Yet again I succumb to the power of the Apple marketing machine

Arrgh damn that Steve Jobs and its esthetically pleasing design company aka Apple Computer. I certainly didn’t plan to buy a new toy from Apple today but I went from accidently clicking on one of those iTunes emails that tell you about all that music just begging to be downloaded and put onto that amazing iPod. To browsing the new slicker Macbook Pro, 17“ unibody design marvel. Do I need it? No, will my clients and friends marvel at my latest toy of course. So $3500 later I’m waiting 4-5 weeks for my new laptop I don’t need. Nothing like reinforcing that buyers remorse with a 4-5 week delay in seeing that impulse buy land on your doorstep. I guess it’ll give me time to sell all those other Apple gadgets I’ve purchased under similar circumstances.

Which brings me to Confessions of a Shopaholic, So yes I’ll be there watching the movie on opening day, hiding there during a matinee performance in case I happen to run into one of the guys going to watch Paul Blart: Mall Cop and having to lie about what I’m really there to see. My dirty little secret, its like porn for me. While my friends where buying Terminator pack, the first blu-ray movie I purchased was ”The Devil wears Prada“. You’d think I’d like to take a rest from anything fashion related but nope I lap them up. I’m hoping I’ll learn something about myself and forever rid myself of my buy anything Apple make ways.

Well until I’m off to see if there is an update on my Apple purchase, maybe they’ve update my ship date…….

Phoenix followup

So the images from Phoenix look great, sent out everyone proofs. Get an email from B Love, the owner of the location we shot at, and she wants to use a couple of the images in a piece of art. I’ve heard of TFP/CD before but never Trade for Art. So of course I cant wait to see what she does with it. I’ll post an image once she’s down.

Creative Spotlight : Agyness Deyn (Fashion Model)

So this month I wanted to shine my spotlight on Agyness Deyn a 25 year old British model she got her break when she was signed by Models 1 in London, and has since been on the cover of US, British, Italian and even Korean Vogue and worked with a huge list of designers Anna Sui, Blugirl by Blumarine, Burberry, Cacharel, Gianfranco Ferré, Moussy, Maison Gilfy, Shiseido, Giorgio Armani, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Reebok and Vivienne Westwood. The face of Burburry’s “The Beat” fragrance. She been often referenced as the next version of one of my other favourite models Kate Moss. Could be the because she’s British, the love of musicians who knows but shes an amazing model in her own right.

Here is a profile vogue did on her, let me know your opinions.

Photoshoot in Phoenix

Went to do a test shoot in Phoenix to try out some ideas that wanted out. I worked Jodi Carey (Makeup), Shannon Campbell (Wardrobe) and Daniela Lazar (Model from Ford). We shoot at a great location in Glendale called An Art Affair which was designed by Will Bruder, its one of those locations that for some strange reason hasnt been discovered and shot to death. Many thanks to B Love for letting up use the location all day.

We shot five sets and everyone worked really hard, I love it when you do a test shoot and everyone treats it as if it’s a commercial shoot. Daniela is a great model. She was telling me she was heading to LA to looking to sign with an agency, cant wait to see what she’s up to in a company of years. I’ve never seen a wardrobe stylist bring so much clothing to a photoshoot that they had only 24 hours of notice of, truly amazing. I’m honored to have Jodi Carey as a friend as well as someone I get to work with. She really talented and super creative, plus doesnt mind telling me when I’m missing something or even if I’m flat out wrong. I realize this entry has become a cheerleading exercise but it truly was a fantastic experience working with everyone. So the least I could possibly do let everyone know how highly I recommend them all.

Seven photographs that changed the fashion

So I just finished watching a BBC show called “Seven Photographs that Changed Fashion”. The show takes us through British fashion photography Rankin recreation of seven of his favourite fashion images. He first does it with the technology of the day and then with the equipment he is currently using when he shoots. Everything from Cecil Beaton’s 1934 “Hat Box” with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, as the model, I’m so in love with Sophie, to more modern images such as Herb Ritt’s “Fred with Tires”.

The behind the scenes stuff is very funny especially he’s banter with David Bailey, Rankin is a fantastic photography but without a doubt you can tell he was just a tad intimidated by David Bailey as we all would be I think. You can see the individual recreations here at the Daily Telegraphs site. If you have access to it I’d highly recommend catching the show, its a nice break from all the fashion reality shows that I deny I watch. Really I dont watch any of them. 😉

Creative Spotlight : Gray Scott (Fashion Photography)

So this month I’m spotlighting fashion photographer along with Francis Hills, Gray have been the most amazing photographers I have meet in the industry. Gray is work is unbelievable, he is a true groundbreaking. He’ll hate me for saying that but the mannequin look at you see other photographers shooting now days, that’s Gray’s creation. He brought that to us and everyone else has just blatantly ripped it off. He’s work is so distinct that you don’t even need to see the byline you know who’s work it is. Gray would describe himself as an artist and he truly is. Which you’ll see from the film shorts he’s directed.
He is one of the few photographers that has inspired me more than any other. Dont get me wrong I love the work of Cecil Beaton, David Bailey, Herb Ritz, David LaChapelle etc but Gray was one of the first photographers that I found accessible. That wasn’t too important to answer probably some really lame questions I shot him in an email and I’d always appreciate that. I traded back a forth fifteen or so emails and he always replied prompted and answer any question I had of him.

Anyway check out his interview for Livebooks who hosts his site.

Christmas

Well I hope everyone had a great christmas, I went home to London to be with my family and friends. It was a great refresher, I purposely did not take my camera with me so I couldn’t shot. Of course that didn’t stop be being inspired by everything around me. I think it by the third day of me pointing out great shoot locations everyone was ready to kill me. Funny how you dont notice the things under your nose sometimes, nothing like spending twenty years some not to notice anything around you.

Hensel’s portable lighting rig just became a little bit more portable

So Hensel, the brand of lighting I use, just managed to take their portable lighting setup and make it even smaller. I managed to get a Porty 12, which was even harder than getting an iPhone of the first day of sale! This thing is tiny its has the power of its big brother which now seems huge. I threw the pack, all the cables and two heads into a carry for my last time to New York and its was still small enough to fit in the overhead compartment!! Good luck getting your hands on one but once you do you’ll wonder how you survived without it!

Creative Spotlight : Hussein Chalayan (Fashion Designer)

Vodpod videos no longer available.

So without a doubt Hussein Chalayan is one of my favourite designers, Hussein Chalayan marks 15 years in fashion with a solo exhibition at London’s Design Museum. Here, the avant-garde designer reflects on his most memorable moments. Which they of course open four days after I left to come back to the states.

Creative Spotlight : Kate Moss (Fashion Model)

Well Kate hardly need any introduction, she got a lot of stick about being the model that brought us heroin chic but I think that’s really unfair. She’s an amazingly versatile model and absolutely beautiful. Kate was born in London she was discovered by Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management at JFK Airport after coming back from a holiday. Probably the best non-stop flight Kate has ever taken I’d dare to say. She became known as the anti-model, probably did a lot to help put the skids under the supermodels of the time. Her first big campain was for Calvin Klein of course. She’s gone on to work with Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Calvin Klein, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Missoni, Longchamp, David Yurman, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Burberry,Stella McCartney and countless others. Had a setback with the cocaine scandal but that appears to be nothing but a slight speed bump. I don’t think anyone wanted to drop her but felt they had to to appear to be doing the right thing. She was part of the Kate Mosh line that appeared at Top Shop, as with a most of Kate’s career this also was surrounded with controversy but all press seems to be good press for her.

Here is the profile Style magazine did on Kate Moss.