If you want a snapshot of America on any given summer just take a sampling of the trends set at its festivals. Bamboozle just occurred in New Jersey this past weekend and I tasked the talents of photographer Joe Gall to capture the people and mayhem of the scene. Check out the awesome that is an ever fashion forward Jersey scene…no seriously.
Yumna is a young photographer working in New York who’s evocative, color saturated work captures milieus from NYC fashion parties to the gingerbread skyscrapers of Yemen.
Your photography ranges from reportage in the Middle East to fashion work. What unifying elements do your pieces share?
Starting college, I was never sure of what I wanted to do because I always felt as though I had so many interests and was generally good at teaching myself pretty much anything I wanted to know. My initial interests were fashion related. My blog focused on my personal style and I was keen on developing something that was unique but not out of my financial realm. People took interest to my sense of style and I eventually began selling vintage pieces on eBay. I would do everything for the store from photographing to modeling to advertising… all on my own. After finishing my associate’s degree, I took a trip to the Middle East. It was my first time being there since I was a little girl and having obviously matured since then, I had the ability to take in a whole new side of my life that had been so untouched for years. Documenting my entire experience was only natural for me. I felt as though I had opened a whole new realm of my life-I felt so in love with my roots and wanted to share it with everyone-just the same as I had been doing with pretty much every other aspect of my life. The Middle East and fashion are two things I absolutely love-but sharing it all is truly my passion and basis for most everything I create.
Surrounded by a giant kid friendly map of Texas, flood control interactive computers, and a dinosaur bone reconstruction exhibit, Talib Kweli stood wiping sweat from his brow and deciding where to eat with friends. Realizing that not much was open in San Antonio, TX at midnight on a Sunday, they joked about heading down to the local Shoneys.
While most people consider natural disasters to be dangerous and devastating, Lori Nix regards them as her personal muses. Growing up in rural Kansas, Lori’s childhood was filled with its share of tornados, snowstorms, floods, droughts, and insect infestations. She is also fascinated, or maybe a bit obsessed, as she’ll admit, by the idea of the apocalypse. These forms of nontraditional sources of inspiration have transpired into photographic masterpieces in Lori’s collections like “Accidental Kansas” and “The City.”
The most interesting aspect of Lori’s work is how she goes about creating it. Before she whips out her camera, she spends months constructing incredibly detailed dioramas. Once everything is in place, she’ll photograph her scenes, blow them up, and alas her picture perfect vision of a decaying landscape is born.
Lori took a break from dreaming of destruction and creating ruin in order to give ChinaShop a glimpse into her creative process, tell us about her newest series “The City,” and discuss her kinship with Mother Nature.
As ChinaShop’s assistant editor, 2010 has been quite an exciting year for me. I’ve had the privilege of seeing nearly every post that has come through our back end and onto your screen, each day discovering something new and exciting that I’d not known existed. The following are 5 post that blew me away and knocked my socks off in 2010.
2010 was a tremendous year for art. Take a look at the Top 10 Artists of 2010 (in no particular order) according to painter, pencil pusher, photographer, and Coilhouse Magazine co-founder Zoetica Ebb.
The Smashbox Face Off annual photo contest celebrated its fifteenth year last week with an opening bash held at Smashbox Studios – West Hollywood. The competition was originally conceived as a creative outlet for photo-assistants, but has morphed into a springboard for young photographers from all over. This year, a new “Motion” category was introduced, as well, with videos now being allowed into Face Off. This year’s entries’ technique and presentation were as diverse as the subject matter.
Not many librarians are known for their influences on pop culture. Austin Community College librarian Red Wassenich is. But it’s not Mr. Wassenich as a man that is cause for celebrity, it’s the 3 words mentioned offhand on a local radio station in the spring of 2000 that are -“KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.” This offhand remark has since become the slogan for a campaign to preserve small-ish local businesses, a merchandise cash cow for local tourism, and inspired copycats such as “Keep Portland Beered.” For me this slogan reflects much more on the populace of the “15th largest city in the US” and the dualities of its inhabitants.
If you like celebrities and you like photography, then you’ll love the work of Greg Gorman. For those who aren’t familiar with this iconic cameraman, Greg Gorman is widely celebrated as an American portrait photographer with an ability to capture celebrities in an honest and sensual light. Greg is known for his black and white photos that uncover the bona fide personality of Hollywood’s most celebrated talent, which has led him to be featured in magazines such as GQ, Interview, Life, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The London Times, Detour, and Harper’s Bazaar. He has shot movie posters for box office superstars like “Lash of the Mohicans,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Dances with Wolves,” and has also provided additions to advertising campaigns for giants like Reebok and Maybelline.
Music has always been a huge part of my life, so when I was given the opportunity to start photographing festivals I jumped at it. The 2010 Voodoo Experience is only the second gig I’ve shot and it was certainly one of the most memorable things I’ve ever done. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I stepped through the gates on Day 1. There I was; a 19 year old college student with press access. This was the big leagues and I didn’t even realize it.
