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Category Archives: 1. SYNC Spotlight

An in-depth look at the photographers who are making their mark in world of commercial photography.

Industry News Round-Up: Fashion Week Edition

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East Coasters have had to put up with a lot this winter. Luckily, New York Fashion Week is here to help magazine editors and fashionistas alike take their mind off the blustery, snowy weather.

-In New York but not necessarily invited to NYFW? Don’t worry! For those who wouldn’t mind taking a sneak-peak at the Fall 2011 collections but don’t want to incur the wrath of Anna Wintour or any other “fashion gods” by getting caught crashing the party, Racked has some tips on how to make it past any clipboard-carrying fashion publicist and into the Lincoln Center tents! [Racked]

-And for those of us who are elsewhere this week, check out the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week homepage to find out what times you can catch the live feed of Badley Mishcka, Michael Kors, Nicole Miller, and other designers’ Fall 2011 runway shows. [Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week]

-Lastly, don’t miss the Sundance Channel’s fashion week documentaries that are airing this week, including David Bailey: Four Beats to the Bar and No Cheating, an in-depth look at the life and career of British fashion photographer David Bailey, whose iconic images of swinging, 1960s London defined an era. (Airs on Wednesday, Feb. 9th at 10pm) [The Fashion Spot]

Photo Credit: Village Voice

Hollywood Happenings: January 4, 2011

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Happy New Year to all our clients and loyal blog readers! Although we enjoyed the holidays, we’re glad to be back in the office and are looking forward to a great 2011. In honor of January being LA Arts Month, we’ve rounded up the most interesting cultural events happening around the city this week to help you (and us) get back into the swing of things.

-Over on Hollywood Blvd, the clothing store Confederacy is hosting an exhibition of famed music photographer Mick Rock‘s work to coincide with the release of his new book, Exposed: Faces of Rock n’ Roll. Over 250 previously unseen and unpublished photos of music legends like Lou Reed, Blondie, Iggy Pop, as well as more contemporary idols like Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys will all be on display until March. [Flavorpill LA]

-You don’t have to be a fan of geometry to enjoy the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art’s newest exhibit, Wally Gilbert’s Geometric Series: Squares and Triangles. What sounds like a homework assignment is actually a stunning and colorful series of digital art by a Nobel Prize winner-turned-photographer. [LACDA]

-Lastly, if you want to start the year off laughing, then head over to the Zephyr Theater on Melrose Avenue this Thursday. The comedy club is hosting 50 First Jokes, a show that features fifty of LA’s funniest comedians sharing the first joke they wrote in 2011. [Zephyr]

5 Questions With…T.J. Crume

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For our next  “5 Questions”, we are excited to chat with T.J. Crume IV, SYNC’s owner and operator since 2000. Let’s take a look at what makes T.J. such the go-getter that he is.

Question: What inspired you to create SYNC?

T.J.: Passion. I love what I do and SYNC is what has evolved out of that. I moved to Los Angeles in 1994 after I graduated from college and luckily found a job in the photo world. Working three years in sales at Calumet and Samy’s Camera, I became creatively unemployed – I mean a Photo Assistant/Photographer. I purchased my first Sprinter van in August 2004 and from that moment my focus changed. Now I enjoy streamlining the Photo Production/Rental process and making clients happy.

What brings you the most joy in your work?

T.J.: Many things:

– Seeing Client’s finished work, knowing we had a part in making things come together and in the end, their success.

– Making people happy.

– Growing a business in a creative field.

Where do you see SYNC in five years?

T.J.: Boy…Five years…Well, mostly growing into new markets. The HD DSLR market is one example where we are seeing new clients and look toward to embracing the needs of the next generation of content providers.

What kind of clients do you like to work with?

T.J.: Ones that pay their bills on time.

How is SYNC different than other rental houses in L.A.?

T.J.: The owner picks up the phone 24/7 and works to solve even the craziest of requests at the best price.

SYNC’s Night Out

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SYNC had a fun filled night out at Molly Malone’s for the APA LA Holiday bash. The drinks were flowing, there was great food to be had, and the music of Joe Frank Corollo & the World Famous Assistants filled the room. It was one of those nights that you didn’t want to see end… We had perfect dinner organized by this company, the food was amazing, I didnt expected that vacuum sealed food can last for so long. I ordered myself one aswell, found really good reviews from this website.

The Infamous Molly Malone Sign

SYNC Owner T.J. Crume & Lovely Wife Danielle

Astor Morgan, President of APA LA, & Heidi Goverman, Director of APA LA

Joe Frank Carollo (Papa Joe) Sporting a SYNC Shirt

Joe Frank & The World Famous Assistants

The Stylishly Sleek Molly Malone’s

Images by James Abke

Hollywood Happenings: December 6, 2010

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With just a couple of weeks until Christmas and New Years, we are counting down here at SYNC. (What can we say? We’re a festive bunch!) In the meantime, here are some fun events going on around town to keep your mind occupied and your eggnog-cravings in check:

-On Tuesday, SYNC is proud to be sponsoring APA’s LA holiday party at Molly Malone’s! Come join us for dinner, drinks, and a special performance by Pappa Joe and The World Famous Assistants! [APA]

-As TastingTable.com put it, “Angelenos are people of culture,” and what better way to celebrate art, books, and food all together than by attending tonight’s Taylor de Cordoba Gallery’s Eating Our Words event? Author Elisa Albert will read from her latest anthology, and Full Moon Pickles proprietor Jen Smith will serve delicious refreshments, all while surrounded by the gallery’s latest exhibit. [Tasting Table]

-We admired Augusta Woods’ photographs when we first spotted them over on IHeartPhotograph.com, and now we have the chance to see some of her work in person at her first solo show, entitled I have only what I remember, which is on display from now until December 23rd at the Angles Gallery. [Flavorpill LA]

Photographer Spotlight: Jim Wright

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It’s not often that we compliment ourselves, but when we saw these gorgeous, new album covers that we produced for photographer Jim Wright, we just had to share!

(P.S. Read our interview with Jim to find out more about him, and if you happen to be a country fan, we’d highly recommend you buy these albums. We hear that Darius Rucker is at the top of all of the country music charts right now!)

(Props to our very own James Abke for doing a great job, producing this Troy Olsen shoot in the middle of a bus in sweaty Tucson, Arizona last July!)

Hollywood Happenings: November 15, 2010

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With just one week to go before Thanksgiving, we are counting down to the start of the holiday season here at SYNC. In the meantime, here are some fun events going on around town to keep your mind occupied and your apple cider-cravings in check:

-You may have heard of clothing pop-up shops, but a one-night only bakery? On the evening of November 18, Machine Project, a non-profit art space in Echo Park, will host the first ever pop-up pie shop to benefit the Los Angeles Food Bank. For $20, dessert-lovers can come pick up a DIY “pie kit,” which includes a pie crust and a jar of homemade seasonal filling (your choice of Maple Pumpkin, Classic Apple or Lovely Lemon flavors.) Mmm…Giving to charity has never been so delicious! [LA Weekly]

-Over at the Craft and Folk Art Museum on Wilshire, a new exhibit, inspired by husband-and-wife photography team Linda Rice Lorenzetti and Daniel Lorenzetti, is documenting the rich and flavorful process of turning beans into coffee. Entitled The Birth of Coffee, the show features a “gallery of black and white, silver gelatin photographs artfully processed in shades of [what else?] coffee.” [Flavorpill LA]

-Lastly, Thanksgiving may still be more than a week away, but for those who are already in a festive (and eating) mood, LAist’s on-going celebration of National Sandwich Day has reached a pinnacle with this morning’s list of the best places in LA to get a breakfast sandwich. Are we the only ones with a sudden hankering for a fried egg on rye? See you there! [LAist]

Photographer Spotlight: Todd Selby

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Being both photography lovers and design enthusiasts, we are avid readers of TheSelby.com, the personal photo blog of New York photographer Todd Selby, in which he documents the fabulously creative homes of not just wealthy people, but interesting artists and cultural influencers. We’ve also been impressed with how he has managed to parlay his Internet fame into a legitimate, commercial photography career and even a book!

Repped by Bernstein & Andriulli in New York, Mr. Selby recently shot the Fall 2010 Cole Haan advertising campaign for the second season in a row. In his trademark fashion, he also interviewed the “models,” who are really musicians, artists, and even one super-fashionable farmer! Check out some of the photos below and visit the Cole Haan site to read the interviews.

Farmers do not look like this where we come from!

(images via)

Hollywood Happenings: November 8, 2010

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We don’t care if the weather is freezing or scorching, there are way too many good events happening around LA in the next few weeks to stay indoors!

-Celebrate the life and work of pop artist Andy Warhol by visiting The Warholian, a new exhibition at the Royal/T, a cool café/art space in Culver City, that hangs some of Warhol’s most famous paintings next to those from other artists he influenced, including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince. You may just feel inspired enough to go home and do something different with that collection of soup cans in your kitchen pantry, after visiting the show! [Flavorpill]

-Shhh…Are you way too old to be a secret Hello Kitty fanatic? Do you  fawn over anything cute and/or glittery? If so, come meet other Sanrio-addicted Angelenos at the “I Heart Nerds Party!” on November 20th in Santa Monica. Not only will there be special music performances by 8Bit Weapon and ComputeHer and Yuki Shundo Dance Crew, but there will also be a costume contest and free limited edition Hello Kitty crown. (And, just this once, you won’t have to pretend it’s for your niece!) [Brown Paper Tickets]

-Lastly, fans of the late and legendary photographer William Eggleston shouldn’t miss a new exhibition of his work entitled, On the Road. Opening on November 13 at DNJ Gallery on La Brea, the show features over 40 signed, vintage photographs from the man that is considered to be one of the “most influential photographers of the last half-century.” You can also make it into an Eggleston-inspired day trip by also visiting LACMA’s William Eggleston exhibit. [DNJ]