Pro Site

Morning Canadian friends -
Afternoon to my British babes -


Really chuffed to announce I have made a portfolio site through Pro Site, courtesy of Behance!

And yes, it's purple.  How could I resist?

Voila!

On another note, here are some logos for a UK organization I've recently come across called Young Thoughts.  You can check it out here. 

Through the Lens II

Titus Powell

www.TitusPowell.com

Year of Birth: 1975


Where are you living?

London, England.

What kind of creative work are you most interested in making?

Fashion photography.

What elements of your life inspired you to pursue your creativity?

I took photography up as a hobby in 2002 and never dreamed it could become my job. I just loved doing it. I quickly found I liked working with people the most so I just did photo shoots with anyone who would let me, two or three times a week in my spare time. I got better at it because I did it so much and after just five years I was able to switch to doing freelance photo shoots as my full time job.

Do you have an artistic intention, focus, or message that you try to convey?

Primarily my photos are for the people in them, so my focus is to make them look good. Everyone is much more self critical than they are of others and arrives for a shoot very nervous, so I have to make them quickly feel relaxed and comfortable so their expressions in the photos look good. A comfortable, confident expression is the most important element of a photo, more than pose or lighting or anything else. So, much of my job is trying to bring that out of them. If I’m working with an experienced model who is already good at expressions then I focus more on getting a really good combination of lighting and body shape or an evocative mood.

This photo of Kia was a recent one that is very typical of my style and one of my favourites. I like it mostly because of her expression. You can’t see any clothes in the shot but she’s not trying to look sexy; it’s a really unguarded expression, which is what I’m drawn to in photos. It feels genuine, not like someone posing and trying to look good. That’s not easy to do as a model!

How do you meet and collaborate with like-minded people?

I have two make-up artists I regularly work with, and also a digital retoucher. Other than that the people I work with are my clients. I do a shoot almost every day and love what I do – I get to meet really interesting people from all works of life. The best shots are a collaborative effort.

How do you think the Internet and social media can benefit creatives like you?

The internet is immensely useful. I’d have no work without Google and Facebook for people to find me. But quite aside from that, it’s a platform to show your work and there’s a wealth of other people’s photography to learn from and be inspired by.

Do you think the Internet has improved your ability to connect with other artists?

Absolutely. With the advent of the internet and, simultaneously, digital photography, there’s been an explosion of interest in it. People are trying modelling and doing photo shoots who would never have thought to do so in the past and almost everyone is a photographer to some extent. Phones are more capable now than the expensive 3 megapixel digital camera I started with in 2002! And portfolio sites have sprung up so aspiring models, photographers, make-up artists and other creatives can share their work and collaborate with each other to create more. It’s a wonderful time to be creative!

Thoughts on social media and anonymity?

Social media is all so new, nobody really knows the repercussions of it. I think in general tools like Facebook and Instagram are great and do much more good than harm, but people do need to be a little bit careful. You need to assume that anything you put on social media is public, regardless of your privacy settings. So just bear in mind that potential future employers and not just your friends will see those drunken night out photos, bikini holiday snaps and whatever other personal details you post about.

Website? Social Media?

www.TitusPowell.com/Portfolio is my personal favourites of all my work.

www.TitusPowell.com is the main site for people looking to book a shoot with me.

www.facebook.com/titus.powell is my Facebook page.

Through the Lens I

Mackenzie Connor

www.mackenzieconnormedia.com

Year of Birth: 1995


Where are you residing or going to school?

I’m currently attending Syracuse University for Film Production.




What kind of creative work are you most interested in making?

I love to make documentary and narrative short films. I’ve learned that creating movies takes
time and patience, some more than others. In the meantime, I enjoy taking photographs of just
about anything. I find that it keeps me on my feet; thinking about how to capture something in the
most interesting way.

What elements of your life inspired you to pursue your creativity?

There’s a lot of pressure to become successful and creating art doesn’t necessarily guarantee
that. I believe that you should pursue something that you’re motivated to do. If creating art
doesn’t guarantee success, prove people wrong and make something great; at least you’ll enjoy
doing it!

I was introduced to film at a young age. I was influenced by my older brother and friends of his
who made films of them skateboarding. Their ability to capture moments and memories and
compile them into video was something that inspired me to get out there and make my own
videos. Since attending Syracuse University, I've expanded my knowledge about film and
photography. Having been surrounded by art students constantly, I’ve definitely become more
confident in allowing myself to explore different types of genres and art.




Do you have an artistic intention, focus, or message that you try to convey?

Something that I focus on while creating ideas for films is a person’s reality tunnel. A reality
tunnel is the way a person may perceive the world... their decisions are influenced on their
previous experiences. A person’s reality tunnel may or may not be obvious. I often use the idea
of the reality tunnel while coming up with characters and their motivations during a story.

This piece explains an aspect of my creativity which I talked about previously. It's also important to me because it was for a course I took to expand skills, expression through different mediums, and overall appreciation for different types of art.

I had little experience going into the course but I learned a lot about the craftsmanship of working with wood and metal. The course helped me with my confidence in producing art and exploring untouched regions.




How do you meet and collaborate with like-minded people?

It’s interesting working with other people and it's always a learning experience, whether you’re learning about their personality, style, decisions, the craft itself, or if you’d pursue working with them again or not. Working with someone else will always expand the way you think about things.




How do you think the Internet and social media can benefit creatives like you?

I believe that the Internet and social media can allow us to reach a bigger audience. This may
be helpful in the process of my filmmaking if I’m looking for cast and crew members. There are
model agencies that have been helpful in my search for actors. These agencies are great for
connecting you with people that you otherwise may have trouble finding. The Internet is also a great
tool for sharing. People from all around the world can view your work and follow your social
media profiles.




Do you think the Internet has improved your ability to connect with other artists?  Explain.

Absolutely. I’ve been able to search up many different artists and learn about their work.
Connecting with artists allows you to view and share work, inspiring others as well as yourself.
Over the summer, I met a photographer at a festival in Montréal whom I remain connected with
via the Internet and social media platforms.




Thoughts on social media and anonymity?

Just another social media platform that I have to download and follow. I’ve disconnected myself
from apps such as Yik Yak as there’s more important things in life than reading anonymous
posts. In regards to posting art online and receiving feedback anonymously; take it with a grain
of salt. Posts can vary and credibility is unknown. I’ve learned a lot about my work and the way
people perceive it through face-to-face critiques.



Website? Social Media?

www.mackenzieconnormedia.com

@macken21e

Through the Lens Series

We are all anonymous until we tell our stories.  

Through the Lens is a project I have started as a response to the world of computer screens and social anonymity.  We are connected, technically-speaking, but disconnected at the same time.  It's a huge social dilemma.

Considering the effect on creatives and creative industries, my first response is to say that we are more involved in a social network with other artists thanks to the Internet.  Behance, Deviant Art, portfolio sites, Flickr, et cetera.  All of these sites are databases for artists where we can connect, learn, and be inspired by creative people who are thousands of miles away.  

Then I thought about it some more.  Yes, I am able to see art from all over the world, but there's one huge piece missing.  

Art is about self-expression.  All creative outlets are ways for people to convey their thoughts, beliefs, messages, and desires to the world.  So how effective is it to scroll through images on a website when I have absolutely no information about the artist on the other side of the screen?

This brings me to my series, Through the Lens.  Over the next several weeks, I'll be taking you through the lens, into the lives of creatives from all over the world.  My goal is to get to know them so that I may learn more about their work and why they do what they do.  A real person is behind that computer screen and I want to bring them out.  To bring us all together.

Creative Writing Tidbit

Just back from my weekly writing class with more content...I love writing short stories!  

I'll always be a little kid at heart.  

I would live in my imagination if I could!

***

     If we’d been sitting outside, I’d have been able to hear crickets chirping, that’s how quiet it was.  The only occasional sound came from my noodles slipping when I nervously fumbled my chop sticks, grimacing at my own spasticity.  

     My mom sat across from me, legs folded on her little tuffet, posture as straight as a pin.  

     “Good?” she asked, nodding at my bowl just as I opened my mouth for another attempt with the chop sticks.

     “Totally,” I replied a little too enthusiastically.  Feigning nonchalance, I chanced a smile in my mom’s direction and slopped more noodles in my lap.  Great.

     To avoid further chit chat, I did my best to appear seriously intrigued by my food.  At least that way it might make it to my mouth.  We were at the little Thai restaurant across from my old middle school; Dad’s favourite place.  He used to pick me up from school on Fridays and rent out the back room here.  We’d sit on our little pillows for hours, stuffing our faces and just being silly.  Dad told my mom he was supervising my school chess club, which made the whole thing even more fun.  It was our little secret for a while.  

     Back in the same restaurant, more than ten years later, - same discoloured carpet, same bamboo blinds - I struggled to make my mom feel what I feel.  How could I put it all into words when I couldn’t even get the food into my mouth?

     I cleared my throat; a push to make some sort of coherent sentence come out.  My mom looked up appraisingly.  “Did you say something, dear?”   

     I nodded but it was more of a gulp than anything else.  

     This was the thing Dad and I did.  Our thing.  It was as if she was trying to bring him back for me, without having to bring him back at all.  What a rip off.

     “Mom,” I said, pulling a plane ticket from my jacket.  The word came out as a question, but hearing it reverberate sheepishly through the stillness, I sucked it up, and jumped.

     “I’m going to live with Dad.”

Bloglovin'

This morning I finally gave in to the craze that is Bloglovin'.

Bloglovin' is a fantastic way to save all of your favourite websites in one place and get updates of new posts to read as they're published.

There are famous sites, trendy sites, and up-and-coming personal blogs that nobody has ever heard of before.  I find myself whiling away in front of the screen, mesmerized by Bloglovin's EXPLORE feature.  

Take a look for yourself.  It's quite possibly as addicting as tumblr.

Click the image below to be transported to the Bloglovin' universe.

Make sure to give me a follow!

A Winter's Tale

     

     There is nothing in the world, Jaimie thought, that could compare to the sound of Mother Nature blowing through sleepy hollows and frozen lakes.  Especially in the North country, where no towering office buildings or angry engines would interrupt her sweet song.  Jaimie could tell a storm was coming now, by the way the wind whistled outside, ominously.  A call to the wild that sent chills down one’s spine when it whispered along the back of the neck.  But in the same instant, the song of the winter was serene.

     Tossing a log into the stone hearth, which was ablaze with heat and flame, Jaimie tugged at the woollen plaid throw.  It lay folded atop the spine of the olive green corduroy couch that had once been his mother’s, waiting for a cozy day such as this.  He let the blanket fall open as he creaked across the hardwood and folded into the scarred leather chair by the window. 

     From the sill, Jaimie surveyed what was left of his four room bungalow.  Furnishings were sparse since Georgie had left.  Taken everything except for the bare bones and the kitchen sink.  The wind howled threateningly through the shaker-style slats around him.  Jaimie saw then that the skeleton of his little cottage was no warmer than the blood running through his own veins.  Empty.  

     In an attempt to warm his own insides more so than his frozen toes, Jaimie dragged the leather wingback up to the fire and settled into it.  No book, no television; just the crackling of embers and visions of snowflakes floating on the wind like dancing ice fairies.  Although low-hanging clouds cast the Earth in shades of heather and coal, there was still enough light sneaking through to make the frost sparkle.  

     Jaimie smiled at that.  There had hardly been any sunlight since Georgie left.  But in the growing comfort of the fire, Jaimie new that Mother Nature would soon pull him back into her warm embrace once again.

  

Young Empires Multimedia

     Be it a blog, a website, or a database, internet resources these days must compete for their audiences by capitalizing on unique content and interactivity.  Where bloggers might focus on using multimedia to promote their own online social identities, business, brands, and databases are more likely to employ interactive media to ensure their audiences retain as much information as possible about the product or service.

     One particular brand that has made a huge impact in multimedia integration as of late is Molson and its Coors Beer "Young Empires" campaign.  Toronto-based design studio, Tendril, who put together the campaign's interactive media site, has published a collection of behind-the-scenes images on its company Behance page.  You can check out the full project overview in Tendril's portfolio by clicking here.

     The amount of resources and digital labour that went into this website is apparent in the outcome.  Here is the main video that was produced for the campaign, but it is structured much differently on the website to ensure that viewers are engaged from start to finish.  The entire interactive experience can be found here at http://www.socruel.ca/.

 

Young Empires So Cruel (Remix) / Coors Altitude from TENDRIL on Vimeo.

     After going through all of the fabulous media that Coors has provided, of course my first thought is, I wish I could do that!  But a quick glance at the behind-the-scenes images confirms that I have neither the man-power nor the green screen capabilities that are required for such a project. 

     That being said, Coors' Young Empires campaign is extremely effective, and even though I don't have access to those resources, I am still able to take away general concepts and strategies to apply to my own work.  I will most definitely try to use what I've learned to make my blog more fun for everyone who visits!