War Story

Here comes inspiration... nicely shot behind the scene! check it out.

You've got to check it out!

Gnarls Barkley covering Reckoner

Slipper Room

If you haven't been in this place, you've got to check it out. Real New York style burlesque show, old school, red velvet, cool crowd most of the time and $5 cover. Best entreatment you can get, but please, keep it quite...

My inspiration of inspiration of inspiration

Live music rocks

Check out this performance, amazing! I'm going to African American church next Sunday.

Strawberry and cream

Hey, it's strawberry and cream season. Heavy cream, plus balsamic vinegar, plus sugar, some hand action and strawberries! Taste of the summer.

Skin Care

I'm suffering from excema all my life and just recently I found lotion that perfect for dry skin. It's made by Weleda. Amazing, can't live without it

Ispiration

Last Summer we went to see Dalai Lama at Leigh University, it was one of a kind experience. When Dalai Lama walked in to arena, tears start falling from my eyes, it was very emotional moment. I need one of those!

Some stock

Recently I went thru my old pictures, so I could make a small prints and discover so many cool images. I want to share with you...

There is Ariel in Coney Island, I just love Holga, nothing is like it. I used to shot a lot with Holga, I even did fashion. Portrait of Ariel I've shot on infro red film. Another example of holga, magic. Family waiting for mom to come out from subway...flash backs

Mama

I haven't seen my mom for 6 years, I can't leave states because my difficult visa situation and my mom couldn't get visa, she was denied. You can't imagine how it feels, very heavy, I was talking to my parents every week, but it's not the same, I just wanted to make sure that they are alright and finally my mom got a visa.

I was very nervous at airport and as soon as I saw her, it was like I never left. Moms... Ariel took this pictures at the airport, first seconds...

Glass plates

Couple of years ago I bought glass plates on a flea market, so cool to see old fashion... Check it out, for me it's like time machine, it's just simple family portrait, but it's a magic, gives you glimpse of the past. Check out hair style of a boy

My family...

Check out some of my old pictures...

My mom and me, fishing on a lake, in a boat. My dad collected some wood for BBQ, next to the lake as well and me. That was my favorite hat...

Location

Locations.

Locations can be part of ispiration if everything is organaised well, but at the same time it can be pain in a butt if it's not. I did one location before, in Chainatown, at night, under rain, shooting film, with one flesh and no focusing light. Result was nice, but a bit all over the place, my mistake was too many locations, I wanted to look cinematic, In the mood for Love inspired, but it simply wasn't produced well enough. So, this time, it's spring, weather is nice and it's time for locations. We desided to shoot on roof top and in a building it self. Raw, sexy story, night, some drag, if you'll think it's easy, I'll assure you it's not. It can look too raw, more like test than a fashion story, a lot depends of styling and girl, and hair and make up and location. There is no shortcuts. It wasn't easy, again, we where shooting at night with no focusing light again, so I was strugling with focus all the time, on top of that there is no lights on a roof top whats so ever, so I don't see what I'm shooting, you look in vewfinder and it's black and you like, oh girgeouse, beutiful, stronger eyes :) Styling was a chalenging aspect as well, it wasn't exectly what I was expecting, so that was heavy for me and girl wasn't right for this particular job. At the end result was tighter edit. It looks good, but I don't feel satisfied, it felt like a job, which it wasn't. Learned a lot. Want to do location again. It's nice to be free from lights and equipment, have freedom, just need right girl and edgy style. Thats my next test.

Riding a wave

Great test. Another great test. Good model, we could go with different girl, which wasnt that good and we almost pull a plug because we couldn't agree on model, but I contacted agency which was new to me and I never worked with them, showed them my last test and they loved it. So they send me package and one of the girls was just beautiful. I worked with new hair stylist and she was great, styling was amazing and I loved my light as well. I did 4 scenarios, all of them worked and made story look editorial. So, first scenario was just small photek umbrella, no lights in a back, second P-50 w grid and 216 and pro fresnel with double red gels, third-black and white, umbrella plus 400W joker with stop net and diffuser glass, shooting with a drag and a forth one P-50 w grid and 216, joker and fresnel with gels, but shooting BW, P-50 low, so it looks underexposed.

Hot again

It's amazing what can good team do, when everyone is as good. Before that I want to mention that you have to go with a flow. Before photo-shoot I just had idea what I want to do and I had 6 girls lined up, didn't have a stylist, I try different ones but no one was available, so I though I just ask girls to come in cool clothe... then I decided to make another call, to stylist who I really wanted to work with, but she's never available and this time she was. She liked concept and models and she had time to get some pieces from vintage stores and her own wardrobe. I didn't have very high expectation I was just glad to work with her. We arrived to studio, beautiful day, shooting at drive in, studio 2, nice day light and I don't have to clothe curtains for my light this time. Everyone is very mellow, good vibe, styling is really cool, I loved it, girls are beautiful and easy, I'm having such a good time. it's 2PM and we done, 6 girls are done, story looks amazing, I feel high, feels so good to do a good job, everyone is happy, want it more!

According to plan

So, not everything always goes according to plan. I had a day off and I had stylist with some cool cloth and I had studio space, not free, but I had really good deal. Anyway, team is ready to go, I'm ready to go, all I need is a good girl. Check mark, I've got package and girls look good-one from Dominican republic-beautiful girl, other Russian girl. I have this concept, inspiration board, have lighting scenario in mind, worked with hair stylist before, loved her, new make-up artist, Ariel wasn't available, so what can go wrong?

1. girl not as good as on polaroids. Dominican is cool, beautiful, did a hair-looks awesome, first outfit-awesome, YSL, nice styling, light beautiful, I have this warm tones going, have open face mixing with umbrella. One done, I'm happy. Second shot, still nice, found good angle for girl, just working on direction, change light, looks good, hair stylist started to work on second girl, who doesnt talk much at all. She doesn't speak English, but I speak Russian, so it's fine, but she just sooo shy. Anyway, Im thinking, thats cool, she's young, I'll be able to loose her up. Anway, I've done 3 shot and stylist saying oh, 2nd girl is dressed do you want her on set while I'm changing 1st. Yes, sure, everything is going according to plan, oh wait, is it. First mistake I made that day, finish with one thing, go to next one. So, I have Russian girl on set, she doesnt look good and I don't know why, hair is fine, styling is allright,, make up is fine, so I seted up lights and start shooting and I see she is so nervouse you can read it on her face, so I'm chating with her and shooting and she doesnt look good. So Im thinking, damn, it's hair, I can shoot her only from one side, from left one, and she doesnt look good from left side. So, Im asking hair stylist if I can photograph her from other side, but no, there is all kind of pins, so I'm like, ok, thats fine, lets fix the hair, so I can shoot her from any angle, since its fashion, not a beauty and in a meentime I'll shoot 1st girl.

First girl is done. Now I have problem number

2. Communication with hair stylist. Japanese hair stylist. I'm controlling person who doesnt know most of the time what he's talking about, so I'm like, fine, I'm going to deligate, not telling what to do, telling what I'm looking for. So, in my mind I asked hair stylist to change hair so I could shoot her from any side, without changing it to much. When went back to hair area I see that hair changed a lot, it's diferent now and it doesnt look good, in my opinion. I'm like, fine lets try to work with, lets dress her up. She's comming out and I don't like everything, I don't like styling, I don't like hair, but I'm willing to work, oh, did I mention that it's 4PM and we have to be out by 6 and I have 4 shots to do... yeah, that. So, I started to work and girl is still shy and unexperinced and I see she doesnt feel comfortable the way she dressed and look. Puctures are bad, nothing works, I have choice keep trying, change her to diferent outfit or try to change hair. I desided to change hair. Mistake number 3

3. Make a change that doesnt take at hour... So, we back in hair station, and I'm trying with my hevy russian accent explane to Japanese hair stylist with her heavy Japanese accent that we have to do something. Lets try to change, maby not up, maby we can bring it down and work around there... 5PM no shots, her hair is down down, without any styling and I know I'm dead. From there its a free fall...

At the end I had to drop off Russian girl, it didn't work.

Second Beauty

Second beauty was more fun and it looks more acceptible. We had time to shoot another beauty and we decided just go with it. No stylist (bad idea), so we locked a day, I'v got studio space, thank you Aldana, I love you! I have to take Aldana for dinner, really... Anyway, I was assisting Paola and I asked stylist assistant if she wants to work with me some day, maby even on Monday and she sad yes, she'd love to. She liked concept and promissed to bring some vintage clouthe, thanks god. So, we'v got russian model from agency, they've most love me, and here we are. Had to change concept a lttle again, well, not concept, but make up, at the begining we had pastel colors in mind, but then Ariel changed it a bit. On my side I played with gels, love doing it and I had simple beauty light with my signature hot light. Very simple, I just wanted to proof to myself that I can do this safe and glamorouse beauty. Peaple loved it. Style worked, color pallet worked, girl was a bit dead, no wander that she tests 5 years later. I had to drop last shot, because she just didn't look good.

So, take a look.

Oh yeah, we called it "Always Yours XXX" Love the name, it suits the story.

Buy the way, about retouching, it's been a month or so and I'm still working on it...

On this story I worked with new hair stylist, not bad, but you have to have references.

First Beauty

So, here it is. One of my latest tests-3 weeks old I guess and it was first test I did since we came back from Hawaii. So, as you know my girlfriend Ariel is a make-up artist. Very talanted one, love her and she was asking me to work on beauty test for a while, so, since it was fashion week and we didn't have a stylist it was a great time to learn how to shoot beauty. When I'm thinking about beauty I'm getting board right away. It's so commercial and it's more about your retouching skills then anything else. At least that what I think right now. So, I was trying to create something interesting, something fun to shoot and look at. Check it out.

So, I'l go thru each picture...

We called story 'Made to order' and idea was to create robot-like girl, android, who would be expression less, with shiny skin, flat light and we would change make up and leave hair. For hair we decided pull it up, but in modern way, we tried to make her look unrealistic/futuristic, if it makes any sense. Anyway, we picked a model from agency, it was a first time I worked with them and on a pictures she looked fine, when she arrived we had to change game plan.

Her eye line was to low, so she would carry make up that we had in mind very well, so different make up. Also, I had in mind certain light scenario-flat light-2 kinos on each side-very simple but with certain make-up it would work very nicely. Didn't worked out, so I added Key light and add my signature hot light for drag.

Personally I like 3rd, 4th and last image. It's more of me, my energy and style, but in general I don't hate this test, this was my first studio try for beauty, beauty as I see it. All clothe I've got from my friend Dmitry Sholohov, he's designer for Domenico Vacca, his woman's collection, I liked the pieces, it's fun to photograph it, it's very much my style, I like sequence, because of nice drag and it adds energy to it.

Lesson: I learned that I have to be open to changes at any time, you have to have some clothe even for beauty, I learned some skin retouching technik, casting would help a lot.

Next stop-my second beauty test.

Update

It's been a long time since last blog. I'll try my best to keep it updated from now on. So, new year, new resolution-to say yes as many times as possible. It's just I've been a bit lazy, it's so much eaasier to say know and you don't have to deal with responsibilities. Much much more easier, so Yes is a new favorite word for me.

Economy was tricky this year so far, I wasn't that slow like ever, but don't feel paranoid about it, even doll I wish to have fatter saving account. I feel it's a good opportunity to realize, again, whats exactly you want to do, and ones you realize it everything makes sense. Oh, it's my time, not a down time... So, I was very productive this month and as a result, Ive got another 6 page editorial. Doesn't suck!

Hawaii, trip to Hawaii in January was great. Great great time! We had so much fun and I feel its a different story, but you can check out some pictures on face book.

Anyway, it's a short update and I'll try to update it once a week. Ok, blag you later