JPG Magazine “Architecture” submission
07/31/09 JPG Magazine is a clever idea. The editors propose themes and readers submit images online. Everyone votes on which images are best and those images run in the print version of the magazine. The editors can give a push to any photo they really like by deeming it “Hot.” That’s what they did today for the image I entered for the theme of “Architecture.”
Flooded Country Road
07/30/09 I’m at my family’s farm in the Hudson Valley where we had a torrential downpour last night. Here’s a flooded country road close by our farmhouse. I shot this photo early this morning as I drove into town with my nephew Pat and my dog Jenny.
Screen On The Green
07/27/09 “Dog Day Afternoon” is projected on the National Mall as part of the annual “Screen on the Green” festival. The 1975 Sidney Lumet film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Sully Boyar and Penelope Allen.
“Screen on the Green” came very close to shutting down this year but some last minute backers like HBO came through to keep it alive.
Coming up:
August 3 – On the Waterfront
August 10 – Rebel Without A Cause
PGR Open Studio: 07/25/09
07/26/09 Thanks to all the models who responded to my invite and trekked out to the studio in Old Town Alexandria for my Summer Open Studio shoot. Here’s a small sample from the over 2,000 images I took yesterday. Makeup was done by Malinda Walker Abramowitz who did an amazing job. The “Cleopatra” look which she did on the above photo, for example, took over an hour. My friend and Photo Stylist Indrid Ellmore pulled off some very creative looks and made all of the models comfortable as well as had them laughing constantly.
Next Open Studio will be sometime in the Fall. If you are a model in the DC metro area in need of pix, contact me at hillpix@yahoo.com.
Photographs & Fishes
07/24/09 Alexandra Avakian is a photojournalist and a member of Contact Press Images photo agency. She’s also a contract photographer with National Geographic and frequently publishes in Time, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications. She gave a talk Friday night in the Middle East Institute’s Islamic Garden about her new book, Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslim World, published by Focal Point and National Geographic Press. The talk was followed by a slideshow of her work and discussion of what went into some of her very powerful photographs. This is my idea of a really good time – just listening to a photographer talk about the stories behind the images. I got a copy of her book and she graciously signed it.
I left the Middle East Institute to meet my brother Tim and some friends at party at the National Aquarium.
The reaction of 9 out of 10 Washingtonians when you mention the Aquarium is an incredulous “There’s an aquarium in DC? Where?” It’s not the size or scope of what one thinks of when they think aquarium. It’s not Sea World or Monterey. There are no whales jumping out of tanks. It’s located in the basement of the Commerce Department so it has more of the feel of hanging out in the neighbor’s rec room. Think of looking at the fish tanks in Petco. In spite of a recent renovation, it still feels like “a museum of a museum” as a City Paper writer put it a few years back. Friday night’s invite to the aquarium was for “an Evening of Shark Conservation.”
We stayed til the open bar closed and then took our Sea Turtle calendars to Old Ebbitt Grill to continue the evening.
Washington-scape: Blown Away
07/23/09 The remains of a house in my neighborhood which blew up on the 4th of July when I was out of town. I wonder how many of my neighbors heard the explosion and thought it was merely a large firework.
Too Many Chefs
[Chef Eric Ziebold of CityZen chats outside of Policy. Some reviewers say his restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental is the best in town.]
07/21/09 Why were DC’s top chefs (over 70 of them) gathered at Policy on 14th Street Tuesday afternoon? I’ll tell you. They were brought together by Meshelle & Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve for the national launch of the “In Our Hands” campaign which is “an artistic expression of chefs, bartenders & restaurateur efforts to end Canada’s commercial seal hunt.” OK? The chefs applied their “red” handprint and signature to a large-scale canvas and had their pix taken by photographer Nigel Barker (the guy from “America’s Next Top Model”). Unfortunately there was no Tyra on hand to shout “Be Fierce!” or “Work it!” We did have Bethenny [Not a typo. She's got an N twice though the press release spelled Bethany the normal way. . .] Frankel from “The Real Housewives of New York City” there. Not sure why. I’ve never seen the show but perhaps it deals with NYC Housewives fighting Canadian seal hunters. Totally guessing here. But admit it – that would be cool. Not as cool as the Canadian show “Mantracker” but along those lines. Anyway, good luck to all the red-handed chefs and housewives from Brooklyn.
[Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle and Bethenny Frankel from "The Real Housewives of New York City"]
["Celebrity photographer" Nigel Barker at work.]
[Georgetowner Newspaper trio. Good people. Getting drinks with them Happy Hour on Friday. Whole other story.]
[Upstairs at Policy]
[I got the models when they were eating. Then I got them to laugh while eating. Holy Crap! Why am I not the house photog on ANTM?]
[Yeah. It's the Housewives lady again. It says "Skinnygirl" for all you people who had trouble reading the tattoo in my 07/15 posting.]
[I really should be the America's Next Top Motel photog guy. I just whispered the word "Fierce!" here and look at the results.]
[This guy seemed to be having some trouble with the Law directly across the street from Policy. I felt it important to include him in this photo essay.]
Washington-scape: Lincoln Memorial Steam Bath
07/21/09 Once (or maybe twice) a year the Park Service cleans the Lincoln Memorial. They usually wait until well after midnight so not a lot of visitors are around. It’s great for photos. The steam cleaners make dense clouds of vapor which enshroud the statue. Sometimes the workers get into the act and form a giant “Q-Tip” to clean the ears out. I’ve shot two or three cleanings over the years. This image was taken in March of ’99.
Washington Portrait: Frank McCourt
07/20/09 The Pulitizer Prize winning author Frank McCourt died yesterday. I took these photos on 12/13/99 at the Cineplex Odeon Theater when he came to Washington for the premiere of the movie version of his best selling memoir “Angela’s Ashes.”
[British actress Emily Watson played McCourt's mother Angela in the movie]
[If you are from DC, you might know who this is without me telling you that it's movie critic Arch Campbell on the red carpet. ]
Say Cheese
[Florinda as Marie Antoinette from one of my Open Studio shoots in January '09]
07/19/09 At Kate’s party on Thursday night, several people asked me about about the possibility of a portrait session. I was going to wait until summer was over before holding another one of my Open Studio shoots but if there is a demand I’ll oblige. I will have a world class make up artist and photo stylist on hand if enough people are interested in doing a shoot on Saturday 07/25/09.
These shoots are for models needing portfolio images but I also take pix of people who simply need a professional headshot for work or their web page, etc. Contact me at hillpix@yahoo.com for details. Thanks.
K Street Kate’s 3rd Anniversary Party
[Kate stands on wine glass crates to speak to her adoring fans.]
07/17/09 Let’s see, I’ve known Kate Michael for 5 years now! Hard to believe. I first met her in November 2004 when she was working on Capitol Hill. She has certainly taken DC by storm since then. I like to think that it was my efforts as photo guy at The Hill Newspaper to make her #1 on the first ever “50 Most Beautiful People” list which served as a launching pad for her subsequent success as Miss DC and now as Queen Of All Media. Hah! It’s a complete lie but that’s what I tell people anyway.
Last night, Kate and 400 of her closest friends gathered at Muleh for the 3rd anniversary of her blog K Street Kate which celebrates the best DC has to offer.
Lettuce Leaf Ladies & The Candy Lobbyists
07/15/09 In keeping with my 07/02 post about covering more food related events; today I photographed a PETA veggie dog give-away and the National Confectioner’s Association Chocolate Lunch and Media Open House.
Seems PETA can’t have an event without showing some skin. Their protests and press events tend to involve nude or scantily clad women. Today outside the Rayburn House Office Building was no exception. “Wearing nothing but strategically placed lettuce leaves, Playboy Playmate of the Year and stunning vegetarian” Jayde Nicole handed out veggie hot dogs. [That's Jayde on the left and Playmate Jo Garcia on the right in the photo above.] I’ve covered this event for it seems like 10 years now and it usually takes place as a protest to the American Meat Institute’s Hot Dog Day on Capitol Hill. This year, I guess the stars were crossed because the ersatz “Not Dog” version came a week before the meaty variety.
There were more media at this event than I’ve seen in years past – including a couple of dudes from TMZ who reeked of sketch.
[Write your own caption.]
[I'm obliged to acknowledge the "Note To Self" type vibe given off by Jayde's strategically placed tattoo.]
Across town in Georgetown at about the same time (I got there late) the good people at the National Confectioner’s Association held a lunch to brief media types on industry trends and hot new products.
The amazing thing about this apparently normal looking office space was the existence of the “Candy Time” room which held every type of sweet imaginable. Reporters were invited to take whatever they wanted. Mr. Wonka Goes to Washington.
[reporters in candy frenzy]
Bastille Day ’09 in Adams Morgan
07/14/09 They closed a city street in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC tonight for L’Enfant Café’s Bastille Day bash and “French Maid” relay race. 30 customers dressed in French Maid costumes and spectators were promised in advance that the race would have “all of the fun and excitement of the Grand Prix with none of the elegance.”
[Street scene]
[I never knew Louis XVI was a smoker. Or really scary looking in a very French way.]
[Contestants Sarah and Kamilla]
[I just thought this woman was very interesting looking. ]
[Rowdy French Maids pre-race.]
[Best photo I took all day.]
Scenes from Miss DC ’09
07/12/09 Miss DC 2009 Pageant at the historic Lincoln Theatre on U St.
[The big moment when the winner - Jen Corey - is announced.]
[Talent Competition]
[Evening Gown Competition]
[Interview segment of the program.]
[Swimsuit Competition]
[Talent Competition]
[Miss Outstanding Teen '09 signs an autograph backstage after the pageant]
Barbie Convention
07/10/09 I’m not sure what I was expecting today at the 2009 National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention (it ends tomorrow and is being held at the Marriott Wardman Park). I suppose I was hoping for scads of women who looked like Barbie®. I arrived in time for a “photo op” that never happened. The pr flack from Mattel told me that a planned fashion show was closed to the press and public. There was a showroom of items for sale but I was not allowed in without an escort and one would not be on hand for a half hour. Men in Barbie® pink shirts reading SECURITY prevented my entry. I peeked in the room anyway but it looked deserted. I wound up in conversation with a woman (she looked nothing at all like Barbie®) who had driven up FROM TEXAS to attend the event. I asked her if this was her first time at one of these things and she said that no it was her 10th. She also told me everybody was at lunch. Indeed, the only people who were hanging around when I showed up were a couple of guys from Milan who made Madonna looking Barbies®.
Their company is called Magia 2000 if you ever find yourself in need of a Madonna Barbie®.
[Gianni Grossi holding a Madonna Barbie© wearing a Givenchy costume "from her last concert."]
Washington Portrait: Vermin Supreme
07/10/09 This is technically not a Washington portrait since it was taken outside the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles in 2000. Nonetheless, I give you the colorful character of political gadfly and perennial presidential candidate Vermin Supreme. I have photographed him a number of times over the years; most recently in New Hampshire on Primary Day ’08 where he garnered 41 votes in the Republican primary on a 3 point platform consisting of a Dental Hygiene Law; Flying Monkey Public Safety Assurance Program and an increase in Time Travel Research Funding.
Kournikova In Town
07/08/09 Anna Kournikova was in DC to play World Team Tennis with the St. Louis Aces against the Washington Kastles but announced before the match that she was unable to play due to a wrist injury she suffered during practice.
She did however host the Bloomberg Kids Tennis Clinic with players from youth groups across the city at the Kastles Stadium court.
I think it’s great how the little girl has her eyes closed in the above photo.
I managed to duck this shot but when I got back to my car later, I found a tennis ball in the pocket of my photo vest. The hits were coming fast and furious.
On My Bookshelf
07/07/09 I grabbed this book last night from off the remainder shelf at the local bookstore. The publisher Taschen produces some wonderful art books including many photography titles. To me, photographs look best not on the computer screen or hanging on a gallery wall but in book form. This book is a good example of the way photos can pack more punch when printed to high standards on quality paper. Best just to open at random and flip through it like a scrapbook. The Polaroid Book covers a wide variety of subject matter and the photos are presented somewhat starkly without captions. There is, however, a thumbnail index in the back of the book with info on each photo. There’s also an index of Polaroid cameras (of which I am the owner of two or three). Published in 2004 before Polaroid went completely kaput, the introduction unfortunately closes this way: “After spending time with this book, my hope is that you, the reader, will be as inspired as I am to pick up a camera and create some wondrous Polaroids of your own.” That would be pretty hard undertaking nowadays since Polaroid film is as rare as snow on the 4th of July. Check on Ebay.
My brother Tim gave me this book, Reuters: Our World Now 2, last week:
Great idea for Reuters Photo to promote themselves with a lush softbound book with hundreds of news photos (including many non-newsy, feature-y type pix) from the last year.
Washington Kastles Kickoff ’09 Season
07/07/09 Introduction of the new Washington Kastles team for their 2nd season of World Team Tennis at Kastles Stadium (11th and H Streets, NW).
DC Mayor Adrian Fenty greets kids attending a tennis clinic with Coach Murphy Jensen and members of the Kastles.
The Kastles hosted a “Meet The Kastles” event at Hudson restaurant later that evening.
Washington Kastles’ Owner Mark Ein, Kastles’ Coach Murphy Jensen, Scott “Boom Boom” Oudsema and Leander Paes chat with former Senator (and tennis enthusiast) John Breaux at Hudson restaurant party.
Washington Kastles’ Owner Mark Ein, Leander Paes, Rennae Stubbs, Olga Puchkova, Kastles’ Coach Murphy Jensen and Scott “Boom Boom” Oudsema at Hudson.
A Movable Feast
07/02/09 I shot a cookbook back in January and a couple weeks later I went to NYC to photograph the taping of a reality TV show that had chefs competing against each other by coming up with original dishes and wine pairings. I’ve shot many restaurant reviews over the years and my photos of dishes from some of DC’s finest restaurants were used for an ad which ran in Gourmet magazine.
It’s got me thinking a lot about food and not just in a hungry way. I decided that this year one of my on-going photo projects will be about food – the variety of foods; how food is prepared and consumed; the cultural meanings of food; the rituals of dining; food contests and how food is wasted and on and on.
That’s why I attended “Z-Burger’s First Annual Burger Eating Championship” today. The press release promised I’d see “12 amateur and professional eaters kick-off the holiday-weekend as they go burger to burger competing for Z-Burger’s top prize of $3000 of cash and food prizes.”
Strangely, this was the second hamburger eating contest I have photographed in less than a month. I hope you are not eating when you view some of these images.
Joel “The Cannon” Podelsky wearing a cape and Lone Ranger mask also brought along his own stopwatch.
The “Mouth of the South” finished 2nd.
The Z Burger Girls were the official scorekeepers
Contestants had to show the Z Burger Girls an empty mouth before the burger was counted as consumed.
The Cannon in action
This mystery man gave his name as “Q” and said he hailed “from parts unknown.”
“The Gentleman” on the left competes against “The Mouth of the South” on the right.
The eventual winner Peter Czerwinski, 23, from Mississauga, Ontario who describes himself as an “experienced competitive eater” has perfected an impressive “shove-the-whole-burger-in-your-mouth-at-once” technique . . .
to the chagrin of onlookers.
14 burgers in ten minutes gets you a trophy and a check for 3 grand!
Happy 4th of July!
PS
I’ve been meaning to write about the passing of Kodachrome which is a HUGE deal to photog types but it will have to wait til next week due to press of business.
