Everything from conferences, talks, events, seminars etc.
Out + About
An Exclusive Look Inside Facebook Headquarters
Blog, From The Studio, Out + About 
1
Tue 08.14.2012
With 900-million active users worldwide, Facebook’s international social-media stronghold needs no introduction. The company has radically transformed communications and information-sharing. New face-recognition software and the recent purchase of Instagram aren’t the only changes afoot. Just last year, founder and owner Mark Zuckerberg moved the company’s headquarters from Silicon Valley’s Palo Alto to Belle Haven in Menlo Park.
Facebook now occupies Sun Microsystem’s former office compound, and while the building’s incredibly refined, modern exterior still exudes “corporate,” the interior renovations are anything but. Entering Facebook’s campus is like stepping into a wild hotbed of daring, free-form creativity that feels decidedly more “street” than “sleek.” Graffiti and guerilla-art rule the day at Facebook; its walls are literally interactive, with employees encouraged to participate in the process of daily transforming their environment and unleashing their creativity to claim the space as their own. With exposed steel-beam ceilings and stylistically-grungy stairwells to shepherd them throughout the campus, the mood at Facebook crackles with possibility and ever-renewing redefinition. Every last detail is oriented toward worker-inspiration—from the fantastic food, free-for-all cocktail bars, innovative video arcade, and even in-house laundry. It’s a place where employees not only want to be (and stay long hours), but one that feeds their creative drive.
It was an honor to receive a private tour of their new headquarters from one of my favorite clients, Facebook’s Stephen Heise, and Zalman Stern from the photos team. Below are some of my favorite shots from an unforgettable afternoon that left me my head spinning. Come along on the photographic tour!
Facebook generously offered me free reign to explore and document the campus. Their one caveat? No pictures of computer screens. (An obvious prohibition, given their classified work.) But that didn’t stop me from bending the rules just a little bit! I couldn’t resist capturing this neon-light sign, as reflected off a blank computer screen.
Few structures could smack less of ‘Corporate America’ than the grungy, gritty, fantastically urban-style flights of stairs throughout Facebook’s new campus.
Edgy, reality-check signs like this are in heavy rotation around Facebook’s headquarters. The themes that rule the day here include to avoid playing it safe, to push the boundaries of creativity, and in all things to be courageously inventive. Generic ‘inspiration’ posters would never disgrace these walls; Facebook interior décor instead constantly encourages its employees to defy convention.
One of Facebook’s latest ventures is the Open Commute Project Foundation, a global hub of engineers whose mission is to maximize the open sharing of ideas and intellectual property with the most efficient server, storage and data center hardware designs for scalable computing.
You’re never too old for playing with Legos, and this build-your-own-Lego-art board within Facebook’s halls proves just that.
A nice close-up of my tour guide Zalman Stern’s sick (as in awesome) German-made Leica camera. What a perfect little machine, and what a glorious, too-good-to-be-true host. Thank you, Zalman!
Not your average conference room wall-art, eh?
I originally photographed this motherlode ‘F’ insignia against a white wall, but then in post-processing recreated the sign’s texture and imposed it on the background to further reinforce and enhance the futuristic feel.
Check out FB arcade - the graffiti artist who created the stunning painting you see here opted for Facebook stock instead of cash. That was a smart move, as the worth of this piece increased from an original cash-offer of $60,000 to a stock earning of $200-million. You heard me right. Graffiti, in this case, pays handsomely.
Like everything at Facebook, brilliant design saturates this campus. The sign you see here is far from ordinary, but rather a composite mosaic created with the public profile pics of everybody working for the company at the time the sign was made.
Not the standard courtyard tile.
Not only Facebook’s motto, but increasingly the end-all truth in our globalized, virtual world.
Facebook employees are always encouraged to work in the most comfortable manner possible. It yields higher productivity, maximum creativity, and a perfect suntan. And no...he is not naked.
Beef, it’s what’s for dinner. In this case, BBQ. Lest you be in doubt, Facebook’s employees eat well. Think of it as brain food.
Don’t Skip Skip’s Summer School 2012
Blog, From The Studio, Out + About 0
Mon 06.25.2012
Are you a new photographer just starting your business? Are you a seasoned veteran looking to stay current with techniques and technology? Need new friends and contacts? Then Skip’s Summer School is the place for you! This year’s schedule is expanded and better than ever. There are 7 interactive programs to select from, or if you prefer a 2 day film-making class. Class sizes are limited to 20 students to ensure a quality learning experience.
In addition to the smaller classes, there are 3 evening sessions open for all attendees:
- Skip Cohen and Melissa Ghionis talk about the sometimes forgotten skill of great Customer Service. The easiest way to solve problems is to avoid them in the first place.
- Monday evening I’ll be showing how to develop a marketing plan to meet your business goals. Photography isn’t like Field of Dreams, you can’t just set up shop and expect the masses to show up to hire you.
- Are you looking for information and tips on getting your photos published? There’s a session for that too! Resource Magazine will be on hand to relate what publishers are looking for.
- Bob and Dawn Davis, Kevin and Clare Kubota and Vicki and Jed Taufer talk about a new trend – working with your spouse. These three couples have learned how to make it work, both personally and professionally.
- Sal Cincotta wraps up with the closing program discussing the importance of remembering that your photography is a business too.
Check out the great video from last year’s School and Scott’s website for more information and registration.
I hope to see you there!
Skip’s Summer School 2012
Blog, From The Studio, Out + About 0
Tue 04.17.2012
I’m really excited to be going to Chicago for the first time! I’m looking forward to learning a lot and being inspired and hopefully sneaking away to see the amazing architecture downtown, the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and the Lakefront.
The Background on Skip’s Summer School
The Summer School project started because there was a need for something mid-year to help photographers stay focused, fine tune their skill set and recharge their battery. Over the last three years it’s evolved into one of the leading network builders in the industry. It’s no longer just a workshop of photographers attending to expand their expertise, but a community of people who work to help each other all year long.
Thanks to feedback from hundreds of photographers, Skip’s Summer School has become a hub for education, networking and expanding everyone’s marketing and business skills. This year we’re going to take it to a completely different level and help photographers expand their shooting and marketing skills with a more intense experience. If the last three years was Summer School for the “under-graduate” then this year it’s Graduate School!
I hope to see you there!
WPPI 2012 Las Vegas Itinerary
Out + About 0
Tue 02.07.2012
My tough-as-nails schedule often keeps me tethered to my studio until the wee hours of the morning. My social life (or lack thereof) has seriously taken a hit due to the demands of being a serious creative and entrepreneur.
WPPI’s convention in Vegas seamlessly blends my joint passion for hard work and hard partying (finally, I can get out!)—I don’t care if it sounds cliché, it’s 100-percent true. The whole affair is teeming with photographers just crazy enough to throw every ounce of their passion into growing their business. WPPI is where like minds can join forces to collaborate, inspire one another and, yes, talk shop over a stiff martini with two olives. In fact, it’s our inalienable right.
Below, scope out all the highlights of my planned itinerary at WPPI 2012, with highlights including my Platform Class on savvy use of social media, two days of judging, a special TWiT Photo Episode, and plenty of free evenings for indulgence in my aforementioned elixir of choice. Business and pleasure, if you’re doing it right, always join forces.
Many of WPPI’s Platform Classes are going to fill up quickly. I encourage you to act fast! Register via Pre-Board here.
Worldwide Photowalk SF 2011: Here’s What You Missed
Contests, Out + About 3
Thu 10.20.2011
Ever since I got on Google+, which is a great platform for photographers and a great way to admire a plethora of crisp and large images, I’ve caught on to the Photowalk bug. A few weekends ago, my team and I organized our first Photowalk at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco – part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk initiative – and we had a great time exchanging pointers on photography as well as getting to know all our participants. We ended the day feeling really good about the event, but imagine our surprise when we logged into Google+ and saw all the exceptional photographs that resulted from our walk. As promised, we selected two winners for our Photowalk contest – Father-Photographer-Realtor-Golfer-Geek-Author-Fly Fisherman Keith Cuddeback (image, top) and New Media Designer Karaminder Ghuman.
See 12 honorable mentions below and visit our Photowalk album to see other entries. In addition, Rohith Thumati , we will be sending you a Lowepro strap as a token of our appreciation for being such an awesome contributor. Don’t forget to scroll down to see a summary of the events of the day ☺
When we pulled into the winding roads of Golden Gate Park, my lighting director, Ryan, studio manager Trish, her boyfriend Mark and I were all pleasantly surprised at the ease with which we were able to find a parking spot. Right then, I knew the day was going to be fabulous! For days leading up to my first Photo Walk ever, we were concerned about all the possible odds that were stacked against us that coming weekend. There was the Strictly Hardly Bluegrass Festival, which reportedly expected 700,000 people blocks down the same park. There was the possible fog so famously celebrated yet dreaded at the same time in San Francisco. And, yes, there’s the parking situation – or perhaps more appropriately, the lack of parking in the city, especially at the weekends.
Against all these odds, we enjoyed a few hours of gorgeous, sunny weather, starting at the Japanese Tea Garden, where we had a fun group shot taken by contest winner Keith Cuddeback and everywhere you turned, there was someone with a camera! At the De Young Museum, I gave an unconventional portraiture lesson using Trish as my model and Ryan also gave a lighting lesson nearby at the Music Concourse Bandshell, where we shared our tips on our favorite California Sunbounce reflector. It wasn’t just all lessons on photography of course; everyone had a blast getting to know each other over drinks at The Little Shamrock just outside of the Golden Gate Park – see more images by superb photographer Carl Costas here. Thanks to everyone for coming out this year and to my team for putting this awesome event together – until next year!
