CafePress sent over some sweet gifts today as a way to welcome us to the team. They are cool boxes with a tile insert including both our logos.
We are all really excited to join forces with CafePress and look forward to the all the future opportunities to leverage the strengths and resources of both companies as we continue to grow.
Thanks CP!
- Nate
Note: this in no way represents the entire Imagekind team.
Pat Graham, the official photographer for Modest Mouse, recently signed up with Imagekind to start selling his photographs of the band on the site. Being a Modest Mouse fan myself and thinking this is a great way to utilize Imagekind to help sell your artwork, I got in touch with Pat to give us some insight into what he does. Pat was cool enough to take some time out of the current Modest Mouse tour and answer some questions about the tour and his photography.
You can purchase exclusive limited edition photos from the Modest Mouse concerts from his collection, Limited Editions from Last Nights Gig.
Got a question for Pat yourself?
- Nate
So, you’re the official photographer for Modest Mouse. How did you get hooked up in that role?
I have been very close with Isaac and Modest Mouse since the band started. Isaac and I were roommates in Arlington/DC area before Modest Mouse was around. We hit it off with our love for music, and photography. Isaac started Modest Mouse and then asked me to go along on the first tour as a roadie/driver/merch guy and photographer.
Isaac, Eric, Jeremiah and I hit the road in April of 1997. After thousands of miles covered and thousands of photos taken, the band has grown in popularity and creativity.
Now, I have the privilege of being the bands only photographer and web blogger.
You are currently just finishing up the tour with Modest Mouse. What, in your opinion, was the coolest show? What was your favorite venue?
I photograph Modest Mouse every night. All the shows have a different element. The band takes around 2 hours a night just to decide on the set list!
The show that really stands out the most this tour would be the one in Council Bluffs Iowa. A storm was headed towards the outdoor venue so we had to wait around to get the all clear.
We were waiting on stage and talking with the fans, and all of sudden the sky started to heave down ice cube sized hail stones…followed by buckets of rain. The fans stuck it out though.
Issac, Joe, and Jeremiah got some buckets for drums and an acoustic guitar then headed out into the center of the crowd and downpour to play a song. The rain stopped after a percussion only jam and MM kept playing while lightning was flashing in the sky. The fans, band, and Mother Nature were all amazing that night.
My favorite venue this tour would have to be either Red Rocks or the Gorge.
What is your favorite photo from your current collection of the Modest Mouse tour?
As for the live stuff, my favorite is probably the shot of Isaac in Brooklyn with his guitar spinning at him. This was a great show; Modest Mouse went on at 2:30 am. This shot was in the second song. The hours of this show are truly Isaacs’s peak hours. The band was on it from the first note.
You have been photographing Modest Mouse since the beginning right? What’s it been like to progress with them?
Yeah, I’ve been photographing them since 1996. The settings and some people are a little different but the whole attitude and way things are done remain pretty much the same. Things in general are more positive overall.
Your work has a very intimate feel. When lining up a shot, what do you try and focus on and what do you hope to convey through your photographs?
I try to be as subtle as possible. I don’t want myself or the camera to change the way things are unfolding.
I try and focus on eyes or light, hopefully conveying a sense of space and time of the event.
What’s your favorite location or angle to shoot from - the crowd’s POV, the band’s, both? How do you determine which one throughout the show?
All spots, really. I go where I can fit without getting in the way, and where the light looks good. Lately I have been crawling around on stage behind Isaac and Johnny’s amps, wearing earplugs of course.
Do you get a chance to just enjoy the show much or are you constantly looking for the next shot?
I get enjoyment from looking for that shot and listening to what’s happening. It’s a full on visual sound experience.
There must be thousands of great opportunities throughout the course of a concert. How much do you shoot versus waiting for a great shot? What type of signs do you look for before capturing such fantastic shots?
It’s all about patience and timing things with what Steven the lighting guy does…and of course the actions of what the band and crowd do.
The signs are in the crowd, band members’ faces, and certain songs tend to bring out a lot in both band and crowd.
Have you worked with any other bands?
Yes I work with a lot of bands; I have been shooting musicians for almost 20 years. I have a book of photos called Silent Pictures that just came out last year on Akashic Books. Check out the Pat Graham Imagekind galleries as well as my web site www.patgraham.org.
Before I met Isaac in Arlington/Washington DC at the time I was photographing bands like Bikini Kill, Fugazi, etc.
Bands I have toured with include: Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Make Up, June of 44, Shins, and more.
What did you like the most/least about being on tour? Any particularly favorite/bad experiences?
I like being able to live with my camera and document everything. Also be able to spend time with close friends who I don’t get to see much otherwise.
This tour we have had a lot of great times. Mostly on the bus; The Brockies film festival, human bowling, walking through the Florida woods at night, just being with friends.
I hate being away from my family, that’s very hard. Also trying to communicate with home can be difficult which gets frustrating…looking for a good internet connection, etc. and catching up with time zones.
Anything else you are currently working on or have planned in the near future we can let your fans know about? What should we be looking out for?
Definitely check out my current book Silent Pictures, it covers a lot of my work going all the way back to that first Modest Mouse tour and farther.
I also have done a limited edition photo poster with Modest Mouse and Raen optics.
Another book is in the talk about stage and my photos can also be seen in the Raen optics Through the Eyes Of… series.
This year looks to be busy with various commercial projects coming together with my personal work. I have a mailing list on patgraham.org that will keep people up to date on my whereabouts and the projects.
Cheers,
Pat
Just wanted to drop a quick note about a sweet new collaboration with REDEFINE, a nationally distributed, independent magazine based in Seattle, dedicated to helping independent artists and musicians get the attention they deserve. Redefine magazine offers an alternative to the mainstream by highlighting independent artists and musicians. An equal opportunity magazine not limited to a narrow style or genre, Redefine covers a large amount of submissions sent to them by highly talented, yet relative nobodies.
However, in addition to the lesser known artists, they also feature extremely talented, well known artists like Dean Zulich who was featured on VH1’s “The Shot.” You can purchase signed, limited edition copies of Dean Zulich’s prints (including the one above) from the REDEFINE website, which are printed by Imagekind.
Image: Bones by Andy Haynes
http://redefinemagazine.imagekind.com
You can shop for other prints available from participating artists by visiting REDEFINE’s Imagekind gallery at:
http://redefinemagazine.imagekind.com.
To find a location near you where the magazine is sold, check out REDEFINE’s distribution list.
Nice!
Imagekind is happy to announce an exciting collaboration with Debra Gould, the Staging Diva, creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Training Program. With this strategic cooperation, Home Stagers are now able to find art quickly and easily when decorating their clients’ homes for sale. Prior to offering artwork from Imagekind, Home Stagers had few options when trying to outfit a home with specific and appropriate artwork. However, as Debra explains,
Finding appropriate art that will enhance the home without taking over and getting it in the size and framing needed has been challenging until now. I created the Staging Diva Home Staging Art Shop to make this easier and I’ve created specific art galleries for every key room in the house. So you don’t have to wonder if a particular work of art is more appropriate for a master bedroom or dining room for example.
Offering artwork from the Imagekind community for the Staging Diva network creates a valuable resource for professional fulfillment on-demand, and is another addition to our continued pursuit of building the best community for buying, selling and creating art.
About The Staging Diva:
Debra Gould, creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Training Program, has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. Debra is the President of Six Elements which offers Home Staging, Interior Redesign and Color Consulting services, as well as the StagingDiva.com website.
Gould has gained international recognition and has been featured in major media in the US and Canada including: HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, GlobalTV, CityTV, The Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.
You can read more about this collaboration from Debra Gould on her blog, The Business of Home Staging.
Have you ever wondered what the color “Atoll” looks like? Or, how about what the name of color #EEB863 is? Looking for a particular color but don’t know the name? Guys, do you struggle with the myriad of wall paint choices and don’t want to look dumbfounded the next time your significant other asks which color you should choose for the bathroom? How about just wanting to impress everyone you meet with your vast knowledge of color names?
Image: Aquatic Invasion by Laura Barbosa
http://ArtPrints.imagekind.com
If you are true Colour Lover, then you should take a look at this handy tool. Find colors, impress people, look like you know what you are talking about when someone asks you if the pink looks more “Salmon” or “Brink Pink.” After your done increasing your knowledge of color names, come back and try naming all the colors in the image above. Do you have what it takes?
For more color-lovin fun, check out COLOURlovers.com where you can create, share and show your own colorful creations. To find the names of all your favorite colors, and to play with the handy widget, check out http://chir.ag/phernalia/name-that-color.
Joe Barrouk, the founder of A Singular Creation, shares his insights into why he does, what he does. He is passionate about art and providing tools, resources and a community to share those with others. A Singular Creation includes a place for “art contests and competitions, call for entries, juried art exhibitions, art events, art workshops and classes, art shows, fairs and festivals and other opportunities for artists and photographers. We also have several options for artists, galleries and art businesses to submit an art related announcement of any kind.” Continue reading to see what drives Joe and A Singular Creation to keep going.
Image: Dawn of the Trees by Carmen Cordelia
http://ccordelia.imagekind.com
Why do you do this? Because I love art. That is the reason. Many people ask why I do what I do – why I spend so much time building a free site for artists with no plans of ever charging any fees. I tell them I do it because I can. I do it because someone should, because it needs to be done. Some other art sites out there ask me: Well how do you make money? My answer is: I don’t. This site is not about making money. It’s about building a community where artists can collaborate with other artists, get advice, learn, show their art, find opportunities, have fun and get to know other artists. That’s it. No strings. Don’t you wish everything could be that simple?
Natasha Wescoat, one of our top selling artists, has recently contributed a few very interesting articles to the EBSQ blog. I found them particularly insightful and knew they were worth sharing as soon as I finished reading them. I especially like her DIY and whatever-it-takes attitude.
Image: Just Waking III by Natasha Wescoat
http://natashawescoat.imagekind.com
In Creating Your Success: Online Self-Publishing, Natasha says, “Being successful doesn’t mean it must be determined through traditional channels. Media moguls are cutting college to develop their successful technology, artists are fending off traditional education in favor of self education, and writers are finding they don’t have to go through publishers to follow their dreams.” I like her attitude and perception! I am glad to read how she has been able to successfully leverage all the resources available to artists to show and sell their work.
Image: Crystal Breezes by Natasha Wescoat
http://natashawescoat.imagekind.com
Check out both articles on EBSQ’s blog: Creating Your Success: Online Self-Publishing and Using Flickr To Market Your Art
I am excited to see how all of our amazing artistic collaborations are coming together! Not only does Imagekind have a great relationship with EBSQ but also a fantastic partnership with Flickr, one of the top photo sharing sites. It is fascinating to see how the artistic web continues to grow and spread!
Take a look at Natasha Wescoat’s art at Imagekind. Her whimsical trees are simply captivating and you can now purchase her art as greeting cards.
|
Nate |
|
Travis |
|
Emily |
