T-Bone . . . . Big pimpin

I am sure many of you have seen the new Belvedere Vodka ads lensed by the T-Bone himself Terry Richardson. So what does your $ 20,000,000 budget get you ? Well not only his raw sexually charged photographic stylings toned down for the masses, he has added his signature to the print campaign and then also brought himself, a trademark flannel shirt, his T4 and Vincent Gallo to the self directed TV spot, above. Now thats money well spent on luxury reborn ! I am sure Katy negotiated a fine package for the multi talented El Tel and his cohorts. As if the regular punter actually has a clue who Terry is and gives a monkeys anyways but someone thought it would bring bank.

Thanks to AVS who revealed the campaigns launch in an earlier post here.

*Update: Perhaps I should have added this sidebar earlier, particularly for those new to the blog, I am a big Terry fan and I wrote an earlier post here expressing my admiration, quote below. Hey fair play to him for cashing in I would if I could. To the anonymous commenter there is no hatred just a little irony. Come on the TV commercial is disappointing I was really looking forward to seeing something iconic and creative.

Taking the snapshot genre and Terryizing it Richardson has honed his art over the years and has in doing so become more then just a photographer, he is a brand, a corporation if you will, he being the Chairman, figurehead, spokesperson and sometime model. He is obviously a smart businessman who's shock and awe tactics haven't scared away commercial clientele . . . .

Summertime redux

With autumn falling it might be worth another look see at Ryan McGinleys summertime collaboration with sportswear giant Puma. Looking for a unique way to advertise its Urban Mobility Edition Bag and the Urban Mobility Bike; Puma commissioned McGinley to produce a short film extolling the virtues of both and little else. Ever wonder what it might be like to ride through the countryside with nothing more then bag, bike and dangly bits well here you go. Hope the lithe young nudies didn't forget to pack the sunblock and some tasty treats in their Mobility Edition Bag.

Up to his old tricks !

Well it looks like famed Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani is up to his old shock and awe tricks. Toscani was the mastermind behind the groundbreaking and oft controversial Benetton advertising campaigns of the 80's and 90's where he was not only photographer but also creative director. Most of these campaigns were pure image pieces for the brand; usually devoid of any fashion all together. Toscani's most infamous image was perhaps his portrayal of a man dying of AIDS, lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by his grieving relatives, reminiscent of a Pieta painting.

Not one to shy away from the spotlight since his Benetton departure in 2000 Toscani has continued to bring his own brand of color to the plate for other clients. This week to coincide with the fashion shows in Milan see's the launch of his latest effort on behalf of Italian fashion group Flash & Partners and their Nolita brand of clothing. The add depicting the photograph of a naked anorexic woman appears in newspapers and on billboards to highlight the effects of the illness. As you can imagine it has stirred up a ton of debate already, go here to read more.

Separated at birth !

Photo © ?

There I was minding my own business at the news stand today leafing through some of the latest magazine releases. Not intending to buy British GQ but just taking a look see at what they had on offer in their October 'Men of the Year' issue; an odd familiarity struck me about the above ad for Goodyear Tyres!

Photo © AH

I took the above picture back in November 2005 on a Thanksgiving road trip to visit family in Rochester NY with my dad (in from Ireland) and my wife. It was one of those simple quick ideas that popped in to my head as I was wandering around outside in the cold, trying to turn the snowy conditions in to photo opportunity. Getty selected the image for its Image Bank collection but cropped out the lower half of the frame including the license plate and bumper turning it into a horizontal.

Who knows where the inspiration comes from and whether any similarities are truly coincidental ?

Parr on the move ?

Photo © Martin Parr

Martin Parr has signed on with Bill Charles Represents based here in New York and also in London. This doesn't mean he will be giving up on Magnum but looks like he is keen to land some more commercial assignments which I am assuming Bill will be chasing down more of on his behalf. Not that Parr hasn't been doing too bad on the ad front already this year with gigs for Mavi, Paul Smith and Louis Vuitton. Doesn't this man have enough on his plate already ? Obviously not !

Parr joins an eclectic mix of top line shooters at his new digs. Its a real who's who; straddling all genres. The line up includes the likes of; Sasha Bezzubov, Mitch Epstein, Larry Fink, Kyoko Hamada, Nadav Kander (UK and Europe excluding France), Jean-Pierre Khazem, Antonin Kratochvil, Jeff Mermelstein, Bill Owens, Frederike Helwig, Stephen Shore, Sage Sohier, Larry Sultan and Massimo Vitali to name a few.

Photography 2.0 . . . . A Review of Sorts - Part 2

First up to give us his take was keynote speaker the irrepressible Chase Jarvis; now for those of you who don't know Chase he is a very successful ($) advertising photographer based in Seattle and Paris. He also has a blog in which he has been very forthcoming and open about himself, his work, his business, the industry. When I first started trolling the photoblogosphere I came across a post by him here, which I have mentioned several times, it struck a chord with me and made me think. Now listen I just want to set the record straight; I know Chase will appreciate my candour, I don't particularly aspire to Chases work, its not my cup of tea to be honest, do I appreciate it yes of course, I am a photography fan, I couldn't do what he does, nor do I want to have a big time operation like him either, do I want to jet all around the world like him yes but on a different level my level.

Chase is like the the Tony Robbins (sorry not sure if that a fair comparison I am not up on the subject) of the photography world. Fuck he comes at you quick, all shock and awe, with the bells and whistles, videos of himself and team in action, a DJ, motivational buzz phrases "Turn that frown upside down", it is certainly entertaining and I am sure completely overwhelming for some in attendance and a little cheesy to others. I have never been to one of those helpy-selfy events but I have a feeling his presentation might be what one could expect. Am I drinking the Kool-aid ? NO ! But that's not what he is about, he is not selling a dream, he is sharing his own thoughts and ideas and what he does to make things work for him. I respect his approach, while it is certainly full on, he is all energizer bunny, I appreciate his honesty and respect his openness and willingness to put himself on the spot; answering every question and fielding every advance with equal attention no matter how annoying or trivial it may be, I know he doesn't see it like that. I don't envy him he was fuckin swamped at the drink reception by a circle of guys all looking to pick his brain, scary stuff !

This isn't for everyone but it does inspire some inner reflection and should make one take a look at where one is in life/career and what we could possibly be doing better. As established professionals we should after all not be in fear of a 10 year old with a Canon Rebel, he certainly has no fear and is just concentrating on taking a decent picture. We on the other hand are trying that but are often all a clutter with all the extra baggage.

Above all Chase is passionate about everything he does and I cannot imagine being up against him for an ad gig. How could a client not be overawed by his unmeasurable enthusiasm and not want to hire him over me. Its all about bringing some fire, loving what you are doing and realizing that you have the power to do whatever you want. Fuck I am preaching now, maybe I am guilty self administrating my own online therapy after all I am the only one who rereads this over and over making sure it is somewhat readable. But we are all at it in some form I guess. Go here to read Broenings take on all the whingers and whiners. Yes times are hard and the business is changing but one cannot be unaware and unwilling to move forward and accept new and exciting challenges. Its not about whether I shoot film or digital; its about using all the new tools at my disposal to get me and my pictures out there.

This is the second time I have met Chase, and while he maybe a little much for some I encourage you to take a read of his blog and amongst all the fabulousness I promise there will be a little nugget that will help and perhaps inspire.

The third and final chapter below.

Testino revealing Testino

Keeping up with the this weeks fashion beat; courtesy of CNN go here to see and here to read about the inner workings of one of the worlds top fashion shooters, Mario Testino as he reveals himself. Its all terribly glamorous, just the way you imagine it should be, travel, fashion shows, go-sees, supermodels, top designers, studios, sets, royalty and he doesn't even seem to break a sweat as he traverses the globe mixing commerce and art or should that be art and commerce. Watch him and his team go through the motions from concept to execution on a Versace campaign. Will he use models or celebrities or both, how about a celebrity guest starring with models ? Genius ! I won't spoil the ending so plug in and stay tuned as one segment rolls into another and this is in turn followed by the final climactic third act, watch the video and you will know what I mean.

An answer to a question ?

Photographs © Terry Richardson

Hey Andrew,

I have a question. What makes Terry Richardson Terry Richardson?
I am not speaking about his persona, mainly his photographs.

I started asking more questions and then started answering them myself so I guess I'll ask it this way. Why do you like Terry Richardson and why do you think he is hired for what he is hired to do?

Above courtesy of Sherman in response to Fridays post here, my thoughts follow below.

I like Terry Richardson's photographs, I like Terry ! There I have said it. I think he is one of those photographers that you can either take or leave, you either love him or hate him. Terry has been a fixture on the photographic scene for sometime now, and his influence is pretty far reaching. See his Flickr group here.

I have always had a soft spot for the point and shoot aesthetic. In my own pictures I try to have that spontaneity and freedom both in concept and execution although I choose to use a medium format camera, I like a little quality and clarity. Taking the snapshot genre and Terryizing it Richardson has honed his art over the years and has in doing so become more then just a photographer, he is a brand, a corporation if you will, he being the Chairman, figurehead, spokesperson and sometime model. He is obviously a smart businessman who's shock and awe tactics haven't scared away commercial clientele. I think his persona is intertwined within all his photographs as it should be for all of us, although he does chose to feature himself (and his dangly bits) whenever opportunity arises.

Terry has cashed his notoriety in big time and there is more to his repertoire then mere tit n' ass. His list of advertising clients is impressive and he is smart enough to put down the T4 when the situation demands. His resume includes clients like Gucci, Levi's, Miu Miu, Tommy Hilfiger, Club Monaco, Supreme, Hugo Boss, Stussy, Baby Phat, Jigsaw, Costume National, Hysteric Glamour and Sisley. See his latest campaign for Japanese retailer Uniqlo here. His editorial fashion work is multi faceted and there is often more to it technically and conceptually then anyone who is unfamiliar with this aspect of his work may give him credit for. Please go here to see a sampling.

Perhaps the true genius of Terrys talents is not only that he can seemingly manage to prise anyone, male or female from their clothes but that he has constantly produced signature imagery no matter what the genre, personal, editorial, fashion, advertising etc. This is particularly impressive considering the depth and breath of his celebrity portfolio. In a day and age when the Hollywood PR agent has more power then even the stars themselves and are only too quick to veto a photographer or idea that they feel may shed their prized clients in a negative light, it always amazes me how Terry manages to get his victims to do what they do for him. As any photographer who has been put in this nerve wracking position will a test half the battle is gaining some trust and developing a relationship however fleeting that will in turn lead to some sort of mutually creative collaboration. Lets face it Terry's got a reputation and brings his own star power, that counts for a lot, people are willing to give more and obviously trust him to portray them in a cool interesting way. But still you can't help but wonder was Terry told in advance of his Vibe Obama cover to keep everything PG-13 or to go for it and see what happens. Not that Barack would have been itching to get his kit off, but you wonder what the reaction of his people were when they heard Terry was on the way !

Terry is certainly a fixture of the New York scene and can often be caught wandering around the lower East side. I have always liked the humor and irony in his work, perhaps this is why I am personally drawn to it more then the work of other point and shoot practitioners Ryan McGinley and Wolfgang Tillmans. Although I think we have all seen Terry's dick plenty enough already and I am not particularly keen to see another tooth brush out the bum or certain toilet bowl stylings.

5B4 recently reviewed Terryworld below, it is really funny made me laugh as I am sure it would Terry, can't help but think that he doesn't take himself too seriously, life's too short as they say, maybe he is having the laugh on us ?

Terry Richardson has a book called Terryworld!
Terry Richardson has a cock!
Terry likes his cock!
Terry likes to photograph his cock and other cocks!
Terry likes to have sex!
Terry has lots of sex!
Life is hilarious!
Terry’s life is great!
Live fast, Die young! (for Darby)
My friends are fuckin’ cool!
There are no consequences to our behavior!
My cat’s ass is hilarious!
My girlfriend is so cute!
Last night she held a cookie that read “eat me” over her vagina! (Terry took a photo)
My list of friends includes famous people!
Kate Moss is a friend of mine!
Middle America is fuckin’ hilarious!
That girl’s tits are fantastic!
I drew a watch face on my cock and wrapped it around my wrist! (Terry took a photo)
Beastiality is shocking…but very funny!
The 2000’s are the new 1970’s!
Your life is boring!
Terry photographed a werewolf in a wax museum. It was so fake!
My parents are to blame!
My best friend made out with a tranny!
I never got back at my tormentors from high school!
This is low art!
Terry had the guy shit in the cat’s box!
She blew me with a bag over her head!
I desperately miss being young!
Vincent Gallo looks exactly like Jesus Christ!
We drove around ‘mooning’ everyone!
Clowns are ironic!
The American flag is ironic! (Ol’ Bob Frank taught me that)
I like teddy bears!
You’re jealous!
I’m bored!

All that being said I admire Terry's ability to being a bit of an all rounder while remaining a shrewd opportunist and staying true to his core. This is why he is hired and rehired he always brings a little magic to the plate as unexpected as it is expected, not always shocking for shock sake. The secret to this business as any is longevity and Terry has certainly managed this while always remaining relevant, to me at least anyways. As his people are keen to say 'he is a true American original'.

Oh and he looks like he is having lots of fun, here's to you Tel !

Magazine under review . . . . VF 09/07

September sees the return of the blockbuster issue as magazines shed their slim summer bindings and get ad heavy as we jump into the Fall. Vanity Fair is always the first out of the gates to hit the newsstands. I don't think its the biggest ever but it certainly packs some bulk with 232 pages of advertising and fluff before we hit an article of any substance.

Photos © Roe Ethridge

It's the usual mix of fashion and automotive advertising. I have to say nothing really caught my eye, the one stand out being Roe Ethridge's pictures for Commes des Garcons although these were not directly commissioned and are from a series Roe shot some time back. Annie seems to be ever popular as she lenses numerous campaigns this season including a turn at reviving the Gap's fortunes with their 'Classics Redefined' collaboration a homage to earlier print successes. Its the usual mix of chosen ones, actors, musicians and includes this rather odd portrait of actress/comedian Sarah Silverman, yes that's really her below playing supermodel, retouch free ?

Photo © Annie Leibovitz

Giselle graces the cover ala Mario Testino and he holds the well down with a 24 page fashtacular set in Brazil featuring a bevy of local beauties. I didn't really love it, nothing new it was fresh five years ago. Come on Mario give us a little of that old Peruvian magic next time. See Giselle get her cover groove on here as its shot in Manhattan not Rio, its amazing what they can do these days. Then we have all the usual suspects, Jonas Karlsson giving Ralph Lauren his treatment, Patrick Demarchelier, Annie Leibovitz doing George Clooney doing George Clooney, Jonathan Becker and Todd Eberle, who looks like he may have started to dabble in digital, theres something a little off about the reproduction, maybe its just me, winding up the show. Oh and you can throw Brett Ratner into the mix, yes that Brett Ratner, film/video director and friend to the stars Brett Ratner, the mastermind behind Rush Hour 1, 2 and 3. Bretts been dabbling in the still world for sometime now both editorially and commercially. Why not if you can, right ? And just in case you haven't had enough of Brett yet go here to see behind the scenes footage and then go here he's got a blog too.

My favorite pictures in the issue accompany a piece on the recently deceased Isabella Blow. For those of you that don't know about her she was a major figure on the fashion scene, difficult to quantify she wore many guises, a madly eccentric British aristocrat, an icon, a muse, a stylist, a talent scout, the quintessential mad hatter, never one to be seen in public with out some other worldly creation a top her head courtesy of milliner extraordinaire and Blow discovery Phillip Treacy. It would appear in the end that she loved fashion more then the fashion world loved her back. She had been struggling for some time to find her place and relevance in an ever fickle business. For someone who seemed so alive and high on life and fashion it was sad to read more about her and discover that she led in fact a quite dark and tumultuous existence. After numerous attempts to take her own life she was finally successful in May of this year. The final picture in the feature (not the pic above) was taken days before her death by one of my favorite (fashion) photographers the brilliant Tim Walker.

Congratulations . . . . Norman Jean Roy

Photo © Norman Jean Roy

Congrats to Norman Jean Roy on realising the dream and signing a corporate contract with Conde Nast to shoot for several of the publishing companies top titles including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Mens Vogue and Glamour. Norman has shot for these magazines in the past but the contract should be laden with all those extra perks that freelancers can't get their hands on. Guaranteed number of work days, 1st class travel, budgetless budgets, having the green M&M's removed from the party mix, etc, etc. He joins the ranks of famed photogs Annie Leibovitz and Patrick Demarchelier in getting the keys to the executive washroom.

Photo © Norman

I only assisted Norman on one shoot many years back, Salt N' Peppa for Vibe or Spin I can't seem to remember. I have to say that he has been most cordial to me when we have met since and has always taken the time to compliment me on my own work, thanks man. Norman relocated to Los Angeles from New York some years back and I haven't seen him in some time. Well known for his celebrity work Norman also dabbles in the fashion world and has also lensed some major advertising campaigns including the current Samsonite campaign featuring French actor Jean Reno (above) and other celebs, not unlike Annie's work for Louis Vuitton (below) ? .

Photo © Annie

Norman is represented by super agent David Maloney at Art Department, a true gent who is also responsible for handling the careers of Platon, Robert Maxwell, Nick Waplington, Christian Witkin, now there's some top talent

Heres to you NJR !

More Martin Parr . . . . does the man ever stop !

Photos © Martin Parr

Just when you thought there wasn't another minute in the day perenial 'Whats the Jackanory ?' favorite Martin Parr has another collaboration up his sleeve. Not only is it already completed its currently on show in Tokyo, where does he find the time ? So far this year he's done this, this and this I am sure I am only scratching the surface. Like or dislike his photography you got to give the man some props he is with out doubt one of the most prolific artists of our time.

The latest project I discovered is a hook up with ace British designer Paul Smith. 'Paul Smith @ Ilford' is a series of fashion photographs taken by Parr of people on the streets of Ilford, Essex, England wearing Paul Smiths Autumn/Winter '07 collection.

What makes this series even more remarkable is that Parr has forsaken the use of flash and some of the pictures evoke another era, perhaps 70's or 80's Britain. Did he do this on purpose ? or maybe he left the ring light on the train up by mistake ? The man never ceases to amaze and inspire.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Martin at the 'Colour before Color' show still up at Hasted Hunt in NYC. I was a bundle of nerves as one is when meeting an idol, managed to fumble my way through 30 seconds of conversation, got him to sign my copy of 'The Last Resort' and presented him a shrink wrapped copy of my own upcoming monograph 'A Room with a View' (more on that later). There are only 4 copies of the book in existence at the moment and he has one. I wonder did he ever take the time to open it ? I am sure he did he is a stand up bloke. Hey Martin if you are reading this let me know what you thought, oh and by the way I am looking for someone to write the forward, do us a favor between all the jet setting and put pen to paper and help an editorial photographer attempting a little fine art get a bit of street cred.

Heres to you Martin Parr, your the dogs bollox !

And the winners are . . . . .

Communication Arts Photography Annual 48 has just hit the news stands and its yours for $ 16.00. I am not in it and if you haven't received a nice notification in the mail already chances are you aren't either.

Its's the usual mixed bag. I wrote an earlier post on my yearly competition entry strategies here, guaranteed a result no !

There weren't many winners in the book category, the full list is Robert Polidori for After The Flood, Martha Camarillo for the fine Fletcher Street. Robert Llewellyn for Empires in the Forest: Jamestown and the Beginning of America, John Bernhard for Drift, Stephen Wilkes for Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom and Baldomero Fernandez for his photographs of young Cuban boxers for Wallpaper City Guide: Havana (this seems like a bit of a stretch).

Big shout out to fellow Reduxers Erika Larsen for winning in the editorial category and to Marc Asnin in the unpublished category.

Its a real beauty !

Anyway there I was yesterday morning on my way to lunch with 'inspirator' Jake Chessum when I found myself wandering down Bond street as I like to do, checking out on the block construction progress, with a particular eye on Mario Testinos new digs in the new Herzog and De Meuron building at # 40 and catching a look @ what titles were on window display @ Dashwood Books. It was early enough so they were still shuttered but there it was winking at me from amongst the showcased titles, book of the year contender # 4, 'British Watchtowers' by Donovan Wylie, see earlier post here. Bummer I didn't think it was out yet, I had a busy day, but set my sights on a later return.

It was great to catch up with Jake. He has just finished traveling the world working on a major international advertising campaign. Its due out in September/October that's all I can say for now but he did shoot it all on film, very ballsy ! Hopefully Jake will give me some insight in to the process and share his experiences from the road when the ads are released. Would be a nice change to hear about someone else's travel/job experiences rather than my own.

Jake was followed by a meeting at Milk Studios to discuss a possible collaboration (more news soon if it comes to fruition). This was followed by a meeting with 'The Sartorialist'. Finally got back to Dashwood around 4.00pm which all worked out great as I was due to meet new friend Cameron Wittig, in town from Minneapolis for a 5.00pm pint. Check out his fine new updated site here.

Thats the problem with Dashwood isn't it, it is impossible to enter and walk away with out making a purchase. Very dangerous ! I was very good and managed to extricate myself with Wylies book alone, which had just arrived by the way. I had a fab chat with proprietor David Strettell and will have another exciting announcement following our conversation to come soon.

All in all a very fruitful day. Oh and 'British Watchtowers' is a real beaut ! I was expecting a physically larger book, I don't know why but it is perfectly proportioned and the images, layout and printing are exquisite, a must have.

This just in

Womens Wear Daily is reporting this morning that :

Martin Parr, whose color-drenched photos often feature unglamorous folk and fashions of dubious taste, is training his lens on luxury and chic for a change. Word has it Parr was tapped to shoot Louis Vuitton's men's campaign for fall. It is expected to break in select September fashion magazines.

Martin is no stranger to fashion and has recently been collaborating with Turkish Jeans Company Mavi on their advertising. The project culminated in the publishing of "Parrjective" a book celebrating Mavis 15th birthday and the city of its inception Istanbul.

West coast in the house

Photo © Lisa Wyatt

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting up (separately) with two of LA's finest. First up was a pint and some chips with new friend Lisa Wyatt who has been in town doing the portfolio thing, meeting with magazines and ad agencies. Second up was a bottled beer, some anti pasti, calamari and 1/8 of a sandwich with old friend Joe Pugliese (who had flown in for a shoot) and others, including Bensonhursts finest son and 'Whats the Jackanory ?' inspirator Joe Fornabaio.

Photo © Joe Pugliese

Soft Sell

Conde Nast has rolled out the celebrities in its latest print advertising campaign, titled 'Point of Passion' the said stars are seen to be enjoying their favorite reads from the companies exhalted stable but courtesy of Gawker someone has added a little extra copy to the adds below, naughty, naughty.
The official ones are running without the innuendo.

We have Mary Louise Parker for the New Yorker, above.

Sir Richard Branson for Wired.

Diane von Furstenburg for Vanity Fair.

Patrick Demsey for Details.

Stanley Tucci for Gourmet.

Anyone care to take a guess @ whom the photographer of the above may be ? I am thinking one of the following Annie Leibovitz, Norman Jean Roy or Art Streiber. Anyone ?

Art + commerce

Photo © Roy Zipstein

Bernstein and Andriulli have finally put up a portfolio of "Whats the Jackanory ?" inspirator Roy Zipsteins 'Shipbreakers of Bangladesh' project on ther site. Check it out here.

I am looking forward to discussing the project further with Roy and posting our conversation . I am curious how a photographer of Roys pedigree balances the fine line between art + commerce, how he and his rep uses a project like this not only for creative purposes but also uses it as a promotional tool for both editorial and especially commercial clients.