photos of photos.

donjkang — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 07:23:10 +0000

A little bit ago, Creative Contraband got together with Black Scale and Flo for a project we have in the works. I had never been on a photoshoot before so I was really excited to see everything it entailed. I was looking forward to hanging out with the guys at Black Scale as well. There was plenty of stuff planned to shoot, but some the shots we hadn’t planned out might have been the best of the day. That’s one of the advantages of working with so many talented and creative people. It was a 2 long days, but I learned some stuff about photoshoots, got some great behind the scene shots, and had a fun time hanging out. What more could I ask for?

Rob, Teron, and Mega in their office before the shoot started. I had the opportunity to check out what they have in store for 2011, and man, I was thoroughly impressed. All I can say is watch out for their cut and sew pieces as well as some other items this year. I know I will be trying my best to cop them all.Day 1 set up.Flo shooting some jewelry on the lovely Genevieve Chanel.Mega got in for some of the action. I sometimes wish I could pull off Black Scale jewelry. Melissa Reign, one of the make-up artists for the day. We ended up stuffing her into a bag for one of the shots. That’s normal right?Day 1 is a wrap. Not mentioned before are Jane who helped with make-up and modeling and English who helped direct the shoot. On to day 2.I can’t decide which one of these two I like better. Who do you think?TK came to hang out.Kenny helped document day 2 as well.Stay tuned for the project these photos will be a part of. Check out the rest of the photos here.

unprepared.

donjkang — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:24:26 +0000

Photo opportunities come up at the most random times. I don’t always want to carry my camera around so I end up missing out on my chance a potentially great photo. I started trying my best to capture these shots with my camera phone. Is the quality there? Of course not. Is the composition there? I hope so. Some of these are just things I wanted to take note of. Moral of the story: Super glue my camera to my hand.

Doing some “work” over the weekend at Bricks and Scones.
Looking at clothes I hope will still be there when they go on sale at American Rag.
Cool packaging I saw looking for a last minute Christmas present for my mom.Broadway Bar in Downtown LA.Rooftop at the Erwin. When the sun comes back, I will be going there immediately.Lovely packaging for aspirin at the Standard in Downtown LA.
Nike store at the new Santa Monica Place.
Creepy scheming kid in advertisement on 3rd St.

on to the next year.

donjkang — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:30:43 +0000

As 2011 begins, it is time to bring some attention back to this blog, with some changes of course. I have been fortunate enough to be spending my days working with Kenny Mac and everyone at Creative Contraband and getting ready for a big year. So watch out for us! This look is only temporary until I soon get added to the new blog network. You can get a preview of the network here.

Just because I have been busy working doesn’t mean I haven’t been taking my camera around to all the places I go and the things I eat. I have folders titled “edit me!” and “blog me!” so I will put them into their respective blog posts while I manage my time better and set aside part of my nights to dedicate to photos and this blog. Hopefully it hasn’t been too long and you haven’t forgotten about me. As the year begins and this blog has somewhat of a rebirth, here are some quick snapshots of some of what I have been up to and where I have been lately. More to come soon, of course.

My mistake turned masterpiece.

My first ever Jack-o-lantern on the right. My girlfriend giving me some competition on the left. I’m already planning for next year..

The folks over at NRG in Culver City were kind enough to let us use some of their space as our temporary office. We all became such good friends and we work so closely with each other that the temporary office became permanent, so we are in the process of renovating the space.

The space used to be a place called Touch. Someone broke their window. Ouch.
Peter and Killuh B are a couple of the awesome people I have met and get to work with at CC.
One of the few artsy photos I have taken over the past few months. 2011 is gonna be a memorable one. Stay tuned!

stay tuned.

donjkang — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:54:00 +0000

Nights are getting cold and it’s time to stay inside. That means Splash is coming to an end for the year. If you wanna reminisce about all those memorable Wednesday nights, check out all the photos here.

The fun isn’t over though folks. Stay tuned too see what Creative Contraband has in store to make your lives just that much better. Don’t worry, the wait will be worth it.

buying peace.

donjkang — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:13:00 +0000

My friend Conroy asked me and our other friend John to take photos to go along with an article he was doing for The Choosy Beggar. Of course, I went to keep Conroy company, look at clothes that are too expensive for me to buy, admire the set up of the store, and possibly get some online exposure with the photos. You can check out the informative, yet humorously written, article here. Sadly, most of the photos aren’t mine. It just means I gotta step up my game and keep grinding though. Here is a photo I wish they would have used. Oh well, their loss is my (and your) gain.

John (left) and Conroy (right) interviewing the co-owner/co-founder of Self Edge while probably trying to get a discount of some sort.

one-stop shop.

donjkang — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Another place I pass by way too many times before actually going into is Joan’s on Third. For being in a somewhat small space, Joan’s has much to offer. This is a one-stop shop for eating breakfast or lunch, picking up a few pastries or desserts, and even going grocery shopping for some gourmet items.

I can never turn down breakfast if it is offered and is my first meal of the day. It was probably lunch time but, of course, I only looked at the breakfast menu. I ordered heartiest item on the menu: the New York breakfast sandwich with scrambled eggs, bacon, and monterey jack cheese in between two pieces of country bread and toasted to perfection. I personally thought the sandwich should have only had cheese on one side since it seemed to become the main focus after biting into the deliciously, crispy toast. Other than that, it was a pretty ordinary breakfast sandwich.

On the way out, I had to grab a couple treats for the road. The star of the show was the Orange Chipotle Caramel Popcorn. Yes, all those flavors were on one piece of popcorn. When I first put a couple pieces in my mouth, I tasted the sweetness of the orange and the caramel. Literally 3 seconds or so after I already consumed the popcorn, the spicy notes of the chipotle hit the back of my tongue. The 1-2 punch of the popcorn really is puts it on another level of flavors. It is difficult to explain how the all the flavors truly excite your various taste buds. I dread the day when this bag is empty.

dessert, dinner, more dessert.

donjkang — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:07:00 +0000

After driving by this place multiple times a month and talking about going multiple times a week, we finally had a meal at Milk. I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the milkshakes, ice creams, cakes, and other various desserts. After deciding what I wanted from those options, I then checked out the food menu.

Pre-milkshake dinner? Why not. We sipped through this Milky Way milkshake way before our food came out.

The Turkey BLTC: turkey breast, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, aged cheddar cheese, and lemon mayo. The C was a great addition to the B, L, and T family. A fresh salad on the side complimented the warm sandwich while also making up for the pre and post meal desserts.

This just might have to become a new standard food shot.

With a wide selection of desserts from ice cream to cookies to a blue velvet cake (yes, blue velvet), we had to get something. We ordered the strawberry shortcake ice cream bar and the mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched between two macaroons. The sugary shortcake bits added a texture and flavor that took this ice cream bar over the top.

bueno.

donjkang — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:58:00 +0000

After checking out the sales at American Rag, I went a couple doors down to grab a bite to eat at the newly open restaurant, Tinga. I had a little trouble finding it since there wasn’t a sign above the doorway, but the scents from the kitchen guided me through the right doors.

I had trouble choosing from the menu of Latin inspired items with unique ingredients. I decided on the spicy pork tacos with a horchata. The horchata was creamier than I was used to and probably would have liked, but it was a great companion to the very spicy tacos. The menu warned me of the spice level, but I thought I could handle it. The caramelized onions and Mexican cheese balanced out the spices and flavors of the tender shredded pork well. On the side was warm, fresh tortilla chips sprinkled with Mexican cheese. This meal definitely hit the spot for lunch. I will be making a trip back soon very soon.

changes.

donjkang — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:43:00 +0000

Whoa! I’m sure that is your reaction to what you are seeing now. Nothing drastic but still cool, huh? Change is good some times. This blog has been in need of a make-over. So a little over 2 years in and 400 blog posts later, here we are. We’re going in the right direction. Things are only gonna get better.

splash!

donjkang — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Every Wednesday night at the Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel pool. Here is some of what you missed last week.