10-3-11
Wow. This time, it’s been FOUR months since my last blog. Goes to show how busy I’ve been. Most of my time has been spent working on a MAJOR project with Designer on the Rise, Taryn Andre. You all know her from our ” What Do you See?” and “Villianess fashion films. We started the project in July and time has sincerely flown by. We hope to finish shooting this month and then postproduction begins….
Besides that, those ridiculously awesome pics down there are from one of my biggest fashion photography influences, Mert & Marcus. My work often gets compared to theirs ( I guess because of our retouching techniques and the fact that our best work comes from natural light ) although I think that they beast on a level way beyond my reach…for now. But this shoot is a perfect example of why I like them so much. They took a poorly lit location, and an unpredictable element ( water ) and made something absolutely beautiful. The balls to wall model, Lara Stone goes all out in this spread, as I’m sure it took a lot of mental dedication and physical exhaustion to pull off the demands of this photographic tandem. The color palette is super cool as the greens and blues are accentuated with splashes of bright red and orange. Plus, there is JUST the right amount of light used in order to create the almost magical reflections that run across the models’ skin. There is a great sense of narrative and the images allow the viewer to connect there own dots in an effort to fill in the gaps of the editorial story. To me, this is the best kind of art; Pieces that invite you to think about the imagery that you are ingesting, stimulating your mind as well as your eyeballs. This is the level of work that I strive to produce. One day I will.
p.s. The underwater stuff is just SICK! I have no idea how they did that.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
6-11-11
Wow. It’s been an almost an entire month since my last blog, I guess that I really haven’t been that motivated on the photography side as of late…until today. I went to the local Wal-Mart with my sister, which is a rare occurrence ( the Wal-Mart, not hanging with my sister ). As I’m leaving, Chanel Iman and her husband stroll right on by and enter the store.
I know you all are screaming out, Chanel Iman isn’t married! You’re lying! and…you’re right. I put my snacks in the car and ran back inside to figure out who this person was. I had to meet her. I found them in the cereal isle and immediately approached her husband ( you have to be careful not to unintentionally disrespect anyone ) stammering because of my amazement, I told him who I am and what I do. Upon hearing me talking, this 5’11 supermodel in the ruff floated over and introduced herself. It was then, that I got to take my first good look at Ursula. Yup. Ursula. She had stunning features. Carmel skin, slanted eyes, and cheekbones for days. Surprisingly enough, she seemed not to have the slightest idea of how perfect she is for the industry. She is truly a splitting image of Chanel except that her eyebrows were way more alluring.
I promptly gave them my card and went about my business. Now, I’m hoping and praying that her and or her husband are reading this and calls to set up a test shoot. Models that I have tested have gone on to sign to Whillemenia (sp), Factor and Storm. If I get one shoot, she WILL be internationally famous. There’s no question about it.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
5-14-11
Time really does fly. I haven’t been blogging as much lately. Been a little busy. I’m definitely going to retouch some old pics from the vault pretty soon and I have a few new ideas floating around in the old cranium. In the meantime, check out this pic. I don’t know who shot it, but the female back is one of my favorite parts of feminine anatomy. If there’s a sexy back model out there that wants to recreate this shot, let me know. We may be able to make that happen. :)
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
4-21-11
So this is Georgianna Robertson. Gorgeous. I’ve always been a fan of long necks. Not really fan of the short blonde hair thing. It’s kind of passe’ by now. Still. She’s absolutely stunning.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
4-21-11
Barnaby Roper & Nathaniel Brown
I really don’t know where to begin with these guys, but Barnaby Roper and Nathaniel Brown are two of the best who’ve ever done it. Being formally trained in Film and Television from SCAD, I know that it takes the foresight of a great director and the surgically precise execution of an editor to produce results like what you’ve just witnessed above. Watching the work of these two has been a huge motivation in the cultivation of my fashion films. Brown’s sound design is so grand and visceral, and he matches every aural cue with Roper’s brilliant imagery.
I mentioned before, on facebook, twitter, or maybe this blog, about how imagery is psychological. I truly believe that Brown understands this as every film draws you in, captivates you and then suddenly, he rearranges visual elements, increasing the intrigue and speed of which you have to interpret the different elements. He often diverts the viewer’s senses through impactful sound design, coupled with quick cuts, which almost forces one to watch the films again and again and again in order to fully comprehend the piece. Not only that, but the graphical concepts themselves are off the charts!
One of the most important lessons that I have ever learned about art came from my high school art teacher. She said: “It is not the fact that you can do something, but the fact that you were the first to think about doing it”. This is why Roper and Brown are so amazing. Until they came along, no one was producing products of this caliber with so much originality in the use of video with fashion. So I guess that is my new quest. To not make films like Roper and cut like Brown, but to come up with my own aesthetic, so that people are blogging about my art. Either way, they are definitely a major inspiration.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
4-4-11
Technikohler
I’m not sure if you all have seen it, but if you’re reading this, then you’ve probably just viewed my latest fashion film. It was shot for Tonisha Cameron and her company, Technikohler Makeup Artistry. We actually shot this in late February and it’s just getting out. Not because I was procrastinating, but more so because my computer literally caught on fire ( That’s another story). The weird thing was, I only lost two files from the entire project.
After a quick reshoot, I was able to re-import and re-cut the footage. It took all of 30+ hours of post work to complete the 1:47 second film, but I’m glad that the project has finally been finished. I hope that you enjoy the work put into the piece by myself, the makeup artist, the assistants and the models themselves ( Yeah so, I totally forgot to place credits at the end of the actual vid ( and I wasn’t about to spend an extra hour re-exporting this thing) , but they’re listed with every posting).
There’s a LOT going on in this 1:47, so below, you’ll find pics of some of my favorite shots from the film.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
4-3-11
This is so RAW! Sorry, but I’ll definitely be using this image as inspiration for a future shoot. (Sidenote. That’s not a sticker.)
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
4-1-11
I cannot believe that it’s already April ! I swear that the time is just evaporating. Besides that, I just want to post this image of Jessie M’Bengue. I’ve been wanting to do a shoot like this for a while. One, where the model is perceived, nude, just holding the clothes. It’d be even cooler if I could get the clothes to “float” over her body. Visual effects are something that I will be implementing more and more into my shoots. Here’s the pic.
3-31-11
I am very excited to share this link with you all.
http://losmag.com/basnight-film/
This is an interview for Lots of Style Magazine, conducted by the always wonderful Scarlett Spade. The questions were great, allowing me to truly share my thoughts. I hope that you all enjoy it! :)
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
3-30-11
Check it out. A little write up about my latest fashion film.
http://www.cocainepretti.com/2011/01/basnight-andre.html
More fashion films on the way.
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
3-30-11
RAINY DAYS
All of the pics above have two things in common. One: They were shot by the amazing New York photographer, Thomaas and two: They all feature an overcast sky.
A few days ago, the Spring sun poked its head through the clouds and every photographer I know made a mad dash for their cameras. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a lover of sunshine. A bright day does make for some of the best exposures. At the same time, I can really appreciate the diversity, atmosphere and mood of a cloudy forecast…The very next day after the sun came out, it stormed profusely. I ran for my camera.
The natural elements are a rare, powerful and beautiful occurrence. Just think about the amount of time, money and effort it would take to recreate the rain of a thunderstorm, or purity of winter snow inside of a studio. Even if one had the budget to do so, the authenticity would still falter in front of a high powered lens.
It’s important to note that imagery is psychological. Every aspect about a moving or still frame is individually interpreted in order to form a composition. The lighting tells part of the story as well the colors, the makeup, the posture and especially the environment. On a sunny day, there is little left to the imagination. We see a model outside. Why is he or she outside? It’s a nice day. That’s all the interpretation needed. On a gloomy day, our minds wonder so much more. We ask, where is the model going, where is she coming from? Why is she there? Will she make it in before the storm? All of these thoughts and many more are catalyzed simply because it’s cloudy out.
I failed to find an agency represented model ( or one of an equal caliber on such short notice ( who would be willing to go out in inclement weather)), so my stormy dreams were dashed that day. But the next time there’s an anticipated rumble in the sky, grab a poncho and then grab your lens!
—L
Unlike. Any. Other.
