2012 was jam-packed.

And what an adventure it was.

Here’s the track-listing with the associated back-story of why I chose each song.  Enjoy!

Track 1 – Jonsi – Go Do

Instead of posting Jonsi’s video, I’m gonna cheat right off the bat and use Ryan’s video he made from the Iceland trip we all took in January.  He really captured the feeling of the adventure with the song choice and style – nice work Bryan.  (Inside joke, we nicknamed him Bryan this past year.)

Iceland was an incredibly surreal experience with an atmosphere I couldn’t compare to any place I had been before.  It really had an impact on me, and it’s one place I am seriously considering investing in property.   Not sure if I could live there year-round, but I’d love to visit often.

Track 2 – Andreas Moe – Fade Into Darkness Cover (Helene’s song)

While in Sweden I met an amazing girl named Helene.  In addition to her Swedish accent, she was incredibly sarcastic and insulted me constantly – I was instantly seduced.  One night, we stayed up talking for hours about everything from where we dream of traveling, food, family, music, aliens – you name it.  It was the kind of conversation where you get so caught up that it made hours seem like minutes.  At one point she played this song for me – now each time that I hear it, it makes me think of her.

Track 3 – College – A Real Hero

I heard this song while watching “Drive” on a flight from Sweden to Denmark.  The cinematography in that movie is truly amazing, and if you haven’t seen it – do yourself a favor and watch it asap!

The song symbolizes my shift in mindset towards photography.  Capturing photos and telling the story in a style that’s representative of the true nature demonstrates integrity and just FEELS right.  For years, I’ve been excellent working with PR firms making events that aren’t so crowded appear to look like the hottest ticket in town based off what I capture in my camera.  I went to a convention in March of last year that *blew my mind* in regards to this way of thinking.  (And yes, don’t worry – that will be blogged about)

Track 4 – M83 – Midnight City

I met my ex-girlfriend Nicole back in March of last year, and we used to tease each other of “who-introduced-who” to this song.  One of the things I really liked about Nicole was her appreciation of music & how it added so much to the experience of things.  In the past she had made soundtracks from certain times in her life that she could listen to & remember how she ‘felt’ during those stages – and I of course thought that was AWESOME.

I chose this song because of the significance to our never-ending debate, and also because I feel it has an alternative style like Nicole had.  She was a huge part of my life this year and we shared some amazing experiences together that I’ll never forget.

Track 5 – Chromatics – Tick of the Clock

This year has been so busy with work, at times there was a lot of pressure to get large amounts of work done in a quick amount of time.  One thing to the next to the next to the next - no stopping.  Like a machine.  This song is also from the movie Drive, and I feel it does a good job of conveying the intensity of how I felt during certain weeks.

Track 6 – Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight

On my first excursion to South America this year, I remember waking up in the back seat of the car on the way to catch our 7 AM flight out of LAX.  This song was playing on the radio, and I just had this mysterious feeling of wondering what was in store for this next international trip.  It’s definitely a unique vibe – as most international trips I’ve had are powerful experiences & create memories you will have for the rest of your life.  The anticipation prior is pretty damn exciting.

Track 7 – Tiga – Far From Home

Okay, I’m cheating again.  I’m tying in another video because I feel it does a great job conveying the feeling of constantly traveling from one place to the next.  During the last 2 months of the year, I traveled for 7 out of the 8 weeks and was constantly on the move. Casey Neistat (the guy who directed this video) is one of my favorite film producers. I love his style, but watch the video & see for yourself.

Peru->Chile->Argetina->Los Angeles->Denver->San Diego->Los Angeles->Papua New Guinea->Los Angeles->Bellingham->Canada->San Diego.

In case you were curious.  (And yes, these will also be blogged)

Track 8 – Michael Buble – Home

On the tail end of my trip to Papua New Guinea, I was in the hotel bar with 3 other travelers that had accompanied me on our expedition and they had a live cover artist singing well-known american songs.  This song has been a favorite of mine, and it struck me *especially* at that point since it felt like it had been so long since I’ve really felt “home”.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this.  To be honest with you, as I’ve written this post – I’ve felt a crazy rush of emotions thinking back to these experiences and remembering how I felt at the time.  And while it’s cool to share these stories with you, I’m positive that I’m going to value looking back on this post years down the line…and being able to remember the feelings all over again.

I suggest you do this for yourself as well!  You’ll thank yourself later.

(Photo above was shot in Kiruna, Sweden during my trip to visit the Ice Hotel)

While the night was focused primarily on long-time customers & VIP clientele, I was limited on what I could shoot in regards to invading private party dinners & such.

It was a privilege to not only photograph the event, but to have a chance to sit down with my client and enjoy some of their more notable dishes!

Here are some of my favorite images from the event:

Gotta give the back-story on this image – shot it through the fish tank…came out perfectly with that light flare coming from the back of the restaurant and the fish about to approach it.  Awesome time with awesome company, and can never beat a great meal to go along with it all.

Last night, his venue played host to his very own celebration, and he had asked me to provide personalized photography for the night.  While nightlife photography is a common element of the downtown clubs, I’d like to think he recognized the difference between the standard styles you see & that of my own…which you’ll be seeing on this post.

The night started off at Searsucker with a private dinner with close friends.

Cufflinks are a classy gift any guy will truly appreciate.  It’s a perfect accessory to use on special celebrations, and even better when it’s a gift from a friend.

Getting things dialed in for the crazy night ahead.

Sidebar before the storm.

Ali just moved in to a new spot downtown, what better way to break it in with a pre-party & some good tequila?

Jason comes through with one of the funniest birthday cards I’ve ever seen.  (Can’t show the card, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.)

And it’s time to roll out!

Good friends surprise him with a limo ride to the club.

When you roll in to a club with about 10 guys, you’re gonna turn some heads.  And while a guy that walks in with a few girls is impressive, when people see a guy walk through with his crew of guys, you’ll see a crowd full of people waiting in line with a baffled look on their face.  (And PS – while girls are cool to roll in with, they come & go…having some of your best buds you’ve known for a long time cruise up with you to celebrate your birthday in the right way – everyone with you is going to remember it for years to come.

Wasting no time in getting the party started!

Both Darth Vader & Aladdin made special appearances to deliver bottles of champagne.

Confetti!

A gift of Ace of Spades champagne to add some fuel to the fire.

EVERYONE was celebrating.

Couldn’t imagine a better way to spend a birthday than being surrounded by your closest friends & work “family”.  Happy birthday bud!

Beer, brats, bread, and burgers filled the day at Torrey Pines Lodge, San Diego.  The capstone event featured all the best craft-breweries in the region, and welcomed television personality Zane Lamprey to host a few of the festivities.

Chef Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grille celebrated his 50th birthday with a “Viagra” designed birthday cake.

Sometimes my job calls for a bit of a rough time, but hey – someone’s gotta do it.

Here are some favorites from the day:

Now that THAT’S out of the way, let’s get on with the fun, shall we?

This past Halloween, I was brought in to cover Fluxx Nightclub‘s annual “Fetish” themed Halloween event.  While originally hired to coordinate a photobooth for the event, they opted last-minute to have me cover the event in its entirety as it allowed them to maximize their potential to bring in revenue from bottle service sales.  (Bottle service is having dedicated cocktail servers bring you grey goose, champagne etc to your table in the club & pour you and your friends drinks all night, along with helping you celebrate with sparklers [pictured] and a fun and energetic vibe)

BTW – could you imagine the props I had lined up for this photobooth?  Maybe next year.  ; )

Since I was going to be doing crowd coverage, I decided to give them their money’s worth (still at a holiday photobooth rate despite the change in plans) and get creative with the photography.  Since Halloween has more of the ghostly/exotic/eery vibe, I made the effort to bring on a different look to my regular style of photos using a creative use of off-camera flash.  I wanted to convey the feeling of a crazy night full of subtle sex & intoxication –  colors everywhere – and the memories of the night in a total haze.

It’s important to bring value to your client and never make them feel like they were “shorted” in anyway, so I think by making the extra effort to help them out in whatever situation results, they’ll look at you and recognize that you’re not just there to make money off of them – rather to help them achieve something noteworthy, regardless of the scenario.

If you have questions about this style of photography or what my settings were for a particular shot, email me at tim@timkingblog.com & I’ll get back to you in private.

The calm before the storm…

The storm.

The costumes.

If you’re new to the blog, let me give you a brief run-down on what the Stay Classy organization does exactly.  Stay Classy was founded by Scott Chisolm and Pat Walsh – originally as a promotions company with a twist – party for a purpose.  Profits from their parties would go towards charities and philanthropic organizations.

Now, Stay Classy has evolved into a large-scale organization that facilitates the donation process for individuals and businesses to link up with the charity of their choice.  When someone throws an event, Stay Classy provides the online network of charities for the company to choose from, and makes it a breeze for anyone to donate towards the cause.

At the awards ceremony, Stay Classy recognizes outstanding individuals and businesses for their philanthropic achievements over the past year.

Here are a few favorites from the event-

Registration.

This is Adam Garone, founder of Movember.  The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the mustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a mustache for the entire month. The mustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.

In 2010, the organization raised over $80 million in donations.  I just read an article stating that this past November (2011), the organization raised over $107 million dollars.  WOW!

Meadow Soprano (AKA Jamie Lynn Sigler) hosted the night.

Accepting an award.

Have no clue what these red lights were (thought at first they were exit signs), but turned out a cool photo with Scott Chisolm, co-founder of Stay Classy.

Some “behind the scenes” shots.

Wanted to make sure to include a Troy Yocum.  This guy walked across the US – TWICE – to raise money for military families.  I shot this event the night I got back from New York, and it just so happened that he & I were on the same flight to San Diego.  He told me it took him 2 and a half months to cross Texas alone.  To find out more about his story, check out this video.

For the homies who “couldn’t be here”.

Scott Chisolm and Pat Walsh, founders of the Stay Classy organization.

After party at the W!

The night kicked off with a bang – Brian is well known for being the life of the party – he paraded through the restaurant with Chinese dragon heads in ‘suit, along with a full-on asian tribal band beating on drums and symbols.

This new addition to Del Mar is the north county fix that downtown-ers might feel like resembles Searsucker.

Here are some favorites from the event:

Brian doing what he does best!  (Aside from cooking)

I don’t usually post photos of celebrities, but I got to chat with these two for a few minutes & they turned out to be really cool.  I’ve seen them at a few of the philanthropic events I’ve taken photos at, and they’ve always been super friendly and outgoing. Kiptyn Locke and Tenley Molzahn from the bachelor/bachelorette series on TV.

Anyways, remember what I said about using past blog posts to book new gigs?  Well, here’s another case in point.

I was caught off guard a bit by the 2nd show I had to shoot, which was “A la Disposition”.  The models were set up in a room just standing in pose – no runway or catwalk or even BOXES for them to stand on for that matter.  There were a ton of people and no boundary between photographers & models, so I had to get creative to give it that “high production” feel.

Here are the shots from this show.

And here are the photos from the Michael Kors fashion show.

The man himself.

And some favorites from the general event.

Now to the party at hand. 4th of July Weekend!

San Diego played host to some of the hottest pool parties I’ve ever attended this past weekend, and not just ‘weather-wise’. To be honest, it’s not too tough of a job to make these parties look good, the only thing I need to keep in mind is to get the right shot at the right time.

Of course, you’re going to have those drunken randoms trying to pose with the dancers & the solo chick who came by herself that wants 15 shots of the same pose – but hey, it’s all about enriching the guest experience. Let ‘em have their fun! (Will build more on this on an upcoming post)

Over the weekend, I covered the main parties in town held at the Andaz Hotel, Sé Hotel, and Hard Rock Hotel Intervention. While the majority of the photographers at these events are either focused on 1) Getting the bare minimum number of photos to make that dollar 2) Getting a quick album in so they can get their ‘drink on’ 3) Hollering at girls willing to pose for photos who’ve already gotten their ‘drink on’ – I like to take a different approach & tell the story of the day. After all, I’m in it to win it, and the difference between ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’ is that little bit of ‘extra’. (10 points if you can site that quote)

Anyways, on to the photos!

1. Sé Hotel Party

One of the secret reasons why I love this venue is the design of the bathrooms. The doors to the stalls are 6 inch thick slabs of mosaic tile that are flush with the walls, so they’re somewhat like a secret entrance. (If you’ve ever played golden-eye, it’s just like the extra level “Temple” & it’s hidden doorways.)

2. Hard Rock Intervention

This place gets intense. Like REALLY intense. If you want the craziest partyers in San Diego, you’ll find them here. While I mostly hold the photobooth for this event, occasionally I will shoot crowd shots for different publications if the timing is right & it works in well with other events I’m shooting day-of. (And this just happened to be the case!) Stopped by for a few quick shots before all the mayhem really got going…to give you an idea of what has been in store in the past – a favorite among several clients is to take a 9 liter bottle of Vueve and give the crowd a “champagne shower“. Can produce some amazing photos, but I’m not especially eager to put my camera at risk for the sake of the photo. Been there, done that.

3. Andaz Hotel

My favorite venue to shoot. Like in real estate – it’s all about the 3 L’s. Lighting, lighting, lighting. I love the different setups they have at this venue, especially with the pool & cabanas on the eastern end of the venue. And magic hour? You can just forget about it. Amazing light casts over the rooftop come sunset. (And not to be bias, but I feel it just has my type of crowd here)

Can you guess where it’s located?

Yep, you got it. F and 6th street downtown.

The night featured extravagant expenditures on champagne, dirty dancing, and of course, some funky fresh beats. Alongside, Hef’s ex-fiance Crystal Harris hosted the kickoff event which added some more hype to the hooplah. A big group of San Diego Chargers were in attendance, and this always leaves me feeling conflicted – on one hand, it’s great PR and makes for good photos, but on the other hand – they didn’t do that well in last year’s playoffs…so I get the inclination to ‘keep it real’ and make a suggestion they spend more time on the field than in the club. Of course with the lockout, this is all irrelevant, so let’s all just pray things work out and I can spend more time at my other job as fantasy football team manager.

Anyways, onto the photos, shall we?