Happy Birthday Willie

Willie. April 2003 © Allison V. Smith

Happy 77th Birthday Willie!

I shot the above photo of Willie Nelson's monogramed new balance shoes during a concert- assignment for the Dallas Morning News in 2003. Deal with it,

Willie is pretty much the coolest guy ever.

Loving County

Loving County. April 2010. © Allison V. Smith

I spent all day Monday shooting photographs in Loving County , Texas. Above some iPhone outtakes from my awesome adventure. More to follow.

Obama and Medvedev shaking hands on a nuclear arms reduction pact. April 2010. © Doug Mills/New York Times

I am totally digging this photograph by Doug Mills that ran on the the front page of the New York Times a few weeks back. I keep coming back and looking at this image. It's really beautiful.

From the Files

Kiki Smith. 1997. Modern Art Museum. Fort Worth, Texas © Allison V. Smith

NOLA

Vaughans & 9th ward. April 2010 @ Allison V. Smith

NOLA

Big E's Cousin & Treme Street April 2010 @ Allison V. Smith

NOLA

Vaughans & Freddie. New Orleans. 2010 © Allison V. Smith

Film fun day for sure. Above some photos from last weekend in New Orleans. I picked up two rolls today from the lab and the highlight was looking at the contact sheet for the first time. I'll post a few more in the morning.

NOLA

New Orleans 2010 © Allison V. Smith

to do list: pick up film from New Orleans.

Above a few iphone shots from a visually inspiring weekend in Nola.

From the Files

Panos Artist. 1998 ©Allison V. Smith

solitary confinement. 1998 ©Allison V. Smith

Death Row. 1998 ©Allison V. Smith

Inspired by my recent obsession with The Wire, I decided to blog some photographs that I shot 12 years ago as part of a project on Texas prisons. I google searched the names of the 2 men playing handball on death row and according to Texas records , they were both executed in early 2000. Slightly Haunting.

Dear Bill Cunningham,

Dear Bill Cunningham © Allison V. Smith

Watching Bill Cunningham New York premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival Thursday night, inspired me to send Bill Cunningham a thank you letter and a copy of Reflection of a Man. If you get a chance to see this documentary about this legendary New York Times photographer in the theater, don't miss it.

Yo Phos!

Record Store © Katy Wood

Last month I was asked to be one the judges for a high school photography competition

called "Retail as Art". Read more here.

Tonight the winners will be exhibited at Design Within Reach in Dallas.

The event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8.

Above one of my favorites by Arts Magnet photo student, Katy Wood.

The Havana

Hotel Havana. April 2010. © Allison V. Smith

Just home from a day & a half in San Antonio shooting the new and improved Hotel Havana. Another inspiring Bunkhouse Management production. The Havana's saturated and laid back vibe were fun to photograph. Above are some outtakes shot with my iPhone (sorry, I'm addicted). See other Bunkhouse productions that I have shot here and here.

to flickr or not to flickr?

La Reunion. March 2010. © Allison V. Smith

La Reunion. March 2010. © Allison V. Smith

to flickr or not to flickr?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I posted a few new photos on flickr last night, the first time in months. My dear flickr friend, Trey Kazee, was the first to leave a comment asking " are you coming back to flickr?? "

Not sure I ever left. There is a certain hesitation though.

Just curious how others feel about flickr. Above photographs from an open house at La Reunion. One photo I posted on flickr and one I did not.