inspiration Archive - Our World Insideout

Archive for the ‘inspiration’ Category

silver award in paris

Posted on: June 22nd, 2011 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

i am crying. i guess i didn't realize how much my heart is in this work. i'm incredibly honored. Our World Insideout : Brazil has been awarded a silver in this years px3 competition. i may just be on my way to france soon!

"Px3 asked each judge to use the same criteria when reviewing the photographs: originality, creativity, excellence of execution, and overall impact. The identity of all photographers is not shown during the voting process to insure fairness and the integrity of the competition."

thank you dearly to all of you who supporter me via Kickstarter, & to those from around the US, Central America and all over Brazil that made this possible. my dreams just got bigger, and very much because of you….

Our World Insideout is currently working in conjunction with a Rio based organization, Chiq da Silva, to project the imagery on the side of the most popular squatted government building. The goal is to raise awareness & the necessary funds to finally build the first centralized urban public housing in Rio. In addition the documentary is in it's final stage of subtitling!!! thank you Isabela Alzuguir!

Spread the word. If you'd like to be involved, with the Chicago portion, I am currently looking for a story to cover & submit to two editors. I am excited to work towards awareness & change in my own hometown. Please contact me here if you have a story to share: alyssa@ourworldinsideout.com

.t h a n k y o u world.

commission your own art

Posted on: May 18th, 2011 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

i’m so excited to showcase this piece, as a limited edition large print. in the beginning of this year i was commissioned to create a piece for a special place. below is the what won my clients over. as some of your know, conor is graduating this year from law school & i am supper proud of him. his graduation gift is a trip to hong kong, & with it i will be taking film once again. if you are interested in a commissioned piece, please let the studio know (studio@alyssamiserendino.com) and we’d be happy to arrange a site visit to your personal space you are looking to fill with a little magic…

the magic was in the creation. conor & i decided it was time after a couple days in Yagon to visit the breath taking Shwedagon Paya. not realizing it was right down the street from where we were staying, we walked on over and wandered around in amazement. we happened to be there on a day when they light the entire place with candles. we had no idea this was about to start at sun down. as usual i went into my own mode with a film hasselblad in hand and decided to just sit in the middle of it all, on the floor. watching as tourists, locals, and monks passed through the frame, it was like watching my own little movie pass through the view finder. not more than a minute into it, the people parted in synchronicity, as a monk decided to stand dead center for long enough for me to create an image with a slow shutter. his friend approached us shortly after, and started to explain how we are all connected. i started tearing up as he continued to speak, in an absolute moment of all encompassing love for the world internally. conor & i were then treated to a personal tour of Shwedagon, as his friend who is pictured here followed close behind, taking in everything around him… it was one of the most amazing moments of our trip.

NYPF 2011

Posted on: May 18th, 2011 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

my brain is spinning with ideas, conversations, controversy, & more than anything appreciation & inspiration. i was really touched by some of the artists who were brought to NYPF this year, not to mention some of the honesty {& frustration} spoken from photo editors & critics. after three straight days in lectures, i can honestly say, i was happy to be inside for a good chunk the day, being a sponge — it was truly decadent.

t h a n k y o u to all of those that came to share. check em out below!

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buddhism in bangkok

Posted on: January 26th, 2011 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

from the steps of the Four Seasons Hotel to a McDonald's public stage … no matter what time of day, people stopped, silenced themselves, & payed respect. it was a beautiful thing to witness, in the most ironic of places, in a terribly chaotic city of constant motion & noise.

i felt so incredibly welcome by the people of countries i visited, where Buddhism was practiced by the majority of the population. it's got me thinking that its about time i made a visit to Bhutan too. And funny enough, I have this longing for the people of Burma. i miss them, i miss strangers i barely know. i was shocked back to reality the moment i stepped foot in a US airport with two crude interactions with individuals. the first, i stood my ground, the second, i said nothing & moved on. somehow i don't believe i am meant to stay here in the US too long … i certainly do not want to revert back to reaction when sometimes silence can feel so comforting – for everyone involved…

another scale of happiness

Posted on: November 20th, 2010 by alyssa miserendino 1 Comment

a few years ago, conor & i spent new years in berlin. as usual, while conor combs the guide books for a place to eat, i always look for the little unique boutiques. my favorites are always paper stores, & conor has learned he can't fight me on this one, otherwise i'll simply be moved to carry even more cards & paper items home. r.s.v.p. is that little place off the beaten path (and here is the best part) with a beautifully p a r e d down collection of paper, cards, calendars, & albums from artists (along with a few of the daily staples too). walking in, i was immediatly drawn to the simplicity of one woman's work, su-pyo, both visually & through her tag line that reads "another scale of happiness." i absolutely adore her phrase….

a couple of her intricate drawings with her tag line sits on my office shelves in white frames….

in the last year i have been following her online galleries, and this one by far is one of my favorites : Wandering into the Wall. enjoy!

playing favorites

Posted on: November 5th, 2010 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

i've had a pretty blessed year. perhaps it's because i've gotten married to my best friend for the second time, in an industry i never really believed in, which had driven me away from photographing weddings after almost 10 years. yet, i have created some of the most identity driven self portraits of myself through client's love (t h a n k y o u to the below) – both in love of a partner or child … or in my personal work. but i get it now. or perhaps i just enjoy knowing myself through this lens. its like a secret i'm not sure how to tell - but through loving myself more & more, i love my imagery more. and even when i dont know what i'm doing, even better:) i turn 30 in a couple of days & i couldn't be happier. in the most ironic of places, the work i've run so far from in order to do a better job, makes me smile again – who knows, perhaps i'll get to teach a class about it soon (live out loud).

happy birthday & t h a n k y o u world. i look forward to growing old with you all.

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play to the beat of your own drum

Posted on: October 27th, 2010 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

there is a little gem on 22nd & michigan. it was introduced to me by mark hetzel, a friend & aspiring gifted photographer a few months back. fred anderson, the voice behind the famous velvet lounge, recently died this spring. mark & i decided to document some of the players; those that keep it running today, along with the dedicated staff. please keep it alive by supporting it … experimental jazz that makes you vibrate…

"The Velet Lounge is one of those places where they were able to play their craft, feel confident in what they were doing, and play their own music in thier own way. So I think that should be my legacy. It will be going on for generations and generations." -fred anderson

thank you mark for introducing me to this & for teaching me to see a little different with my ears.

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david barry

Posted on: October 13th, 2010 by alyssa miserendino No Comments

is a professional squash photographer – he is squash fan … no … not the fruits that are growing this time of year, but rather the sport. when angela, david's daughter approached me to photographer her wedding, i had no idea it would grow into such a supportive relationship. david has helped me shoot a wedding this year, and i had the opportunity to photograph the US open with him at millennium park. it wasn't easy, but a great deal of fun to capture an event that moves incredibly fast, from a small 2 foot square space in the bottom corner of the front wall (as you can see below from where david is sitting) t h a n k y o u david for the incredibly challenging experience!

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a little help from my friends

Posted on: October 3rd, 2010 by alyssa miserendino 1 Comment

this was the beautiful surprise our friends gave us …

captured by our talented photographers, heather & jon

john karambelas

Posted on: August 24th, 2010 by alyssa miserendino 1 Comment

and i sat next to each other on a plane about a year ago. we were both leaving chicago & headed towards boston. the night prior, i had only managed to squeeze in 2 hours of sleep because of a deadline – but as the universe would have it, it wasn't time for me to sleep … just yet. i have a tendency to strike up conversations with complete strangers, no matter where i am. yet, despite my sleepiness, again i started talking, and john happened to be a talker too. in addition, john is a self taught photographer & jewelry designer/creator, who a while back worked exclusively with hassleblad film cameras (my favorite!). needless to say, with 20 min to go as we descended, i closed my eyes to drift off for just a bit – smiling – i had found the man who was going to make my husband a wedding ring. i knew only a few people could pull it off. i had the design, and it needed a precise creator, and a lover of mechanics to make it work. a year and a half after the day we got married – conor finally has a wedding ring that he loves!

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