Merry Christmas!

Photo © Shen Wei

I was commissioned to photograph a Christmas storybook for a design company this year, basically trying to push the corporate Christmas card to a different level. The CEO of the company also volunteered to take the role of Santa Claus, (see, corporate work can be creative, too). Here is one of the pictures from the storybook.

Merry Christmas, yawl!

0086

0086 (November/December Issue)

My first-time feature in a Chinese publication has hit the newsstand throughout the whole China since last week, which you can imagine the amount of people is reading it by now. The magazine is one of the hippest I've seen from China, it is named one of the best new magazines in 2007. I now totally tasted the new rave of the young China. 0086 is the country code of China as well as the name of the magazine. It is mainly focused on art, photography and fashion, and it is so edge you have to be really cool to understand everything they said. I am so pumped up just looking at the cover of the magazine. Click the images if you can read Chinese and be cool. There will be several more magazine features of my work coming up in January, so stay tuned! And thanks to Jeuce for the fantastic writing!

Random thoughts on celebrity photos.

I had a discussion with some friends about paparazzi photos the other day. We all agreed on their bad influence on our society, but we had disagreement on whether these papa photos actually have any artistic value. I had confessed that sometimes I can’t help drawn into some of those great moments caught by a paparazzi, even though I understand how random and insensitive the photographer was while the photo was taken, but when I take the celebrity content out of the image, sometimes it is just quite good. I mean, after all, paparazzi are literately “Street Photographer”, aren’t they? Here are two photos of my favorite hotness that is Amy Winehouse. First of all, isn't she just looks like one of those Zoe Strauss’ subjects? And OMG, isn't she always doing something interesting?

This recent red carpet shot which I also think it's quite extraordinary, don’t you think?

On one issue of Newsweek magazine, an image of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears was used on the cover. The image clearly caught something other than dumbness in Britney, look at those eyes of craze.

Recap: Miami Weekend

I am finally back home from the craziness that is Art Basel Miami Beach. It was 3 days of non-stop art and parties for me. I had to go take an intensive yoga class to get myself reconnect to the earth, it was indeed a lot of fun and stress.

I arrived in Miami on Friday and of course I missed most of the big parties, (What was I thinking?) Luckily I kept bumping into people who can put me onto the VIP lists. I decided to stay on the Miami Beach on Friday, looked through Art Basel and other fairs and continued my fair hopping at Wynwood on Saturday. There are so much art to see, I constantly had to rest my brain and eyes by what else the free drinks. By early evening of Saturday, I felt very much overwhelmed and a bit dizzy.

Some of the highlights are seeing my own work at the Aqua Wynwood with Randall Scott Gallery, bought a pack of Made in China empty gum at the Shanghart installation of a Chinese supermarket at Art Basel, admiring Kehinde Wiley’s giant paintings and new discovering of Steve Wolf Fine Art, as well as meeting many fabulous artists along the entire trip, etc.

The nights are just as intense as the days, my first event was the Imperia Miami Art Basel party where Russian vodka and caviar was served, following with the FAME party with an interesting mix of young artists and celebrities. My two nights of art party wrapped up with the designer/publisher crowed of Visionaire party. Finally on Sunday, I had to avoid all things colorful and alcohol, headed to Zen my mind and body on the South Beach, but even on the beach I realized that I could not quite escape from the madness of Art Basel, people surrounded me just can’t laying down shut up and stop talking about art...

Anyway, it was an exhausting weekend that I absolutely enjoyed.

Abut Models.

As a portrait photographer, I really love the process of model hunting. I constantly am seeking a great face, unique charisma and a memorable personality, I pay a lot of attention to people around me and try to convince some to be my model. Certainly, I think everyone is special in their own way. For most of time, I took portraits of whoever willing to sit in front of my camera, I can't afford to miss any opportunity to create a good portrait, because sometime even a "boring" person can give me that most brilliant heartfelt moment, so you just never know. It is also very exciting when I discover someone through the crowd and instinctively grow an urge to photograph him/her. But I always decide who is a greater model until I see the photographs.

Often, when I see some fantastic portraits by other young photographers, I am thinking “Wow, that’s a great portrait and she/he is a perfect subject for it.” So here I would like to show you five of my personal favorite portraitures with some great models in order to honor all of the fascinating individuals who contribute efforts to make great portraits happen. As always, suggestion is always very welcome!

©Molly Landreth

©Colin Pantall

©Suzanne Opton

©Amy Elkins

©Muge