Zena Holloway

Underwater Photography... Amazing

The Lovely Bones

I haven't blogged in a while. Well, for the festive season. Everybody knows how that can get in the way. I hope everybody enjoyed their christmas and had a glorious new year...

I thought my first blog of 2010 would be about something i have been thinking a lot about over christmas.

I am currently watching for the second time, the film The Lovely Bones, created by none other than Peter Jackson. The genius behind Lord of The Rings, and one of my other fave movies of the season, District 9.

The Lovely Bones, originally a very successful book by Alice Sebold, is about the murder of a 14 year old American girl in the 70's names Susie Salmon, and the aftermath of her death on her family and her murderer, while she's in heaven watching them.

For such a grim story, i never expected myself to want to see such a film, and my dad has been unable to watch it all the way through as of yet.

The movie is completely gripping and it's so tense that you feel utterly involved. The imagery, however, is truly captivating and the reason to my whole obsession with the film. The heaven that Susie goes into is her own and based on her previous life and her feelings. Peter Jackson did an amazing job with the CGI and visual effects to create stunning scenery. Her heaven can go from mountain tops to deserts, fields, oceans and beaches, each more ideal than the last. Objects from her life are involved in the surroundings too, for example bottles ships sailing through her ocean, and the gazebo she was supposed to meet a boy in being the centre of her heaven, and as the film progresses you can see the iconography and links to each important detail in the film.

It is really hard to describe the cinematography to you unless you see it, but once you do... i reassure you that through weeping eyes you will agree.

The film is close to being shortlisted for many Baftas and i am sure will be the same at the Oscars.

I have managed to get a few images from the film, but i would definitely recommend seeing this once it's released at the end of January.

My Book

As the second part of my brief that asked us to create this blog we also had to make an illustrated book about ourselves.

to keep it short and sweet here is mine...

Andy Hall

As much as i love editorial and fashion photography, my favourite has to be photojournalism. Having an avid passion for not only design and photography but also current affairs and politics, i always love a mixture of my interests. That being photojournalism.

I have been lucky enough to make one of my best friends at uni, whose dad is a photojournalist. Since being introduced to the photo wonders of Andy Hall i am constantly updating my knowledge of him and his photos, and much to his annoyance have managed to weed my way a few free images to stick up on my wall.

He has taken photos of so many legends including Bill Bailey, Don King, Bear Gryls and Martin Scorcese. Also of loads of current affairs and issues around the world, like the tsunami, Kosovo, Lebanon and Chernobyl. His photos always set the scene really dramatically and tells the story's of anyone in one. His work is inspiring and i would one day love to be as successful and take as many amazing pictures as him.

...if Andy sees this HEY KIDDO, this is meant to promote your work, not be a copyright infringement.

Patrick de Warren

I seem to be going a bit mad for the photographers tonight. But there are so many i need to get out there it's hard not to bombard!

My third photographer of the evening is Patrick de Warren. He lives in New York, obviously because this is me, but was raised in Paris, which you can totally tell in his pictures. He was lucky enough to be one of the few photographers selected by Giorgio Armani for the Armani Art Exchange project. I think this is due to his Images all seeming quite European compared to other photographers. His photographs are stunning, they definitely have a unique style, and are all very Vogue-esque.

David Drebin

Yet another photographer from New York, although originally from Toronto, is David Drebin.

When i went to New York, i took inspiration from Drebin in hope that some of my pictures could capture the landscape like his.

He takes so many different kinds of pictures, from editorial to landscape and advertising. Although his pictures are always interesting and vibrant, his landscape are amongst some of my favourite images ever, he captures the light so well and makes the shows the landscapes really dynamically. I can only wish to take such good pictures in my future. aaaahh...

Also worth a shout are his editorial shots. The composition of each is so well thought out and with the gorgeous models, setting and colours make really vibrant images...

Arthur Elgort

I realise up to now i have only used my own photography and hadn't mentioned anyone else. So my first blog on photographers will be about Arthur Elgort...

I can't remember how i found this photographer, he's from New York so i suppose that would draw my attention to him. He's also credited as being one of the best fashion photographers and has continuous shoots for Vogue and other international fashion magasines. He's worked with so many models, companies and magasines that it's hard to say which are the most impressive.

I love his website and pictures. He does so many different takes on ideas that his work never gets tiresome. Although i will say he definitely has a signature look for models- that being leaping into the air- but i wont include any images with that in if i can help it. The surroundings in his photos are amazing and each individual picture looks so interesting. He can make any outfit look amazing as well as take a really interesting photograph. I suppose having beautiful models will help him, but you can't deny the composition of each picture. They're so well thought out and make you just want to stare in awe at them. I especially love the first image with the birds caught in flight, with the trees directly centred and the model doing a really elegant pose...