International Photobooth Convention pt.1

In August of 2013, I sent an email to Brian and Tim, the gentlemen behind Photobooth.net. Since 2005 they've been the organizers of the International Photobooth Convention. (I should note that the conventions are not commercial trade shows, but rather volunteer-run festivals to celebrate all things photobooth-- with a heavy bias towards vintage machines.) In my email to them, I expressed interest in helping to organize the next IPC and listed a handful of ideas.

Ten months and hundreds of emails later, I arrived at A&A Studios a week before the convention date. Anthony Vizzari, his team and I got to work prepping IPC 2014. Truthfully, it was an immense amount of work, but it also felt energizing to be back in that creative space again, with all my old Chicago pals.

Chemical booths, from left to right, a Model 21, 17, 17 and 14, with a Photomatic peeking around the corner. Photo by Brian Meacham

Anthony was responsible for getting the physical space in order, which involved setting up five chemical and two digital photobooths, as well as planning the opening night party. I was responsible for the programming, scheduling and the promotional materials. The A&A staff were a tremendous amount of help. Brian and Tim would join us for during the actual event to keep everything running smoothly.

Conference room, table covered in Anthony's collection of PDQ cameras.

Some details from a Model 9 that Antony acquired since the last time I was in Chicago.

Anthony's photos, a couple Photomatics and three great examples of frames designed specifically for photobooth pictures.

Anthony's own Photomatic, an incredibly rare gem of a machine.

Anthony taught a workshop on using a photobooth camera outside of the photobooth. A&A staff member, David made a device to trigger the camera and paper cutter and attached a darkroom bag to collect the photos as they dropped out of the camera box. The photos were then developed by hand in the darkroom. Getting the lighting just right was the trickiest part.

It had been a while since I had serviced a photobooth but I was about to help get the machines up and running.  Here are some test shots from the Model 21 and Model 11 which we had running colour paper and chemicals.

What there aren't photos of, but what was certainly a memorable part of the pre-convention experience, is all the containers of take-out food we consumed that week.

 

In addition to the poster I made announcing IPC, we also wanted to make limited edition silkscreened posters, like in previous years. I designed the graphic while Kiera, an A&A staff member did the actual silkscreening. I also designed name tags and a set of four buttons.

Photo by Brian Meacham.

Volunteers made bunting out of paper in the convention colours and together we set up a merch table with a pretty good array of photobooth related products.

 

Photo by Brian Meacham.

As part of the convention we had a small exhibition of art titled Photobooth: New Works. The theme was art that was made since 2010 either using photobooths or with photobooths as the subject matter. With a team of volunteers we managed to get the art hung just before the opening party on Friday night.

 

Photo by Brian Meacham.

Well, that's it for set-up, in my next post I'll talk about what actually happened during the convention!

Chicago Comic Events!

I spent the first three weeks of June in Chicago for a slew of comics and photobooth related events. First up was the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (or CAKE, as it's better known.) I tabled with follow Conundrum Press author, Dakota McFadzean, who's one amazing storyteller/ cartoonist. Dakota is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, so the organizers put us next to other CCS alumni, who I got to know and befriend throughout the weekend.

There was a fair bit of interest in Photobooth: A Biography and all weekend long I had great conversations with people about the topic. I met a few photobooth fans that I hadn't met in person before and I may have converted a few casual photography enthusiasts into true blue photobooth devotees. (Which is the ulterior motive behind most of actions.)

Photo on the right by Megan Byrd of Women Write Comics

My only qualm is that I didn't have much time to look around at mini-comics and zines that I would have liked for myself. I did however get to hang out with folks after the expo wrapped each day. One major highlight was going to Headquarters, which is a huge bar filled with pinball machines that are set to "free vend"... yes that's right, unlimited pinball! I may be a photobooth fan but I've got a soft spot for the whole coin-op industry. Headquarters also has a backroom filled with arcade machines, including my very favourite, Street Fighter II. Chun-Li 4life.

CAKE was lead by a super team of volunteers who were incredibly organized, cheery and helpful. The venue, the Center on Halsted, is also a really awesome, queer friendly space. Thanks to everyone who made that an awesome experience!

Two weeks later I had a talk and signing at Quimby's Bookstore, which in addition to having an amazing selection of alternative books, they also happen to have a functioning chemical photobooth! The talk went well but the coolest part of the evening (for me at least) was the Q&A session afterwards that turned into large discussion. 

I also gave everyone who came to the talk a tiny envelope, which they weren't allowed to open until the end. Half the envelopes contained glamorous photobooth shots and the other contained grotesque shots. Sending photobooth art to each other is one way that members of the international photobooth community stay connected, so I wanted to give the attendees a taste of that. Together, at the end everyone opened their respective envelopes to delight or dismay. 

 

My good friend Elizabeth came to the talk, which was awesome because she appears in the book multiple times. Elizabeth, over the last eleven years has literally appeased me dozens of times by posing with me in photobooths. This occasion was no different, here we are in the Quimby's photobooth. We are beautiful grown-up ladies.

Elizabeth and I also went to go see the Neo-Futurists perform their signature show Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. I had heard a lot about the ensemble over the years but this was my first time seeing them... and my gosh, I can't believe I waited so long. It was one of the best live theatre experiences I've ever had. I highly recommend it!

More recaps about the rest of my trip to Chicago coming soon...

New Photobooth Art

Whoo. So much has happened in the month since I last posted that it will take me some time to catch up with it here. June was a fun whirlwind of events of projects. I was in Chicago for three weeks, and amongst many things I shot some new pieces of photobooth art at A&A Studios.

In the days after the International Photobooth Convention (more about this in posts to come) I had five chemical photobooths all to myself. I was just like a kid in a candy shop- with an unlimited budget and a giant stomach. The different photobooth models and paper types gave me a lot of freedom for the projects I wanted to execute.

Using four sheets of magnifying plastic in a Model 17 with standard paper.
Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

Taken in a Model 11, running on colour chemistry and paper. The sides of this image are white
because the  roll of paper had been exposed to light at some time. I used a gel on the camera lens.
Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

Part of a new Grotesque series, taken in a Model 17 with standard paper. Gradient gel on the camera lens.
Used plexi glass against face. Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

With a mirror in a Model 14 with out-of-production high gloss paper. This paper with this machine
produced beautiful high contrast photographs. Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

Part of the Swamp series, taken in the Model 11, with paper with exposed edges. Used a purple gel
on the camera lens and a lime green gel on the glass. Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

 

 

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

From the Grotesque series, in the Model 17, using wooden props and with a gradient gel on the
camera lens. Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014.

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

Copyright Meags Fitzgerald 2014

Chicago Events!

Yesterday I arrived in Chicago, where everything fun that I've ever wanted to do is about to happen.

First up, on May 31- June 1 is CAKE (Chicago Alternative Comics Expo!) This will be my first time tabling at CAKE, I'll be at the table for Conundrum Press. I'll be at table 52B with fellow comic artist, Dakota McFadzean. Chicago is known for having a great comics scene so I can't wait to make some new friends and buy lots of paper goodies.

The following weekend, June 6-8 is the International Photobooth Convention (IPC) hosted at A&A Studios. I'm one of the organizers for this year's convention and I'm really excited for all the programming we've put together. There's a good balance of events for photobooth artists, technicians, vintage photo collectors and for the general public too, who just like to have their pictures taken in these wonderful machines!


Lastly, on Thursday June 12th at 7pm, Photobooth: A Biography is having it's own book launch at Quimby's Bookstore! Quimby's is a pillar of the comic's community and they also happen to have a functional chemical photobooth in the store! I'm really excited for this evening, I'm working on a special presentation and attendees will receive a special treat!

RSVP on the facebook event!


After all that, I'm staying in town for a few more days for the Blues Festival and to laze around with friends. Let me know if you'd like to laze around!

The 2014 International Photobooth Convention Announced!

Poster design by Meags Fitzgerald

I'm so insanely delighted to be one of the organizers for the next International Photobooth Convention! The other organizers are the gentlemen behind Photobooth.net, Tim Garrett and Brian Meacham, and the president of A&A Studios in Chicago, Anthony Vizzari. These fellas have been integral to the photobooth community and I'm happy to be amongst them.

We haven't announced the programming yet, but it's shaping up to be an incredible event. Aside from getting to socialize with other photobooth fans/nerds/experts from around the world, there will be forums for technicians and artists, workshops, weekend long collaborative projects, film screenings, a book launch for Photobooth: A Biography, and some very special and extremely rare vintage photobooths!

The event is open to the public. You can RSVP on the event page of facebook:

And follow the convention news at Photobooth.net.

Yippee!

The Big Screen and Business Cards

Holy Mackerel. The last two weeks I had my hands full with moving. Almost everything else got put on the backburner. I recognized that for professional reasons, it's essential that I'm in Montreal until the summer of 2014, so why not make my stay here a little more comfortable? My place is in a prime location and is fairly spacious. I'm quite happy with how my DIY projects for my new room have turned out and I'll post more about those later. For now, here's a picture of my new work space.

 In other news...on Friday November 1st, Last Vegas, a film starring Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in theatres. It's exciting because the film features a replica of a 1950s photobooth, which is used by the characters in a flashback to their childhoods. The booth was made by A&A Studios in Chicago last autumn. I hand painted all the signage on the interior and exterior and designed the wrap around graphic.  As a little Easter Egg, I included a strip of pictures of myself on the outside of the booth, just so I can say that I was in a film with all those stars.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm definitely curious to see how my craftsmanship looks on the big screen. It was a really fun project to work on, I miss working with A&A Studios very much.

This week I received an exciting parcel in the mail. I ordered business cards from the British company, Moo. They're known for high quality, double-sided, colour cards, that can have up to fifty different images on one side. They're great for creative professionals because you can share a little bit of your portfolio with every card you hand out. I chose fourteen different images of my illustrations, my book and my photobooth art, so that they're tailored to the situation I'm in.

Next weekend is Expozine here in Montreal. My publisher, Conundrum Press will have a table and I'll be there promoting my book and handing out these new cards. Photobooth: A Biography doesn't come out until May, but it's never too soon to meet people and make some new friends in the same field.

Viewfinder

I assembled these photos in the winter and just remembered them. The pairings of pictures are from 3 months of paper, chemical or filter tests I did at A&A Studios in Chicago.

The Model 11 booth is in the showroom, where vintage and antique cameras are on display, so I often grabbed one to pose with when taking a test strip.

Shooting the B&W Photobooth Animation

A couple weeks before leaving Chicago I shot a stop motion animation in the Model 11 photobooth at A&A Studios.  Leading up to the big day I shot some of the simpler sequences by myself and saved the more complex sequences (which required me in costume and make-up) for that day. Two wonderful friends, Elizabeth Archer and Rachel Winslow helped me immensely with the slow and time consuming process. This post here shows some of the test shots and gives you an idea of the imagery I was working with.

Here are some tests and out-takes from the big shoot. I'm really happy with how the final images look and I'm excited to work on it. Next I have to sit at my computer for a couple hundred hours to scan, align, crop and put the one thousand or so images in sequence. Fortunately I'll have lots of time post-surgery to do just that.