Tag Archives: suzy gorman

photography, WORK

nomad

workin in the garage

Spent the morning putzing with email and charming a check out of the primary client. I hate being so dependent on one account to make the house payment. This must change in 2004.

The afternoon came sooner than I had hoped and before I knew it I was rushing out the door with every metrosexual bag I own strapped to my body.

It was the staff meeting for JJ’s Clubhouse and the scheduled day to take some snaps of the staff for their website which is in the process of, (not to mention in dire need of) a complete overhaul.

Their original site was thrown together sloppily shortly after they opened 4 years ago and it’s been a thorn in my side ever since. I just didn’t give it the design-love it needed, and stranded Kevin with the bulk of the project. It’s my fault… In 2000 I still had a very bad attitude about designing for the web. Through the nurturing peer-mentor support of chrisglass, practical experience, and Kevin getting spooky good at actionscript and other code-whizy crap,… we’ve now got a few web projects that I’m actually proud to show off.

Jeff left a note for the staff to all show up in their “work outfits”, which – for a butch gay bar means jeans, bar t-shirts and other tough-guy accessories.. (vests, chaps, little leather caps, etc).

Spent an hour taking each employee back to the clubhouse, (a huge converted garage attached to the main bar which opens on the weekends). Despite being a little frustrated with the unpredictable ancient camera-mount strobe, (I’ve owned since college), which actually works on the Sony, I had a lot of fun.

In the spirit of our new “nomad” business model for the new year – I set up shop in the back and got to work on other JJ’s projects while they had their staff meeting.

I really miss taking pictures.. If you ask me now why my career path didn’t go that way, I’m not sure I could tell you why. I’m half tempted to ask Kevin to arrange our budget to acquire some lighting kits this year so I can play more. I’d have to play catch up on many things though…

Maybe I should ask Suzy Gorman (*previously non-blogged – *no we didn’t do her site, though would love to), if she’d hire me as an assistant once a week so I can re-familiarize myself with studio gear – which I’m sure has changed over the last decade.

Maybe I should stop rambling like some kind of babbling bloging idiot.

design, WORK

favors

suthukuzi, seen by suzy

Sunday was an exercise in distraction from what’s normally my coveted day of rest.

Got up early and ran to my dad’s house to put some software on his newly acquired G5. What was initially intended to be a 45 minute visit turned into two hours as I wrestled with drivers to make his scanner and printer work with Panther.

Returned home to pick up the boys and head to Sonic for a tasty brunch and then to Borders to replenish our readables at the house.

Got home in time for my ritual Sunday nap to be awoken later by a phone call from my mom’s friend Suzy Gorman who is undisputedly the top fashion photographer in St. Louis.

Apparently she had an emergency gig that a less reliable graphic designer had dropped the ball on. Not having anyone else to turn to, she called me in a panic.

She was leaving in 9 hours to deliver photos, CDs and press kits for her friend Suthukuzi Arozi, an African celebrity / singer who’s recently come to the US and is currently touring with The Lion King.

Feeling charitable, and a certain degree of mishpochah, I agreed to meet her at my office.

Suzy…. Half Chinese, half mixed anglo with long, straight jet black hair and a decidedly blue-collar sense of fashion. Mannerism? – Think Patti Smith.

album covers

She jumped from her vintage Suburban, materials in-hand, cursing the designer that had failed her.. Suzy’s got a mouth on her that would make the saltiest of sea dogs blush.

Between “cunt” “bitch” “fuck” – she was able to articulate the project and we got to work.

In the next four hours we cranked out a bio sheet, packaging and labeling for the stack of promotional CDs she had brought.

Between running prints we got a chance to shoot the shit, which was nice. We hadn’t really had any “hang out” time before.

By the time is was all said and done – I didn’t get my ass in bed till 2am. It’s o.k. though – because I got to cultivate a friendship with another unique person to add to my collection of strange friends.

Plus it’s reassuring professionally to have the city’s top fashion shooter owing me big time favors.

Between prints I showed her some of my photo work which she said she liked. (deeply flattering) – I explained most of my photos were for this trendy online journal thing which I don’t do.