Pink Bedroom Party

A slide for the Pink Bedroom party projected 10 feet on the wall.

This whole week I've been fighting a dreaded cold that was introduced to me by a really sick projectionist (Bob) on the saturday of the Hard Liquor and Porn film fest. We were stuck in the tiny projection room together for a few hours. While he was hacking up a lung I tried to think that the germs would keep away from me while I worked the computer gear. No such luck. As the week progressed so did the cold.

I may not have gotten the cold from Bob. I could have picked it up any any number of places or people. Now that I think about it there were finger food sandwiches during fashion week. Maybe some sicko came into contact with a sandwich or touched a pop can. Who knows. The end result is the same.

Tonight I felt a pressure behind my left eye. Kind of like a headache thing but not quite. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Then that itchy throat thing starts up. By this point I knew that by the time I woke up the next day I'd be 100% sick. Great.

Still, I was told to take pictures at the Pink Bedroom Party. I was also told it would be fun and there would be food for the press. Well I can't argue with food and even though we were fed okay during fashion week, the tiny finger sized sandwiches and wraps were starting to get to me.

The party was conveniently located across the street at the Liberty Grand. That made the decision to go a bit easier. Plus there was food. I wondered over. By the time I got there people had already gotten their seats and were just starting to get fed. I raced around looking for Juliet my Juicy Stuff editor and found that I had gotten there before her. That was okay as I used the time to scope out the place to figure out where to drop off my camera gear that I'd been lugging around all day during fashion week.

There was a media floor but it didn't look like it was being used. I didn't want to leaave my laptop and monopod just sitting there by themselves so I lugged them back down stairs and stashed them next to the make shift operations area where the lighting and sound were being controlled from.

As I fiddled with backing up files and getting things packed up the key note speech started. A few companies were introduced with their people. I thought I heard a familiar name and looked toward the stage. "Is that Rita?" I thought to myself. It was at that moment that the giant projection changed to show a slide with Rita's name on it.


Rita Silvan talks to the audience.

Rita and I used to work together in the early 90s at a company that put on conferences. I had seen her maybe once or twice since then but fell out of touch as I changed my career into the exciting world of visual effects. It was nice to see her after all these years and she looked the same. A sophisticated, intellectual, woman with a kindness that sort of just oozes out of her. It figures that she's the editor of Elle canada. We didn't get to jab much as I got sucked away to take pictures of the event. Mental note: I'll have to try contacting her for lunch or something one of these days to catch up.

After all the big wigs finished their speech on thanking people on donating money to help wipe out breast cancer food was served. I initially decided not to eat and started taking a few shots of other people eating and enjoying themselves. A few minuted into this and I was asked by Patrick, another photographer, if I wanted to join him and some other press people at a table. My stomach took over whatever decision making my brain had and I sat down in front of a thick steak. The food was pretty amazing.

The price tag was $250.00 a seat. Well it is a charity function after all. After the dinner a small staged production of of girl on a bed ensued. She had some dream that involved dancing and showacasing the Jeanne Lottie purses. As a photographer I wasn't really sure what to shoot. The dancing was kind of all over the place and the lighting was terrible. On top of that I was a bit wiped out from the oncoming cold.


What's a Pink Bedroom Party without a bed and pink lighting?


Jeanne Lottie purses on display

Once the little purse performance was over Jack Soul hit the stage, bars were open for drinks and people started getting out of their seats to schmooze and dance. I found the people friendly and tried to get into some meaningful conversations with some pretty girls before getting dragged away by Juliet to shoot some famous type people. Such is the life of a photographer.


Jack Soul performs some jazzy tunes


The Pink Bedroom Motorola girls

A few people managed to leave with the Christmas tree-like table ornament. It was won as part of a lottery for each table. Kind of neat. It would have been neat to win one but then I thought where would I put it. I've already got enough stuff that sits around collecting dust. Eventually I decided it was time to go home and upon exiting the building I was handed a rather large gift bag filled with mainly hair product.


A cool Christmas tree.