NYC to Baltimore to St. Louis to Chicago to NYC to Charlotte to Sayulita to Charlotte to NYC

September wasn't the greatest month I have ever had. I rode the emotional roller coaster up and down (more down) for the entire month. Work was slow and I struggled with the reality that my house was not selling or leasing.

October was quite the month... Lots of traveling.

During the first week of the month, I decided a road trip was in order... In an attempt to clear my head. My first stop was Baltimore, MD. My old college friend Aaron Moore (of Orange Element Design) invited me to come down and stay with his family for a couple days, and more importantly, to play in a charity golf tournament.

While I was down there, I decided to photograph his three children for him.


As a sponsor, Orange Element had two foresomes for the event.



After Baltimore, I made my way to St. Louis. There, I met up with some old college friends... Pete Khazen, Brent King, and Mike Goellner.


The main reason for my trip to St. Louis was for my yearly tradition of going to the Missouri vs Nebraska football game. Every year for the last eleven years, Brent King and I have attended his rivalry game and enjoyed every minute of it.

This year we met up with another old college friend, Nilesh Patel.

Columbia, MO had three inches of rain before kickoff and another two inches during the game.

Nebraska was down 0-12 entering the 4th quarter and went on the win 27-12!

Our tradition states that the loser buys the post game meal... When the game is in MO, our spot is always the Waffle House!

My last night in St. Louis, Brent and I met up with my old high school friend, Larry Ellis Jr. We had not seen each other since 1995.

After meeting up with Larry, it was on to one of my favorite late night STL destinations.

From St. Louis, it was on to Chicago. I had been considering Chicago as a possible place to move and felt like I needed to take another look. While I was there, I met up with a bunch of old college friends like Phil Jennings and Mark "Goofy" Smith.

Even though I went to some pretty great places like Kumas Corner and the Violet Hour, I determined that Chicago isn't for me... At least not to live.


I made the drive back to NYC/NJ. Upon my return, I truly felt like I had reached some personal conclusions. I determined that my plan of relocating to Charlotte, NC was a good one and that I needed to see it through.

After a week of working in NYC, it was time to travel again... This time to Charlotte. During my trip to Charlotte, I helped out my friend Whitney (of Preslar Studios) by photographing some of the work she had recently completed. I was also able to find the time to meet up with a couple of other old friends.

From Charlotte, I flew to Sayulita, Mexico for Justin and Janelle's wedding. At the airport in Puerto Vallarta, our group was met by a driver who just happened to have a cooler filled with ice cold cervezas!
After checking into the hotel (Villa Amor), a few of us made our way into town and more importantly to Burrito Revolution. Amazing burrito!


After putting down my burrito, I made my way back to the hotel and sat down to enjoy the view.

The next morning, 25 or 30 of us went fishing for Dorado (aka Mahi Mahi).


Justin (the groom) reeling in the first fish of the day.

Our boat won the competition with 8 Dorado.


The happy couple... After eating a bunch of the Dorado we had just caught.

After the rehearsal dinner, a bunch of us walked back to the hotel along the beach... Someone (not me) had the idea of making a group picture. This photo pretty much sums up what the bride and groom were looking for from their destination wedding weekend.
Great times.

Mr. and Mrs. Demerath (post nuptials)

With the return to the US, and eventually NYC, came responsibility... A 4 day booking shooting for Coach.

The end of the week also brought Halloween... My birthday. I was a little under-the-weather from my travels, but still managed to go out for a little while. Brian Silak, Mats Nordman, and Paul Alves were nice enough to take me out for my day of birth. We started with some Texas BBQ (Hill Country) and moved on to adult beverages at Dusk. I can neither confirm nor deny any additional stops before making it back home to the GarbageState.


Quite the month... Quite the month indeed.

A funny hat, lots of stickers, and a few energetic children

So, Saturday's charity photo shoot for KinderMourn went off without a hitch. David Perlmutt's article proved to be a key piece of the puzzle... A fifth of the days patrons heard about the event through the newspaper article. Not only did the article in question make it into the print addition of the Charlotte Observer, but it was on page 2A above the fold!

So, once again, thank you David!

Now that I have had a few days to reflect on the event, I have a short list of things I would definitely do differently next time. I must admit to being a little disappointed in the turnout. But, everyone who did come out seemed pleased with the experience. Combine that with KinderMourn being pleased, and I guess all is right with the world.

In the coming weeks I will make the determination on whether or not to do this event again... And if so, when.

Here are some non retouched examples from the shoot:

They are what they are...

One last big thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible: KinderMourn, Little Ones Magazine, Orange Element, Preslar Studios, BlackBox Studios, and Polka Dot Bake Shop and of course the good people of Charlotte, NC.

Cheers!

Scott C.
Simulacra Photography

Making an entrance

This is a short and sweet update... David Perlmutt of the Charlotte Observer just posted a very nice write up on me, my move towards making a new life in Charlotte, and most importantly, the charity photo shoot event.

Special thanks to Shana from KinderMourn for making the introductions and of course to David for the exposure.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Photo sessions to help KinderMourn

Scott Clinton sure knows how to make an entrance.


Clinton has run a photography studio and business in New York. Yet, after 11 years, being a Nebraska boy with small-town inclinations, he decided he wanted to pull up stakes and find a saner life in Charlotte.


This week, he was still in the process of moving (he probably won't be fully moved until year's end), but he wanted to start becoming a part of the city where he hopes to build a new life.


Using the concept of cause marketing, Clinton has linked up with KinderMourn, the uniquely Charlotte nonprofit that helps family navigate through the grief of losing a loved one, and he's holding portrait sessions this Saturday to raise money for the organization.


"Anyone can come down: families, or individuals -- if you want your dog photographed, I don't care," said Clinton, from his studio in New York, where he's still packing his life into boxes. "After 11 years in New York, I decided that enough was enough. I have friends in Charlotte and had spent time here.

"I liked the city, and the way people take the time to develop relationships."


Clinton has rented space at Blackbox Studios, 3120 Latrobe Dr., suite 250 (that's in the Arnold Palmer Center off North Wendover Road). For a minimum donation of $40 -- he's suggesting you donate $100 -- you'll get a 5 to 10-minute portrait session and after a couple weeks, an 8-by-10 glossy print.


All the money raised from the sessions will go to KinderMourn. More prints will be available to buy.

The shoot will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., first come, first serve -- no reservations. He's getting help from Little Ones Magazine and Preslar Studio.

He chose KinderMourn because of its mission: Helping people wade through a mire of grief and rebuild their lives after they've lost someone they love.

"They do good work," Clinton said. "I'm proud to be connected with them through this effort."

In New York, Clinton has run Scott Clinton Photography, photographing mainly corporations. He recently spun off a business, Simulacra Photography, which focuses on portraits of babies, children, teenagers, adults and families.

He's moving both businesses to Charlotte.

"Moving to a new community, I felt it was important to do some good for the community, but also reach as many people as possible and establish what I do -- so it's win-win," he said. "I'm a bit of a small-town guy. Charlotte's not a small town, but it has similar values. It feels like a good fit."

-David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer

First Steps

So, as August comes to a close and with it the end of summer, I find myself wondering where it all went. On some levels this was a very productive summer... Filled with great experiences with interesting people.

But, I can't help but think I should have accomplished more, seen more, created more.

This week is about beginnings. This week is not only the beginning of September, but also the beginning of the 2009 college football season. This is something that is very dear to me. But, more importantly, this week also begins my first serious push towards making a new life for myself in Charlotte, NC.

The first step on this long, dark, and scary road is the charity photo shoot I have put together with the help of Little Ones Magazine, Orange Element, and Preslar Studios. This shoot's proceeds are going to benefit a wonderful Charlotte based charity named KinderMourn. This special charity councils families who have lost children... regardless of age... regardless of the manner in which they died, regardless of the age of the child. This is an amazing cause and I hope to continue to support them for some time to come.



All of the design work for this event was donated by my good friends at the Baltimore design firm , Orange Element. Aaron, EJ, and Andrea really came through for me! In addition to designing the event promotions, they also designed the logo for my company and consulted in the branding of same.


My new company, Simulacra (Sim-u-lay-kra), focuses on private individuals rather than corporations, magazines, record labels, and ad agencies. Specifically: Baby Photography, Child Photography, Teen Photography, Adult Portraits, and Family Portraits.

My hope is that by doing this charity photo shoot that I not only raise money and awareness for KinderMourn, but also create a demand for my brand of high end portrait photography.

So, if you find yourself in Charlotte, NC this weekend, please come down and help support this great cause and the first step towards my new life.

Time Flies

It is hard to believe that I haven't updated the blog since the end of March. So much has happened that I don't even know where to begin.

Here are the last few months in a nut shell.
-I have lost 25 pounds.
-I have decided to leave the NY metro area for the greener pastures of Charlotte, NC.
-I have placed my house on the market and hope to sell it soon.
-I have launched my new spin-off company "Simulacra Photography."

I have traveled back and fourth between the NY metro and Charlotte quite a few times over the past couple months... Only one trip to FL.

Unfortunately, my grandmother died 12 days ago... So I have made a couple trips to Omaha.







Work in the NY metro is still very slow... My buddy Brian has been keeping me fairly busy, but it is looking really grim around here.

My roomie, Jennifer, has taken a job in San Diego and moved out last Friday.

Other than that, I have been keeping busy planning a charity photo shoot (benefiting KinderMourn) in Charlotte, NC. The event takes place on Saturday, September 5th. If you are in the area, please stop on by.



The next couple months should be pretty busy... St. Louis is a must for the annual Nebraska vs Mizzou football game. Then, we have the holidays. If I am lucky, I will have the problem of trying to figure out when and how to pack the house... And the question of where I am going to live.

I hope to be better about updating the blog... especially with the upcoming travel.

Old Friends, 5 Star Generals, Fishing, and Island Life

So... Friday night in Sarasota, FL... I was able to meet up with a couple old friends for a few drinks. Good times! Late night...
Goodman made the terrible mistake of ordering a drink called the 5 star generals... GROSS!
The next morning Goodman and I hit the Waffle House... All Star Breakfast, YUM!!!
On Sunday I made my way down to Palm Island to see my father and step-mother. Monday came and it was time to head out for a little fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
The seas were a little rough and a few people on the boat were feeling ill, so we went back in and anchored in a clam area.


We had a nice ride back to the house... not much of a sunset.
Tuesday was a quiet day around the island. Hanging out with "Shorty" (my dad) and talking about my plan of attack for the next couple months.

After a while, I made my way over to the beach for sunset... Listened to my ipod, made some calls, drank some iced tea, and soaked in the splendor.

Traveling around in my automobile...

So, it has been a while since I have updated the bloggie blog. March has been a little rough in the work department. Very little action. A few days here and there with another photographer and that is about all she wrote. I have been spending my time working on a new business plan for my portrait business that I am launching and am proud to say that I successfully negotiated the purchase of a url for said business (from a UK based company).

So, since work was slow I decided to spend time with some friends... some local and some not so local.

On March 7th, Randy and Jen came to the city from PA to celebrate Randy's birthday. Around 20 of us did dinner at Dos Caminos... Good times.
The following weekend I took a drive... I hit some unexpected traffic in VA.

I also found this really cool road side BBQ joint in VA... but wasn't hungry, so no taste test.

The Weekend of the 20th brought around my Friend Aida's birthday. She and her husband Brian Silak had a few people over to their apartment to celebrate. Below is a shot of Brian and his big ole glass of Jim Beam... ALL BEAM.

Here is Aida and her sister Alice blowing out the candles.

Fernanda (below) and Sasha were also there...

Here is Aida looking pleased as punch, with her friend Janet.

Since I was taking the time to see some friends, I felt like I needed to meet up with my friend Alan Mautino. I had not seen him since June or July. So on the 23rd, Brian, Mats, and I all met up Alan and had some dinner @ Acme.




On the 24th I started making my way down to Florida to see my family and some more friends. On the way down, I stopped off in Baltimore and took a meeting with my friend Aaron Moore of Orange-Element Design... Had some great fish-and-chips and talked about branding my new business.

That night, I met up with my high school friend Nikki in Fayetteville, NC. After a nice Mexican meal, she was good enough to allow me to crash on her sofa for the night.


Now, I am in SW Florida for the next week... Or two? More updates to come.