chase the light

I found Tiki Bar TV via an iTunes podcast several years ago. It was one of the first video podcasts so I subscribed. I like the show but know it’s not to everyone’s taste. It’s kinda looooww budget. But come on! It’s a tiki bar! They prescribe drinks to solve problems! It’s made in someone’s apartment! They’re canadian!

There’s usually one episode a month or so. Well, this week I was sitting at new work and stopped by the website and noticed they were having a DVD release party just a few miles from work. I thought I’d just go have a visit and also get to check out a long time Tiki Bar in North Hollywood. I rsvp’d through Upcoming.com and went about my business. On Wednesday, the new camera flash and wireless transmitter I ordered arrived and I set it up that night. I thought, oh, tomorrow’s the Tiki thing I should take my new flash set up and shoot some photos! Perfect opportunity!

I did a drive-by of the Tonga Hut but was hungry first so I grabbed a little Pollo Loco beforehand. I found a spot to park right outside the bar. I slung my camera around my shoulder and carried my flash in my hand. Nobody was outside but the bar was plenty full. I walked through until I ended up near the back and a slightly frantic woman spots me with my camera gear and ask me if I’m the press!! I kinda laugh and say no. She goes, “oh, you’re a fan? You have a big camera I thought you might be press. Can you take photos tonight???” Um… yeah… was kinda just going to hang out briefly then… I dunno… kinda tired really… Just then, Rachel hands me her card and starts giving me sheets of paper of what’s going on tonight, who’ll be there, arrivals and such. She was a publicist that was helping out a publicist friend of hers who wasn’t able to make it. I realized I wasn’t really prepared for shooting all night. The camera battery was only half charged and I’d been firing the flash off all day just messing around with it. I had also shot a bunch of pictures on the smallest card I have and only had 30 shots left!

Soo… I ran down the street to the gas station and bought some AA batteries for the flash and fortunately had my camera charger in the car WITH an extra battery. I found a plug along the wall and started charging and hoping my other battery would hold out. Then I started looking through the photos on the card a deleted anything that wasn’t essential. Which was a lot, because some I could actually reshoot the next day. Just things around work. I ended up with room for about 150 photos. But at least now I’m ready!

Dr. Tiki and some of the cast shows up so we run outside and I start firing away and the flash works beautifully! My camera battery never runs down and by the end of the night I shot all 150 of those photos. I got home packaged them up and sent them off to the publicist that night! Who knows, right? Just being professional about it all.

I picked up a t-shirt and had the cast sign my DVD before I headed out very pleased with myself. And to think, earlier as I was sitting there enjoying my El Pollo Loco chicken breast, salad, and veggies I was so tired I almost went home.