Walter Chinn

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MOOD/MODE ..the photgraphy of Anton Corbijn

 Fashion is not always spelled out in capital letters.”

What is incredibly fascinating about MOOD/MODE is that its author, or in this case the photographer responsible for this incredible visual chronicle is a name that may very well be unknown to the most readers and certainly not on the tip of anyone’s tongue. Yet Anton Corbijn has photographed every kind of royalty you can imagine from actual royalty to film, fashion, sports celebrities, but most of all to music royalty. He is of the school that the clothes define the wearer and thusly tells a story.

 *****full review here FOLLOW THE PROMPTS TO NYJB 

www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/moodmode ...

 

meet Craig MacLeod … the lensman

As you will read Mr. MacLeod is thankful and grateful to Instagram for those that the platform afforded him of meeting and working with…. Me being one of them except that I can never sing the praises of Facebook loud enough as it surely broadened my web of creatives… despite it having fallen out of favor in recent times.

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Craig, when I approached him some time ago, was open and generous and more than willing to accommodate my wishes for a non-paying project that I was working on for a swimwear brand…. For me, this speaks volumes about a person’s being as well as his professionalism and drive in a world of bloated egos and over rated creatives. Yes, he came through with flying colors and certainly has come a long way since that time.

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So, now you and, well, me too, get to know a lot more about the man who hold s the camera and this interview is long overdue so without further ado ... meet Craig MacLeod in his own words: 

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Jeffrey Felner: Let’s first speak about how you started and why?

Craig MacLeod: I moved to Southern California in July, 2014. The move saw my profession change, from working as a commercial business lawyer to becoming a self-trained freelance photographer. I’ve always had a passion for photography and had been using it as a way to stay creative whilst still in a legal career. 2014 was a now or never moment to start as a photographer!

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JF: How do you go about selecting your models and how does it affect your work if you’re not given your choice and why? 

CML: I shoot mainly creative people rather than people who are professional models, e.g. actors, musicians and dancers. Often these people approach me or I may approach someone if I find them interesting. 

When working with professional models, they are cast to play a role within my conceived notion of storytelling or that of the creative director, so the relationship is similar to that I imagine of a director of an actor. It usually doesn’t affect my work if I’m not given a choice of model. However, if I think a model doesn’t have the right attitude for a shoot, I will make sure I am heard!

With non-professional models such as creatives they are often concerned with how they look and how they are perceived; It is a very intuitive approach on each shoot.  A good or even a great shoot requires clear communication and absolute trust between everyone involved. 

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JF: If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would they be and why?

CML: I would pick 5 of my favourite photographers and make it a fantasy dinner as some are no longer with us:

Sarah Moon - her photography mesmerizes me, so gorgeous and dreamy; Dennis Stock so he could tell me everything about James Dean; Duane Michals, who I met once and is brilliantly funny and indiscreet; Herb Ritts because he is one of my inspirations as mainly self-taught as well; and Andy Warhol so he could take a polaroid of us all.

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JF: Okay lets speak of the internet; Instagram models, how has it influenced your work and  would you  say it is for the better or has it become a hindrance in that everybody who ever stood in front of a camera thinks they are a model and everyone with a camera thinks they are a photographer?

CML: Instagram has been instrumental in helping me start out as photographer. Moving from Scotland to the US without knowing anyone it has been a great tool for me to meet other creatives - I feel I’m very much at the start of my career as a photographer and have nothing but gratitude for the people I’ve met via Instagram who have collaborated with me.

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JF: Do you have any mentors or idols who have influenced or influence your work and why? Whose work do you admire most and why?

CML: Mark DePaola; He’s shot numerous Vogue covers and tends to shoot wide open lens, existing light, no flash - which is how I like to shoot. He gave me a reportage opportunity of behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. Early references are critical to me - whilst studying the History of Photography at the University of California, San Diego I became particularly drawn to the works of Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Weston, Paul Strand, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. Later references are important to me too - such as Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, and Peter Lindberg. I’m a fan of international cinema - particularly the 50s, 60s and 70s. That often influences my work.  Also, having grown up in Scotland in the late 80s, I was - and remain - obsessed with style magazines of that period such as The Face, Arena, Blitz and I.D.

meet Frederic Aranda a legend in the making

Amazon.com offers this terse biography of Frederic Aranda:  “he is a native Swiss photographer based in London, who contributes to magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, and collaborates with brands like Cartier and Cutler and Gross.” This is a minuscule catalog of this artist’s oeuvre and doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the man and his talents.

 

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As it turns out, Freddie as he is called by friends is one of those photographer/ artists that happens to be a legend in the making and much more than just the sum of his parts. He is one of the most gifted photographers of this era and who is undoubtedly an icon in the making. Oh, and he is charming and witty and carries an unmistakable mischief about him.

Lucky for me that Freddie is a friend to me along with his co-author and his longtime pal Christine Suppes. Together they gave the genre of fashion books a monograph that could have only been accomplished by 2 kindred spirits who have a single vision and a love for the visual as well as for fashion. (Electric Fashion, SKIRA)  In other words they wrote a love letter to fashion and style.

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“Suppes and Aranda describe this project as a journey, but this is an unbelievably intimate demonstration of one woman’s adoration of fashion with her “partner in crime.” Together, they have created one of the great fashion books to have come along in this millennium to date. “www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/electric-fashion#sthash.B2VRE39g.dpuf

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The accompanying images speak for themselves even though Freddie has become known for his stellar and distinctive group portraits; he is an artist at heart whose “eye” is that of a portrait painter possibly of the Renaissance era. The clarity of image, the laser sharp line, the contrasts, the colorations and the intensity all account for the startling and mesmerizing reactions one has when each image is viewed. He has been the subject of several one man shows including one at the V&A which featured his work for Electric Fashion and one to benefit the victims of the Fukushima debacle in Japan. Don’t let me forget to mention that his subjects have included Dame Vivienne Westwood, Prince Phillip, Margaret Thatcher, Farrell Williams, Tom Ford, Ben Stiller, just to name a few!

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At the end of the day, it is my opinion that Mr. Aranda will more than hold his own in the pantheon of great photographers since despite his relatively young years he has achieved a professional quality and level of perfection that will rival the greats of the 20^th century; in essence he is not some snap shot or fly by night flavor of the month photographer like so many who receive underserving praise.

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Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Freddie in his own words:

Jeffrey Felner: Can you give us a brief synopsis of how you arrived to where you are today professionally?

Frederic Aranda: I am a self-taught photographer. I did a degree in Japanese at Oxford, during which time my parent's divorce got me taking pictures of my mother to help her feel beautiful during a difficult time. It was a distraction (for both of us) at first. In order to improve technically, during term time I practiced on my Oxford classmates so that I could return home to Switzerland during the holidays to take better pictures of my mum. Yet, it’s what I did photographically at Oxford, not at home, which gained momentum and which got me launched as a portrait photographer in London after completing my degree. I've been working professionally as a photographer for about 10 years in London, and have done three solo exhibitions (the last one at the V&A), many editorials, and a book. The pictures of my mother have never been shown anywhere but they contain all the passion and naiveté of an aspiring photographer.

 

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JF: Let’s speak of Electric Fashion: how did it come about, any plans for a sequel and how did you and Christine meet and decide to do this?

FA: Electric Fashion (MAY 2015) is collaboration between myself, shooting all the pictures, and Christine Suppes writing all the texts. It's my first book. It came about organically after I started photographing Christine's clothes and realised that there was an incredible collection here which needed to be shared with the outside world. The question then became how to share it in a unique way, and that was where I had to convince her to pose for me in the clothes as opposed to shooting them just as still life. We are not planning a sequel to Electric Fashion but are working on something different which draws on my experience as a portrait photographer and on her life experience in California.

 

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JF: If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would they be and why them?

FA: My guests would be John Waters, Bette Midler, Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Princess Diana. All of them have/had a joie de vivre and a particular point of view that could only make for one hell of a dinner!

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JF: If you could choose any collaboration, who or what would it be and why?

FA: Anohni*, truly a remarkable inspired talent

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JF: What’s the best advice you ever received and from who and what’s your advice to up and coming photographers?

FA: My advice is to find your voice as a photographer. Ask yourself why you are taking pictures every single day. The answer to that question will give you your subject matter. Also, kindness.

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www.fredericaranda.com

* Anohni (stylized as ANOHNI), formerly known as Antony Hegarty or Antony, is an English-born American singer, composer, and visual artist. She is best known as the lead singer of the band Antony and the Johnsons.