Dibble and the Mohawk Shoot

Yesterday I did a photo shoot with my Kim Dibble who I befriended through Lauhren Jones on the Durleigh Bikini Shoot. Due to beautiful tall figure and looks, it was inevitable to do another shoot together plus we both want to practice on modelling and photographing. I decided to do it later in the day during sunset as I love the angle of the sunlight shooting through the photo plus there's less people in the day after work! Wanted to have a deserted feel to the shoot, not really a 'rockstar' look, but laid back rock chick feel.

I was quite excited about doing this shoot as I simply love shooting plus I loved the theme and the day was beautiful. I do choose the best days!

When I arrived at the rendezvous point at Blake Statue in Bridgwater Town I realized there were more people that I anticipated, but it wasn't too busy so it was okay. However we did get quite a few weird looks which made Kim a little self-conscious but we overcame that fairly quickly.

The sky was souring with Azure blue with the vibrant sun at 7.00pm. It was my favourite time of day which made it that extra more fun to shoot. At first it was hard getting into the swing of things plus I realized that Kim's camera she kindly let me borrow wasn't an SLR, but putting that aside; we eventually got some cracking shots.

The first location, I wanted to get was Bridgwater Town's landmarks; the Cornhill, Blake Statue and St. Mary's Church in the background. This made Kim really stand out and look powerful with her killer heels, legs to die for and the ''Hawk'!

Here is my first edit from the shoot and at Bridgwater Town Centre:

Dibble and the Mohawk I / model: Kim Dibble / taken: July 2010

For this photo I wanted to experiment with layers and textures (the clouds is a texture, the sky was clear blue that day) and see what I could do with monochrome and posterizing the background. I like how the mowark stands out (I made her hair darker). Also someone had asked whether her legs were airbrushed but Kim is naturally that slim! Love her figure :)

You can see the before and after photo and what I added to the original to create the final edit:

And a photo from the second location was taken in a park/someone's back garden (not too sure). We still wanted to get that secluded feel so went to quieter place in Bridgwater. All the clothes in this shoot was Kim's except from lace tights and biker jacket which were mine and combat lace up boots which Sophie Higgins kindly loaned to us.

I really love the lighting in this and the direction of the sunlight was perfect. Kim looks amazing here:

Just Dreamin' I / model: Kim Dibble / taken: July 2010

I love Kim's eyes in this. I enhanced them by added saturation to give them that extra 'pop' and used a texture for the purple/navy/soft gold colours. I also cropped and repositioned this photo to make her face more central.

Here are the before and after effects on the edit:

Shall be posting more edits from this shoot. Click on 'My Portfolio' tab at the top of the page or see it on my flickr photostream on the right column >.

Or check out my DeviantArt: http://mashnash.deviantart.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mashnashphotography

Carbonmade: http://mashnash.carbonmade.com/

Photograph of the Day > I've Got A Lot To Say by Pablo Moran

I've Got A Lot To Say by Pablo Moran

Self-Portrait

This is an exquisite image full of awe and awesome skills. This is an amazing self-portrait too, and is extraordinary how he managed to capture this! Love the water shooting from his mouth and behind his head whilst his face is composed yet fun. A cracking shot!

see more on DA: http://pablomoranjr.deviantart.com/

Pablo Moran Photography: http://www.pablomoranjr.com/

We all Want a Little Clark Kent Part I

Matt Bomer doing the 'Clark Kent' look

So I was getting my daily gossip feed from http://justjared.buzznet.com/ and came across the handsome face of Matt Bomer, 32. I was compelled by his piercing blue eyes, curvy brunette hair and the bold thick framed glasses which seems to still be a hot trend this summer. At first I thought it was 'Clark Kent!' then realized it was the guy from US TV series, 'White Collar' and 'Chuck'.


Due to my increasing curiosity to who this dashing Clark Kent lookalike was, I Googled him (I'm not advertising search engine preference, it's just a common phrase which happens to be the search engine I use!). I found out that he actually was due to play Clark Kent for the Superman reboot, 'Superman Returns'! It is no wonder that I instantly identified him as Clark Kent.


I then went back to http://justjared.buzznet.com/photos/matt-bomer/ and realized that the thick framed glasses look is turn on and certainly gives the sexy nerd look that I'm loving at the moment. Clark Kent has certainly brought back a trend to love!


Talking about the 'Clark Kent' trend, here's a shot of Tom Welling who plays Clark Kent for the US TV series, Smallville, wearing those statement glasses in the show:

Tom Welling playing Clark
Kent in Smallville

Tom Welling has also done a fashion shoot called 'Making Headlines' with Maryna Linchuk photographed by Steven Meisel inspired by Clark Kent for Vogue. 

The scene where Lois Lane puts on Clark's glasses (here the roles are reversed)

Making the 'nerd' glasses fashionable, chic and sophisticated!
See more: http://iconology.therndm.com/archive/making-headlines-steven-meisel/977

And for the original Clark Kent, Christopher Reeve (bless his soul!): 

Here are some cool examples of celebrities embracing the 'Clark Kent' glasses trend:

    Robert Buckley from One Tree Hill    Simon Baker from The Mentalist

 

                           Jay Z                           Chris Brown (his lips are really pink?)

 

            Aaron Tveit in Ugly Betty                                     Joe Jonas

                         

       Colin Firth in Tom Ford's, A Single Man                    Nicholas Hoult for

              (60's hot trend re-invented)                      Tom Ford Eyewear S/S 2010

So I'm certainly loving this new nerdy trend and wish I could pull off with sex appeal! Of course, it's not just the guys who have embraced this hot new trend. The girls look equally as sexy and sophisticated in these 'Clark Kent' rimmed glasses. Part II of this entry coming soon for the sexy females and ultra cool nerdy glasses!

So do you think this is HOT or NOT?

Photograph of the Day > Dance in the Shutter XI by Mehmet Turgut

Uluç Aytan by Mehmet Turgut

Dance in the Shutter XI

This is a beautiful, extraordinary photograph that Mehmet Turgut has taken. The fast shutter speed has allowed Turgut to capture the smoky white powder and the exquisite figure in the air. Also the white contrasting against the black background makes this image have that extra impact on the viewer. Turgut's work is truly exceptional.

See more on DA: http://mehmeturgut.deviantart.com/

Mehmet Turgut Photography: http://www.mehmetturgut.com/

Photograph of the Day > Rihanna by Steven Klein

Rihanna by Steven Klein

Vogue Italia

This image of Rihanna is very dominating and powerful. Rihanna has the amazing ability to capture the viewers attention by just standing there. She's 5'9" but here looks over 6'0" tall due to below angle the photo was taken from. Also her body looks jaw dropping in this! This photo is from a series of 'Extreme Couture' and with Rihanna's eccentric style and hardcore rock chick looks, there wasn't anyone better to pull these haute couture pieces. In addition, with Steven Klein extraordinary photographic skill and natural eye for aesthetic this collaboration was meant to be. I love Klein's post processing as well, the grey tones and slight use of solarization works wonderfully giving the photo that extra punch. This photo shoot was featured in Vogue Italia, September 2009 issue.

see more: http://www.touchpuppet.com/2009/09/01/rihanna-steven-klein-for-vogue-italia/

Steven Klein Studio: http://www.stevenkleinstudio.com/www/index.html

Photograph of the Day > Seth Rogan by Jill Greenberg

Seth Rogan by Jill Greenberg

I love Seth Rogan. He's extremely funny and his acting is awesome! Jill Greenberg manages to capture the essence of the 'cool kid' that Seth Rogan is. This portrait is humorous yet charming in a Seth Rogan kind of way.

Jill Greenberg: http://www.manipulator.com/

Photograph of the Day > Wings of Desire by Hunter & Gatti

The double exposure effect work really well for this photo. It looks like he is levitating and the man's face in the centre is the guiding voice. In my opinion this is a spiritual fashion photo even though the styling looks rather like a lizard. =S

Magazine: View On Fashion

Editorial: Wings of Desire

Fashion editor: Anita Reartes |VIEWONFASHION.COM®|

Model: Gerhard Freidl |View Men|

Stylist: Christopher Campbell

Fashion Assistant: Carissa L. Cirino

Make up: Samantha Trinh for Dior Beauty |Atelier Management|

Hair Stylist: Robert Lyon for Cutler/Redken |Atelier Management|

Photography by Hunter & Gatti
Website: www.viewonfashion.com

see more: http://www.designscene.net/2010/05/gerhard-freidl-by-hunter-gatti.html

Hunter & Gatti Photography: http://hunterandgatti.blogspot.com/

Photograph of the Day > B-rain by Nikos Vasilakis

B-rain by Nikos Vasilakis

© Nikos Vasilakis 2004-2010

I love the freedom she has in this photo, enjoying the moment; the viewer feels like they want to be there in the thunderstorm with her. She cherishes every second the rain falls and Nikos manages to capture this beauty with ease and more so in monochrome. I also like how the rain looks like it's falling and not completely static in the air so the shutter speed was a little bit slower. It's amazing that Nikos  did this shoot in 5 minutes. Goes to show it's all about that 'decisive moment' (Henri-Cartier Bresson) no matter what style photography.

location: Athens, Greece, taken: 2009

see more at DA: http://nikosalpha.deviantart.com/

Nikos Vasilakis Photography: http://nikosalpha.com/main

Artist of the Week > Craig McDean

This week's artist is Craig McDean. I've been researching photographers for this week's feature artist and I couldn't get the Megan Fox photo shot for Interview June/July 2010 issue, I featured for photo of the day 22.07.2010 out of my head. It was was a striking photo that demanded the attention of the viewer. It is for that reason I've chosen to feature Craig McDean, born 1964, a British photographer now based in New York and represented by Art + Commerce, NY.


It is surprising that he originally worked as a car mechanic before studying Photography. He started his photographic career in London as photographer's assistant to photographer Nick Knight. His early editorial work was featured in magazines like I-D and The Face. This led to advertising campaign work for clients such as Jil Sander and Calvin Klein, and editorial commissions with Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. More recently, McDean has photographed fashion campaigns for clients including Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Estée Lauder, Blumarine, Max Mara, Chloe, Ebel, Pollini, L.A.M.B, Dior, Gap, Lanvin Men, Alexander McQueen, Bally, Versace, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger.


He has also photographed for magazines such as W, Vogue Paris, British Vogue, American Vogue, Interview, Vogue Italia, Fashion Rocks, Another Magazine, Muse, V, and Vogue Korea. Even though Craig McDean is primarily a fashion photographer he has photographed celebrities such as Björk, Madonna, Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Aniston, Joaquin Phoenix, Hilary Swank, Uma Thurman, Gael García Bernal and Nicole Kidman.

Interview Magazine, June/July 2010, model: Megan Fox.

This was photo of the day on 22.07.2010. I love the confrontation with herself and the sexual tension. It's playful yet sinister too.

Daring Do, American Vogue, May 2008, model: Coco Rocha.

I love the comic book drama and the black stands out vividly against the vibrant yellow. This photo is powerful and electrifying.

Another Magazine,  F/W 2008, model: Bridget Hall,

The colours are bright and eye-catching and he has slightly solarized the photo in post-processing. The image is quirky and fun.

Interview magazine, March 2009, model: Mary Kate Olsen

Many magazine covers are the same with the model/celebrity with full profile smiling at the camera, however Interview magazine are renowned for their edgy styles and artistic approach. Love her dazed but soft eyes into the camera.

CFDA Designer portraits, June 2009, model: Marc Jacobs.

Marc Jacobs is a marvellous designer with innovative designs and bold looks this portrait certainly manages to capture his personality in one shot. The bunny ears and the eyes looking away creates a lovely fun image.

The Now Guidelines, Vogue Italia, September 2009, model: Jac Jagaciak

The styling is awesome and the hair is extravagant. Her sombre expression is beautiful and loud make-up/styling makes the photo come to life.

A Decade in Style, Another Magazine, F/W 2009, model: Jessica Stam

This expression is unusual but certainly jumps out of the page when read in a magazine. The gothic romance styling is beautiful and the Versace Haute Couture dress is simply amazing. McDean manages to capture amazing photos.

V Magazine, November 2009, models: Daria Werbowy, Philipp Haemmerle

I'm a huge fan of Daria Werbowy as she is my favourite model. Her look is beautiful and versatile and she manages to convey breathtaking images. McDean has managed to capture Werbowy's beauty flawlessly.

W Magazine, February 2010, model: Rihanna

I'm loving Rihanna's look since her new album, Rated R and her short hair is constantly changing style. She's a trend setter like Lady Gaga and Alexa Chung. I love Rihanna's eyes and eyebrow expression; very sexy!

Interview Magazine, October 2009, model: Kristen Stewart

I'm not a huge fan of Kristen Stewart as I'm not too keen on her acting and her personality doesn't excite me however her style certainly is fashionable even if she doesn't try. I love cold emerald eyes, messy hair, pale skin and rouge lips. This has a 'Joker' element with the lips and I like how Craig McDean uses paper to cover her mouth.

Another Magazine, S/S 2010, model: Marion Cotillard

Marion Cotillard has become increasingly popular since her Oscar winning performance for La Vie En Rose in 2007. She's very high fashion and has been in demand for many magazines and designers due to her beautiful face and versatility. I saw this magazine in WHSmiths and it certainly stood out against the over covers. McDean manages to shoot another eye-catching photograph.

It's seems that many photographic assistants to iconic fashion photographers have become very successful themselves. With advice from renowned photographer, Nick Knight it is no wonder that Craid McDean has certainly made a name for himself. From his edgy editorials to the occasional beautiful portrait. I love his loud, quirky images as well as his dark, high fashion shots. He's certainly one to watch!

see more: http://models.com/people/craig-mcdean

Craig McDean @ Art + Commerce: http://www.artandcommerce.com/AAC/C.aspx?VP=SlideShow_VPage&IAPA=1&STY=A&L4=2U1XC58ISKG9&L5=2U1XC58ISB3W&L6=2U1XC58IS7NR&XX=Artists

I'm an Official Stylist!

I'm really happy to say this as it seems that I'm official stylist to two of my friends! Apparently I know about fashion and that I know how to dress and they want my advice which is always good to know your opinion is valued! So I'm rather chuffed about that.


My friend Swebb, (http://swebbat.blogspot.com/) asked me if I could style him and change his look which I was very excited to hear. So we went shopping in Taunton and I managed to find some lovely clothes that suited him. As he is skinny and tall I had a clear idea of what would suit him plus I just had to get him into skinny jeans; he has the perfect body shape for it! I was tired of his baggy clothes that did nothing for his figure. Yes, guys should dress themselves with clothes that fit!


I decided to be his Gok Wan for the day and it paid off seeing that his friend, Ellen commented on how hot he looked and that he looked stylish which I was very proud of!

 

                        Before                                                *After

The next thing I have to do is sort out the hair. I believe that flat straight fringe needs some life and lift! Swebb agreed to me shooting him (photographically!) and I shall be posting some photos of his new style/look hopefully soon. The smart/casual style looks great on him! Let's hope he keeps his style!

*Skinny Jeans, Topman / Shoes, Topman / Shirt, Primark / Tie, Burton

So my next challenge is getting a new look for my friend, Marianne. She has a lovely figure but wants to have a new style makeover. As her body shape can go with many styles I shall be thinking away and trying on many outfits when we go shopping in Bristol! I shall blog about how it goes soon.

Comment on your opinions on Swebb's new look and what ideas you have for his hair style.

Is Airbrushing Worth It?

I posted these photos below of Lauhren on Facebook to see what my friends' reactions were to an airbrushed photo or non-airbrushed of her hips and legs. I found that people thought the airbrushed photo was over-edited and that the 'real' body was better and natural. One said that ' It looks like her boobs are about to pull her down. A bit too much editing'. After reviewing these comments I realized that airbrushing is a big 'no-no' and it's best to keep to natural beauty of the human body. So why is airbrushing still acceptable in magazines especially 'Lad's Mags' ?

Airbrushed                               Non-airbrushed

One reason is that the fashion/beauty/glamour industry is all about looking good and and selling something; whether it be clothes (eg. Vogue), make-up (eg. Allure) or someone's body image (eg. Zoo magazine). Manipulation of images is always seen in these glossy magazines to make the photo more appealing and attractive however to what extend is the public willing to allow?

There has been many debates over models and celebrities looking super human and unnatural and that magazines have gone too far to sell their 'product'. Photo-manipulation has been accepted for many years since the technology has been around to create beautiful, eye-catching images such as the programme Photoshop however airbrushing seems to be a particular problem especially if someone has been manipulated so much that they are unrecognisable.

This was in the case of Kate Winslet for GQ magazine in Feb 2003 and Vanity Fair Dec 2008 shot by Steven Miesel.

Vanity Fair

Kate Winslet, now 33 years-old and mother of two, poses seductively and naked except from stockings and stilettos. When she was first digitally enhanced she was outraged and upset that women have to be airbrushed and retouched to make them look more appealing. Shouldn't the womanly figure be sexy enough without enhanced 'boobs and butt'?

The Daily Mail Online, Tv & Showbiz asked professional airbrush artist, Chris Bickmore what work has been done on the images of Kate Winslet. 

"The face: 'There is no real detail in her face. Any detail or wrinkles have been removed. There are no eye bags, contours and smile lines.

'The whites of her eyes have been cleaned up and are now a really clean, crisp white. I'd say her lips have possibly been made slightly fuller as well.'

The skin: 'Her skin has generally been retouched all over so she has no lines or blemishes at all. Her skin is completely perfect.'

The hands and feet: 'There are no wrinkles or lines or veins on her hands and feet and this just is not natural.'

The figure: 'Her back and lower body have been pinched in to make her look thinner and to give her some curves.

'Her bottom has been rounded off so it looks nice and pert. I would be very surprised if her bottom was like that naturally. Her thigh appears to have been made slimmer so it appears more toned.

'And in the shot of her sitting down on the front cover, it's possible her legs were made slightly thinner so they also appear more toned.' "

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1082764/Barely-recognisable-vampish-Kate-Winslet-strips-Vanity-Fair.html#ixzz0uLQ3IRf 

In my opinion the image looks beautiful however Kate Winslet looks glamorous and sophisticated in real life anyway and doesn't need to be excessively retouched and airbrushed.

Left: Kate Winslet airbrushed & retouched, Right: natural beauty without make-up 

Airbrushing can be heavily seen in 'Lads mags' such as Playboy, Zoo, Loaded, Maxim, Nuts etc. Female bodies look a thousand times sexier with the flawless skin, big boobs and small waists however this isn't the average female body. This is another factor that has affected people's perception on beauty and it is no wonder that plastic surgery has been in such high demand due to images such as these:

Many people think that celebrities are exquisitely beautiful however they're just human like the rest of us and the strive for perfection can be partly blamed on airbrushed flawless images of models. Shouldn't magazines show people we can relate to in some way rather than alienating the general public and almost making us feel inferior in looks. Yes, magazines aren't magazines without appealing images however when it distorts the body until it is beyond recognition we're demoralizing the beauty of the natural human body.

What are your views on airbrushing and retouching?

Numb, Linkin Park Acoustic Cover

So I thought I'd be musical and more artistic this summer and write and cover songs on my guitar! I've chosen to cover Numb by Linkin Park because I love the lyrics and chord changes. It's also very easy to learn! Plus Linkin Park are a great rock band!

Numb, Linkin Park, Acoustic Park

Sorry for the really bad quality! I used Debut Video Capture Software which is free but you have to pay to upgrade and so I couldn't record in mpeg 4 format which is best for videos otherwise the video and audio go out of sync when you upload to Youtube. So I had to keep converting this file to mpeg 4 which meant resizing the video hence the low quality :( I think I may record from my camera instead!

I played on Capo 2, using chords Em, C, G D and B in the bridge. I used this to help me: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/l/linkin_park/numb_acoustic_crd.htm

My Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/mashmusix

My Videos:http://mashthings.blogspot.com/p/my-videos.html