Monday, March 23, 2009 at 04:12PM This weekend marked my brother's 26th birthday so we celebrated in a cabin on Detroit Lake. The lake water level was low for the winter so we could walk out onto a place that in the summer is 20 to 30 feet below water. It was a great time with lots of food, booze, friends and laughs.
Friday, March 20, 2009 at 03:30PM it's been six months since i updated my website, www.brandonjosephbaker.com so last night i stayed up late hashing it out. as my work progresses i think it's best to keep things gleaned down to the things that truly represent the place you are and the direction you're heading. this site really captures that well. if you get a chance please go through the galleries (and send it along to all your friends, family, co workers, art directors, producers, editors, creative directors and art buyers). Enjoy.
Monday, March 9, 2009 at 11:58PM Morning rain on the Fourth Floor. Grey and white. 
Magic hour on Davis Street. Pink and Blue. Dusk fades to night. 
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 05:27PM Monday I got a beer with my brother. This really has nothing to do with that though. I did find a new favorite beer, Olympia - brewed by of all people Pabst. It's like the swill beer I currently fill my evenings with except a little cheaper at Fred Meyers. It also goes well with Sunday brunch. 
Friday, February 20, 2009 at 05:58PM I've been walking past this car for the last week and finally had a chance to capture it on "film". It seems in our neighborhood it's not a problem to park your car for days, weeks maybe even months at a time. No boots. No tickets. No towing to a lot with other abandoned cars. Granted most of the cars towed to the abandoned car lot in our old neighborhood had the wheels stolen off of it and a strong scent of bum piss. None the less, I love this new neighborhood. 
Monday, February 9, 2009 at 05:48PM Today is the one week mark of living in Portland. I will tell you it is rainy. It's also not that bad. It rains like San Francisco had fog, almost regularly but never enough to keep you from living your life. I have had a wonderful time in Portland thus far. Dinner with friends, new friends made and I'm no longer living out of boxes. It's a slower life here but there are just as many of the amenities here I loved about San Francisco; the mass transportation, DIY art culture and walkable neighborhoods without the things I loathed about San Francisco; Fell Street traffic and the high price paid to live in the ghetto. I'm already inspired to start two new projects and begin creating art all over again. Below are two shots from the week I left San Francisco and two from this last week in Portland. 
Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 12:58PM The hard work is done. We put out our 10th and final issue of The Daily Insider. This year was a very efficient and fun year. The the work was easier after my third time to The Festival combined with a super proficient production team. Having a strong staff makes the work less like work and more like fun. It doesn't hurt to be working with some of the most intelligent, committed and passionate people I've been blessed to encounter in my professional career. Here are some of my favorite portraits from The Sundance Film Festival 2009. Subjects are: Director, Video Artist and Photographer Laurel Nakadate, Artist and Technology Guru Nathan Hemenway, Daily Insider writer Clay Smith, director Ross Katz, Daily Insider Managing Editor Bridgette Bates, Street Talk subjects Sara Basso, Lee Toland Krieger and Larabee, Actor Lou Taylor Pucci, Daily Insider Production Coordinator Shawn Sherril, Actor and Director Joseph Gordon Levitt.
Friday, January 23, 2009 at 10:42PM Yesterday I had the opportunity to shoot for the kids wear advertisement for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival line. A special thanks to Jessica, Victoria and most of all Roxie for all the help on the shoot!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 12:27AM Today I got a chance to see my first film of The Festival. 5 days in. It's a busy festival and it's a lot of work. After the first weekend the crowd lulls - some head back to LA and the locals come out. Today I caught a film by Laurel Nakadate, Stay The Same Never Change. This movie was filmed entirely in Kansas City and in several locations I've been in for shoots with my first job out of college, The Kansas City Star. It was a wonderful non linear film full of vignettes of teenage girls awkward moments in one summer. I was very excited to see this movie when I first read the Sundance press release in November. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the director randomly earlier in the week. The following photos are completely unrelated to The Festival and were just something I shot waiting for a ride. 
Monday, January 19, 2009 at 10:30PM Part of my role as photo editor for The Daily Insider is to do a daily- or mostly daily depending on ad space, section called STREET TALK. We head out with a question, usually quirky in nature. For example the first session's question was 'if you could make out with anyone at Sundance, who would it be and why?' Usually the responses are quite interesting. People like it when the press pays special attention to them. I head out with Evany Thomas a Bay Area local. Usually I meet everyone from film zombies - the living dead who slowly wander Park City with vacant eyes mumbling about movies, to celebrities - mostly small time reality stars from The Hills or recurring characters on It's Always Sunny In Philedelphia (my favorite show!!!). The first photo in the series is the intrepid Evany followed Holly Montag (The Hills), Ben Kasulke (Humpday), Conrad Smith, Laurel Nakadate (director and writer of Stay The Same, Never Change - shot in Kansas City), Haydee Cifuantes, Sophie Islip and Jeff Dowd. The later is the alleged inspiration for The Cohan Brother's 'The Dude' aka The Big Lebowski. He also made out with Evany, much to her surprise and disbelief when she asked him the question of the day. 
Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 12:31AM Annually I head to The Sundance Film Festival to work as the Photo Editor for The Sundance Daily Insider. This year we're in a new space, implementing new styles for the paper, putting more emphasis on live coverage and pushing the videos on our site -www.sundance.org/festival. I'm most excited to work in the portrait studio I have set up for our exclusive coverage. My first subject, Calvin Knight is a veteran photojournalist. He's covered shuttle launches, professional sports and is on The New York Times speed dial for coverage in his native area Florida. Next two images are of Duane Trower. Duane is one of our go to guys to get things done while we're tethered to our laptops. Duane drives with the precision of a surgeon as he cuts through side streets to avoid traffic taking us to and from appointments. He also gets up early with Shawn Sherril to deliver the paper we publish everyday. Cheryl Carlson leads our distribution and production. She's an unsung hero who goes to Salt Lake City every night for our press checks. Joe Beyer leads the video team during the 10 crazy days of The Festival. He's sharp, knows what he wants and never stops working. The man is tireless. Here I'm sure he's conjuring the spirit of Lou Reed circa White Light/White Heat. I had hoped to post more but have to go into a budget meeting about tomorrows issue. Please check back again and support indie film.
Monday, December 22, 2008 at 03:50AM The Guardian published their quarterly guide to nightlife this last week. Included is a review of several bars and restaurants. I shot images for Uva Enoteca and Gitane. The former is a wine bar in my neighborhood, Lower Haight and the later is off Union Square. 
Uva Enoteca has a hidden quiet wine bar feeling. The food is worth checking out as well. My wife and I split the verdure of celery root, pomegranates and sage along with the pizze of caramelized onions, prosciutto cotto and fresh mozzarella. The pizza was larger than I expected and quite delicious. The space is quiet and the staff is friendly and helpful. It's a place to check out when you're in the mood for a wine bar in the city.
Gitane is a beautiful bar tucked off Claude Lane and Sutter. The bar is enticing and has quite a selection of fine spirits. I did not have a chance to sample any of the drinks I photographed as I was on a time constraint. However the ambiance and knowledgeable staff will draw me back for an Old Fashioned or a good rye whiskey on the rocks.
Monday, November 24, 2008 at 07:42PM Sunday I photographed some people near to my heart, Jon and Whitney. Jon is a physics student at UC Berkeley and Whitney is a teacher in San Rafael. It's nice to photograph people who play a special part in my life. Creating a shared moment together keeps my photography not just a job or an art form but a truly tangible reference to the station and place I'm at in life. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be friends and photograph these two people.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 12:53PM The annual Sandbox Art Show Benefit has come and gone this last week. It's always nice to see the studio filled with lots of friends and family of Sandbox. I had three pieces in the show, one sold ("Rite") and there is interest in another from a close friend. I'm quite proud of the show and the pieces all the artists exhibited, specifically art from Jacqui Galle, Kelly Ishikawa, Charlie Maier and Naseema Khan.
The following images, "Reside", "Rite" (sold) and "Remain" mixed digital photography and painting. 
The later two images are hand painted and one of a kind pieces.
