Ever Entered a Photo Contest of any kind?

I have had mixed results with photo competitions and entries, 

some years I do well and others I,

not so much. 

The things that won did not necessarily shock or suprise me that they won. 

What did?

That they were able to collectively grab multiple judges attention in order to propel themselves above other extremely worthy entries and notable photographer names in their respective field.  

This is always an honor as well as some luck in finding that symbiotic vein in a completely objective and intangible quality that somehow elevated your work above 1,000's of other entries.  No one knows how to win an art contest all the time, at least in photography.

The things I felt were going to do well and ascend me to the dizzying heights of the art world, however, once again not so much.... 

Also, these competitions are not cheap, make sure the ones you enter justify the cost.  Typically the ones offering cameras and gear or cash as well as fame are great, if you win.  

The best are all about the notoriety that the competition will bring you alone.  

Most photography friends of mine already know this, but for the others that do not, if you are interested in these things, Communication Arts Photo Annual and L'urzers Archive seem to have the most broad appeal and viewership by those that hire photographers for commercial work based on editorial or competition entry work.  Otherwords, these are the 2 big dogs for Art Buyers and Creatives at the places you want to work for.  PDN while a fantastic mag, appeals to photographers not necessarily the people that hire photographers, some do, not all.

Well, the article below is a pretty comprehensive guide to read before you decide to throw that $80 at your next submission:

Here is an article from an excellent little magazine called Art Calendar about entering your

work in juried contests. 

Bailout, Schmailout.... Mag industry latest to nose dive.

The latest of great news on our economic front is the great news that our beloved photo industry is going to get tougher to get into the big magazines.  Check out the post here on this:

http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/fashion-magazines-bear-brunt-of-economic-meltdown-1859479?navSection=media-news&toc_preselected=65#/article/media-news/fashion-memopad/fashion-magazines-bear-brunt-of-economic-meltdown-1859479?page=1

Cloud Atlas: If you don't know now you know!

As of late I have been trying to regain my passion for reading something other than magazines and short stories. I always have one or two novels in some form of unfinished reading.

During most of my twenties I was too poor to have a fancy television or afford cable, now I am just as poor but managed to get the fancy tv and cable when I was not poor.

Anyway, the point is this; I have not been I guess you would call it "amazed" by a writers particular style since I discovered Pynchon in college.

David Mitchell has mastered Herman Melville's style, Philip K. Dick twists, Nabokov and Faulkner "esque" dialogue bending, Anthony Burgess dialogue inventing, Huxley's future,  Cormack McCarthy's bloodlust and bloodletting and yet it is all his own.

I am no literary critic but all of the big ones agree this book is awesome. Even if you do not read novels and think fiction is shit, still buy this book. Keep it in your travel bag, beach bag, bedside table, bathroom, it will eventually get it's hooks into you.


It is basically six books in one (but really multiply it by 2 and the divide it by 2= exactly) and written with the perfection of a symphony. I believe that I am one of the more well read knuckleheads of my ADD ridden/MTV generation. 

Truly art with words and if you do not get it, I feel for you.  

My dad who reads more than I do and has tried his hand at the novel and I believe he should continue doing so, basically forced this book on me.  

I did not dig it wholeheartedly until the 3rd story, but even then was like,"WTF where is this going?"

When the scope of it and the way he does it finally hit home, I understood.  Genius.

When you get to Sloosha's Crossin' 'n' Ev'yrthin' After, remember to protect your babbit and watch out for Kona and protect the Prescient and the Orison.  So dork am I.  I have said way to much.

BUY CLOUD ATLAS yesterday!

McCain/Greenberg Part Deaux

I would love to say more about this situation, but Mark Tucker I think has put it best thus far:

http://marktucker.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/what-ive-learned-from-this-greenbergmccain-fiasco/

Also Rob Haggart and his blog of goodness have a great take it on it as well:

http://aphotoeditor.com/2008/09/16/jill-greenberg-is-not-afraid-to-dump-all-her-clients-at-once/

Both worth a read as the ripple effect of this could be huge on the photo industry.

Jill Greenburg, let us know how you really feel.

Jill is apparently not afraid to voice her opinion. Likely to say this is the last time the Elephants allow her into the zoo to take pictures. I guess you can do whatever you like after Gwen Stefani pays you a cool mil to do her album cover (at least that is the legend). She is also famous for pics of monkeys and crying babies. Always the same light set up, whatever, 2 octobanks, a ringflash, and some edge lights tweaked in just right and it will look good. Amy Guip is way better and more creative, my opinion may be a bit biased.

Check out all of her McCain hatred on display:

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/75fe3a4650f53f809a541bbda6f05a1c/

Her site if you want to see her other work:
http://www.manipulator.com/

Please watch this the whole way through...

USTA 2008 Ads... McEnroe and McEniry Save the Day?

Here is a recent story that the Wall Street Journal ran about the controversy over the Justin Gimelstob comments made on a DC radio station before Wimbledon and the US Open. Justin was supposed to host the TV spots and be the personality for the US Open series "The Greatest Road Trip in Sports" campaign. I have met and worked with Justin, I like him and he is one those guys that women allow to get away with lots of comments and innuendo. He does it with a charm that does not seem offensive and is actually rather playful and funny, unfortunately radio is not the medium for his brand of humor. I have not heard his exact comments, but whatever he said was enough to get him and the campaign shelved. It is unfortunate as there were some funny spots that were shot and Matt Guerra (TV spot director) and his crew put in some long hard hours on the campaign. As a result I have had my stills used for the campaign turned into one of the TV spots that has or will air on ESPN, USA, CBS, and the Tennis Channel. The other spots were recut last minute with McEnroe and are pretty funny. Hope I get to work with him next year as he was an late 70's-early 80's icon to me growing up. Therefore the two Mc's save the day.

As soon I get my hands on the spot I will post it here.

What every Photo Assistant NEEDS to READ!!!! Classic.

Before you embark on your glamorous career of working in the photo world lugging someones gear and putting up with endless miles of their shit you should read this.

Please read this posted on A Photo Editor, Rob Haggart of Men's Journal and Outside Mag's little nugget:

http://aphotoeditor.com/2007/11/11/advice-from-a-photographer/

The World's Best Retoucher and the Best Photo Blog Ever

A recent New Yorker article on "the Guy" who makes everyone perfect. Not that this surprises me in the least, but proof to everyone out there that no one looks that good.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/12/080512fa_fact_collins?currentPage=all

Also, Rob Haggart's blog is an excellent resource for everyone in the pro photography field or anyone wanting to learn what the latest is. And I am not talking about gear, I mean the field itself and the business of it.  He used to be the head editor of Men's Journal and Outside, got sick of everyone, quit, and started a blog.  Pretty good.

http://aphotoeditor.com/

INSANE BOLT!

This guy kicked everyones ass and made it look easy.  

Now play the stupid game below because it is 10 seconds of stupid fun.

http://www.pumarunning.com/#EN/running/content/side/youVsBOLT

Beautiful Losers.... new doc w/ Shepard Fairey and others

Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.

Very cool new doc with Chucktown's pride Shepard Fairey. Hope all of you support it, or else!!!!!!
Thanks to Amy Guip, aka the Guipster for the recommendation, check out her radness www.amyguip.com

Pro Stars RULED!

Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzsky, and Bo Jackson as Cartoons. AWESOMENESS!

Salton Sea

Last year when we were in Palm Springs shooting the USTA/US Open job, Scooter and I went and checked out the Salton Sea. Also see these references:

California Gov. page

Apparently a a choice spot in the 30's and 40's but by the 50's waste from Mexico pumped in there and polluted the hell out of it.  There are abandoned houses with the swingsets in the backyards, really creepy.  We were on the western side and the whole area is filled with orange groves surrounding it.

I can only tell you that i have quit eating any CA oranges after this as i can imagine they are irrigated by the sea.  There were dead floating fish and it stunk for miles.  This thing is no small lake it measures at 376 sq. miles.  

I always liked this photo i shot there at dusk, very fitting for the place.

Also a strange movie that I like with Val kilmer: The Salton Sea

It also has Peter Sarsgaard in it who has 2 of the best sketches ever based on his name on SNL in the last few years:

Barack Obama, A year later

I sent this to a few friends and people awhile back, but came across it again reorganizing some files.  I worked for Jeff Riedel on a Time magazine shoot for the 50 Most Influential People of 2007. Barack was the subject.  We shot him in this old theater in Ybor City and he had just announced his candidacy.  At the time he was one of about 10 candidates, not taken super seriously. Now it seems like it is going to be tough for him to lose (my opinion, not pushing any views).  Anyway, we spent about 4 hours lighting this old theater for the senator.  He came in and knew all of our names without being told and was extremely easy to talk to and could not have been cooler and more interested in what we were doing.  We shot him in the theater and then I had to strap a 7B on and carry a stand with a beauty dish and run down a steep flight of stairs leading Barack into a crowd of about 1500 people, while Jeff's 1st assistant Ed held onto me so I did'nt eat it.  I would not mention it but the image made it into Time, Me and Obama immortalized in print.  Jeff Reidel is a great guy to work for and an amazing photographer, would work with him anytime. I really like the portrait Jeff did and that Theater has about 20 lights hidden all over the place. Scott B held it down for us as well. Wish Obama would pick a running mate, McCain as well. 

BOTH IMAGES JEFF RIEDEL for TIME. 

Anheuser Busch Sells! Inbev In. Shitty beer gets worse?

THE LARGEST ALL CASH DEAL IN HISTORY@#$?!

We'll see how long it takes Inbev to dump the board of directors and the amusement parks.

Doubt they will have the same sympathy for dolphins and Clydesdales the Busch family did.

to read more from the Wall Street Journal: Anheuser Busch Deal

I got to meet Augustus Busch IV working for Marcus Swanson on a mega production shoot for 

Discovery Cove. We had to build custom rigs that boomed the strobes out over the water and lit the main cove/pool with giant 20k's  around the edge of the pool.  Augustus wasn't scared to spend some bucks advertising big fish, nor his other parks or beer companies.  I hope this does not have an effect on local advertising dollars that Overflow and other production companies take in throughout the year.

Super funny drunk dude

Classic.

Interviews with top Photographers

Richard Avedon

  

Annie Leibovitz

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Charlie Rose always does great interviews, check out his site for interviews with some of the biggest names in the photo world.  For more than the ones I have linked here go to:

www.charlierose.com/features/photographers

Kinda cool on in the background while your working on other stuff.  Especially if you have two monitors.

NYC Panoramics

I was just up in the city for 5 days shooting PSA's for the Ad Council and Arnold WW.  Spent 4th of July running around Lower Manhattan and watching the fireworks, I will put some images of that up later.  Anyway, I had the opportunity to shoot a panoramic of the Brooklyn Bridge in the afternoon of the 4th and also the shoot the rooftop view looking north from W 81st of the Upper West Side at sunset.  Thanks to Liz and Onur Tuncer for the roof access.  All shot with Canon 1 Ds Mk2 50mm lens and each pano is anywhere from 8-10 images stitched together, all handheld no tripod, using photomerge in PS CS3.  Works pretty well for web, would use something more sophisticated like Real Viz Stitcher for the print.  The Brooklyn Bridge shot is from the 2nd floor of Pier 17 at the foot of Fulton St. looking up the East Side and Brooklyn.

Wimbledon, Nadal/Federer Battle Royal

Nadal pulled it off. Amazing.  Seriously if you did not see that it was insane. 

 I have had the pleasure of working with these two talented cats for the last two years and have asked them what they think of each other.  All I can say is that they bring out the best in one another on the court, and that they like one another except when they are playing.  Two focused and ice veined guys when the pressure is on.  

Oh yeah and my web site (www.chrismceniry.com) kicks off with these two as well.

Scope it and keep your eyes out for this years US Open campaign.

If you have not seen the new Nike Federer ad, it is legit.  They used Murray the inept band manager from the HBO Flight of the Conchords show as Federers coach who style is to "attack".  Classic bite off Peter Sellers as Inspector Clousseau and I think it was Kato his houseboy who would attack him every time he came home and usually destroy the entire apartment in the process. Funny and clever.  

Clair

My little girl is amazing and from time to time I will be posting pics and vid of her.  I am the worst when I first wake up and everytime I go in her room in the morning she is all smiles and all I can do is smile back. Anyway here are a few pics from her first 8 months.

Her full name is Kimbrough Sinclair McEniry.

Flyfishing in St. John..

My wife's sister (Martha) recently got married in the US Virgin Islands a couple of weeks ago and I was able to go flyfishing for bonefish and shark fishing.  Amazingly enough I caught a fairly large bonefish somewhere in the 6.5 to 8 lb. range on fly, all catch & release.  Super fun, little suckers fight pretty hard you can see it bending my rod all the way down into the water even though I am holding it up in the video.  Took a good 5 or 6 minutes to reel in.  I am used to flyfishing for trout on mountain streams, but this amazing as well.

   

Shot video on the Canon G9 in the Canon waterproof housing.  Cannot go on enough about that thing.  The stills in the video are from the Canon 1 Ds Mk2 with 50 mm 1.8 lens, no water housing, just keeping it dry and using the force.  

Anyway we fished the morning for bonefish and the middle of the day for sharks, bonefish cruise for the deep when the shallows warm up.   Sharks were all black tip reef sharks alot of fun as well, mean little suckers, catch and release as well.  Pics are of Dave (will add last name later).

Check out Bite Me Charters in St. Thomas USVI. Capt. Bill Limpert is super cool and he put us

on the fish.  

Wedding was fun, added a couple of pics of Baby Clair in islands at the end of the vid, she loved it.  I am still figuring out Imovie, promise will get better.  May make it shorter when I have time.

It has finally come down to this....Mceniry theBlog.

I needed an outlet for all the media I have compiled and continue to compile.

I am Chris.  This is my stuff.  For other stuff of mine go to www.chrismceniry.com and

www.overflowpro.com

Thanks and stay tuned?

Chris

Ps. all works on this website are ©chrismceniryphotography