Nisha Haq Photography > The Secretary's Chair

For my Chair project (March 2011-) I first focused on fashion photography and using the chair as a prop for various fashion shoot. After all my fashion research I decided to finally shoot in the studio drawing inspiration from Willy Vanderperre’s photos of Lara Stone and Liv Tyler, Giovani Squatriti of Caterina Murino and Nick Knight’s Then Now Next feature for i-D magazine. I liked the simplicity in all these shots and their use of black and white. I have recently done a lot of photos in colour and thought it would be nice to return to the wonders of greyscale. I also decided monochrome would suit these photos better as the outfit I chose for my model, Lauhren Jones would stand out much better especially as they were black and white clothes. I did this shoot in March 2011 in my college photography studio.

 

I was inspired by the Chanel look and with a classy translucent material Asos blouse teamed with a bow tie (M&S), high heeled lace shoe boots and elasticated black mini skirt from New Look with hold ups and stockings (vintage); I wanted to fuse elegance and sexy which lead me to the idea of a secretary especially after looking at this film poster from 2002. I wanted to play on office fantasies and stereotypes of female secretaries whilst retaining the fashion element. On some of the shots I didn’t want them to be too sexy and wanted to portray an easy going lady despite the constricting garments.

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Nisha Haq Photography & Design Links:

BLOG: mashthings.blogspot.com

FLICKR: flickr.com/mashnashphotography

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Nisha-Haq-Photography-Design/18373...

TWITTER: twitter.com/nashdood

M.A.S.H

L.O.V.E, Kazaky - New Music Video!

Check out this new(ish) video of Ukranian boy group, Kazaky. Already with almost 1,200,000 hits on Youtube in 1 month; this video has gone viral in the art/fashion/music world. There certainly is a niche in the industry for these guys! Watch the video here!:

I found out about this in February from Ali's Blog and was blown away by the music video directed by the talented Yevgeniy Timokhin. Kazaky are made up of Oleg, Arthur, Stas and Cyril and aren't your typical 'boy band'. I think popular culture and the music industry is ready for 'alternative pop' with a twist.


I particularly love how they dance so effortlessly in heels and manage to pull off (I believe are Gareth Pugh designs as he is mentioned in the lyrics) with style and look masculinely glamorous (which is a hard thing to do!) Their dancing is amazing as it's so fluid with grace and attitude forgetting the fact that they're dancing in high heels.


At the beginning I like how the dance with black scarves and how the video cuts to symmetry. Then in the break section with the organ sounds I like how they rotate (as if they were ballerinas in music boxes) with a single light source highlighting their bold physique. At 2.02 I like the macro shot of the eye and how it rolls up staring at the viewer for a second. Then they start dancing with (garlic shaped head pieces) with a white background so you can see the lovely heels.


I must admit I wasn't too keen on the actual song itself, it was too simple and didn't involve a lot on singing ability however as the music industry becomes more digitalized and more obsessed with image, Kazaky certainly know how to wow audiences with their looks and dancing. This song does slowly grow on you after a long while.


The video is rather surreal and I love the lighting effects and how its all shot in monochrome which emphasizes the drama. I particularly like how the concept of this video addresses that men can dress up feminine and still look masculine. There is a lot of stigma against men who do without being 'drag queens' or transvestites. Females can dress in a boyish manner with low-cut baggy jeans and trainers and still look feminine yet this isn't labelled as 'transvestite'. I think everyone should be able to embrace the opposite gender's traits once in a while; it shows you're very comfortable in your own skin!

official website    /    facebook

M.A.S.H


P.S Many thanks to Kazaky.biz for re-posting this review (in Russian)

Photograph of the Day > Life Adjustment Center by Ryan McGinley

Today I said to myself that I was going to sit down and properly focus on my Photography coursework but I just couldn't resist reading my daily feed of Homotography and what do I see?... this beautiful monochrome photograph of a naked man with an alligator in a studio. How wonderful!

This is shot by the talented photographer, Ryan McGinley who has shot the likes of Kate Moss, Ellen Page, M.I.A, Tilda Swinton, Michael Cera, Casey Affleck, Seth Rogen, James McAvoy amongst many others. I only had just discovered his work today and what a lovely surprise. I must admit there's a lot of full frontal nudity in his projects which I'm still debating whether I find appealing however, nudity aside his creativity and vast imagination has produced spectacular art pieces.

This series of photos features many different animals with nude 'humans' and are shot in the forest and the studio. It gives an 'Adam & Eve'-esque feel to these photos with very interesting angles and motions. Also the way he captures the animals expressions is amazing.

I chose this particular photo as this was the image that captured my attention. The interaction between the male model and the baby alligator is surreal, serene and spectacular. (< like my alliteration there?!) :D

Beautifully shot!

This also reminded me of Helmut Newton's infamous photograph with a female model being eaten by an crocodile. (See my feature on Helmut Newton here)

Helmut Newton

Crocodile, 1980

Ryan McGinley Photography

Sources: Homotography  /  Ryan McGinley

(C) Ryan McGinley

Wes (Gator), 2010

M.A.S.H

Photograph of the Day > Alex Pettyfer by Tyler Shields

(no copyright infringement intended (c) Tyler Shields)

OK, so I try not to be biased in my 'Photograph of the Day' feature however after viewing the talented and often sexual images of LA based photographer/video maker Tyler Shields I couldn't resist. He has set his trademark in portraiture and fashion photographer where he often snaps Hollywood's rising stars. To some his work is tasteful and arousing, to others exploitive and unnecessary; whatever your view is he simple demands your attention nonetheless. His style is reminiscent of Terry Richardson however I think Shields has his own established style.

 I chose the handsome young actor, Alex Petterfer who has starred in Stormbreaker, Wild Child and upcoming blockbusters, I Am Number Four and Beastly, as I have found him charming since 2007. He hasn't failed to impress as he has also been featured in Burberry campaigns.

I particularly selected this shot as I liked the intensity in his eyes and how his intensity with the camera hasn't been distracted by two blonde models nibbling at him. His torn shirt and wet tousled hair exerts his masculinity which I find exciting and the models adds the glamour. I like the fusion of humour, sexiness and intensity in this shot and Shields has done a great job with this shoot. I also like his use of high contrast in his images.

Source: Tyler Shields Photography 

See more from his shoot: 

(C) Tyler Shields

M.A.S.H

Concept Video: New Lady Gaga Remix for Thierry Mugler Fashion Film

N.B I've just realized my facts have been mistaken in this post so I've changed it as of 09/03/11

Was getting my usual feed on my favourite artists, Lady Gaga of course being one of them and came across this rather interesting, monochromatic fashion master piece from the marvellous Thierry Mugler. I've just realized that the fabulous Nicola Formichetti has been appointed the new creative director of Mugler. The remix is said to of the song 'Scheiße' and will appear on Gaga’s upcoming album, Born This Way, due for release May 23rd. The track was remixed by Gaga, who acted as musical director for the designer’s runway show for Paris Fashion Week. 

I love the Mugler's designs, and conceptual creations. The make up artistry permanent tattoo ink is extraordinary and I love the creepy yet enticing feel this short film gives. It's horror meets couture. The lighting, shadows, slow motion, camera shake work really well for this idea. The scene with the thin black scarf and the wind machine is wonderful. I think this adds a romantic, disturbed element (as he's covered in black ink). Also the permanent tattooed Rick Genest aka 'Zombie Boy' is really good; I like how he connects with the camera and his subtle eye movements. The remix is also pretty catchy. I'm really getting into fashion films and this is one of the most interesting ones I've seen. Also can't wait until Gaga's new album comes out!

Source: Lady-Gaga.net  /  thierrymugler.com

Photograph of the Day > Jared Leto by Bryan Adams

Eek! Singer/songerwriter, frontman, director and actor Jared Leto shot half naked by singer/songwriter musician and photographer Bryan Adams for Zoo Magazine (from Germany FYI)! How excited was I to find this out!! Totally had to blog about this seeing that M.A.S.H's current 'crush' is Jared Leto :D Leto stars in the editorial 'Renaissance Man' for issue #29 for Zoo. Styled by Lotta Aspenberg.

I love Adam's composition and the drama the black/white gives. The playfulness is refreshing to see from Leto who is often seen as the mysterious blue eyed beauty however the spikey blonde hair (he's back to brunette now) and the apple core in his mouth with the rusty wall adds character and a hard edge which works great. It's also quite random and that's another reason why it's memorable and my favourite from this shoot. 

Sources: Homotography  /  Bryan Adams Photography

See more from this shoot:

© COPYRIGHT BRYAN ADAMS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Photograph of the Day > Lara Stone by Mert & Marcus

This photo was published in Interview magazine Sept 2010 issue and though it may be mid Nov you may think I'm slow at blogging this editorial. However this photo has been in my mind all morning and thought I'd blog as my 'Photograph of the Day'. This was the photo that influenced me to spend my last fiver on a magazine (which is imported from the US so therefore a little more expensive to buy in UK) rather than spend on lunch at the Tate Modern in Sept. Fashion over food is a rare occurance for me but recently I've been splurging so much on magazine, I can't get enough of them!

Mert & Marcus are amazing photographers and I featured the duo as my first 'Artist of the Week'. I must admit Lara Stone has an unusual beauty with a sexual appeal like no other. When I first saw her in magazines and ad campaigns, I wasn't blown away however over time she's become an amazing supermodel and is like a chameleon adapting whatver style and story thrown at her. This photo is very liberating and the colours are stunning. I like how you cannot see her face and its more of a sihouette. This pose looks like she's a comic book hero and is about to jump off the building with her 'cape' but the soft colours in the sky and the translucent coat creates a serene setting which is beautiful. This editorial is called 'The Chronicles of Lara'. I love Mert & Marcus!

Source: Touchpuppet & Interview Magazine

(NSFW) To see uncensored click on the source links above

See mores from this shoot:

Self-Portrait Photography III > My Veil Shoot

Following on from 'Self-Portrait Photography I featuring Lara Jade' and 'Self-Portrait Photography II featuring Josefine Jönsson' where I'm researching artists and experimenting for my graphics project 'Who Am I?', I've decided to take some more conceptual self-portraits of my own. Self-portraits are one of the best ways to practice and get started in any photography involving people and portraiture. You are in control of you own expressions, angle, pose, lighting, so ultimately the photograph is all yours. Seeing Lara Jade's self-portraits from such an early age inspired me to get shooting and be creative with portraits. I believe creative self-portraits shouldn't be 'how pretty I can look' without any meaning to it, there should always be a story and self-portraits in particular, as you're conveying yourself through a photograph. I've been trying to 'shock' and show people that I'm not afraid to purposefully taking an ugly photograph of me if the concept is more important than outer beauty. I've posted some pretty dark photos on Facebook and DeviantArt and some of my friends have called me scary, freaky etc which is the reaction I want to get!

This shoot is the most explicit to date and with fashion magazines revealing bodies more and more and suggestive poses now; nudity is very much accepted as part of art especially in Europe.

Apparently this reminds my mother of 'The Way We Were' album cover by Barbra Streisand.

The theme for this shoot was to show a juxtaposition of two sides of me. Exploring sexuality & faith. I'm from an Islamic background however my close family don't practice Islam as my brother and mother are Atheist; me on the other hand, I'm finding my spirituality and believe there is God somewhere. I've currently decided to settle on calling myself a 'spiritual agnostic' however this is most likely to change as I explore further. 

The veil is in reference to Islam where women wear hijabs to cover themselves up; the meaning of hijab is modesty, privacy, and morality. Of course I wanted to contrast the meaning of a hijab with explicitly. I believe all women should have the right to feel sexy, regardless of religion, status, colour etc.I wanted to take these shots in black/white to create deep shadows and a more mysterious effect which wouldn't look as good in colour.

Inspiration for this shoot: 

Tiiu Kuik Photographed by Daemian Smith & Christine Suarez

Hakan Photography

Tracey Emin

Herring & Herring for Zink Mag

M.A.S.H