North of Israel_photos_hope for peace in The Middle East

Hi,
It is very sad that the violence erupted again between the Israelies and the Hamas in the Gaza Strip area. (I thought that there is a significant difference between the "Hezballah" and the "Hamas".)
Let's hope for peace in the next year, 2009 !!! Please !
Here are some photos from one of the trips I did to Israel with Tulah. This one was in the Summer of 2007. (It's in a slideshow form...with some music I used to listen to as a kid, growing up in Tel Aviv).
We were a few days in Tel Aviv, but then we headed North for 3 days: The Galilee, Kefar Nahum (The church), The Galilee lake, Safed (The center of the Kabbalah), Rosh Pina (used to be a "Hippie"...I mean"Spiritual" town back then, in my student days) , and more.
Enjoy !

5 years ago_Happy Holidays !

Hey,
I "stumbled" upon these pictures of myself in the old loft in Williamsburg (2003) where I had all these archival big prints on the walls (today they are "artist's proofs,,,usually edition of 7. The ones I took from the walls before I moved out would be the affordable prints).
Hey, hopefully it won't take me so long to show you what I have on my walls now, in my newer loft ( most of the new prints are framed now).
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!!!!!!

Fuchs' work in Miami during the Art Basel Miami 08 event

Behind the scenes at the "Generation T: Beyond Fashion" photo shoot

This is the behind the scenes video of the photo shoot I did in mid November.
It was 4 days of fun in DUMBO, Bklyn, Melody Lanes Bowling Alley, and Chinatown in Manhattan, as well as in the studio. There are many location shots that I did with the models, and I'll be able to post those in February 2009

Mid-West trip

Still on my Mid-West photo trip.
Staying overnight in St. Louis, Missouri, enchanted by the view of the Gateway Arch...just a block away...celebrating the amazing night of history change with many other millions.
Here are just 3 images out of so many from my current trip.
Heading a bit more West tomorrow, to Kansas City.

Street pole dance_Cheerleaders and anti Palin dance

Last week I spotted a bunch of dancing acts around the city, and I wanted to share with you 3 of them:
One was a pole dance act on a small stage rigged to bicycle, and it happened on the corner of Bleecker and Lafayette. I was told that it has something to do with an upcoming TV show titled "Last Night" (?)
The other act that occurred at Deitch Projects on Grand St. was of of cheerleaders who were helping promoting the book of Danielle Levitt titled " We Are Experienced",
And the third one was an anti Sarah Palin dance performed in the Union Square Subway stop.
All very inspiring !

Beyond My Remote Control_photo sessions

I finished today a second photo session with the actors of the amazing play "This Is Beyond My Remote Control", written by Megan Bienstock.
In some images I embraced the light of the production, and in some I used my own strobes that I brought with me (as in the image here).

Thursday photo night_Elkins_Isom_PDN

Last night was a big photo night.
Here is a short video of three of the highlights:
Amy Elkins at her opening titled "Wallflower" at the project gallery at Yancey Richardson in Chelsea, The shuttle bus that was arranged by Monte Isom to take guests to his party, and the PDN self-promo awards party, where I was delighted to see my poster "fuchs" displayed.

Andrew Hetherington

I don't know how Andrew Hetherington is doing it !
It take me hours to do what, seemingly, taking him a few minutes ...(I'm talking about blogging here, not the other stuff.... please.)
He knows about everything that is going on in the photo universe.
On top of being an active photographer, he keeps such a fu@&*ng (Did I spell it right?)current and cool blog www.whatsthejackanory.com
He is a true inspirator (it's a word he's using a lot)
He told me about the party I attended today for blurb.com which is a great place to self publish a book !!!
I am going to publish a few books there!
This is Andrew(on the right, with the beard), with Benjamin Lowy , who just sent NY magazine (the fashion issue) over 800 images he took (for the magazine) of behind the scenes at the fashion shows.



In the picture above you'll see (next to Andrew) Michael Costuros, the developer (and his better half,Kim Iglinsky) behind livebooks.com , the company that
enables you to create your own customized website (both Andrew's and my own website are through livebooks, as well as (allow me to drop another name here) Richard Avedon's website.



One of the books that I liked at the event (published via blurb.com was titled Citizen" (see photo), by Ingvar Kenne who devides his time between NY and Sydney, Australia.



In the picture above you can see Ingvar (actually, his ear and beard) next to the photo agent Kristina Snyder.

Generation T

Here's a picture of me from yesterday, (pretending) to put final touches in the hair of Megan Nicolay,
before the cover shoot of her upcoming second book.
She is the (brilliant) author of the successful book "Generation T; 108 ways to transform a T-shirt" .
Her new book will have much more surprises...Stay tune !

Advice: Ask your parents to pay your rent

My advice today to my studio manager, on the way to the photoshoot.

The Raconteurs

I was very pleased last Thursday to find out that the band that was playing at the corporate party I stumbled upon was "The Raconteurs"
See a tiny clip from that event, of the band performing the song: "Steady, As She Goes."
Jack White, the lead singer is also in the band "The White Stripes"

Florida, it's up to you now

©photo by Rafael Fuchs
Check out this installation I did in Florida a while ago...but, somehow, it seems relevant.

Mom

Yom kippur brings memories.
Shana Tova to all !!!

Women In Photography

This post was due a couple of weeks ago.
I attended (on September 30th.) the Aperture panel discussion with 4 brilliant women photographers.
The two co-founders Cara Philips and Amy Elkins, alongside noted contributing photographers Robin Schwartz and Elinor Carucci.
It was moderated by Laurel Ptak, Aperture’s Educational Programs Manager.
It was remarkable.
See a short clip.
Amy Elkins is having a show that opens next week on Thursday 10/23d. at yancey richardson gallery
Should be great !!!

Beauty_Claudia Gestro for Samsung

One of the images we were working on at the studio (from a shoot for Samsung) of Claudia Gestro captured here in between sets...I like those grey people at the background.

Sleeping Beauty_Mary Costa

My daughter, Tulah, was invited today by her friend Nora, to go to the party for the new and improved "Sleeping Beauty" movie premiere in the East Coast (It's the 50th. Anniversary) at the Plaza, so I tagged along.
Fancy party !
Here are pictures of me and of my daughter with Mary Costa(born April 5, 1930 in Knoxville, Tennessee),who was playing the voice of Princess Aurora in the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty.

As well as a snippet video of the event.

I shoot magicians_Joshua Jay

I love magicians.
I shot (ok....did portraits) of a few amazing ones throughout the past years, including
David Blaine...a few times ! incredible experience !
btw, check out the spoof. It's funny as hell !
This Summer I had the honor to shoot a young hot new trickster (26 years of age)for the cover of an upcoming book published by workman publishing: Joshua Jay. MAGIC
See here the cover as well as some shots of shooting cards.
One of the tricks that (I would like to master) Josh was demonstrating to me was converting $1 bills to $100 bills !!!

Best Albino_Victor Varnado

Victor Varnado is one of the best comedians in the country.
He is a black albino, or "best albino", as his website states.
One of his quotes is: "Yes, I am a black albino, ladies ! You know what I'm talking about....All the benefits of being black , without the disappointing looks of your parents"
We met in 2007 when I took nude portraits of him for the cover of The Village Voice.
You can see it also on my website, at the chapter "rare", in the comissioned work group.

I went last week to a live taping of a comedy show that he a put together as a part of his upcoming feature movie "The Awkwards Kings Of Comedy".It was hillarious !!!

See a couple of pictures above of him (and fans) at the after party , singing to a live kareoke band.

Holy War_David LaChapelle

For those who missed the "Holy War" opening of David LaChapelle at Toni Shafrazi's gallery in Chelsea on Sept. 12th., NY, here is a short clip I shot of some of the work, as well as some of the beautiful people who attended.
I was, positively, surprised by the three dimentional presentation , although I would love to see the layers not on a card board, but on something more substentional (white plexi (?).
I wouldn't pay the 104,000 Eur per one installation (edition of 7) of the "Holy War" considering the current presentation.
Maybe 47,000 Eur tops !

Mario Batali at Michael Thompson opening

When Mario Batali shows up at an event that you are attending, your own celebrity status escalates two notches. 'cause you're also there !
I had a chance to catch up with him (I shot his portraits several times in the past, for different magazines)at the Michael Thompson photo opening on Sept. 11th. at the Hasted -Hunt gallery in Chelsea, NY. I am a big fan of Michael's work (he used to assist Irvin Penn), but I wish they would show also images from a story he did for W magazine a few years ago, with the theme of "2001 A Space Odyssey".These images would show his versatility as a prominent artist.

Quiet Color_great music and culture blog

Among the people that were waiting outside the galleries on 21st. St. that were shut off in Chelsea, NYC last Thursday due to an electrical emergencie, we spotted the lovely Daniella of the fresh music and culture blog "Quiet Color". See here
She also couldn't attend the "Shit" show, since the gallery Yvon Lambert was evacuated.
Will she (and many other art lovers) visit Andre's show in the future?
We'll have to find out.

What happend to Serrano's "Shit Show" opening?

A lot of folks were looking forward to be "entertained" at the opening of Andres Serrano's "Shit" photo exhibition on September 4th. at Yvon Lambert gallery in Chelsea nyc.See here.
The artist got his notoriety in 1989, when the Senators Al D'Amato and Jesse Helms protested fiercly against his photograph "Piss Christ", that depicted a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist's urine.
Almost 20 years later, the artist is picking #1 as the subject of his colorful large-scale photographs.
It's his feces , as well as other animals, and very often he sees "faces in it".
The opening event was shut off shortly after it started, due to an electric fire that occured a couple of doors away, and the order of the city to shut off the electricity in a few buildings that are connected to the fire location.
Bummer ! I was loking forward to see the photo titled "Bullshit".

Outakes images from the trip to Barcelona and Costa Brava

So,the trip was AMAZING !!!!
Gaudi,Picasso,Dali, the beaches,Barrio Gotico,Cadaques,Monserrat,Figueres,the food,the people...
Who'd have thunk that travel photography is so much fun !
(Sometimes you have to wake up while it's still dark...but it definitely worth it, to rub shoulders with the Sun, as she rises).
It was 3 days shoot for a travel magazine , and some extra days in between.
Here are some outakes from the trip. You can see also a couple of photographs that I took of my daughter, who got inspired (as well as myself) after the visit at the Picasso Museum, and wanted me to photograph her with the sun screen on her face, so she could draw her portrait afterwards, in a cubist way (maybe).
You can even spot me walking on the beach (shot by her), blending with the buildings of Cadaques ("The most beautiful town", as Dali said in the 70's, while he was partying with The Rolling Stones, and others.)
The blue tiles of the "corridor of light", situated in the center of Gaudi's house, Casa Battlo, (what an amazing way to have all the rooms filled with natural light) are so beautiful.What a genius he was ! And the roof !!! Almost out of body experience.