At Last, a Video About a Rug Company

Well, our rug video is finally completed and up on youtube! We are working on other versions of videos using the same footage, so I still have work to do. 

After sending the finished video to the company, we got this back from them,  by email:

"Greetings from Ugapur.  I have shown your video to everyone that is in the video and people in the company.  They all are proud of your work - and now their work.  It is very uplifting.  I have given everyone in the video a dvd of it so they can show it to their family and loved ones.  You can't imagine how empowered they feel with your work.   They have changed so many people lives now with their work. "

This is probably the best kind of compliment I could want from my work.

Rug Making

I'm in India! My friends, Anna and Michael Redmond, and I are shooting video/photos for a rug company here in Varansi. Our goal is to show how arduous and stunning the process of making rugs (by hand) is. 

I've never been to India before, and I have to say - it's kind of a crazy place. So many people everywhere you go. It's dusty and crowded and bustling with energy. The people I've met have all been very mild mannered and they stop what they're doing to stare at us white people with the camera gear. 

I am largely impressed, this past day or so, with how you never see the same sari twice (Satya says that would be against Indian law) and how crazy the traffic is. I haven't seen any accidents and that is a surprise. So many bicycles, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, cars, buses and huge trucks all crammed on the road and trying to pass each other on a narrow highway/road - and all of them beeping their horns the entire way. Our hour drive, each morning,  to the places where the rugs are made has been full of our wonder and photo taking. 

Below is Satya, the president of the company, and a very generous, cool guy.

Scenes from India

Carpet in New Delhi Airport

Hotel in New Delhi

Shots outside our hotel in Varanasi.

Buddhist monastery ruins.

 Street shots

Shooting Chef Owen Lightly in Vancouver, Canada

 I went to Canada a few weeks ago to help my friend Michael with a shoot for a chef. He was making a particular pasta dish that took about 5 hours. I wanted practice shooting with the DSLR that I am going to use while in India. It was a really fun trip, got to get practice shooting, hang out with Michael and other friends AND it was delicious!!

 Fancy Meat tortellini with awesome broth!

 Fennel and blood orange salad! So fresh and tasty!

Hyppa Yaw Neer!

  Tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir

  

Good-bye 2010. You had a lot of impacting, life-defining and wonderful moments.

This year's only resolution: To make no personal improvements. Ha. Actually, I think I might be quitting my gym membership.

A big -possible- adventure in February: Going to India to shoot some video for a rug company! Can't wait!

 And I'm gonna go to SXSW in March - Interactive/film, not music.

 Trying to take pictures of Seattle while driving in snow:

Me and my brothers at Thanksgiving.

Zoolights in DC with Tom!

Yay 2011! May this year be better than the last!