It's Been A While (and a Half)

So, I realized that one or two people out there might actually be reading my blog, and it tickles me to death. Then I realized that it was probably just a passing thing. Who knows.

What I do know is that life is busy here in Orange, CA. The hills are on fire, and it seems like my schedule is smoking just as much. I finished shooting an Advanced Production this weekend, the first film I'll be eligible to win an award for from the school, however unlikely that is. And this was indeed shot on "reel" 16mm film! (Pun heartily intended).

If you are one of those regular readers, I highly suggest checking out my Gallery Page, where new photos have just been added moments ago. Some of my new work needed to be displayed somewhere, and I finally got around to it.

Speaking of getting displayed somewhere, a big thanks to everyone who emailed or otherwise contacted me about my recent work published in Magic City Magazine in Billings! I'm really pleased with the layout and the photos they chose to run, and I was really excited to hear from everyone about it!

I'll keep shooting, as long as someone keeps viewing them!

Kyle

A New Portrait Studio!

This weekend's small project for me was simple: a home portrait studio. Daunting as it may sound at first, all it took was getting over an enormous amount of self-hate to buy a king-sized sheet and a curtain rod from Walmart.


After devising a clever way to put up the curtain rod with Alex, my backdrop is complete. Just add a piece of black velvet-like fabric for a posing surface, and viola! A finished portrait studio.

(Yes, I'm not wearing a shirt in this test shot, but only because it's like 105 here, and our AC doesn't work...)

So, if anyone in the Orange area needs a portrait/headshot, I've got the spot for it now!

Welcome to Learning: The Film School Way

Here it goes again: learning. Not that I have anything against it really, but sometimes, I feel like the first day of class is sort of like trying to join in on a dance number halfway through a measure. The professors are actually (well, sometimes) thinking about what's ahead, usually because they're retracing their steps for the umpteenth time, and the students aren't really there yet, still acting like these hour-and-a-half blocks are really just a formality, and that the learning will happen whilst we sleep, or some other half-cocked idea that might actually take the burden off of us. Point is, the first day of class rarely finds the professors and students in step.

Except for professor Dan Pavelin. Hats off to him, in his wildly frenetic yet interesting fashion, he managed to be the most interesting first-day Prof yet, capturing our attention with what I will term "style and verve," a phrase which I intend to see added widely to English translation dictionaries by Spring of '09. Just you wait.

And all this enthusiasm out of a man who teaches audio techniques. Though, in perspective, it seems appropriate that he was far less boring than today's hour plus of Production Management. I can already see the end of that course, yet I'm suddenly stuck beneath a heaping mound of busywork, and unable to reach it.

Whats Kyle Up To: August and Orientation 2007

So, I've been really lacking in the blogging department as of late, but I'm trying to get back on the bandwagon, so to speak.

I've spent my last week photographing orientation at Chapman, which is turning out to be a much better experience than I had originally expected. Mainly in that I ended up with a job in the publications department because I met one of their photographers this week, and so that way, I at least have one job out here, though not enough to pay rent on...

I've been busy working on the Chapman Radio website as well, but that's still in the workshop, so you'll have to wait a couple weeks for it to roll out onto the proverbial showfloor that is this blog.

So, if you're around Chapman, let me know if you'd like to be part of any photo shoots for Chapman promotions. If not, keep an eye on my blog to see what I'm up to. Ocassionally.

Two Things I Love, as One

So I really couldn't resist posting this. Enjoy

Sunsettings

I took my first sunset portraits today. In fact, it was David's susnset photo tutorial that convinced me to buy an off camera flash in the first place. Now, I'm hooked.

Anyways, Anna Ogi (supermodel at large) was kind enough to pose for me while I tested out this shot. More shots can be seen at my facebook album (presumably available to the public...)

So, who's next for portrats?

Finally!

So, the big day is finally over: I got my strobist kit today, and what a glorious thing it is. I'll upload photos soon of my complete kit, including the nifty little case I found at the hardware store to carry it in.

So basically, I skivvied off work today at KULR-8 and shot some photos of the big 8 out front.

A few more random shots, and I'm sold.

Basically, I love this whole setup, though my sync cable has a bit of trouble every so often but I'll live with it.

So, moral of the story is: Kyle NEEDS people to model for him. Anyone, and the first 5-10 will be free, so basically you're getting decent semi-professional portraits for next-to nothing. Call me or email for more info (me@kylebjordahl.com).

Still awaiting the UPS man

So I finally ordered my strobist package last week, and now I'm just waiting on the UPS man, whom I am already angry with because they don't deliver on weekends. So much for 3 day select shipping, 5 days after I ordered it.

I did, however, get a Nikon SB-28DX on eBay the day after I ordered my strobist kit from MPEX, and it showed up on Saturday care of the USPS. Odd, I ordered it a day later, and it showed up the same day my UPS stuff should have, and I paid less for shipping. For once, the feds beat the private sector; I never thought I'd see the day.

Well, I'm going to go out and chase UPS trucks.

One Tiny Little Pony in a Very Bang-Up Day

So, slightly off the photography topic of this blog, is the subject of my day today, as a news photographer for the local NBC station here, KULR-8.

I was told that I would be busy hopping from shoot to shoot for the middle of my 9 to 6 day. That of course, was entirely the opposite of what happened. With my first shoot canceled, I had nothing until 11:15am, when I shot an interview in our parking lot in front of some gangly trees with some people from a weight-loss contest the show hosted over a year ago. This was deathly boring a slow start to my day.

A feature on a young golfer followed this, and then my 7th trip to the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" set in five days. Yeah, I do enjoy the special media treatment I get while carrying the camera, including every other person's seemingly innate desire to wave at the camera. But I got an autograph from the designers for my little sister, so it was worth the time. Oh yeah, and I shot another half of a package for my reporter, Katie, with whom I have rather grown to enjoy, after our rock out sessions in the car, singing along to a pop song which shall remain unnamed.

But here's where my day gets fun.

I get back to the station, and find out that I could go shoot a fun little piece on the world's smallest horse, "Thumblelina." So after wading through about 150 whiny, tired, horse crazy kids and their parents, I rolled off a few minutes of a bizarrely tiny and disproportioned cute and entirely tiny pony being harassed by hundreds of children with sticky hands.

On my way back to the station, where I was planning to write and edit this story (an assignment granted to me after my somewhat display of my reporting and copy writing skills yesterday). I was sidetracked, by a call from the newsroom sending me to check out a possible stabbing downtown.

Ok, possibly hot news, with cops, etc. Good stuff. And I found nothing.

Then, a call to go check on two car accidents on Main in the heights. Found it. And my cops, along with a crunched pickup truck and some broken glass, all thanks to a tired driver. Continuing to my next wreck, I realized I too was getting tired; it's now 5:10, and there's no way I can get my tiny horse story done for the 6pm news. Damn.

Found two more wrecks. If you can call a dented panel that much of a wreck. Ok, headed home.

Or, headed out to the other end of town, to 66th and Rimrock, where some kid supposedly set off some fireworks and ended up starting a firey little action in the brush. This time, firefighters, one squad car of cops, and soot all over my shoes. But I got some cool shots of the firemen, and this whole lot will make the 10pm news tonight. Time to bring it in, since its now 6pm, and my shift is over.

Except that the newsroom just received a call about a broken water main 50 blocks east of me, and it would be easiest if I just stopped by on my way to the station, which is remotely on the way, sort of how Orlando is remotely on the way to New York City coming from LA.

Ok, found the waterworks. And by waterworks, I mean a small heave in the asphalt with cones around it which has water streaming out of it. Not shooting, not even bubbling, just sort of oozing. I dutifully shoulder my camera, kneeling on the wet asphalt, and in the process, turn the ash on my shoes into some sort of smokey-smelling sludge. Lovely, since I'm in the new news car. So I trudge through the grass to clean the shoes up, and with an entire week's worth of spot news, I finally return to the station.

It turns out there was another accident, involving a semi truck and trailer rolling 9 or so times and crossing three lanes of traffic, so needless to say, my traffic story and my water main coverage went in the can.

Moral of the story: shoot everything, leave nothing, and prepare to have most of it go to waste.

At least they kept the tiny pony.