Saturday
Ugh. UGH. It was a long end to the week.
Wednesday, it finally began. It's funny, we'll shoot for a month straight, three to four days a week. Just a constant stream of photography; corporate, studio portraits, promos, everything - yet no one will order a single file. And then they all need them at the same time. It kind of starts like a huge wave. At first you just hear it in the distance, you realize that in order to come through and deliver for the last two clients that called you need to start working right away and not stop until five. And then you see the wave, it gets bigger, more people start calling "by tomorrow morning, by friday, as soon as humanly possible," and you start frantically calling everyone and reminding them: "WE JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL POST-PRODUCTION REQUIRES A TWO-BUSINESS DAY TURNARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" and then it's washing over you and you are so, completely screwed and it's too late.
I frantically photoshopped file after file, pre-press and retouching at least a hundred images with varying level of complexity while I listened to Mr. and Mrs. Big booking us for all the work they had worried for years would never come. Everyone is completely afraid to say it still, but we're going to be fine. We're making money again. The slump started to die a few months after I got there, and we are actually starting to turn down jobs because we are just too busy.
I worked non-stop from 9 - 6 or so on Wednesday, worked out, and came home. We hung out here for a while, and then headed out for Chris Connor's birthday. Chris and Nick are brothers, and two of our favourite friends. Nick started at St. George's the same time as Justin, and they have been great friends ever since. Chris is his brother, and a welcome addition to every situation. We head out to see the LMT Connection at the Orbit Room with them at least once every six weeks, and that night we went for Chris' birthday. It was an incredible show, as always. Leroy knows us all at this point, and always comes over to shake hands with the gentlemen and give me a kiss. We had reserved tables, and Nick and I had a great time, just blissed out on the banquette, listening to him play an incredible solo on Stormy Monday. Blunts off the back roof-top patio with the rest of the regulars between sets, and a good time had by all. We made a night of it, cabbed there and back and I even booked off Thursday morning.
It's such a good night out to have, and you can spend as much or as little as you like. It's 8 bucks to get in, and if that's all you want to spend, you're fine. Drinks are moderately priced, and it's enough to just sit and listen to them play. But I love it because it's an excuse for everyone to get a little bit dressed up, and to let loose in the middle of the week. The first set is usually so bluesy, but Leroy Emmanuel is probably one of the most talented local guitarists, and it just rips. The crowd is incredibly mixed, but is almost completely made up of music industry folks: producers, session musicians, the odd recording artist (while we try hard and silently in the corner to not freak the fuck out), even staff from schools like Juliard, and from as far as Detroit. Everyone else is either from the television and film industry, or with people who are. Everyone is super friendly and laid back. The second and third sets are always much more funk/motown based, and the dancing is so incredible. Anyone from out of town who comes to visit us mid-week, or like Justin's little brother, who came for his first real exposure to Toronto, gets taken and the jaws always hit the floor. I was devastated when I took Katie - Leroy was out that night. Joel Parisienne on the E3 played instead, but he is not a 65 year old black man on a '65 Gibson 335. He's a 25 year-old white boy on an organ and although he does the funk well, and can beat-box like no ones, it just doesn't have the same soul. He's pretty hot though.
So I slept in until noon, threw on some sweats and rolled myself into the office for 2:30 and it was back to the grindstone. Same story with the files, more photoshop until 9 or so. Friday was more of the same, and a bit of pre-production. Pulling together scheduling, catering, and some other elements for Monday/Tuesday's shoots. I'm still only 2 years into the industry and have adapted pretty well to the change in workload, I can step back for a minute and go "oh, THIS is the way it's supposed to be" and shift into high gear. The extra money helps. But the Bigs, oh man... they are having a tough time adjusting to it after all these years of semi-stagnation. They need to just get a housekeeper or a regular nanny or both but oh MAN. Owning a business is a full-time job on both ends, and no matter what goes wrong, it's all their responsibility. There was a fuck-up with accounting (NOT my problem) so they are both spending the weekend sorting it out. They are always choosing one over the other, (family or business) because they have such a vested interest in both, obviously. They want to spend time together and with their kids, but the business supports their family, and sadly, until we grow into more employees (which might happen soon, you local folks who are looking for some work) the onus to clean all the messes falls on them. And that is a 365 day a year job.
So I was pretty glad by the time Friday evening came around. A gal I went to college with, Keri, had contacted me and we are both pretty steeped in work right now. She's freelance, but is really good at what she does. She does a lot of long-term contracts with various photographers and has done some good travel gigs in the last year or so. She came up to our place after we both finished at around 7:30 (see, she gets the hours, too!) with a bottle of wine and a quiche (knowing our fridge was as empty as hers because honestly who has time to shop) and a plant. An awesome, beautiful plant. Kristen and Grant came up later on as well, with MORE wine, and we went through two big bottles and dished about the photo industry, from very different places. We all reminisced about school, where various people were at, etc. It was a lot of fun, and everyone took of at around 12:30, leaving us to wind down a little bit.
Justin got up at like, balls o'clock this morning to help move a set of drums (?!?) and get together with Bryan, James, and Colin. The dream team and I are heading out to see The Golden Dogs at the Horseshoe Tavern. Why is it that everywhere I go, it is from 3-8 huge guys, and me. It never fails that I am the only girl. They'll land here at the condo in about 45 minutes, make a shit-load of noise, fuck with dirtbike until he snaps, eat all our food, play all the guitars, play my piano, it will go on for three hours before they finally GET THE FUCK OUT.
I kid; they come over and my stomach always aches from laughter. James loves to get under my skin, he knows exactly what fucking bothers me. For instance stand in the corner letting each song play for twenty seconds and then skipping to the next, watching me in the kitchen struggling between wanting to scream PICK A FUCKING SONG YOU DONKEY RAPING SHIT EATER and trying very hard to be a good sport. Regardless, it seems I am forever destined to have "boys" not girls - I will always have one or two female friends, but for the most part, I am doomed to almost an exclusively male social life.
The only thing worth noting at all was that Eric Hawkins called today. We do try to stay in touch, living in the same city and all. We get together every few months, and talk every month or so about the state of the union in our relationships and work on the phone. I am so proud of him. He really loves his job, and is making good money doing it. I like Brooke too, and we always have a good time with them. She is a smart girl, and I hope things work out between them. He told me he did something stupid to help out a friend - he took a second job. He already works from like, 7 - 4, and then he started going somewhere to work from 5:30 to 12:30. He said he lasted three days, and then on the fourth day, he couldn't get out of bed. Poor Eric. He smartened up and quit the second job though, and feels much better. He was on his way up to help a buddy who had returned from a business trip to find his live-in girlfriend gone. (With his home theater equipment, I gather.) So Eric was bringing him what he needed most, beer and a subwoofer. He says Chuck is doing O.K. and that Kath hasn't "been driven totally insane yet."
There is one more thing to tell everybody, and that is about my furious anger regarding the general public being fucking retarded in their opinion towards developing countries, and what I can only write off as a lack of faith in my common sense and general intelligence level. The point is, we've planned our holiday in Jamaica, and I suppose most white middle class Canadians were told that Trench Town grew and covered the entire country in extreme amounts of crime and murder or something. And think that I need to be schooled on the "proper" way to handle yourself there, which is to lock yourself in a five star resort and not speak to anybody who isn't wearing a uniform. Which is, totally false, and even so, it's not like I didn't spend three weeks in the murder capital of the fucking WORLD.
Basically everyone we've told that we're visiting Negril has first, had no idea where or what Negril is. And they think it sounds totally awesome until we tell them it's in Jamaica, and then we are promptly told we're "stupid" or "ignorant" or "going to get shot - you're staying in a nice hotel, right?". So I've essentially stopped telling anyone where we are going, because I am really tired of parrotting to every single person "well we did a lot of research and aren't really in the habit of visiting cities we haven't learned a great deal about and it actually is much safer than Havana and yes, I DO know Dominican is really cheap and yes, you are right is pretty safe isn't that funny considering it's attached to fucking HAITI well I guess places can be in proximity to a dangerous place without being that dangerous but in your books that doesn't apply to us so we might as well just go to Bermuda where everyone is white and rich and have a mild accent because I'm far too stupid to stop myself from climbing into an unlicensed taxi and pulling out my thousands of american dollars."
To make a long story short, Negril is a lovely little town that consists of two things: tourists, and tourist industry. It's a ways away from Montego Bay, and our decision to go there was based out of a lot of discussion with my aunt (who was born there) and Justin's employer (who just moved from there). Our decision to go to Jamaica, period, was based on a few factors. They speak english, which is obviously not a requirement or something we dislike about anywhere else - but I am the type of person who starts to feel stupid and guilty when I don't speak a local language. After three days in Mexico I felt like a filthy capitalist jerk who needed to prove to all the hotel staff that I knew I wasn't any better and got all stressed out and bought a fucking phrase book and talked like an idiot for the rest of the week. Plus, I think the dialect comes out of an interesting and unique mix of European and Asian languages and that shit interests me O.K?!?!?! The food was an issue too. I know all about Cuba. I know all about their lack of spices and I will not be tricked into going to a country that will not offer me CUMIN OR HOT SAUCE WITH EVERY MEAL. We don't have a lot of money, and will be doing this on a budget. And the "budget" islands will not delight me gastronomically speaking. But Jamaica. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. In Negril we can eat for like, 10$ a day. The last factor, was of course, price. And this made it so easy. I'm not the kind of person who needs any amount of luxury, and for less than 35$ a night per person, I think I can handle this just fine. (When I re-read this the sarcasm didn't come through. Seriously, that is the nicest looking cabin I've ever seen!) Because the accommodations (once you take BEACHES, SANDALS, COUPLES, CLUB, or RIU out of the name) are SO cheap, it's possible we might change out booking and stay for two weeks. The flight is the most expensive part, and the fact that we can subsist for about 50$ a person a day makes it extremely tempting to stay there longer. I guess if we can stop ourselves from getting into any unlicensed taxis or making eye contact, right? Morons. Get outside once in a while.
Wednesday, it finally began. It's funny, we'll shoot for a month straight, three to four days a week. Just a constant stream of photography; corporate, studio portraits, promos, everything - yet no one will order a single file. And then they all need them at the same time. It kind of starts like a huge wave. At first you just hear it in the distance, you realize that in order to come through and deliver for the last two clients that called you need to start working right away and not stop until five. And then you see the wave, it gets bigger, more people start calling "by tomorrow morning, by friday, as soon as humanly possible," and you start frantically calling everyone and reminding them: "WE JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL POST-PRODUCTION REQUIRES A TWO-BUSINESS DAY TURNARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" and then it's washing over you and you are so, completely screwed and it's too late.
I frantically photoshopped file after file, pre-press and retouching at least a hundred images with varying level of complexity while I listened to Mr. and Mrs. Big booking us for all the work they had worried for years would never come. Everyone is completely afraid to say it still, but we're going to be fine. We're making money again. The slump started to die a few months after I got there, and we are actually starting to turn down jobs because we are just too busy.
I worked non-stop from 9 - 6 or so on Wednesday, worked out, and came home. We hung out here for a while, and then headed out for Chris Connor's birthday. Chris and Nick are brothers, and two of our favourite friends. Nick started at St. George's the same time as Justin, and they have been great friends ever since. Chris is his brother, and a welcome addition to every situation. We head out to see the LMT Connection at the Orbit Room with them at least once every six weeks, and that night we went for Chris' birthday. It was an incredible show, as always. Leroy knows us all at this point, and always comes over to shake hands with the gentlemen and give me a kiss. We had reserved tables, and Nick and I had a great time, just blissed out on the banquette, listening to him play an incredible solo on Stormy Monday. Blunts off the back roof-top patio with the rest of the regulars between sets, and a good time had by all. We made a night of it, cabbed there and back and I even booked off Thursday morning.
It's such a good night out to have, and you can spend as much or as little as you like. It's 8 bucks to get in, and if that's all you want to spend, you're fine. Drinks are moderately priced, and it's enough to just sit and listen to them play. But I love it because it's an excuse for everyone to get a little bit dressed up, and to let loose in the middle of the week. The first set is usually so bluesy, but Leroy Emmanuel is probably one of the most talented local guitarists, and it just rips. The crowd is incredibly mixed, but is almost completely made up of music industry folks: producers, session musicians, the odd recording artist (while we try hard and silently in the corner to not freak the fuck out), even staff from schools like Juliard, and from as far as Detroit. Everyone else is either from the television and film industry, or with people who are. Everyone is super friendly and laid back. The second and third sets are always much more funk/motown based, and the dancing is so incredible. Anyone from out of town who comes to visit us mid-week, or like Justin's little brother, who came for his first real exposure to Toronto, gets taken and the jaws always hit the floor. I was devastated when I took Katie - Leroy was out that night. Joel Parisienne on the E3 played instead, but he is not a 65 year old black man on a '65 Gibson 335. He's a 25 year-old white boy on an organ and although he does the funk well, and can beat-box like no ones, it just doesn't have the same soul. He's pretty hot though.
So I slept in until noon, threw on some sweats and rolled myself into the office for 2:30 and it was back to the grindstone. Same story with the files, more photoshop until 9 or so. Friday was more of the same, and a bit of pre-production. Pulling together scheduling, catering, and some other elements for Monday/Tuesday's shoots. I'm still only 2 years into the industry and have adapted pretty well to the change in workload, I can step back for a minute and go "oh, THIS is the way it's supposed to be" and shift into high gear. The extra money helps. But the Bigs, oh man... they are having a tough time adjusting to it after all these years of semi-stagnation. They need to just get a housekeeper or a regular nanny or both but oh MAN. Owning a business is a full-time job on both ends, and no matter what goes wrong, it's all their responsibility. There was a fuck-up with accounting (NOT my problem) so they are both spending the weekend sorting it out. They are always choosing one over the other, (family or business) because they have such a vested interest in both, obviously. They want to spend time together and with their kids, but the business supports their family, and sadly, until we grow into more employees (which might happen soon, you local folks who are looking for some work) the onus to clean all the messes falls on them. And that is a 365 day a year job.
So I was pretty glad by the time Friday evening came around. A gal I went to college with, Keri, had contacted me and we are both pretty steeped in work right now. She's freelance, but is really good at what she does. She does a lot of long-term contracts with various photographers and has done some good travel gigs in the last year or so. She came up to our place after we both finished at around 7:30 (see, she gets the hours, too!) with a bottle of wine and a quiche (knowing our fridge was as empty as hers because honestly who has time to shop) and a plant. An awesome, beautiful plant. Kristen and Grant came up later on as well, with MORE wine, and we went through two big bottles and dished about the photo industry, from very different places. We all reminisced about school, where various people were at, etc. It was a lot of fun, and everyone took of at around 12:30, leaving us to wind down a little bit.
Justin got up at like, balls o'clock this morning to help move a set of drums (?!?) and get together with Bryan, James, and Colin. The dream team and I are heading out to see The Golden Dogs at the Horseshoe Tavern. Why is it that everywhere I go, it is from 3-8 huge guys, and me. It never fails that I am the only girl. They'll land here at the condo in about 45 minutes, make a shit-load of noise, fuck with dirtbike until he snaps, eat all our food, play all the guitars, play my piano, it will go on for three hours before they finally GET THE FUCK OUT.
I kid; they come over and my stomach always aches from laughter. James loves to get under my skin, he knows exactly what fucking bothers me. For instance stand in the corner letting each song play for twenty seconds and then skipping to the next, watching me in the kitchen struggling between wanting to scream PICK A FUCKING SONG YOU DONKEY RAPING SHIT EATER and trying very hard to be a good sport. Regardless, it seems I am forever destined to have "boys" not girls - I will always have one or two female friends, but for the most part, I am doomed to almost an exclusively male social life.
The only thing worth noting at all was that Eric Hawkins called today. We do try to stay in touch, living in the same city and all. We get together every few months, and talk every month or so about the state of the union in our relationships and work on the phone. I am so proud of him. He really loves his job, and is making good money doing it. I like Brooke too, and we always have a good time with them. She is a smart girl, and I hope things work out between them. He told me he did something stupid to help out a friend - he took a second job. He already works from like, 7 - 4, and then he started going somewhere to work from 5:30 to 12:30. He said he lasted three days, and then on the fourth day, he couldn't get out of bed. Poor Eric. He smartened up and quit the second job though, and feels much better. He was on his way up to help a buddy who had returned from a business trip to find his live-in girlfriend gone. (With his home theater equipment, I gather.) So Eric was bringing him what he needed most, beer and a subwoofer. He says Chuck is doing O.K. and that Kath hasn't "been driven totally insane yet."
There is one more thing to tell everybody, and that is about my furious anger regarding the general public being fucking retarded in their opinion towards developing countries, and what I can only write off as a lack of faith in my common sense and general intelligence level. The point is, we've planned our holiday in Jamaica, and I suppose most white middle class Canadians were told that Trench Town grew and covered the entire country in extreme amounts of crime and murder or something. And think that I need to be schooled on the "proper" way to handle yourself there, which is to lock yourself in a five star resort and not speak to anybody who isn't wearing a uniform. Which is, totally false, and even so, it's not like I didn't spend three weeks in the murder capital of the fucking WORLD.
Basically everyone we've told that we're visiting Negril has first, had no idea where or what Negril is. And they think it sounds totally awesome until we tell them it's in Jamaica, and then we are promptly told we're "stupid" or "ignorant" or "going to get shot - you're staying in a nice hotel, right?". So I've essentially stopped telling anyone where we are going, because I am really tired of parrotting to every single person "well we did a lot of research and aren't really in the habit of visiting cities we haven't learned a great deal about and it actually is much safer than Havana and yes, I DO know Dominican is really cheap and yes, you are right is pretty safe isn't that funny considering it's attached to fucking HAITI well I guess places can be in proximity to a dangerous place without being that dangerous but in your books that doesn't apply to us so we might as well just go to Bermuda where everyone is white and rich and have a mild accent because I'm far too stupid to stop myself from climbing into an unlicensed taxi and pulling out my thousands of american dollars."
To make a long story short, Negril is a lovely little town that consists of two things: tourists, and tourist industry. It's a ways away from Montego Bay, and our decision to go there was based out of a lot of discussion with my aunt (who was born there) and Justin's employer (who just moved from there). Our decision to go to Jamaica, period, was based on a few factors. They speak english, which is obviously not a requirement or something we dislike about anywhere else - but I am the type of person who starts to feel stupid and guilty when I don't speak a local language. After three days in Mexico I felt like a filthy capitalist jerk who needed to prove to all the hotel staff that I knew I wasn't any better and got all stressed out and bought a fucking phrase book and talked like an idiot for the rest of the week. Plus, I think the dialect comes out of an interesting and unique mix of European and Asian languages and that shit interests me O.K?!?!?! The food was an issue too. I know all about Cuba. I know all about their lack of spices and I will not be tricked into going to a country that will not offer me CUMIN OR HOT SAUCE WITH EVERY MEAL. We don't have a lot of money, and will be doing this on a budget. And the "budget" islands will not delight me gastronomically speaking. But Jamaica. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. In Negril we can eat for like, 10$ a day. The last factor, was of course, price. And this made it so easy. I'm not the kind of person who needs any amount of luxury, and for less than 35$ a night per person, I think I can handle this just fine. (When I re-read this the sarcasm didn't come through. Seriously, that is the nicest looking cabin I've ever seen!) Because the accommodations (once you take BEACHES, SANDALS, COUPLES, CLUB, or RIU out of the name) are SO cheap, it's possible we might change out booking and stay for two weeks. The flight is the most expensive part, and the fact that we can subsist for about 50$ a person a day makes it extremely tempting to stay there longer. I guess if we can stop ourselves from getting into any unlicensed taxis or making eye contact, right? Morons. Get outside once in a while.
