Elizabeth Craig Intimates Beauty Portraits

Check out my wife in action... This is what she does when you are not looking...

 

Time Lapse Test Shoot

Fun time lapse test shoot...real project coming soon.

 

Moment

Current Reading: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Current Music: Round About Midnight by Miles Davis
Mood: Fog
Smells: Fire place
Sounds: Fan
Temperature: 54 degrees
Thoughts: Today is the start of a new journal, old journal filled.

Short Film ~ Mansions on Fifth

Here is my latest film.  Check out the time lapse at the beginning.  Been waiting to add time lapse for awhile. For those who been asking: I am using Nikon D800 for all stills, motion and time lapse, love this camera!

Elizabeth Craig Beauty Portraits ~ Short Film

“….it’s about enjoying the powerful side of femininity. 

It’s about recognizing your outer & inner beauty….” 

Art Doc ~ 30sec Film

Start of a new project. Just a little sneak peak of what is to come....

Pirates' first playoff win since 1992

Shine On ~ Pittsburgh Pirates

A little ‘Burgh beauty for a bunch of luck to our Pirates on their first play-off game in 21 years tonight! Go Bucs!

PGH @ DUCK

Pittsburgh at Night ~ Exhibit

Pittsburgh at Night Photography
Saturday February 1 ~ Artist reception 6pm -9pm
Boulevard Gallery 736 Allegheny River Boulevard,
Verona PA 15147

Moment

Current Reading: Hesitation Marks by Nine Inch Nails
Current Music: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
Mood: Good
Smells: Tomatoes
Sounds: Water
Temperature: 62 degrees
Thoughts: Late night conversation are good.

Ambient Art

Photo of the Week

Short Film ~ In The Kitchen

Photo of the Week

Photo of the week, this week its 9/11....never forget....always remember that prayer works.

Photo Exhibit

Here is the info for my next photo exhibits..... 

Pittsburgh at Night Photography 

Saturday February 1 ~ Artist reception

6pm -9pm

Boulevard Gallery

736 Allegheny RIver Boulevard, Verona PA 15147

412-721-0943

Reincarnated Me ~ Short Story ~ Part 2

You can read part 1 (here)

My life has become a true-metaphor. It may be nonsensical yet literally it is meaningful for me to share this story with you. At this point you must re-apply more sunblock before reading further on and I told you to watch out for the spiders.

This would be a good time to fill you in on my backstory of how this all began.  But I will not.  Just know this: there is no normal.

The typewriter calls out to me, my back aches for the sofa. I place my hands of the keys and then it happens, again.

: I listen past the silence.  The din slowly fades away.
: For 40 days I did nothing but listen past the silence.
: "Do not trust angels", this is whispered in my ear.
: 40 days of sitting still in the ever-present silence, this is what arises:
: The Bodhi tree grows from sprout to full blossom to death.
: The ark is built then sailed then abandoned...I watch the ark decay back into the soil.
: 40 days of desert, 40 days of the devil...it's always 40 days.
: "Do not trust angels for they created you", this is whispered in my ear.
: Satan becomes a creator, society names him God.
: The serpent in the garden of Eden was not the devil tempting mankind, it was Jesus the Christ showing us that we have been duped by Satan and that we are now separated from that which created us. 
: The location of the Garden of Eden is in Bellevue Heights in Australia. Google it.
: "Do not trust the Australians", this is whispered in my ear. 
: Angels always have one wing dipped in blood. Nothing good ever happens when they whisper in your ear.
: Life of poverty, life of service, life of strapping a bomb to your chest. This is all due to Angels.
: Do not listen to Angles.
: Truth or fact, which quality outshines the other? You need at least two drinks before this question gets interesting. 
: Truth or fact, which quality outlasts the other? This is the question worth answering.

: The reincarnated me rides past me, still on the back of a horse.
: Reincarnated me yells out “Your heart burns like fire but your eyes are cold as dead ashes.”
: Current-self-embodiment answers, “Ok, ride on apocalyptic-boy, your type of crazy is not needed here."
: “40 more days to go, always think twice before answering me”, reincarnated me yells back at me from atop his horse.

: I listen past the silence to hear my original voice.
: That is love and I’ll be here till the end of time. 

I look down at my finger tips and they are bloody.  I go into the bathroom  and place three squirts of anti-bacterial soap on my tooth brush and place it in my mouth.  24 brush strokes on top and 19 brush strokes on the bottom.  I spit out the bitter soap-goo into my hand then wash my finger tips clean with this concoction of saliva and soap.  My fingers burn.  A billy-goat sits on the toilet smoking a Marlboro cigarette wearing a Boston Celtics t-shirt. He saying something in Spanish as I walk away.

Reincarnated Me ~ Short Story

What follows is a true story for those of you who believe in metaphors.

Beware: before reading this it is recommended to wear sunblock that is SPF 30 or above and also watch out for spiders.

I can not believe that this is happening to me. Again.  All I want to do is lie on the sofa.

I just want writer’s block but the words won’t stop coming. This typewriter that sits in this empty room calls out to me.  If I could only stop these words than I could lay down on that sofa and sleep.

I get up and walk over to this old typewriter.  The keys are white circles with black letters.  The striking hammers make this god-awful sound as it pushed the letter into the paper. The body of this typewriter is made out of wood; it must have been hand-carved, I’m guessing, in the late 1800’s. I place my hands on the keys. I take three deep breaths.  Then it happens….

: "There was no big bang, only witnesses changing the channel." This is whispered in my ear. 
: In an ecstasy of an odyssey a fantasy for all to see.
: In the beginning we all fell to our knees with prayers of hoping to believe.
: In the end we killed each other for our own self-fulfilling greed.

: As for me, I watch myself be reincarnated in front of my own eyes. My soul is ripped out of my body and turned into a giant supernova in the sky. Then explodes into a thousand tiny white butterflies that forms into a body-like figure.  Next it turns into a cocoon then breaks free into the reincarnated-me.
: “You want to know what the sound of one hand clapping is?” the reincarnated-me asks me?
: "It is the reincarnated-self slapping the current-embodiment-of-you right in the face." He says.
: Bam, slapped right in the kisser.  
: Finally, an existential truth that I can understand.
: "You must know the ego before you can kill the ego. Reject all forms of transformation, self included." This is whispered in my ear.
:“How many times are we going to have to go through this?” The reincarnated-me asks? 
: The reincarnated me says to the current-embodiment-self, “Do you want to see the end of the world?”
: The current-embodiment-self (me) replies, “No.” “Too bad.”, reincarnated me answers.
: With his left hand he touches the ground, with his right hand he reaches up into the sky and parts the clouds, then proceeds to pull down the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The reincarnated me jumps up on a white horse screaming something in Spanish as he rides away.

: "Evolution is for losers, creation is for dreamers." This is whispered in my ear.

: As for me, currently I live in the ever-present now.  Sometimes I leave it to visit the future but it's never as good as you would think.


Bourbon, I need bourbon. I get up form my desk and walk into the kitchen.  I grab a small clear glass off the countertop, three ice cubes into the glass and four ounces of bourbon. I sniff my drink, I look deep into the colors and swirl the liquid around and then drink it straight down.  Back to my desk, the typewriter awaits.  I place my hands on the keys….

Moment

Current Reading: Springsteen on Springsteen by Jeff Burger 
Current Music: Ella & Oscar
Mood: Headache, foggy, happy
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Soft hum coign out of the back of my computer.
Temperature: 63 degrees
Thoughts: Getting ready to go back out into the cosmos to sprinkle blessing down on the pre-approved.

Photo of the Week

Creative Space ~ 30 sec film

"Creativity is something you practice, not just a talent you’re born with"- Tom Kelly

Moment

Current Reading: Veronica Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Current Music:  Ya-Ka-MAy by Galactic
Mood: Going for a walk mood
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: 7yrs old daughter talking, talking ,talking….
Temperature: 68 degrees
Thoughts: 5 senses, 6 emotions… good storyboarding.

Photo of the Week

Moment

Current Reading: No Regrets by Ace Freely
Current Music: Carnivale Electrics by Galactic
Mood: Groggy
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Silence
Temperature:
 54 degrees
Thoughts: The opposite of love is not evil its the lost of the ability to feel for another.

Short Film ~ In the Kitchen With Raemie

A short documentary style film to share with you today.... "… is a way to share my knowledge with you.  The cooking workshops offer simple, farm fresh fare with a gourmet flair.  I highlight the freshest ingredients from local sources, including my own garden, and then slice and dice them into easy, delicious dishes."

To learn more about "In The Kitchen with Raemie" (HERE)

Photo of the Week

Featured ~ Style Me Pretty

Firstly, the wedding was held on Jasmine’s family farm that she grew up on. It was absolutely stunning. I love when a couple can incorporate such an intimate feel into their wedding and there is no better way to do that than to make it personal.

You can read the full story/photos (HERE)

Impending Disruption

Ok, here it is...the song that took me 20yrs to write (actually co-write).

In the early nineties my college band disbanded. Not a break-up; it was more akin to a "grow-up and go your separate ways". The time between this song and my college years was filled with me playing in different bands of all types of music. I loved it.

Never was I able to capture or recreate the collaborate relationship I had with my college music partners. This past January I received an e-mail “are you the John that I played music with in college” signed Erik Vecere. I quickly wrote back “yes”.

For the past year we have met about twice a month simply playing, writing and recording music for the joy that music brings to one life.

This tune is a ten minute opus of a song. I know asking for ten minutes of your internet attention is like asking for a decade of your life.

I am asking. Listen.

Moment

Current Reading: The Zahir byPaulo Coelho
Current Music: Rearviewmirror by Pearl Jam
Mood: Happy
Smells: Fresh morning air
Sounds: Airplane and birds chirps
Temperature: 59 degrees
Thoughts: Words to be etched into my tombstone “He die while he was still alive”

Singer Songwriter Christopher Smedley ~ Interview about the Soundcolor Sessions

Christopher Smedley debut album was release earlier this summer. On my first encounter listening to the music there was little to no accompanying information about Christopher, and that was exactly the point. This is music performed by a musician for music lover.  No hype needed, simple listen and enjoy.

CS talks with me about his experience, expectations and the joy of creating music for the "Soundcolor Sessions".

1.Knowing the little that I do know about you and your music it seems that you have created this album for the simple pleasure of creating and sharing it with the world. This approach to creating (anything) aligns well with my philosophy of “Create, Connect & Grow”:  Can you share with me some of the joys (& I am guessing) some of the obstacles you experienced while recording?

I always enjoyed music and singing but didn’t really explore it or get involved with it until college.  Something happened where it became almost like an itch that I had to scratch.  I bought a guitar and began to teach myself to play so that I had something to sing with as an outlet.  Eventually, after about 4 or 5 years of playing, I became interested in songwriting.  I simply created the album because I wanted to and because I felt like I had something to say musically.  I honestly didn’t care if I sold a single album, I just wanted to create something I could be proud of and share with the people that I know.

When you create a song for the first time and you are in the swell of ideas and emotions, there is a high you experience.  It’s a rush and it’s when all of your best work happens.  I’ve found that writing comes best when you are in a high or a low moment in life.  So for me the best moments were when it was simply me and the guitar, alone, creating, and finding something that was worth exploring and sharing.

There were many obstacles along the way.  First, I had no clue what I was doing so I had to learn how to play and write.  It took some time to find my style and voice and along the way it just sort of happened.  I’m a bit linear and sequential in my thinking so trying to do two things at once (i.e. play guitar and sing) was a bit of a challenge.  I was sort of stumbling through the writing process and really had a hard time assessing if and when a song was done.  Luckily, when I was deep into the writing process I went to SoundColor Productions to record the idea for the song “Unwind.”  There I met Jay Weaver the owner and accomplished guitarist and that is when it all truly started.  Jay and I collaborated from there on out and he helped me finish the songs.  From then until the end,  I would continue to bring ideas and melodies to Jay at the studio and together we would shape and refine the songs until they were ready to perform and ultimately record.

The self-funded album took about 5 years to write, record, and finish.  If you think about it from beginning to end I changed jobs 3 times, started and finished graduate school, got engaged, married, had my first child, and moved all before the album was even finished.  So time and resources were always limited but somehow through perseverance and a bit of stubbornness we got done.  Jay and I tended to be perfectionists as well, so we would record and re-record parts until we got it right.  But in our minds, it wasn’t done until we could live with it, and when I say it, I mean all of it.

2. For newcomers to your music, what can first time listeners expect to experience? 

For me the songs are very unique and different, but they all hang together.  It’s something you can put on and play through to the end.  It keeps your interest and attention and at the same time is chill enough that it isn’t in your face.  I envision people opening a bottle of wine, cooking some dinner, and enjoying the music.  For me the album is about life, love, and living.

3. Tell me the story behind the album cover concept. The image simply draws me right in.  I am yearning to hold this in a physical vinyl album.   The art work is a perfect fit for the music. 

The album art was created by a talented friend and artist Zach Beresh.  We talked through the concept of the design while having dinner in Napa with our wives and drew the first concept of the album design on the back of a napkin.  To me I wanted the cover to represent that fact that the album was recorded to feel like a live jam session and not something that was oversimplified.  In other words, each musician had the opportunity to put some of their own style on the parts of the album much like you would in a live performance.   So instead of playing everything straight ahead and in an oversimplified way, we let the performers put themselves into the music.

I also knew that I wanted to title it the “SoundColor” sessions because so much of the album was developed in the studio in Pittsburgh.  The combination of the words sound and color to me just painted a picture of a stage with all of the musicians playing under the colored lights.  We took actual pictures from live performances of the individuals in the band and created the silhouettes to capture their feeling and emotion.

4. You are pretty much invisible on the internet. You are what I would call a web-ghost. That tells me that you are more interested in creating music than marketing.  It is truly refreshing to see somebody put something out into the world first before creating a following. Your approach to creating music is truly missed in this digital age. But now that the project is completed and you are searchable on iTunes how do you plan on sharing this music with world? 

I’ll keep playing a handful of shows each year in Pittsburgh and Raleigh and sharing it with family and friends and anyone else that is willing to listen.  It isn’t a recipe for success in terms of how most people would define it but for me it is.  I love the feeling of playing in front of a crowd by myself with my guitar or with the band and perform for three or four hours.  At times the room is loud and you can hardly hear yourself, but sometimes you can hear a pin drop.  You can’t put a price on that experience.  I feel blessed to know what it feels like to be able to connect with music, give it everything you have, and move an audience.

Ultimately, I created the album because I wanted to do it for me.  If I don’t sell another copy of the album tomorrow or the day after I am ok with that because that was never my source of motivation.  I created it because in doing so I am living and if I wasn’t doing it I wouldn’t feel like I was breathing .  Perhaps if someone listens to this album and they like it they’ll pass it along to a friend, and they’ll pass it on to another.  While I say that, I am pleasantly surprised by the support it has received.  It does feel good to know that people are listening to it.


5. I heard a rumor that you may possibly be playing a show at Club Cafe right here in Pittsburgh. Can you let me know if the dates has been confirmed?  And if so I know a great photographer right here in Pittsburgh who also moonlights as a djembe drummer that would love to sit in. 

We have a tentative date in November for a release in Pittsburgh.  Club Café has always been a place I wanted to come back to and play.  Hopefully we will get the date firmed up in the upcoming weeks.  We need more djembe so count on it!

6. Let’s get tech-geeky: can you tell me about your band and your approach to writing and recording this album? 

There are so many ways that songs are written but for me what worked was an interactive approach.  I would spend a lot of time playing my acoustic guitar, coming up with riffs that I liked.  Once I found a riff or two that were of interest, I would play them over and over and experiment by singing different melodies.  In many ways it was really unconscious and not intentional during the early stages.  Once the song started to take shape, I would try to focus on the emotion or vibe of the song and put the right words to it.  Jay and I would then work on different parts of the song, phrasing, and overall structure to make it sit right.  It isn’t the most efficient process but for me it is the only one that worked where I found both inspiration and creativity.

7. Who are your top 5 influences?

1. My wife Nicole.  She provided the inspiration for nearly all of the songs.  So much of the album is about our experiences together.  I’m so thankful for her and for her support.  Without her it would not be what it is today.
2. Stevie Wonder
3. Jeff Buckley
4. Ray Charles
5. Bob Marley

You can preview and purchase Christopher's music (HERE)