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".