New York City Noir

Masha

 
I've worked with a very photogenic model named Masha twice this summer.  It's great to photograph a model who's also an artist and is able to appreciate what I'm trying to do in my own art.  And it's also very pleasant to work with someone as cultured as Masha with whom I can discuss art, literature and film while shooting.

Photo Shoot with Chiemi -- Asakusa

 
I photographed my best friend Chiemi towards the end of my stay in Tokyo.  The shoot was at another Inari shrine in Asakusa.  This visit to Tokyo was the first where I'd shot digital color rather than black & white film, and it certainly worked well for my shoot with Chiemi.  If I'd shot black & white, I wouldn't have been able to capture the bright colors of her outfit.  Chiemi designed the modifications to the dress herself and did a fabulous job coordinating the colors into a true impressionist palette.

After the shoot, Chiemi and I had lunch at the same Asakusa restaurant where I'd eaten with Lira at the beginning of my stay.  It was great to have a quiet lunch and talk over old times with such a good friend.  As we were talking, we discovered that Chiemi and Lira were both listed with the same model agency, SOS Models, in Tokyo.  Small world.

 

Photo Shoot with Miyu -- Ebisu

 
I met Miyu for the first time when I was in Japan after originally setting up the shoot through Model Mayhem.  We emailed each other back and forth to set up the details, and the shoot went really well.  Miyu was not only beautiful, but also extremely professional and was just as interested in getting good photos as I was.

The shoot itself was in Yebis Gardens, a relaxed outdoor mall.  It had originally been the site of the Sapporo brewery, and there were still many signs of the plant's former presence.  Not only was there a Sapporo Beer Garden and a Beer Museum, but every single advertisement was for beer.  Naturally, I felt completely at home!!

 

Photo Shoot with Lira -- Asakusa

 
My first photo shoot on this trip to Tokyo was with model Lira whom I had last seen at NYC Fashion Week in February.  Lira brought her cute Yorkie with her to the Asakusa shrine.  We met at Kaminarimon Gate and did a short casual shoot while sightseeing around the shrine.  Afterwards, we went for lunch to Lira's favorite restaurant which was right to the side of the main strip of tourist shops.  The restaurant did not cater to Westerners -- the menu was written entirely in kana -- but the food was excellent.  We had yakitori and steaming pots filled with rice and fish.

 

NYC Fashion Week -- Viktor Luna Show

 
I was invited by model Lira Y to photograph a fashion show on 14th Street today by designer Viktor Luna.  It was a very well thought out show with the models assembled as mannequins in stationary poses.  The imagery was creative, and the visuals worked very well.

As the press release phrased it:

The designer's Fall/Winter 2011 collection consists of calibrated compositions, balancing military attire with soft femininity.  The salient structure and purple, gold, and black colors are inspired by the royalty of the past.  In contrast, the subtle delicacy and intricate detail of each garment create effervescence, alluding to universal comfort and empowerment.  Tying in with this theme of time, the luxury and sheer sophistication of each garment undoubtedly manifest our prosperous future.

At the end of the show, I had a chance to speak to Viktor and congratulate him, and he turned out to be a really nice guy who seemed sincerely appreciative of my comments.

 
 

B&W Photos of Lira Y

 
Last week, I printed in the darkroom a few of the b&w photos I'd shot of Lira Y on Bergger 200 film.  I had asked her to wear very light makeup so that I could capture her natural beauty.

 

Model Cassandra

 
Cassandra was the only model worth seeing at a recent fashion show at Gallery Bar.  In a white patterned strapless minidress, she looked the incarnation of the female temptress. 

I didn't stay for the show itself, which still hadn't started an hour and a half after the time scheduled.  There was no in-house lighting and photographers were carrying on-camera flash, which can temporarily blind a model as she' walking the runway and cause her to fall.  Downstairs, it was bedlam as tall models with big booties waited for hair and makeup.

The photos shown here were taken in my studio.  I shot on Konica infrared 120 (above) and on Bergger 200 (below).

 

Japanese Runway Model

 
I worked this afternoon with Lira Y, 5'9", a great runway model from Chiba, Japan.  She was a sweet fun person too.

 
 

Infrared Photo of Model with Dog

 
In my November 21, 2010 post, I showed a digital photo of Bella Bianca  (MM#1017976) with her pet chihauha.  I think it's fascinating to look at the difference between digital and infrared photos of the same subject. 

Sunday Afternoon Photography

 
While the rest of NYC watched the football playoffs, I worked again in the studio with Cassandra yesterday trying out new lighting arrangements.  Later today, I'll take the Konica infrared and the Bergger 200 down to C Lab.  It's pretty much the only lab here in Manhattan that still does quality film processing.  If I have time after that, I'll work in the darkroom printing b&w from last week's shoot.

Today is also a day to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., who truly is one of America's greatest heroes.  His continual emphasis on non-violence as a means to protest political injustice has been one of the most lasting influences in my life.