Jewels Fashion Lounge Halloween Costume Party

Shooting fashion photography in Seattle allows me chances to photograph unique fashion and celebrity events. Last night I was fortunate to be a VIP photographer for the Jewels Fashion Lounge Halloween Costume Party. It was a great event. The fashion show featured a lot of local Seattle entertainers -from emcees to a dance crew- to Halloween costumes and a lot of gorgeous modeling talent, which kept me very busy with the varied fashion and event photography. Jocelyn Simos was the fashion designer who organized and promoted the event, which was featured at the NW Sports Bar & Grill in Renton. The turnout was strong and a lot of people arrived in some fantastic costumes. The live music was great and a lot of people got their swerve on out on the dance floor. The models that arrived from around Seattle were all stunning and put on a good performance with the fashion show at the end of the night. Jocelyn Simos organized a great event with last night's Jewels Fashion Halloween Party and I'm thrilled with the photos that I captured. I'll post my photos soon! Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Spooky Pumpkins and Adorable Babykins

I spent the evening carving pumpkins with my family last night, and we had a great time together. We stopped at a u-pick pumpkin patch about a week or so ago and chose some great pumpkins for Halloween this year. Here are some of the photos from all of the fun that we had! Enjoy some spooky vitamins for your optic nerves!

A Fine Mess

Well, the unthinkable happened over the weekend. Our computer gave up the ghost, I guess you could say. It actually is kinda playing hide and seek with us. The computer still sounds like it functions, but the screen has gone completely black. We figure/hope that this problem involves the wiring from the base of the laptop to the screen. We also hope that it can be fixed. Either way we'll find out when we stop by the Apple store tomorrow. The trip should be a productive one since I'll be bringing my laptop also -the one that I Bruce Banner'ed out of commission long ago. I figure if we're going to fix one computer, why not both? I need my laptop back so that Natalie and I can work on our own projects without having to share a computer. So tomorrow should be a good day. Hopefully!

Nameless

Woah, man. I'm done for now. I officially smell like a computer zombie. Too much time in front of the hot computer fan today. The stink is awful. But, hey, I can't complain. I've been working hard this week churning out a graphic design project that involves a photographer in Miami, a company in Holland and a legendary Hollywood director. I can't share too much info at the moment, but I'll say that it's one of the coolest projects I'll get to work on at this point in my career and something to brag about -without naming names- even if it does involve more graphic design skills than anything else. Seeing the finished results is something to be happy about. And that's what counts for me.

As the Sunlight Fades

Earlier this summer, I planted some sunflowers that sprung to an amazing height in the garden along the side of the house. Sadly, they now have become too tall to support the weight of the heads on their top. Since they are fading each day I wanted to post some of the lovely photos I shot earlier this summer of my fantastic sunflowers. I shot these photos with a lensbaby, one of the new toys I've been playing with and features a technique I'm trying to master. Enjoy!

The Plot Thickens

So it's being reported now that the model featured in Ralph Lauren's now infamous ad campaign was fired by Ralph Lauren months ago, allegedly for being overweight. As stated by Filippa Hamilton, the model featured in the heavily distorted ad:

[Her] contract was terminated in April because she was too heavy.

Polo Ralph Lauren said in a statement Tuesday night that Filippa is a "beautiful and healthy" woman but their relationship ended "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us."

In response, Hamilton said, "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore."

[Read more]

It's stunning to see the difference between a healthy Filippa...

and the grossly distorted image of her.

It's great -especially with all of the press and commentary related to the distorted image- to see Filippa's reaction to the ad:

"I think they owe American women an apology, a big apology," Hamilton said. "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy."

Read more

Here is another image of Filippa from the 2005 Pirelli Calendar, shot by Patrick Demarchelier:
How could she be any less healthy than that? For all of Ralph Lauren's inconsistency...

A spokesman for Ralph Lauren said [Tuesday] night: ‘For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity.

‘After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.

‘We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.’

[Read more]

...I have to agree with Joanna Douglas:

It's awesome and empowering when stars admit they've been photoshopped for an ad or movie poster and say how dissatisfied they are about it. With foreign countries banning underweight models from their fashion weeks, and the increasing presence of "plus size" models in women's magazines, we wish the unhealthy representation and falsified depiction of models—and women—would come to an end entirely.

I think I can see that day arriving sooner than most people expect. Sure worth hoping for, don't you think?

the Streisand Effect

There are times where I cannot believe the depth that marketing teams stoop to in order to sell a product. As both a father and a photographer I'm compelled to speak out against this following ad Ralph Lauren is distributing.

This is revolting. Disturbing. As one blogger posted, "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis."

I feel like I'm looking at Jack Skellington's bitchy sister.

I've always loved shooting fashion photography, but that can often be a love/hate relationship. This is due to the unrealistic fashion expectations hoisted upon women of all ages, especially with heavily photoshopped images like the one above.

There is no way in all of Creation that women can hold themselves to such a standard. The very assumption that they can is what incites so many tragic cases of anorexia and bulimia world-wide.

Ralph Lauren is also currently issuing a DMCA -Digital Millennium Copyright Act- against Photoshop Disasters and Boing Boing regarding their criticism against the image.

In response, Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow issued a stern warning to Ralph Lauren yesterday on the website, saying that the company's attempt to silence their criticism has only inspired them to step up their efforts in the future:

"Copyright law doesn't give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings. You should know better. And every time you threaten to sue us over stuff like this, we will:

a) Reproduce the original criticism, making damned sure that all our readers get a good, long look at it, and;

b) Publish your spurious legal threat along with copious mockery, so that it becomes highly ranked in search engines where other people you threaten can find it and take heart; and

c) Offer nourishing soup and sandwiches to your models."

The Huffington Post has also joined the fight against Ralph Lauren, sparking the newest viral Streisand Effect.

Instead of addressing this disturbing, and accurate criticism, Ralph Lauren responded by accusing Boing Boing of copyright infringement for reprinting the ad. Even though, As Boing Boing points out, this is "classic fair use: a reproduction 'for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting.'"

Happily, Boing Boing will not be cowed by Ralph Lauren's threat, as co-editor Cory Doctorow makes clear:

So, instead of responding to their legal threat by suppressing our criticism of their marketing images, we're gonna mock them. Hence this post.

Other strategies for battling Ralph Lauren Doctorow plans to employ include: reproducing the ad with the original criticism, publishing Ralph Lauren's legal threats and offering "nourishing soup and sandwiches to [their] models."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/emboing-boingem-and-ralph_n_311593.html

I, for one, plan to do my best to shield my daughter from these unrealistic, unattainable expectations by corporations that do not hold her best interests in mind. I seriously hope that other parents will do the same.

New Headshot

Posting a quick headshot after a long day today. This will be used in the on-line profile that I have for the Pros website, as one of their Seattle-based wedding photographers.

Natalie and I had a mini-photo session in the backyard earlier today and I'm glad for her help in such moments of need. Could you imagine me being able to take a good headshot of myself? Especially one for a wedding photographer profile for the Pros?

At the very least, there's slim chance that I could have produced a photo as good as the one that Natalie did. I do love my Mamacita. :D

Sans Titre

As a fine-art photographer, one of the things that I miss about shooting with film is the ability to play with a view-camera. The quality of images that I can create with larger format cameras really satisfies the creative spirit within my soul. My passion for analog film is far greater than my interest in digital imagery. Though I'm able to produce fine art photography with both mediums, I must say I miss using film and the 4x5 large format.

I'm feeling nostalgic today. After talking again with my friend Angelique, I wanted post some more fine-art photography images from my journey through France a few years ago. It was a wonderful time and a great experience. Definitely something that I would love to do again. Enjoy these enigmatic optical vitamins. I certainly do...