FAITH IN FAME PROJECT
This is something I'm going to try out and see if something comes of it. I think it could be an interesting project.
Here's my first post to the blog...
Okey doke.
Let me explain this project here. I happened upon another photographer with a PayPal donation button on the side of their blog. It's not the first time I've seen this either. Bands, artists, lazy people all seem to be jumping on the mooch train. I don't agree with this. Why should someone be expected to give you money for nothing? It doesn't make sense to me. So in response I'm starting a project called the Faith in Fame Project. How it works is you send me $30 and I send you a print.

Ok... what's the catch?

Well along with your $30 you attach a note that includes five things you like, and five things to describe you. I take said list and go out into Los Angeles and photograph something I think that you'd enjoy based on your lists. If you don't attach a list, I'll go out and photograph something completely random that I think is crazy awesome! I send you your archival inkjet print, post the image to this here blog, and blam, destroy the file on my computer! GASP! So you, the buyer, has a one of a kind original image by me the photographer.

Here's where the "Faith in Fame" part comes in. Think about it, if I become crazy famous for my work, you have a one of a kind piece that is signed, numbered (1 of 1) and you can do with it as you please! Sell it, hang it on your wall and brag, give it to someone, throw it away, whatevs, it's yours!

That image will only exist in three forms, your print, and artist print for myself, and on this blog. Future generations will look onto this blog and go "Grandma! You are so cool!" Ok maybe not really... But it could happen.

So what are you waiting for? Be the first to put your Faith in my Fame!

I started a new blog for my Mom...
It's going to be a humorous little blog dedicated to the really random things that go on in my house.

New look. I'll probably change it in the next couple of days. I don't really like it, but I couldn't stand how it was cropping photos and videos like it did. And on that note, I'm addicted to www.blogotheque.net lately. They do guerrilla style video shoots with some great indie artists. It's what I want to one day start doing with bands after a photoshoot if I can convince them.
I'm in love with their shooting style and how they find these incredible acoustic spaces. The one with The Arcade Fire is the most incredible thing ever, same with Yeasayer's video. But this one is for mom...

#89.1 - R.E.M. - Until the day is done
by lablogotheque

Ugh. I slept horribly last night! Bassett decided to do laundry at 2am and my GOD our washing machine sounds like a rocket ship, and it's right against my bathroom wall and closet so it's amplified all over my room. I was almost asleep too, then vrooooorrrgghhhh!
I had a weird dream/ nightmare last night too. In my dream I got a ton of poorly thought out tattoos, with lots of bright colors that were all the opposite of what I would ever want. I had some sort of totem pole on the back of my left arm, and something on my right about cupcakes. Oh and the worst was a Hawaiian themed Montana tribute all around my entire right calf and shin. It was pink and had all these flowers, and an outline of Montana, and it made no sense. It went all the way from my ankle and sleeved up to my knee. I hate leg sleeves! It was god awful and I think seeing that one is what made me wake up. I've had nightmares like this before, and I think they're brought on by seeing people around here with terrible, poorly thought out modification decisions. I always have to wake up and look at my arms and legs to make sure it was just a dream, then breathe a big sigh of relief when the bad tattoos aren't there.
I remember part of the dream I was sitting talking to someone, and I had gotten all my white tattoos colored in. Whoever I was talking to said "Oh it's too bad you got those filled in, you used to be so original... now you just look like everyone else" GAH! It was such an awful dream! I'm glad it's over, and that I do not and will never look like this guy...

Ta Da!
I finally finished this one for Goodnight Sunrise. I miss these kids.

Today was actually a really good day... GAH!

Here's the first finished image from my shoot with Goodnight Caulfield on Monday. The next couple of images are way crazier and involve Mary Poppins and falling pianos. Keep an eye out for those.

NEW TOY! I picked up a Rosco Light Pad the other day. It was a total impulse buy, which I bought with the express purpose of making stuff glow in images. So today I made my lap glow and tested it out. It's awesome and I want to get more of them!

February so far has been insane. Monday I shot Goodnight Caulfield and the pictures are going to be so cool it's ridiculous! You can tell I haven't been working much by how weird my ideas are for the post process. Yesterday we were shooting some talking head stuff on my 5D for what I can only describe as Google Earth on crack. Then I met with a lovely model named Raquel for an art piece I've been wanting to do, then it was off to The Slide Bar to see A Hope for Home, the band that crashed here last night. Tim and I wandered over to a bar a block away and ran into pretty much all of my friends in LA... in Fullerton. Small world. Then back to the house to unwind, Matt FINALLY got back from Montana, and Bassett got back from work and we chatted and long story short I went to bed at 4:30 again. UGH! Today I shipped out my portfolio and mailed the images to Major from the Aqua lounge last week, then got an e-mail from an editor I'm meeting with tomorrow asking me to bring a portfolio... after I had just shipped it. SO back to Samy's I went to spend another $170 on a portfolio and paper to print the third one in a month.
WHEEEW!
Tomorrow is the meeting, the a Vogue in the Movement show at The Viper Room, and then Friday through Sunday I'm working at The Grammys. I'm so sleeping all day Monday.

Sooooo tired! OH MY GOD!
I stayed up way too late talking to my friend on iChat last night, urrrrgh. Now we're shooting some sort of commercial or something in my living room... and it's really loud and Bassett is sleeping, and I feel like a jerk.
I want to go back to bed.

This blog usually pertains to a lot of my ranting, and this entry isn't going to be different. I'm going to rant on "fauxtographers" shooting live at shows. Leslie came up with the word Fauxtographer and I thought it was so brilliant, that I'm adding it to my vocabulary. On with the rant...
Last night I photographed my great friends in the band Run Doris Run while they played at Chain Reaction. They opened for a couple of larger acts from Arizona, This Century and The Summer Set. The show was sold out and had a great crowd. Security is pretty lax at Chain and there's almost always a slew of people backstage without proper wrist bands, or clearance and last night was the same except for this time the slew of people were all armed with shiny new Canon Rebels. There were two other photographers who seemed to be there with a purpose, and I've seen them before, so I paid them no mind, and they are exempt from the rant.
What drove me to the brink of murder were the kids on stage with absolutely no reason to be there! When shooting live I like to adhere to the unspoken rules, and these kids had no idea what stage etiquette should be. I didn't have much problem during Run Doris Run because they were opening, and since they asked me to be on stage, I hid behind an amp for most of the show. Before This Century I asked the lead singer if it was cool if I took pictures, and he looked at me bewildered and said "Sure, I don't care". I gave up taking pictures half way through their set because of the other six chicks on stage holding their little Rebels and pretending that they knew what they were doing. I didn't even try to fight that crowd for The Summer Set. See image above, all those people on the left thought they were supposed to be up there. I saw two people working and the rest were holding cameras and dancing! It was ridiculous.

I was so peeved by the end of the evening I started making a list of the unspoken rules of stage etiquette in my head. I've narrowed it down to these...
7. Having a camera in your hand does not give you the golden ticket to stand on stage. Ask permission first, and only shoot from stage if you're supposed to be there! Usually the best photos are from the crowd anyway... just saying.
6. Be courteous to the crowd, no one is there to see you on stage, they paid to see the band. Be respectful of that.
5. Ask the band if you plan on using flash, and only use flash if they say it's okay. Getting blasted in the face with an off camera flash sucks a lot when you don't expect it.
4. Only use flash for the first three songs! This is probably the only spoken unspoken rule. If you're shooting professionally, this is what security will tell you. Use it at small shows too, and deal with it.
3. If another photographer is there and wants to trade places for 30 seconds do it. Be courteous.
2. Stay out of the way of the band! Once again, no one there came to see you. Hide behind an amp if you can, and don't walk across the stage during a freaking song! I've seen that happen so many times since I came here it's been driving me nuts.
1. WEAR EARPLUGS! I can tell you from experience that losing your hearing from shows sucks. I'm 25 and I've lost almost 40% of my hearing, and it's all from not wearing earplugs until I was 21. I carry them with me at all times on my keychain, and I never ever EVER shoot a show without them.

So there you have my rules. I want to print them out on little business cards and hand them out at shows to clueless chicks with cameras. But hey, last night was still a fun time, and I got that top images of Run Doris Run which is printing for my portfolio as I type.

Holy crap last night was awkward. In case there was any question, I am white. Really really white. REALLY REALLY WHITE and from MONTANA! Last night I got a job taking party pictures at some hip hop club. I did not know it was a hip hop club when I took the job, and I was pretty much the only white girl there. I felt like someone was just waiting for me to bust out the cabbage patch or the running man. No dice, just stood there, awkwardly, not trying to get in anyone's way and taking pictures of people who are apparently well known, but like I said I am whiter than white and had no idea who anyone was.
When I'm saying I'm whiter than white I mean it, and in a bad way. I listen to Indie rock music, I have no rhythm, I can't dance, and when some dude tells me he's waiting for his "artist" I assume he means tattoo artist, and ask to see his ink. He meant his rap artist... he's a manager... but he did have some cool tattoos... awkward.
The performers were really awesome, and something might come of it when they need pictures. Everyone was really nice,but 90% of the night, I just felt like the most awkward thing in the room. At the end of the night (1:30 or so) I made $50, zero dollars in tips, and had spent $30 on batteries for my backup magazine for the 5D MkII, and my ring flash, and $3 on parking. So I made $17, and learned I am in fact a white girl, and taking jobs off of Craigslist is a 50/50 chance.

A dramatization of how white I am...

Things I would like to do in February... A list
1. Go to Denver to shoot
2. Go to Denver to see Sam
3. Go to Denver to see Dylan
4. Go to Denver to see Dylan's beard
5. Go to Denver to see Murder By Death
6. Go to Denver to drink some Fat Tire
7. Go to Denver... basically.

Things I choose never to do in my life... a list
1. I will never in my life, get a neck tattoo. Ever.
2. I will never in my life do coke, heroin, acid, meth or crack. Never ever ever.
3. I will never in my life partake in paparazzi photography. EVER!
4. I will never in my life wear Ugg boots with a mini skirt... seriously.
5. I will never in my life tattoo my significant other's face on my body.
6. I will never in my life live in Compton... more a choice to remain alive in the long run.
7. I will never in my life have large gauge facial piercings... just not for me.
8. I will never in my life master mathematics. I've come to terms with this.
9. I will never in my life be President of 'Merica. Something I've also come to terms with.
10. I will never in my life go to the moon. Don't wanna.
11. I will never in my life live with a blue tooth headset grafted to the side of my head.
12. I will never in my life have 17 kids. That show with that family is effed up.
13. I will never in my life live in Sauget Illinois... same reason as Compton.
14. I will never in my life love German Industrial music... EVER!
15. I will never in my life sing in a German Industrial band.
16. I will never in my life be a famous musician. Could have happened, but I'm in the game way too later, and I'm okay with that.
17. I will never in my life get a perm.
18. I will never in my life be a club girl. I'm completely okay with that.
19. I will never in my life be a Scientologist.
20. I will never in my life marry someone twice my age. That's icky.

FIELD TRIP DAY!!!
Today Rian Flynn, Dave Hill, and I went to the Natural History museum after hours with photo passes, and free reign to do pretty much whatever we wanted. Best day ever. Animals are so damn cute, even if they are stuffed! We were doing test shots for a photoshoot for a band Rian is working with. In the end we scored some free passes to come back! I love that place and I can't wait to explore it for a full day!

I swear to god the most depressing thing in the world is sending out 12 e-mails to potential jobs, and then only getting two back that just say that your message was undeliverable.
Oh and one of the Phototherapist's accounts is completely full.
Meeting with a wedding photographer tomorrow about working as a second shooter. Wish me luck, because if I don't get some soon I'm not sure what the hell I'm going to do.

Oh a happier note, I'm upgrading one of my lights, and selling two of my Alien Bees for $500 help do so. Whee for getting ridiculously cool new lighting... boo for having no work to play with it.

I'm currently obsessed with a little local band I found called Olin and the Moon. It's really great folky music, and I can't get enough of it. Just so happens that I went to high school way back when with one of the members. Small world. We both move to LA and he starts up an amazing band that I love. Go figure. Mom, Dad, and Amy, you would probably like this band a lot too. Their ambitious 13 song album, 40 Miles of Bad Road is on iTunes too.

The slow economy has been good for one thing. It's making me far more creative. My brain switched over from commercial back to fine art, and I've been shooting a lot of models for a new project I'm working on that's kind of similar to my last thesis. It's what the Phototherapists told me to do back in September, but I haven't had time to. Lucky for me there's Model Mayhem.com to search for people willing to work for free. So far I've been doing the composites of my friends who I can convince to take their shirts off and act out my little story. I guess right now it's kind of dealing of the fear of disappearing in this city, and fighting against becoming irrelevant every day. I'm pretty excited about working on it more. It is nice having something to work on to break up the constant job searching.
This is an image of my friend Kyle that's not quite finished, but figured I should post something...

Things I currently love...
1. The Monkey and Son's Sumatra coffee that I bought from Casbah Cafe. That shit is gooood!
2. Hulu.com for all my Must See TV needs
3. My 5D Mark II because the dang thing just keeps getting COOLER!
4. Rice... nuf said
5. Those bags of frozen mixed veggies from Safeway because they cost $1.75 and go well with the aforementioned rice.
6. Not paying for Downtown Disney Parking because I left at 1am and the parking guys had already gone home! HA SUCKAS!

Things I currently do not love at all...
1. Our outrageous power bill that skyrocketed for some reason in the last month from around $90 to $300. No bueno.
2. When I run into a cool band and have this conversation "Dude we would totally love to shoot with you, but some kid just shot us last week for free"
3. Did I mention the power bill?
4. Paying to get into shows... never bueno.
5. Dry skin. My skin is freaking out on me for no particular reason.

An Open Letter to Photoshop...
Current mood: ashamed
Category: Romance and Relationships

Dear Photoshop,
Hey friend, how's it going? Things are good here. Listen I know we've been spending a lot of time together over the past couple months. It's been great! But I've been seeing a lot of stuff all over myspace that you've been with some other photographers. Don't get me wrong, I know this is supposed to be an open relationship, and you're free to do as you like with whoever. Well I guess what's been bugging me is just... well... you're giving photography a bad name. You're getting used, and spread all over town. You look sloppy out there! Come on, you used to be so classy and refined. You were like a fine whiskey that only tasted good if you babied it and warmed it over a flame. Now your high pass filter is all over the internet! You look cheap. Stop it. If I'm going to be seen with you I really need you to show a bit more restraint with your dodging and burning. With your saturation layers, and your gausian blur. Step it up a notch! You can be classy again. I mean look at what we've accomplised through our relationship. We were a golden couple in PDN for Adobe's sake!
I really hope you understand. I don't want this to jeapordize our beautiful relationship. I want to continue to work as a team baby, and not have to break up because you're cavorting all over the town with 17 year olds. Hold yourself to a higher standard. Until I hear back from you, I'll be with Wacom tablet, having a beer down the street. We miss you, and you're welcome to join us.
Love always,
Megan

My house is lonely. Bassett works from 4-4am and Matt's in Montana. I feel like I live alone, it's boring.
I've been applying for every job with "photographer" in the title on craigslist there is. I've had two people write back. One was for a wedding, and they liked my work, but I guess liked someone better because I haven't heard back since. I just sent the specs of my equipment to another photographer who needs a second shooter at weddings. Thank god I just upgraded everything! I used to not even apply for jobs where they asked what camera you had. Now I'm a proud 5D Mark II owner with nothing to be ashamed of! HA!

If you are in Montana PLEASE STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!
This bill is uneducated, bigoted, and ignorant. Rep. Driscoll should be ashamed to even introduce it! Pit Bulls are just as prone to attack someone as a cocker spaniel. Punish the irresponsible god owner, not the innocent dog.

Hearing Set for Bill to Kill All the Pit Bulls in Montana
Posted Jan 11, 2009 by lauraallen

* Breed Bans

Sweet pit bullThere will be a hearing on H.B. 191 Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 3:00 PM in Hearing Room 172 at the Capitol Building in Helena. Plan to attend.

For more information on this bill and how you can contact Montana legislators, read Animal Law Coalition's report below.

Original report: Montana state Rep. Robyn Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the 51st District, has introduced a bizarre bill calling for the elimination of all "pit bulls" from the state. If the bill, H.B. 191, becomes law, owners must surrender their pit bull dogs which must then be euthanized within 10 days.

Those who don't give up their dogs to be killed? Well, any peace officer is authorized to obtain a search warrant and come and get the dog.

The cost of paying animal control and other law enforcement officers throughout the state to round up family pets and kill them will be substantial. A task force found that a pit bull ban in Prince George's County, Maryland, just one county, cost $560,000 in one year.

There are exceptions for pit bulls temporarily in the state, passing through, or attending an exhibition, show or competition "sponsored by a dog club, association, or similar organization". Even for the dog to attend an exhibition, show or competition, the owner must obtain written permission from the county and the sponsor must take steps to "prevent [the pit bull dog] from escaping or injuring the public." The only other exception is for a pit bull wearing a tag indicating it is a registered pit bull, but the registration and tag must have been obtained before the law's effective date. Here is a copy of the bill.

The National Canine Research Council reports that between 1965 and 2008, there were 3 fatalities in Montana from dog bites. Yes, 3 in 43 years. In 2005 alone, just one year in Montana, 1,400 people died from smoking and 251 in traffic accidents. (Maybe Driscoll should work to protect Montanans from smoking and second hand cigarette smoke or negligent or drunk drivers; that would at least be something useful.)

The NCRC notes, "All the dogs involved ... were ...not spayed or neutered....All three cases involved unsupervised children left alone in a yard with unfamiliar dogs (2 cases) or the child wandering off and encountering an unfamiliar, chained dog (1 case)."

Significantly, none of the dogs was a pit bull.

The bill, H.B. 191, is now in the House Local Government Committee. Check Animal Law Coalition for updates.

Take Animal Law Coalition's poll on breed bans on this page!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write or call Rep. Robyn Driscoll and urge her to drop this breed ban. Tell her dogs don't bite because of breed and breed bans don't make communities safe from dog bites. Instead, they penalize responsible owners and greatly increase animal control costs. Send her the information found here. Be polite.

Robyn Driscoll, (406) 534-4874, rdriscoll@peoplepc.com

Contact the House Local Government Committee by calling Joe Kolman, 406-444-9280

Find Montana legislators and email, fax or call them and urge them to say no to H.B. 191. Here is the fax number for the House: 406-444-4825

I'm sunburned in January. It was 81 degrees today on the beach, and I spent a good half the day holding up a 12x12' diffusion silk for Dave. So now I'm really sunburned. I had fun though! Luckily there wasn't much wind so the silk wasn't a complete nightmare to hold upright. That thing might as well be attached to a sailboat, and I totally want one.
Here are a couple pictures I thought were really funny. Dave was trying to sync the live view on my 5D Mark II with those weird little TV goggles you get for iPods. It didn't work, but I still think it could if we actually researched it.
Dave was shooting with his new Mamiya for part of the day and I'm totally jealous of that little camera. I'm going to start shooting film again soon, I just wish it wasn't so expensive to process it. I got to play the roll of film bitch for a good chunk of the shoot, unwrapping and tightening rolls, and sealing and tightening up the exposed rolls as they left the camera. I can't wait to see the images from the day once they're finished. Dave took my portrait being goofy on a BMX bike too, so believe me it will be on here once I get my hands on it!

Whoa. Revolutionary Road was really REALLY good.
Damn son.

Hokay...
I was just perusing the internet and came across some magazine's list of best living songwriters. Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and Right Away Great Captain wasn't on it. In my opinion this kid is my generation's Bob Dylan, but with fewer drugged out metaphors. I think he's now maybe 22 at the oldest, with a really killer beard, a wife, and probably more life experience than anyone I know. His albums are the only albums I can listen to non stop for a week and never get sick of, because after seven days I'm still trying to figure out what he means. He's profound. No song has ever effected me like Where have you been? which is why part of the bridge (I've gotta take what I'm making and turn it into something) is tattooed around my wrist. Any time I'm getting down on myself about work, I just have to look down at my left forearm and suck it up. I just watched the documentary Whats Left Behind in which Sam Erickson follows the members of Manchester Orchestra around the South East as they tour on the verge of blowing up into the best kept secret in music. It's completely inspiring. It's the type of documentary that I went to Montana State wanting to make some day. Bands like this are the reason I love music so damn much.

I'm going to stop ranting for a second... along with the DVD came a CD of new songs and a couple old favorites performed acoustically. One new song I can Feel a Hot One has been repeating on my computer since I opened the packaging. This song sums up why this kid is going to be around for decades. You can hear their music at Jango and on their myspace page.

I could feel a hot one taking me down
For a moment, I could feel the force
Fainted to the point of tears
And you were holding on to make a point
What's the point?

I'm but a clean man, stable and alone man
Make it so I won't have to try
The faces always stay the same
So I face the fact that I'm just fine
I said that I'm just fine

I remember, head down,
After you had found out
Manna is a hell of a drug
And I need a little more, I think
Because enough is never quite enough
What's enough?

I took it like a grown man crying on the pavement
Hoping you would show your face
But I haven't heard a thing you've said
In at least a couple hundred days
What'd you say?

I was in the front seat, shaking it out
And I was asking if you felt alright
I never want to hear the truth
I want to hear your voice, it sounded fine
My voice, it sounded fine

I could feel my heartbeat taking me down
And for the moment, I would sleep alright
Invading with a selfish fear
To keep me up another restless night
Another restless night

The blood was dry, it was sober
The feeling of audible cracks
And I could tell it was over
From the curtains that hung from your neck

And I realized that then you were perfect
And my teeth ripping out of my head
And it looked like a painting I once knew
Back when my thoughts weren't entirely intact

To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach

And I felt love again

This pretty much sums up a work day with Rian Flynn. This is from a month or two back when I assisted him on a shoot for the band Kingsley. We were trying to high five midair, but we failed miserably each time. I like this one because it looks like I'm about to slap him in the head.

Planes Crash

IMG_7553, originally uploaded by M. Thompson Photography.

This is the band Planes Crash at Chain Reaction. They opened up In Fear and Faith's CD release and put on a pretty sick show. I've seen them a few times around the valley. Super nice dudes, hope to shoot their promos sometime soon.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Back page from the portfolio that I just dropped off at EMI... I really hope to god something comes out of all that work I just did. I feel like I'm climbing a mountain and stuck on a stair stepper. I just talked to Jon and London and they're making some calls to help me book stuff, and I talked to someone who might be interested in being my agent.
I need some good luck.

Here's another fun picture from last week's shoot. This is Danny from National Product. He just also happens to be in the mashup side project with my hairdresser and Dan from A Static Lullaby. Good times.
I'm printing the last of my portfolio today and hope to drop it off tonight. Wish me luck!

I spent the last couple of days in Victorville with my friends in the band Sleep District while they recorded their EP. It was a rousing good time even if I am sicker than a dog now. I used the video function on my 5D seriously for the first time and I'm editing the ridiculous footage into a studio update for the guys. I first met Timothy the Blasian (Black and Asian) Guitarist way back in October when I didn't know anyone. Then I met London (who is an amazing tattoo artist in addition to a musician) a couple months later, and just met Jon their vocalist on Monday for the first time. We became pretty fast friends! I love these guys. London invited me to the Vegas tattoo convention to take pictures and I'm really considering it. My buddy Josh Meek just moved there from Helena and he actually has an appointment with London on Saturday during the convention. It would be great fun I'm sure. We'll see if yet another band cancels their shoot this month. Ugh. Why does money suck so much?

Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.

I have no idea what I did, but I did something, and that something made my printer work. I replaced two ink cartridges and the maintenance tank, and now it works like a dream.

But now it doesn't want to print high quality 11x14" prints. It wants so upscale them from an 8x10"... and it looks bad. Win some lose some.

Epson 3800: 2
Megan: 1

All I want to do is print my portfolio.
That's ALL.
But my printer has been in a box since August and is now all effed up. I did two power cleanings, the automatic alignment thinger won't work, and it's off register by about 1mm.
All I want to do is print my damn portfolio, and I've had to replace two ink cartridges, and now the maintenance tank is full and I can't buy a new one until tomorrow. I'm also almost out of light magenta now. Grand total to get my damn 3800 working again will be about $170.
All I wanted to do was print my stupid freaking portfolio!

Things to do in 2009:
1. Do a photoshoot in Skid Row (X)
2. Do a photoshoot with "hot chicks" (X)
3. Forget about my pledge to never photograph a band smoking (XX)

This is my favorite image from yesterday's shoot with my hairstylist's band. They don't have a name yet, but this is Dan Arnold. He also plays guitar and sings in A Static Lullaby. We shot at the Cecil Hotel in downtown and during the course of the shoot heard gunshots (fireworks?), heard a screaming fight from the floor below, and saw a cockroach. This was a non smoking room as well, but Dan didn't really seem to care. I have a policy never to shoot bands in scenarios that make smoking appear cool, but it really added to this shoot, and I didn't have much of a choice. He was smoking, and we had a limited amount of time to shoot so there ya go.
Still, this is totally going into my portfolio which I am finally printing and putting into a book today.

So far I'm going to say that 2009 pretty much sucks.

Here are a couple more of In Fear and Faith from last night. I bought their CD on iTunes when I got home and it blows me away. I usually hate post hardcore and screamy music, but Scott and Cody's voices compliment each other so perfectly on this album.

I couldn't wait until morning to look through In Fear and Faith's CD release show pictures. This one keeps catching my eye every time. I think for me it sums up the amazing experience of their live show.
Tonight made me love live photography again!

Oh sweet Jesus are my arms tired. I love my new camera but it's DAMN heavy with the battery grip attached. I just got home from shooting In Fear and Faith's CD release show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. The crowd was completely insane for those guys and Lower Definition. I had so so so much fun! IFAF is probably my new favorite live act to shoot EVER! That lightshow, and their light up riser boxes are SO sick!
I did get kicked in the head though. That wasn't fun.
Last night I stayed with my friend Eric from the band Abeline to try and defunk my funky mood. Totally worked. There's very little that Rock Band, a few beers, and really awesome cats can't make better. I decided to get a little practice for tonight while I was there. Here's Eric playing some ridiculously hard song on expert or something...

I'm slowly falling back into the swing of things. My new lens came yesterday with a much needed battery grip. My camera is a giant legitimate pile of parts! I'm breaking in the lens tonight in San Diego. I was commissioned to shoot the CD release show for a band called Goodnight Caulfield at Soma. There's 7 bands so it should be a good time.
I'm going to go get some tasty Farmer's Market coffee and start packing.

Note to self...
When pitching really ridiculous ideas to bands, make sure you have all needed items for ridiculous shoot.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to do a No Country for Old Men theme shoot next Friday with no budget. I need a compressed air tank, and a seedy hotel room. This is a nightmare, and one thing an assistant would be awesome for.

"Fallen Art"

Tonight was fun. Next Friday I'm shooting a friend's side project with Dan from A Static Lullaby and this evening we met at the Cha Cha lounge to talk about ideas over $1.50 PBRs before dissolving into giggles and laughing with new friends and Danny from National Product. Outside I met a boy from Butte who was visiting his brother and no one believed it when we knew the same people. Montana is a small world! We then ventured over to the German bar Red Lion for Bloody Marys and more laughter. Then burritos and even more giddiness. Next week's shoot should be a grand grand time. We're thinking either a No Country for Old Men theme or Ski Ball... decisions...
I love making new friends that actually live in the city!

I love it when I hear a lyric that sums up exactly where I feel I am in my life...
"Don't you dare forget, don't you dare forget that nothing with meaning is easy."
-Lower Definition, The Weatherman
I want to paint that on my wall or something. I love this song.


"I know how you are with these things
And you're not gonna stop
I know how you are
Yeah you're an artist
When you tear things apart"

Can't wait to do their promos!

I'm back and the weather is absolutely incredible! It's 72, sunny, and completely clear. I think I might go up to the Greek Observatory today and take some pictures of LA. I actually put on a hoodie and warm socks this morning because my house is freezing, then walked outside and burned up. It's really amazing how weather affects my mood. Or maybe it's palm trees. Palm trees make me ridiculously happy because the ones around my house look like they came from a Dr. Seuss book.
I might make an effort to explore the neighborhood a bit more on foot before the work starts pouring in next week. I ordered the Canon 16-35mmL 2.8 this morning along with a battery grip (of course batteries for the 5D are sold out everywhere!) and they should get here Friday. Then I'm going to break in that sweet lens at In Fear and Faith's CD release show at Chain Reaction with Lower D on Monday. Then I'm going to shoot Vogue's show with Run Doris Run at The Roxy on Wednesday. I've always wanted to shoot at The Roxy, it's got the best lights, and barely a red bulb to screw up exposure! Excited, so excited.
Our mailbox was overflowing last night when I got home. Of course most of it is shredable waste from the Student Assistance Foundation for the three of us. I'm hoping that this tasty americano from Intelligentsia motivates me to clean my room, or the rest of the house which was left pretty trashed.
Welcome home Megan!

The high today in LA is 73. I CAN'T WAIT!
My house is going to be insanely lonely until my roommates get back. Everyone is freaking gone until after the new year. Hopefully I can shoot some bands this week and take full advantage of an empty house and set up my sweep for a couple days. Lower D, let's shoot before the 5th!
To do list:
Order prints from White House
Get tickets to Photo LA
Book stuff for SPE
Get press pass for SxSW
Go see the Vanity Fair exhibit at the LACMA
Finish Trish and From Aphony's pictures
Unpack stuff from when I moved in in the first place.

It will be a productive week alone.

Holy crap the new 5D is incredible! The top image is an unedited photo from my last shoot with Goodnight Sunrise shot with my 8mp Rebel. The bottom one is an unedited image from our shoot yesterday that I took with my 21mp 5D Mark II and an L lens. The difference is ridiculous! I could give them the extreme Jenga image with no Photoshop and it would be just fine! I can't wait to get back to LA to edit these!!

I feel like I just gave birth after 70 hours of labor. Here is the promo for Vogue in the Movement. I feel pretty strongly that these are my best band work so far. I think the end total including the shooting day was around 80 hours of work. I want to take a nap now, but have a huge amount of things to get done before I fly home to the arctic in the morning. So not excited about cold weather... not at all.

Today RULES! My 5D came in, AND... AND Vogue in the Movement is opening for Fall Out Boy on Saturday! I wish I could make it to the show, but I have to go freeze to death. I'm so stoked for the guys. I know they're going to get so huge they'll forget about me, but hey I can say I photographed them when... and I have the embarrassing photos of them to prove it. HA RYAN!
So my 5D is the most amazing thing ever invented. Bassett used it to take HD footage the whole drive back from Samy's and it looks sooooo gorgeous! Back to editing and geeking out like a crazy person!

Monday night Mike and I got to discussing whether or not it was possible to deep fry a hard boiled egg. Most people believed it would be disgusting, I believed it would produce a bouncy ball, and Mike believed it would be delicious. Verdict: "It tastes like breakfast"

Aaaaand the house is restored to its normal housey self. The guys left this afternoon after I forced them to drink massive amounts of eggnog against their will for a Christmas photoshoot. The results are quite... er... captivating. I'm looking forward to editing that ridiculousness.
The show last night was amazing fun, and I got to see another one of my favorite bands, These Arms are Snakes, on the other stage. The security were kind of rude near the end of the night, but we made our way back to the house for some beers and good times despite. Today its been raining non stop and it's 47 degrees. Which I realize is balmy and warm to you Montana people, but we're freezing. Of course Friday, the day I leave, it's supposed to warm up again and be in the 60's. Weather is exciting... anyway, I brought up weather because the guys are shooting their music video today in the mud, rain, and frigid temperatures. They're troopers. Eggnog and mud, you guys deserve an award for today!
Back to editing...

Edit edit eeeeedit!
This week is going to be a complete blur. Seems like a trend the week before going back home for a week. I have to finish Vogue's promos today, Fear Before is coming in a couple hours to stay for a couple days, I have to shoot Stereo Tragedy... sometime this week. I was supposed to shoot tonight, but it's SNOWING an hour north and they closed everything so they can't get here. I hope they can reschedule for this week. I'd love to have some cash right now for Christmas gifts.
Tomorrow night Fear Before is playing at the Knitting Factory and These arms are Snakes will be playing in the other room too! GAH! SOOOO STOKED! Then the boys leave Wednesday morning, and I get back to finishing the promo I did for From Aphony and Hide and Seek, and finish up Trisha's headshots which I have been terrible at finishing. Thursday Vogue is playing at the Viper Room, and I'm going to check that out and have an early night before boarding the plane to the arctic Friday morning.
Gahhhhhhhhh!
I'm marking my Calendar for January and right now I have four booked shoots, three tentative, and two pro bono shoots... all before the 16th. Things are getting crazy here! I love it!

This is what 15 hours looks like.



Finished the first Vogue in the Movement composite! It was a nightmare, but I'm fairly happy with the results. The band is stoked, so that's all that matters in the end. I'm 7 hours into their robot composite. That one is probably going to consume my soul a whole lot more than this one did. Wish me luck!
I put a down payment down on a new Canon 5D today at Samy's camera. Scariest thing ever! But if I could have walked out of the store with that camera today I would have. I can't look at my Rebel and not get scared anymore. It's just a matter of shutter fires before that thing takes its last breath. Knock on wood... seriously.

Here's a peek at what I've been slaving over for the past week and a half. These aren't totally the final versions, just what I have saved as process JPEGs. I'm working on the full band composites now. I'm on about hour 55 of editing the Vogue in the Movement promos... that equals about $10 an hour so far. I'm thinking by the time I'm completely finished it will have dwindled down to around $6 an hour. Sigh.

BRIT MOODY IS HERE!!!!! HOLLAHOLLAHOLLAHOLLAHOLLA! I am SO excited! YAY FOR A GIRL TO HANG OUT WITH!

Vogue's light show is cooler than your light show...


After Vogue in the Movement's show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim last night we spent some quality time in the RV before heading to the neighboring Denny's for a 1am feast. I recorded a bunch of silly videos which I intended on posting... Blogger won't let me though. So you'll have to wait until Blogger stops being lame to see Ryan feeding Chris his dinner, and all the guys showing off their deserts. Instead you'll have to make up your own story about the evening from these three pictures...




Just kidding. The show was pretty uneventful, but good none the less. In another effort to preserve my hearing I skipped most of the other bands playing and hung out on the RV. I was planning on crashing on the RV but it was crowded and after messing with a passed out Connor for their video update I decided to drive home. I met a couple guys from the band Run Doris Run and bopped around to their fantastic CD for my 4am drive home.
Things I learned... I now know more about Vogue in the Movement than I ever really wanted to know. Climbing on top of a passed out guitarist and yelling is REALLY funny. There are a lot of very good bands in Southern California.
Quote of the night came from Vogue's manager Brooke...
"I'll tell you what though, that nose job did wonders for what's her face."

An E-mail I just received...


"hello, my name is melissa and i'm doing a project in my photography class. for this project i have to pick my favorite photographer and write a bio on them but i could not fine one on you so my teacher told me to e mail you and ask if you might be able to send me on.

thanks, Melissa."


That kind of floored me tonight.... whoa.

Oh holy CRAP! Christmas is in 17 days! AHHHHHHHH!!!!
So silent fan kingdom, I have wishlists on Urban Outfitters and at B and H.
... I don't think my silent fan kingdom actually reads my blog.
Sad face.

So Lower D rescheduled for the week after Christmas. Boo, to that. But happy day at the same time because I got to drive to Victorville for Vogue in the Movement and Stereo Tragedy! I didn't get to see most of my lovely Victorvillians but had so much fun just the same!
I've decided there needs to be a Megan Picturetaker Tour next year, and it will be Lorene Drive, Vogue in the Movement, Goodnight Sunrise, and Flight 409... and I'm coming with! At least 50% of it might happen with GNSR and Vogue, I'm trying to get everyone on board haha!
Booked another band today for my trip home to Montana. Stoked. Rent won't be so hard to deal with come January which will be very very nice for once. So two bands booked, one is calling me back about booking, then I think I'll be topped out. I need some relaxed down time.
Today I'm trying to bust out the rest of Vogue's awesome promos then heading up to Canoga Park for Lower D's show and some more networking... I need business cards. UUUUGH!

Today was a loooooong day! I awoke at around 8 after not sleeping well, and constantly waking up to write down ideas for Lower D's shoot on Monday. Rian arrived around 9:30 and we loaded up the cars with our equipment and made a couple stops for coffee (so needed this morning), and a few other things. The day was spent shooting a band called Kingsley. During the shoot I was instructed to scream at each of the band members, and was hoarse by the end of the day. The pictures are hilarious though! I think that if I were male, I would be Stephen the keyboardist... it was weird.
I tore down and loaded gear in record time and hit the road for the hour drive to Palmdale to meet Monday's subjects; Lower Definition. After meeting with Stephan, Matt, and Eddie about ideas and money stuff I remembered that I had neglected to eat anything during the day and headed to In and Out for an animal style grilled cheese, and fries. Driving back to the venue it dawned on me that my earplugs were sitting at home on my desk and I was on my way to a hardcore show. Ugh. I stopped at a couple gas stations but was out of luck in my quest. I decided to save as much hearing as possible and opted out of watching the first two bands and instead chatted with Claire on the phone for a bit before going inside.
Once I made the decision to sacrifice my ears to the gods of metal I had a grand time enjoying Lower Definition's tour mates In Fear and Faith and a band who's name has slipped my mind at this late hour. Both bands had some crazy guitarists with mad skills. In Fear and Faith has two lead singers. One who screams and one to sings melody. It was really interesting, and I definitely dig that dynamic. Lower D played last and put on a pretty stunning performance. Those guys will definitely be a blast to work with Monday.
As for me, I'm dead tired, and it's 2am, and I have to go photograph skyscrapers tomorrow for Vogue in the Movement's backdrop, and decide which of three shows to go to. Vogue in the Movement and Stereo Tragedy in Victorville, Abeline at The Knitting Factory, or take in another dose of Lower D in Anaheim... decisions... I'll let my destroyed eardrums decide in the morning.

I'm having a lot of fun reading Bottle Clings and Late Night Flings, which is the blog of my friend Mike from Fear Before. He writes beautifully about the ins and outs of touring the country. I've read so many band touring blogs that basically say the same "Played a show, then got EPIC TRASHED! Wooo!", that his is very refreshing. I suggest you all check it out!

The Forgotten State was a staff pick over at Blurb! Not sure when that happened, but that's pretty flippin' sweet!
Tomorrow I'm shooting with Rian then driving up to Palmdale to see Lower Definition play and talk shoot business. Stoked.

Here ya go mom and dad! I don't think I've given you any pictures of my workspace. Also it's December and I'm wearing a tank top. Meet me at the airport with a reeeally warm jacket when I get home!

Here are a couple of funny pictures from fall so far that I just dumped off of my PowerShot. I'm so bad at getting stuff off of this camera.

From Aphony gets here today!!!! They are playing in the Ernie Ball battle of the bands with Escape the Fate tomorrow. They fly in around 1:00 and I'm going to go meet up with them and maybe take some pictures for Hide and Seek in the hotel room. They put me on the guest list tomorrow night which was really nice of them since I don't so much have $15 to spare for a ticket right now.
I booked two shoots in Montana while I'm home and a third is pending. It would be nice to make a grand while I'm home to pay for Christmas gifts and January rent. I'm really excited to go home for the holidays this year. That's probably because this is the first Christmas in a long time that I've been living out of state for. I hope Claire can afford to fly back.
Rian and I are thinking about going on "tour" to Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake, and back down the coast sometime this spring. We'd book shoots in every city and get to see our friends on the road. It could be super fun, and we could potentially make a bunch of money. I'm going to talk to the Fear Before guys when they are here about Denver bands that might need promos. I'd get to see Sam if we went! YAAAAY SAM!

This is Rian, my lovely assistant. Please notice his left hand, and his gauze and gaff tape ghetto bandage.

I thought this was funny. Rian snapped this one of me with the band after yelling stuff like "KILL EACHOTHER! ok now, look HORRIFIED! Ok ok... uh... now check out Megan!!"
This one was the silliest.