So anyway back to the photography thing. I was approached about doing an Oscar viewing party. It was sponsored by Moet, the official drink of the Oscars. It was a new concept, one that truthfully I wasn’t sure could be pulled off.  (Alright, up until this point I typed the whole thing on the phone, trying out Swype the keyboard from that commercial about setting the record for the fastest text message ever, I’m not that fast with it still, time for a real keyboard)  The concept was to have a red carpet outside and have some photographers out there shooting photos like crazy, flashes going off, etc, give it that red carpet feel. The problem, I was supposed to figure out how to make that work. Luckily I had two friends willing to come out and help and even more luckily one of them had his own SLR to shoot some photos with.

Once inside people would stand in front of the Moet / Academy Awards wall and get their photo taken. I’d work inside and take some photos of people enjoying themselves and some of the surroundings. Still I wasn’t sure two people would be enough to give it that “red carpet” feel.

Luckily the response was great, two cameras / cameramen were enough to give people that wow feel. While my two buddies worked the crowd outside I offered up photos to all that wanted them inside. During down times I walked around and snapped some more photos of people and once the party was really started I got to kick back, relax, drink some Moet and Belvedere and eat some delicious food. After some relaxing, back out there to shoot a few more photos. All in all it was a really fun party, branding wasn’t as easy to come by as the 42Below event which meant the photos and angles weren’t nearly as easy to come by. Here are some of the results:

A nice chilled bottle of champagne... mmm, headache here I come

More photos and final thoughts after the fold…

Yeah, that's an official Academy Award booklet. I have an extra or two if anyone would like one.

Follow the yellow brick road... it leads to the end of the buffet line.

Thank you for dressing up, it makes my life easier.

Another bottle of Moet with a more colorful background.

Thank you, again bartender, labels out!

There are many more photos to be found, especially of attendees, I am hosting them for all the party attendees for the next three months. Not every party can be as decked out as the 42Below event but its in the job description to make it work and to find the angles.

Anyway, just so happens that no photographer had been booked for the event. I pulled up FrittsPhoto.com on the iPhone and gave him a business card.  A few days later I had officially booked the event. Justin wanted photos of everything, the decorations, the promo girls, the bartenders, the judges, the cocktails, everything.  It was going to be a long night. The event went off without a hitch though although it did run a little long.

I carried two bodies, my 5DmkII, 40D, 24-70mm 2.8 L, 70-200mm 2.8 IS L, 50mm 1.8 and my 580EX II as my extra light and a monopod.

42Below bottle, bar tending kit and 42Below wall projection

More photos and final thoughts after the fold…

42Below Ice Bucket, Shaker, Muddler in front of the ice sculpture

42Below pour, thanks bartender guy. Labels out!

42Below Custom Guitar for the winner with a back bar filled with 42Below vodka

42Below bartender preps his station before competition

Another 42Below competitor (Mark Stoddard) preps.

Tiki glasses and flowers were in favor

A true 42Below cocktail, sprinkled on top was cinnamon and nutmeg over a stencil.

Hosea Rosenberg, Top Chef Season 5 Winner, and other judges ask questions of one of the competitors.

The Winner of the Denver competition, Mark Stoddard

The top three of the Denver competition. Center, Right, will be going to compete in New York.

More photos from the event