A short film adapted from the story “What is Your Favorite War” appearing in Annalemma Issue Seven: Endurance.
Written by Joe Meno
Directed by Tom Blandford
Music by Peter Andreadis
Filmed and Edited by Ben Reed

It's been almost a year since I've made any updates, shame on me! Nonetheless, these hands have not been idle. I've been doing lots of shooting for various editorial clients like Time Out Chicago, DEMO Magazine, and Insight Magazine as well as some marketing and advertising work for Plan B and Event Architects. A couple of these projects even landed me in Barcelona, Spain; Istanbul, Turkey; and Palm Beach, Florida. It's been quite a year.

In addition, I've redesigned my website to focus 100% on photography, I've added a tumblr blog, which I'll use to propagate an endless stream of my snapshots as well as other interesting internet hors d'oeuvres, and last but not least, I've made this site compatible with most smart phones!

Please subscribe to my RSS feed if you'd like to stay updated, follow me on tumblr if you'd like to be inundated, or become a fan on facebook if that's your thing.

Here's a photo I took of Paula Haney, the owner of Hoosier Mama Pie Company. Head over to Time Out Chicago to read the full story about her new storefront.

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.” Be sure to get out there and support your local independent record store...can't think of anything to buy? Check out Pitchfork's Record Store Day Round-up.

Why so quiet on the blog you ask? I've been busy burning the midnight oil on some big projects that I'm just finishing up. First, I've been working on a website for Bicycle Life Coaching, my wife's new Life Coaching business. Second, I made a clean and simple portfolio site for Tom Blandford, a copywriting/directing/acting/photoing/voiceovering extraordinaire. And last but not least, I've been working on album layouts for two great Chicago bands Baby Teeth and JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. I'll be sharing those soon...now back to work!

Do you hunger for something in your life but aren't sure what it is or how to make it happen? The thought-provoking and creative process of life coaching will help you achieve whatever it is you want for your life – and will reveal new possibilities by calling you to your potential.

In 1969 a 14-year-old kid snuck into John Lennon's hotel room and convinced him to do an interview. This animated short film was recently made using that interview as the soundtrack. Great interview, amazing animation, it's worth the five minutes.

Just finished work on a new site for Smith and Larkin Interior Design. Intended to create a clean, simple, and professional site that would appeal to both their commercial and residential clients, as well as echo their interior design style. Took special care with cross-browser / flash version / and javascript compatibility. Let me know what you think!

Smith and Larkin combines interior design expertise with the intimacy of a small firm to create sophisticated and inviting spaces.

As far as I'm concerned, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is one of the greatest albums of all time. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Van's label didn't promote the album back in '68, so it was never performed live until last week at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Wish I was there.

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Ballerina, live at The Hollywood Bowl

This is a welcomed opportunity for me to perform these songs the way I originally intended them to be. It's about the world of creation and of the imagination: That is what a song is, a little movie with melodies and music built around it, poetry in moving pictures in the mind... In the 60's and 70's the record companies did not support the music, so I never got to take these songs on tour, and I certainly did not have the money to do it. These songs are as timeless and fresh right now as the day they were written and I am happy about taking them to the Hollywood Bowl.