Saturday 12 September 2009

Monday 22 September 2008

Leica or Not

A fresh Release at Photokina with Leica's new S2 system 37MP 30 x 45 mm sensor to boot.How could you not go wrong here,i think this should appeal to so many pro's out there along with aspiring pro who wants to go Beyond the DSLR of Nikon and Canon.This system is in a whole new league when it comes to digital imaging

Not Cot org

This has to be the best on the web for creatives alike as it covers every product from every angle.If you ever get stuck for some inspiration this is the place to come home to.

Sunday 21 September 2008

Maverick or Manipulator




Last Weekend i thought id tool around online and check on what's been going down around town.First stop i dropped by Aphotoeditor blog and got the updates for the week on what's hot and what's not.Then i jumped over to PDN for some more news - along the way i came across some controversy with Jill Greenberg and McCain shoot for The Atlantic.If you do a search you should come across many post and views on what people have to say about the whole shoot.Jill's work i admire and love her photography/Retouching skills as she can carve out the best in an image.

The interview over at PDN was one which was more political than a Photographer doing a paid job for a Magazine Cover shot.The Image was shot but there were other's that Jill later used on her website which kicked off the great debate.The images were taken off the site early in the week after im sure she had so many hits to her web page and im sure a few emails to follow on her actions.At the end of the day The Atlantic got major coverage along with Jill for being controversial for what she did.You could not get this amount of PR if you paid for it .So will she put a good spin on it and double her day rate ? let's wait and see

http://aphotoeditor.com/2008/09/16/jill-greenberg-is-not-afraid-to-dump-all-her-clients-at-once/

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/09/how-jill-greenb.html

Both articles should be a good read if you have the time

Photo credits:Jill Greenberg

Friday 12 September 2008

ImageMavericks

This has to be the hottest site launch in a long time and well needed really as opposed to the masses logging onto forums and people wanting the Dave Hill Photo EFX that people want to copy.
Mavericks is going to be place to nurture the younger talent and also help those mid career move on up that next level and pitch their eyes on some high end jobs.The Tutorials have already started and look great and precise without all the fluff.

They also have a 3 tier system which will sort out the wheat from the hey when it comes to subscribing to the Forums.So that full time Retouchers can talk with others who face the same tasks and client demands.Therefore they can share ideas and solutions and network freely in a good community.

At the end of the day this is the best Site i have seen in a while and look forward to supporting them and learning along the way.

Photoshelter Closes

i guess you may have heard the news if you subscribe to photoshelter ,sad really as they had some passion and a mission to get things working for the Photog's.If you liked shoot the blog then you can find Rachel Hulin writing away over on her own blog for now which looks to be gaining momentum already.Watch this space!

Wednesday 6 August 2008

Artisan 2 from Kate Chase

Just in is an Update from Kate Chase with her great Artisan Mag which is great.It's a great read and will help some of us come to terms with building better relationships with Photographer's,retoucher's,production,art buyer's and more as this evolves into a bigger field month by month.

The biggest thing in the magazine world rite now is advertising sales are down and if anyone was on the ball they would be going on the super WWW highway instead spending more on visual and having good content ....thats rich coming from me on here.

So far this year in the UK advertising space is falling week by week and now publisher's are freaking out daily with the calls coming through as to what to do with their magazines since people are spending less on print advertising.I also put part of this down to the UK media blowing a recession into a major depression before it has even happend.

If all else fails wedding's photography should be on the UP since in hard times people will get Hitched at the local chapel.

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Lazy Sunday's

A lazy Sunday morning and a trip to the markets could get you a priceless treasure and to be part of a great collection of work from Seamus Ryan.

Each Sunday photographer Seamus Ryan invites visitors to Columbia Road Flower Market to participate in his ongoing series of portrait projects. Shoots take place between 10am and 3pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and no booking is required.This would have to be a great way to spend a couple of hours catching up with friends and have a portrait for the memory.

www.seamus.co.uk
www.boothnation.com
www.sundayshoots.com

This should trigger some great ideas for everyone on how to market their own business and promotions and keep things rocking along.

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Plugs.n.Pixels


I thought i would start this off with a link to a site where you can get the low down on all plugins and actions to boot for Photoshop.The site offers codes for discounts and keeps up to the minute with whats going on plug-in wise for photoshop.This month covers some great stuff in its pages and im sure everyone will find something that they need in issue 11 .

The other trends we have been watching and hearing online is how to get the DaveHill LOOK as the folk over at Retouchpro have now clocked up 850 posts over 57 page's 98,941 views.My thought's are great lighting and a Motherload Mamiya or Hasselblad will give you a nice clean sharp image to play with in photoshop.Dave Hill's site has behind the scene's footage and from the video's you should be able to find some great tricks and tips to use for yourself.

Trend 2 would have to be action shots with gun's, its almost like cops and robber's when you were a kid .I got an update from RushWade2 that had some great images of a SWAT team about to break up some Hill Billy shack.Now that Guns are on the theme of the moment id be inclined to say maybe someone should shoot a woman as Annie Oakley the sharpest shooter which propelled her to become a superstar in America.Im thinking that could be a great advert for wrangler or Dodge.I would also like to see a revamp of Wrangler butt's drive you Nutz ......Think Cowboy in low slung Jeans and Snakeskin boots kicking up some dirt on rodeo drive.Maybe just Maybe Jill Greenburg could pull that one off and shoot it live.

That should be enough to start the day rocking along !

Thursday 10 July 2008

You so need to check this out

Hi all

sorry for the slackness in the last 2 weeks, i have been back at work and also getting the CV and portfolio ready to hunt down the job scene in london and i think i might finally get some leads on new jobs around town.
I have added a link which is for a guy who does great FLASH ! lets say i think he will be one big Flasher to watch over time as he pumps out some cool stuff to make our work look even better to prospective clients and industry folk.

I have to run off for the meeting but check out www.airtightinteractive.com for some cool flash products for web sites .

back soon

Tuesday 24 June 2008

Refreshed and Rocking

Finally im back and ive got lots to cover in the next few weeks as i have been mac free for weeks on end! I came back to the UK last weekend and would have hit the ground running with a job for a client on arrival.Finally i was ready to put LiveEdit to the test on a real time basis and push it to its limits (i was excited) until i tried to log in and it seems to not recognize my username or password.One would think in this day and age you could just type your email as per usual and have a new password reset incase you forget it whilst on holidays.So i email the HELP dept and no responce so far.So now im trying sales to see if they can manage to respond to my problem logging in.Sad to have such a neat sounding service move like a rusty cog in the works at such an early stage.

I think i might have to cross over to DigitalFusion in LA and run with the Leaders of the pack on this technology for now.

On a brighter note i scoured the web yesterday hunting ideas for some personal work and was over at Steven Klein's website checking out his latest work.You cant go wrong for getting some inspiration from this master of his craft and his ideas how they come to fruition.Very cool site and crossed with film and still's.

Pascal Dangan having a cameo in SATC - The higher the hair the closer to heaven they say ! He put's Rupaul to shame with that Fro he was toting in the film.

I have to mention the movie of the year for the girls in SATC - i loved it ! very funny and charlotte's accident for the year was just priceless really.Although on writing this i just came across an article of Vivienne Westwood slating Patricia Field after her Gown was the main Event in the Frock department.Maybe Viv had been on wild night out when she was interviewed.

New shoots

David Lindsay Wade over at Rushwade2 latest shoot for Rockband Sound and Fury,Lots of post production here for this shoot .Reminds me of a michael jackson film clip from the 80's.

Dave Hill - we always love his style of work as he drives so many retouchers to distruction each week with his style and people trying to re-create it along with Jill Greenberg's images which we all luv and aspire to create.

Jill Greenberg's site just seem's to keep getting bigger and bigger and were inspired weekly by what we see from her.

Anyway , enough from me today !

I will post more jargon on some technology and see if LiveEdit can sort out my drama of logging into the site.

Wednesday 4 June 2008

PlugIns for Photoshop


It's been a while since last drink's so i thought id better get onto this and add some more info for the Photog's who like to do their own retouching .

the link is in the header for you where you can go check out some cool plug-ins for PS CS2 and beyond.

I had a mate working on a shoot he recently did and suggested he try this as he was after some light beams to add to his composite he had been working on.I think for most people out there who don't spend 8+ hrs day working in photoshop this is by far the best option to adding some light and reflections for your jobs that you want to showcase.

On another note, not much news really at the moment as im slaving away working like a miner in the basement and retouching madly before i head to the Costa Del Sol for a week in the sun which should be great.I cant wait for the daily siesta and the chorizo and corona beer ,although i will be working on a personal project while im away to show case my new personal site to get the ball rolling and get out of the daily grind in london.I've also been hunting down some new Pelican cases and Crumpler bags and just got a new Stickydate laptop bag which is the ducks nuts as far as laptop bags go it has so many pockets and compartment's i almost need an a-z to work out where i put something in it .I cant complain it's the perfect bag for rocking around town as you can slip your Mac Book Pro along with a Decent camera body and a couple of prime Len's to go out shooting. So now all i need is a big Pelican case to drag my light's
and stands and it should all be sweet for nipping out to shoot anyone at anytime without having to try and park a car in a buzzing city.

Saturday 24 May 2008

High End London

High End retoucher's Happy Finish are on the Up and Up as they work on some high impact campaigns with fashion's Elite here in UK on a daily basis . The Retoucher's come from different background's and training.The majority seem to have cut their teeth with Metro Studios in London and worked closely with some of the biggest Photographer's this side of the Pond.

The agency has 2 spaces where they retouch and clients can meet the chosen retoucher and sit in on the job with the retoucher.They have rates for Editorial and testing work so even up and coming young Photographers can get a step up and build a great portfolio of work and have a retoucher that will take the time to nurture and grow with them.

The rates are even available online which is great for a change as you know what your in for from the start . Rates start at around £150 per hour , with editorial starting at £200 per Image . There are 8 Retoucher's covering every field of work from Fashion,Beauty,Automotive & still life .

Way back When - Digital Fusion

I just found what i was after and got it ! This is what im talking about when you read something about some guys pushing the envelope and really progressing on a daily basis and making a transition from film to digital a breeze .

Who Wouldn't want to work or Hire the crew if you new your images were going to be in good hands from the start to finish .

watch this Space i say as they have set up DF Studio which is another Online Editing tool .

This is competition for LiveEdit im sure at the end of the day in the digital league we need reliability and to know our images are safe in storage and can be accessed at any given time

Pixels on Steroids

This in One Company i read about a couple of years ago on the Apple Pro site and was in Awe and i still am .Id Just Die to work with these creative's and get into the groove of what they do on a daily basis .

Digital Hire has to be going through the roof rite now and if its not well ill be so off the 8 Ball ill never make a buck in this game at the end of the day .

The Guys at DF are so swithed onto what we need rite up to the minute for techno advice and can handle anything that is thrown at them in this web 2.0 world.

More later .......

Time for some More techno

This is something that most of us could use on a weekly basis , if not daily .I have just started the treck into websites and also building my own brand for retouch and photography.Along the way im stumbling into unknown territory with LiveEdit for a start so i can work with clients world over without any drama's .No need to rely on my own FTP or a slow bandwidth ever .

The program Seem's pretty slick on first view and im about to get into the nuts and bolts and edit and markup a job online in the next few days so i will post back as to my verdict on how it all works LIVE .



LiveEdit saves time, labor and cost. Impress your clients. Finally a web-based program that can consolidate all your workflow needs. LiveEdit is a premier online presentation tool for today's photographer. Organize your digital files, give yor clients instant access to your shoots, edit and mark-up your pictures, archive, share or sell your images - all in one application.

LiveEdit is secure, easy to use and customizable.

Tuesday 13 May 2008

An army for an image

I have just looked for more news online and came across this article for I-D magazine , maybe the past but i think this should put some things in perspective .

I dont know how someone could even go wrong with this lineup of talent for starter's so when it comes to retouch i think it would only take some tweaking to get it even sharper.

The hair was welded into place by Luigi

makeup by Pat McGrath - along with 20 cases of makeup in hand ,and amazing talent with a brush .

Photog Craig McDean - repd by Art+Commerce

It's the fashion pack on Red Bull for sure .

Photography by Craig McDean
Fashion Director Edward Enninful
Hair by Luigi Murenu at Streeters, NY
Make-up by Pat McGrath for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics
Photographic assistance by Tiago Molinos and Guillerme Young
Art & printing by Pascal Dangin for Box Ltd
Special thanks to Ronnie Cooke Newhouse
Model: Amber Valetta at Special Agent Managemen

Photoshop Of Horror's


Yesterday i got sent an article which was a little on the touchy side or shall i say retouching side of life and what is happening with some bad wraps in the press,not like good wraps that you can munch on down the local deli .

Take a read of this article and see what you make of it . Seem's like the Media is digging for dirt running article's,editorial's on retouching as a whole . We need to have a voice and push this in a positive direction as to what we do to enhance an Image and bring out the photographer's best ideas's and concepts .

Monday 12 May 2008

Presenting Kate chase





Recently i contacted Kate Chase to get an insight as to where she is headed with Artisan & the artist's she represents.

Hi Kate

PP: Im loving what your doing with Artisan, I think this is progressive and its what we need in the world of retouching and where it is headed? Where do you see it all going ?

Kate: I see it all going to become a true magazine actually (slowly I’m sure). I’ve always loved the New York Times Style Guides with their uber-creative use of fonts, the writing and the overall tone and was very clear that is how I communicated it to the designer, Teddy Brown (and someone recently asked if they could advertise – a bit premature but certainly part of the vision).

For now, I am using Artisan to showcase not only what’s going on with the artist’s that I agent for but to also use it as an educational tool for those who want to know more. And, I especially like that I can give voice to what I know and see by using the Letter from the Editor to write down my perspective on the industry at-large.

PP: I'd love to see a curriculum for retouching. How do you think we can drive the industry towards this outcome?

Kate: It’s something I’ve given a lot of thought to on what the program would like look and what would need to be taught to those wanting to learn the trade -and am still thinking about it so keep checking back with me as I think I have some ideas in early development. Those ideas are based on the issues that I saw when I started agenting. Curriculum is definitely the driving idea early idea behind the recruitment capabilities on the site.

PP: I must say you have a great team you’re representing and I love their work .How did you pick your artist and where do you want to direct them next?

I have to say that it’s fate that brought us all together. I’ve been in retouching management for 25 years and 2-years ago, as a result of being a free-agent myself, I looked around and realized that many of the superior artist’s I’d known over the years were recently independent and having many friends as photo agents, the idea cemented to agent for this group became a reality. The early vision still resonates (even more so) that since I was a talker, I could continue to be an advocate but now for the independent artisan as business resource and it’s been a great journey that I think we’ve all enjoyed in learning about ourselves as new business owner’s blending art & commerce. On a side note, our business coach recently commented that he’s never seen an industry where there is no one accountable to an estimate and was further amazed at how many people play a part in the retouching process – we have 2 group post producer’s working on projects to now ensure that run-away hours are the exception rather than the norm. As for where they go next, it’s interesting to chronicle that as Artisan develops, I see quite clearly during the interview process that who wants to do what becomes clearer for each artist – whether it be growing, staying small, what type of work speaks to them and that it’s my job to help make that happen for them. And lastly, we are a cooperative -- independent and also sometimes interdependent and that results in some very sweet project collaborations and shared work. We recently had our 2nd roundtable in February where we just hung out and this year we started with some professional coaching to make sure that we grow and enjoy what we sort of threw ourselves into as it relates to each artist’s own business.

PP: I have noticed that your retoucher's play a major part in the process for the finished product of the image of the photographer's they worked with. Do you think that maybe one day soon we will see credits for the retouch along side the photographer?

That’s a question for the 8-ball but certainly it’s changing here & there every day. A photographer I know called the At-Edge publication last year and asked if they would give credit on his advertising to the retoucher who had collaborated heavily, bring his own style to the piece, and they said no. I called them to get a bit more insight, and they were nice (very old-school) but said that the end-user only wanted to see the photographer’s name -- we will try again next year. However, on a progressive side, I met with an editor at Communication Arts last week for purposes of a portfolio review because the editor is now thinking about how best to shine the light on our industry. I think it’s hard to acknowledge the retoucher for many because, well, because in reality, you have many who play an important role in the making of a picture and it can’t be like the movies and/or the Oscar’s (yet) where everyone who played a role gets a credit – at least not in my lifetime. Photographer’s are becoming like directors though and needing to know who is best at helping find solutions when clients call upon them to solve problems.

PP: When working with your artists do you look out for up and coming photographer's to work with?

I actually don’t look for photographer’s on specific projects for the artists and it’s evolved that the photographers actually comes our way first. We also get calls from agencies when it’s a heavy post projects looking for referrals on photographer’s and that’s always feels good to recommend a photographer that works/preps well for an artist (not all are composite experts yet).




PP: What advice would you give anyone starting out in the field of retouching ?

I would say that what I see is important to being a successful retoucher is someone who is schooled in the arts, well traveled, intuitive, (70% artist and 30% technical are the percentages that I see work best). Oh, and willing to speak their mind about what they are being asked to do or what and why they’ve done something to an image.


PP: What drive's you in the world of business and promotion?

Kate: Me, I love sales, marketing and good design and it was also the idea of getting to do my own marketing that really sealed the deal for taking on the role of agent. I also love the creative mind and am pretty consistently curious about what makes someone tick and then helping them solve problems.

The end.

A week in the news


Last week was a busy for all im sure with summer approaching thank god since last year in london the weather was Dire to say the least .

Last Friday whilst working away in the basement of the studio - think underground but thankfully we have a window to peep out of , but we still suffer from not enough fresh air so i ponder how someone like Pascal Dangan who hit the New Yorker with a major PR blast for himself and his team at Box in new york .The forum junkies were up in arms as per usual having a RANT when they should probably put their energy into marketing their own work for an hour day and make it worth something better than it was last week.
Click the header and you will be directed over to the New Yorker .

Thursday 8 May 2008

Techy talk



I thought i might get onto the not so new Wacom Cintiq 12WX tablet , i tried one out at Focus on imaging .Wacom had a rammed display set up which was set up well but every Tom dick and harry wanted to try it out for themselves .I liked the idea and fantasized about it for afew weeks up until i had the pen in my hand . I found it abit clunky but over all quiet cool .What put me off was in the USA you can pick one up for around $999 but here in the U.K were looking at around £850 for the same device with import duty which kinda of makes us just want to jump a last minute deal and fly to New York for the weekend for some retail therapy .

The reviews are all pretty good but im not to sure if i would trade my trusty Intuos 3 for Cintiq 12WX .

Wednesday 30 April 2008

Chase Jarvis Inspired

Chase Jarvis Inspired , this guy is just going through the roof so to speak and the blog world and adventure sports companies cant get enough of him from his blog or his Youtube posts

This guy is creating such a buzz world wide with strobist Fan's. I just went out for lunch and grabbed hold of Dazed & Confused and low and behold Rankin has just done a shoot with Thierry Henry the football player that looks similar to one of Chase Jarvis shoot's.

I remember watching a video Chase did of shooting from under a glass sheet skyward to capture a different view and now we see this has triggered a trend in britian for sure .Let's see how many people we see photographed from under a glass top table .

Blogger's Block

The last few days i have been trying to work out who was next on the blog for some work that was inspiring and creative .I didnt want to leave it to long or keep posting the super hero's of the creative world .I did some self torture in the mean time trying to figure out the nuts and bolts to put my own portfolio online .Im still tortured and no closer to the concept i want right now.So i headed on over to some great sites online to check out where some great designers play and swap ideas online in their own community.So check these out and get some inspiration if you ever get blocked or trip on your converse sneakers.

www.slashthree.com this site rocks , lets say that much .

www.konvulse.com designer heaven really

www.thekdu.com world wide and membership by invite

So here it is , some inspiration for the eye and mind .Track down Lyndon Wade of RushWade2 where you can check out his work and marvel at the images and composites he works on .Click on the header and it should direct you over there to Rushwade2.

Monday 28 April 2008

Michael Wirth

Michael Wirth's Lighting is brilliant to say the least & not to mention the images that promote beauty in every form.The advertising work through to the hair,makeup,nails & product shot's .Who thought a coat of nail Varnish could look so good ,even when a bottle of Dior blood red is smashed to a pulp for a image that is striking.

The models expressions and looks are as striking as the images he produces for many advertising campaigns .Michael is represented by Stockland Martel who showcase his work wonderfully and they have him cover every aspect of beauty from hair,makeup,Fresh,fashion & still life.

Friday 25 April 2008

Terry Richardson for Tom Ford

Just had news of this on Tom Ford's new advertising photographed by Terry Richardson

Thursday 24 April 2008

Photographer Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz

A native Canadian who couldn't wait to get to Studio54 back in the days .Now Mike's work is like a visual from some glamorous party scene with the beautiful people which shows in his work .

Mike's beauty work is amazing and you just want to reach out and touch the shiny hair and flawless skin .It makes me think of Snow white or sleeping beauty with the whole concept.I'd almost think of him as Walt Disney for the creative's in this world.

Take a look for yourself and fall in Love with his work.

http://www.mikeruiz.com

Erwin Olaf Amsterdam

Erwin Olaf is a statement and his work pushes so many button's

I first came across his work through a friend of mine who sent me a link a while ago now and then i was lucky enough to see a small collection in Sydney,Australia at the Photographer's Gallery in Paddington . I took a friend of mine along who wasn't to sure about his work , for me it was cemented that i loved his work and it made me laugh and made me think about what an image can create .Erwin's series are brilliant and bring a smile to any creative's face as it sends the brain into overload of what can be created.

The Separation series made me laugh with the PVC family think Torture Garden London , the fetish club night , followed by The Paradise Club - provocative and colorful.It's something for the senses i have to say .

Take a look around and it should inspire some creative thought's on your next project.

http://www.erwinolaf.com/

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Kate Chase The Innovator

This has to be one woman with her finger on the pulse as she has been launching an online Mag along with a team of retoucher's she is repping and who wouldn't want to rep the like's of Amy Dresser ,Scott Dorman ,Michal Horevaj,Adam Moore,Michael Tompert & Mark Gordon of G10 .It looks like Kate has a passion and drive to push this bunch of Artist and techs forward to another level .

http://www.katechase.com/artists/index.html

I cant wait to see what talent Kate discover's over the next 12 months , Kate has launched an online mag called Artisan which is available for download .

I have emailed Kate and will await to see if we can get some interviews with her artist and their ideas on trends and workflow and where they are all headed

http://www.katechase.com/mag/index.html

Enjoy the link to Kate Chase Present's

MoserFernandes London

Today im going Local and i have been chasing a young retouch house with a wealth of experience and combined talents that will surely drive this retouch house to become on the the next big one's down the line . They seem savy and switched on and are happy to do an interview .So as soon as i get the Q&A sheet i will post the finding's.

Take a good look around the site as they have been busy with submission's and pushing the company forward with lots of ideas. I cant wait to see what make's them tick .

http://www.moserfernandes.com/

Tuesday 22 April 2008

PLay God

Play God !

we have to love this statement from a retouch and CGI company from Down Under who have unleashed the creative on the rest of the world . They have moved to the forefront working with some of the most respected advertising photographer's world wide .

http://www.electricart.com.au/


I am going to try to start getting interviews from the retoucher's i mention in my blog so we can get a snippet of what goes on in the daily lives of the retouch world .

I think the biggest part for myself as a retoucher was learning the skill's and tricks of the trade that no one seemed to want to even let anyone have a sneak peak at work flow and treatments.Thank's to YouTube and Myspace now we seem to have everyone blogging and handing over ideas and networking online and talking through styles of retouch and CGI and Photography .