In a hurry to move from set to set? No need to worry; with our spacious & organized Sprinters here at SYNC, you can be sure that your load up will not look like this:
but more like this:
-The movie industry has the Oscars, the music industry has the Grammys, and the photo industry? They recently celebrated their best and brightest with the 8th Annual Lucie Awards! Among the honorees were photographers Tina Barney for her achievement in portraiture, Howard Bingham for his work in photojournalism, and Graciela Iturbide for her illustrious career in fine art. [Lucies]
-Modern furniture store CB2 and photographer Todd Selby just announced the winner of their month-long, The Selby is in Your Place contest, and it’s Venice Beach resident Eileen Peters, whose “surf-shack” home is the “perfect laid mix of eclectic and fun” with “mismatched furniture, 70s graphic surfboards, wood-beam ceilings, Pendleton pillows, grey shag carpet, funny art on the walls and, of course, the cute dog in the photos.” Check out pics of her pretty fabulous home here. [B&A]
-Lastly, are there any photo reps out there looking for a new job? Vaughan Hannigan in NYC is searching for a senior agent, and Amsterdam-based NOOR is looking for a director of editorial sales. W Magazine might also be in need of some help. We hear that after only 6 months and 3 issues, Jody Quon has abruptly quit her position as creative director there. [A Photo Editor, Fashionologie]
In this latest installment of “5 Questions With,” we gabbed with legendary photographer and all-around nice guy Jim Wright, who SYNC has the pleasure of working with on a regular basis. Check out Jim’s site here and read our interview with him below.
Question: When and where did you decide to become a professional photographer?
Jim Wright: I’d never planned on being a shooter. I was happy being a top notch assistant but then I just got tired of carrying someone else’s bags. However, the entire time that I was assisting, I never stopped shooting so that if an opportunity arose I’d be ready.
What goes through your head when you are shooting a celebrity, like First Lady Michelle Obama or Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner?
Just remember that they are human just like me and you. You’d be surprised how far common courtesy and manners go.
Who would you like to photograph that you haven’t had the chance to yet?
Bruce Springsteen; Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Paul Weller, John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison.
We know you’ve been spending a lot of time on both coasts, which city do you prefer: New York or LA?
LA for the weather; NYC for the food and inspiration.
What’s your all-time favorite camera that you’ve used and what do you currently shoot with?
I shoot with everything from Kodak instamatics, Canon 5d’s, RZ 67, to 4×5. all time favorite is probably the RZ or my old Hasselblad 500CM.
Here are some fun facts you may not know about SYNC!
– We pre-load them with whatever you want saving you the cost of a prep/wrap day.
– Grip Packages that range from $350 to $550 per day.
– Interiors are all custom built with a place for everything.
– All come with Interlift Liftgates.
Here’s the latest industry news, straight from the photography blogs:
-Celeb photographer Richard Reinsdorf is suing mad! According to Refinery29.com, the shutterbug filed a $250 million dollar lawsuit against Sketchers, alleging that the shoe company continued to use photos that he shot for them without negotiating additional usage rights. Although copyright law can be confusing when it comes to photography, luckily, APhotoEditor.com has broken it down for us in this post. (Refinery29, APhotoEditor)
-Mr. Reinsdorf isn’t the only one in the middle of a legal battle over a photo. A former NASA astronaut, Bruce McCandless, is suing British pop singer Dido for reportedly using his likeness on the cover of her newest album, entitled Safe Trip Home. Although McCandless is not recognizable in the photo that depicts an astronaut floating over the earth, he claims that the cover photo identifies him and is suing the singer, her record company, and Getty Images, who allegedly licensed the photo. (PDN Pulse)
-Lastly, in a bit of non-litigious news, one of our favorite photographers, and all-around nice guy, Jim Wright, recently photographed actor Jeremy Renner (best known for his Oscar-nominated role in The Hurt Locker) for the cover of the Autumn/Winter men’s style issue of The Telegraph. Check out the brilliant photos, as well as a behind the scenes video, over on Bernstein & Andriulli’s blog. (B&A). Also if you or a loved one have been affected by the drug xarelto click here to see some of the best xarelto injury attorneys.
If it’s raining in Los Angeles, it must officially be fall! Below are some worthwhile events to check out this week and next:
-If you’re around this weekend, the Beyond Eden Art Fair will be taking over the historic Barnsdall Park for a free, 2-day art festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 9th and 10th, celebrating the contemporary art scene in Los Angeles. (Flavorpill)
-Through November 6th, the Gagosian Gallery has Contraband by Taryn Simon on display, a photographic series of over 1000 items that have been seized from airline passengers entering the U.S. from abroad. Be sure to catch the show before it moves to New York’s Lever House Art Collection next month. (Superluminal)
– Next Thursday night, October 14th, the Lomography Gallery Store in West Hollywood will be hosting the opening party of the Diana World Tour, featuring Vignettes from the City of Angels photo exhibition. There will also be a charity raffle, live entertainment and drinks, ensuring a good time will be had by all. (The Lomographer)
Here are some photography-related news stories that caught our eye recently:
-When American photographer Alec Soth was denied a work visa earlier this year and was told that taking any photos during his U.K. trip could land him in jail, he recruited his 7-year-old daughter to use his camera and shoot his commission for the Brighton Photo Biennial in his place…When we were 7, we spent our time playing with our toys. Carmen Soth makes us feel like such a slacker. (The Guardian)
-The “ultra-hip” band, Vampire Weekend, bought a stock photo of a 1980s blonde, blue-eyed prepster (with her the collar of her polo shirt popped, of course) to use as the cover for their Contra album. The only problem? The model is suing both the band and the photographer Tod Brody for $2 million, alleging that she never signed a release. (A Photo Editor)
-Instead of hiring a food photographer to do a traditional, tabletop photo shoot, Domino’s Pizza recently decided to do-away with all of those “silly tricks” photographers use to make their photos look professional, and instead, has kick-started an advertising campaign featuring at-home snaps of pizzas taken by their customers. However, they probably weren’t expecting someone named Bryce from Minnesota to send in a photo of a pizza with all of the cheese stuck to the top of the box. Oops. (NY Times)
SYNC would like to welcome our new employees, James and Kaleena. The two of them replaced Laura Houtkooper, SYNC’s former employee of two years, at the end of June. Together, James and Kaleena have proved to be a great addition to SYNC and have been juggling various responsibilities at the company. You may have received an email or spoken to one if not both of them on the phone. So who are these two and what are they about? Let’s find out.
James: “In the ever changing world of commercial photography, I have found a home here at SYNC. It sounds funny to say that I have 20 years experience in the photography business but it’s true. Looking back at the call sheet of my professional career, I have found work at one time or another as an Assistant, Darkroom Manager (oh yes!), Studio Manager, Production Coordinator, Location Scout and Photographer. I continue now with SYNC wearing quite a few of those hats. I manage our Equipment Rental Dept. and our three Pre-Loaded Sprinter Vans. In addition to growing that aspect of our business, I produce and coordinate photo shoots for our growing list of editorial and advertising photographers. I look forward to meeting you and helping you get connected with everything you need for your next shoot!”
Kaleena: “Who knew this lady from Iowa would find a home in Hollywood at the hottest equipment rental place around? You better believe I did! When I was asked to work here at SYNC, I was honored. To me it says, “Here, you have my confidence, take what I give you and give it your all.” That’s exactly what I have done here; from answering phones to fielding emails, fulfilling orders, invoicing clients, dabbling in QuickBooks, jump-starting our marketing campaign, and, of course, keeping these guys around here in line. My previous jobs as a personal/administrative assistant and Internet marketing assistant have strengthened my professional skills, which helped land me here at SYNC, a place I can call home.”
If you’re in Hollywood next weekend, come join the SYNC crew at the PhotoCineNews Expo, happening at the LA Film School on September 25th and 26th. We hear there will be a Glidecam instruction demo, a mini Canon Bootcamp, and a Post Production Training Hall with classes in Adobe CS5 and Final Cut Pro. We’re also looking forward to hearing different Hollywood DPs and other break-out image makers talk about their crafts.
For more info or to buy tickets, check out http://photocinenews.com/expo/index.php. (Friends of SYNC get $15 off each ticket with the discount code “CrashVan”.)
See you there!
Thanks for visiting SYNC’s new, re-branded website and for checking out our new blog. Here you’ll find an assortment of information and entertainment. We’ll be posting updates on our latest promotions and events, as well as the projects we’re working on. We’ll also let you hear from our friends who will be providing instructional posts, sharing cool ideas, and telling their stories from the trenches.
We welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing from you soon.