5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Gavin Thomas

Music photography and iconography are seemingly one in the same thing. You look at a picture of say Rick 'The Boss' Ross and you think, 'you know what he is THE Boss.' A lot of hip-hop culture is basically an artist standing there saying, 'this is who I am and this is what I've got, this is MY story.' But without photographers these images don't exist. 

Without people like Gavin Thomas we can't ogle at these people. Can't rip their portraits out of magazines and cover our walls with them. We can't rip them out of magazines like VNDL, where Gavin is Editor-in-Chief.  

Gavin Thomas is a New Yorker. Born in Rochester, Gavin studied at Rochester Institute of Technology and has since been photographing the people, places and faces of New York and those that go there to find their fame and fortune. Gavin is there to help leave their iconography on the industry. His own photography has graced the pages of Elle (UK,) New York Magazine, Inked and Popcorn just to name but a few.

He's also crazy-good at double exposures and in-camera effects. His humble film photography is nothing to brush off either.

Turning the lens onto Gavin, he sat down to face the ol' "5 Questions in 5 minutes." 

D.C - Straight up I love double exposures. Do you use film and expose in camera or use digital and post-process?
G.T - Yes, I use film and expose in camera; no digital double exposures or layering in Photoshop. I typically use two or three cameras and shoot the film all the way through. Then, rewind and repeat. It’s very important to stay organized and label everything. My approach to multiple exposures is similar to painting. I build up layers upon layers; sometimes masking the lens with black tape or even a finger.

D.C - Is it a challenge to capture your subject's personality in just a studio shoot or do you find they come out of their shell pretty quickly?

G.T - Sometimes it’s a challenge, for sure. However, most of the time, people come out of their shells. It’s all about making them comfortable in front of the lens. I try to have a quick chat about either what I’m doing or briefly mention my goal. Even if we jump right into shooting I usually show a couple photos so they can see what is happening.

D.C - Proudest moment or biggest break?

G.T - When I got a phone call from AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) about shooting a story for them. They wanted me to do portraits using multiple exposures. I pretty much lost it (tears of joy) when they told me about the project and that I had to fly to five different cities across the US over the course of two weeks. My next phone call was to my parents to thank them for believing in me and supporting my dream of becoming a photographer.

D.C - Do you think having a photography background helps or hinders with a second job like E.I.C at VNDL? Or is it more of a case of the two going hand in hand, a natural progression?

G.T - In a way, the two pretty much go hand in hand. I started VNDL with very high standards for the photography/visuals. However, being the EIC comes with many more responsibilities than I could have ever anticipated. One of the benefits is that this experience has improved my ability to edit my own work.

D.C - Finally, what tracks do you blast in the studio/office and unwind to at home?

G.T - So much music is blasted. Lately, I’ve been into When Saints Go Machine, Son Lux, Thomas Azier, PAWS, Homeboy Sandman and Ancient Sky. Rob Bailey and The Hustle Standard have some great songs to listen to when working out. Overall, I probably I listen to way too much music. But it's fun to discover new bands and songs, as well as other talented artists, photographers and creatives.

Gavin Thomas Photography

-D.C

Feature: DROME NYC

TechnoDrome, really Joshua Williams, is jumping out of his art and onto your backs with the launch of his latest project Drome NYC – a streetwear and art brand taking TechnoDrome’s pop art and making it wearable.

With a strong focus on pop culture figures (Biggie, Tu-Pac, Steve Jobs, Bill Murray ETC ETC) Drome NYC is TechnoDrome’s way of making his art accessible. In Joshua’s own words,

“Technodrome1 is creative evolution. I want to take over the world’s perception of what art is and can be.” 

“I am a creator."

DROME NYC as a brand encompasses everything from Steve Jobs and Bruce Willis Prints to Bryan Cranston iPhone covers, Kanye tee’s and Snoop Dog decks. The look and feel oozes with TechnoDrome’s pop-art cubism abstracted portraits of pop-culture icons. Got that? Basically DROME NYC takes all your childhood heroes, puts them in technicolour abstraction and then offers them up for grabs to wear or use.

I pinned down Joshua for a bit of a chat about the launch of DROME NYC  and on creating wearable art.

D.C - Is a "brand" a physical outlet for your art?

T.D - The brand is definitely a physical outlet - our manifestation of the art…

It has pretty much been my dream to keep moving forward with my work 

and life and having a way to produce things on a higher level. (Through) DromeNYC.com is the best way right now to move forward. 

D.C -  Did you always want to create tangible art for people to have and hold, to use?

T.D - I always wanted to create beautiful things. It naturally progressed into wanting to place my work on, or cover objects with it. 

D.C - Then is Drome really art? 

T.D - I don’t think it matters. 

D.C - Why do Drome now? Did you decide to take the next step or was it just an out of the blue decision?

T.D - Drome had to happen now, with a new year upon us and new ideas I needed to get (it) out of my head. Drome was the natural, obvious next step, to get the artwork off of the computer and into the world in more ways than just a print. 

D.C - How did Joshua/T.D start out in art? 

T.D - I started out in art since I started watching television - ninja turtles and other cartoons inspired me to want to create beautiful things. I always wanted to be the best at drawing, and my father was an oil painter, seeing his work early on in my life really blew my mind. 

I studied art in college but I was always destined to be involved in it since I was born. 

D.C - Who or what are your inspirations for "art?"

T.D - Warhol, Basquait, Kaws.

I think instead of calling it all " art " I think it should be described as a lifestyle.  

Art Isn’t just visual or aesthetic, it’s the way a person moves, the way someone speaks, the smell of a favorite dish. It involves all your senses. 

Art is living basically - it’s everything you or I do everything inspires me.

D.C - Is it a fascination with pop culture figures or just something for customers to recognise? 

T.D - I am deeply fascinated with pop culture in general. I think we all are to some degree, it’s unavoidable all consuming brainwash of a good time, and I like that about it.  Art is life, and pop culture is almost all about what these icons are like, we're not only fascinated with the music or movies these figures make, but what they are wearing and what they are saying, and what they do when they are not acting or raping ect. We are so interested in other peoples " lives" - what better subject to make art with then art itself. 

D.C - Do you think you could ever create a consumable museum piece? Or am I veering too far

T.D - I don’t see why not. 

D.C - Have you always been inspired by those guys (Warhol etc) and is Drome an appreciation or reaction? 

T.D - I guess I’ve always been inspired by Andy and the others from the first time I saw them, or their work. I don’t really revisit many things I’ve seen, and I’m not very familiar with the details, I just take that initial punch in the face of inspiration and store it in my subconscious for later. 

I’m just doing what feels right. 

http://dromenyc.com/

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Khalik Allah

Khalik Allah can't be described as just a photographer or videographer. Khalik snaps the streets and lurks Lexington Avenue. It's rough, raw and gritty. 

I don't know what else to say so I'll leave it to the man to tell you. I caught Khalik for a 5 Questions in 5 Minutes run-down. He tells of how he goes about shooting, work with Wu-Tang and a Mobb Deep tape that went awol. 

D.C - How do you approach your subjects on the streets?

Khalik - Where I shoot you have to approach your subjects head on. There's nothing obscure about what I do. I walk into congregations of crack-heads, thugs, and drug dealers. I tell them all the same thing: I'm a documentary photographer and that their stories are important to me. As soon as they say no I leave it alone. You don't want to press anybody on Lexington Ave. But I move with a positive spirit and embrace people no matter where they are. It's been a while on the same corner. Everybody knows me. I've helped a lot of people. Even the police say "what's up" when they see me walking.

D.C - Who is the guy featuring in most your latest images, the one in the white beanie with those red eyes?

Khalik - That's Frenchie. I have been photographing him a lot. The story between him and I is deep. He epitomizes the hood. He represents everything this phase of my photography is about. I did a documentary on him called Urban Rashomon. After I made it I went back and found him. Since then I've photographed him only in color. 

D.C - Colour or Black and White images?

Khalik - I shoot low speed black and white film at night. 125 ISO in the dark... because it's something nobody would do. For a while I was only shooting at night. When I went back to shoot the corner I wanted to change the numerator completely, but still shoot the same people in the same place. For this purpose I used color in the morning opposed to black and white at night. 

D.C - Tell us a bit about your videography work too and is it tough separating from your work and the subjects in your work?

Khalik - I started out as a film-maker, and I still am. The two forms are marrying each other in my experience. I've made a few movies; namely, Popa Wu, A 5% Story, and a few other projects with Wu-Tang. My last big video project, besides the Urban Rashomon, was a music video I did with Masta Killa, called "Things Just Ain't The Same."

I don't separate from my subjects. It's something I can't get out of me and wouldn't want to.. The streets are my inspiration. I'm a resurrector so my place is amongst the dead. I wouldn't have them be apart from me. 

Khalik Allah, Urban Rashomon 

D.C - What music did you love as a kid that probably annoyed your parents?

Khalik - All I remember is my dad saying "What is this shit?!" as he threw my Mobb Deep, Hell on Earth, tape out the window.

Check out all of Khaliks' work here. Praise is due. 

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Bogdan Seredyak

Bogdan Seredyk is a creative mix pot. He's got his finger in every pie, from Photography to Architecture and Design. Hailing from the Ukraine, Bogdan balances all these mediums seamlessly through the notion of "elaborating new world views." That's pretty profound, but he and his work really does practice what he preaches. I gave him the ol' "5 Questions in 5 Minutes" after featuring his work a few weeks back. We talk mixed mediums, themes and a Norwegian Black Metal phase.. Check it,

D.C - Can you sum up in five words what you do?

Bogdan - Elaborate on new world views. 

D.C - How do you approach all the different mediums in which you work in?

Bogdan - Depending what I work with, everything requires a little bit of a different approach. If its architecture, civic strategies and tactics must be applied so that the design would work on the local and possibly even global scale. If its art or photography, I tend to be more selfish in that respect and usually work with themes that suit me in a given moment. It could be much more experimental work and does not always reach a final conclusion. With design work, I'd say its somewhere between those mediums mentioned above.

D.C - Hardest and/or most enjoyable project to date?

Bogdan - It's tough to pick the most enjoyable project since I enjoy my practices in every medium I work with. Perhaps the toughest one though was my proposal for the slums of Mongolian Capital. It goes beyond architecture and roots itself into life and traditions of native people to help solve some rising issues in those lands. 

D.C - What's next?

Bogdan - What's next is hard to predict, but I'd say that there is a strong possibility of new work in yet another medium - motion pictures.

D.C - What music pissed off your parents in your formative years?

Bogdan - I went through a little but memorable phase of norwegian black metal. Most likely it was that...

I've only featured Bogdans photography again here, but jump onto his portfolio to check out all the design, art and architecture work! 

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Noah Emrich

Noah Emrich is a photographer, plain and simple. His work covers the full gamut of subjects, from sticks on the ground to menswear label Van Cleef and Arpels latest campaign. With a growing client list including our own Ugg Australia, Gant Rugger and an Awards Ceremony or two, Noah is one to watch. His colour and dynamics sort of give each shot life, but I don't need to tell you that. Look for yourself.

Here's what Noah had to say about himself, working and his parents disdain for Rick Ross

D.C- Your work spans across everything from scenery to fashion shoots, do you have a favourite topic to shot? 

Noah -I don't think I really have a favorite subject matter, I have a hard time figuring out for myself what I'm doing most of the time.

D.C - And is there more ambition towards Fashion? 

Noah - Recently I've kind of shied away from the fashion stuff. Partially because I wanted to see if I could do other work, and because it also felt like I was one of a million doing the same stuff. What is amazing about fashion work though is that is essential a form of story telling - at least on the editorial side - and I think for any creatively minded person that's exciting. You have the ability to create your own worlds and situations.

D.C-  You got the chance to go to Pitti Uomo last year, what's it like? Peacocks vying for attention or is everyone on the same level? 

Noah - Yeah, I got really lucky. It was really hot, and generally most people are just trying to get their buying done. Definitely a few big egos stomping around in the latest, greatest most hyped gear of the season though.

D.C - Stalking your Instagram and Tumblr is an awful lot of fun, would you say your work is more collaborative or independent? Are commissioned shoots drastically differently to your daily happenings? 

Noah - I tend to shoot the same way for jobs as I do for myself, but you definitely do have to be conscious of what your client is looking for. I always feel awkward on jobs where there's a team looking to me for direction though, it's much easier one on one, or just generally more casual shoots where I can wonder around and shoot what catches my eye.

D.C - And finally, What music rocked out of your Walkmen and Tapedeck that pissed off your parents? 

Noah - Rozay! (Rick Ross)

Check all of his work out here and here

-D.C

Interview with Vanishing Elephant!

Well, one third of. I had the opportunity of talking (over email) with Huw Bennet of Vanishing Elephant about the label, Women's clothes and what's next in their wears!

First featured on Couturing.

Having established themselves both home and abroad in a few short years, Vanishing Elephant have expanded their line from humble beginnings to a flagship store that just celebrated its first anniversary.

On the back of their debut women’s collection, Couturing writer Darby-Perrin catches up with Huw Bennett, one of the three designers, about the label, the challenges of moving into women’s wear and coastal escapes

DARBY: This season saw the debut of your first women’s collection, what drew Vanishing Elephant to move into women’s wear?

HUW: It was all part of us invigorating ourselves by having a new challenge to work on, our menswear is by no means 100% perfect yet but we have a good process so we felt it would be a good time to add something new into the program. So far so good!

DARBY: What was the source of inspiration behind this particular collection?

HUW: We just looked at our men’s story and tried to turn that into a separate women’s ideology. Our plan, or working idea has always been about evolving what we consider classic clothing pieces into wearable pieces that are functional in the now.

DARBY: Did you find it challenging to retain the V.E. aesthetic when designing the women’s collection? How did you translate the story across both men’s and women’s wear this season?

HUW: It was definitely hard to start a new story whilst trying to maintain the same handwriting. We mainly tried to marry fabrics, compare detailing and match some fits in a unisex style.

DARBY: Prints are an essential element of the V.E. collection. Where are they sourced or are they developed in house?

HUW: We do a couple of prints internally each season that are usually aligned with our theme/idea. We also work with some fabric suppliers on season prints. We’ve always tried to find prints that have a current idea but are a little lighter hearted.

DARBY: The summer collection has a very classic and utilitarian look. What’s the story behind the range?

HUW: With this collection, and whilst adding women’s, we just tried to trim the fat. We worked on what we knew best, used fabrics we loved and knew would work well with the desired fits. We’re always trying for a utilitarian feel so perhaps we hit it with this one?!

DARBY: Your flagship store in QV just had its first anniversary, congratulations! Is the women’s line indications of a possible exploration in different aspects of design, such as home wear or even kid’s wear?

HUW: Not yet, we still need to get comfortable with womenswear. Hopefully a store in our home city, Sydney.

DARBY: Last year, you collaborated with Stussy. Are there hopes for more collaboration with others in the future?

HUW: We’re working on a couple of small ones for early 2013. We find with a colab that it has to have a voice that speaks for both parties and delivers something beyond some nice pictures, so we’re working hard with that in mind.

DARBY: What’s next for Vanishing Elephant?

HUW: Lots of what’s to come, a couple of exciting things for 2013 and before that a beach holiday or two.

Images courtesy of Vanishing Elephant.

-D.C

Jamie W. of OhJamie for Couturing

Interviewed and shot Jamie Wdziekonski of OhJamie (again) for Couturing. 

First Featured on Couturing. 

We stood in Trimapee's ex QV store and talked about bloggers, magazine dreams, zine requiems, getting the nod of approval from Oliver Zahm and conquering the world! 

Jamie Wdziekonski is a Melbourne based blogger, the face behind OhJamie and man-in-demand in the Australian fashion industry. When he’s not taking photos of his whirlwind life, Jamie works as the PR and social media maven for Strateas.Carlucci – a new label from the creative masterminds behind Trimapee.

Couturing writer Darby caught up with Jamie at Trimapee’s QV store for a few questions and turned the lens on him for a photoshoot. We spoke about bloggers,  magazine dreams, getting the nod of approval from Oliver Zahm and conquering the world!

DARBY: Being a blogger/media personality, what do you think of the way new-media platforms are shaping up in the world of fashion?

JAMIE: Bloggers are becoming much more respected now; I guess that’s the word to use. Seeing bloggers [seated in the front row] is nice. Overall, [bloggers are] getting noticed. Especially in Melbourne—back in the day it wasn’t a big thing.

DARBY: Has there been any difficulties or obstacles as a blogger and building up your name?

JAMIE: No, not really. I mean back in the day trying to get a seat at a show or a good seat was difficult but now it’s pretty [much] easier. 

DARBY: You’ve been, seen and done a number of things since starting OhJamie. Can you pick a favourite or highlight?

JAMIE: A highlight has probably been getting one of my images in Purple [magazine]. I shot Sophie Willing up in Sydney and sent an email to the online editor and asked if they wanted to use the photo. She said yeah! The most amazing thing is that Oliver (Zahm) has to approve every image; so to have him approve it was really nice.

DARBY: Did you ever think things would skyrocket like this? Your blog has taken off and your name is known.

JAMIE: I guess when I first started OhJamie I wasn’t expecting anything. So anything from there on in is a surprise. To have people come up to you and say “oh I read your blog” is nice. It’s nice to hear that. People actually read it! It’s fun. It started in my bedroom and now it’s taken me to places I never thought it would.

DARBY: Men in fashion, particularly in new roles like street-shooters or bloggers or media moguls, are making headway. So is men’s fashion in general. Have you noticed menswear and in particular, the shift of attention to menswear change face over the years?

JAMIE: I suppose so. I guess one label, or house that’s doing really well is Givenchy. Their clothes are incredible and everyone wants it. I guess when you put that street element of like printed jumpers in with high fashion, everyone can kind of get onto that. Overall, men in fashion don’t get much attention but I guess there’s always a place for them. You’d hope so.

DARBY: What was the hardest part, then, of realizing your interests and blog into something sustainable (like being asked to cover fashion weeks or events)?

JAMIE: The hardest thing about my blog, to me anyway, was finding my aesthetic. If you go back on old posts everything was in colour and especially what I was wearing and how I was shooting. I think now, I’ve really found my place or niche. That was probably the most difficult thing.

DARBY: What’s next?

JAMIE: Ahh, a second zine is on the way. The aim is to go to Paris, I really want to go (and) do Paris. Originally it was New York but that’s not really feasible at the moment. There are people in every city, L.A, New York, London, that I really want to see. If I could do that, that’s the next thing. I’ve done Melbourne. I really want to venture out into the world.

I’d like to extend the zine into a magazine. I’d like to see how that works. It’s kinda funny, you see people moving from magazines to blog. I want to do the opposite. From online to print, it’s just more permanent, tangible. Blog posts get lost—you have to hope people read it.

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Zach McCaffree

Zach McCaffree likes to "shoot film, guns and his mouth off." I don't know about his pistol aim but he takes a damn fine film shot and had a little bit to say when I gave him the ol' 5 Questions in 5 Minutes.


Hailing from the Washington area over in the States, his yesteryears were spent hanging around Mountain towns, but now he resides in Honolulu - a bit of a sea change in the least!
Now he snaps lovely ladies, dudes hanging out, old garages and just about everything in between.

Who doesn't like "pictures of girls on film?"

Here's what he had to say

D.C - Your tumblr about is probably the wittiest thing on that site, give us a couple more words about yourself

Z.M - ha! I don't know about that. i'm just an immature guy who likes to take photos when I can, surf on my days off, and try to surround myself with good friends

D.C - How do you meet all the lovely ladies (and strapping lads) that you shoot? Are you blessed by handsome friends or serious pick-up game?

Z.M -  Don't know about game, I think you just have to find people who have confidence in your abilities to make them look good or at least make pretty pictures together. Most people I shoot are usually friends or acquaintances. It's easy to shoot friends but i've been trying to branch out more and find new people to photograph. Oh, and most of my friends are ugly, really really ugly. ha! I kid, they're all ugly! nah, I just have a super strick screening policy (wink) 

D.C - What's it like growing up in Hawaii? Have you always hung around shooting film.. and guns.. or have you given your hand to something else?

Z.M - I didn't grow up in hawaii. I was raised in the pacific northwest. I grew up in spokane washington then lived all over washington and oregon. I used to be a pretty avid snowboarder and I moved around to different mountain towns. Before hawaii, I was in seattle for a while. now i've been in hawaii for 3 1/2 years. Oh, and i got my first bb gun when i was 5 and my first shot gun when i was 7. ha! crazy shit, huh..

when I was in high school my best friend started getting really into photography. I was definitely influenced by seeing his work and that is what got me started. After that it was off and on depending on whether I had a camera. I eventually shot digitally for a couple years but I missed film. Now, all I shoot is film and i try to get out and shoot as much as possible.

D.C - You shoot both portraits and landscapes, plus "stuff." Is their a favourite subject or just shooting anything tickles your fancy?

Z.M - I love shooting landscape, board sports, street, and other stuff, junk, and crud but most of that is filler between the times that I get to shoot people. I wish I could photograph rad people everyday. I like to take portraits of all walks of life, I really do, but everyone likes pictures of girls on film and I am no different.

D.C - and finally, what music boomed out of your room as a kid that pissed off your parents?

Z.M - All of my music when I was a kid pissed off my parents! actually scared them would be much more accurate. jr. high though high school was mostly metal, punk, and hip hop. sonic youth, bad religion, nirvana, suicidal tendencies, wu-tang, das efx, propagandhi, slayer, lots of seattle bands, a ton of pop punk - nofx, lagwagon, etc.., oh, and the pharcyde! I went to a ton of shows back then and saw some pretty amazing bands. my hearing isn't so good anymore. ha!

Be sure to check out his site over here and all of his flickr, tumblr and what not! 

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Pulp Girls

Cailie and Brianna are the brainchildren behind Pulp Girls an all singing, all dancing extravaganza of Vintage Clothes and Photography and boy it kills. The Girls not only stock all the vintage garments to fulfil every Girls dreams but also do all the shoots, management and, a sneak peek at what the future might hold, vintage tea parties. 

Alright so this one might be more for the girls out there but hey, can't we all bask in the glory of this wonderful idea and amazing photo shoots. 

Here's what the gals had to say on scavenger hunts, mystical magic and possible tea parties. 

D.C: In a couple of words, who are the Pulp Girls?

P.G: Dream-catching, night-traveling sisters sustained by mystical magic.

D.C:Your shoots, are they in house or is a Pulp Girl Outsider bought in to work their magic?

P.G: No, they're totally and completely done by us! We have so many ideas pouring out of our minds that we simply combine certain pieces to make the magic happen. You would not believe the amount of props, candles, fabrics, and flowers we have collected from all of the past shoots! Our storage room is packed with pretty things.

D.C: Is it tough sorting through all the deadstock to find the right gear to stock? Or is it more pleasure than business?

P.G: Well the thrill of the hunt is in the chase so searching weird shops, old people's house's (estate sales of course), thrift shops and all that is one of our favorite pastimes. Sometimes we just find a piece where the story just screams out to us and a photoshoot is born entirely! We've really begun to refine the items that we're interested in and only list the cream of the crop.

D.C: Tell us about your move to the new studio. Change of scenery or outgrew your old shoes?

P.G: We've undoubtedly run out of the space that we so desperately need for this growing vision of fashion/vintage/photography love. We started selling prints on our flickr to try to begin to raise the extra cash-flow we need to make this move. This way we would be able to create a larger team and maybe even get *gasp* interns! We are hoping to find somewhere with enough space to host vintage dress-up parties in the future! It would be so rad.

D.C:  And finally; what music did you dance, wail or sing too that pissed off your parents?

P.G: Honestly, whether it was a strange phase of liking cheesy house music to awful popular rap, our mom never really got upset at us when we would jam out. She was a punk in the 70's so basically us listening to weird shit was kinda just funny to her because she was the type to say “if it's too loud you're way too old”! Nowadays she just gets into whatever we happen to love so it works out in the end.

Cheers Girls, be sure to check out their Blog, Shop and their flickr.

-D.C

5 Questions in 5 Minutes - Katie Silvester

"I remember the first time I had to take pictures for a school project, trying to be all cool and artisitic and failing miserably."

Well she certainly doesn't fail miserably anymore. Katie Silvester is one of our greatest flickr finds to date, her pool is incredible and her talent is obvious. After shooting numerous looks of both English companies and Abroad, Katie is killing it. Her latest gig with Prints of PCKHM is sweeeet and she managed it right after moving to London College of Fashion.

You'd think she was some kind of real life Hermonie. We scored 5 minutes of her time for a couple of questions and here's what she had to say on good looking friends, double exposures and stuff.

D.C -  First shot you ever took? Or didn't quite take, but attempted too..

K.S - Oh god, probably of my feet or something stupid! I remember the first time I had to take pictures for a school project, trying to be all cool and artistic and failing miserably. 

D.C Can you spill the beans on how to get that cool double exposure with rich colour effect that you've made your trademark? Or is that your trade secret?

K.S - No secret at all! They are simply multiple exposures, all done in camera. You just have to plan each image that you want to overlay really carefully. Every now and then you'll get a freaky one, but then sometimes they are the best!

D.C - The models in your shoots are all really, ridiculously good looking, are they mates or do you stalk all the good looking people in your town? (Hook a brother up)

K.S - I am so lucky, all of my friends are so beautiful, and happy to help me out. Most of the people I photograph I know really well. I'm trying to get better at asking people I don't know, but I suck at being brave, so if anyone wants their picture taken just let me know!

Guys come on, get amongst it! 

D.C -  You've obviously been picking up a name for yourself but now you've landed a gig with Prints of PCKHM. Are editorials down your alley or would you rather just keep shooting freelance?

K.S - Oh I would love to do some editorials. I just started studying Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion, and am being pushed to try out new things. The shoot with Prints of PCKHM was so much fun though, don't think I could ever give up doing that sort of work.

D.C - And finally, what music blared from your car radio, boom box and tape deck that pissed off your parents?

I grew up in a house always filled with music, so I got my taste from my parents. My dad has the absolute best CD collection- nothing beats hanging out with my dad and listening to Pink Floyd.

Over and out, 

Check out Katie's work here, and over here on her Tumblarghh

-D.C

Alana Paterson

She shot her first roll at 13 just after she moved to the city from an island off the coast of Canada (note: solely inhabited by her and her family) and now has landed herself a spot on the Commune Artist team, shot collections for the likes of THE HUNDREDS, Norse, Polerstuff and HUF. What's next for Alana Paterson?

"I'd like to get a grant and work on my personal project about agriculture. I'm hoping someone at the government of Canada will read this and just give it to me cause I just really haven't been getting around to applying." 

Well Alana, we bloody hope someone reads this!

Here's what Alana had to say the other day when we gave her the ol' 5 Questions in 5 Minutes: 

D.C -  First things first, how did you get into photography? Nicked your family camera one day and started shooting or is there a funny anecdote behind it all?

Alana - Hm well I guess it was skateboarding that got me into it. The first slr roll I ever shot I was 13 I think. And I think I did it pretty much in order to hang out with the cooler dudes. Haha. I still shoot skating a bit but it got boring really quick for me.

D.C - You've gained a bit of a following the past year (what with The Hundreds collection, Commune, HUF and now Norse) so do you think there was a particular break for you? Or did you become an overnight success through planned myspace propaganda and youtube videos.

Alana - Well I guess making my website last year was something I really needed to do and made a big difference, so yeah kind of planned youtube propaganda. Also shooting the first story I did for Norse probably put me out there a little bit more. And getting on the Comune Artists team was rad.

Norse store S/S 11

D.C - We've never been on a family camping trip before, but for you growing up was like a permanent family getaway. Would you swap your childhood for say a suburban one, ever? Did you ever feel like you were missing out on anything?

Alana - Oh no way wouldn't trade it for anything. It was pretty well timed cause I moved permanently into the city when I was 12/13 so it was just before I hit the teenage shit storm

D.C -  Apart from your current project, is there anything you'd like to do next? Say, shoot a collection for someone like Stussy?

Alana - Oh for sure Stussy is on the list. I've been hassling them a bit. Ha. I'd like to get a grant and work on my personal project about agriculture. I'm hoping someone at the government of Canada will read this and just give it to me cause I just really haven't been getting around to applying.
 

D.C - And finally, what music blasted out of your room that pissed off your parents? 

Alana - Rap, they hated rap. and the louder you play rap the better it sounds.

Check out the rest of her work (because for obvious reasons we couldn't chuck it all up on here) on her website! alanapaterson.com

-D.C