Here are some of my favorite “just for fun” shots from the third installment of the Muddy’s Menu Photos sessions. It was “vegan day” at the photo shoot, so the first four photos are a selection of Muddy’s vegan items. You KNOW I loved that, vegan baking enthusiast that I am!

If you are looking for me the next few days, I’ll be barricaded in the house, editing away at more and more photos of baked goods! And then baking cakes to feed a couple hundred folks at a banquet next week. YIIIEEEE!!

(that last one an explosion of creativity from Kat and Kip. Gordon Super Powers, Activate!)

Another day filled with nearly a dozen cakes and a dozen cupcake varieties, not to mention pies, cookies and bars – and we’re not done yet, folks! So I’ll be posting more sneaky peeks from the photo shoots, PLUS I’ll have behind the scenes photos taken on film which might make a guest appearance on the blog.  In other words: more to come!

Fake fire burning in the fireplace.  Mantel full of cake.  Welcome to a look behind the scenes of a food photography shoot.

Yesterday, I began [what will be] an on-going project to help Muddy’s Bake Shop  get their menu photos up to date. I’ll leak a few shots and behind the scene images here and there as we go along. Muddy’s Menu Photos: Session Numero Uno proved to be one big collaboration fest between me, Muddy’s owner Kat, and VP of operations/manager of awesome, Kip. So fun! If you thought working around these treats every day was my dream job? Take that dream, amend it to include photographing them, and you’ll find me. You know, living the dream.

The band and I made arrangements to meet downtown. Did we have a specific plan? No. Did we do some explorin’ until we found a couple of righteous places for snapping  photos? We sure did!

Being downtown, it’s hard to avoid a bunch of cliche backgrounds. When you’re photographing bands for promo or press photos, it’s SUPER hard to avoid cliches.  I had one rule: no brick walls. LFA had another rule: no fields. Other than that, we just set out on a trek around downtown Memphis. We were on a {photographic} mission.

When I started seeing spots that sparked my interest, I didn’t have to think “Is this trite? Has this been overdone?” All that mattered was getting these Looking for Alaska lads into those interest-sparking spots, getting them to interact with each other, and, you know, snapping a few photos along the way.

Someone in the group suggested we go to the Peabody rooftop. I hadn’t really been up there before and didn’t know what was in store for us since the light was getting so dim (thanks to autumn, which brought shorter days with it!) I was not too sure that we were going to have (what I like to call) a “workable situation” on our hands. But then, we rounded a corner on the rooftop and saw that there was an old-fashioned street lamp giving ample lighting underneath it. I breathed a sigh of relief.  I also loved how the camera picked up on the last bits of dusky light the sky was offering us in the background!

Once I’d called it a wrap on the rooftop and headed back indoors, we caught a glimpse of some VERY PINK light coming from a room off to the side. I thought for certain that the door would be locked. It wasn’t. Then I thought we would get yelled at for going into The Skyway. But then I reasoned with myself, “If they didn’t want us in there, they should have locked the door!”

We ended up having a GREAT time together. I hope to have the pleasure of photographing Looking For Alaska again in the future!

♥♥

“Why is this a stunning realization?”, you may ask. Because I hadn’t really thought about having a favorite place in Memphis, or not having one for that matter, up until this point. But on the night in question, I found myself at this particular locale in my hometown, and it dawned on me that there was no other place the city where I’d rather be.

And that place is:  Orpheum Theatre, located in downtown Memphis. So I’ll round up some of the shots I have on hand from various visits I’ve made to the theatre over the years, along with some I snapped on my most recent visit, and I’ll tell you a little about my experiences there.

Circa 2006

Allow me set the scene for you (that is to say, the circumstances surrounding the aforementioned realization):

My birthday came around a couple of weekends ago. I like to do small, meaningful things for my birthday rather than asking for a huge birthday bash (though those ain’t so bad from time to time!) The ONLY request I had for celebrating the anniversary of my birth this year was that someone accompany me to a movie showing in the Summer Movie Series at the Orpheum. In my opinion, the Summer Movie Series is the coolest thing to do in Memphis during the summer, hands down.

Much to my delight, I discovered that the movie playing on my birthday weekend was going to be Walk the Line. It was part of a series of Memphis-made films they were showing during the Summer Movie Series this year. I immediately knew who had to go see it with me: Mallory!  And – yay! -  she was available to help fulfill my one birthday wish!

Circa 2010

There is just something so special about walking down Beale Street while wearing a pretty dress, on a breezy summer evening, making your way to the resplendent [oh yeah, I just busted out that vocab word!] Orpheum Theatre. When I arrived at the theatre and stood out front waiting for Mallory’s arrival, I took in the atmosphere around me. The iconic theatre marquee, studded underneath with a zillion lights.  The people standing around, chattering before the show begins. The view down Beale Street, with its flashing neon signs. Classic Memphis sights and sounds.

Circa 2006

Stepping  into the lobby of The Orpheum is like a gateway to another era. Everything is plush! Extravagant furnishings, art deco touches, rich fabrics, chandeliers, gilded surfaces everywhere you look. I can just imagine women in mink stoles and men in their best tuxedos, sipping champagne before seeing a performance in the 1930s.

They often have special activities for the audience before the movies plays. Like this trivia contest about Johnny Cash before Walk the Line. Mallory contributed the final tie-breaker question for the contest!

But back to the night a few weeks ago – my “realization” night. Mallory and I made our way into the theatre itself. No matter how many times I walk into the Orpheum, I still get this sense of “oooh!” and “ahhh!” at the grand scale of it all. It’s just…they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

After the trivia contest, Walk the Line started rolling and goodness did Mallory and I have a wonderful time seeing this film! The atmosphere surrounding us added so much to our experience. Not to mention, we were sitting next to this really great German family who seemed to be tourists – they were LOVING the movie and LOVING being at the Orpheum. It was both entertaining and endearing to witness their experience (though I did really wonder how people for whom English is a second language could possibly understand all those “country” accents in Walk the Line! I think I’d have needed subtitles had I been them!) Both we and the German woman I was sitting next to were freaking out when we realized that a crucial scene was actually filmed at The Orpheum. How did we not notice that when we’d seen the movie before?! It was so surreal to watch the scene on the big screen and be able to look around the room we were sitting in, recognizing that it was filmed right here.

Mallory and I left the film feeling like we were on top of the world – that feeling you get when you have the perfect night. We lingered outside, looking at the 1955 Cadillac they had sitting in front of the Orepheum in conjunction with the showing Walk the Line. Such a great feeling of “atmosphere”! I think we both would rank it as one of the best nights we’ve ever had in Memphis. It was a good night to be Memphians.

A couple of weeks ago, there was talk of tornadoes yet again. At one point, I looked outside and the sky was yellow. This was worrisome and downright eerie. I decided, of course, to have a little photographic walkabout.

The photo I thought best captured the color cast by the strange light that evening was this one of a chair outside the house where I live.

Yashica D TLR • Kodak Ektar Film

And I didn’t get taken away by a twister for the sake of photography that night. The TV weathermen told the city afterward that the yellow sky was a good sign, that the troublesome weather had passed for the night. Thank goodness! Thank goodness that the trouble had passed…

I hope so, because that’s what we’re here to talk about today.

Two weeks ago, I got a message from Meredith, which stated: “We are going to the Stax Museum. You want to go? Free ticket!!!”

Yes, obviously!

It seems that Meredith’s fella, Kevin, had bought some tickets to Stax at a discounted price and I was asked to come along.

In tow that afternoon were Meredith, Kevin, and Kevin’s friend Ryan. And me, of course.

That’s me, soul fan extroidinare!

So, when we were watching the introductory film/documentary at the museum, it was really difficult for me to not be up and singing and dancing throughout its running time.

The first exhibit we saw upon entering the museum was a 100 year old church which had been transplanted into the museum.

I enjoyed that each member of our party walked around the museum at their own pace – exploring things which interested us. Maybe Kevin, for instance, wanted to dwell on the section devoted one artist, while Ryan browsed another artist’s section.

Meredith, reading information about the recording equipment used in making many famous Stax albums

I, for instance, paid the most attention to things which involved Otis Redding. I remember some years ago, being told by my friend Adam, after he’d visited Stax: “Your idol is EVERYWHERE there.” He meant Otis. See the above Otis Redding display? I got really “Aaaaaahhhhhh!” about it, because I definitely recognized that jacket from photos I’d seen of the late, great Mr. Redding. Just as my sister, as someone who studied English for her degree,  was struck by the fact that I got to see a part of the Rosetta Stone when I visited London, I was struck by seeing Otis Redding’s favorite jacket.

Kevin, looking at the Otis Redding memorabilia

Ya’ll know how I like to document things, right? Photographically, this museum visit reminded me of a photo series I did in 2003, called “Memphis Museums.” It was before I had a blog  – before I’d even heard of a blog. I went to some museums with friends, took photos while we were there of both the exhibits and my friends, and posted the photos to the old version of the Shoot With Personality site.

Our visit to Stax reminded me very much of my old “Memphis Museums” series. Since it was so spur of the moment, I could only use the photo equipment I had on my person {or in my purse, as it happened} that day: my old Lomo LC-A and a couple of rolls of color-process black and white film. Which is much the way I would have been shooting the “Memphis Museums” in 2003.

Kevin, admiring artwork from some of the albums released by Stax

Meredith, and the interactive Stax music player, just before we slow-danced to the music in the headphones.

“I wonder if they’d stop us if you jumped up on these so I could take your picture sitting on them?”

Issac Hayes’ Cadillac – it is displayed on a rotating floor, with audio of Hayes saying things like “Don’t touch my ride!” playing.

Meredith, in the little photo gallery at Stax

In conclusion, I had a wonderful time at Stax with friends, and loved doing some photography that reminded me of the olden days of Shoot With Personality. And being inspired to perhaps begin a new “Memphis Museums” series…

Location: University of Memphis area

Here’s the story: I saw a mobile phone photo of Ezra sitting next to his family’s Christmas tree. I knew immediately knew that we had to do a mini photo shoot to commemorate Ezra’s first Christmas. Because he is too presh. Too too presh. His parents were on the same page about the matter, and the rest, as they say, is history. We had a mini photo session  in his home, which was so great because I think little ones are sometimes more at ease in familiar surroundings. Plus, Ezra’s mom and dad have great style, so shooting in their home is extra awesome.

This smile? Ezra’s reaction when his daddy came home from running an errand. Love it!

I just love seeing this little family unit interact with each other. I was showing my mother some of these photos, and she said “Ooooh,  you can tell they love that baby so much. That makes me so happy.” I couldn’t agree more!

This might be my favorite shot of the whole afternoon though:

I just think this shot says it all!

]]> http://www.shootwithpersonality.com/2010/12/17/babyyyyyy-photography-ezras-holiday-edition/feed/ 3 http://www.shootwithpersonality.com/2010/08/19/twelve-forgotten-frames/ http://www.shootwithpersonality.com/2010/08/19/twelve-forgotten-frames/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:50:15 +0000 araney http://www.shootwithpersonality.com/?p=904 I dropped a roll of film at MPS some months back, which had been shot through my Holga some months before that. I finally got remembered to swing by MPS to pick up said film today and, frankly, was taken aback at how dated the photos were and how it seemed as if they were taken a lifetime ago.

I really had not a clue in the world as to what the film contained. And it’s interesting to see what I chose to photograph on this roll – medium format, 6×6 cameras only yield twelve frames, and as a result,  I’m usually kinda “choicey”  as to what I shoot. While I don’t consider all of these photos to be “keepers”, I like the idea of looking at these twelve frames of film in a broad sense, rather than “oh, that day that it snowed in Memphis” or “oh, that day a group of us went to Memorial Park.” It’s just pleasant for me to look upon them, as is. I hope you will enjoy them displayed this way, too.