Basil Vargas is an exciting up-and-coming photographer based out of Los Angeles, California. Inspired by the likes of Nick Onken, Noah Sahady, and Shannon Greer, Basil’s young career already boasts an impressive client list and an incredible portfolio. Primarily a lifestyle photographer, Basil got his start at age 16 when he was gifted his first camera. “I fell in love with capturing moments made with my family and friends. Later I began to shoot moments that I created with a team. There is a feeling of euphoria I have when creating, and it’s something that I love to do,” comments Vargas. At only 21 years old, Basil is definitely an emerging photographer to keep your eye on as he continues to test the waters and push his photography skills to the limit.
Miami based photographer George Kamper was recently tapped to do a photo shoot for Venice Magazine. The task was to photograph the dancers of the Miami City Ballet. George conceived the idea of photographing the members of the ballet dancing on top of an underwater wreckage: “I had worked with the magazine and editors many times and felt comfortable suggesting this kind of shoot,” commented Kamper. After providing a sample of his vision using his wife as a stand in, the magazine was immediately on board. Watch the above video for the amazing results and a cool behind the scenes look at the photo shoot.
DS Reps recently added two exciting new clients to their talent roster: Alex Farnum, and The Wade Brothers. Read below for more info on these gifted photographers:
Alex Farnum’s photos traditionally feature striking environmental portraits, and travel and lifestyle imagery. Glances at his Instagram and Tumblr accounts reveal the dramatic nature of his work. He is a self-professed lover of stories, places, food and friend, and his goal in life is “not to live forever, but to create photography that will.” He has done work for high profile clients like Nike, Apple, and Google, and has projects for Reebok and Coors Light coming out in the next few months. Click here to visit Alex’s website to see more of his work.
Lindsey and Lyndon Wade form The Wade Brothers, a dynamic photography/directoral powerhouse. Growing up together, the brothers drew inspiration from very disparate places. Coming together as a photography duo, they produce phenomenal imagery which is at once, realistic, conceptual, humorous, thought provoking, striking, and anything but vanilla. With a client list including Ford, Nintendo, Coca-Cola, GE, and Microsoft, it’s safe to say these brothers are a force to be reckoned with. Their Instagram and Tumblr accounts are well worth perusing, as is their website which can be found here.
This week we’re introducing another new feature. Every month we’ll be featuring the best creative social feeds that you should follow. For the month of October, let’s focus on our favorite Instagram feeds:
Food photographer Felicia Perretti had been looking for a way to do a different take on the frozen food shots which she had seen many of peers attempt: “I feel like I never saw them photographed the way I did it, slightly darker and edgier.” Frozen food is close to Felicia’s heart, as growing up her parents never had time to make fresh veggies, and the frozen food aisle was always the go-to. Felicia’s goal with this project was to highlight the contrast between fresh veggies and the rigidity of the convenient frozen foods we still consume at an alarming rate.
The most difficult aspect of the shoot was getting the partially defrosted food to stand up straight, and still have structure. The peas, in particular, proved to be a nuisance but in the end, the non-uniform nature of the photographs served to underscore Felicia’s message: “The frozen form presented in these photos depict the structured, mass produced, and rigid culture we have developed. The partially cooked pieces show the acceptable form of the food we eat.”
Our latest emerging artist profile is South Carolina based photographer and director Aaron Greene. Though his career is still young, Aaron’s photographs speak to pure honesty and maturity beyond his years. Focusing primarily on editorial and commercial lifestyle work, Aaron describes his work as “warm and real,” and even a cursory glance at his website will reveal that to be the truth. From sun-drenched frames shot on a beach in dying light, to starkly ashen portrait work, Aaron’s images will stick with you long after you leave the page. He draws inspiration from luminaries such as Martin Schoeller, Amanda Marsalis, and Cass Bird, but counts his wife and children as the driving force behind his creativity. Aaron’s talents have landed him gigs with high profile clients like BMW and AARP, and his editorial work can be seen in works like HGTV and Anthology Magazine.
After seeing his excellent surf and lifestyle imagery, the folks at Western Digital approached photographer Ryan Struck with a unique proposition – to become a creative ambassador for the juggernaut hard disk drive manufacturers. “It’s been working out pretty sweet. I mean. what photographer doesn’t need more hard drives?,” joked Struck.
Over the summer, Ryan was working in California on an article about a surfboard shaper for Slide Magazine. Western Digital asked if they could tag along to document Ryan’s process, a request which the laid back photographer happily granted. “I know that a big part of marketing is promoting yourself as well as your work, so I was happy for the opportunity to get some extra exposure through Western Digital.”
The shoot went swimmingly, and Ryan was able to get some killer shots of the lifespan of surfboards. He documented the entire process, from the carving of the boards to carving of the waves, and Western Digital was there with a videographer to document Ryan’s passion. Click above to view the full video.
“Surf photography is what I love to shoot the most.” This love clearly shines through in Ryan’s fantastic shots, more of which can been seen by visiting his website and his FoundFolios portfolio.
Boston-based food and lifestyle photographer Heath Robbins recently had the opportunity to do a creative shoot promoting Tyson Foods. Having worked with the ad agency (Arnold Worldwide) previously on a McDonald’s campaign, they knew that Heath’s style was the perfect fit for what they needed.
The job had a technical aspect to it as well as a food photography aspect. Heath’s task was to photograph the composite parts of two meals, and then showcase the completed meal at the bottom of the frame. “The biggest challenge for me was finding the right angle and right amount of space for the bottom picture. There wasn’t much room left over after featuring the ingredients up top,” commented Robbins. The work was all done in Heath’s studio since the gig required the perfect lighting, and after figuring out the best way to attach the ingredients to the white racks, the final product came together without a hitch. “I was able to strike the right balance with the surface material, and achieved the lighting necessary to overlay the copy which the ad required.”
The Tyson campaign is currently running worldwide. To see more of Heath’s work, visit his website and his FoundFolios page.
Our latest emerging artist profile is Carissa Gallo, a Portland based photographer and co-creator of Sea Chant - a photography and motion picture studio. Gallo owes her love of her art to her photographer grandfather. She took the time to really immerse herself in his library of images that she was given when he passed down all of his old film cameras. “There was something I saw in his photographs that made me want to capture the same things, but in my generation.” Focusing primarily on lifestyle and conceptual work, Carissa’s work can be described as “emotive and real”, even just a glance over her site makes it evident. She draws inspiration from Terrence Malick, Michael Gondry, and Sofia Coppola. Carissa’s talents have landed her jobs with Nike, Levi’s, Intel, Lincoln Motor Co., as well as editorials like Real Simple, Kinfolk, and Frankie Magazine. “The Shared Table”, exhibit at the Diesel Art Gallery in Shibuya in Tokyo recently exhibited her work.
Creative: Kathryn McFarlane Agency: Team One Marketing Title: Associate Creative Director Clients working on: Häagen-Dazs
Kathryn McFarlane, Team One Marketing’s Associate Creative Director, was born and raised in Los Angeles. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in 2008, McFarlane began work as a writer and artist. Her drawings can be described as honest yet playful observations of life and society. Kathryn is inspired by travel, fashion, and children’s fiction.
Below is a small Q & A with Kathryn on what else in her life inspires her.
1. What inspires you daily?
I’m inspired by details. The way whipped cream is shaped on the top of a pastry. The light that glows out of windows at night. The pattern of little dimples on the skin of an orange. The curvy shape of a tailored dress. The way leaves on a tree branch move in the wind. A silk ribbon tied in a bow on a wrapped present. I’m inspired by color, texture, shape, and pattern. I try to draw and paint the things the way they feel to me rather than the way they look.
2. How do you stay inspired?
I’m never not inspired. I think that because I balance my personal work with a career in advertising, I’m always full of ideas for when I get some time to draw and paint. I keep a Pinterest board and notes in my phone for ideas I want to tackle, so I don’t forget them in meantime. I’m also blessed to live and be with an illustrator and fine artists, and I find we have a habit of inspiring each other.
In 2015, advertising and adventure photographer, Tony Czech joins the Agency MJ roster.
Tony has spent most of his life climbing, skiing, surfing and chasing adventure but his path to photography wasn’t exactly planned or direct. After studying advertising in college, he landed at a Denver-based agency working with some of his favorite brands. He found himself drawing on his experiences in the outdoors to help develop client campaigns. He quickly picked up a camera and started shooting concepts for the agency. The first photo he brought back became the backbone of a large campaign for The North Face. In that moment, Tony realized his passions for adventure and the advertising world fit together perfectly as a photographer.
Almost a decade later, he’s established himself as not only a campaign shooter but a photo journalist who travels to the most remote places in the world to bring home unique, hard-to-get stories. A few of his recent projects include a kayak documentary shot in the rebel territories of Mexico, a 100+ mile trek into the backcountry of Patagonia for a brand campaign, and tracing the Marco Polo Path along the Tajikistan and Afghan border for a feature in a travel publication.
Tony’s style is a mix of grit, authenticity and energy. He loves creating stories that inspire people to get outside & explore. His work has landed him jobs with a variety of lifestyle-minded clients like Red Bull, Teva, GQ, Imogene + Willie, & Eddie Bauer.
Below are a few photos that relate to the projects Tony spoke about above.
Our featured blog contributor this month was photographer, Eli Kaplan, a commercial and editorial photographer from Washington, D.C. He shared an image with us and let us in on some intimate details of the three day shoot for the Catalogue for Philanthropy, including what some of his biggest challenges were.
“This image was shot for the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington for an ad that appeared in December 2014 issue of Washingtonian magazine.
The shoot was over three days in three different locations in the DC area: Georgetown, Alexandria, and DuPont Circle. The shoot was incredibly fun but probably the biggest challenge was the talent—it was a combination of casting people off the street as we were shooting and generous staff members of local non-profit organizations.
The group of people who ended up in the ad were from a local arts organization and had just the look we were going for.”
To view more of Eli’s work, you can visit his FoundFolios site.
Recently, we have been using our Instagram to take a step back and look at the industries that drive our creative
community.
In January, we
looked at the travel industry and how the image makers are visually maneuvering
through it. Game changers such as Tiny
Atlas Quarterly and Ford, are using travel
photographers to give their consumers a sense of experience. After all,
it’s really all about how the consumer is made to feel!
Now, in February,
we are stepping into the Fashion world. We are prepping with questions like: Where is this going to take us and
which industry leaders are making waves?
So, go ahead and give
us a follow! See who and what we will be featuring each month. In March
we will dive head first into Sports!
Steve Williams is atalented, experienced photographer of 25 years. He has seen success with
clients like AT&T, Hilton, Fed-Ex, Blue Cross, Epson, Pepsi, and Yamaha.
Steve prides himself on not being one to brag about his accomplishments, but he
will admit that experience is a good thing!
To
Steve, “it’s all about combining a good idea,
beautiful light and superb composition, and you get a lasting image. It’s that
easy, just like playing piano—all you have to do is hit the right keys at the
right time.”
We caught up with Steve recently and spoke to him about his
most recent project with Burdette Ketchum.
Steve was asked to shoot a lifestyle campaign for one of
their clients, Gate Hospitality Group, located in Jacksonville, FL. “I
had worked with the Art Director, Patrick Golden, in the past which is what led
me to this opportunity. I like to stay in touch with Art Directors that I know
and continue to show them what I can do.”
The shoot was over a span of four days
and took place at four of their resorts; Ponte Vedra Inn, Lodge and Club,
Epping Forest Yacht Club, and The River Club. “We had such a great crew and
models, along with wonderful production and art direction from the agency.” Of
course, as many photographers have come to realize, there is always something,
big or small, that just doesn’t work out as you would have liked. “The only
thing that didn’t cooperate was the weather.” Mother Nature strikes again!
When asked what has guided Steve thus
far in his career he responded modestly; “I just try to do my very best for
every client I work for.”
Below you will find the photos from the shoot that were used
for advertisements and websites. To check out more of Steve’s work, visit his
site or his personal blog.
Marcus Smith, born and raised in Chicago, is an emerging force to
be reckoned with. Strapped with the token Midwestern accent, Smith has a degree
in Business Economics from the University of Illinois. He got his feet wet
working as a full time assistant and retoucher for two and a half years before
becoming his own boss. Marcus describes his style as “stylized reportage”,
loves music, thinks awkward situations are hilarious, and believes anything is
possible because his momma told him so.
How did you start shooting:
I started shooting in a
very unusual way. When I was in college, a friend gave me a copy of Photoshop. I started messing around with it, just making desktop wallpapers for my
computer using every filter imaginable. I was also a huge sneaker collector and
started implementing pictures of my shoes into my Photoshop abominations.
I was taking photos of the shoes with a really crappy camera I had been given as a graduation gift. Wanting to get better, I begged my mom for a DSLR
for my 21st birthday. She made it happen and the rest is
history.
Who has inspired your style?
Carlos Serrao, Chris McPherson, Nabil Elderkin, Kareem Black,
Jonathan Mannion, Ben Watts, & Anthony Mandler
In January 2015, Jigisha Bouverat Collective (JBC) officially launched with a global roster representing diverse visual perspectives. Founder Jigisha Bouverat, previously Director of Art Production for TBWA\Chiat\Day, brings an expansive level of experience from both sides of the business. JBC is grounded in the shared commitment to nurture the development of each artist’s creativity and career, balancing art with commerce.
Matt, a 34 year old Brooklyn based photographer, is our latest emerging talent. Raised in New Jersey and educated at Drexel University in Philadelphia, he has been out of the ‘burbs for at least as long as he was a part of them. These environments helped build the aesthetic of his work. He works hard, everyday. If he’s on the way to a shoot or on his way home, he will take that time to photograph life on the street. Matt takes work seriously, but he believes that there is room for thoughtfulness and fun in every job. He defines photography as “direct and immersive”, allowing him to tell stories and to get closer to people and the world we live in.
How would you define your style?
I create portrait and lifestyle images that are immersed in the moment, direct, and engaging.
How did you start shooting?
Like many photographers, I was given a camera when I was around 14 or 15. It was my Dad’s Pentax Spotmatic and at first, I used chrome film, later black and white in school. I started by walking around my hometown in New Jersey photographing literally anything that caught my eye; trash balled up in the scrubby grass next to a baseball field, freight trains, a junkyard near the bowling alley I worked at, friends trespassing in the woods near sundown.
Who has inspired your style?
I initially saw myself becoming a photojournalist. I devoured “Life” and “Time” magazine compilation books that I got at garage sales, the work of W. Eugene Smith and others. While at Drexel University I learned about Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Garry Winogrand, Mary Ellen Mark, Dian Arbus, Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, too many, really, to list. These are some of the “famous” photographers that have influenced me, but I learned just as much if not more from everyone that I worked for and with as an assistant, most importantly Walter Smith.
From him I learned that style is something you develop and change over time, but the humanity and compassion you bring to your work must always be there. It is the most important thing you have. Also, having a sense of humor doesn’t hurt!
Recent Work to Note:
I have recently worked on social media advertising campaigns, through Code + Theory in New York, for both Burger King and Snapple. I’ve worked on view books for both the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and the German-town Friends School through The Heads of State in Philadelphia.
To see more of Matt Zugale’s work, check out his Instagram and website!
Featured this month is Canadian native and 12 year award-winning photographer, Brent Mykytyshyn. Brent’s strong focus in advertising, still life, editorial, and interiors has granted him projects with numerous advertising agencies and magazines all across Canada. A true man of his craft, Brent enjoys image manipulation, large format photography, and turn of the century photographic techniques. He has shared with us a project that took much learning and diligence to complete, but in the end is a complete work of art.
The project is titled “The Love Stare” and it has been years in the making. It is showing in the contemporary art gallery, Paul Kuhn, in Calgary. “The Love Stare” consists of 109 wet plate collodion images, made with the intention of capturing, sharing, and spreading the feeling of love.
After being introduced to the process of wet plate collodion in 2012 while travelling through Paris, Brent pursued learning the process. As it turned out, the artist, soon after Brent had seen his work in Paris, moved to Denver- where Brent took a workshop to learn the process later that year. It took over a year to build a darkroom, gather the equipment (8x10 camera, vintage 1901 lens, darkroom accessories, etc.), convert film holders, build lighting, and make the chemistry.
While that was unfolding, the idea of “The Love Stare” unfolded as well, rather organically. Once he began creating the body of work, it took one year to complete, working rather diligently. Now, the project has been on the cover of a local magazine and written about by numerous others in the city. Brent has done radio and video interviews discussing this project, which is all very new and exciting.
The project was received with great success. The opening afternoon brought an estimated 300 people into the gallery and the buzz has not stopped since. Brent tries to be present each Friday and Saturday afternoon at the gallery to greet new guests and talk about the concept of the project. The people who come really seem to connect with that. The show is extended another month until the end of March. After that, Brent plans to travel the project to different cities around the world.
To view Brent’s project updates and personal work, visit his blog OR visit his website .
Rob DeLuke’s over twenty five years of experience with east-coast agencies and design firms has helped set the precedent for reshaping many corporate brands and their strategic visions for today’s corporate climate.DeLuke’s focus is corporate branding, and strategic creative development, as
well as marketing, collateral and new trans-media from web site design /
e-Business and social, to broadcast and interactive campaigns. DeLuke has
worked on brands such as Disney, Sea World, Hilton, Embassy Suites, General
Electric, Pontiac, Toyota and The State of New York. DeLuke now has branched
out to form TILT36T ˚, an advertising, and content & design firm with a
creative mantra that “Good enough is NEVER good enough”. DeLuke wants to work with visionaries, ambitious go-getters, and
companies that stand for something; Companies that want to leave this world in
a better place than they found it. This is a place where creative concepts
matter. A place where the brands they create stand out, and stand for
something and never stand still. Find out what inspires a Creative Director of his magnitude.
As a creative director, I find myself in front of a
computer screen for long periods of time; that’s because it’s a part of my
job. While it’s easy to say that I find inspiration through visual blogs
and social media websites (which I do), the truth is that I’m most inspired by getting
away from the computer. Whether I’m coaching disabled kids on how to play
baseball, or wandering aimlessly through cheaply assembled tents in unbearable
heat to find that new up and coming artist. Ideas often spring out fully formed
when I am engaged in some sort of simple task not related to “advertising”. Inspiration, truly, is everywhere. You
just need to open your eyes a little bit to see it all around you.
For emotional inspirational freedom I love to seek out
interesting art. I’m an avid collector
of superhero paintings, outsider art, and toy tin robots. I look for things
that I’m not good at painting or creating myself. Outsider art really inspires me because I like
my art to make me feel something emotional, whether that’s fear, anger, sadness
or bliss.
For color and space inspiration I’m drawn to things that
make my home feel calm and relaxed, because my daily life is always “hair on
fire”. I get inspired by color and the use of space and pattern in architectural
designs that blend old and new to transform my home life into a peaceful
sanctuary.
Personally, I’m inspired by my daughter who has
constantly struggled with her disability trying to fulfill her dreams of some
day being a part of the musical theater world she idolizes. My biggest inspiration is creating art
with her. She is a huge musical theater fan. I mean how could she not be drawn
to the arts with a Mom who’s a photographer and a Creative Director Dad. We run
a non-profit business in which we create art for Broadway musicals. And when I
say non-profit, I mean we make the art and can never seem to part with it, even
though people are incredibly interested in buying them.
She has actually inspired me to take on a new chapter in my life of owning and
running my own advertising & design studio. Inspiration can be a powerful
motivator.
Midwestern photographer, Gabe Hopkins is known for his spectacular attention to detail. He is his own worst critic when it comes to scrutinizing every aspect of of his projects. Gabe is a diverse
photographer in the respect that he shoots a wide range of work. Varying from
food to agriculture and conceptual; these genres reflect his versatility and
creative vision. He believes that his ability to shoot different genres paired
with his ability to remain flexible is what has given many of his clients a successful
and enjoyable experience. Hopkins was kind enough to share with us, his experience
working with Merck Animal Health.
“I was approached by an advertising
agency working with Merck Animal Health. The product they were advertising
worked faster than their competitors. To start, they asked me to estimate a
rough layout that they had produced. The look they were going for was an image
of a drag racer taking off from the starting line; speed, with a little bit of motion. It was important to find the right model. Luckily, we found a
professional, female drag racer that would be able to handle the job while
staying safe.
Three days before the photo shoot it
snowed on the track so we had to use a rake to get rid the snow in the grass; some
snow blowing was involved as well. We set up a four sided tent with
heaters for the clients, crock pots full of potato soup, and hot
chocolate. It was 32 degrees outside with 10-15 mile an hour winds,
however, with the wind-chill it felt like 23 degrees.
Around noon on he day of the shoo,t we began setting
up the tent for the clients on the track and grass. We wanted to
make sure they were comfortable, warm, and happy. We pulled out the bike and started
getting the generators going so we could pop some fill light on the shadow side
of the bike. While we were doing this, the clouds started rolling in.
Very soft, wispy clouds that really helped bring this image to life.
Other concerns we had because of the
cold weather were that the tires of the race bike would break loose and send the
racer out of control. As you can imagine, we didn’t want to have her take off
the line to many times. We ended up getting this very quickly and the
softer clouds lowered the contrast ratio to really help capture the detail of
the bike, and the speed of her coming off the starting line.
We captured the final images about an
hour before sunset. We wrapped up and had sandwiches and hot chocolate to
celebrate the production.”
