(no subject)
I am having so much fun now that I'm not "working". I'm sick as shit but it doesn't matter, yesterday and today have been fanFUCKINGtastic and it feels so much like home here I can barely even get over it. I felt like I was getting into a rut in Minnesota - even when I was happy I still felt like I was waiting for my life to start. I don't feel that here, even when I'm unhappy.
We wrapped on Sunday night. I had to go in early that morning to take product shots on a red velvet table. The gaffer came in early too and was so nice to me, teaching me all about electricity and how to hook up a generator. Once everything was on, I was on set alone under the bright lights and I was just really happy. I love photography because it's collaborative, sure, but it's also really self-contained at times, I love those times. I feel so myself. The guy who owns the loft we were shooting in, we had interesting chemistry all week and I heard him start tuning his acoustic guitar around the corner. And this space is fucking beautiful, you guys - wood floors, brick walls, high ceilings, full of modern furniture and art. When I finished shooting, I walked in there and sat down. He started to play for me and it was so beautiful that I thought he was covering The Eagles or something but when he strummed his last chord, he smiled and said, "... I just wrote a song." He emailed it to me last night, he had recorded it on his iPhone and it's amazing and my favorite thing about it is that I can hear myself laughing in the background. It is absolutely priceless to me. Some people steal props from a set - I steal moments. Moments to lock away in my private heart vault and sometimes if I'm lucky, my iTunes. As people were packing everything up, he took me to the roof to take long exposure shots of the skyline. It was quiet and wonderful and the first genuinely still moment I'd had all week.
I slept in yesterday before Tony picked me up to go lens shopping. He bought the macro I have because it's been taking fucking KILLER STILLS all week. It's so hard for me not to show you. We went to Santa Monica, shopped a little and had lunch. He cracks me the FUCK up, you guys, he is so fun to be around because he is easily the most fearless person I know. But no I love Santa Monica and we got club sandwiches because I had wanted one all week lol. One of our camera operators on the shoot came up to our outdoor table and was like, "Oh my god, hi guys!" and that's awesome because I've been here for a week and I'm already running into people I know. I saw a fucking ADORABLE DRESS on a mannequin in front of a little boutique, it fit like a fucking glove and I bought it in a moment of blissful irresponsibility.
We came back to Tony's because he'd offered to shoot a video for a friend's Kickstarter campaign. Her name is Vail and she's going to Ecuador with a bunch of disposable cameras to give to women to photograph other women who inspire them, and then blow them up to post on city walls. Like, what a fucking cool thing. He asked if I wanted to run B cam for her video and fuck yes I do. It's the first thing I've ever "shot" like that, it was really fun and I predictably learned some shit. I learn something valuable every day here. Then we all came back inside, cracked a bottle of champagne, and watched a behind-the-scenes feature on some snowboarding video. We went out to dinner in a cute little outdoor green place with candles, came back and hung out more. I got high with his roommate Adam, who is also a filmmaker, and we talked about websites and coding and tumblr. And then just generally laughed our asses off. ALSO! Tony just full on GAVE me a camera lens because he had two of the same ones, except one was a 1.4 and one was a 1.8. So he just kept the 1.4 and gave me the other. I love it here. Like what a fucking amazing day. I love Tony's lifestyle so much and want it for my own.
He was up until 6am editing that video, so we slept in and then we went to Chipotle in Culver City for lunch. We picked up Adam and went camera shopping again, then came back here and had internet time before we laid around and watched Orange County. And we just cracked beers. And this is his life. LOL I want it, just travels literally around the world and works for a month, and then just chills and spends money. New life goal!
We wrapped on Sunday night. I had to go in early that morning to take product shots on a red velvet table. The gaffer came in early too and was so nice to me, teaching me all about electricity and how to hook up a generator. Once everything was on, I was on set alone under the bright lights and I was just really happy. I love photography because it's collaborative, sure, but it's also really self-contained at times, I love those times. I feel so myself. The guy who owns the loft we were shooting in, we had interesting chemistry all week and I heard him start tuning his acoustic guitar around the corner. And this space is fucking beautiful, you guys - wood floors, brick walls, high ceilings, full of modern furniture and art. When I finished shooting, I walked in there and sat down. He started to play for me and it was so beautiful that I thought he was covering The Eagles or something but when he strummed his last chord, he smiled and said, "... I just wrote a song." He emailed it to me last night, he had recorded it on his iPhone and it's amazing and my favorite thing about it is that I can hear myself laughing in the background. It is absolutely priceless to me. Some people steal props from a set - I steal moments. Moments to lock away in my private heart vault and sometimes if I'm lucky, my iTunes. As people were packing everything up, he took me to the roof to take long exposure shots of the skyline. It was quiet and wonderful and the first genuinely still moment I'd had all week.
I slept in yesterday before Tony picked me up to go lens shopping. He bought the macro I have because it's been taking fucking KILLER STILLS all week. It's so hard for me not to show you. We went to Santa Monica, shopped a little and had lunch. He cracks me the FUCK up, you guys, he is so fun to be around because he is easily the most fearless person I know. But no I love Santa Monica and we got club sandwiches because I had wanted one all week lol. One of our camera operators on the shoot came up to our outdoor table and was like, "Oh my god, hi guys!" and that's awesome because I've been here for a week and I'm already running into people I know. I saw a fucking ADORABLE DRESS on a mannequin in front of a little boutique, it fit like a fucking glove and I bought it in a moment of blissful irresponsibility.
We came back to Tony's because he'd offered to shoot a video for a friend's Kickstarter campaign. Her name is Vail and she's going to Ecuador with a bunch of disposable cameras to give to women to photograph other women who inspire them, and then blow them up to post on city walls. Like, what a fucking cool thing. He asked if I wanted to run B cam for her video and fuck yes I do. It's the first thing I've ever "shot" like that, it was really fun and I predictably learned some shit. I learn something valuable every day here. Then we all came back inside, cracked a bottle of champagne, and watched a behind-the-scenes feature on some snowboarding video. We went out to dinner in a cute little outdoor green place with candles, came back and hung out more. I got high with his roommate Adam, who is also a filmmaker, and we talked about websites and coding and tumblr. And then just generally laughed our asses off. ALSO! Tony just full on GAVE me a camera lens because he had two of the same ones, except one was a 1.4 and one was a 1.8. So he just kept the 1.4 and gave me the other. I love it here. Like what a fucking amazing day. I love Tony's lifestyle so much and want it for my own.
He was up until 6am editing that video, so we slept in and then we went to Chipotle in Culver City for lunch. We picked up Adam and went camera shopping again, then came back here and had internet time before we laid around and watched Orange County. And we just cracked beers. And this is his life. LOL I want it, just travels literally around the world and works for a month, and then just chills and spends money. New life goal!