I'm not this pretty in real life. Laura is magic.

Just got my headshots done last Friday.  I’ve been needing new looks for various projects and expanding my portfolio.  So I had to do some research on photographers around LA that fit my criteria:  affordable (i’m WICKED broke), quality of service, quality of product (so many photogs charge so much for so little), and communication (treat me like a human, not another $).

It came down to a few photographers who’s style I liked.  Laura Burke not only got back to me promptly, but she did some research on ME.  It was a treat getting an email from her citing specifics from my website and previous work.  Needless to say, I gave her a call, hit it off immediately and scheduled an appointment.  Her rates are ridiculously affordable for what you get. I now have hundreds of photos of a number of looks all of which ROCK.  And those of you who know me or my work know I am no where NEAR as attractive as her magic camera makes me seem. Seriously, I’d blow myself!

Please, if you are an actor, in LA, and in need of headshots, use Laura.  You will not regret it.  You might even get the all-star treatment if you tell her I sent you.

If you’d like to see a small sample of the many shots she took, please visit my facebook headshots gallery HERE.  To contact Laura, go to http://LauraBurkePhotography.com

Out of 5 stars, I’d give her 7.  Boom.

Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait

So not only is the new album, The Suburbs, from Arcade Fire amazing and sonic bliss, but now they’ve gone and done something no other band has done.  They’ve created a beautiful music video experience that’s one part technological feat and another visual mastery.  By combining video and HTML 5 in the Google Chrome browser, Arcade Fire and Google have created something pretty memorable by breaking out of the standard video player and 16×9 format ratios.  I encourage you to both enjoy the experience on your own by clicking HERE (be sure to download Google Chrome HERE first if you don’t already have it) and check out the article Wired has written about the experiment.  Flash is officially dead in my book.  Enjoy!

Old Color Photo looks almost HDRI worthy

Every once in awhile, something comes along that leaves me pretty stunned.  These photos, taken between 1939-1943, do just that.  It’s not only because of the photos’ subjects and the baked-in nostalgia, but because of the COLOR.  Most photos I’ve seen from this era are black and white.  I only attach color to photos that were taken in the 60′s and on.  To look at these photos and try to place them in the early 20th century is hard for my mind to grasp.  It’s pretty amazing.  Not only that, but the dynamic range in most of the photos is RIDICULOUS.  Detail and color range that few modern cameras can attain.  Hell, the one I posted above has HDRI qualities to it most photographers spend hours in photoshop trying to recreate! Enjoy the few photos I posted here, but click HERE for many more.

This era always fascinated me. My grandpa never talked much about his childhood, but I remember going to his home during the summers as a child and feeling like I stepped back in time.  He built his home with his bare hands in the outskirts of Eugene, OR. and even included a woodshop where he could hand craft wooden music stands as a hobby (later a business).  I used to sift through his old photos and books imagining myself in his cuffed-up jeans covered in the soil of the middle plains or in the forest lumber yards of the NW.  These photos take me back to the same place.  I love it.

The fact that this photo looks like it was taken within the last 20 years blows my mind.

Above is the much talked about second trailer for Tron: Legacy.  The concessus I’ve gathered is that people trust the visuals, but are still weary of the story.  I have two words: JEFF BRIDGES.  It’s The Dude, people! Everything will be just fine.

People have also been talking about how young Jeff Bridges doesn’t necessarily break the uncanny valley, stinks of CG, and just fails as a character.  While I understand the arguments that the technique could use some finesse (especially around the mouth with audio syncing and the skin textures being far to perfect), I am 100% able to suspend my disbelief purely because of the awesome that riddles this trailer and the hope it brings.  From the Recognizers sheer mass and the obviously fantastic art direction to the glowing suits and kick ass Light-Jet revealed at the end.  There’s no doubt that this movie will be a fun ride into a newly imagined computer world.  I’ve even heard rumors Disneyland is looking to expand their theme parks with a Tron ride!

Now as my previous article states, I’ve been stoked as hell for the soundtrack.  Once I got wind that Daft Punk was at the helm, my nerd-boner went full staff, raising a flag of pure man-glee.  We got a sneak into the sound they are creating in the first trailer and a bit in this second trailer as well.  Then today, we are able to listen to 6 tracks off the album.

My first reaction, “Oh, No.”  I am finding the sound so lackluster and generic that I fear disappointment come November when the album is released.  The tracks do nothing to tell me that Daft Punk had ANY influence in them at all.  To me, Daft Punk are the type of artists that push sound to new levels.  They bring electronic production to the mainstream while still revolutionizing the genres.  By following the link below, you too can listen to the tracks and hear for yourself.  I, for one, am having doubts about this album being nothing more than a generic partner-disc to the film.

Here is the link to the tracks: 6 Tron: Legacy Tracks by Daft Punk

My only hope is that the rest of the album fleshes out Daft Punk’s sound; that interspersed tracks feature what they are known for and the audience has been dying for.  More beats, more tempo, 8 bit, sonic walls of pure electronic bliss.  This album has the potential to reach new audiences and create an entirely new soundtrack paradigm.  By listening to these small samples, I’m believing studio execs are controlling the wrists of our electronic robot gods.  My advice to those execs, is to take your hands off and let the artists do what they do best: revolutionize the film’s soundtrack and explode our eardrums with awesome.

Watch video. Vote by clicking your favorite at the end. Spread to your twitter, FB, etc. I love you.

Here is the song in case you want to make your own dance video!

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