“By Candlelight: Measured Twice, Worn Once” chronicles my mother’s creative process over the six month period during which she made my wedding dress. Yes, she made it.  After the wedding, I photographed the gown with a dramatically lit studio setup. I then processed the photographs and designed a 60+ page book that told the story of the dress, lovingly referred to as Candlelight for “her” enchanting glow in low evening light.

When the first order arrived with a permanent strip of glue across the cover, Blurb replaced it at no charge – and the second one was perfect. Isn’t it refreshing to work with a company that doesn’t have a problem saying sorry?

That being said, here’s a sample of the final online product.  Don’t hesitate to make your own!

By Candlelight: Measured Twice, Worn Once by Clea Conner Chang | Make Your Own Book

PS – already working on a second book.  I would provide a sneak preview, but it’s top secret and will be auctioned off at a New York City school fundraiser. Will post soon!

BQT showcases the talents of up-and-coming designers from across the five boroughs. Wearing BQT’s shirts are like sharing a secret with your fellow New Yorker; they tap into the tribal nature of a New York neighborhood, taking a creative spin on outer-borough pride.

I’m thrilled to have played a key role in BQT’s site launch. For BQT’s imagery, I wanted to reflect the grit and determination that all New Yorkers have in common: the passion we feel for our neighborhoods and the changes we uproariously protest. For example, the weekly (or God forbid monthly) pilgrimage to the laundry room is something we unanimously commiserate about – exactly what BQT’s brand encourages.

So wear BQT’s shirts and show your support for the issues (and your local designers):

www.BQTShirts.com

Along our way we took note of the remarkable difference between “professional” artists and students: with students, the promise of future possibility was palpable. The former had adapted their work for commercial viability as the latter was fascinated with encountering their next source of inspiration. Perhaps it is best encapsulated by this quote about photography, which applies to every art if not industry. “Once the amateur’s naive approach and humble willingness to learn fades away, the creative spirit of good photography dies with it. Every professional should remain always in his heart an amateur.” – Alfred Eisenstaedt (I find this both comforting and encouraging…. but I digress).

It was in the center of the square where we met Dan Cole, a student artist earning his BFA from Temple University. Focused on painting, Dan is also experimenting in multimedia collaboration and animation. Dan’s concept for his project was simple. He asked his little brother to sit still in front of a video camera for a few minutes. The result is a complex, large scale and often haunting animation that weaves the skeleton of a sketch into it’s next incarnation as a painting. We see a young boy morph from innocent child to rambunctious youth to elderly ghost, frame by frame. Hundreds of individual paintings created Dan’s slow-motion projections, but each painting stands alone as a world onto itself. Dan’s work is inspired and deeply sincere, a trajectory we hope he continues to pursue.

We now own four works from Dan’s “Sit Still” series, and we intend to enjoy them for years to come! Email Dan directly at: DanCole@temple.edu

I wanted to take a moment to recognize the beautiful work of photographer Sam LaHoz, who shot our wedding last month.  Sam’s photographs speak for themselves, but as a photo-enthusiast I felt compelled to share my fantastic experience from the client side of the lens.

Sam was the only photographer we met that didn’t shove a pre-packaged deal down our throats and then present us with daunting, over-sized print portfolios of his work. We didn’t even talk about weddings at our first meeting; we had a conversation about our expectations, and within an hour Sam was already seeing us in the context we saw ourselves. Since his background is in art and he works mostly in music, fashion and editorial, his photo-journalistic style explains the truly timeless quality of our album.

On the big day, Sam was early, unobtrusive and calm; his low-key energy put my mind at ease. He didn’t miss a single moment, from the ceremony to the portraits to my sister’s first (and third) toast. I can’t keep track of how many times people have told me “the photos are amazing!”

So if you’re looking for an affordable, down-to-earth, NYC wedding photographer, visit Sam:

View Sam’s Wedding Work
View Sam’s Editorial Portfolio
Like Sam on Facebook

Instantaneously swerving around potholes rivaled only by those in New York City, T.C.’s expedition took us from local food shacks to beachfront resorts. Downtown Charlestown’s technicolor houses seemed to laugh at the idea of a Brownstone. Under a tent made of pipes with chickens pecking the earth, we ate lobster so large it couldn’t be contained on a plate. We wandered through a shack where two women silently made pottery, digging clay from a hole in the backyard, molding it upon an old picnic table, and firing it in a hole in the ground. We found a beach so calm it cradled our unsteady hands holding rum punch. There were many stolen glances at my husband between old church ruins with a backdrop of a white-cloud covered Mount Nevis.

There is simply nothing as romantic as a honeymoon spent adventuring in wonder, the perfect metaphor for life. And when in doubt, just “stick with T.C., Darling.”

Unable to purchase one of Earl’s paintings at the time – they simply wouldn’t fit in the car – we vowed to return in search of the over-sized black cat painting that was imprinted in my memory. When we recently found ourselves outside of Hudson, we immediately took to hunting Earl down as if he was our long-lost friend.

We learned from one of the local shop owners that Earl had his own studio, on the second floor of a building along the main street. His cell phone posted on the door, we called and twenty minutes later were welcomed into a small room lined with large paintings. Earl was patient as we painstakingly sorted through each one, pulling out prospects, examining each painting until we found the one. We plan to continue our patronage of Earl Swanigan’s work for years to come.

More about Earl…
Earl’s one-man show at Basilica Industria

Also check out the work of the talented musicians and designers I’ve had the pleasure of working with, including Mony Nation Fashion, Buki Peters Designs, STM Records and the band “ism,” among others.

I plan on blogging from behind-the-scenes of my travels, photo shoots, events and marketing campaigns, so let’s stay in touch!