Walked into a Dunkin' Donuts the other day and had to buy the t-shirt... The TV ads were okay, not that memorable but love the idea that a company can do this to another to prove a point.
I might be a little biased here as I never drink Starbucks – I prefer to support the local coffee shops who serve great coffee that won't bust your bank balance and actually want to have a conversation with you.
Yes I realize that Dunkin' Donuts is also a chain but hey, when you gotta have that sugar fix, their jelly donut really does the trick.
I just received an email from my friends at The Whole 9 in respect to Earth Hour – On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., local time, the World Wildlife Fund is asking for us all to flick the switch OFF for an hour to make a statement on global climate change.
Get outside and enjoy the natural light too, it's still the best light source you can find and it's Free :)
Recently it seems there has been a resurgence of all things 3D, as Hollywood pumps out a record number of new films featuring this technique.
Now I too have been taken on a 3D ride of sorts, after completing my first 3D shoot on behalf of Softmotion, a company based out of Montreal Canada. We shot a beautiful custom Harley Davidson Softail in studio and then using one of my stock location images created a 3D version for online promotions as well as capturing additional images to be used in a final Lenticular display.
The capture of the 3D Lenticular image involved shooting up to 140 images, then a selection of these are composed via Softmotions computer genius, Patrice to create the illusion of the bike coming out of the Lenticular display as you walk pass.
The online version is a little less complicated to achieve with the viewer requiring those wacky 3d glasses to view the result, which by the way is very effective, as it really does seem like the rider is coming out of the screen and riding over your keyboard.
Both Guy Brisson the president of Softmotion and myself are looking forward to collaborating on many more future projects after the successful coming together of talents on this shoot.
Of course I couldn't let the bike out of my hands without taking it for a spin around the block a few times... here's a quick pick of me coming back in with the bike – a big thank you to James (owner in last frame) for trusting me with your sweet ride.
This past week I was contacted via an Ad Agency back in Australia to inquire if I would be interested in helping to bring awareness to a little boy, Isaiah Muller from Adelaide, South Australia. Isaiah is undergoing major surgery in an attempt to save his remaining eye after having lost the other to cancer.
Needless to say I asked what I could do and the South Australian Ad Agency Michels Warren's Managering Director Phillip Martin, explained that they were working on behalf of the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation. They had been in contact with Hugh Jackman's agent and Hugh & his wife Deborah Lee were available and would love to help in the form of a photo op whereby they will meet with Isaiah and his mother Olivia Muller at the Ronald MacDonald House here in Manhattan.
The image of Hugh, Deborah Lee, Isaiah and his mother Olivia will be printed and framed and then I shall take another image in the hospital today with them holding the print which will form the final image for the campaign back in Oz to help raise funds for the surgeries.
For more information on Isaiah Mullers story or to donate please go to
Yes it's that time of the year again,time to head down to the Chelsea Piers to freeze your ass off while taking in all that is on offer in the way of Contemporary art.
Armory is the main show in town bringing together wonderful and sometimes questionable art from all over the globe. A good time to get into the mix and view what is currently being offered out there. I always come away so inspired much like when I visit any gallery, the experience seems to spark a certain refocusing censor within, suddenly I am made aware again of the simplistic beauty that surrounds us.
So get out there and enjoy and make comment on art.
Apologies but I need to get a little political today. It must be something about being in the midst of it all here in New York City. Man it's just damn depressing.
With all the reports now coming to light, where were these investigations when all those good people on greedy Wall Street were lining their deep pockets with huge bonus money, were we really all that blind? Brings me back to an image I took back in '99... the other side of wall street.
These people don't give a rats ass about anyone but themselves and they showed that in the first bailout to pay yet more bonuses. I think there is plenty to blame for the state of the nation and after viewing a 60 minutes report on the World Savings Bank, it's simply disgraceful how they were allowed to continue to put these uneducated and poor people into more and more debt they knew they could never dream to pay off.
Also business or lack there of currently across the globe has to be looked at very closely, I for one was and am still not a strong believer in this whole Globalization ideal, this term in my mind is only to the advantage of corporations to outsource services that should have been offered to local business. Oh why would they do that if they could simply take advantage of smaller poorer countries and pay them well below the poverty line and forget about any mention of medical allowance. Now they come crying to the American people for bailouts for their corporations ...Shame on them!!
While I put finger to keyboard in the background we have a Presidential address to congress on the economy. Below is a visual of what I am watching on TV.
I think I can hear the cries in the street far below "show me the money..."
Those interested in reading more about the under handed dealing of World Savings Bank check out his blog at fund my mutual fund.
I have been reading many reports in respect to the state of the US economy and also the fragile situation all over the world, and I must say it makes for very depressing reading. I only have to walk a couple of blocks around my neighborhood here in Chelsea to be made well aware of how it has a flow on effect to local business.
Local retail stores are having endless sales to encourage shoppers although it really doesn't look like it is working very well. It seems every corner you turn there is a "sign of the times" – recent reports have the current commercial vacancy rate hoovering around 14%, this of course in my view is a very conservative estimate of the real situation.
The other night I called my local Indian restaurant for a delivery and there was no answer, the next day I found the reason why, the building was vacant due to lease increase. Talk about kicking them while they are down, it seems no matter the economical climate or vacancy rate stats, rather than supporting a good tenant some would rather have the space vacant until the upturn.
This sort of behavior is not new to the mindset of developers and wealthy landlords, in the past it was called "warehousing". Empty buildings stood vacant for years while their owners waited for the market to improve, rather than reducing the rents. One wonders how deep their pockets are to keep this kind of practice going. Maybe Madoff left some with a few extra dollars to get through the hard times after all.
