2010 Interior Design Student Career Forum Design Competition Winners

Yesterday I had the opportunity to help Lilley Yee photograph the winning entries in the Interior Design Student Career Forum 2010 Student Design Competition.

It was a lot of fun seeing the boards and the students who won definitely did a great job.

Lilley was surprised at how easily I overcame the challenges associated with photographing these design boards. To shoot something like this really requires a tripod and soft lighting. The glare from the acetate overlays the students used can pose a problem but after twenty-five years of photographing glass walled rooms, mirror or marble walls, and enamel kitchen cabinets I didn’t think about what was required, or how difficult it could be. I just did it.

Oh, well. Chalk it up to the benefits of experience, and move on to greater challenges.

I have the boards posted in my portfolio gallery but I won’t release them for public view until after the ceremony. You’ll just have to wait to find out who won.

Now, it’s back to the electron mines for me.

Ciao.

CEU On Growing Your Business at Decorators Workshoppe

Today I attended a CEU at Decorators Workshoppe in Campbell, CA. The Seminar was a two hour event on business planning and marketing titled “Design Practice Management and Marketing/Today’s Presentation for Tomorrow’s Clients.”

Mike Weddington of Hunter Douglas was the presenter and he did a fantastic job. The information he presented was both timely and relevant to the Interior Designer in these challenging times. One thing he pointed out that had the ring of truth, but was not what we wanted to hear was – I paraphrase “If you’re waiting for the economy to get back to where it was, you’re out of luck because it’s never going to happen.”

Mike is a smart guy. He used to play football for the Green Bay Packers and now manages a multimillion dollar division of a Fortune 100 company, Hunter Douglas. This is what you call a successful man and I always pay attention to what successful people say.

Pauline Hsu Said My Photographs Made a Difference

Pei-Lan Pauline Hsu is the Professional Development Director for ASID CA Peninsula. We were talking at the Miele Event at Sierra Select in December and she was telling me that the high quality of my photographs of past ASID events made the difference in getting a special room rate for the members at the Gaia Hotel located in American Canyon here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I’m glad I could help provide this benefit for the members and very proud to know that I helped Pauline chalk up another success as Professional Development Director for ASID CA Peninsula.

As I always say “Helping you is why I am here”  and now I’ve helped every single member of the ASID CA Peninsula Chapter and they didn’t even have to hire me.

Joseph Hittinger Published using High Dynamic Range Photographs

Joe Hittinger had a project I shot for him published in Palo Alto Online.

It was a great project that I shot using the High Dynamic Range Imaging technique that is making such a hit with all my clients. I like it because I can capture the essence of my clients design with a degree of fidelity to their creative vision never before possible. And since the supplemental lighting I need is either minimized or in most cases unnecessary we no longer have to struggle with reflections and light stands and cables, instead we can focus all of our energies on the creative aspects of styling and composition.

Take a look at the project at Palo Alto Online. com or check it out in my portfolio. I’m actually using photographs from this project of Joe’s in my CEU seminar for ASID.

ASID CA Pen IP Event Pictures Miele December 3 2009

Miele San Francisco Staff preparing Chocolate Bread Pudding at the 2009 ASID Holiday Event

Sierra Select hosted the ASID CA Peninsula the monthly meeting/event at their Miele showroom in San Francisco. This month the event was held in conjunction with ASID CA North, the San Francisco Chapter.

Sierra Select provided food and wine and gave interactive demonstrations of a few of their cook tops, stoves and ovens. Members from both chapters had the opportunity to cook Lamb Meatballs, Bacon wrapped Winter Squash, Chicken and Chocolate Bread Pudding. And those who did not attend this month, we thank you because that meant there was more chocolate for us.

We all had fun cooking and enjoying the hospitality of the management and staff of Sierra Select. The liberal quantities of good food and wine show they really know how to host a monthly meeting.

You can find photographs of the event in my portfolio gallery by following this link.

As always the photographs I shoot at the ASID events are available for ASID Members, Industry Partners and Staff as well as Press to download and use as needed at no charge. Photo credit is always appreciated.

Holiday Cooking Event at The Miele Showroom at Sierra Select in San Francisco

Today is the day of the “Deliciously Fun Holiday Event at the Miele Gallery at Sierra Select at 680 Eighth St. in San Francisco.

I’m looking forward to seeing the Miele line and the cooking “competition.”

I wonder if there will be any vegan food for the photographer this time?

Regardless it sounds like a fun evening and I’ll be on hand to photograph the events and the final culinary masterpieces.

I hope to see you there.

Dean

ASID Lunch & Learn at Emser Tile

Wednesday was the first meeting in the ASID CA Peninsula Lunch & Learn Series and of course I was on hand to photograph the event.You can view the photographs by following this link

The Lunch & Learn events are no cost to members so we get a nice snack and become better educated about the materials and supplies common to the spaces we work in.

Industry Partners provide lunchtime seminars to showcase new products, teach product specification and/or application techniques at their facilities.

Lunch is provided, and designers gain in-depth information about a particular product, service or showroom.

This first meeting was hosted by Emser Tile. The presentation was by Daybreak Stoneworks. We learned a bout the damage improper care can cause to stone tiles, counters and tables, we saw a demonstration of the refinishing process and how effective it can be even on severely damaged stone, and we learned abot the proper way to care for stone.

I am glad to know the best way to clean the stone because so often I need to throw a quick shine on stone for the photographs without causing damage. It is surprising how easy it is to damage stone and the cost of repairs is rather steep.

Lunch was provided – sandwiches, sodas, water and cookies… no Vegan fare though. Oh, well, It won’t hurt me to miss a meal or two every now and then.

Off to the Races

Shooting Lunch & Learn for ASID CA Peninsula today then it’s up to the city to shoot tables at Dining by Design in the Galleria at the SF Design Center.

Fun times ahead. Look for the Lunch & Learn shots tomorrow afternoon. The Dining by Design shots must await publication before I can show them.

ASID CA Peninsula Design Chronicles Fall 2009

I am very pleased and proud to find that the image I created for Joseph Hittinger of Joseph Hittinger Designs is featured on the cover of the fall issue of ASID CA Peninsula Design Chronicles.

ASID CA Peninsula Design Chronicles Fall 2009 Cover - Joseph Hittinger Designs

It really is a wonderful image and I can see why Joe won the Silver for Kitchens with it. And yes, this is an HDRI photograph.

The Reviews Are In on “Photography for Interior Designers”

The CEU I did for ASID CA Peninsula on Thursday was a rousing success. The attendees rated my performance and here’s what they had to say

(Yes, it’s shameless self promotion, but if I didn’t do it who would?)

The overall score for the CEU is 4.5 out of 5.

The score for quality of content is 4.88 out of 5.

Presentation skills ranked 4.5 out of 5.

Comments included

*         “excellent!,”

*         “practical and helpful” and

*         “this helped me look at photography in a different way, ”

*         “great content and visuals” and

*         “best presentation in years!”

I’m rather happy about this.