VISUAL STIMULI: THE DUMPSTER PROJECT

The Dumpster Project from mac premo on Vimeo.

Check out this quick video that sets up Brooklyn based artist Mac Premo and his upcoming project...The Dumpster Project.

The basic premise is that Mac has LOTS of cool stuff...and he's moving into a new, but smaller studio and has to get rid of LOTS of cool stuff.

Check of the video to see what he plans to do with it all.

COO QUOTE: DAVID DROGA

“If I’m going to be in this industry, I’m going to want to be the best at it. And yet I couldn’t guarantee is that I was going to be the most talented in this business. But one thing I could guarantee is that I was going to work harder than anyone else.” 

-David Droga, Founder of droga5 Agency

CHECK THIS ARTIST: FRANCESCO SAMBO

Holy Creepshow, Batman!

Check out this awesome yet gripping work from Italian photog Francesco Sambo.

...and who said all those Italian guys just shoot fashion.

VERDICT WORK: SNAPSHOT FROM RECENT SHOOT

We can't show you much, but here's a little snippet of what has been going on in Verdict Studios the last few days. 

We have been hard at work putting some images together for a client.

We'll let the cat out of the bag pretty soon....stay tuned!

CHECK THIS: DAN WINTERS VIDEOS AND QUOTE

"I think there is a misconception, especially that students have and I really make a point when I speak at schools to talk about the fact that you never really arrive. You are always working towards something but you never stop. I think there is this crazy idea that you get somewhere and then everything is cool."

-- Dan Winters

CHECK THIS: GRADIENT MESH 'PORTRAITS'

Check out the amazing gradient mesh portraits from Illustrator Ruslan Khasanov.

Ridiculous!

COOL QUOTE: JIM JARMUSCH + ART BY KLEON

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.”

-JIM JARMUSCH 

BUY THIS: PHOTOGRAPHER LOGO MAKEOVER

Calling all photographers! 

If you're looking to update your logo, watermark, or any other part of your marketing then look no further.

Click HERE to get all the above done for just $190!

VISUAL STIMULI: MISSION TO MEXICO

Check out this heartfelt offering from Verdict Crew member Jeffery Warren. It documents his trip to Mexico with Amor Ministries, who built houses and touched the lives of many.

BUY THIS: PHOTO BLING

Buy the Camera Lingo Necklaces at the Photojojo Store!

CHECK THIS: SELF PORTRAITS BY ALEX STODDARD

Check out these pretty awesome self portraits by 17 year old photographer Alex Stoddard.

Hey Alex, want a job?

COOL QUOTE: HENRI CARTIER BRESSON

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again."

-Henri Cartier Bresson

VERDICT NEWS: STICKERS ON THE WAY

In the Verdict Crew's ongoing quest to take over the world (and take amazing photographs along the way) we are adding a Verdict Sticker Set to The Verdict Store.

We are still designing them, but pretty soon every street corner will bear our mark.

VISUAL STIMULI: 1 MILLION FPS BULLET IMPACTS

Ex ruina adveho decor
(From destruction comes beauty)
To piggyback on the post featuring the slow-mo explosive evisceration of a popcorn kernel, this video is equally entrancing. Shot at 1,000,000 frames per second, it illustrates in stunning resolution (and sobering revulsion) the concept of transfer of energy. Werner Mehl of Germany is a creator of high-speed ballistic measurement and photography systems.

VISUAL STIMULI: VIDEO PORTRAIT

Inventor Portrait: Steven Sasson from David Friedman on Vimeo.

You hafta check out this awesome video portrait of Steven Sasson, the inventor of the Digital Camera!

As a part of David Freidman's 'Inventor' Series', this was shot in the lobby of Kodak's Rochester Head Quarters.

CHECK THIS ARTIST: ALBERTO SEVESO

Not the first time we've featured Alberto Seveso on the Verdict Blog. Gotta check out his recent work for Runner's World Magazine.

COOL QUOTE: ANONYMOUS

"If you do what you always have done, you'll get what you always have got."

- Anonymous

VISUAL STIMULI: MEET YOUR MAKER

MEET YOUR MAKER from Asylum Artists on Vimeo.

Check out this sweet doc from Asylum Artists about custom handmade guitar maker Joe Yanuziello.

BUY THIS: WESTCOTT SPIDERLITE TD5

These new Westcott Spiderlite TD5 lights are amazing! 

Spiderlite TD5 offers the highest quality and control. Constructed of all metal, the unit can rotate 180-degrees allowing you to position an attached light modifier in a vertical or horizontal position. The adapter ring is built into the light head for immediate attachment of any standard softbox. Way Cool!  Three controls on the back allow you to run from 1-5 lamps, all with no shift in color temperature. Change your light output and color temperature instantly. You can switch to strobes also...Like I said...these things are amazing!

VERDICT WORK: EASTON RAPTOR HELMET

Check out these new Verdict shots of the Easton Raptor Helmet from the Big City Classic.

Saying the unveiling of the Raptor was a 'big hit' is the understatement of the season.

Kinda like saying Gary Gait is 'decent'...

You get my drift.

COOL QUOTE: THE BALTIMORE GROTTO

"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. 
Kill nothing but time." 

-Anonymous 

 Motto of the Baltimore Grotto (caving society).

STROBIST ARCHIVE: LESSON 6 - UMBRELLA ADAPTERS

Taken directly from 

The Strobist Archive

Lighting 101

Lighting 101: Umbrella Adapters

OK, so now you've got a flash and a stand or clamp, you'll need a way to join them together. 

You'll probably want an umbrella stand adapter. I suppose you could get a ball head if you were sure you would never use an umbrella (to soften the light) but the decent ones cost a bunch. And (even though you may not know it yet) you are saving your money for a set of Pocket Wizards. Because that is where you will want to splurge in your little light kit.

The advantage of the umbrella stand adapter is that it does everything the ball head will do, plus it'll hold an umbrella for bouncing or shooting through. Plus it costs less. 

You can get these brackets for about $20.

You just fasten this thinga-ma-jig to the top of your stand (or the stud in your super clamp as the photo showed in the post about clamps) and it'll hold your strobe at any angle you want. 

Surprisingly, for $20.00, they typically come with a stud and a shoe-mount adapter. Be sure to ask, tho.

Oh, and before I forget, as soon as you get it, if the shoe mount is made of metal PUT A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE ON TOP WHERE THE FLASH SITS. It could screw up the electronics in the month's-rent-worth-of-strobe you have sitting up there if you don't. I'm not kidding about that.

Next: PC Cords and Pocket Wizards. (And you'd better be sitting down for this one.)

BUY THIS: OLD SKOOL KODAK BROWNIE HAWKEYE

Check out this old skool camera on Etsy. It's for sale!

An awesome gift for the photographer in your life...

VISUAL STIMULI: SUPER SLO-MO POPCORN

Pretty self explanitory. Also, very awesome.

VERDICT WORK: STILLS FROM EASTON VIDEO SHOOT

Check out these still from a recent Verdict Video shoot. Easton Lacrosse just signed athlete Danielle Spencer, and hit up the Verdict Crew to put together a Wall Ball Video for her.

These pics are just a sample...give us a second and we'll have the video all edited for ya'.

Gonna be killer...stay tuned

VERDICT WORK: ON THE BEHANCE NETWORK

Check out our Behance Gallery Page to see all the new Verdict work including all our pics that have shown up on the Easton Lacrosse website.

It's good for your head!

COOL QUOTE: SHEPARD FAIREY

"Punk rock made me feel that you did not have to be

 a technical virtuoso to make powerful art."

-Shepard Fairey

AD-NAUSIUM: MAD MAX INSPIRED KIDS PHOTO SHOOT

Check out these rad pics from a kids wear line by Ad-Nau...

Cool name, killer pics!

CHECK THIS: WHEELCHAIR LACROSSE

I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, Bill and the Wheelchair Lacrosse Crew at the US Lax Convention in Baltimore a few months back.

A group of solid dudes doing something awesome!

Check out their site for sure and see what you can do to get involved!

CHECK THIS: INSIDE LACROSSE REPS VERDICT'S MCLA PICS

Insidelacrosse.com has gotten a hold of the sweet spread that Verdict and MCLA Magazine threw down for the St. Mary's Lacrosse Team for their March '11 Cover.

Click HERE to check out the link, and post a comment. If you're an MCLA player, coach, or supporter, I strongly recommend hopping on and giving your two cents so IL.com knows that the MCLA is legit.

Do it!

COOL QUOTE: ANSEL ADAMS

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."

 -Ansel Adams

VERDICT NEWS: ZACH HEFFNER FEATURED IN MCLA MAG

As if our heads weren't already big, this month's MCLA Magazine totally pumps our tires even more.

Check out this sweet spread and interview with Verdict founder Zach Heffner.

VISUAL STIMULI: POUND

Check out this short film by director Evan Bernard. I had the pleasure of working with Evan on a gig a few months back. 

Talented dude...

CHECK THIS: ANATOMY OF A TYPE

Check out these cool photos of this cool typography by Andreas Scheiger.

This makes english class way more fun.

CHECK THIS ARTIST: JAN MASNY

I'm a huge fan of capturing movement in my work. You gotta check out more work from the UK's Jan Masny! 

COOL QUOTE: DOROTHEA LANGE

"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."

 - Dorothea Lange

CHECK THIS: THE RAPTOR HAS ARRIVED

Check, check, check it out!

The Easton Raptor has arrived! I just spent all weekend with the Easton Crew at the Big City Classic where we unveiled the new lid.

In a few words: it was a HUGE hit!

The Raptor is the lightest, stiffest, most protective lacrosse helmet ever made...and in my humble opinion, it's also the coolest looking.

VERDICT NEWS: HURRY AND BUY YOUR TEAM USA POSTERS

 Own a piece of history and help support Team USA at the same time!

Head over to the Verdict Store and grab a limited edition, signed and numbered poster!!

Only 100 were made and there's not a lot left....hurry and buy yours today!!

VERDICT NEWS: VERDICT BLOG ALTERNATE VIEW

Check out this new feature from the Verdict Blog! 

We have added a cool new way to view the coolest blog on the interweb!

You can click HERE or click the 'Verdict Blog - Alternate View' button on the right hand side of the page.  You can scroll through the 5 or so new views of the blog...we happen to like the 'snapshot' view ourselves.

Which one is your favorite?

CHECK THIS: SNEAK PEEK #5- EASTON LACROSSE HELMET

Here's seak peek #5 of Easton's new Raptor Helmet!

T-minus two more days until the world gets to see the whole thing!

COOL QUOTE: ANSEL ADAMS

“ You don’t take a photograph, you make it."

 - Ansel Adams

VERDICT WORK: EASTON VIDEO SHOOT 'BEHIND THE SCENES'

The Verdict Crew just wrapped a two day video shoot with Easton Lacrosse's newest signee, athlete Danielle Spencer. 

Known more for her lacrosse acumen (Danielle is a 3X National Champion and current Team USA member), I must admit she was a natural in front of the camera.

Keep a look out for her video to drop in a bit.

CHECK THIS: EASTON HELMET SNEAK PEEK #4

Another view of Easton's Raptor Helmet. Stay tuned as this Sunday the world gets to meet the Raptor...all of it.

CHECK THIS: WHY I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA

As beautiful as these photos are (and they are!) they pretty much illustrate exactly why I live in California.

Do your self a favor and check out some more of Mikko Lagerstedt's work and see how it makes you feel.

COOL QUOTE: ANONYMOUS

"I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it."

  -Anonymous