lisa wiseman

i'm on tumblr!

2010-02-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

visit me on tumblr!

for the time being i will be both text and multimedia blogging from my tumblr site instead of from this blog. please check there for updates and posts that you'd regularly see here.

i will post updates on this blog regarding the potential tumblr migration so do check back as i figure out more about the tumblr world and how i can and will be participating in it.

4 shoots and counting

2010-02-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

i'm all prepped and ready for my shoot tomorrow and looking forward to it! we'll be working to avoid any major rain downpours but otherwise the afternoon should go smoothly.

i'm also very excited about my 3 upcoming shoots next week and one the week after that. i'm aware that these 4 shoots plus my shooting from the last 10 days will keep me in the deep photoshop weeds, but it will be so very worth it in the end. also to follow up, i launched my most recent shoot with vernon bush so please check it out.

lastly, the awesome editorial i shot in december should be running very soon. i'll post a note when it's out and the images will go live on my site as soon as it does. i can't wait to share!

editing yesterday's shoot

2010-01-28T01:57:00.000-08:00

my shoot yesterday with vocalist extrordinaire vernon bush was fantastic! i just made my first pass of editing and i have a lot of strong hero-shot candidates. i'm excited to do my next editing passes and get cracking on my retouching. i'll post a note when they go up on my site in the next couple of weeks.

the smugmug event was a hit

2010-01-28T01:53:00.000-08:00

thanks everyone for coming out to my talk yesterday for the san francisco smugmug group. there was a big turnout and i got tons of positive feedback about my presentation. there were lots of insightful questions asked and i got to share a lot about my own career path as well as talk about photography business and marketing. if you missed it, don't forget that i do consultations for photographers in which i'll talk to you about anything you want! thanks to gustavo for inviting me out and to joey for running the night so smoothly. also thanks to doyle who took and tweeted the above photo.

shooting galore

2010-01-25T01:18:00.001-08:00

i have a big week ahead: 4 personal shoots! yay! i'm shooting tomorrow and next monday-wednesday. each day is a different model and concept. i'm very excited to have lots of new work in my book before i go to nyc!

my first shoot with the new camera

2010-01-25T01:17:00.000-08:00

last week i did my first real shoot with my new camera. it was yummy in more ways than one because not only did i get to relish my camera, i was shooting my assistant and chef, eric webster which left my kitchen smelling delish. the shoot was lovely and i think our images came out great. check back on eric's website soon to see the contact-page images we shot together.

video learning 101

2010-01-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

in the last 24hrs i've come to seriously love lynda.com. so far i've been through this lesson for video basics and i have my sights set on this one to learn final cut express in the next couple of days. i already feel like i have a much better grasp on video than i did 3hrs ago!

don't become a truck driver

2010-01-17T03:12:00.000-08:00

"my primary objectives right now are to breath and survive. i’m at that point, 3 years in, when most sane people get out. it’s the true test, are you crazy enough to go forward when a brontosaurus-sized neon sign is flashing “ABORT NOW – BECOME A TRUCK DRIVER!” as photographer, keith carter, says, “you have to learn to embrace a life of uncertainty.” so i gotta breathe in. stay the course. surviving the photo industry is one part vision, one part business and all heart."

thanks to photo coleslaw for this amazing piece of wisdom. very well said.

i'm speaking at the next sf smugmug event!

2010-01-16T01:17:00.000-08:00

come listen to me talk about my work, my business plan and my marketing at the next san francisco smugmug event:

when: tuesday january 26, 6:30pm
where: sports basement 1590 bryant street... how to find us "meet me in the "grotto" on the 1st/bike floor"
rsvp here

overview of my talk:
Photographer Lisa Wiseman will discuss how her career and her unique style of quiet portraiture has emerged over the last few years. She will talk about how to staying true to her vision while embracing creative marketing and solid business practices have played heavily into her success and will finish with an open question and answer session about marketing and business related issues.

"hi, my name is everest and i'm a learning curve"

2010-01-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

with the wonderful addition of the 5DMKII to my life, i've just completed the circuit and have now installed apple's final cut express for video editing. i know woefully little about motion so i'm officially entering a very steep video learning curve.

if you can please be a tad patient and give me a moment (ah-hem, a few weeks) to get myself very-very-quickly up to speed on how to shoot/edit/deliver video, i have a cool motion-based project planned which i hope to be on my way toward starting soon. updates to follow.

consultations for photographers

2010-01-11T01:40:00.000-08:00

due to many requests, i am now available for personalized consultations for photographers!

i will cover any topic you are interested in talking about! no topic is off limits. let me help you get a jump start or a fresh perspective on your career by sharing my knowledge and experiences.

i am most often asked about the following:

- marketing and business strategies
- promotional pieces
- portfolio or website reviews
- website redesigns or design help
- social/new media training (i.e. "how do i use twitter?")
- using social media to your advantage (i.e. "why do facebook/linkedin/etc. matter to me?")
- advanced retouching - must be in person
- software training (photoshop, lightroom, etc.) - must be in person
- shooting on location
- using natural lighting to your best advantage
- location scouting
- transitioning from assisting to shooting
- what to know when you're starting out
- is art school for me? how do i choose one?

please email or call me at 415-999-6145 to schedule a consultation.

$100/hr by phone
$120/hr in person, in san francisco
$80/hr by video chat
1 hour minimum

i am available for retouching and software training anywhere in the bay area, travel fees may apply

i'm on sfgirlbybay!

2010-01-09T02:35:00.000-08:00

check me out today on one of my favorite blogs: sfgirlbybay. it's a post featuring personal back-stories of three of my favorite photographs.

the powerhouse behind sfgirlbybay is victoria. she was so delightful and amazingly generous as i met her borrowing her magazine-worthy apartment for a recent shoot. i've come to have an even greater appreciation for her stellar taste and i'm flattered to have my work on her site. please have a look :)

take a little part of me home!

2010-01-07T02:47:00.000-08:00

i'm finally selling my fine art prints online at the beholder! the beholder is a truly rad site and i'm thrilled to be in the company of wonderful artists such as catherine ledner, aya brackett and arielle sandler. the beholder was founded by a wonderful graphic designer, suzanne shade. i feel very lucky to be part of the group!

nyc here i come & how to travel with gear

2010-01-07T01:42:00.001-08:00

nyc here i come!

i'll be saying hi to my east coast clients, friends and the cold/wet weather on february 27... unless of course you or someone you know wants to hire me and send me there sooner! i'm being proactive this year so i purchased my ticket well in advance. i'm going earlier than my usual march/april trip to show my book because i'm so jazzed about all my new work and i can't wait to get back there. i'll brave the weather just to have my h&h bagels early. mmm.

this leads me to an announcement: i recently got a canon 5dmkII!!! video here i come! this yummy camera prompted me to finally address my issue of long needing a bigger camera bag. combine this with knowing that i'll be packing for nyc in 8 short weeks plus happilly stumbling on a rad @chasejarvis tweet/post this evening about how to pack camera gear for travel makes me a fortuitously happy girl. the video is below and it's fantastic. pay attention to 7:15. you can find the super-amazing tsa.gov referenced document here. make sure to print it the next time you travel!

soo... if you have one of the following three cases:

lowepro proroller x200
tamrac 692
or the tenba roadie large

and want to work out a trade for my awesome tamrac 697 case let me know. or if you just want to buy it let me know. mine is in great shape.

"loving someone..."

2009-12-17T01:38:00.000-08:00

this just sums it all up for me.

"loving someone and being loved is so much to me... you know, i believe if there's any kind of god it wouldn't be in any of us, not you or me, but just this little space in between... if there is any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone; sharing something. i know, it's almost impossible to succeed, but, who cares really. the answer must be in the attempt."

last week's shoot

2009-12-17T01:17:00.001-08:00

last wednesday's shoot kicked butt! my client just made their image selections and we're all loving the images. so far a resounding success. thanks everyone for the teamwork and for pulling out a stellar shoot! i'll share the images as soon as they're released (read: february).

a legend, an amazing loss

2009-12-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

i'm having a hard time pulling myself together over the loss of one of my all-time favorite photographers: larry sultan. he passed away on sunday from cancer and i'm terribly sad. he was an amazingly talented photographer and a lovely man. i knew him only briefly but he was so kind that he allowed me to spend 2 hours one afternoon asking him questions about his work, talking theory and looking at my work. he is one of my great idols and i will always look up to him. knowing he's gone leaves a big hole.

nailing it on the head

2009-12-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

i love this quote from this blog post about me. it's translated so the grammar is tricky (i've made it readable) but the meaning is so true:

"Her style of photography is the description of the image, it is more like the life story of the film. Shooting the picture is always in the plot of the change, but at the end of it takes the viewer themselves to put pen to paper to be imagined."

preparing for wednesday's shoot

2009-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

i'm very jazzed for my shoot on wednesday. we're shooting the collection of a recent graduate of the masters fashion program from the academy of art university. we secured a stunning private residence in san francisco for our location and we will have her wonderful clothes to work with. we have a truly unbelievable stylist joining us and one of my favorite hair/makeup artists on board. the whole day will be great and i can't wait to spend it making magic happen!

i'm an international girl, part 2

2009-12-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

if you remember back in this post, i finally got my hands on copies of the international issues of psychologies italia and newsweek japan that used my images. check it out!

newsweek japan, kay ryan - the reluctant poet laureate

below is the spread from psychologies italia. my image is the bleed on the second layout.

my interview in american photo magazine

2009-12-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

a big thank you to american photo magazine for featuring me in their nov/dec issue. you can read the article online here. my images are featured on page 61.

(my images are on the page above)

epiphany

2009-11-28T01:58:00.000-08:00

my photography epiphany/decision today is simple: follow fewer rules, or no rules.

the act of thanks giving

2009-11-27T01:06:00.000-08:00

today was a day i spent giving thanks in many ways. here are a few of my big gratitudes:

- my loving, supportive, inspiring, gifted, and caring parents
- my amazing fiancee josh and our upcoming wedding
- the abundance of food we have on a daily basis and the luxury of choosing what we eat
- a year of great assignments
- a fantastic big warm bed to sleep in and a home to live in
- new colleagues and friends
- dear old colleagues and friends
- a life of plenty
- hot showers
- my grandmother's new hearing aids
- naps
- wonderful and faithful clients
- still getting to do what i love for a living

sentimental? perhaps, but all very true. i hope you had a lovely holiday and find things to be grateful for every day.

the end of an era

2009-11-24T18:11:00.001-08:00

it is officially winter. i have taken all 20 of our tomato plants and moved their much-loved remains into the compost. i couldn't let the hibernation begin without a small ode to our prolific plants and their gorgeous root systems.

tons of new work!

2009-11-12T03:04:00.001-08:00

i've just updated my website with lots of new work from my last 3 shoots. enjoy!

check me out on the livebooks blog!

2009-11-12T02:57:00.000-08:00

check me out on the livebooks blog. it's a fun post titled "it's personal" which focuses on the interaction of personal and commercial work and specifically highlights my new polaroid project. a big thank you miki johnson for being interested in my work and for putting up such a great post with lots of photos!

i'm in PDN's emerging photographer magazine

2009-11-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

check out the story i was interviewed for in PDN's emerging photographer magazine! the magazine was distributed at photo expo in NYC so unfortunately i didn't get a hard copy but the online version looks pretty cool too!

i'm an international girl

2009-11-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

i finally have copies of newsweek japan and psychologies italia in my hot little hands! i'll be posting scans of my pages in the coming days. also look out for an upcoming post on the awesome iphone story that american photo magazine has out this month co-featuring me.

photographer of the day: jodi beiber

2009-10-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

jodi beiber's new project real beauty is amazing. real south african women, no retouching whatsoever, a rare treat. jodi goes beyond what we often see: they involve the the subject's perception "fantasy" (via their pose) in conjunction with the pure reality of retouching-free presentation . go check it out and make sure you read the text at the end of the series of photos. the rest of jodi's work is wonderful too so take a moment to look around her site.

european syndication with o'gorman visual research

2009-10-28T00:48:00.000-07:00

i'm very excited to announce that i'm being archive represented and syndicated in europe by daniel o'gorman visual research. daniel has great taste and syndicates a handful of extremely talented photographers whose company i am really flattered to be keeping. please don't hesitate to ask about syndication/reuse of any of my images by contacting me directly for usa usage or daniel for european syndication.

new portfolio work

2009-10-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

i have 3 personal shoots scheduled in the next 10 days - i'm really excited to add new work to my book!

photo/cooking trade with my assistant eric

2009-10-18T23:59:00.001-07:00

for quite a while my assistant eric webster and i have talked about doing a trade: he'd teach me how to cook and i'd teach him more about photography. this weekend we finally did it! given eric's pre-career-change history as the kick-ass chef at calistoga ranch, i've been understandably excited! i had two main cooking goals: 1. learn to break down a whole chicken and 2. learn how to make gnocchi. eric, josh and i cooked/ate/photo'd and had a grand ol' time from 2pm-3am and my dear friend jen even joined us after work for the dinner. the whole thing was a huge success and a complete ball. i highly recommend calling eric if you ever need a great assistant or private chef!

our menu:
leek, beet, crouton and purslane salad flavored with butter, oil, thyme and garlic
butter glazed gnocchi with nettle/walnut pesto and baby artichokes
seared/roasted soul food farms chicken on a bed of swiss chard with fingerling potatoes, glazed baby turnips, and baby brussel sprouts
individual chocolate cake/souffles made with dark valhrona chocolate

here's a small photo documentation of our fantastic 13hr cooking/eating/photo extravaganza from raw to gourmet:

i broke down these 1.5 of these 2 soul food farms chickens after eric demo'd the process

eric beating eggs for the gnocchi

whisk in sauce

josh prepped these stinging nettles for the nettle pesto (it was awesome!)

"riced" potatoes with egg mixture just before adding flour to make gnocchi dough

eric rolling out gnocchi (my logs fell apart, gnocchi is surprisingly delicate!)

the fantastic beet/crouton/purslane/leek salad. unfortunately i don't have any photos of the gorgeous perfectly delicious gnocchi/baby-artichoke/nettle-pesto dish since we were so enraptured with eating it that the camera never came out!

our awesome chicken

perfect tiny brussle sprouts

closeup of a perfect tiny brussel sprout. you'll just have to trust me that the chocolate cake/souffle was so divine that they were all gone before the camera came out!

tons of stuff!

2009-10-17T00:35:00.001-07:00

i have tons of exciting new stuff to talk about in the next week including shoots, interviews, personal projects and more! check back soon for a detailed post or two!

a great loss

2009-10-07T21:54:00.001-07:00

"a good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. it is, in a word, effective." - irving penn, 1917 - 2009 (age 92). you can read the nyt obituary here.

my book is on sale

2009-10-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

just a reminder, for a limited time my monograph is being offered as a softcover at a discounted price. please check it out and get yourself a copy!

two of my favorite photo quotes

2009-10-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

“i never invent anything. i photograph what i know.” sacha van dorsen

"I don't know who was behind the camera... but you can tell she loved her subjects." rebecca wells

inspiration

2009-10-06T02:37:00.001-07:00

and in the spirit of yesterday's post, a spontaneously shot pack of polaroid. wonderfully fun and invigorating!

colorwars photos

2009-10-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

colorwars in la last weekend was a fun competition. 100 polaroids in 1 hour - crazy! here are 4 of my favorite photos:

the four competitors pre-contest with our mamiya rz67s
me, eric charles, sita kaylin and john henry bailton

my awesome assistant (fiancee) josh. he rocked.
my color was green. can you tell?

my final collage

passers-by looking at our work.
someone said as they looked at my polaroids "oh, it's like pieces and details of people." and i thought to myself, "yay! success!"

eric was the much-deserving winner of the competition and his work was gorgeous. but really, who am i kidding - i was in a group of three other stellar artists who inspired me and reminded me how fun and vibrant photography is when you just love-love-love it. i really enjoyed the sheer freedom of just shooting with no goal other than to make pictures and it gets me back to the core of why i sometimes just need to take out a pack of polaroid and shoot whatever the heck is immediately in front of me. there is always a good photo just waiting. goodness, i love this job!

after four years...

2009-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

it's big-news-day for me... drumroll please... we're engaged! it happened about 4 weeks ago in mexico in a very romantic way (josh gets major props for a proposal that will go down in collective lore). right now we get to spend some time luxuriating in the being-engaged phase and then it'll be on to the planning which will, in the beginning, be all about one big decision (you guessed it): who will be our photographer?! believe me, this choice will be borderline more important than the dress and i expect it to take some major effort to pick just the right person. i already have a few choice people in mind so stay tuned :)

my book "something like home" is available now as softcover!

2009-09-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

for a limited time my monograph will be offered as a softcover at a discounted price. please check it out and get yourself a copy! and don't forget, i'll sign it for you!

color wars in la this weekend

2009-09-22T00:12:00.001-07:00

i'm officially one of the 4 competitors in this weekend's live action arts' "color wars" event in la. i fly down there on saturday afternoon and the competition starts at about 7pm that evening. it's a 15,000sqft space and they bring in about 1500-2000 people. come join us and rsvp here!

so what happens is that the four of us competitors spin (in twister-esque fashion) to determine our color and then receive 100 frames of medium format polaroid. we then get 75min to shoot the 100 frames and create a collage based on our color. this is all done while being decked out in said color courtesy of american apparel. the two finalists then get another 100 frames and then compete shooting items that are both black and white and creating a second collage. a winner is then determined from the b/w collages.

i'm totally stoked for the competition and i'm gunning for the win! the best part is that i'm being given a ton of polaroid and given complete creative freedom in shooting it! a bonus is the till-3am party that follows the competition. can't wait!

busy bee

2009-09-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

this has been a good month for me!

i've shot for one of my favorite clients in chicago and i'm shooting again for a favorite sf client this friday. i've also been working on a cool job with a producer friend and shooting personal work tomorrow. i'm also going to la this weekend to compete in a polaroid competition (see my next post) which i'm very excited about.

i love being busy!

the gensler opening rocked

2009-09-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

the opening at gensler tonight was a hit. the wonderful art committee there gave me a huge bright red wall which is prime space in their building. if i do say so myself, my pieces looked fantastic. there are 5 large prints along the outer long wall and then the grid of my 9 polaroids on the inner wall. gensler's office is stunning and i'm in wonderful artistic company so i'm thrilled to be included in this show. stop by to see it when you can!

exhibit dates: now through dec 4, 2009
monday through friday, 8:30am - 5:30pm
other showcased artists: audrey jones, liz cockrum, mary celojko, mia nakano, julia fullerton-batton

photocorps video is live!

2009-09-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

check out my video interview with photocorps! (click link to see it full size)

The PhotoCorps - Lisa Wiseman from ricky montalvo on Vimeo.

my photocorps video interview update

2009-09-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

if you remember, a while back i wrote about my video interview with photocorps. it's finally going live this week! i've seen it and ricky montalvo did an amazing job. i look forward to sharing his wonderfulness with you.

my upcoming show at gensler in sf

2009-09-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

please join me at my upcoming show! i'm going to be up there with some amazing artists so i hope you can make it to the opening on thursday september 10 at 5:30pm. (click on the image to view the invitation larger)

my shoot tonight

2009-09-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

shooting in mountain view tonight for my chicago client. it's great having a standing relationship like this - we've worked together well in the past so booking additional shoots is quick and easy.

i'm featured on 1000 words!

2009-08-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

head on over to the 1000 words photography blog to see the great post tim wrote on me. i'm flattered and delighted to be included in the blog since tim always features amazing photographers!

ipa awards honorable mention

2009-08-22T01:51:00.000-07:00

i just found out that this image won honorable mention in the 2009 international photography awards! that makes it a few years running... note to self, keep it up!

blurb photo book contest voting is ending - please vote!

2009-08-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

do you see that little bright orange ribbon-shaped graphic to the left of this post that says "vote"? yes, that one! please click on it!

there are only a few days left of voting in the blurb photography book now contest and i'd really love every last vote i can get. please vote and then click the link below that says "invite your friends to vote for this book" and, well, invite your friends!

the winnings are big and i really appreciate your help getting the word/vote out!

slideluck potshow raves

2009-08-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

check out this rave review of my work in SLPS courtesy of the totam. and bonus, i'm so flattered that the totam mentioned me smack next to white house photo god peter souza which is like my little piece of literary celebrity elbow rubbing!

i'm in Slideluck Potshow XIII in NYC!

2009-08-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

i've been invited to contribute to the upcoming Slideluck Potshow at canoe studios in nyc this thursday! i'm very very excited to be featured along with the likes of platon, philip toledano and brian ulrich!

i'm disappointed that i won't be able to make it to the actual event but if you're in the area please head over there for a great evening - good food and good art, what could be better! if you attend, please let me know how it went!

vote for my book in the photography book now contest

2009-07-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

please go here and vote for my book in the blurb photography book now contest. i would be very delighted if you'd do so! thanks!

fresh work

2009-07-21T01:24:00.001-07:00

i updated my website with new images from my latest shoots! head over there to check it out.

i'm featured on folio hunt and feature shoot!

2009-07-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

this is a pretty cool week for me because i have just been featured on both folio hunt and feature shoot! a big thanks to scott at folio hunt and alison at feature shoot for sharing my work with your readers!

great shoot last week

2009-07-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

i had a great shoot last week. i'm on my third editing pass and i'm so happy with the images! will share them soon so check back on my site in a week or two.

"his sneezes..."

2009-07-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

"It always fascinates me how people go from loving you madly to nothing at all, nothing."

from the film 2 days in paris - a beautiful, poignant, and gorgeous summation of a seminal human moment.

for me, the combination of cinematography, acting and voiceover is the gorgeous visual translation of what it feels like to be searching for the right word, and, instead of it evading you, it comes to your mind with a subtle graceful force as if it was the only word you ever needed.

i'm a blurb staff pick!

2009-07-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

check me out! blurb selected my book as one of their staff picks! very exciting. i've been getting a lot of traffic because of this so pick up your copy before they run out!

(i'm in the 2nd row, 2nd from the left)

oops!

2009-06-29T17:04:00.001-07:00

the post i just wrote was one scanned page short, please check it out again in its entirety :)

newsweek!

2009-06-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

the big news i've been hinting at is that last week i shot a feature story for newsweek and it's on newsstands today!

the layout is beautiful (4 pages, 4 photos!) and they used my photos well. this was a wonderful assignment because i got to photograph someone i found truly lovely and interesting (poet laureate kay ryan), i was given a ton of creative freedom with the style of photos and i got to shoot polaroid 600.

you should absolutely go see the issue in person since the online story is lacking any photo accompaniment (it has michael jackson on the cover and is titled "the meaning of michael"). let me know what you think of the story, i'm delighted with how it came out!

(pages in published order, my byline on title page)

twitter update

2009-06-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

a great quote from this ASMP blog post about why we twitter: "As a professional, Tweeting isn’t about going to a movie or where you are having dinner, it is about letting people know that you and your business is alive and vital."

big news on monday

2009-06-25T03:09:00.001-07:00

stay tuned to my blog this coming monday for some big news :)

great shoot today

2009-06-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

my shoot today went very well! it's now past midnight and i'm done with the first round of edits. it's time to give my eyeballs a much needed break from checking focus all day.

the work equivalent of beauty sleep...

2009-06-19T00:29:00.000-07:00

...is prep sleep. it's 12:33am and everything is all ready to go for tomorrow. here's some of what i'm bringing:

- 2 doz blue eggs
- 1 doz brown eggs
- taxidermied crow
- all my gear
- homemade brownies for crew/subject
- paperwork
- prepped fedex box for the polaroids to go to my scanner in la
- releases
- memorized shot list
- 20 packs polaroid 600
- polaroid sleeves

i got word today that the spread should run in the next month or so... keep your eyeballs to my posts; i'll put it up here in all it's glory as soon as it's out!

prop hunting

2009-06-17T02:11:00.001-07:00

this week has been taken up with the search for two interesting props:
- taxidermied (or realistic) crow/raven
- a few doz. blue eggs (real, not fake)
today, after much calling, i think i nailed it and located both.

things are picking up

2009-06-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

sorry i've been somewhat miba (missing in blog action) lately - i have been delightfully busy with lots of work. today i booked 2 new jobs - wahoo! details to come, stay tuned.

check me out - site of the week!

2009-06-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

i'm delighted to announce that i've been selected as one of livebook's sites of the week. check it out!

the felt & wire story is live!

2009-06-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

both images copyright lisa wiseman

hey all! skedaddle your little mouse-clicking fingers to this page to see the story i worked on for felt & wire. it looks fabulous! kudos to alyson kuhn who wrote it (and edits felt & wire) and to joan, the lovely proprietress of timeless treasures.

felt & wire shoot

2009-06-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

my thursday shoot of the typography-loving shop in SF called timeless treasures for felt & wire went like a charm. felt & wire editor alyson kuhn was delightful as was joan, the owner of timeless treasures. i delivered my files today and read alyson's draft and it's gonna look great! the blog goes live on monday - can't wait! (click here for all the above links)

my twitter name

2009-06-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

for those of you who've asked me to clarify, my twitter is @lisaMwiseman with my middle initial "m" snuck in there between lisa and wiseman.

tweet tweet

2009-06-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

i joined twitter today. it's a big relief because now i can stop avoiding it. although it will definitely take some getting used to, i'm done pretending that i dislike the idea of twitter. also, to be honest, trying to evade twitter in the photo world is quite difficult and possibly signals some kind of vague career suicide.

i must explain that while i'm not a trailblazer with new trends, i am not a slowpoke and often take up new ideas/technologies/trends on the early side. my new found relationship with twitter is clearly not an example of this. oh well, i'm finally on the bandwagon. twitter is the new facebook, the new email promo, the new postcard promo and possibly even the new sliced bread (or so i hear) and i'm now bent on figuring out how i can use it to maximize my business and keep my clients and colleagues interested in my life and work.

if you'd like to know what's going on in my day-to-day you can follow me or, as i'm learning to write in twitter lingo, i'm @lisamwiseman

typography shoot this week

2009-06-02T01:47:00.001-07:00

you all know by now how much i love typography. i'm lucky enough to have the chance this week to shoot a feature on timeless treasures for the rockstar blog felt & wire which is edited by the phenomenal alyson kuhn (alyson's other website here). i had the distinct pleasure of meeting alyson last week with tom ingalls of ingalls design and i couldn't be more pleased to be working with them and with joan from TT. i'm really looking forward to our shoot on thursday!

new work!

2009-05-28T02:06:00.000-07:00

new work from my last few shoots is up. please check it out!

images copyright lisa wiseman

"passport, s'il vous plaît"

2009-05-20T18:41:00.001-07:00

this chanel no. 5 ad is truly an exquisite piece of film. it features audrey tatou and is directed by jean-pierre jeunet. it is a divine example of how advertising can be emotional and evocative. i want to watch it again and again because it tugs on my little heart strings. right now i want nothing more than to be on a train with someone saying "passport, s'il vous plaît..."

i'm a finalist in NYPA 09!

2009-05-16T03:54:00.001-07:00

i have been nominated as a finalist in the 2009 new york photo awards!

in case you don't know what it is, here's the blurb from their website:

"To be named a nominee of the New York Photo Awards 2009 means that one has been selected for the final round of judging, during which time only three finalists will be chosen (Winner and two Honorable Mentions). Considering the number of rounds that the Jury has already been through, being nominated is truly an award in and of itself. We are very proud of this year’s Nominees. It is clear that they represent the Future of Contemporary Photography, and we wish them continued success."

howard schatz + jeff goldblum

2009-05-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

i found this in vanity fair last month and it is an amazing combo of howard schatz directing/photographing jeff goldblum. click on the image to see it larger - you need to read the character descriptions below each photo to understand how awesome this is. i plan to try this on future people i photograph.

days with my father, part 2

2009-05-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

images copyright phillip toledano

i checked back with one of my favorite sites today and discovered that phillip toledano's father died. the last photo/entry in the site is heartbreaking and beautiful. the whole project is exquisite and a personal reminder to be actively, vocally, crazy-grateful for all the people in my life who i love and who love me. if you haven't done so already, check out the whole site from top to bottom, you won't be disappointed.

my opening was a big success!

2009-05-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

my opening last week at gallery 625 sutter went so well! it was an intimate gathering with good street traffic and interest in my work. if you are in the neighborhood go check it out; it's up until may 31.

photoworks show

2009-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

the photoworks polaroid show went up today and it looks great! here's the flier - my image is the last on the right in the third row - the one with the basketball hoop and the "dead end" sign.

my second show opens this thursday, may 7

2009-05-06T00:13:00.000-07:00

please come help me celebrate my second show, a quiet selection, this thursday, may 7, in san francisco at the 625 sutter gallery.

this is a great chance for you to see my work if you missed my opening of "something like home" in april; i will be showing a selection of work from that show.

the details are below - feel free to contact me (lisa@lisawiseman.com) if you have any questions.

i hope you're able to make it to the opening!

opening reception:
date: may 7
where: 625 sutter street at mason, san francisco
time: 5:30-7:30pm

if you can't make the opening the show will be up until may 31

don't forget about the accompanying show catalog/book!

photographer of the day: mohamed bourouissa

2009-04-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

mohomed bourouissa is amazing. his work is absolutely stunning. from my understanding, all of his images are staged and yet somehow they aren't stagnant at all - they're exciting and vibrant and full of tension. i can't find his website but here's a nice blog post about him.

image copyright mohomed bourissa

bravo bmw

2009-04-14T23:55:00.001-07:00

simple. effective. brilliant.

my video interview with photocorps

2009-04-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

yesterday i was interviewed by ricky montalvo for the photo corps which is a super-new-super-cool website (it's so new that right now it's mostly under construction but you should absolutely bookmark it and check back soon).

ricky is working to produce gorgeous videos of select photographers talking about their work over slideshows of their images. ricky's long time video production experience lends his videos a smooth and beautiful elegance. he says, "my goal is to showcase these videos via itunes/podcast and through a website where [anyone] can learn about the journey of artistic process photographers like yourself"

i'm very excited and flattered to be in the innagural few asked to participate. i can't wait to see how it turns out!

typography + me = happy

2009-04-10T18:32:00.001-07:00

i was lucky enough to get this pentagram calendar today. i'm a major typography lover so i'm a very happy clam and my desk looks much cooler than it did yesterday.

my day as a model, part 2

2009-04-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

if you remember from this post, i modeled for margo moritz recently and i just got the photos back. granted, i'm no model, but these are really fun!

images copyright margo moritz

MOPLA (month of photography, los angeles)

2009-04-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

the pdn's 30 exhibit just debuted at MOPLA this week. my friend damon from photo induced sent me this photo from the show since i couldn't be in LA for the opening - my image is top center:

photo relaxing

2009-04-07T02:31:00.000-07:00

today is the first day in months that i don't have anything scheduled. thank goodness for a breather. i'm very excited about the prospect of an open day... maybe in addition to doing a bit of work i'll go see the 49 geary galleries or visit green apple or do some other fun sunny day thing. it was also wonderful to get out of town this past weekend for a couple of fantastically nothing-filled napa days.

my opening was a wild success

2009-04-07T02:10:00.000-07:00

it was amazing, just wonderful. our best guess is that about 250 people came over the course of the night and i have never felt so supported. thank you all so much for coming!

special thanks to my parents and josh for the endless support, sonya yruel for the great photos, austin willacy for the rockstar music and michael thompson for the gallery space and the wonderful framing.

if you couldn't make it, check it out before it comes down on may 5!

my monograph is available!

2009-03-29T23:51:00.001-07:00

my monograph accompanying my show at gallery 645 is finally ready! it is available here in a limited edition run of 750 copies. if you purchase it, please email me and i'll send you a signed book-plate immediately.

hanging the show

2009-03-29T20:44:00.001-07:00

we hung the show this afternoon and it looks great. i can't wait for everyone to see it on thursday!

a reminder for my show next week

2009-03-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

my show at gallery 645 is coming up next thursday at 5pm - i hope everyone can make it!

a moment of self-indulgence

2009-03-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

i try not to toot my own horn, however i have to share the loveliest compliment i've received so far about my work:

"i've tried to avoid the sort of gushing praise that irritates me, but i have to say i found the latent insight carried in your work to be absolutely revelatory, and it renews my faith in photography as an art form." - charles king, UK

thanks charles!

nyc recap

2009-03-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

nyc was awesome! here is my by-the-numbers breakdown

5: number of business days
2: number of weekend days
26: number of meetings
36: number of people met with
1: museum visited (moma)
3: friends visited with
23: subway rides (aprox.)
2: cabs taken
1: couch slept on
5: scarves purchased in soho
2: bagels from h&h
1: sushi meal
1: movie watched
4: magnolia cupcakes eaten
2: pinkberries

having my book called into a big ad agency while in town... priceless.

nyc: day 7, friday

2009-03-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

ah, my last working day in nyc... i had two meetings scheduled today, 11am and 4pm. unfortunately my 11am was canceled at the last minute, which although disappointing, allowed me to take an excellent and much-needed nap after a long week. my 4pm meeting went very well and i ended up with another meeting at 5pm to drop off my book to a rep. this is great for two reasons: 1. my book will hit another few places in nyc the next 2 weeks (including a magazine and ad agency i couldn't schedule meetings with), thus pseudo-extending my trip, and 2. my carry-on will be a portfolio lighter!

tomorrow is about sleeping in, getting my h&h bagels for the week, and heading home to my own bed. i love nyc and adore visiting/working here however there's no place quite like san francisco.

nyc: day 6, thursday

2009-03-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

today was a big day. i had 6 meetings and my book was called into a major ad agency to be considered for a drug campaign.

meetings 1-3 were hearst publications and went very well. i received great feedback from the three magazines and all of the people i met were friendly and nice to chat with. a couple of the meetings may turn up assignment work in the near future. meeting 4 was with a portfolio company who might make my new book. meeting 5 was with a rep company who i've been talking to for over a year. it was nice to finally meet them in person. the rep was very complimentary about my work and has been instrumental in many big career launches; we'll see how the relationship progresses in the future. my last meeting was with the art buyer who called in my book. she was nothing but sweet despite how much stress she was under. in the end, they picked someone else for the project for a number of reasons but i know that based on how much she and her colleagues liked my work, i'll be shooting with them sooner than later.

it was a great day overall and the icing on the cake was pinkberry and magnolia cupcakes for desert.

my PDN 30 page!

2009-03-18T22:06:00.001-07:00

it's finally here!

nyc: day 5, wednesday

2009-03-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

whew, today was a long one - i was gone from the apartment for almost 14hrs. the day went swimmingly: 6 meetings with 3 reps, 2 ad agencies and 1 magazine.

both tomorrow and friday are up-in-the-air days - i have about 8 tentative meetings thrown in with my 6 confirmed meetings. i'll be up early trying to nail down the last ones before heading off to my 10am at hearst.

nyc: day 4, tuesday, part 2

2009-03-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

today started with a bang - my first meeting was one of my two dream clients and, though it went well, it wasn't the you're-amazing-i'll-hire-you-today reaction which i was completely irrationally hoping for.

meeting two was with a magazine who really liked my work often uses emerging photographers and then meeting three was an ad agency who also liked my work. both positive outcomes.

the best part of my day was meeting number four which was with one of my top-choice reps who really liked my work. they probably won't take me on since they're not expanding the roster right now, but it was awesome to go in and feel like my work was respected and well received. even though i'm generally a hard-working practical person, on this one i'll cross my fingers and hope they wake up tomorrow and think "we just have to have her!" hey, anything could happen!

tomorrow: 6 confirmed meetings plus one or two tentative ones. this week is turning out so well already!

nyc: day 4, tuesday, part 1

2009-03-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

it occurred to me this morning how much self control i will need to exhibit this week: h&h bagels is next door to the gym i frequent when i'm in town.

nyc: day 3, monday

2009-03-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

it's quite late in nyc so this is a short post. today was really great. i had 7 meetings, all of which were positive; a few of them even verged on exuberantly good! i feel confident and strong going into tomorrow (4 meetings) which is particularly good since i have one of my biggest meetings first thing in the morning. now that i'm in the full swing of the nyc-meeting-thing, i'm excited to hit it hard the rest of the week and make this an amazing 5 days.