CARPE DIEM

master cup 4th color awards

2010-07-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

i am thrilled to announce that one of my pictures from "dreamers" series won 1st place in masters cup color awards this year, while another picture was nominated in the same category. i am flattered to be a successor of zoren gold & minori who won this award last year:

check out winner's gallery for some amazing imaginary.

i am love

2010-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

this movie was something i was really looking forward to see, and it lived up to my expectations. one of the critics called it "a guilty pleasure", another one dubbed it as "fashion & food porn", but for me it was more like a beautiful novel printed on glossy pages of a fashion magazine where composition is immaculate, colors are well-thought, and looks are skillfully styled to complement the story.

"The wonderful Antonella Cannarozzi, who's our costume designer, designed the entire collusion of all the wardrobe," said Swinton. "But we did work with two fashion houses -- the house of Fendi dressed the men and also provided extraordinary furs for Marisa.

"But the Emma character was dressed entirely by Jil Sander. Raf Simons and his team created an entire wardrobe -- that's something that classic cinema used to do quite regularly, if you think about the relationship between Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn or Saint Laurent and Catherine Deneuve. Or even in old Hollywood, if you think of Adrian dressing Garbo or Katharine Hepburn."

new cameras

2010-06-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

my camera collection has significantly expanded - meet 4 more vintage beauties (from top to bottom):
- kodak w/ twindar lens and very rare design of the front panel
- ansco with on-camera flash
- smena 8M
- FED-5

Z!NK cover party

2010-05-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

thank you all who came to celebrate with us our cover story for Z!NK magazine this month! some pictures from that night below

Z!NK may 2010

2010-05-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

it almost feels like a friendly take-over - 24 pages and a cover of Z!NK magazine's anniversary issue (may 2010) features work of my amazing team and yours truly. check out NY newsstands for our two stories: "black magic" with stunning asia bugajska and "her majesty" with sarah deanna.

here is to the glorious team:

NEWHEART OHANIAN
ANETTA KLEMENS
LINH NGUYEN
CARLOS PALACIO
SERGE GLINKA
ANASTASIA KUDRASHOVA
NEICE THOMAS

[you are the best!]

marina abramovic @ MOMA

2010-03-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

marina abramovic is a mystery to me, and yet she is one of my heroes. her art is unique and intangible, her expressions are very personal and daring. i am so grateful that NY is open-minded enough to host her retrospective in one of its best museums. it was a mind-blowing experience that gives you delicious food for thought. i only wish i had enough patience to wait in line for having a chance to sit in front of her and look her straight in the eyes. (amazing gallery of the lucky ones who did it is here)

screen-3

2010-02-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

today i received a new addition to my camera collection (which now has 23 cameras!) - unique looking «ekran-3» ("screen-3"). produced in 1965-70 this camera was considered the best 8mm camera in USSR. it produces both photo and video; the film is however hard to find.

this beauty is in a perfect working condition!

single man

2010-02-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

single man is one of the most visually captivating movies i've seen in a while. i loved the way tom ford was translating his character's mood by changing saturation of the world seen through his eyes. perfect frames, photographic depth of field, sensuality of unspoken. and of course, unforgettable soundtrack by shigeru umebayashi (bow to beloved wong kar-wai) and abel korzeniowski.

NYFW, day 5

2010-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

i knew that due to work i won't be able to attend too many shows this season, and that monday will probably be my last day of NYFW FW2010. donna karan collection was a great to finish this season. beautiful, glamorous, sensual, and strong collection with focus on shape and shimmery textures. timeless black accentuated by pale skin of the models and deep red lacquered lips. and then an unexpected lilac color on sasha pivovarova together with her piercing blue eyes that literally took my breath away for a second. bravo, donna!

miroslav tichy

2010-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

an incredible treat and rest for eyes and soul in between the shows was miroslav tichy exhibition in ICP.

"now over eighty years old, tichý is a stubbornly eccentric artist, known as much for his makeshift cardboard cameras as for his haunting and distorted images of women and landscapes, many of them taken surreptitiously."

even more than exhibition itself i was charmed and mesmerized by documentary about tichy. an incredible character that doesn't take his own work seriously and suggests to throw his pictures on the floor and step on them to add "poetry" to the image. he believes that a photograph is good enough when it resembles reality, but agrees with plato that reality is nothing but a shadow on the uneven cave wall. amused at his own success he says: "if you want to be famous you need to do smth worse then the rest of the world. perfect and beautiful is of no interest."

NYFW, day 4

2010-02-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

this valentine's day i started at greenwhich street at DKNY show. loved the space, as well as the simple but very graphic runway design inspired by bauhaus. collection itself also reflected strong influence of the famous design school and art deco motives: it was a gracious mix of black, charcoal, and beige spiced up with accents of bluebird. i especially loved the slouchy boyfriend jackets and "skyscraper platforms" with studded soats and boot sleeves.

and in the evening there was custo barcelona with their new collection "hairy metal". typical for the brand crazy mix of patterns was complimeneted (complicated?) with metallic colors and fur. my favorite looks, however, were more simple and mostly for men. and only one dress that had a reminiscence of the past - a cartoonish face of a girl in bright colors.

happy valenitine's day!

2010-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

my "lost in love" editorial in february issue of ROUGE magazine. more on my website.

open your heART

2010-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

last night coco rocha teamed up with opera gallery, elite models, and designers like narcisco rodriguez, alessandra ambrosio, carolina bittencourt, to host a beautiful event in support of children of haiti. it was a great mix of beautiful people and art, spiced up with music and sparkling wine.thank you, coco!

NYFW, day 1

2010-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

my fashion week this season has started with toni maticevski's show at altman building. we used one of toni maticevski's pieces - a gorgeous airy dress with aged veil and a big rose with brunt edges (below) - for our recent zink shoot, and i couldn't help but fall in love with his designs immediately.

the new collection is eclectic but very much in toni's style: romantic and soft meets aggressive and sexy in an unusual combination of patterns and cuts. my favorite looks were the long multi-layered pastel dress that made model look like she was floating in the air, not walking; as well as an all-black ensemble of over-sized belted cardigan with puffy veil skirt.

one show that i always go to but unfortunately missed this season (it was way right after toni maticevski's show but in bryant park) was ports 1961. after checking pictures on style.com i got even more upset - looks like their FW2010 collection is very interesting, with retro-looking head-pieces and architectural designs. i loved the subtle color palette they chose for the season when most of the designers go with safe black.

another eye candy that day was mik cire's show at bryant park. beautiful "street chic" men's wear with amazing detailing on sleeves and shoulders (i wish style.com posted backshots!) styled with rough leather accessories. and even though designed for men, i can totally see some of the jackets and pants worn by women.

her majesty w/ sarah deanna

2010-02-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

the following day the same team (newheart ohanian, anetta klemens, linh nguyen), but with a different model (this time it was stunning sarah deanna from muse models) - we were shooting a very graphic and clean studio fashion story using an unfinished 9" long wooden bar as our prop.

the style of this shoot can be described as "british-glamour-punk-rock": newheart was artfully mixing haute couture pieces with ready-to-wear, leather with silk, jeans with sequin, etc. and sarah was definitely rocking the show with her very unique look and unusual poses she was suggesting. ten looks with three strong cover tries - hopefully this story will be out soon for your to see! for now some quick previews from our backstage (shot by serge glinka)

ink drop

2010-02-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

it was definitely a very special shoot for me. done for zink magazine, may issue, it was inspired by the abstract pattern ink drop creates while dissolving in the water, as well as tattoo culture using ink to create permanent adornments on human bodies.

the idea was to create visually arresting images utilizing front projection to cast images of black ink drops on the set as well as the model. combined with graphic shapes and solid colors (black, white, nude) of clothes projections provided abstract dreamlike effects by morphing the shapes of clothes and creating new patterns.

prepping for the shoot i did an extensive research and carefully selected 20 high-res stock images that would work for the story. consultation regarding projections and technical support was provided by carlos palacio.

when i though of a concept there were no hesitation regarding which model i'd like to be shooting with. asia from muse models has been one of my favorites for long time, but located in paris, she is rarely in new york. i couldn't believe our luck when her booker, katie wolland, confirmed that aisa will be arriving just a day before our shoot! not further castings were needed.

it was also my first time working with stylist newheart ohanian, and i was very impressed by her professionalism and creativity. newheart immediately got inspired by the concept of the shoot, and put together an amazing 12-looks wardrobe with gorgeous reptile patterns/shapes, sequin textures, leather accessories, unusual head pieces.

and of course, the style wouldn't be complete without edgy contoured make-up by anetta klemens and avant-garde shapes linh nguyen created using asia's hair. 6"0 asia on 8" tall heels and in gorgeous outfits looked like the most incredible alien beauty.

the shoot is in post-production for the next couple of weeks. look for it on newstands in may.

kat's basic lookbook 2010

2010-01-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

it was a fun shoot today - as always with katerena alkhimova, russian top-model and now a fashion designer producing her third collection for her brand, kat basics. over 20 soft and elegant 100% cashmere pieces looked stunning on our model, ganna baymyashkina (elite).

my job was to capture the overall warm and sensual mood of the collection - the task ganna made so easy to accomplish. half-day shoot at katerena's downtown loft felt more like hanging out with girls and just enjoying this beautiful saturday.

follow-up on kat's new collection in couple weeks at katbasics.com

special thanks to vincent giarrano for backstage images

floating point waves

2010-01-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

past weekend i had a pleasure of seeing "floating point waves" by ximena garnica and shige moriya at HERE theater. mesmerizing, sensual performance that uses mediums like human body, water, and projections to send the following message:

"Humans want to be stable all the time. But the world goes by, changing continuously. The world transforms until our standing point is instability, and we are but a floating point."

beauty update

2010-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

another update in beauty sectio of my website - "northern light" story with robin (NY models)
make-up by anetta klemens, hair by ianthe foushee.

fuji instax mini 7S

2010-01-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

brand-new addition to my growing collection of cameras (currently 22) - fuji instax mini 7S.

this snow-white beauty takes credit card-size instant color photos that are bright and crispy.

happy holidays!

2009-12-23T15:30:00.001-08:00

art vs. commerce

2009-12-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

my kindle not only let me read triple the amount of books i used to read, it also - as you might know - allow me to do clippings and share those with you. today on the subway, while running christmas errands, i read a beautiful fable "hunger artist" by kafka, the ending of which metaphorically juxtaposes fine art and commercial art. (or at least it was the way i understood it - which is exactly the way i feel about the subject)

"Forgive me everything," whispered the hunger artist. Only the supervisor, who was pressing his ear up against the cage, understood him. "Certainly," said the supervisor, tapping his forehead with his finger in order to indicate to the spectators the state the hunger artist was in, "we forgive you." "I always wanted you to admire my fasting," said the hunger artist. "But we do admire it," said the supervisor obligingly. "But you shouldn't admire it," said the hunger artist. "Well then, we don't admire it," said the supervisor, "but why shouldn't we admire it?" "Because I had to fast. I can't do anything else," said the hunger artist. "Just look at you," said the supervisor, "why can't you do anything else?" "Because," said the hunger artist, lifting his head a little and, with his lips pursed as if for a kiss, speaking right into the supervisor's ear so that he wouldn't miss anything, "because I couldn't find a food which I enjoyed. If had found that, believe me, I would not have made a spectacle of myself and would have eaten to my heart's content, like you and everyone else." Those were his last words, but in his failing eyes there was the firm, if no longer proud, conviction that he was continuing to fast. "All right, tidy this up now," said the supervisor. And they buried the hunger artist along with the straw. But in his cage they put a young panther. Even for a person with the dullest mind it was clearly refreshing to see this wild animal throwing itself around in this cage, which had been dreary for such a long time. It lacked nothing. Without thinking about it for any length of time, the guards brought the animal food. It enjoyed the taste and never seemed to miss its freedom. This noble body, equipped with everything necessary, almost to the point of bursting, also appeared to carry freedom around with it. That seem to be located somewhere or other in its teeth, and its joy in living came with such strong passion from its throat that it was not easy for spectators to keep watching. But they controlled themselves, kept pressing around the cage, and had no desire to move on.

notcot

2009-12-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

what a great surprise to see yourself featured (again) on one of my most favorite blogs notcot.org! this time in connection with kate cusack's zipper jewelry shoot i did together with my team (dina yassin, aldys minaya, jamal hodges) a year ago.

this shoot occurred to be very controversial and raised lots of discussion on photoforums after images have been published. for many people it was shocking to see a model of a mature age in a otherwise typical jewelry advertising shoot. however, for me the idea was not to shock but to be honest in the first place and send a certain message to the audience.

kate's jewelry is sophisticated. it requires certain experience and confidence of the one who will be wearing it, otherwise it will overpower the owner. put it on a 18y.o. beauty and it'll clash. kate doesn't aim her jewelry for teenage audience. instead, her jewelry compliments a beauty of an elegant age.
candace woodward, kate's close family friend, seemed to be our perfect model. it was an amazing experience working with her.

dream catcher

2009-12-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

our coat story in december "holiday" issue of ROUGE magazine:

stylist: ursula agurto
make-up: anetta klemens
hair: daniel santos
photo assistants: aric gutnick and zoe roman
fashion assistant: evan narvaez
models: zenia sevastianova & caroline de marqui @ major model management NYC

project "christmas tree"

2009-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

this year our christmas tree is a found object (it is technically just half of the christmas tree my boyfriend found on the street last year) and its ornaments are polaroids of real christmas tree ornaments and toys, mixed with some pictures we took last christmas during our fairy trip to vermont.

happy winter holidays! stay cozy and warm!

mortal engine

2009-12-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

i was completely mesmerized by mortal engine. this dance-video-music-laser performance creates a surreal ever-shifting world in which the limits of the human body are an illusion. crackling light and staining shadows represent the most perfect or sinister of soulds.

mortal engine looks at relationships, connection and disconnection, isolation and togetherness, in a state of continuous flux. conflicts between the self and shadowy other, struggle to escape inner darkness - mortality, sexuality, desire.

apart from concept, what also amazed me is the harmony of human and technical parts of the performance. interactive projections were meticulously designed to respond to dancers' fine movements. both were at the top level but without competing and overpowering each other.

art basel miami 2009

2009-12-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

this year it was my first time going to miami art basel, and i am already anticipating the next one.
inspiring to say the least, 3 days at the fair left me art overdosed and with an immense urge to create something (outside of photography) myself.

definitely, it was fun gallery hopping in design district but yet selection of art and its level at convention center was hard to beat. ironically, most of the galleries bared "NY" prefix in it's name and were coming from chelsea neighborhood where i spend most of my working time freelancing. however, it was worth the trip to see everything under one roof, as well as i believe that curators' selection of pieces was being tightened up according to the high-standards of basel fair. lots of striking conceptual art from well-known as well as emerging artists. to name a few of my favorites artists and categories:

- black wireless map of NY done with graphite on metal (way more impressive than a camera could capture)

- photorealistic paintings of urban landscape on used cardboard

- evan penny's distorted "4D" wax portraits

- witty light signs

- distorted mirror installations

- series of abstract paintings and sculptures using simple play of color, texture and shape

generally speaking, i think most of the exhibits could go under the tag "smart art" - something that looks simple at first sight, but has a double-meaning, something between the lines, with lots of cultural, social, political, historial references only an experienced viewer will be able to decipher if he takes a closer look at it. going through gallery to gallery you feel like you are solving riddles created by artists to entertain and inspire.

p.s. i appologize for the poor quality of the snapshots taken on my blackberry since my "big" camera was not allowed inside the pavilion without press-pass

bill viola "bodies of light"

2009-11-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

one of the highlights of the thanksgiving weekend was attending bill viola "bodies of light" at james cohan gallery.

four dark rooms with tall, rectangular plasma hi-def screens; ghost-like milky nude bodies emerging through the other side of the water. slow motion, ethereal mood; voyeuristic, ambiguous feelings. beautiful, deep, inspiring.

milk&honey

2009-11-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

in continuance of a very successful collaboration with hair stylist linh ngyen (look for our "dreamers" story in november issue of ROUGE magazine) we got together again this month to do another ethereal hair story.
this time it was about movement. our model was pernilla from NY models. linh created beautiful airy textures on pernilla's strawberry blond hair while anetta klemens did magic to make model's skin glow.
some shots look like as if they were done underwater. the colors are muted and soft - milk and honey.
sneak preview of the 9-pages story below.

lie sang bong

2009-11-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

today i've attended press show of lie sang bong at blank space. his 2010 S/S collection is literally out of this world: something between neo-romantic star-wars and alice in wonderland; with dominating colors of shimmering silver and black, sheer white and quasi-translucede nude; strong geometric shapes with over-sized romantic ornaments.

my favorite pieces from the collection:

linhardt design

2009-11-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

i was walking along 3rd avenue up towards 14th street when something unusual in a shop window attracted my attention. it was a vintage gas mask, and a silver a-la freddy krueger glove next to it. it made me stop and cling to the window trying to desipher what kind of store it could be. only then i start noticing pieces of beautiful extravagant yet modern looking jewelry.

lisa linhardt's jewelry design boutique is a must-see and yet another reason to love new york. lisa designs jewelry herself, as well as she features in her store other artists whose work is in the same direction as hers which means using recycled metals, eco-friendly materials, and ethically sourced gemstones. i fell in love at first sight and couldn't resist a temptation to buy on the spot lisa's signature "bullet" ring which you can see on alicia keys for the cover of "billboard" at as well as on gisele bundchen at numero magazine#101.

visit at: 156 First Ave., New York, NY 10003

dreamers @ ROUGE magazine (november issue)

2009-11-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

8 pages spread with "dreamers" (jae, samantha, tianna @ major models) in ROUGE magazine november issue:

juliapogodina.com

2009-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

with a little delay caused by my recent move from one studio space to another i am happy to announce a long-anticipated switch from using "nymfea" (aka nymfea photography studio, nymfea.com, nymfea.blogspot.com, etc.) as my professional alias to my own name where applicable (that is: julia pogodina studio, juliapogodina.com, juliapogodina.blogspot.com, etc.) it will be followed by redesign of my website, business cards, and promo materials which is currently work in progress.

nymfea.com is working as a forward domain for next couple months (same with emails) and will cease to exist in 2010. i will be sending official newsletter with new contact information later this month.

united nude

2009-10-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

absolutely in love with this "lo-res" shoes by united nude

interview for ROUGE magazine (september issue)

2009-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

one of the best gifts for my 30th birthday this september was a 4-pages long interview for ROUGE magazine.

i have a long-term relationship with ROUGE, and i dearly love this glossy bulgarian publication for its quality and very personal, warm attitude of people who work there.

for about an hour i talked to natalia georgieva, one of ROUGE's editor, over the phone. she was curious to know about my childhood back in russia, about my experience being a lawyer, and how i became a fashion photographer at the end, about my vision, goals, and dreams. for me this interview (one of the most deep and detailed interviews i ever gave) became sort of journey into myself. answering natalia's questions i came to understanding of many events and coincidences in my life.

i won't bore you with translation of all 4 pages (alas for my english-speaking readers even though given originally in english my interview was translated into bulgarian which i myself hardly understand) but give you just a little tease consisting of first 3 questions (which is something i never publicized before):

1. Let’s start with your childhood. You grew up in St Petersburg. What was your childhood in Russia?
Actually, my childhood was split between St.Petersburg (where my parents moved shortly after I was born) and Nerekhta, small town in the province of Kostroma, 4 hours by train north-east from Moscow where all my family, both mom’s and dad’s side, still lives. Most of the time I lived with my parents in St.Pete but in summer it was always time to go to my grandparents. It was like living 2 different lives – in St.Pete my childhood was filled with weekly visits to children’s theaters and museums, art school where I was taught to draw since I was 6, my father’s restoring workshop where I was allowed to stamp on little round metal plates, my mom’s sewing machine and hand-made toys and clothes she was making for me since I was little, my parents’ extensive library with art books my dad used to collect. While at my grandparents life was more simple and close to nature: they had a house and little garden, as well as chickens, rabbits, and a goat, and I enjoyed spending time there taking care of animals, or riding my bike, or going fishing with my grandpa, or spending time at the clinic where my grandma used to work.

2. Tell us more about your parents? What do they do?
My dad is an antique restorer, he works with metal; He used to work for both private antique stores and museums, including restoration of the Peter&Paul’s chiming clock. He is also a jeweler (but he only makes jewelry for me and my Mom) and a very good photographer himself. (Since early childhood I vividly I remember his Zenith camera he took with him everywhere and spending nights with him printing pictures in our blacked-out living room)
My mom got her degree in nuclear engineering but since I was a sickish child and could barely attend kindergarten she quit her job and stayed with me at home. Thanks to her I learnt to read and write before going to school, as well as for years she used to be our home fashion designer making beautiful, perfectly fitting clothes for all our family. Later on when I was already going to high-school she got herself a job as a secretary in St.Peterbsurg State University, and couple years ago she, being 52 y.o., undertook a degree program in accounting and changed her career drastically. I am very proud of my parents, they have always been my role models and most important people in my life.

3. Do you come back to Russia nowadays? Has it changed? Would you like to live there?
I usually go to visit my family once a year. For the past 5 years since I am in United States the country has definitely changed but so did I, and my perspective of the world. It’s hard to say which is more. I was happy there and never intended to leave but it happened so, and I have neither regrets nor plans to come back to Russia anytime soon. I started new life here, and for what I do right now it is better to be in New York. It was a conscious and very reasonable decision. In couple years it might change and I might move to Europe or somewhere else– I don’t know. I guess I am a rolling stone, I’ve always been, for me it’s hard to settle in one place, doing just one thing. But no matter where I live and what I do I am proud to be Russian.

interview with mitch de leon [SlashMaraud]

2009-09-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

excerpt from my interview with mitch de leon

SHARE 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JULIA POGODINA BUT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.

That’s my favorite question! It’s also the most difficult one *)

Hmm, three things.. Let me see!

1) So why “nymfea?” Despite of numerous associations you might have with this word, originally Nymfea was a boy – the main character of Sasha Sokolov’s novel “School for fools”; this boy suffered from split personality and irrevocable daydreaming, and every time he wanted to escape the harsh reality he “dissolved into Nymfea, a water lily with long brown stems” to travel along Leta river to the neverland where Leonardo was drawing his Mona Lisa and pearl-like dragonflies were circling above the water. I fell in love with the story when I was 14, and I wrote my own one inspired by Nymfea. That story won 1st place at the city literature contest, and during the time along with many coincidences, mysterious signs, and romantic stories “nymfea” became my intimate nickname and second self.

2) When I was 21, I was a managing director of Nabokov museum in St.Petersburg. It was the most romantic job one could have! Museum is located in Nabokov’s family house on Bolshaya Morskaya street where Vladimir Nabokov was born and his family lived before revolution. One of the most precious exhibits there were: his father’s encyclopedia on butterflies with young Vladmir Nabokov’s color pencil drawings; his pince-nez he wore later in life for occasions of picture taking (in reality he had a perfect eyesight!), and first edition of “Lolita” with his handwriting on the front page. It was magical to hold these things in your hands, to be so close to the life story of his amazing talent.

3) I don’t like chocolate! Unless it is a white one *)

full version of the interview can be read here

NYFW SS2010

2009-09-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

well, now i know that the main advantage of local fashion week (in comparison to the ones in far away cities/countries) is that you get invited to many shows since you know lots of people, but the main disadvantage of it is that since you are "at home" and fashion shows are not part of your job (we won't put a tag "job" on networking, even though sometimes it feels this way), it is really hard to find time in your working schedule to attend all the shows you've been invited too. ah, sweet vicious circle and recurring dreams about cloning myself!

from the shows and events i managed to attend nevertheless, i wanted to mention beloved PORTS 1961 (can't wait to see this japanese inspired nude-colored collection in stores and on my stylist's racks! i especially liked the shoes and back details on dresses and jackets) and custo barcelona (while not being too crazy about patterns and cuts of the women's collection i find men's collection to be very photogenic and sleek), and to applaud to the great idea of fashion night out which finally brought high fashion out to the streets - literally! for the first time fashion week felt not like a private event for the selected group of people from the industry, but as an all-city festival celebrating fashion in style.

ABC 3D

2009-09-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

as some of you may know that i am crazy about pop-up books, and consider them to be collectibles. (at least on my book shelves!)
one of the most delightful and smartly done one with an outstanding design is ABC 3D pop-up alphabet i bought in hirshhorn museum in washington DC

i planned to doing some still shots of the pop-up letters to share with you, but then realized that the bext part of the book is actually the motion. that's why here is the video for you to enjoy.

belk print

2009-08-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

after 5 days of shooting for belk print tuesday feels like friday, and i am taking a little break in the middle of the week to catch up on my personal things before new project begins.

it was a challenge this time - from last minute changes of set, lighting, and even models, to working remotely with 2 art directors on 3 different catalogues. but great team as always made it easy and fun.
of course, sometimes we felt tired,

but most of the time we were having fun,

and loving what we do.

i wanted to thank: my indispensable assistants michael & brian, tina (stylist), jae (make-up), kevin (hair), arika (prep), jose (prep), jarda (producer), beloved studio W26, and all beautiful models who helped me to make it happen!

storm king

2009-08-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

this weekend i finally accomplished a long-planned trip to storm king park (2 hours drive upstate) and had a chance to see its beautiful open-air sculptures.
storm king art center is a magical place where conceptual art meets nature, and i could not help but thinking about ayn rand's hero howard roark and his approach towards making architectural constructions to merge seamlessly with the landscape as opposed to competing or taking over it.

my favorite "exhibits" there are maya lin's "body of water" (waves of green grass creating an illusion of a stormy emerald-color sea ):

andy goldsworthy's "stormy king wall" that reminds a snake going across the river and up the hill in a beautiful zigzag:

and breathtaking " a moment in time" by chakaia booker - a black "broken" obelisk a la "space odyssey 2001" that floats in the air:

while there, on my special request my boyfriend took couple portraits of me and one of them will be featured as part of my exclusive interview for ROUGE magazine in their september issue. (mark di suvero's graphic bright red "mother piece" sculpture created a perfect background for the portrait since it brought association with of russian constructivism as well as matched the colors of my corporate design)

by the way, all the pictures you see above are also taken by my boyfriend (i should admit that he is way better than me with still life and landscape photography), while i was playing with polaroids 600 creating soft-focus washed-out square frames, trying to capture the magic and the mood of the place.

"lines solitaire" in ocean style, september 2009

2009-08-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

just got a confirmation from "ocean style" magazine about publication of "lines solitaire" story with lisa jackson in their september issue. excited to see in print!

model as muse

2009-08-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

i probably was one of the last highly interested but late attending visitors of "model as muse" exhibition in metropolitan. it has been up for several months by now, and it will be over next sunday, august 9th, so if you are like me postponing it to the last minute - last minute it is!

it's definitely worth going through skillfully and thoughtfully organized labyrinth lit by softboxes hanging downside from the ceiling and seeing the history of fashion in making: from early b&w pictures of avedon and ritz to recent campaigns by klein and meisel. but this time the focus is shifted - you look at the famous image of sunny harnett leaning gracefully over a casino table, and you are so absorbed by the image itself, the beautiful lighting, its depth of field, sunny's mysterious smile, and the beautiful dress she's wearing almost goes unnoticed since we are taking every element of the image for granted. then next to this 8 by 10 image in a black wooden frame you see a live-size installation - a mannequin leaning over a casino table, and lamp next to it, and the dress, exactly the same like sunny is wearing on that picture.. but something is different. the magic is gone. because the magic is in the art of a photographer to make a timeless image out of a standard fashion picture - and of a model to breathe life into the latter.

so as we go from room to room, from one fashion era to another, we are shifting the focus and seeing how models changed the way we see fashion. it's almost like a story of womens emancipation - from nameless "mannequins cabinet" to strong personalities and world-known faces of linda evangelista, naomi campbell, claudia shiffer, kristy terlington..

and of course there are dresses. giorgio armani, balenciaga, pierre cardin, chanel, louis vuitton, donna karan, calvin klein, ralph lauren, prada, paco rabanne, YSL, versace... i was astounded to see in real extravagant metallic constructions from "qui etes-vous, polly magoo?" and masterpieces of john galliano's haute couture. all these spiced up with music (wide stylist range - from french "chansons" to "beautiful people" by marylin manson) makes the experience unique and very inspiring.

steven klein

2009-07-28T20:37:00.001-07:00

it's not accidental for me to start the series on my favorite photographers from steven klein. for me his name stands for "fashion photography" itself, as for many people was helmut newton, or richard avedon, or irving penn. he is the reason for me to do what i am doing, and i often say that when i grow up i want to be steven klein, implying the quality and quantity of the work he does. (yes, i know how ambitious it sounds)

there is not much information about him out there. in fact, from people who worked with him, as well as from very few articles and interviews, i heard that he is reserved and not too verbose. he is in his late 40s but looks young and fit, he is close friend of brad pitt & madonna, he is well known for his provocative D&G and Dsquared campaigns.

steven klein's pictures are ambiguous, openly sexual, perverse, yet polished, and chic, and high class. their is a fleeting feeling of restrain in each of them - no matter how candid and suggestive are the poses of the models. klein loves color and sophisticated sets; he is a master of double-page storytelling. his images are surreal and yet up-to-date with the real world. he is not afraid to make a statement about politics, global warming, religion, and model mania.

“the thing that gets frustrating about fashion,” klein says, “is that as a photographer you always want to grab on to something that reflects what’s happening in the world, what’s in the street. you don’t want to just fabricate these dream lives of these idealistic barbie dolls that don’t even exist anymore.”

one of the most prolific and influential fashion photographer of nowdays steven klein is the one who keeps many of us on our toes. as they put it in NY times: "mindlessly glam fashion photography is a dead or dying form, and steven klein, the anti-fashion fashion photographer, helped strangle it."

for more of his work please visit: www.stevenkleinstudio.com

favorite photographers

2009-07-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

i've been asked many times who are my favorite photographers, and every time this question puzzles me for a second. there are quite many, but the truth is every time i need to rethink my answer carefully because this list changes as i grow - professionally and aesthetically. i also noticed that answering this question helps me to define who i am and what i like about fashion photography. it's almost like famous "tearsheet exercise" by selina maitreya - out of all possible tearsheets/ads of all times one should choose just five, the most favorite, and explain why you chose them. you would be surprised how hard it is to limit your choice to just five. but when you do, most probably, you will see smth in common in all five . that common is your own aesthetics - and if you happen to be an emerging photographer, it is your subconscious choice of style. don't copy it, but be aware of the direction, and keep your standards high.

i could make a choice of just five images (i did this exercise with selina twice) but here i won't limit myself to that extent. instead, i want to share some inspirational stories about and images by my most favorite photographers. those are the ones who shaped my vision, inspired, challenged, surprised, and made me want to be a better photographer. their aesthetics is not necessarily coincide with mine, but all of them have smth to say - and they say it well.

mad ones

2009-07-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars
jack kerouac, on the road (1957)

success

2009-07-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

success is what happens when 10,000 hours of preparation meets one moment of opportunity

china town

2009-07-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

and another tearsheet package today - this time from bulgaria (ROUGE magazine) with my favorite "china town" editorial featuring gabi from NEXT model management, NYC.

NOI.SE 24 & HIGHLIGHT 33

2009-07-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

it was such a nice surprise upon my return from miami to find a long-awaited package with new issues of noi.se & highlights and tearsheets with 2 of my stories (charlie's angel & love letters) in my mailbox. couldn't help but mention a great layout design and amazing print quality of both publications. look for them on NY newsstands!

professional insights

2009-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

spent half a day reading interviews with art directors and photo editors at professional photographer's website. very informative for any industry professionals and covers topics like how to put together a good portfolio, how to approach a magazine and get commissioned, etc. read NOW.

miami, day 4

2009-07-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

wake-up time - 5am, call time - 6am. and all this to be able to catch beautiful morning light and avoid midday heat. after all, we have 10 looks to go and 2 locations to shoot at.

amanda arrived early but she got confused with hotels and instead of room 435 at "continental" at 6am in the morning she knocked at the door of room 435 at "shelborne". "is there any photoshoot going on?" she asked; the sleepy lady who opened the door was not even surprised.

by 7am are are already in the water. sunrise is beautiful, and light is gold and diffused. 3 first looks are sensual and wet - literally.

by 8.30am my assistant is picking us up at the reception and we are heading to key biscayne. there are dunes, and rocks, and pure white brick of the lighthouse - and local audience of sunday beach-time lovers. the ranger working there is very helpful and accommodating. only once he approached me with a request not to shoot at the palm trees alley since our model was wearing a see-through outfit and there were kids at the lighthouse who might see it. "i personally don't mind at all" - he says - "she's so gorgeous! But parents might complaint".

6 more looks are done by 11am, the only thing's missing is the shot i fancied in a palm tree shadow, next to the water.. who would have think that this is so hard to find in miami? most of the palm trees around key biscayne park are separated from the shore by concrete see wall, others are too tall, or not curvey enough. so around midday we are heading out of the park searching for a "perfect palm tree" to shoot our last look - ultramarine transparent tunic which amanda so gracefully wears being completely naked underneath.

almost-perfect palm tree was found on our way back to south beach. of course, there were cars, and chaise-longs, and portable fridges, and couples, and kids, and dogs all around it - both on the fore- and background. but we were patient enough and managed to get a perfect shot - or even couple - that looked exactly liked planned.

relaxed, sensual, colorful, and very exotic swimwear story is on its way!

miami, day 3

2009-07-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

today was fully devoted to location scouting and prepping for tomorrow's shoot. we decided to use the advantage of living at the oceanfront and start shooting at sunrise at the beach close to our hotel. but for the second part of the shoot we planned on moving to key biscayne and shoot in the picturesque surroundings (dunes, rocks, palm tree alley) of a lighthouse.

so dina and i spent half a day there, while anetta was busy with the shows. alas, i didn't attend any of them - in the evening we went through all 10 looks and storyboard for the shoot, and went to bed early to be able to wake up at 5am. my camera bag apart from its usual content has 55 SPF sunblock and a visor to help me cope with the sun.

miami, day 2

2009-07-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

friday morning we had a go-see at next model management, miami. despite of the very busy time for the agency ron gerard made it possible for us to meet with girls, and we ended up booking beautiful short-haired brunette amanda for our sunday swimwear shoot.

after having light breakfast at balans we relocated to the beach in front of our hotel and spent there the rest of the day before the shows.

by 6pm the line at the entrance to raleigh tents was enormous. we managed to get in for true religion show just on time.

the atmosphere was like at a good party - the audience was bouncing to the rhythms of doors together with golden boys and girls in jeans-like lycra bikinis and pleaded bodysuits with open backs marching along the white podium. i in particularly liked the beach jewelry - golden fishes on a long wooden beaded chains and buddhist-inspired accessories.

red carter's show was next but the tent was over capacity and half of the ticketed crowd - including us - was left out at the raleigh pool to enjoy free martinis and watch the show on the screen.

dina and i stopped by at the backstage to say hi to anetta who working that night on most of the shows,

and then headed to lincoln road to have dinner before rocking true religion's afterparty at set.

beloved delano on the way back to our hotel watching dark blue sky sheltering with lighting from the outside bar finished the day.

miami, day 1

2009-07-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

welcome to Miami! our plane arrived half an hour early yesterday so we had a chance to enjoy light dinner and chilled pinot grigio at an argentinian restaurant maya on lincoln road.

our hotel is conveniently located just next door to raleigh hotel where most of the shows take place.

we started thursday early knowing that there was a long day ahead: beach in the morning, then delicious gazpacho & crepes for lunch at a la folie (cosy french bistro on espaniola way), short afternoon nap (sun can be so tiresome!), and back to the beach again for couple hours to catch some golden sunset light.

by 7pm me and dina are dressed up & ready for the first show. we are having some martinis at raleigh pool while waiting for anetta (who was working on a backstage) to join us.

raleigh tent is way smaller then any of bryant park's tents but excitement of the audience and bright summer colors (white goes so well with tanned bare skin & chunky gold accessories of female attendees) make it festive and fashionable enough.

caffe's show starts at 8:30. models are confident and fit and look stunning in turquoise/orange bikinis with patterned details and embroidery. i in particularly liked couple looks, and was happy to hear from dina that she pulled those for our sunday swimwear shoot.

after the show the fashionable crowd relocated to the beautiful rooftop bar at gansevoort hotel to finish the day at the pool with some lechee martinis while discussing plans for tomorrow.

mercedes-benz swimwear fashion week 2010

2009-07-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

off to miami for a swimwear fashion week with my girls (anetta klemens and dina yassin)! check for daily road-trip reports from the shows and afterparties *)

emily fox

2009-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

i started this week with a shoot starring stunning strawberry blond beauty from supreme, emily fox. continuing my experiments on "ghosty effects" i was playing with longer exposure, color gels, and - my personal top secret! - a bit of vaseline on my lens, while emily was gracefully dancing in front of my camera. (gosh, this girl can move! i only wish i was recording a video..)

ursula agurto was the one who put together 8 playful yet edgy looks - with hip high leather boots and structural pieces. jessica tarazi created a unique make-up complimenting natural honey colors of emily's face. sato taeko was responsible for keeping emily's hair big and curly.
and even my cat fidel got into the "ghosty" mood and was misteriously wondering on set.

the dryad

2009-07-05T23:10:00.001-07:00

dryads (Δρυάδες, sing.: Δρυάς) are tree nymphs in greek mythology. in greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an indo-european root *derew(o)- 'tree' or 'wood'. thus dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general. "such deities are very much overshadowed by the divine figures defined through poetry and cult," walter burkert remarked of greek nature deities. they were normally considered to be very shy creatures, except around the goddess artemis, who was known to be a friend to most nymphs.

dryads, like all nymphs, were supernaturally long-lived and tied to their homes, but some were a step beyond most nymphs. these were the hamadryads who were an integral part of their trees, such that if the tree died, the hamadryad associated with it died as well. for these reasons, dryads and the greek gods punished any mortals who harmed trees without first propitiating the tree-nymphs.

my interpretation of the legend see at nymfea.com

good morning!

2009-07-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

how do you usually start your morning? well, not when you have a 6am call time in the middle of gloomy november but - let's say - on a morning like this. (friday, july 3rd - long lazy weekend ahead and outside your studio window is sunny manhattan view)

i start my morning with a cup of cappuccino with a fluffy milk foam & a pinch of cinnamon. but instead of an old-fashion morning newspaper while having my coffee i read blogs. here is my personal top 10 [both for visuals & information] i would not be able to [professionally] live without:

- ru_glamour
- notcot
- fashion-ation
- lookbook
- paranaiv
- professional photographer
- art producer's blog
- commincation arts insights
- photo editor
- burn auto parts

good morning!

quote

2009-07-01T13:48:00.001-07:00

the difficult we do right away; the impossible may take a little longer.

kat basics

2009-06-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

today i was shooting with supermodel lisa seiffet for kat basics FW2009 lookbook.
kat basics is a young fashion brand established by another supermodel, katerena alkhimova
for her second collection katerena created 5 simple pieces made of 100% cashmere. all pieces are very functional and easy to combine together. my favorite one is a big cercuar scarf that you can wear wrapped around your neck, or as an elegant hood, or as a cosy shrug. check out starting from late august at katbasics.com

InFashion bridal

2009-06-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

this saturday my team and i were shooting a bridal story for InFashion magazine with beautiful redhead alison hamilton from FORD models.

except for the gold copper of alison's hair (by dj riggs) and soft rosy color of her cheekbones (by anetta klemens) we kept the story monochromatic, adding a little bit definition and depth to the set by using crumpled paper and white branches.

the story features 7 gorgeous wedding gowns styled by urusla agurto.

soon at the newstands!

frying pan

2009-06-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

and yet another re-make (that location is so worth it!) shot at a chelsea secret gem and one of my favorite spots in NY - lightship "frying pan". this time my prop stylist veronika ossi dressed the boat in black velvet and blue silk, and decorated its interior with antique mirrors, dry flowers, stuffed birds, and empty picture frames to create a dreamy and mysterious mood.

our model was norvegian blond nina from muse models. rebecca casciano added a touch of fuchsia to nina's eyes and defined her eyebrows with dramatic black;

dj riggs created a tall platinum blond hairstyle inspired by marie antoinette;

on top of it all ursula agurto styled nina in surreal latex gown, metal mask with horns, kinky chain top, etc.

team of 9 people, we took over the boat and had so much fun exploring its rooms filled with weird objects and pieces of furniture. (an old wooden pianio on the first floor, a creepy dentist chair in the wheelhouse, a vintage typewriter, old suitcases, and even a small cabinet of curiosities) each of us had a chance to contribute to the outcome - even though i had it all pre-panned i was trying to be flexible and closely followed my team's suggestions about good angles & photogenic spots each of us was finding around. thanks to them (and especially my assistant aric gutnick) i also ended up having a pretty good backstage reportage.

crisis = danger + opportunity

2009-06-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

i am sure that by now many of you already heard a legend-like fact that chinese ideogram for "crisis" is made up of two characters signifying "opportunity" and "danger." true or not, that theory 100% works for me. i do believe that with the right approach and positive attitude difficult times can turn into a great opportunity to grow.

same idea was shared and extended to the constructive degree by charismatic selina maitreya during her new york workshop "survive? think thrive!". within three productive hours she showed us how to stay professionally fit and re-focus on "thrival" instead of survival. because any crisis is just a great excuse to rethink, review, re-evaluate.

instead of cutting your budget, re-direct it - and spent a little more time/money on your sales. instead of freaking out about down time in the studio, use this time to build your book and do something creative. experiment, challenge yourself, take a risk - cause there is so little to loose and so much to win. enjoy - this time will be over soon, together with great opportunities for emerging talent.

i remember my first meeting with selina two year ago. after her thorough portfolio review my head was spinning and my thoughts were gloomy. i was just starting in this business, and selina made me realize how long would be my way and how much work had to be done. but the most painful was to let aside some of my old work that was just not good enough, and do it all over again. it took me a while to accept it. but i think it was one of the most important lessons i learnt: an artist should never get emotionally attached to his own creations. when it's time let it go without looking back to be able to move forward. don't be afraid to start from scratch. "turn your face to the sun and put your talent to work."

richard avedon @ ICP

2009-06-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

there is no need to introduce richard avedon. while mostly known for his fashion imaginary he is a master depicting women rather than promoting fleeting changes in style. black&white or color, his images are graphic and sexual. if you are a fan of his as much as i am you definitely should go to his exhibition at ICP where one can follow evolution of his imaginary from early 50s to modern 2000s.

it doesn't matter, black&white or color, he always managed to create "a kind of dream image". his series "in memory of the late mr. & mrs. comfort" still amazes me with perfection of each element: whimsical concept, brilliant execution, beautiful fashion, stunning nadia aurman..

walking from room into room you see images of "confident women striding across the page into a self-sufficient future, dancing to their own tune": elegant dovima, femme fatale sunny harnett, verushka, twiggy, lind evangelista, stephanie seymour, nadia aurman.. it's avedon's signature style, together with his famous contrasty lighting and "jumping" poses in frozen motion. (lifeless imitations of which still feed lots of modern photographers)

"you can't separate fashion from the world. fashion is the way we live". richard avedon

now & again

2009-06-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

another color-infused beauty story from my team (dina yassin, rebecca casciano, jamal hodges) - a mix & (mis)match of vibrant epochs and styles, starring amazing diana georgie from muse models.

working on this story i was initially inspired by the colorful 60s with its exression and bravery of mixing colors, patterns, and catchy accessories. in styling this story we went even further in time and space, and created our own interpretation of the theme. here is a sneak preview from the backstage; final images to come!

in the woods

2009-06-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

despite of non-cooperative new york weather yesterday we finally managed to do our fashion shoot in the woods, and use that dull sky and flat light as our advantage to turn the story into a mysterious fairy tale. that wouldn't be possible without my good friend anetta klemens who this time apart from doing make-up and manicure was also a producer of the shoot - she put together an amazing team (stylist ursula agurto & hairstylist ianthe foushee), organized location scouting (forest park), as well as she provided her beautiful place for us to prep for the shoot before going in the woods.

it was my second time working with jae brickman from major. (you might remember this "blond fatale" from the beauty story "dreamers"). i am in love with this girl! amazing face and great personality. i knew she would be a perfect candidate for the role of the "woods spirit", and i was right. jae was gracefully balancing on her high heels on top of sleepery tree trunks, without a second thought laying down at dusk in the midst of ferns, and bravely ignoring all the bugs and mosqitos even after 6 hours of shooting.

and of course this shoot wouldn't be possile without my assistant aric gutnick who was the one responsible for creating misterious fog (aka "dog", aka "vogue" according to my tired & sloppy pronuciation of the word during the whole day of the shoot) around our model.

look out for this editorial on NY newstands very soon!

unVeiled

2009-06-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

today my team (anetta klemens & jamal hodges) and i shot stunning susan coble (FORD) in a neo-romantic beauty story, re-make of one of my early shoots "color.net". for susan we created 5 beautiful looks in pastel colors which worked great with her golden complexion and curls.

i love working with veil - it is such a photogenic material! transparency always fascinated me - the way you can see through smth but at the same time how things just don't look the same way any more.

and looks like my cat fidel loves veil as well. he is such a poser!

lip magazine feature

2009-06-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

this was quite a pleasant surprise to see a little feature on myself at lip mag today *)

nominee @ 3rd annual photography masters cup

2009-06-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

this year i've been selected as a nominee in the category of FASHION at the 3rd Annual Photography Masters Cup! the first place belongs to ander shald, photographer who does kid-like-adults fashion; the second place was taken by beloved zoren gold & minori murakami with their famous picture of omahyra mota "bleeding" with scarlet roses.

thousands of images were received from 92 countries and my humble work ("chinatown"; see below) got a high percentage of votes overall. it will be featured in the virtual winners' gallery, in PMC's international PR campaign, and in World Photographic Arts Magazine (available october 2009 from newstands all around the world)

certainly an achievement!

mood indigo

2009-05-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

style: dina yassin
make-up: anetta klemens
hair: caroline prince (creative management NYC)
set design: angela campos (creative management NYC)
model: camille (NY models)

best gifts

2009-05-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

as we used to say in soviet russia "book is the best gift". i made myself several amazing gifts today and was rushing home to start flipping through the pages..

what first attracted my attention in the window of a thrift bookstore was a beautifully designed cover of "russian style". then i saw the name of the author which sounded familiar, and realized that it was the evelina khromchenko - well-known for her stylish looks and immense influence on russian fashion world editor-in-chief of my beloved l'officiel russia. the book occured to be not only nicely designed but also smartly written. being a modern ABC with fashion pictures on russian culture and so-called misterious "russian soul" it gracefully avoids cliches and denounces many of the stereotypes. (for example, it explains that "za zdoroviye!" is a toast while "na zdoroviye!" is an answer to someone's "spasibo") an absolute "must" to read for anyone interested in the subject - and one of the most precious new additions on my bookshelves.

i wrote about edward steichen and his graphic compositions just couple entries before after attending ICP exhibition on fashion photography. his book "in high fashion" is a classic on style and lighting technique, an endless source of inspiration, and a proof that great pictures don't age despite of the subject matter.

diane arbus is my muse. her pictures are misterious, and sometimes scary, but at the same time so romantic and kind. by the way, if you haven't seen the movie "fur" with nicole kidman as diane arbus - please put it on your netflix queue right now! of course, only "inspired by" it's an exciting and visually inspiring story.

rene magrtitte has always been one of my favorites. i remeber how stunned i was to see his exhibition at hermitage museum about 10 years ago. i wrote down the names of all the paintings in a little notepad, and spent hours in front of the pictures trying to desipher them, to solve the colorful riddles - until they closed the museum. i returned to the exhibition the next day and repeated the circle. i know that i will probably spend hours reading annotations in the pictures in this book echoing to my recollections from the past. the images are still in my head. my head is a green apple, i am wearing an invisible bowler, and the sky outside is of a brightly turquoise color.

lines solitaire

2009-05-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

style: dina yassin
make-up & hair: anetta klemens
model: lisa (major)

dreamers

2009-05-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

make-up by rebecca casciano
hair by linh nguyen
models: jae, samantha, tianna (major)

whitney museum

2009-05-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

yesterday it was a perfect rainy sunday to go for an exhibition - or two. so i did. whitney museum was the choice - they are showing couple great projects there right now.

one of them was jenny holzer's installation. jenny is using mixed media (LED signs, oversized scans of documents, and drawings) to deliver the mixed message - overview of historical and politics eventes together with the words of her own philosophy and private confessions of an everyday diary. beautiful exectution of a thoughtful and ambiguous theme.

another fascination was doug aitken's "sites" - 4 rooms filled with video and sound that overpowers your own reality and leave you in a state of an after-dream. it appeals to you on a very subtle sub-consious level - i am sure that each of the person in the audience understands the installation differently.

mood indigo

2009-05-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

it is probably one of my favorite shoots so far.. it happens when all elements fall into place harmonically and - as if - magically. camille (beautiful redhead from NY models i wrote about before) was even more stunning in person then on pictures - 6ft. tall, porcelain skin, pale blue eyes of a 15y.o. beauty, and the most incredible hair running down up to hips level in a heavy copper stream. we had 2 new people in the team - caroline prince was the one taking care of the beautiful golden fleece of camille's hair, and angela campos was creating unique sets to create the right mood on set.

the mood was of a color of indigo. very simple and thoughtful, portrait-like and a little dreamy. black and white clothes chosen for this shoot by dina yassin were a perfect match. anetta klemens created an amazing nude look with a little bit of definition for the eyes emphasizing camille's natural beauty.

it all made my task real easy - i just needed to compose all the elements in my viewfinder and press the shutter release button. such a great way to spend a saturday!

newton creek

2009-05-01T16:28:00.001-07:00

today we've successfully launched location photography season 2009!

despite of the gloomy weather forecast we decided to take the risk. location was chosen more then a year ago and carefully preserved until the right moment.. right moment was created by my beautiful girls - dina (wardrobe) and anetta (make-up&hair), as well as by gorgeous lisa jackson (you probably saw her at american next top model show) from major models.

our location was a hidden greenpoint's gem (so hidden that i managed to get lost driving everybody there), newton creek park at the far east end of box street. it charmed me with its minimal concrete walls of organic shapes - an unexpected piece of architectural design in the middle of nowhere. it was the perfect background to our fashion - minimal clothes of unusual shapes and neutral colors that look stunning on our 6"0 tall jamaican beauty. overcasted sky made me a big favor by serving as an oversized softbox giving the most amazing even lighting while not being too flat.

we finished just on time (again, a record - 7 looks within 3 hours) - at 4pm the downpour started, but we were already driving back to my studio to have delicious polish food bought for all of us by anetta. a little bit of red wine, a friendly chat & laughs about our adventures today, and we are all saying goodbye to get some rest before tomorrow's shoot.. but that will be another story.

weird beauty

2009-05-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

last weekend i've attended ICP's exhibition "weird beauty" devoted to contemporary fashion photography with a twist.

it was great to see many of my favorite editorials (alas&piggot, steven klein, steven meisel, hedi slimane, nick knight, tim walker, paolo roversi - among others) on the wall in the striped sequence. almost none of them were new to me but it was great to refresh the memory and see it altogether united by one theme, revealing some kind of pattern. curator's selection was questionable sometimes - there were lots of pretty images (steven meisel's pastel color story for vogue italia, for example) that didn't have anything "weird" about them. i also think that lots of great editorials were omitted without any particular reason. i wish they included some less famous names who have a lot to say on the subject matter. for example, i was missing chadwick tyler's nightmarish creations, or gray scott's dreamy sets, eugenio recuenco's carefully staged and retouched horror fairy tales..at the same time steven klein on its own could take over the whole exhibition space with almost each of his shoots.
way more i enjoyed the second room with "this is NOT a fashion photograph" exhibition, as well as downstairs retrospect on edward steichen who's precise and very graphic compositions combined with immaculate lighting created magic on the pages of vogue several decades ago.
the exhibition is up for this weekend only. rush to see it!

H for Hair

2009-04-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

shooting a pure hair story today with a classic trio - blond (jae), brunette (tianna), and redhead (samantha) - all from major models.

make-up by amazing rebecca casciano (it was my first time working with rebecca, and i am definitely looking forward for more) & magic hair by linh nguyen (it's a shame this artist doesn't have a website.. such a talent!)

the girls were very sweet (can't say the same about my cat fidel who was misbehaving a lot today) and i think we all had fun. we also beat the time record - 6 haute-couture looks within 4 hours! amazing. can't wait to show you the result!

all about eve

2009-04-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

style by dina yassin
make-up by anetta klemens
hair by sato taeko
model: olga (FORD)

please visit beauty section at nymfea.com for more

new portfolio

2009-04-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

last week i picked up my new portfolio books (11x14 and 9x12) from house of portfolios. first time they did the placement of my logo was wrong, but now i'm pretty happy with everything. i especially like the way red color is "hiding" inside - the silverish grey cover looks minimal and discreet only until you open the book...

red has always been my favorite color. it's a color of passion, sensual yet strong. it has personality but also goes well with other colors. neutral grey is a good companion, i think. not as harsh and definite as black.

another important element of design in my corporate identity is transparency. i mean literally. i like see-through, clear materials with a little bit of frost or just slightly muted. like plastic they used to make my business cards. it's very practical indeed - you can even wash your jeans with my card in the pocket, or drop it into your martini by mistake. weather proof, washable, lightweight. and apart from that, you can create your own design with it by placing the card on top of different materials, layering and mixing colors. it's clean and ambiguous at the same time.

astali guns&bullets

2009-04-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

sunday was a pleasant day to do jewelry shopping in soho - i started at sample sale of dinasaur jewelry (we just shot a beauty story using their colorful beads and bangles), then walked along street vendors with their hidden gems, and ended up at young designers market on mulberry. there i met shannon de jong, astali jewlery designer who's creating bold stylish pieces using toy guns and bullets casings. i couldn't resist and got myself the whole set - two necklaces that can be layered together and a chunky bracelet. LOVE it! hope to use their designs in my upcoming fashion shoots.

dina yassin

2009-04-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

i want to introduce you to my good friend and amazing wardrobe stylist dina yassin. i met her half a year ago on behance networking party. we decided to meet for a cup of coffee in williamsburg - and a week later were shooting our first story. since then there were lots - inlcluding 3 cover stories, 2 celebrity shoots, and trip to LA. and more to come!

dina radiates energy. her laughs are making any shoot go at ease. she is focused, persistent, ambitious, and very talented. i know she will go far and i am happy to be part of the process. please follow up on her interview with ROUGE magazine (may issue).

heels to die for

2009-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

when i see heels like that it makes me miss my office past and russian notorious "stiletto culture". now i can not afford wearing those in my every day running-around-carrying-heavy equipment life. but instead i can photograph them on skinny long-legged girls - and make you drool.

by DSQUARED2

color fusion

2009-04-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

please see studio portfolio at www.juliapogodina.com

new york models

2009-04-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

yesterday i had a go-see at new york models and discovered two gorgeous red-heads i'd love to shoot with. meet camille & lindsay. i hope to show you the way i see them soon.

summer jewelry shoot

2009-04-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

another great day filled with beauty and positive team energy. this time it was a jewelry shoot with olga from FORD. (i shared her pictures in my previous post)

the overall style of the shoot was light and airy - with simple lighting (and intentionally sophisticated catchlights in model's eyes) i wanted to create an "early summer morning" feel, elegant and sensual at the same time.

dina yassin put together 6 unique looks complimented by colorful jewelry pieces by different designers.

anetta klemens was on top of creating striking make-up looks focusing on olga's beautiful lips.

sato taeko did magic with the hair - from sleek french style bob to glamorous waves.

olga was stunning - classis european beauty, feminine and sensual, as well as very sweet & humble as a person. even my cat fedor fell in love with her and was jumping on her lap during the photosession to steal a kiss or two.

as always, backstage pictures for your sneak pick. more to come.

olga akhunova from FORD

2009-04-03T19:10:00.001-07:00

around 8pm friday night after 2 days of back&forth with 3 different model agencies we confirmed beautiful olga (FORD) for our monday beauty/jewelry spec. isn't she gorgeous?

"american beauty" cover story (ROUGE magazine, april 2009)

2009-04-02T01:30:00.000-07:00

yes! 2 editorials and a cover in one beautiful april issue! "red" has always been my favorite color *)
even though suggested cover options didn't make it to the cover, i'm still happy about this story. kelly looks gorgeous, doesn't she? my favorite shots of her are this, this, and this. what you think?

"alice in w" editorial (ROUGE magazine, april 2009)

2009-04-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

and another april editorial - my "alice in wonderland" story published in ROUGE magazine.

it was a day full of adventures in my friend's (veronika ossi) beautiful loft in greenpoint. we were making the model (martina from MC2) climb the ladder and hang from the chandelier, play chess and have a crazy tea party with invisible guests, and listen to the songs of encaged red roses... everything how it is supposed to be on "the other side of the world" - upside down, with a twist!

full story can be viewed at: www.nymfea.com

"in the news" editorial (SENSE&STYLE, april 2009)

2009-04-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

this month starts with a b&w editorial published in april issue of sense&style (philippines) - magazine i work with on a monthly basis for the past 2 years.

you can see full version of the story at www.nymfea.com

summer fashion

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

when i think "summer" i think "color", "energy", "freedom". all these we tried to show in our summer 2009 fashion editorial with beautiful marija from major model management. the story was clean and edgy - with lots of movement and expression. dina yassin who was styling the shoot pulled vibrant, playful clothes from amazing designers - manish aurora, PORTS 1961, cerpico, yeholee, irregular choice, juju, among others. bright, three-dimensional make-up by anetta klemens complimented the look. marija's hair were pulled up in a sleek yet unusual style (by jamal hodges), with a twisted braid and excuisite moon-shape hair piece.

there was so much of positive energy in my studio during this shoot that we managed to finish all 9 looks within 6 hours! time always flies in a great company.

"kat woman" editorial feat. russian top-model & emerging fashion designer katerena alkhimova

2009-03-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

it was definitely a fun shoot and dream come true! my team (dina yassin [wardrobe], aldys minaya [make-up], sato taeko [ hair]) and i were shooting beautiful katerena alkhimova (muse of john galliano; face of jil sander, versus, keneth cole; face you saw on the covers of vogue and l'officiel, as well as editorials by steven meisel, peter lindberg, paolo roversi - among others) for her cover feature in ROUGE magazine as a russian top model and emerging fashion designer.
katerena recently started her fashion line - kat basics [http://www.katbasics.com]; her first collection consisted of two simple yet irresistably sexy pieces - skin tight black dress and body suit with transparent stripes. we were using both pieces - combined with current FW2009 fashion - to create 6 unique fashion looks and show katerena's inner women: seductive, romantic, glamourous, edgy, boyish, extravagant, and fatal. it was incredible to see all the transformation live! it felt like doing 6 different stories with one incredible beauty - as a photographer i could hardly ask for more.

for now just a sneak pick of the polaroids; full story to come shortly.

ROUGE cover story kelly carlson ("nip/tuck")

2009-03-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

when i received an email from ROUGE magazine asking me whether i am available to fly to LA and do a cover story with gorgeous kelly carlson from "nip/tuck" series, i was - to say the least - flattered. it was my first assignment from the magazine after 3 months of very productive collaboration (by then i already had 2 cover stories, 3 editorials, and one feature with them, but all was submission-based)

we had 2 intense weeks of production and on-going communication between NY, LA, and bulgaria. finally, location was chosen (thompson beverly hills hotel agreed to provide their elegant premises for our hollywood-style story) and the date of the shoot was set. on march 2nd my stylist dina yassin and i flew to LA to meet with kelly and her beauty team.

the shoot had 2 parts - we started at the rooftop pool and in the afternoon moved inside the beautiful suite provided by courteous stuff of thompson beverly hills. glamour was in the air and on dina's clothes racks with elegant gowns from famous designers: PRADA, georges chakra, gustavo cadile, rosa cha, among others. my assistant (barett sweger from smashbox studios) was irreplaceable and helping me a lot to handle various lighting conditions. it great to hear an acknowledgment from kelly: "you really know your lighting. i love the way i look on your pictures".

and still it was a challenge. working with celebrities you need to be flexible and efficient; time is important and so are the right clothes and its variety to be able to choose from in case smth doesn't work. i think we did our best and rocked it. 9 beautiful looks and 3 cover options - not bad at all for our first LA shoot! definitely looking forward for more.

april issue of ROUGE with kelly on the cover is out on the newstands.

NOI.SE 24 & HIGHLIGHT 33

2009-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

2 exciting emails from highlights publication [www.highlightsmag.com]: my "hello, charlie?" story will be featured in the following NOI.SE issue while "love letters" made it to highlights magazine.

on the newstands worldwide since april 2009.

meaning of beauty (ROUGE magazine, december 2008)

2008-12-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

[The idea of the project is to show the Beauty seen through the eyes
of fashion photographers from different parts of the world.]

How would you define beauty?
Beauty is a state of mind, body, and soul, that reflects as a calm self-confidence and a mysterious half-smile in one’s eyes; It’s a harmony of internal and external.

Why did you choose to present yourself with this photograph?
This photograph is very special to me for several reasons: It was my very first beauty shoot (that time I was still working as a corporate lawyer during the day while taking photography classes at night and doing test shoots on the weekends) but even couple years later this picture still makes me feel proud and content; Also, it was an amazing experience shooting it and witnessing how the look as if created itself from scratch - out of our common team energy, ideas on-the-go, things that surrounded us in the studio (for example, we bought roses in a Deli downstairs to go with the veil, and then we used curtains’ tassels to compliment the braids). The model is my good old friend Marina, and it was her first modeling experience as well. I think all these mixed up together gave this picture such an innocent and sincere feel of a natural beauty.

Where in the world live the most beautiful women?
I guess I can’t be objective coming from Russia – country that is famous for its beautiful women. As a fashion photographer I prefer working with Eastern European models, especially girls from Poland, Croatia, Slovakia. Slavic features have this unique pedigree and serene elegancy I personally find very attractive. You won’t call these girls just pretty – they are beautiful, with their long slender bodies, pensive eyes, and faces that can tell you a story.

Do you believe in phrase “The beauty will save the world”? Why?
I do. For me beauty is the opposite of self-destruction, yet it’s just another side of the same coin. It’s like good and bad. Our striving for beauty is opposed and balanced in a strange way by our propensity to ruin what we have. But striving for beauty is a stronger feeling because it’s genuine and it’s firstborn. And even if the world collapses beauty will prevail (and thus save the world) because there is beauty even in ugly things.

cover story with holly weston

2008-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

on october 14th i received the following email from chantal de paris [www.chantaldeparis.com]:

"Let me introduce you to Holly Weston . Holly just star in Madonna directorial debut movie(Filth and Widsom); the premiere was last night at the sunshine cinema. She is in New York for one night only; Please let me know if you'd like to shoot with her."

of course, i do! my team (dina yassin, aldys minaya, sato taeko) put the shoot together within half a day. call time - october 15th, 6pm. it was also the first cold day in new york - and our shoot was taking place in the rough urban area of long island city at night.

holly was courageous and patient - we were keeping her warm with a blanket in between the looks, but in front of the camera she was relaxed and sexy despite of the autumn chill.

the story was a success and got picked up to accompany holly's exclusive interview to ROUGE magazine.

theFashionSpot: julia pogodina, featured photographer | from law to fashion... [excerpt]

2008-05-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

Q: What's your perspective on women in fashion photography since it sometimes seems to be a male-dominated industry?

A: Alas, that is what it looks like. There are some big female photographers – like Ellen Von Unwerth, Bettina Rheims, Annie Leibovitz, and Sarah Moon – but they are very few. I always wondered why that is. Maybe because fashion is mostly about women and there is a perception that there is no one better than a men to show the best side of the feminine?

That's why it flatters me so much when people say that my photography is very masculine. By just looking at my pictures you wouldn't guess that they were photographed by a woman. My female models usually have strong personalities and apparent sex appeal, while the men may look softer and sometimes even feminine. I don't really think about it when I shoot, it just comes naturally.

Q: Do you feel any advantages in being a woman in fashion photography?

A: Absolutely! I think many guys, while being good photographers, totally forget about the fashion part. They either don't know it really well or just don't care, leaving everything to their stylist or art director.

In my case I am not sure which part I like more – fashion or photography. And thank god I don’t need to choose! I love fashion and I know it well. On my own shoots I am always taking part in the process of styling, and sometimes even totally take over. It definitely helps because you need to know (and love!) the clothes to photograph them right. And let's not forget that an ultimate goal of any fashion photograph is to sell that dress!

Also, being a female photographer definitely helps you to establish level of trust and intimacy with a model who later on will bring out the most she can give during the shoot. This is especially true when it comes to nude and lingerie shoots.

Full version of the interview read at: http://www.thefashionspot.com/finishing-touches/5/julia-pogodina-featured-photographer-204