Otilee

Taking it to the next level

I recently did a print ad for new Perth based modeling agency Catherine Ruze, to recruit new modeling talent to the agency. The smp for the ad was to communicate their message tagline of ‘taking it to the next level’ – this is an agency that want to break molds and are committed to supporting the development of local talent – and so this is something I really wanted to inject into the visual communication with the photography. Brainstorming possible concepts around both the agency tag line and the message strategy for the ad I narrowed the possible concepts down to a handful to pitch to the agency director. The concept chosen ended up presenting a small problem with nailing permission to use the location so in a last ditch effort I contacted the friendly folk at the Perth Wheel who kindly gave us permission to use it for the shoot. It wasn’t too far removed from the original idea so made an ideal second solution.  I really wanted to communicate both an idea of height literally (and so the choice for a location that visually reinforced this) as well as through edgy, bold and somewhat androgynous styling I planned for the models.

With the styling I pulled various items from Wasteland to dress Cameron (ripped stonewash jeans, white singlet, nail head ring, black leather belt with barbed wire belt buckle, chunky chain linked bracelet), nicked some 16 hole Dr. Martens from my boyfriend and went and bought some fingerless leather gloves and white suspenders to complete the look. A look I’ve been wanting to do for AGES! – something I actually pitched to another modeling agency for one of their male models and was rejected for not being ’safe enough’ – so more credit to Catherine Ruze for being open minded enough to take a risk!

For Alice I pulled items from my own wardrobe, an awesome vintage gold dress I’m proud to say I scored at the retro markets last year for a fiver , strappy black patent stiletto ankle boots and a silver chain cluster neckpiece I dressed as a bracelet. Alice has naturally short dark hair, long neck and gorgeous chiseled features so slicking back her hair in a sort of 80’s Helmut Newton inspired look coupled with dark lips and strong eyes to keep it contemporary made the ideal accompanying look to Cameron’s. Kasey Makeup Artist executed the makeup looks for both models with perfection and Catherine Ruze Models Alice Batts and Cameron Booysen were both perfect for the look and really brought their A-game to the shoot, taking direction easily and making our insane number of rotations around and around to get the shot much more fun.

Here is the final image:

Catherine Ruze Agency is holding a CASTING CALL for models offering the chance for a 12 month contract and exclusive makeover with local salon Skatt. Hit up their facebook event page for more details about requirements and how to apply. Applications Close 31ST MARCH 2010 so get in quick! The casting will be held on SATURDAY 10TH APRIL 2010 at  The Mercure Hotel, 10 Irwin Street, Perth 10am to 2pm.

Very impressed with this agency’s attitude. Get behind them Perthies!

How stimulating…

Faith no More did not disappoint tonight at Soundwave… what a top class act. Band were tight as fark and Patton… well lets just say I could not wipe the sleazy smirk off my face the whole set There really isn’t much else I can say… they were amazable! Very very impressed.

Anthrax <3

Anvil <3

Baroness <3

In that order – all definitely worth arriving in the early afternoon for and braving the blistering sun!

Meanwhile…Anvil show HIM the TRUE meaning of ‘love metal’;

Yes, that’s Steve Kudlow (Lips) using a gold vibrator on his guitar. Reowwww!

I’m on a horse

Saw the new ad for Old Spice last week and been meaning to share it with you – possibly the coolest ad I’ve seen in ages! A massive sign of the economy coming out of the recession with more advertising spend?  Erm, fark yes!

Not only is it completely pee-your-pants hilarious, the production values are crazy awesome.

Wait for it… it’s one continuous mise-en-scène – i.e. one shot! They built half of a boat on a beach with bathroom set on top of the boat and with the delicious old school magic of ropes and pullies they managed to pull off the whole ad with only one use of CGI in the entire ad (seen right at the end with the diamonds and the bottle in his hand… that’s it!!). Yes the horse is real too. Freakin rock!

Check it out! – brought to you by the genius of Eric Kallman and Craig Allen of Wieden + Kennedy

Painted babies – children setting the standard of beauty for women

I apologize in advance for this extremely long blog post but this is subject I’ve been really passionate about for a long time. During the course of my BA Arts (Design) degree as well as my Honours year where the focus of my thesis was art direction and styling for fashion photography and advertising; I wrote many papers on the subject of ethics in the fashion industry (probably somewhat dated now…though if anyone is interested in reading them I’d be happy to upload them supply link – let me know!).

There have been one or two instances throughout the very very short course of my career so far where I’ve shot a model under the age of 16 (found out afterward) to market fashion to women and this is something I regret not taking more of a firm stance upon at the time.  Something I’m determined to maintain a strong stance on from here on in.

From the standpoint of someone who spends many hours in post production editing images to the standard expected by the industry – a young face has a lot less ‘work’ to do then an older one.  So from this perspective I can play devil’s advocate and say that the decision to use a younger model obviously reduces production costs in this way (among other reasons I’m sure).

However, where do you / should you draw the line between decisions based on the bottom line and decisions that are evenly balanced with ethics! Something I believe shouldn’t be too hard or much more work and something I strongly believe this industry should take more responsibility for.  I have encountered many older models with amazing skin and amazing figures so I think this is not, and should not be an elimination or casting process that includes anyone not of appropriate age (to the brief) as a requirement. Clearly, having said that if the target demographic is teenage girls then this is absolutely fine and more then appropriate.

From an advertising / marketing perspective my point is that these girls are representing women of career age and therefore adult women -  i.e. they can afford to buy the products and can therefore theoretically work to pay for them. Last time I checked, you don’t graduate high school until your 17… at least in Australia. Then even then you’re probably 18 before you actually get a job (given end of year holidays etc) or older if you go to Uni (which makes you 21 when you graduate if you do a basic 3 year degree)… So unless you’re a trust fund baby, or hell bent on racking up credit card debt… if you’re under 21 you sure as shit aint the target market so why are we using 14 year old girls to sell these products?

Even if the emphasis is taken off age and the models ARE older -  the point is they are expected to look younger (and thus the weight issue then enters the equation) – it’s easy for a 14 year old to have no hips – but a 16 or 18 year old has to try that little bit harder to keep those pesky womanly curves at bay…. that puberty is a bitch isn’t she?

Personally, and in my humble opinion… I prefer to work with a model that can emote based on life experience over someone that is deemed ‘perfectly beautiful’. ‘ Interesting’ is way cooler then ‘perfectly beautiful’, but again… that’s just my opinion and there is no reason in hell you can’t find both in a grown women.

One of my favourite models Coco Rocha posted an extremely well written blog post on the topic in response to recent media criticism of her during New York fashion week. Clearly my above-mentioned comments are in reference to still photography, however the same sentiment, I believe applies to all aspects of fashion marketing (including catwalk, as was the focus of Coco’s post).

I understand that my opinions may not sit well with some but I feel its important to open dialogue. I’m certainly not discounting the many positive steps forward in this area that are already taking place… but we need to keep the ball rolling. As far as I’m concerned this is a case of profits over people and last time I checked this society was sitting around the top of Maslow’s hierarchy… so surely we can sacrifice a few bucks as a society to do the right thing?

*rant over… steps down off soap box*

Tawdry Heartburn’s Manic Cures

“If you could tell your deepest, darkest secrets – would you? Should you?”

In early January I did a portait series for Performing Lines WA promoting award-winning performing artist James Berlyn in his free interactive performance, installation ‘Tawdry Heartburn’s Manic Cures‘ as part of this year’s Perth International Arts Festival .

I had a great time working on this project with both James and the fabulous Sarah at Performing Lines. James was hilarious and awesome to work with – animated expression after animated expression and not forgetting Sarah’s long hours spent artfully sticking all the the secrets to reams of cardboard for the backdrop!

A little about Tawdry;

A six-foot-five nail technician, palmist and Manic-Curist of Secrets hoping to achieve ‘a world without secrets, to un-furrow the brows of millions and heal the consternation caused by unspoken truths – one set of nails at a time!’

“The performance unfolds in an intimate 15 minute conversation between Tawdry Heartburn, and a single audience member or “client”. Surrounded by varnish, typewriters and things unsaid, Tawdry will professionally paint and polish your nails while inviting you to consider divulging a secret via his collection of mechanical “gossip” machines.” (Performing Lines WA)

To offload and pretty-up get yourselves down to Beck’s Music Box on the Esplanade in the city (Perth) on the following February dates; 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28.

Do it!

Long live the Queen

Woke up to the saddest news this morning… Alexander McQueen passed away yesterday. Definitely without a doubt one of my absolute long time favorite designers and such a talent that will be very much missed. I look forward every season to seeing what he comes up with and the thought of this being his last collection brings me to tears.

My warmest condolences go out to his family and friends and those that knew him… and for the rest of us who have only ever had the great privilege of just knowing him through his work and have either been creatively inspired by him in our own work or just simply dig his style please join with me in remembering the amazing Mr. McQueen, may he rest in peace.

Silver belle’s and cockle shells

Recently shot a print ad on Sorrento beach for the lovely and talented gals at hair salon Foils & Coils. Double page ad will appear in X-Press Magazine early March so keep an eye out!

STYLIST | Emma Bergmeier MAKEUP | Constance Bowles

HAIR |  Foils & Coils hair studio

MODELS | Anita Dorizzi + Anika Sweetland, Scene Model Management

Festival Fever

Recently shot a fashion editorial for local music /arts/fashion publication X-Press magazine, for their annual ‘Summer Festival guide’. If you’re in Perth, head down to your local bottle-o and grab yourself a copy – out today!

X-Press Magazine 14.01.10 - Summer Festival Guide 2010, p.31

X-Press Magazine 14.01.10 - Summer Festival Guide 2010, p.30

Photographer Otilee |  Stylist Emma Bergmeier |  Hair Stylist Jody Fiannaca |  Make Up Artist Samantha Enticknap |  Models Melissa + Scott from Scene

STOP!…’Summer’ time

First blog post of the year so I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and here’s to an awesome 2010!  \m/

Just before xmas the  ‘Summer!’ exhibition opened (see previous blog post ‘Summer exhibition‘ for more details). Below is a happy snap of us from the opening night;

Brendan + Moi (Image courtesy of Nick Lowe)

… and the four collaborative pieces I did with Forks Open Doors partner-in-crime Brendan Ninness;

Summer glow

Warm Leatherette

SPF XXX

Sinker

All four pieces are available to purchase as 11.7″ × 16.5″ archival prints on Hahnemuhle 308gsm smooth matt photorag – signed by both artists, and numbered (Only 3 of these prints in this limited edition) as well as 8″ × 12″ archival print on Hahnemuhle 308gsm smooth matt photorag as full bleed prints (open edition).  See Forks Open Doors Etsy shop for details and purchasing.

For those of you in Perth / Fremantle – the exhibition is running until 1st Feb at Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle if  you wanted to get down there and check it out!

Tags: art, beard, exhibition, prints
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International Aperture Awards 2009

Just been informed that I’ve scored myself a bronze award at this years International Aperture Awards. Hell yess!

The image was an additional one I edited up from an editorial shoot I did for the a touch of wool II project publication which featured as part of the Perth Fashion Festival line-up this year. Designing under her label Skankihoo Designs, Priera Russell’s work embodies a sexy sassy retro vibe and so the shots I chose to make it into the publication had more of the atmosphere / image appropriate to the designer’s identity as well as colour palette that gave the spread more design continuity and therefore worked better from a graphic design perspective and so this image didn’t make the cut for these reasons.

Below is the tearsheet of Priera’s double page spread from the a touch of wool II publication with the chosen final images.

Art direction, photography, hair, retouching & publication design by me. Others creative credits; Fashion Designer Priera Russell | Makeup Artist Constance Bowles