Christmas isn't Just About Santa

Now did you ever consider what the Easter Bunny got up to at this time of year? No? Well...

 

Yoko Minemura

The Creative Type

SLOWDOWN!!! It's Friday! Tim Burton, Peter Saville, Malcolm McLaren and Jimi Goodwin all take time out in their day... to be quiet. I love how London based photographer Antony Crook. captures the super busy creative's sitting still collecting their thoughts.  Who knew Peter Saville had such great legs.... So take this as a hint you need to slowdown even during this busy period.  It might only be for five minutes but oh that fiver will be worth it. HAPPY WEEKEND!

JFK and Marylin Behind Closed Doors?

Alison Jackson has done it again. Grabbed our attention by using look-alikes to play out what most of us imagine may be true. 

Alison Jackson has photographed the Queen of England on the toilet, George Bush and Tony Blair chatting in the sauna, Paris Hilton bribing her fellow inmates and Monica Lewinsky lighting Bill Clinton’s cigar. Or has she? The likenesses are uncanny, but of course, her subjects are look-alikes.

Her photos demonstrate that while seeing is believing, the truth is another story entirely. In her work, Jackson says on M+B website, “Likeness becomes real and fantasy touches on the believable. The viewer is suspended in disbelief. I try to highlight the psychological relationship between what we see and what we imagine. This is bound up in our need to look—our voyeurism—and our need to believe.” 

You can see more work here. Beware some shots can be slightly shocking 

Bill's Backyard

There is a new guy in town called Backyard Bill photographing folk at their homes in their clothes!

Vitra Were Here First

There's a tidal wave of enthusiasm about Todd Selby's (aka The Selby) current style of shooting. Two major corporates Nike and Habitat  have used his wonderful talents in shooting their product in real scenarios. It's Genius, Revolutionary and Refreshing! Or is it? Ok before I go on any further and start to get hate male - I LOVE THE SELBY and I've been following him forever. However, there's a company I want to raise your attention to- Vitra. I have been collecting their look books for years now. Why? Well because they have been BRAVE enough to put their furniture in real homes mixed with other product. Something a lot of other companies wouldn't dare to do. They have always had the confidence in their products to stand-out amongst the mess of everyday homes. They know their investment pieces are the objects we are going to desire and most importantly they know we don't live in a showroom so they feel happier showing us how a timeless Vitra piece would look in a real home. The best part in in all this - this style of presenting design keeps quality control in check. If us the consumers are more interested in the other products in the shoot well then the piece they are trying to sell isn't and probably never will be a classic. Oh if only a few more companies could follow Vitra's mantra. It would mean we would be free from an over-populated design market with unwanted goods

 All photos by Nicole Bachmann for Vitra

Who has been the talent behind the lens? Photographer Nicole Bachmann and stylist Connie Huesser. It's crazy for years Iv'e been trying to get Nicole to shoot for the magazines I have worked for but the Editors use to say the work was too cold and too messy... WOW how wrong they were!!!

Make Something New Everyday

Brock Davis is making something cool every day for 2009. Check out the rest of his super fun creations here









This reminds me of my time when I was in Los Angeles during New Years a few years back. I made a resolution for the month of January where I did something I had never done before for 31 days straight. It wasn't anything over the top but they ended up being life changing. It was mainly little things including eating something I had never tried before, using a sun bed for the first (& only) time, exploring a new art gallery. Each day I felt more and more exhillerated and a little bit braver to try something new. Near the end of my little experiement I walked down a red carpet and sat in front of Prince (the rock star)! I swear this only happened because I was living under the motto of doing something new each day. Give it a go and let me know how you go.

The Great Escape

Mirjam Bleeker is one Dutch photographer I would commission in a heart beat. Mirjam's curiosity and open minded style establishes a real connection with the subjects of her work. Her images capture the character of the the people and the cultures she photographs displaying their lifestyles, folklore and their interiors. Many of Mirjam's productions have been in collaboration with her long time collegue, artist and stylist, Frank Visser. Here they travelled to Chile's stunning El Yali nature reserve to visit a family who searched out a back-to-basics rustic retreat.

All photo's by Mirjam Bleeker