L.A. ON FILM

Just a few snaps from my Pentax, from downtown to Chinatown to the California coast. I really love the way these came out...all of these are up on my Flickr if you want to Tumbl/Pin the larger file size ;)

QUENTIN DE BRIEY

I am so enamored of Quentin's work, which I discovered via Pinterest (of course). He does portraits and interiors brilliantly and seems kind of threateningly cool. Speaking of great photography, I haven't been able to shoot much lately, which sucks, but I do hope to be able to dream up some projects in the new year (which is right around the corner, FML).

I'm also really feeling the need for a new camera, as my Rebel T1i is just not cutting it anymore. I just ordered two lenses from Canon (eek! commitment!) and am scouting refurbished 5D's on eBay. I'm also pretty keen on bargain-hunting for a film SLR. Indulgent, yes, but everyone whose work I really love shoots with film, at least sometimes...any online camera shopping suggestions?

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THE ART OF BEING IDLE

"A mind adrift in a sea of its own making is far more interesting than a mind following a trail of hyperlinks."

Over the weekend I read this beautifully written essay on Kinfolk. It grapples with the idea of really, truly disconnecting—not necessarily in a tech sense...more like allowing yourself to do absolutely nothing. It's a really interesting thing to think about. Even when I'm doing something so basic as reading a book I can be hyper aware of the act in and of itself; what it looks like and the image I'm projecting by doing it. Like, instead of reading this book should I Instagram it next to a bowl of artisanal granola? Do I have any artisanal granola? Can I make my own, really quickly? Maybe I should buy a book on how to make artisanal granola at home and read that. In all seriousness I find it often really difficult to get lost in a good book. Every time I reach a new chapter it's like, ok, finished that portion—what's next? Am I continuing on? How many pages is that? Just being and forgetting is a kind of challenge. Just going to bed and not going to bed after I check all the apps on my phone ("Only two new likes!? You're all sluts") requires a good bit of will power.

And I'll own up to being a bit compulsive about these things. I routinely check on my stats here and there, all over the place. Who favorited my tweet? Has anyone pinned anything from my blog? Do I have any new Facebook fans? I can't even remember what life was like before I had all these running tallies going in my mind, which I guess is this weird side effect of digitization. Everything is quantified, everything is stats. Worth—even self-worth—can feel like little more than a numbers game.

YOU NEED TO KNOW: LENA EMERY

German photographer Lena Emery got a good bit of attention last month when her food still lifes for the Black Isle Bakery appeared in The Gourmand. I, however, discovered her work when I stumbled across the Autumn/Winter '13 campaign of designer Julie Eilenberger. Emery's brilliant way with composition and color is evident no matter her subject, so I'm pretty much obsessed.

P.S. If you like Emery's work you should check out some of my other photography posts here and here. Also wouldn't hurt to check out Jackson Eaton's pics for Awoke Vintage.

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YOU NEED TO KNOW: MARION BERRIN

I think I've shared Berrin's work here before, but I can't remember how long ago...so here it is again? (Not that you're keeping tabs.) Berrin shoots with film (like someone else I know) and is particularly good with color. Her eye is beautifully attuned to those nuances and details that elevate the mundane. I think she's really great if, like me, you're glued to Instagram and are always looking around you for inspiration in the everyday. Berrin blogs at L'inventaire De L'esthetique. Her portfolio is here; you can also follow her on Pinterest & Tumblr!

P.S. You might also like Masahiro Sanbe or Matin Zad.

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[NOW PLAYING] HOW TO DRESS WELL

Another one to file under, "Came on my radar awhile ago, but didn't really register until now..."

I love how spare the production is in this song, like a 90's acapella group with someone beatboxing in the background. Not like, literally beatboxing, but kind of...ok so not beatboxing at all, but still cool. Gorgeous photo by Irina Munteanu, click through for more!

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SUMMER DAZE

I've been super duper busy this week and the blog is obviously suffering...I don't think I've been such a spotty poster in the history of *fruitpunch! But I have some things I'm mulling over and some other stuff I should be shooting, so next week I'll be back on my grind. These pictures sum up how I feel when I'm laying on my air mattress in the morning, dreaming about my new furniture...beautiful, no? Click image for source.

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SCHELTENS & ABBENES

{portraits René Habermacher}

As blog partner for Hyères 2013 I was offered the chance to submit a few questions to the panel of judges, a diverse group of industry professionals whose talents any aspiring creative would be eager to parse - what makes these people tick? What inspires them? How do they apply that? To what? The creative duo of Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes is of particular interest to me as I've known their work for a few years now, having first discovered it in an editorial context in Fantastic Man (the latest issue of which I purchased last week; I recommend it.)

Scheltens & Abbenes' work reduces without being reductive; it distills, is elemental, essential. It's incredibly inspiring and demandingly beautiful; compositions that may at first seem distant or stark reveal a hidden sense of humor, in a French New Wave sort of way. Their clients include Valentino, Hermès, COS, Louis Vuitton and the brand formerly known as Yves Saint Laurent, and magazines such as the aforementioned Fantastic Man, The Gentlewoman, Pin-Up, The Plant and T the New York Times Style Magazine. In addition to their independent exhibition works, the duo also shows their projects in cultural institutions such as Galliera Musée de la Mode Paris, museum of photography Foam Amsterdam and the Kunsthal in Rotterdam. See below for an interview with the duo featuring questions from myself and other blog partners, PLUS there's a video!

{all images Scheltens & Abbenes}

How does a garment get your attention? What are you searching for while on set?

Sensitivity in material and design. Looking at a garment it often tells if the designer understands it's own work without stopping to early (or to late) in the process. This attitude is connecting in the way we are also trying to stretch our own sensibilities.

Your work is striking in its simplicity and for its reductive qualities - is fashion more interesting to you in theory more often than in its execution?

We are more interested in what we see then in what we know or should know. After 'building' is the moment of truth. Our curiosity by testing an idea for it's visual qualities is the driving force. That is also why we keep on searching, experimenting and checking during the shoot instead of making photographs from a sketch made on the drawing table. This doesn't mean that thoughts or drawings as they are can be beautiful and interesting to. It's a matter of where to put all these aspirations.

As jury members used to shooting Fashion as objects, can you abstract the mise en scene, the show, the person to judge only the garments?

Actually we see the same struggle and solutions in the garments as we face while shooting fashion or any other object in front of the lens. Maybe it's a healthy distance that we have looking at fashion because we're not 'over informed'. We're responding to what we see with the same critical eye as we do in our own work.

Look closely at Liesbeth's outfit - she's wearing a tie! Oh, to be a Dutch creative...for more of Scheltens & Abbenes, check out this feature on Nowness and this post at Trendland. And don't forget their website! I'll be tweeting and Facebook sharing the other parts of this interview series in the coming week; keep your eyes peeled!

LUST, CAUTION

Such beautiful images captured by Paul Wetherell for an edit in T Magazine called, The Modern Man. Next week I'll be discussing the concept of masculinity and modern male beauty in depth...enjoy the weekend!

WOMAN IS THE FUTURE OF MAN

I've been thinking a lot about love and particularly marriage lately for a piece that I'm working on. I've been hesitant to pull the trigger when it comes to writing another essay thanks to the whiplash I endured after publishing my last piece. I'm not afraid of being divisive, just articulating something so personal or narrowly defined that it fails to resonate with a wider audience...

Which brings me to these beautiful pictures of French model Caroline de Maigret and her partner, Yarol Poupad, shot by Johan Lindeberg. De Maigret is quoted on the BLKDNM tumblr, alongside these images, saying, "I like to wake up every morning and have the nice surprise of still having my man next to me...I feel I can still run away." It seems a bit shocking to my American sensibilities, this idea that the only thing keeping two people in a relationship is the simple desire to be with one another, not a contract or a social obligation, and the implicit awareness that love burns, and love burns out. It's sort of antithetical to love as I've come understand it - we'll call it Jane Austen brand love, Austen being, by my estimation, the de facto guardian of eternal flames and wedded bliss. I wonder if maybe I've been a bit foolish, buying into the two-hundred-year-old romantic fictions of a woman who herself never partnered. It is a bit thrilling, De Maigret's perspective...maybe hard to make a Pinterest inspiration board for, but what can I say...they look happy. Photos Johan Lindeberg for BLKDNM.

P.S. If you haven't seen the movie this post's title comes from, rent it! I think it's on Netflix...

THE PERFECT TEES

I've been wanting to put something like this together for awhile now, so hopefully y'all like it! I asked Keith to do some modeling for me because I've become obsessed with OAK's t-shirts and felt like they deserved a post. Shopping for something so basic can be a bitch sometimes, especially when you're picky...

"I want something that's like, basic...but with less basic detailing."
"Hmm...could you elaborate?"
"I want like, a basic tee...that's also a cape...let."
"I think we have-"
"But not like, an obvious capelet."

The search can be messy and I'll admit it took me a span of several months to decide exactly which t-shirts were absolutely most perfectest. I finally did, though, so clap for me! OAK's plain tees are everything I could ever want from a wardrobe staple: thoughtfully detailed, artfully proportioned and subtly sexy. They're sophisticated enough to be worn sans layers without looking slummy and versatile enough to be traveling-pantsed with your girlfriends. The line is comprised of several unique styles, all of them available in a range of deliciously muted earth tones. Plus, they're made in the USA! For this shoot, I wanted to capture the qualities that make these shirts an elevated basic. Inspired by the portrait work of Georgie Wileman and Bertil Nilsson, I told Keith not to pose, but to keep moving, as if he were dancing. Once we got our bearings in Ari's apartment-cum-studio-for-the-day I think we hit a stride and got some nice shots. Let me know your thoughts!

Click through to continue reading this post...

YOU NEED TO KNOW: GEORGIE WILEMAN

And because sometimes girls love boys...a lazy Sunday post dedicated to the work of UK-based photog Georgie Wileman. Black and white and angsty all over? Yes, please! I love how Wileman has her male subjects hide or obscure their faces in some way, creating a portrait of masculinity that's romanticized and intriguingly vulnerable. Like this post? Check out some other photography favorites here and here.

MASAHIRO SANBE

I discovered the beautiful portraits and still life photography of Masahiro Sanbe through Pinterest - oh, the joys of the internet! There are a ton of other new-to-me artists whose work I'm really falling for...a fotobomb may be in order next week...

EZRA MILLER X TERRY RICHARDSON

I've already declared my love for Ezra Miller as the male beauty icon right now, and Terry Richardson's latest round of portraits of the actor (as seen on Richardson's blog) does nothing to discourage my inner fangirl. I'm particularly drawn to these two shots for their seventies flair and the contrast between sunglasses/arms crossed/hot flash and sunnies off/arms down/natural light. As if Richardson was just like, "Hey man, what would Jim Morrison do?"

There will be some content diversity (or at least something other than men with long hair) next week, te promiso! Actually, come to think of it, I have one more editorial I fell in love with last week that might be shared...where my mind goes, the blog follows! Have a happy Friday, y'all!

BERTIL NILSSON

Just thought I'd share the beautiful work of photographer Bertil Nilsson. His portraits of male dancers are just incredible and bring to mind the words of the great Ben Franklin: "Men's asses are living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Well, maybe not a direct quote...happy Friday, y'all!

YOU NEED TO KNOW: LAURENCE PHILOMÈNE

I discovered Canadian photographer Laurence Philomène's work through Tumblr, where one of a series she'd done for the blog Girl Guts popped up on my dashboard. I love her aesthetic - maybe because she is a woman she crosses gender boundaries in a very non-sensational way. Her images are pretty, sophisticated and charming. They also remind me of being a five-year-old little boy dressed up in his mother's old slips, and - more weirdly - making a skirt out of toilet paper this one time?

See lots more of Philomène's work on her blog, her Tumblr and her Flickr - then like her on Facebook!