Saturday 28 January 2012

Inspiration - Dance

Many moons ago I was in a Contemporary youth dance company.
We used to tour the country performing at wonderful places like Laban (the old venue), and workshopping with greats like Wayne McGregor.
It was the utter joy of my life for such a long time, but eventually had to be forcibly replaced due to prolonged knee damage; So in walked photography.

I don't lament this for a moment (well not too much of a moment anyway). Photography has and continues to be the great love of my life but I thought it was about time I paid respects to my first love, Dance.

Ballet Emma, checking her own foot placement

I've been to hundreds of dance performances over the years. Flamenco, Raqs Sharqi, Tap, Street, Lindy Hop et al. Some styles I love, some I loathe.
Classical Ballet leaves me cold; watching a dull series of technical exercises painfully strung to a loose narrative is no way to lose 4hrs of your life, in my opinion.
Contemporary Dance and Contemporary Ballet however are bliss; all exuberant passion, exquisite lines & powerful extensions. 

My favourite choreographed piece of all time is Russell Maliphant's 'Two', part of the PUSH programme debuted at Sadler's Wells in 2005. I think I saw it when it returned in 2008.
There's a rather wonderful atmospherically written account of it here. And thanks to the wonder that is YouTube you can see it as well.
Brace yourselves though, you're about to see the phenomenal Sylvie Guillem in action. Enjoy! 


Wednesday 25 January 2012

Inspiration - George Hoyningen-Huene

Two of my most favourite photographs in the whole world to share with you. Enjoy!

Lee Miller in Yraide Sailcloth Overalls, 1930

The Divers, Paris 1930
More about George Hoyningen-Huene here.

Friday 20 January 2012

The A-Z of Advertising

OK so perhaps it's been more than the week I promised this would appear in . . .

B is for Ballpark.
Ballpark a very sweeping non-committing sort of a word.

It's the rough financial figure clients ask you to put to a shoot estimate. Very often used when they don't have references for all the shots in a campaign, or any idea where they want to set the shoot, or which models to have in it or how many etc.
It can be their nod to let you off the hook at an early stage of costing when not all the info is readily available, so you don't have to spend days estimating in too much detail.

You'll hear Ballpark sometimes used in sentences like "Can you give us a ballpark figure for the production of this really large and overly elaborate shoot we want to do for this really poor client of ours". Well not quite but you might as well hear it that way. Because very often it's a clients way of sounding out the price bracket you fit in. Cheeky sods :)

B is also for BBH .
But then you should know that already. If you don't, look on their website here and then berate yourself for not knowing enough and tune in next week because ...
C is for Campaign (possibly).

Friday 13 January 2012

By Royal Appt - Dylan Collard

Currently on show as part of Taylor Wessing

As many people will know I used to rep Dylan Collard at Vue, I knew him yrs before this though in that delightful Blackpool Mafia way, so I'm sure some will think me biased in this praise piece.
I shan't let that stop me though, because he's a bit great and with each new personal project I seem to love his work all the more.

'Up My Street' is one of his most recent series.
All shot around North London's Junction Road, Dylan has captured a dying breed, 'the local independent shop keeper'. The appeal for him being very much the appeal for us, that glimpse into anothers world.

I find the images a real treat for the eyes and imagination. We're given the portrait of the shopkeeper to enjoy, the occasional customer to wonder about and, particularly in the case of the Blue Carbuncle below, a feast of beautiful objects to discover.
There's another shot in the series that you can find on Dylan's website that particularly pleased me because there's a box of Ilford B&W paper hidden on a shelf :)

So have a look through yourself & enjoy . . .


The Blue Carbuncle




Prices for print sales are available on request from Mr Collard.