Luxist Awards

Bodner Chandeliers has been nominated for a Luxist Award in lighting.

Award winning lighting artist and designer, Jessica Kay Bodner's creations include sculpted suspended "Beehive" forms made of spiraling steel, casts stellar light projecting shadows that spin abstract lines onto the surrounding surfaces.

The Ventura, Ca.-based artist is also known for her series of suspended galaxy forms. Orbs of light appear like stars or distant planets that float on spiraling tube steel, stellar light that has no beginning and no end emanates from these celestial forms.

I captured this photo last January 2009 at the Gansevoort South hotel located in South Beach Miami. I was excited to hear that Jessica was nominated for the Luxist Award in the lighting category and that my photo was chosen. It is such an honor to be working, assisting and photographing for Jessica during the past year. She is such a talented artist. I hope she wins!

Check out the article here

http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/15/bodner-chandeliers-sculptural-masterpieces/

More about Bodner Chandeliers

http://www.bodnerchandeliers.com/

Music Video-Fake is the New Real

I met Amelia over a year ago while I was filming “ We Heart the Art Barn.” Every thursday the Art Barn would have poetry night where locals and even friends just passing through would sit around the fire and read their poetry. There was this girl sitting mysteriously playing her guitar. Her band name is Crippled Puppies. Since then Amelia and I have been collaborating on photo-shoots. After I purchased the Canon T1i knowing that it can shoot HD video clips I asked Amelia if she would be interested to shoot a music video of one of her songs. My friend Luke has a recording studio where I took Amelia to record several tracks where I played drums in the background. The songs are titled “Life of a Tree” and “Fake is the New Real”. The one I chose for this shoot was “Fake is the New Real”. Amelia wanted to seem like a confused, chaotic girl who has lost touch with reality. My goal was to create a shoot as simple as possible. We shot the entire video in one day, surprisingly it only took me just over three hours to edit! My first music video! You can watch the final product. Comment on youtube and let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kG-ObiKAHs

Enjoy!

Third Man Records and Novelties Store

Fans started to line up at 6 A.M. on August 26, 2009, for the Opening of Third Man Records and Novelties Store located at the Regent Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. Third Man Records, the label run by The White Stripes frontman Jack White. The Regent Theatre had a distinctly different look, but only for a few days. The store's opening was on Wednesday, August 26, through Friday, August 28. Doors opened at 10 A.M. on a first come first serve basis. Fans scurried inside to get their hands on limited edition, specialty and exclusive items that were available to buy. Inside the main building were original signed posters from Jack White's newest band ‘The Dead Weather’. Also if you purchased a copy of their first album ‘Horehound’ you were entered for 'The Last Golden Ticket' to win a trip to the Third Man Records headquarters located in Nashville, Tennessee. ‘The Dead Weather’ performed a free show at 12 noon at this location, a great way to give back to their fans. In the continuing days The White Stripes will be playing August, 27th and The Raconteurs on the 28th. It was definitely an amazing experience to be a part of and capture.

To see the live footage I filmed of ‘The Dead Weather’ performance check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOm5JtdsT6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ICwfrT2CQ

To find out more about Third Man Records check out their website

http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/

Champagne Sunday Photo Shoot

Out of chance, I met with Jessi Reems-Terrell, lead singer of the band Champagne Sunday. While I was out to lunch with some friends, Jessi mentioned to me that she was looking for some new band photos that had an edgy look. I gave her a link to my website and if the band liked my work then we could schedule a shoot. Sure enough I received a text later that day from Jessi and the shoot was on!

She was looking for a studio shoot that reminiscent The White Stripes' image.A good friend, artist Paul Benavidez had large sheets of red paper and helped me cover the walls with it and the glass of a window in order to bring a unique, one of a kind look for the shoot.

Champagne Sunday has won the allegiance of fans from coast to coast through touring and radio play since 2005. Their music has also earned them several MAVRIC AWARDS including best Overall Song of 2007, Best Rock Song of 2007, and Best Vocal Group of 2008.

In the beginning of September of 2009, Champagne Sunday plans to go on tour around the United States for one full year. They plan touring through Seattle, Colorado, Texas, and so on. Leaving their homes in Ventura and everything the have behind, they will share their music to world. Definitely a performance not to be missed!

It was a privilege and honor for me to work with them and create electric band images. Words can’t describe the synergy that was happening during this shoot. Our connection was definitely on. I hope that these images contribute to their success!

To find out more about Champagne Sunday check out their website www.champangesunday.com or their myspace page www.myspace.com/champagnesunday

Heather Rae and Tumbleweed

One of the main reasons why I love living in Ventura, California is because there is a lot of undiscovered and hidden talent. This is exciting due to the potential for what new things that the emerging and bustling local art scene will produce in the coming years. I met Heather Rae in late 2007 while I was filming “We Heart the Art Barn”. Heather Rae writes and performs her own songs and is actually featured in the film singing one of my favorite songs she’s written entitled, “Darling my Dear”.

I would describe her voice as Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac meets Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. With her folk-laden vocal harmonies, Heather Rae constantly plays with a rotating stable of musicians and sometimes band members.

Heather was looking for some solo images as well as some shots of her with her new drummer Matty. Since we were limited on time and light, I took both her and Matty up to the “Look Out View” of the Ventura Avenue. Some beautiful wild flowers, that only bloom once a year, were abundant.

I hope you enjoy what I got out of not only the mountain flowers but also the beautiful glowing light of the sun setting off to the other side of the world to share its light. They are truly some of the images I have been the most proud of in recent years.

While editing the photos instinctively, I adjusted for a tone that I knew was Heather’s favorite color, so I used this silly thing we call technology and bathed her in a reddish hue.

Thanks Heather, and good luck with your beautiful singing and songwriting!

If you would like to find out more on Heather Rae and Tumbleweed check out her Myspace at

www.myspace.com/letvinchick

Ventura Film Festival

The First Annual Ventura FIlm Festival took place March 26th through March 29th. This was my first festival as a film maker. Being part of the Ventura Film Festival and seeing it grow to what it has become has been quite inspiring. The growing number of supporters and community sponsors of the Ventura Film Festival / Ventura Film Society believe that the perfect cultural climate exists for these dynamic, collaborative, and imaginative film and new media events in our city.

“We Heart the Art Barn” is a short documentary of an art space in Ventura, California. In November of 2008, I spent 7 weeks filming and getting to know the life of an art therapist by the name of Lynne Okun. I realized that this place wasn’t just a space for kid’s arts and therapy, but that it also twilights as a musical haven for local artists and musicians.

To View the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA_xvda6mBY

Don Ed Hardy

Known for his famous tattoo designs and illustrations, Southern California native Don Ed Hardy graced Ventura with his presence at The Silvia White Gallery for a book signing of his new book “2000 Dragons”. The photograph above shows a scroll which Hardy painted is where the illustration of his book came from. Also on view is a survey of prints, done over the last 10 years. All the work relays Hardy's familiar sophisticated visuals with a painterly intensity. As an added bonus, Hardy has designed a print, unique to this exhibition, as a tribute to the city of Ventura: California's New Art City. There where a limited number of signed prints available for purchase. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to the new Ventura Museum of Art. You can view Hardy’s work at the Silvia White Gallery up untill April 25, 2009.

Sensual and Erotic Show

Artist Union Gallery's Seventh Annual Exhibition is a perennial favorite and a striking example of Ventura's talent. This was my first year submitting a piece and I was excited to find out that it was selected to be in the show! I was contemplating on what to call it and decided on "Sucking Down Kandy-Koloured Frosting". I figured since this was an erotic show why not be erotic in the title! Be sure to check out this show in the flesh! 

"Some Like It Hot"

February 13th through March 22nd, 2009

Artist Union Gallery, Ventura

Bodner Chandeliers

On January 17, 2009 I was in Florida for the holidays visiting family and friends. One of my clients Jessica Bodner, owner of Bodner Chandeliers hired me to photograph her chandeliers which are hung at the Gansvoort Hotel located in South Beach, Miami. You can find Bodner's Chandeliers all over the world in various homes, hotels, and restaurants. To see photos from the Gansvoort as well as another shoot I did for her from the Sylvia White Gallery located in Ventura, California. Check out www.bodnerchandeliers.com under the custom gallery section. 

"The Spires" Photo Shoot

The Spires are an indie rock band located in Ventura, California. Possessing a Velvet Underground sound and influence, this once two piece band now a trio. On Saturday, November 15th, 2008 I arranged a photo shoot capturing their first images as a group. The Spires also started a record label, Beehouse Records, that signs local talent. Their new album will be released in late March 2009.