It’s Legal but it’s not really graffiti:

Techniques of fine art photography are being adapted by street art culture into what is being referred to as light graffiti. This technique is done with long exposure photos in which the artist draws with a light source and the lens of the camera captures the light’s path. It by no means is a new tactic in photography, but it is being adapted and becoming popular within the street art community.

The greatest thing about this is that it’s legal. You aren’t leaving any paint behind and there is not vandalism associated with this medium. I also like it because it is a creative and thoughtful approach to making something new. The other biggest difference is that you don’t need a wall to paint on. Light graffiti can take advantage of drawing in air and has allowed for interaction of other objects within the composition.

My biggest problem with light graffiti is that you aren’t leaving anything behind. The earliest forms of modern graffiti were all about “bombing” the city and putting your name everywhere for recognition. There is also something to be said about the illegality of it and the balls that it takes to do that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the people that go around writing their name on every sign they see, but I think the more muralist forms of graffiti can be some of the more profound forms of art that there are. They reach a large number of people and impact their opinions on the community around them. Real graffiti is about living within that community and it’s interaction with passers by. The only place where light graffiti can live is within a blog or someone’s portfolio. This is boring and has very little attitude. The real challenge, without leaving a $2,000 projector behind to be stolen in the street, is how light can be used in a more permanent way for me people to see and interact with.

These rough concept drawings are on our conference room wall, and they made me laugh. Mostly because all 4 of these dog events happen at my home more frequently then I care to admit.

Project details removed to protect the innocent.

1. Dog whizzin’ on the coffee table.

2. Crotch sniffing

3. Draggin’ your butt.

4. Doggy Leg Hump.

Random capitalization makes me crazy. It’s everywhere. Menus, office Signs, Blog postings, ads, even newspapers.
WTf?
I can understand poor grammar. And even though it makes me cringe, I’ve come to accept misspelled words as the bastard child of an outcome-based education system and the proliferation of a text/im society. But where do Kids learn to capitalize so poorly? Probably from their Teachers who probably learned from their Teachers. Hell, with the way English is taught in most schools today, it’s a wonder we can still communicate with the written Word.
And it’s not just kids. Go on a web site, read a professional letter or pick up a brochure. Bet you can find more than a few capitalization blunders.
So, you want to improve your Capitalization skills? Here’s a start: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/
I welcome your feedback along with any capitalization faux pas you happen across. Post them here. Together maybe we can make the World a more correctly capitalized place.

I’ve always held the belief that you can’t polish a turd. I mean, how many times have we advertising professionals heard that phrase from creative directors, partners, cohorts and clients’ wives?

Well, after watching an episode of Mythbusters recently, I learned that you actually can polish poop. Adam and Jamie, the show’s hosts, buff up a chunk of lion dung.

So, maybe there’s hope for all the lame concepts out there? Maybe writers or art directors or creative directors or even – dare I say it – clients will be inspired to one day wake up and say; “you know I should really find another word besides ‘quality’ to use in that tagline.” Or, “that visual of two guys shaking hands could be improved if I just put in a little effort.”

Oh, who am I kidding? We need and love these advertising droppings. They’re cheap entertainment. And they make us feel better about our own crappy work. So I say let the turds flow. And next time your creative director calls your work shit, take it as a compliment.