The Paris of South America

Sadly, it's been over 4 months since my Toyota Camry tv shoot in Buenos Aires and I still rifle through my pics. I was there for a total of 3 weeks in August and September of 2008. In that time, I was able to squeak out a cool commercial, but more importantly I was able to play a camera-loving tourist.

Below are a few pages from an indulgent 100-page iPhoto book I put together, yet still haven't printed. Hopefully, it'll end up on my coffee table soon.

H.

The Orange Curtain

Behind the Orange Curtain you'd never guess we're in the midst of a recession. 

(Technically, this first pic is in Long Beach)

The Camp in Costa Mesa

    Goldenrod Footbridge, Corona del Mar

Houses of Corona del Mar

-C.

Sport of the Future

I've seen the sport of the future, and it requires low fixed costs and a love for being outside. Zero technology required.

There's this lawn bowling club in Newport Beach I drive by every day, and I thought I'd check it out.  Seriously, there is something refreshing about simplified, pared down things in this day and age like the sport of lawn bowling.  All you need is a large open space and these lawn bowling balls.  And some friends.  I stopped by the Newport Beach Lawn Bowling Club one day and made some new friends.  Nicest bunch of people - it was a ridiculously sunny morning in the Orange Curtain, and these guys (clearly regulars there) were sipping cold beverages and unloading their lawn bowling balls over morning chitchat.  

My new friend (up above) donned a shirt that matched the benches perfectly.  He was kind enough to pose for me, and then gave me a newly issued, shiny $1 coin apparently just issued by the U.S. Mint fairly recently.  

The sport is like a cross between croquet, bowling and golf (in the sense that you have to stand outside for a long time, and it takes a lot of patience).  There were speakers playing music - going in I wasn't sure what I expected to hear, but was pleasantly surprised to hear the tunes of Duffy playing.

As you can see, it takes an easygoing, patient attitude to really enjoy it.  If you're able to let go of the whole ADD/iPhone/Blackberry/technology-driven persona our generation has adopted, it looks like a fun experience. 

Even the scoreboard is retro cool.   -C

Creating Ads

It's funny how when you do something for awhile it can become mundane and boring despite how interesting and enjoyable it really is. Creating ads for over 10 years has caused me to lose some perspective on how kinda cool it is.

I forget that other people might actually want to hear about the experience. Although, I think most people in LA are in the "biz" and are as jaded as I am. So, if you've been to a million shoots, go read another blog or smoke another joint because I'm about to talk shop.

The shoot was at the Caltrans building in downtown LA.  It's an architectural beauty if you're into that geometric, futuristic urban design. It's a really popular place to shoot. They shot an Usher video there along with episodes of Alias, that Brangelina movie and a zillion different car ads.  I highly recommend a walk-by. 

(Between 1st & 2nd on Main St.)

So here's the RAV4 in all its mid-sized SUV glory. We plopped the sucker in front of the building and spent an entire Saturday from 8am to 8pm making love to it with the camera.

 

This is one of the assistants taking some shots of the fake cherry blossom branch which we would use later in the ad. Note the fake boulder in the foreground. Its shape was inviting and I was tempted to sit on it, but even my skinny butt would have caused it to collapse.

That's my photographer and extremely cool guy, Jeff Ludes. Despite being an "it" car photographer of the moment, he was so down-to-earth. I mean, look at him raking rocks. I was busy off-camera eating M&Ms and putting my order in for the Starbucks run.

Ta-daa. 

Here's the final image. That's a stripped-in sky, lake and mountain. We wet down the ground to make it sexy. The cherry blossom leaves were meticulously placed to give you that random blown in the wind feeling. The hood, windows, tires, logo, etc were pieced together from a variety of shots. 

So much energy to create this thing of beauty. 

It's only vapid advertising, but I'm actually okay that 

I spent a 12-hr Saturday doing work.  

(You're welcome, Toyota.)

H.

A Guest Appearance

This past weekend, 80 degree weather made a guest appearance in LA.  Down in the heart of Manhattan Beach, jogging strollers, volleyball players and beach bum dads were out in full force.  As cliche as it all seems, I never get tired of views like the ones above.

The beach was filled with freestanding volleyball net posts, and this lone seagull caught my eye.  He had the best view in the house.

The "C" of C&H

Rose Bowl Flea Market

Besides being the opening day for the C&H Photos show at the Clean Coin Launderland, it was also the 2nd Sunday of the month. That meant the Rose Bowl Flea Market was in town peddling everything from vintage jewelry to antique grandfather clocks to 6ft metal roosters.

One vendor had these meticulous, compartmentalized drawers. 

Great visual representation of how my brain is set-up.

 This is a brass nutcracker from the 1860's civil war era. 

I love that a Beavis and Butthead,  juvenile 

sense of humor already existed over 150 years ago.

Cool, old phonographs. They really work. 

I was nostagically transported back in time, which is weird 

because I grew up in the 1980's not the 1880's

That's my version of it. 

The "H" of C&H

Welcome, people.

Today was the opening day for C&H Photos at the Clean Coin Launderland in Silver Lake. There were many in attendance. Mostly people doing their laundry. Nevertheless, the work is now up.

Clean Coin Launderland

2902 Hyperion Ave.

Silver Lake, CA 90027

The show is up from January 11 - February 7, 2009.

Go see it before it's over!

C&H