August 2008 Archives

Time's TwoBamas

Now this post features a side-by-side and some apparent airbrushing (or the opposite.) We are very thematic today.

left: 2008
right: 2006

What does it all mean? Check out the brilliant BAGnewsNotes for a synopsis.

And have a wonderful long weekend, filled with lobsters and dreams of your favorite candidate. We'll be back on Tuesday.

Rachel Hulin

on August 29, 2008 Permalink | Comments (4)

Casio Puts the Photoshop IN the Camera

Yup, Casio releases two new cameras today-- the Exilim Zoom Z300 and Z250. And they come with a "makeup" function.

Yes, you heard that right.

Screw Botox.

Rachel Hulin

on August 29, 2008 Permalink | Comments (2)

Buenos Aires Zoo Ads

Now THIS is a much better form of copycatting. Well done, Saatchi & Saatchi.

Stuffed lions are rather pricey.

Rachel Hulin

on August 29, 2008 Permalink | Comments (1)

Why Your Images Need Copyrights

Things that make you go hmmm....

file this one next to Why Photographers Need Insurance.

LEFT: photo by Jamie Nelson for Blink Magazine, 2006.

RIGHT: An advertisement for Dexim Shoes, 2008 (not shot by Jamie Nelson).

tsk tsk! Get the lowdown on this debacle, here.

Rachel Hulin

on August 28, 2008 Permalink | Comments (4)

And Now Let us Dissect... The World

In the spirit of the splayed toothpaste, we shall splay the globe!

Seriously, this is Earth, stripped of its soil and water.

BldgBlog thinks the image has a "70s funk", but I rather like it. Especially the rainbow running down the left side there.

Rachel Hulin

on August 28, 2008 Permalink | Comments (0)

Erik Boker: Product Dissections

Continuing with our theme of craftiness today, here are some of Erik Boker's product dissections.

From Boker's project statement:

"I am interested in the notions of art as commercial product, art as artifact, and the nature of the museum, and I continue to explore our understanding of their roles, and the inherent beauty, humor, and horror that lies within them."

Horror is Aquafresh's thorax, spread wide for all to see.

Aquafresh Extra Fresh

Aquafresh, Extreme Empowermint

Colgate Junior, Bubble Fruit

Colgate Maxfresh, Kiss Me Mint

Colgate Total Mint Stripe

Oral-B Stages for Kids
Bubble-Gum Magic - Disney Princesses

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I can almost smell the princess bubblegum-tinged formaldehyde.

See more.

Rachel Hulin

on August 28, 2008 Permalink | Comments (3)

Magdalena Bors Constructs an Image

Don't have a mountain vista outside your window? Make your own! That's what the crafty Australian photographer Magdalena Bors would do.

Take a look.

I like how the subject slinks around in all black, like a stagehand.

more.

Rachel Hulin

on August 28, 2008 Permalink | Comments (1)

Got Time to Spare? Redden Thine Eyes.

Ohhh, good morning, my friends. Clayton Cubitt turned me on to these ten camera hacks yesterday, and I've been fascinated since.

I've been feeling a little under the weather, so it seems apropos to post the Rebecca Hinden's red eye camera; this one actually encourages red eyes. I like it. It makes my current look all the rage.

you can do it with a disposable camera.

(here's the process. this in itself seems like a work of art to me.)

If you want to go for the big guns....

you can do it with a 4x5.

Always protect your subject's eyes....

et voilà:

verry nice.

Go to Rebecca Hinden's site to see more cool stuff.
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And now, friends, a challenge for you: send me your very best red eye picture. We'll do a little gallery. Here's mine:

Very Buffy the Vampire Slayer, no?

Rachel Hulin

on August 28, 2008 Permalink | Comments (2)

How to Shoot for Adidas in China, with Monte Isom

I had an illuminating conversation the other day with photographer Monte Isom. Isom recently returned from China, where he created several Olympic-themed ads for Adidas. The one above is the big kahuna. See all those people in there? They're real people. Who needed to be cast and wrangled and directed. And then be put together all pretty through the glory of post-production.

How long did all of this take? Isom was in China for six weeks, start to finish, between pre-production, shoot days, and post-production. And it was a production: "we shot the podium, every individual piece. We shot a scaffolding in the same way. We shot the crowd on a soccer pitch. We shot the athletes in two different cities in different takes. We shot three hundred people in the crowd and built the podium out of 60 people, and 28 extras on the podium.

Wow. What'd that all look like? Funny you ask! We've got some behind the scenes goodies. Here are the actors on the scaffolding:

Wow, how'd they get such athletic models? Here's a video of the casting session (Monte is thorough in his documentation.)

The agency Monte worked with on this project was TBWA Shanghai, and they didn't find him through Photoserve; Isom is incredibly proactive about seeking out work. He actually flew to China months before:

"When i'm not working, I go seek out work. I went to every agency in Shanghai in March, and set up meetings with art buyers and creative directors. Because in an Olympic year, everyone will use an athlete to sell a product. Going personally makes a huge difference. They're not just buying the photography, they're buying the photographer. An agency wants to know what they're going to get. I got China because I got off my ass and went to China to get work. if you want to recession-proof yourself, go to foreign markets."

Amen. Here's the soccer field where they assembled the actors:

And here's some of the shooting, in real time.

After the shooting comes the post-production. Here's some of that (it all started with a sketch):

So, we saw the finished image above, but how did it appear in Beijing and Shanghai? Here's an example:

This is one billboard. And then, Adidas got serious:

Wow, that's a big ad. Adidas created 20-story building wraps in Shanghai and Beijing.

Isom was psyched about the client's enthusiasm, and the media buy. He says it's "what you hope the client will step up and do. Start to finish, it was a cool project."

Cool indeed! Isom is now off to Europe, to meet with more creative folks and charm peoples' pants off. He must have a rep, to help him out with some of this stuff!

Nope:

"I don't have a rep. I'm repped by basically everyone I've ever met. I sleep well on planes, so it's not a big deal."

Sweet dreams. Here's one more video of Isom at work, just for fun.

See more of Monte Isom's work here.

Rachel Hulin

on August 27, 2008 Permalink | Comments (3)

Take Michael Phelps Home With You, for Only 16 Bucks.

Really, you can have him right in your bedroom, as soon as this week:

"The Sports Illustrated Group today announced that the iconic August 25, 2008 SI cover featuring Michael Phelps wearing all eight of his 2008 Olympic Gold Medals will be commissioned as a poster and available to a global audience. This is a first for the SI franchise.

'This cover represents photo journalism at its finest,' says Sports Illustrated Group President Mark Ford. 'Our mission is to create innovative ways to deliver sports fans our award winning content and this is the latest example. We are thrilled that this amazing image will be our first commissioned poster.' "

Mhmm, its finest, for sure. Phelps wears his trunks awfully no, does he not? Reminds me of this.

Anyhoo, get your Phelps here. And read about getting your Phelps, here.

Rachel Hulin

on August 27, 2008 Permalink | Comments (3)

Welcome, Mark Tucker. And Jack Daniels!

Photographer Mark Tucker has finally gotten into the blog business; check out some of his first posts, and some behind-the-scenes images from his recent shoot for Jack Daniels.

Beautious:

Assistants Joel Hood, Casey Brooks, and stylist Shannan Shepard trying to dodge Rodney Irvin, as he dove off the Rope Swing, off Kitchen Hollow Road.

Photo Assistant Joel Hood standing in for a polaroid for Ron, one of the Jack Daniels tour guides. This is in the Old Cave, which is now closed to the public, (ever since the lawyers went down there.)

Creative Director Nelson Eddy hung by the spirit tree in the old Dan Call house.

A Mennonite family, trying to watch the same five snakes that we were trying to watch. It was a hot day, and the snakes were out everywhere, lying on the flat rock. Falls Mill, in Belvedere, Tennessee.

Abandoned swimming pool at the old Dan Call house. Almost surreal to see an in-ground pool there.

Rachel Hulin

on August 26, 2008 Permalink | Comments (1)

In Which We Ponder: Sexy People

This website has captured my imagination. Here are three that have changed my life.

The captions are up to you.

If they ever make a live-action Super Mario Brothers movie, I know two folks who'd be perfect.

Oh yeah, I forgot.

Rachel Hulin

on August 26, 2008 Permalink | Comments (3)

Alessandra Sanguinetti! The Life That Came!

Most Exciting. Gallery Press Release. Ever.

I think this is how Star Wars fans must feel when Mr. Lucas announces another prequel. Or not, since those have been known to suck. But this-- this will not. OK, I'll kill the suspense: Alessandra Sanguinetti is showing a continuation of her amazing series The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Enigmatic Meaning of their Dreams, entitled The Life That Came.

Full Press Release:

Alessandra Sanguinetti
The Life that Came
September 4-October 18, 2008
Artist's Reception
Friday, September 12, 6:00-8:00 pm

Yossi Milo Gallery is pleased to announce The Life that Came, an exhibition of color photographs by Alessandra Sanguinetti. The exhibition will open on Thursday, September 4 and close on Saturday, October 18, with a reception for the artist on Friday, September 12 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. This will be the artist's third exhibition at the gallery.

The Life that Came is the continuation of The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Enigmatic Meaning of their Dreams, an ongoing series of photographs following the lives of the young cousins Guillermina and Belinda as they grow up on their family's farm outside Buenos Aires. Cultivating an intimate relationship with the pair, Ms. Sanguinetti has collaborated with the girls since 1999, capturing images inspired by the expectations, fantasies, and fears that accompany the psychological and physical transition from childhood to adulthood.

This sequel to the gallery's exhibition of the series in 2004 carries the project forward to a new period in the lives of Guille and Belinda as they enter the adult world they once imagined. The fantastical tableaux of personal dreams and lively imagination of the early images give way to more meditative moments as the two cousins shape their own realities, encounter the fragility of changing relationships, and confront early motherhood.

Alessandra Sanguinetti was born in New York City in 1968 and currently lives and works in both Buenos Aires and New York City. Her work has been exhibited extensively abroad, including a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art, Buenos Aires, and is part of several collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the International Center of Photography, New York. She has been awarded numerous grants and prizes, including the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, Hasselblad Foundation Grant, and Rencontres d'Arles Discovery Award.

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Here are some of the new images. They're all grown up. Amazing.

Time Flies, 2005

Ray of Light, 2005

The Conjurers, 2006

The Nanny, 2006

The Kiss, 2007

See more from the new series, and the original work, here and here.

Rachel Hulin

on August 26, 2008 Permalink | Comments (0)

Are the D90 Rumors True? Pray Tell, Nikon.

Rumors, rumors, rumors! Is this little beast about to be birthed?

UPDATE!!! canon 50D! canon 50D!

thanks, nabby.

Rachel Hulin

on August 26, 2008 Permalink | Comments (2)

Submerged with John Clang

Today started off rather clever and design-ish with Ji Lee, and I think I'll continue the clever and add a dose of dreamy with some John Clang.

I love these three pictures-- they rotate nice and big as the splash image on Clang's site, so I keep refreshing the page to see each one.

I don't really understand what's going on here, but I like it.

Clang has lots of interesting projects, but the one that caught my eye today is "submerge".

I love the black-and-white. I love the casting.

ah, to be underwater.

see more john clang.

Rachel Hulin

on August 25, 2008 Permalink | Comments (0)

David O'Reilly's iPhone iHologram

Yet another reason I need one of these things*.

iHologram - iPhone application from David OReilly on Vimeo.

The application works by assuming a constant viewing angle (35-45 degrees), typical for when the device is placed on a tabletop. The 3d scene's perspective is warped using anamorphosis, the same technique used in Hans Holbein's painting The Ambassadors. This application does the exact same but updates dynamically.

so many smrt folks out there.

*update-- apparently this is a fake. consider me fooled.

Rachel Hulin

on August 25, 2008 Permalink | Comments (2)

The Times (and I) Have Designs on Ji Lee

It's punny in here today.

Weekend re-discovery: the designer and clearly awesome and brilliant Ji Lee. Here's how it happened: I was reading The Times. Then I saw this clever image above, illustrating the article "The American Wanderer, in All His Stripes", about Mr. Obama's transitory background.

I googled Mr. Lee and realized I had written about him previously, not knowing about his editorial work. Looks like he's had quite the partnership with this paper; when I went back and looked at these illustrations, I remembered almost all of them.

Lee does tons of branding and design projects and still has time for his own work. A graduate of Parsons in 1995, he also has the little title of Creative Director at Google Creative Lab. Color me impressed.

Anyway, he and Nicholas Blechman at The Times seem to have a nice partnership. Here are some noteworthy tears. I'll show you some other stuff down below, from Newsweek and Cheerios and Tylenol and such. And the best business card ever.

The 10 Best Books of the Year
Creative Director: Nicholas Blechman

04.lobster_2.jpg

Ethics of Killing for Food
Article By Frank Bruni / Photography by Daniel Root / Creative Director: Nicholas Blechman

Whole Foods announced that it would no longer sell live lobsters, saying that keeping them in crammed tanks for long periods doesn't demonstrate a proper concern for animal welfare. Nonetheless, the lobsters are being killed anyway to be eaten by the consumers. This article discusses the ethics involved in killing animals for food.

Red Cross Dilemma
Article by Stephanie Strom / Creative Director: Joon Mo Kang

Article about the financial crisis Red Cross is facing by the increasing trend of donors who want to contribute for specific causes which makes it hard for the Red Cross to raise money for its own internal financial needs.

08.falling_man.jpg

"Falling Man" by Don DeLillo / Article by Frank Rich / Creative Director: Nicholas Blechman
A novel about a man who survives 9/11.

Newsweek
Challenge: Create a brand campaign for Newsweek magazine. Solution: Juxtapose images from the news to provide a unique editorial perspective on current issues.

Tylenol
Challenge: Create a brand campaign to position Tylenol as the leader in the pain-relief medicine category. Solution: Ads as a pain-relief.

Cheerios
Print campaign to communicate Cheerios have five different flavors.

New Museum (reveal)
We poured drips of magenta ink on top of the Calvin Klein Billboard on one of the most prominent streets in downtown New York. Dripping increased as days progressed, and so did the mystery surrounding it. Thousands of New Yorkers were puzzled and dozens of blogs started to write about this mystery until the reveal happened a few days later.

By this days there were dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and hundreds of blogs around the world who covered the mystery about the "splashed" CK billboard.

This logo is based on the most iconic feature of the New Museum: The unique shape of the building

Often I don't remember who's the person in the business cards in my wallet. With this in mind, I wanted to create a memorable card where people can make notes about me in the back on my card.

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clever clever clever.

Rachel Hulin

on August 25, 2008 Permalink | Comments (1)

Avedon, The New Yorker, and The Performers

Hello, roosters! If Avedon's your man, then this fine Monday morning The New Yorker has a treat for you:

"This week's issue features a portfolio of entertainers from 'Richard Avedon Performance,' a new collection of rarely seen work by Richard Avedon due out in October. Avedon had an enduring relationship with performers: he was portrayed by one--Fred Astaire--in the 1957 movie 'Funny Face,' and throughout his career they remained among his favorite subjects."

charming:

foxy:

I think the wax pencil totally adds.

See more.

Rachel Hulin

on August 25, 2008 Permalink | Comments (1)

Emily! Image Metrics!!

Um, this isn't a real lady. Like, whoa:

"Extraordinarily lifelike characters are to begin appearing in films and computer games thanks to a new type of animation technology.

Emily-- the woman in the above animation-- was produced using a new modeling technology that enables the most minute details of a facial expression to be captured and recreated.

She is considered to be one of the first animations to have overleapt a long-standing barrier known as 'uncanny valley'-- which refers to the perception that animation looks less realistic as it approaches human likeness."

Let's all take the weekend to mull this over.

Rachel Hulin

on August 22, 2008 Permalink | Comments (6)

New Agency on the Block: Wonderful Machine

I heard today from the very cool Lou Mora about a new kind of photo agency that seems almost like a collective. I'm psyched about the name-- Wonderful Machine (!), and I'm psyched about the very simple interface. Photo Editors- you know when you need a photographer in Missoula on one day's notice?

Problem solved: just call Heath or Anne.

Aspen, Cleveland, and Tampa are also covered. Not to mention Edmonton.

We got some insider info on how the agency hopes to position itself:

"Ultimately, we intend to be a full-service, global photo agency with a web site that will be a primary destination for art buyers seeking high quality commercial and editorial photographers. We expect to max out at 50 cities in North America by the end of the year, then expand to other major markets around the world. We will have a select number of photographers in each location and no two alike. Though we will be as exclusive as possible with the photographers we choose, we will not require that our photographers work with us exclusively. Striking the right balance - in quality, quantity, specialty, and geography - will make us a logical first stop for clients.

We've created a business model that is unique in the industry, and it's one that we think will provide our photographers with the best possible bang for their marketing buck. It's a hybrid, combining elements of a web portal with those of full-service artist representation. What makes us different from other portals, is:

We have a limited number of photographers in each city/specialty, so your name will always stand out.

We maintain a high standard of talent, so your photography will only be associated with other good work.

Your photography will be actively promoted to a wide range of qualified prospects.

We can assist you with estimating, production, and other consulting services."

Sweet. I found some of my favorite photographers here, like Los Angeles' Ye Rin Mok.
Here are three from her. I think her pictures are perfect as fiction illustrations.

I also found some photographers who are new to me, like Tanit Sakakini. A teensy bit too saturated for me, but you can't beat that many fish on the ground. This lady understands shoot production.