Call of Graters

My very first photo shoot was yesterday. 


It rained.  


My photography class started last week. What with all my instructor's yammering on about aperture, ISO, shutter speed, light, composition, JPG vs. raw, do-not-ever-use-the-red-eye-reduction-setting-EVER lecture, etc, and then having the nerve to throw fractions at me, I felt like my head was going to explode. I now feel more inept then I did before I walked in the room six days ago.  


He also told me to read the instruction manual for my camera.  


Cute, right?  


May I point out that when taking pictures with the Hipstamatic application, all one has to do is 1)open the application 2)shake the phone for fun randomness and 3)shoot the picture?  The real camera, however, has more gadgets than Sharper Image and my fingers get confused. Plus, after you take a picture you have to look at a screen to, you know, "evaluate" your shot. At which point one is confronted with so many readings and charts and graphs and numbers and letters that one requires an advanced engineering degree to decipher it all. 


I'm pretty well hosed. 


None-the-less, I took the bull by the horns. So no mocking my attempt to be all uber-photog-gal. At least in front of me. I'm no Annie Leibovitz even or a Chromasia, for crying out loud. I'm a BEGINNER: 

Mike Lenker, Andrews Park, Norman, OK* 

The Boy informed me this is not a sub-machine gun design but an assault rifle with an underslung grenade launcher. 


I'm scandalized he's able to provide me and my blog with these kinds of details.  Thank you Call of Duty. 


And thank you uncle Ben, for giving Call of Duty to your godson last year for Christmas. I'm just warning you, these kinds of gifts have a way of coming home to roost. 


No matter that you are currently childless. I have a LONG memory. When you first kid is four, this little darling will find its way into junior's Christmas stocking and I am going to feel wholly vindicated (watch the full minute for a true appreciation of the magnitude of my promise. You might want to lower the volume on your computer): 


Anyway, take a closer look at his shirt: 

Isn't that cool? He got it here. But you can't buy one. Because then you'll lose your I'm-Totally-Hip-Because-I'm-Wearing-an-Obscure-T mojo. 


Go find your own.  -> 


*Not cropped in post-production

Art & Copy

I streamed a movie on Netflix and watched it on my Samsung screen.  I sipped a Diet Coke out of my 7-11 cup and procrastinated sewing the button back on The Boy's Old Navy shorts.  

The movie I watched?  Art & Copy, a 2009 documentary about advertising.  

Here are some stats from the film:  

1. 75% of American homes have 3 or more televisions. 
2. Food companies spent $32 billion on advertising in 2008
3. A 30 second ad on American Idol costs $750,000 
4. A 30 second ad during the Super Bowl costs $2.7 million
5. Each year the average child sees 20,00 television commercials
6. 80% of all advertising is produced by 4 global holding companies

And some words of wisdom from advertising gurus (whose names I didn't record. Because I was being lazy and didn't feel like picking through the film and finding them again):  

"I hope people understand that brands can be dangerous.  They're like a TV channel that you get locked in to." 

"Fear is a very powerful depressant" 

"Great advertising makes food taste better".  (from the dude who designed the "I Want My MTV campaign")

This project of mine has been an exploration of consumerism and I've never pretended to lead or plan on leading a consumer-free existence.  It's an impossible task.  So in that spirit and I'm taking the complete opposite approach to day and listing my favorite ads.  

Say you: WHAT? 

Say me:  Stop.  We all have them, so don't try and shy away from it.  

Favorite ads of yore:  The touchy-feely Coca-Cola commercials.  


From my teens: The MTV commercials.  Once upon a time, MTV actually played music videos. Did you know that?   "Where's the Beef" was quite entertaining.  And Are you old enough to remember Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign?  That egg is forever imprinted. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. 

Recent years: The Budweiser Frogs.  Hello?  Brilliant.  Coke's polar bear?  I hate to admit it, but their marketing is oh, so effective. 

Contemporary ads: The iPod spreads are beautiful.  Plus the spoofs are always fantastic.  I also love the Absolut vodka print spreads (scroll down.  The hangman one is spectacular).  Eye candy, every one of them.  Christmas time always offers some great ads, and Target, damn them, last year combined humor with my all-time favorite Christmas carol. 

Then there's the best ad to EVER hit the airwaves:  ->

Codemnky

 

Have you been to Converse and designed your own shoes lately?  Careful!  The site is addictive.  I do believe it's too late to order for prom, though.  Bummer.  Maybe next year.  -> 

Dotties

 

For a better view of what I photographed, you can go here.  Apparently there's a sale now so hurry!  Get one right now!  

In the store, this little darling will set you back $25 plus tax.  But the good news is you can change out those dots thus changing the look of your case.  How cool is that? And I promise you this: you won't lose one of those silicon dottie thingys when they're not in use.  Ever. ->

ap

 

Best. Website. Ever. ->