Thank You Kodak

Through the loupe

A year ago I met Stacy Mehrfar for a drink at the Half King in Chelsea. We'd known each other since our early days printing in the color darkroom at the ICP, but on that day Stacy was in town from Sydney, where she lives with her husband Gavin. As we were catching up over a drink and talking about her new adopted country, she mentioned a strange phrase, Tall Poppy Syndrome. Tall Poppy Syndrome is an Australian societal phenomenon where people who are seen to be successful are resented by their fellow citizens. Having been raised in a country that preaches the religion of individual success (USA! USA! USA!), this concept was foreign to me. As we discussed it further we decided it would be a great structure for a photo series about Australia.

Switch to a year later, I'm in Australia and we are about to head out on the second leg of our photographic road trip exploring the land Down Under.

Mostly unshot film

This project was made possible in large part because of the support of my chairs at SVA and Parsons and the folks at FotoFreo, but there's not a chance in hell we could have pulled it off without a generous film sponsorship from Kodak. As long time Kodak shooters, Stacy and I are thrilled to have their support for this project.

Ready for processing

During our first leg of this trip into the Australian Bush and Outback, we shot hundreds of rolls and sheets of Kodak Portra 160 and 400NC. Yesterday we picked up the processed film and were thrilled with the negatives so far. We'll be posting some early scans of the film in the next week. Stay tuned.

4x5 negatives!

Thank you Kodak!

Greetings From Down Under

Outback © Amy Stein or Stacy Mehrfar. Who cares?

This blog has been quiet lately because I've been focusing on making images rather than writing about them.

Right now, I'm in Australia to participate in Foto Freo. The festival--which will feature the first solo show of Stranded and a panel discussion where I'll be speaking about online photo communities and blogging with the illustrious Andy Adams and Jon Levy--doesn't start until March 20, but I decided to turn my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia into a jam packed, three week affair.

Over the past ten days or so I've been working on a new collaborative project with photographer Stacy Mehrfar that has taken us from Sydney to the dusty wilds of the outback. After ten straight days of shooting from sunup to sundown I'm very happy to be back in Sydney.

If you happen to be in Sydney, please come celebrate with me tonight at the Australian Centre for Photography where a solo exhibition of Domesticated is opening. My focus will be squarely on the Sydney art scene and drinking a ridiculous amount of Coopers.

Here are the details:

Amy Stein | Domesticated
Friday March 12 - Sunday April 11, 2010
Australian Centre for Photography
257 Oxford St
Paddington NSW 2021

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 11, 6-8pm
Artists Talk: Saturday, March 13, 1pm

7 Blogs Every Freelancer Should Read

Working freelance is a world all its own. There are perks, like working in your pajamas. But there are also downsides, like not knowing where your next job is coming from and not being able to take a paid sick day when you have the flu.

And, since most freelancers work from home and alone, there’s really no one to chat around the water cooler with. But, every worker, regardless of the type of work you do or where you do it, needs support. One great way to work through the specific challenges of freelancing and share the unique joys of this type of work is by reading blogs directed specifically toward those who work on their own. You can find pals on the discussion boards as well as get advice about running your business and being successful. Here are seven blogs you should be reading.

1. Freelance Switch – This site gives all types of freelancers advice on building client relationships managing money and marketing your business. You may also get job leads from the site.
2. Freelance Folder – There’s a great blog on this site, along with all sorts of other useful resources. Their forums are particularly active. You’ll find advice on all sorts of freelancing challenges here. And, if there’s no article to address your question, post it on one of the discussion groups.
3. Guerilla Freelancing – This blog offers advice to freelancers, from other freelancers. This is a must read blog if you’re new to the freelance work world. The primary author is an experienced freelancer himself.
4. Arctic Llama – This site’s main goal is to connect freelancers with potential clients, so it’s definitely worth your time to get connected here. The site is mainly geared toward writers. But, you’ll find some great blog posts, too.
5. Fuel Your Creativity – This blog is geared toward designers, but it has some great overall advice, too. If you’re a designer, however, it’s a must read, because it really will, fuel your creativity.
6. Freelancer’s Union – You’ll find all sorts of information here for those who work on their own, from advice on doing your taxes and getting them right to running an ethical freelance business: This site has it all. You are required, however, to join the union for a fee in order to access all the information.
7. Undress for Success – This is really more of a blog related to working from home. However, since most freelancers work from home, it’s a great resource. There are a wide range of resources here, from finding work to managing the work/life balance when your home is your office.

As you read through these blogs, you’re sure to find some that you want to make a part of your regular reading routine. You’re also likely to make some friends along the way as well as finding other blogs and resources that can help you navigate the special ups and downs that working as a freelancer can bring.

M. Ward writes about how to get an online accounting degree.

Angelina Jolie

So basically Angelina Jolie is the white Tiger Woods, but with a vagina. At this point, I could claim I had sex with her during her hot years, and mathematically, you'd have no choice but to believe me. Because it's true and now I know what it means to hear dolphins cry. Or whatever nonsensical saying that translates to me caressing a boob.

It is alleged the pair first had a brief fling after she starred in the video for the Rolling Stones' 1997 song Anybody Seen My Baby?, while she was still married to British actor Jonny Lee Miller.
And it is claimed they enjoyed a second affair six years later in 2003, while the womanising rocker was with his latest lover L'Wren Scott. On this occasion it is claimed the two were seen going back to Jagger's room at the Oriental hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

Oh, well, if they were in Thailand, then they were definitely fucking because, seriously, that's the only reason to even go to Thailand. Rush Limbaugh and a coven of young boys know what I'm talking about. In the meantime, these allegations are from a new tell-all book which also claims Angelina was cheating on Brad Pitt when they first met:

Paul also claims that Angelina was sleeping with Hollywood star Ralph Fiennes and ex-husband Miller when she met Brad Pitt in 2004.
She also says that Jolie was dating Irish actor Colin Farrell, 33, for four months after meeting him on the set of 2004 film, Alexander.

http://hotcelebrityhollywood.blogspot.com/

Google Donate Wikimedia

 

Google donated two million dollars for the United States or around Rp 20 billion to the Wikimedia Foundation - an organization owned online reference site, Wikipedia.

"The official announcement this Wednesday," said Council Member Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, as quoted by News.com, Wednesday (17/2).

Wikipedia is a vast source of information posted and edited by individuals online. Pages often appear in Google search engine pages. Wikimedia projects other repositories Wikibooks, Wiktionary dictionaries, warehouse Wikimedia Commons images, and other media files.

So far, according to counter Stastistik Organization (internet), more than 958 million edits for the Wikimedia projects have been made.

Many Receive Complaints, Google Buzz Designed Birthdays

Google Buzz, the latest product from Google's newly launched less than a week ago, now reap the complaint. Because these products violate user privacy. Thus was launched Telegraph, Monday (15 / 2).

Google product manager Buzz, Todd Jackson, announced that Google would disable the feature that is often criticized for violating user privacy. This feature shows the world every user who frequently sent e-mail.

Many users also do not want contact, they often send e-mail regularly for the purpose of the work included in their social networks. This site is also criticized for Gmail users are automatically joined to it.

"We soon realized that we made a mistake. We are very sorry and will work hard to improve the things that bother you," Jackson said.

Google itself has expressed regret, and as soon as possible to improve the things that interfere. Google Buzz now automatically will no longer connected to the Picasa photo album Buzz and Google Reader items. Google also will put its own tab in the e-mail facility to make these features easier to do so.

Rehab was like a vacation

    LINDSAY Lohan has exclusively revealed her trips to rehab have been like going on “vacation”. Actress Lindsay Lohan, who has been to rehab three times, told OK! Magazine her stints in the centre were like a “vacation” for her because they were positive experiences.

    She told us: “Well, the second two times I went into rehab, to be honest with you, I had to go because it was a court thing. It was an obligation. I had to do it to stay out of getting any jail time. And I took responsibility for that. And it was like a vacation.”





    “I love meeting new people and seeing what they’ve been experiencing. That’s what I go through in different characters. And I met some great people.”

    “It was a nice time to shut everyone off for a while because there was so much noise. There were some things I had done… I had put myself in situations which I probably should have thought through.”




    “But it was a positive experience. When I was there it was like, there’s a lot of people that I know who should really be here now, not for drugs or alcohol abuse - just to learn about life. The world is nuts.”

    And Lindsay says that despite her alcohol abuse in the past, she still occasionally has a celebratory drink, admitting: “It depends on the situation. I mean, yes…”

    But the 23-year-old says her drinking was never as bad as it was made out to be.

    When we asked if she’s careful around booze, she added: “Yeah. I mean, mind you, my drinking was never more than… I mean, here’s the thing, I have friends who would get so wasted at college. I have never been one to get drunk and act like that, that’s not who I am.



    “When I was in school I didn’t drink, or even try one, until I was probably 18. Literally, and I’m not lying about that. I’m just some sort of a target for some reason! I’m made out all the time to be the bad guy!”

    Lindsay says time in rehab helped her to gain control of her life – and she’s now penning a book about her experiences.

    She told us: “I write a lot and it’s very therapeutic for me because then I can see what’s happening on paper. I’ve started writing a book. It’s going to take a while, all my life experiences. I started writing it a year ago. There’s a lot to put down, you know?”


http://hotcelebrityhollywood.blogspot.com/
Eh. Lainey Gossip had an interesting theory about this wave of Lindsay Lohan interviews - Lainey thinks that Lindsay may be doing “exclusive” interviews as a way to get publications to put damaging stories on the back-burner. It’s a solid theory, considering people like Tiger Woods have done it. But this is Lindsay Lohan. What is so f-cking damaging to her rep at this point? A sex tape? It’s Lindsay, of course there’s a sex tape floating around. Drugs? Ah, YEAH. We already know that. So what could it possibly be? Nothing. What’s infinitely more likely, in my opinion, is that Lindsay is just giving interviews for the hell of it, to be relevant, because she thinks people care.