FRANKIE SHOT ME: 02.11

Thursday

New York Times

I got a call while I was in California from the New York Times asking me to scout some location shots for them in Vallejo. Of course I said yes... it's the New York Times...but I don't generally scout. Regardless, it's the New York Times.

He said he loved my landscapes (which I like to hear because I don't feel like it's my strongest arena, though I really enjoy doing it) and gave me a list of things they needed shot. Before we got off the phone I asked how he found me. He said from a photo assistant website, they looked at San Francisco based assistants and I popped up. I told him that was great, I don't generally scout and haven't assisted in a couple years, but was stoked that they found me and would love to do it.

Vallejo is a super cute little town. Though, I don't think they will use my images for the article since they probably already have a photographer hired, it is still really great to get my images in front of they NYT.

Two super talented photographer/artist friends Sean Franzen , and his lovely wife Jeremy live in Vallejo. We met for lunch then drove around Mare Island taking photos. We stopped at the One of a Kind Altered Barbie shop. Oh. My. God. I am in love with this woman Lavonne Salle. Her dolls are the kind of dark pop humour that I love. There was a separate room for all of the 'adult content' creations. Seriously incredibly creative and fun stuff. I guess christian residents got all up in arms because she painted nipples on the barbies... as if children don't know nipples exist.

And here is some of the shots from around Vallejo and Mare Island.

Monday

Rob.

Rob was one of my awesome Kickstarter benefactors. We took these images out in west Marin, the Presidio and at his house. I am always so nervous about shooting in the rain (ruining my camera), but I loved it. It was totally fun and not half as scary as I imagined... of course it was just fog and drizzle. Rob is now traveling Brasil and South America. Soaking up the rays.

∞ About ∞

Today: I prefer to sweeten my coffee with brown sugar, even though I fear the molasses will stick to my insides. I keep a diary (pen to paper, old school style). My house is infested with cats, 3 of them, who could care less about killing spiders for me. My power animal is a hedgehog. And I am in a constant state of changing my hair and breaking expectations.

You love me. I was born into a family of renegade gypsy addict artist types. My Grandfather was a charming racecar driver with a tendency to misbehave and a handlebar mustache to accompany his travels. My Grandmother was the flag girl at the race track- a beautiful woman who fell for the wrong type of guy. My Grandfather being one of them. The bred a series of incredible offspring all with tales of their own to impress you. The most well known child of theirs would be my Aunt Jerilyn Lee Brandelius, author of The Grateful Dead Family Album.

I was born in Denver Colorado and lived in San Diego, San Rafael, Las Vegas, Sequim WA and Manzanita OR, all before I was 10 years old. Between 5 and 7 years old, my sister and I lived with our Aunt. She was in the final production stages of her book and photos filled our lives. Every table, every chair, every counter, every desk had photos of longhaired bare breasted hippies and their families. This planted the seed of photography into my developing mind. I picked up my first camera (a disposable Kodak camera) at 10 years old and organized a ‘fashion shoot’ with my sister and two cousins as models. That series got published in Vogue. Okay, that’s not true.

At 13 I was adopted into the Norstad/Pugh’s families. My Grandpa Norstad is a prestigious zen master and potter who made a living producing designer clay basins, lamps, tiles and dishware. They were often glazed with a Japanese Maple leaf, which seemed to sell very well in the 1960’s. My Grandma Norstad is the ultimate chef and green thumb, whose primary concern seemed to be providing me with a stable nurturing living environment. My Grandma and Grandpa Pugh were Bay Area natives, her born and raised in Oakland during the 1920’s and him born and raised on Belvedere Island. They were extremely invested in my education: from sewing lessons early on to giving me my first camera (an argus), to sending me to small private high school, where I got to further explore my love of photography.

By 16 I was a committed photographer (as in invested, not insane). My first exhibit was at 17 years old… it consisted of travel photos from Machu Pichu, photos from a week at Burning Man and black and white portraits of teenagers. It was clear I needed some further education. In 2001 I moved to the East Coast to study photography and began apprenticing with established photographers in studio environments. In 2006 I began consistently shooting for my own clients.

Did I mention you love me?

FRANKIE SHOT ME

Thursday

New York Times

Monday

Rob.

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