FotoWeek DC 2011-Party and Recognition

Friends,

I am excited to share with you the good news that one of my images...the green roof panorama on my homepage,  made for the American Society of Landscape Architects... won 3rd place in the FotoWeek 2011 International Awards Competition-commercial photography division!

Bobbi and I are planning to go to the opening night parties for Fotoweek next Fri. 11/4...it's a 2 stage event...5-8pm at FotoWeek Central (18th and L -former Borders Bookstore space) and then at the Corcoran 8:30-onwards.  We will likely get to Fotoweek Central around 6:30ish or 7 to start the night.  Tickets are $55 or $84.50 for 2...of course proceeds support FotoWeek and its great and growing year-round organization.

Also, check out all the phenomenal FotoWeek events going on around DC from 11/4-11/12.

Would love it if you all or in any combo can join us...last year's event was quite fun at the Corcoran.

Best,

Sam

3 Newseum Ads in Sunday Washington Post

These 3 Ads featuring my images were in today's special Museum section of the Washington Post.

The tall one with The Berlin Wall ran as a full page.  The 2 others were on the following page spread.

The Interrogator for Johns Hopkins

I photographed former CIA Interrogator Glenn Carle for the fall  edition of Johns Hopins Magazine.  I have to say, meeting and talking to this gentleman, I feel like he  is a true, yet tormented, american patriot.  I encourage you to read the story to find out about the battles he has waged, with both the CIA and himself.

Newseum Ad in Washington Post

Here's the 2nd ad in in the Newseum's "Living History" campaign that appeared in the Washington Post Weekend section today.  It's amazing to be surrounded by all the intense, moving photos in The Pulitzer gallery at the Newseum.

Newseum-Living History Campaign

This is the first installment of the Newseum's "Living History" ad campaign I am currently shooting. It appears as a full page on the back cover of The Washington Post weekend section today.  The campaign helps show viewers various artifacts and galleries that many people don't know are on display at the Newseum.  Pictured here is the 9/11 gallery with the World Trade Center broadcast antenna along with front pages reporting that fateful day.  You can imagine the 9/11 gallery is a very solemn place at all times.  The accompanying artifacts and videos telling the story of the challenges of reporting the heartbreaking sequence of events are quite successful at giving a sense of how that day was experienced.

Architectural Photography show at the Washington Design Center

I am thrilled to have my work included in this wonderful show of Architectural Photography at the Washington Design Center that opens Thur. 9/8/11.  In addition to continuing my years of work as a commercial people/portrait photographer, I really just dove into this market the past 5 years as a result of my new panoramic work drawing me more into architectural shooting.   It's an absolute honor to be included with this group of great architectural photographers from the DC area. 

I hope you can make the opening next week and feel free to invite any of your associates or other friends that would enjoy the show. Please rsvp to rsvp@dodgechrome by 9/2 if you are planning on attending.  The show is scheduled to be on display for 6 weeks into mid-October and can be seen during normal business hours M-F at 300 D Street SW.

Go to NoMa-New York Avenue Metro Banners

NoMa BID has place banners featuring images I shot for their "NoMa Connected" campaign in multiple locations around the New York Avenue Metro Station and on various construction fences and buildings around the neighborhood...go check it out and have lunch at Roti!  The images will be in the metro station until the end of June.

New Old Well Panorama

I am thrilled to share a panorama I shot of UNC's iconic Old Well earlier this spring when the azaleas were in full bloom.  The university's Annual Giving office will be using the image in various fundraising appeals over the next year.

Lifecycle of Jewelry-Time-Lapse Collaboration

This is a time-lapse piece made in collaboration with artist Katja Toporski.  Katja makes fine art jewelry.  Her work, including this video I photographed and produced with her, is in the show "Contain, Maintain, Sustain, An Exhibition That Explores Sustainability" at the Artisphere in Arlington, VA. Katja used one of her casts to make the "temporary" necklace she is wearing.  Check out the sequence and see what you think.

NoMa BID-Connected Campaign

Last week NoMa BID (North of Massachusetts Avenue Business Improvement District) launched their new branding campaign "NoMa Connected", featuring images the BID commissioned me to shoot in March.

The campaign includes ads in numerous business publications, neighborhood banners, the new NoMa website, several resource publications, and the 2010 Annual Report.

I loved the shoot as the assignment made use of all my strengths and interests in photography: lifestyle portraits of workers and residents, street photography, cityscape work showing the proximity of the neighborhood to The Capitol, architectural images and details.  Fun stuff.

For years I have driven up and down North Capitol Street regularly...but until I was approached to cover the area by NoMa, I had no idea of the explosive growth and renewal in this area that many had written off as dead.  Just blocks from the US Capitol, running from behind Union Station northward, many government agencies have established new offices bringing in thousands of workers.  Also several developers have built new apartment and condo buildings attracting younger DC workers that want to live close to downtown.  Lastly, the Metropolitan Bike Trail and New York Avenue Metro station offers dynamic and fun commuter options.  With the new apartments and offices, several restaurants have opened, including Roti was my favorite lunch spot while on the multi-day shoot.

Working as a team with NoMa staff and their superb design strategy firm DOXA, the campaign has been well received.  NoMa reported to me that they are "thrilled with the look, feel and content of these images. Great job!"

Love working on a project that celebrates downtown rebirth and renewal!

(No Kidding) Jill Sobule and John Doe, Tree House Concert, Takoma Park, MD

This is a slide show of images I made of Jill and John's awesome "House Concert" performance 4/1/2011 in Takoma Park, MD. The song, "Under the Bridge" is from their superb new album. Please note the images where shot throughout their performance of many songs...and the audio of the song is from the new cd. It was an absolute joy to see, hear, and photograph these great musicians.  When viewing full screen, images look crisper if you turn off the "scaling on" option. That option appears if you move your mouse to the upper right corner of your monitor in full screen mode.

From Wikipedia:
Jill Sobule is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless. Her folk-inflected compositions alternate between ironic, story-driven character studies and emotive ballads, a duality reminiscent of such 1970s American songwriters as Warren Zevon, Harry Nilsson, Loudon Wainwright III, Harry Chapin, and Randy Newman.


John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet^[1] and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical compositions and performances span the rock, countryand folk music genres. As an actor, he has dozens of television appearances and several movies to his credit, including the role of Jeff Parker in the television series Roswell.

Slide Show: Cravin' Dogs 25th Anniversary Concert, Barns of Wolftrap, 4/2/2011

Cravin' Dogs 25th Anniversary Show, Barns of Wolftrap, 4/2/2011 from Sam Kittner on Vimeo.


25 big ones, that's a lot of Dog years.  Cravin' Dogs continue to be the glue that holds the universe together.  Please note that these images were shot as they performed many songs throughout their smokin' show at The Barns earlier this month.  The song on the audio of this slideshow is "Sleeping in the Sunshine" from their awesome new cd release "Sounds like a Wiener."  When viewing full screen, images look crisper if you turn off the "scaling on" option. That option appears if you move your mouse to the upper right corner of your monitor in full screen mode.

Vote: Green Roof website nominated for WEBBY

Good News...the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Green Roof website featuring a panorama I was commissioned to shoot has been nominated for a WEBBY award.

Please check out the ASLA Green Roof site and also vote for the WEBBY.  Of course you can look at the other nominees but I am sure you will still want to vote for the ASLA site!

You may recall from an earlier post that another panorama I shot of the Green Roof is currently being used as a 15 foot wide window display on ASLA's national headquarters in Washington.


These are some comments from people who have voted for the ASLA website:


LIGHT AND INFORMATIVE

• Dimitry Ekzarkhov about 24 hours ago
• This site is great. So many site out in the world today are cluttered and over texted. I love how light and spacious this site is and makes me feel. Great job to the designer!

• KEVEN GRAHAM
• keven 1 day ago
• The green roof is alive and so is the website, watch as it evolves and you will gain valuable experience in the education of the value in green.

• ASLA GREEN ROOF
• cbates 1 day ago
• You should all view this very cool, interactive image:
  http://www.asla.org/greenroof/ Just scroll around and see the entire panorama.
  Also, green roofs are a great way to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as control storm water runoff, reduce heat and air conditioning costs, and have a beautiful, inner city place to visit.
  Carolyn Bates
  www.carolynbates.com
  Vermont Photographer

• JENNIFER NITZKY
• sprout 2 days ago
• This website is not only informative but fun!

Art Hop Is Here

I hope you can join me tomorrow (Friday 4/8/11) for a superb Happy Hour (4-7pm) Artist Reception at  Landis Construction Corporation in the Takoma, DC neighborhood.

The Landis office is brimming with my panorama prints and artwork by  Mei Mei Chang and Emily Silverman.  The office looks great and I happen to know they are well stocked for a fun Happy Hour.

Landis, located at 7059 Blair Rd., NW Suite 300, Washington, DC is 1 block from the Takoma Metro Station.  If driving, there is limited parking at The Landis Building...but your best bet may be to park on the neighborhood streets or at the Metro station as traffic tends to back up along Blair Road in the area that time of day.

Also, download your Art Hop Map and Meet the Artists Schedule for the rolling receptions for your weekend of Art Encounters throughout the Main Street Takoma business districts.  Lastly, check out the schedule of music, performances, and artist demonstrations that will fill the streets.  

Takoma friends, please note that Lyla DiPaul will be performing a brief show at the Gazebo at 12:30pm on Saturday!

Enjoy.

Art Hop 2011-Takoma Park, April 7-10

Get Hopping!  Plan to attend the 2nd Annual Art Hop in Takoma Park, April 7-10.

I want to let you know about this wonderful event in which over 30 artists are hosted in over 30 stores and offices in the Main Street Takoma business districts (Takoma DC, Old Town Takoma, and Takoma Junction).

There's a full schedule and location/artists listings at: <http://arthoptakoma.com>

Plan to take a fun, rambling walk around Takoma to see the wide array of artwork and get to know the quirky, interesting stores and businesses of this dynamic community.  Or, be a little more deliberate and check out the rolling "artist receptions" so you can time your visit to meet the artists and perhaps get some cheese and crackers as well.  The listings for the artist receptions are on the "Meet the Artists" tab on the Art Hop website.

I am psyched to be showing my panoramic photographs with two other talented artists, Mei Mei Chang and Emily Silverman at the Landis Construction Corporation located at:

7059 Blair Rd., NW Suite 300, Washington, DC in Takoma, DC neighborhood.

Landis one of the DC area's top home remodeling design-build firms.  They do wonderfult work, come up with amazing solutions to the most vexing homeowner dilemmas, and have a great office to show the artwork.

Please plan on joining us Friday, April 8 from 4-7pm for the artist reception at Landis.  

While you're in Takoma leave room for great food (Roscoes, Middle East Cuisine, Marks Kitchen), deserts (Summer Delights, Capital Cheesecake), and a drink or two (Olive Lounge, Cedar Crossing, Mayorga Coffee).

See You at the Hop,

Sam

ps- I'm quite proud to let you know that Bobbi founded and conceived Takoma's Art Hop.  She's created this year's event with a great team of local volunteers.  Also, her art work will be on display at Trohv and her jewelry is regularly for sale at Salon Jam.

Boulder, Colorado GigaPan from Overlook

This is a gigapan I shot last summer at dawn overlooking Boulder, CO.  I was traveling for the Service to America Awards project and took the opportunity find the right vantage point to work with my gigapan and capture the beauty of the oncoming day, along with those 2 nice people sitting oh so still on the rock perch below.  Click the snapshot in the left corner to zoom in and see details of The University of Colorado's Boulder campus and the view towards the east.  The image is composed of 45 sections that made the 1.2 gig base file.  I also blended bracketed exposures to utilize high dynamic range imaging (hdr) to portray the extended tonal range from bright to dark in the image.

Check out the full-screen version of this gigapan here.