The Levi’s Photo Workshop opened last night with a show entitled New Work New York curated by Tim Barber and deejayed by my friends at Chances with Wolves.

Rent iconic cameras, use their printers, backdrop, lights; it’s a photographers paradise and we are all invited to use it.

Levi’s Photo Workshop
18 Wooster Street
New York, NY  10013 map

For the past several months a lot of my time has been devoted to curating, planning and organizing the 99% conference and it’s finally all happening this Thursday and Friday, 16 and 17 April.

A different approach to the conference scene, we joined forces with Behance, the organizational gurus of the creative class, to look at how the inspiring art, design and culture that Cool Hunting features comes to be. We’ve assembled a diverse cast of speakers to present on the successful execution of creative ideas. Each will attest to their own unique take on productivity, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their process and how their ideas come to life.

As equally inspiring perhaps as the speakers and their ideas themselves, the two-day event will be held in Renzo Piano’s new stunning NY Times Center and we’ve got a few other surprises up our sleeve.

More info is available at The 99 Percent Conference site. We’re almost sold out!

The 99% Conference
16-17 April 2009
NYTimes Center
242 West 41st Street
New York, NY 10036 map

The enterprenurial spirit of D.C was the best. I could purchase anything remotely Obama related on any corner. The prices weren’t bad either. As one vendor put it, “stimulate the economy right here!”

Two ladies from Alabama came up and signed a 2 week lease at 15th and U Street to open this Everything Obama Store.

You gotta get your commemorative paper.

I think the hand warmers were the best seller for the day. I walked away with this New Car scent air freshener. Wish I had bought the Obama cologne too.

Getting into the designated areas—the mall and parade grounds—was, at times, hopeless. Considering the anticipation of the event I thought D.C could’ve done a better job in planning for and managing the 1.8 million people. There was no signage or announcements to help direct people, which led to rumors amongst the crowd of gates closing, which line this really was, what the correct entrance is for the purple seats and so forth. There weren’t nearly enough metal detector gates to check each and every individual—which is expected and appreciated. And it was cold.

But I would do it all over again. People helped each other out, we sang songs, bought each other Barackwursts—it’s something I’ll remember forever.

The Gates.

Secret Service worked efficiently.

On the other side.

A Jeep on steroids.

Finally at our seats!

Maryland Transit Administration’s 1957 GMC Bus. A decal on the side reads, “It All Started on a Bus; Rosa Parks; 1913-2005; The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”

The President’s motorcade approaches.

The crowd on the 701 Building looks on.

On the lookout.

Nicholas Trotta, the assistant director for the office of protective operations, comments “although many of the vehicles’ security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car’s security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world.” A hybrid between a Cadillac’s STS and DTS luxury sedans, I can only imagine the interior. Read more at Detnews.

Mr. President and the First Lady.

Onward and upward.

A big big shout to David Fischer, Jeff Carvalho, Nick Schonberger and the whole Titel crew for inviting me on to write. It’s an honor to be a part of this group and to contribute.

What follows will be a compilation of things that inspire me mixed in with some random thoughts. Here we go… 

-tim