Mishka Autumn/Winter (Behind the Scenes)

On Tuesday I conducted some exciting interviews for Mixmag, shadowing a Mishka shoot for the Autumn/Winter lookbook. It was shot by Steve Glashier (brilliant video director and photog) with a tiny team led by Laurence, with me shooting behind-the-scenes images. Very exciting to find out he directed Kila Kela "Built Like An Amplifier" (one of my faves) and Juliette and the Licks "Hot Kiss". Also got some very good advice from him!

Fatboy Slim - Champion Sound - Dir Steve Glashier 2007 from Steve Glashier on Vimeo.

Amazing video for Fatboy Slim...

and his showreel:

Steve Glashier - Showreel - 2010 from Steve Glashier on Vimeo.

Who is this Jimmy Fingers?! Sort of like a UK Har Mar Superstar?! Amazing.

Anyway, during the course of the day I was lucky enough to speak to Redlight (DJ Clipz), Peigh, Alix Perez, Subscape and Rod Azlan, who I chatted to in depth about Chatham, the people in it and how his vision of it is -"it's like Brick Lane but with no money"! He is actually from the Medway area himself, so it was interesting to talk to someone so successful doing what he loves about the town and what it holds for us creative types!

I have transcribed the interviews (I did this on the tube while laughing to myself about how I had to record Redlight's again in high speed voices because we didn't press record first time and Rod talking about chips!) but I won't put them up yet until they're all sorted and finalised with Mixmag, as there are two more to come!

Here is one of the images, only sharing it so early just because they used the amazing David Walker's artwork as the background for the shot of Subscape and Rod Azlan! I sincerely hope they use that for the lookbook, would be great coverage. I'll post links to the Mixmag site when all the stuff is up!

Interviews, Venison & Soap Vases

Lovely hipster view from the train...

As usual, the event I am writing about was a few weeks ago because I am slightly behind at the moment! Maybe it was even last week... I don't know, I've lost track of the concept of time!

Basically, Blane Chapman over at Chav in Skinny Jeans was conducting an interview with the crazily multi-talented Ollie Olanipekun, and I popped along for the day to photograph it and generally hang out/eat Mcdonalds/meet up with Georgie. 

I spotted a lovely t-shirt shop with the nerdiest photography t-shirts, might have to pop back and get one! Hasselblad please!

The interview took place at The Old Blue Last, and when I told my Dad about this on the phone, he was going on about how in the old days it was good and how his Girlfriend used to hang out there a lot. Apparently there was a guy who used to play piano there... so that's interesting... my only experience of it was extremely wasted, but I noticed how lovely it was in the daytime this time around! I took some photos of the surroundings:

Massive gap in the floor... standard!

During the actual interview bit, I was dotting around trying to get the best images possible with a 50mm fixed lens (feeling a bit like the worst paparazzo ever/an unrelenting stalker), totally got in some guys way and then he ended up moving to the other side of the pub... I think the images came out very well regardless! To hear/see the actual interview of Ollie's exploits of a very successful guy moving from Coventry to London, you're gonna have to wait until Blane decides to publish it!

My fave portrait!

We then met Georgie and took ourselves over to McDonalds like the classy people we are, then met my old friend Elliot at the gallery Haunch of Venison, where he is working.

Georgie excited to see art!

George and me

Blane pondering art and/or life

You will be SHOCKED when I tell you that all of those figures (aside from the painting obviously) were made of SOAP. I kid you not. The Korean artist Meekyoung Shin has recreated sculptures and classical Chinese porcelain. In soap. It's all about dislocation and translation, heightened by some vases being presented on the crates they are shipped over in, clearly marked "Korea". 

I will leave you on this massive photo-essay of a post with a lovely picture of some typical East London graffiti that made me smile.

ANDY WILLSHER: NME PHOTOGRAPHER

Continuing on mine and my flatmate Kevin's adventures (I do mention him quite a bit), Thursday night held for us a night of great importance... we attended the private view of Andy Willsher at The Hoxton Book Club. Lovely venue, really lovely guy! His work really held it's own because of the monochrome theme, his prints are currently on sale via his site and I lusted after a beautiful massive photograph of Amy Winehouse. Can see it going perfectly in my little bedroom!

I managed to get an interview with some juicy goss about Amy Winehouse and others... to be uploaded as soon as I get the mp3 from the dictaphone... The venue itself is lovely. Really original and raw, the lighting is not as focused on the work as I would like but then it's not always possible in a used space! Myself, Kevin and a few others are currently putting an exhibition on in a similar venue so it was great research, and was talking to the lovely Freya at TBC about how they set up.

Images by Kevin Langley