20 percent of my photos are strictly my own. 80 percent of them are a collaborative effort of many very talented individuals. This one was very collaborative. Matt Bellisle - the brains behind the whole thing, also the maker of things in the shot as well as post production and layout. Julie Gardner - the finder of clothing and stylist. Rick Nadke - the model.
Thank You. This is for all of us.

UTOPIA




Ahhhh UTOPIA- a place where the print industry is alive and thriving. Last Thursday I had the pleasure of photographing the U360 Competition.
Not only did I get to stay at the American Club in Kohler, WI (very nice) but more importantly, I got to meet and photograph some amazing designers (very cool).
It was interesting to be able to witness the judging process. 100s of print pieces lay across yards and yards or neatly linen covered tables. All waiting to be selected to move on to the next round or be left to serve those in which it was made and nothing further. I couldn't help but think about the process that goes through my head when choosing images for the Addys and why one thing wins over another. With that thought playing in my head and watching the judges deliberate over the entries, some answers were revealed, sort of. Now I can't tell you much about what was selected, but I can tell you that I was surprised. Shocker right? Don't get me wrong, most of the pieces that were selected were awesome. You know, those pieces that you see that instantly make you wish you had a hand in it. But, on the other hand, there were a couple pieces that still boggle my mind. The best way for me to describe it is "simple", and some times simple is what it takes.
Here's what I came away with from my U360 experience:

PRINT LIVES
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY LIVES
K.I.S.S. sometimes...




U360 Competition

We are introducing U360—a new competition for 2010 that is the next generation of U B the Judge. U360 is a celebration of the role print plays in today’s marketing mix. U360 will embrace excellence in communication, design, and execution of projects. '360' reflects that the judging will take on a more holistic or 'all around' assessment of the project - from concept and writing, imagery and design, and finally quality of print and bindery execution.

Our new competition will move from an event-based, peer judging platform to review by a North American panel of creative, communication, and print professionals. Winners will be included in a showbook distributed throughout North America, the Utopia website, and in press releases. An exhibit of the winning entries will be available for local market events through your Utopia sales representative (based on availability).