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By Webmaster, June 1, 2011 5:03 pm

Some Rest and Relaxation

Over the Memorial Day weekend I had a great time getting some rest and relaxation! I spent Saturday and Sunday at a friend’s house in Montauk. It’s a beautiful place on the ‘Golden Coast’ of Long Island — a cliff that overlooks the ocean. The views are absolutely spectacular. On Saturday morning, there was a thick fog under the cliff. It made for a great photo!

Unfortunately, my friend’s cat got sick on Sunday, so I was back in the city on Monday for some cultural sight seeing. I made a stop over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to take a look (for a third time!) of the Alexander McQueen “Savage Beauty” exhibition. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe what a genius that man was — he knew so much about history and science and incorporated all of his knowledge into his work. I believe the MET did a spectacular job exhibiting McQueens’s art — by  using his quotes and clips from his fashion shows to really do the man justice.

I stopped by the Mario Testino affair last Thursday (the one I was supposed to photograph), but unfortunately there was a snafu and I was stuck in the paparazzi pen along the red carpet. I was dressed in my cocktail wear, while everyone else looked like they’ve been on the job all day long! Oh well, tis the life of a photographer!

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By Webmaster, May 3, 2011 3:06 pm

Relish the Unexpected

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use fun props in my photos. This is from my shoot with Theresa last month — we had had a great time with this cool set of balloons. It brings a nice vibrancy to the shot — a lot of funk and flavor that comes from adding a component that’s unexpected.

Relishing in the unexpected is something that I’ve been thinking about this past week, especially with the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. As expected, the affair came with its usual pomp and circumstance; similar to Charles’s and Diana’s. But one thing I thought that was amazingly fun was Kate’s dress, which was both youthful and  tasteful for such a traditional occasion.

The dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director for the legendary and recently deceased Alexander McQueen (who, incidentally, is being showcased in a current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). I loved the slimming effect of the dress, and its long sleeves. It did Kate well.

But the royal wedding premiered something else unexpected: Kate’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton.

Many are saying Pippa ‘stole the show‘ of the wedding. While I think this may be an exaggeration, the occasion certainly gave Kate’s Maid of Honor her time in the spotlight. Known for wearing too much self-tanner and partying in night clubs, Pippa, who also wore a Sarah Burton dress to the ceremony, changed into this emerald green evening dress by Alice Temperley for the reception afterwards at Buckingham Palace.

In all, a good show, and I give the best of wishes for the new happy couple!

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By Webmaster, October 30, 2009 9:10 pm

Robert Frank: Looking In

Fourth of July--Jay, New York (1955).

“I am always…trying to look inside, trying to say something that is true. But maybe nothing is really true, except what’s out there. And what’s out there is constantly changing.”

Thus begins “Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibit honoring the 40th anniversary of Frank’s initial publication.

Most see Frank as a modern photographic icon. Few know of the initial disappointments in his career. After emigrating from Zurich in 1947, Frank served as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar. He found it hollow, lacking the self-expression he craved.

Frank circled the globe, but failed to attract a publisher for the results. Life magazine too rejected his submissions as too somber and gritty, though this acerbic realism would ultimately bring unbridled success.

The Americans showcases Frank’s intensely personal and spontaneous approach. He appears to point and shoot; the deceptively simples images are askew, with edges cut off. This style would be deemed “the snapshot aesthetic”, and Frank its creator.

Frank’s book is a photographic chronicle of his 1950s road trips across the US. He peers behind-the-scenes of a prosperous, post-War nation to reveal tensions within.

His criticisms are evident in the initial image, “Parade—Hoboken, New Jersey”, which displays two women with blurry faces, one hidden behind the American flag. A bold picture of proud, white men entitled “City Fathers”, also in Hoboken, immediately follows. The contrast is clear.

As an American outsider and a Jewish survivor of WWII, Frank dislikes the marginalization of all minorities—not just women. He presents a segregated “Trolley—New Orleans”, pictured after an all-Caucasian celebration of “4th of July—Jay, New York”—reminding viewers that independence is not available to all.

The Americans is not solely judgmental; it’s also playful. Frank pairs photos that showcase twinkling stars with one of a Hollywood starlet. His humor is subtle, moving from the Metropolitan Life Building in New York to a Jehovah’s Witness in Los Angeles (different types of insurance!), and from a car with evangelical bumper stickers to couples necking in a park.

Frank’s solemnity prevails. He questions the futility of the journey. The Americans‘ final photo displays Frank’s wife and son, disheveled and exhausted, driving a seemingly endless road. The snapshot recalls earlier pictures–a chilling car accident coupled with an infinite route 285, stretching to the horizon.

I salute Frank’s penetrating commentary, as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. We must highlight our mistakes, lest we repeat them. But we mustn’t forget the extraordinary progress we’ve made as a nation since the ’50s. And the journey is worthwhile.