Photography By Enig Hui
Enig Hui describes himself as “street, train, rail track, Iceland, nordic, Borneo, Malaysian” and I’d describe him as a well-travelled photographer with an eye for the sort of photos I like. In fact he takes photos in a variety of styles and you can check them all out on Enig’s website but the ones that I’d like to highlight are those that feature lines, symmetry, and perspective, things that I find particularly stylish in photography. Great photos that draw the eye in, through, and around them. If you prefer landscape or urban photos then Enig’s got you covered there...
Californian Art Deco Cinemas
From the always interesting Messy Nessy Chic is this great article showcasing cinemas in California built and decorated in the art deco style. Cinemas include The Paramount and the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, the Orinda Theatre in Orinda, the Crest Westwood in Los Angeles, and the Alameda in San Francisco, the latter of which is described thusly: Built in 1932 in Alameda, California, it was the last grand movie palace built in the San Francisco Bay Area. It closed in the 1980s as a triplex theatre and was later used as a gymnastics studio. A restoration and expansion project was completed in 2008, making the historic theater the primary anchor of an eight-screen...
Fashion Faves – Alyona Subbotina
Via Fashion Gone Rogue comes this shoot of model Alyona Subbotina by David Roemer for Marie Claire UK. As an American Football fan it pleases me to see something not dissimilar to a cheerleader’s outfit on display. As a man it also pleases me to see something not dissimilar to a cheerleader’s outfit on display. What I think I’m getting at is that I am pleased by seeing something not dissimilar to a cheerleader’s outfit on display on Alyona. Quite why David photographed her in the middle of scratching her arse is anyone’s guess though. This is a beautiful shot with lovely framing. The horizon splits the picture perfectly in half and Alyona’s positioning adheres to the rule of thirds making everything feel just right. Even if she’s not in the cheerleader outfit any longer. Man, I liked that cheerleader outfit. It really pleased me. I shouldn’t dwell on things like that. Still, despite the lack of a cheerleader outfit there is some compensation in discovering that Alyona’s favourite dance is the one from Adam and the Ants’ Prince Charming video. It’s not my favourite dance but it’s not a bad one. Now you know and I know that in this final picture of Alyona she’s gazing forlornly at the desert floor searching for one of the beads that’s just fallen off her very expensive silk dress but I’d like to think there’s another interpretation. Is it just possible she’s dropped to the ground in despair, remembering that cheerleader outfit from the first photograph? What do you think? Is it possible? I’d like to think it’s possible. Boy, that cheerleader outfit was...
Fashion Faves – Rosie Tupper
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a fashion photoshoot that didn’t bore me to tears. I’m not sure whether there’s a feud going on between the style magazines and the fashion photographers but the two need to get together and up their combined game if they want to impress me. And I know that’s high on their list of things to do. However, I have just stumbled on (via Fashion Copious) this shoot by Nicole Bentley for Marie Claire Australia‘s May 2014 issue. Titled The Artist’s Muse it features model Rosie Tupper with styling, makeup, and hair by Jana Pokorny, Victoria Baron, and Koh respectively. I like this shot as it clearly brings across the feeling of snuggling up to an Ent for a picnic which I think is what Nicole was trying to convey. Rosie does an admirable job of looking content and protected which she would be being that close to an Ent. They’re very protective, especially if you’re a tree or possibly doused in something wood-smelling. I imagine Rosie rubbed a pine car freshener over herself for this picture. Here, Rosie’s demonstrating stroppiness which, quite frankly, I don’t think you see enough of in fashion photography shoots. Rosie is clearly stroppy at her Ent who has helped to douse the flames of Isengard and ended up flooding everything. Do you know a fashion model who likes to wear waders? Exactly! You’d be stroppy too. And now remorse from Rosie in this final shot. Rosie is regretting getting stroppy at her Ent. The first rule of Ent relationships is you don’t get stroppy with your Ent. You should see rule six; it’s equally odd. Rosie sits beside the window looking out across the flooded plains wondering if her Ent is ever going to return. She’s even dressed as a meadow to entice him back not realising that Ents are only really into...
Fashion Faves – Fortune Cookie
Photographed by Martin Tremblay (and via ru_glamour initially (to me, anyway)) comes this bizarre photoshoot entitled Fortune Cookie. The original set can be found in issue 23 of Schön! Magazine. With an Asian retail backdrop Martin takes models Bayan and Cat, adds some styling by Pascal and Jérémie, takes advantage of some strong hairstyling by Geneva Cowen & Stéphane Legros and then proceeds to turn the models’ whole world upside down to produce some genuinely inventive photos. There’s mixture of attention to detail in this shot. First, there’s the great attention in the placement of the shoes on the ceiling. However, that’s offset by the direction in which the model is facing. Sure, having your feet towards the assistant makes it easier to grab something from the counter but how exactly is she supposed to see what she wants? I know a lot of people in real life who figuratively talk out of their backsides but I’m unaware of any reference to anyone looking out of them. I’ve already mentioned the hairstyling and nothing can really beat that incredible style in the first photo which resembles Princess Leia on a high humidity planet with a dearth of hair salons but this shot provides a close-up of another design and highlights the strength present. Of course, it’s difficult to really get an idea of what the hair is doing here as your brain knows the model is upside down and that she’s not really supporting paving stones. But if we flip another shot over… … we get a much better view. You can see what a good job has been done in not only providing strength to support Cat’s admittedly light weight but in also counterbalancing her legs, feet, and shoes which are quite clearly off the vertical. You definitely get the feeling that Martin simply had to pick Cat up, walk over into position, place her down gently, walk back, and take the shot, all of which indicates great preparation and fantastic work from everyone involved. I’m quite impressed by the ripped, knitted dress from UNTLD; it’s performing an admirable job in not succumbing to gravity. I think it’s safe to assume it must be catching on something. This final shot – also flipped upside down – demonstrates what Martin refers to as his “playful side” but what other people refer to as his “being an arsehole side”. To balance a model on her head right next to two old men trying to meditate in a temple courtyard is incredibly disrespectful. On the other hand it should test their mental strengths and, worst case scenario, will give them one...
Fashion Faves – Samantha Gradoville
A second look at Samantha Gradoville for these occasional fashion favourite posts, this time in a shoot by Andrew Yee for How To Spend It magazine, via Fashion Gone Rogue. Now, I like retro styling but it’s typically late 60s and early 70s fashion that appeals to me most. The 50s, though, does have some appeal and it’s the 50s that features in this set. This is an interesting shot in that it brings in an element of fantasy; I can clearly see Samantha as a fairy here with the large, bug eyes, the wild, pastel hair, and the textured bag positioned as if a wing. Not that I’ve ever seen a fairy with large, bug eyes, wild, pastel hair, and a textured bag. Or a fairy at all for that matter. Pixies, yes. But no fairies. Fairies don’t exist, silly. This one’s a very stylish photo that also incorporates a little bit of little-known 1950s history. During the 1952 Tour de France there was an embarrassing incident involving a local French girl joining – and beating – the leading pack in a sprint section on nothing more special than a cheap pushbike. This wasn’t a particularly enlightened period and there wasn’t the immediate access to news that we now take for granted so the unnamed girl who’d bested the world’s elite was effectively scrubbed from all records by a complicit sexist media. Later analysis of the girl’s hairstyle would lead to massive advancements in streamlined cycle helmet designs. For the final selected shot of Samantha Gradoville I’ve picked the one featuring Andrew Yee’s signature shot: the cheeky fart. A word of advice for models about to work with Andrew: acting a cheeky fart is not enough; he demands the real thing. Luckily, he usually works in well-ventilated...
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