Coming out of my blogging hiatus to post this article that I feel is quite fitting for our generation and the place I’m currently at in life. Slowly starting to repel away from social networks and the stream of non-stop media messaging - imagine how much brand messaging that you’re hit with on a daily basis from the second you wake up to the time you hit the bed. Plus I’ve got intense FOMO where I’ll end up refreshing my feeds for no damn reason, hence why I’ve deleted social applications off my phone to stop allowing it to distract me. The article is direct response to what Apple have just released - The Watch. For the first time, I’m not liking their product nor see it’s purpose. It’s just another level of busyness to add to our lives, it doesn’t simplify anything - heck why does a 1-3 second stretch to take your phone out of your pocket justify a watch? Another thing to distract us from the experience we call life. This quote from the cover story in this week’s Time stood out for me: The reality of living with an iPhone, or any smart, connected device, is that it makes reality feel just that little bit less real. One gets over-connected, to the point where the thoughts and opinions of distant anonymous strangers start to feel more urgent than those of your loved ones who are in the same room as you. One forgets how to be alone and undistracted. More on the reverse.

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Lost for words, this is some of the best black and white photography I’ve ever stumbled on. Self-taught photographer Fan Ho began documenting the world around him at a young age because of his fascination with the hustle and bustle of the urban environment. Each one of these shots uses light, shadows and shapes so well to tell a story - utterly captivating and visually striking. Each one of these is incredible, it’ll make you want to pick up a camera and chase the light. Literally.

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Who remembers GAP for their bright, light-hearted commercials featuring people like Joss Stone with colourful typography and dances? I even wrote an essay in university about GAP’s branding fail and decline in the 00s but it’s nice to see the brand turn it around. A new direction and positioning, moving away from being known as the family brand to one that appeals to the younger generation, the 20s- 30s. With smart moves such as the Best New Menswear Designer capsule collections in the past few years, it’s nice to see the brand push the boat a little further with their new campaign. The four films have been directed by one of the greats, David Fincher takes a film noire snapshoot look into guys and girls pursuing each other, quite light despite the heavy B&W which ties into the product being pushed: Black Denim. With lines like “Dress like no one’s watching,” “Simple clothes for you to complicate” and “The uniform of rebellion and conformity.” - pay the copywriter, he/she’s done his job well. The film is what makes it authentic, no celebrity featured but a famous director and a step in the right direction. Watch after the cut.

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Well, this is everything. I stumbled across a great interview with the cinematographer Chayse Irvin last night which led to me to browsing through vimeo to stumble upon this. They called him the lighting master and after watching this, I can definitely see why. Gatorade‘s commercial focuses on the locker room moment before the game, where the players mentally fire themselves up for the game ahead. The film perfectly captures the intensity and intimacy of those moments through the slow build up. The lighting, sound and colour go hand-in-hand perfectly - by the end of it, you’ll want to jump up and go play.

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It’s been a minute since we last shared a lookbook, mainly due to the saturation of the market. Everyone and their grandma have been producing lookbooks, SLRs are accessible to most people so there’s just hell of lot of mediocrity out there. Stussy presents their new FW14 collection with a dark black.white lookbook shot by photo journalist Francesco Giusti on the streets of Cuba. The fact they’ve used someone that’s not usually do editorial work is evident, the natural tones and depth in the imagery are beautiful. Simplicity of the whole thing works for me, showcases the collection which goes with the current trend of black/white/grey. Head on after the cut for more.

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My love for all things Japanese stemmed from my infatuation with Anime/Manga when Cartoon Network started playing Dragonball Z on Toonami. Who remembers that? It was around that time, little Niran aka Millhouse to those who know me from Secondary School dashed home in 30 minutes to make sure I was there to watch the next episode. There was something about the animation style, heroism, masculinity and humour made it appealing. It was ahead of its time, even though it aired in the UK almost 11 years after airing in Japan. Crazy. It was refreshing and so much better than everything else the channel had to offer: Whacky Races, Cow & Chicken, Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Lab etc. Who else can relate? I still watch anime 3-4 times a week at the age of 26 and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon. More on the reverse.

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I just love The Music Bed and what they stand for in the creative community. Their content is always making me question my own morals, work ethics and creativity - it’s thought provoking, insightful and always exceptionally well shot by the in-house team. TMB headed down to London to shoot with Philip Bloom, who you may or may not have heard of. I stumbled across his work through film-maker friends who kept retweeting his opinion on the industry/new equipment and trends. Philip discusses the path to success, being patient and creating a separation between work, art, and life. He also shares his greatest learning from his career so far towards the end, it’s a little similar to what I’ve previously said about ensuring relationships coming first and making time/space for them.

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Silence, awe, beauty and peace of mind is what Elizabeth has put in her caption for the album and I can definitely feel all of that whilst browsing through her imagery. Her photography combines breathtaking landscape shots with a human figure to give it a more emotional attachment and interaction; a soul looking for answers in nature’s beauty. The 21 year old photographer has travelled around the Canadian wilderness to places like Iceland to capture this set of incredible imagery. Happy Sunday folks, go out and explore! after browsing this post that is…

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A wonderful little advert from the folks at Droga5. They’ve helped sports brand Under Armour creatively shift from their brawny footballers to ballerinas for their biggest women’s campaign yet. Opting not to go with a big name athlete like many of their rivals would, the advert features Misty Copeland who’ll stand alongside the likes of Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, tennis player Sloane Stephens and soccer star Kelley O’Hara in I WILL I WANT campaign series. The moving 60 second clip features the ballerina warming up while the voice of a young girl recites a harsh rejection letter she received in her younger years. Ballet is as elite as any other sport, if not more harsh than a modelling agency: “You have the wrong body for ballet. And at 13, you are too old to be considered,” says the voice. Despite all the rejections, Misty managed to rise above and become a soloist for the American Ballet Theatre which the spot highlights towards the end. Watch on the reverse.

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Who says photography is only for creatives? In fact, let’s not get started on the ‘creative’ debate. Everyone’s born with creativity, some just chose to practice theirs more than others. Nutritionist and photographer, Alessio Albi has a passion for expressing his art form through incredibly atmospheric portraits of young women lost in their thoughts. His use of lighting (both natural/flash) is what grabbed my attention; lovely mixture of dark tones and shadows combined with overlays over his models which result in beautifully moody compositions. Right, time to get back on the portrait game after this feature, I never really shot more so if you’re interested in one, hit me up: click here.

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