Ok, I’ve been holding on to this without posting for so long. I’m really sorry. I’ve just been so incredibly busy!
Anyways, for this spread, i had the idea of showing a “high-fashion girl in a heartlander/Singaporean context”. We definitely tried our best with the high-fashion part without busting out our wallets. Anyways, thanks soo much to Anouchka (model), Jo Clayton(MUA) and Sarah(styling) for helping out! Obviously this wouldn’t be what is without you guys!
Do let me know what you think, i always love constructive criticism or just comments in general!
There are actually quite a few more photos are you can take a look at them here: Gloss and Gravel under the photography section. I did have a few problems with this spread also. Firstly deciding which colour scheme to put all the photos was very difficult, so i had to split them up into three. Secondly, for some reason i can’t put my finger on my most favourite shot. And i find this a little odd. And thirdly, i’m having a very difficult time choosing the shots that define the spread, which i also think is very odd.
But anyways, do let me know what y’all think yeah?
Upcoming shoots include: Alternative/punk studio with Anouchka again, and fashion shoot with an upcoming Singaporean fashion designer, of whom I will not say any thing yet, but i’m excited! And i love the models that we have. :D so YAY!
Soon to be posted: Beauty shoot with the lovely Eva. Still working on the retouching!
You know it’s weird. I took this photo in about 15 minutes and edited it in about half an hour. NO i’m not being conceited. hahas, i’m actually trying to wrap my head around this. I entered it into this photo contest (whose deadline was on the VERY day that i took it) where the theme was imperfection. I had this idea, but i didn’t think it’ll turn out good in the end cos it was SO rushed. But i decided what the hell right? what do i have to lose? So I totally forgot about it until a few days ago and GUESS WHAT? i won something! it was the first prize, but it was the first runner up after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. and i was like SERIOUSLY?!
ok let me explain why SERIOUSLY. I’ve never been one to submit or choose a photo that i thought was not aesthetically pleasing. I always leaned toward the conventional “pretty” when it came to photos. And honestly that’s my flaw when it comes to photography, not thinking out of the box. not thinking out of conventional typical shots. To me this photo was ODD. and well weird. But i liked it. And now i finally realise that sometimes it’s NOT about the pretty. sometimes it’s about the concept and about the idea behind it that speaks stronger than how beautiful the photo is. I was truly amazed at the fact that i won. IF YOU DON”T BELIEVE IT, SEE HERE! hahahahas. I’m quite happy to say that through this i’ve grown and that i finally understand that it’s OK to be awkward. The best part is i feel i finally made a piece of art.
AND YES I HEARTS YOU JESS COS YOU WON ME ONE ZEE STAR.
-EDIT- I just got facebook! hahas. I know I’m ultimately slow, but anyways, i’m under steph goh, so if you feel happy, feel free to add me as a friend :) - EDIT -
So one morning, I was happily dreaming about all sorts of nice things (i hope, i can’t remember now, hahas) and i get a text from my darling friend, jessica, and it read along the lines of, ” STEPH! I need you to help me! I need to bake sth for my father for his bday dinner which is this sunday. HELP! Please!”
Anyways, being the wonderful and helpful person that I am (HEH, is that self-praise or what?), I, of course, agreed. And i thought, well, this would be a great time to use Pioneer Woman’s (I totally HEART her btw) delicious fourth of july cake recipe. The cake recipe was used for a fourth of july cake, but can be used for anything really.
You know if we humans were to ever find out about heaven, this cake WOULD be on Heaven’s buffet table. Seriously. Well of course taste is subjective, but to my standards, this cake is absolutely to die for. I could eat it over and over again. But of course, in Heaven, there’s no such thing as weight gain or calories or cellulite. But they didn’t do this for Earth, see, and this cake comes with a price. A sinful cream cheese icing which you will NEED to get on the elliptical, treadmill and stairmaster to work off later. But why should that deter you?!? Life is short, people.
Pardon this photo, these were the lines (which i thought looked pretty cool) that we made after coating the leftover raspberries with leftover cream cheese. Hee!
Excuse my lack of photography skills in these photos, it was at night and my tummy was full of cream cheese icing which was clouding my brain.
Now go! and try this recipe. You will be very happy for the days that the cake lasts.
Seriously, words cannot express how I adore this spread. The way it was taken, the lighting that was so skillfully done, without any help of artificial sources (from what i can tell), the model is GORGEOUS. I could stare at her all day long. She’s Anne-Marie Van Dijk, a newcomer i think? If she is, I can foresee her becoming big. Really big. She reminds me a little of Lindsay Ellingson, but I honestly think she’s even more gorgeous. Her features are perfect.
Ok, enough with the raving over the model. Unfortunately I have no idea who the photographer is. But whoever you are, you are completely inspirational to me. If i could reach this level of work, I’d be VERY VERY happy. I didn’t discover this until now, so I thank thelioninwinter for posting this on Faking Fashion. (You’d have to have an LJ account to see it though.
Source: Faking Fashion
Oh dear, I could just look at this spread over and over and over again.
I’m not sure if I’m what you call a reality tv buff but I love top model and project runway. And recently I’ve just finished watching Australia’s Next Top Model, Cycle 3 and I am totally IN LOVE with Alice. If you love top model and have always felt like there haven’t been successful ones, pls pls watch this cycle. I know I’m probably slightly late, well about a year late to be exact, but I have to share my excitement! She has such an amazing editorial look and her runway is absolutely fantastic. I really can’t get over it. Though her journey through AUSNTM is very painful to watch, it’s worth it in the end!
Just look at her! This is her second Vogue Australia Cover. And she’s just done a Dolce & Gabbana campaign for their F/W 08 campaign. Speaking as a photographer, I would die if I had a chance to photograph her. Her look is really unique and I love how she fits in incredibly with the the models now. Her face is perfect. I wouldn’t mind if she gained a little more weight, but if putting on some kilos is what makes her imperfect, well…is it wrong that I’m like slightly (more like intensely) jealous right now? hahas.
Alright, I’m going to stop with my raving, hahas and move on to the thing that made me SOO happy today. Project Runway!! It’s back for another hopefully kick-ass season and the first episode is already out. The Challenge was to use items from a grocery store to create an outfit. Well, I mean it’s definitely not a completely unique challenge, considering the idea was to go full circle as this was the exact same challenge in the series’ pilot episode, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I suppose maybe the point of this was to bring out all the individual designers’ specific styles and I think it served its purpose. These are the looks I loved, of course in likeability order, with the first being my all-time fav.
This was by Kelli, who I think is absolutely fab. The way she dyed those vacuum cleaner bags was exquisite. Even from her you can see how gorgeous the print is. The skirt just blows me away.
The top is made from a rubber ball and the lovely asymmetrical skirt is made from a LAWN CHAIR. come on. seriously. talk about innovation. and it’s so cute!
I must admit, the dress is kind of just a tablecloth and there isn’t really much creativity with the materials. But the dress is so fun and playful, it just makes me smile and want to buy it if I could pull it off.
The marshmallow candies make this seriously look delicious and edible.
For this one, I liked it cos it was young, modern and stylish. How wearable it is with the green neck thing, I don’t know.
Gosh I’ve have had so much to do this week that I haven’t been able to sit down and think properly. Photos soon of the shoot I did two weeks ago. The colour is really killing me, like I haven’t been able to really settle on the colour scheme but they will definitely be out this week, whether if it actually does kill me or not!
Gosh, this week has been absolutely crazy. going for kickboxing/dance classes, shopping for clothes for the shoot, doing the actual shoot that took about 10 hours! hahas, and I really can’t remember what else.
Big news first, I got accepted into the Hallmark Institute of Photography!! ;D I just got a call from the school two days ago. Soo, I’ll be going to the U.S, Massachusetts more specifically, for 10 months to do the photography course they offer there. It’s so exciting!! I’m really looking forward to being in a new environment and having a new environment to shoot. I’m probably going to be so homesick though.
Also, yesterday was the day of a shoot that i’ve been planning for almost a week. It’ll seriously take some time to edit and retouch, but photos will be up next week!
Now back to the topic: I love beauty shots. there’s just something so clear and clean about them that makes me feel happy inside. From clinique ads to creative crazy makeup shots, it’s one of the types of photography that I would love to do in the future. Do take a look at Bill Diodato’s work. His stuff, especially his beauty and product shots are absolutely amazing. And he’s from the Hallmark Institute of Photography too, so I’m really excited to see what they’re going to be able to teach me there.
Anyways, here are some of the shots that I took during a beauty shoot I did about a month ago. Do give me your feedback, I always enjoy hearing from a perspective of the viewer/reader. Thanks so much to Amelia for modeling for me. We finished at almost 1am and she had just come from work.
It wasn’t meant to be something very typical, like those you see in an ad, but I did wish my makeup skills were better though. I would have been so much more happy with myself if i had been able to make it a lot more dramatic.
-EDIT!- Hey so sorry, I forgot to credit the model, Amelia, and that’s not me! Hahas, and the photos have gone through retouching and I’m really proud of it! :D -EDIT-
You know in every disney princess movie, ariel or jasmine or cinderella will change into this wonderful beautiful dress, be it made from mice or fairies, and they’ll transform into this gorgeous, magical princess whom which probably every girl wanted to be at least once in their life? Well, I may not have transformed into one (yeah right!) and I may not have found the perfect disney princess, but I did find something so inspiring in Elie Saab’s couture collection. It may be debatable as to what couture is, but whatever the definition may be, what he produced was beautiful and I want every single piece that came down that runway.
And as I flipped through all 51 of his renaissance-art-inspired evening gowns/dresses, I was immediately struck by this idea - If all of the disney princesses became independent, edgy, strong women, these would be the gowns that they’d wear. Take a look and tell me if you agree with me.
If Mulan were to need a dress for some ball, this would be it. Though she’s rather be kicking ass somewhere, hahas.
I adore how the print is so reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. I can’t help but think Cinderella when I see this. Maybe it’s the blue colour or the full skirt or the beaded sweetheart neckline! I don’t know, I can’t figure it out.
Definitely Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty. The softness of the chiffon mixed in with the satin just makes the whole dress perfect. And plus I don’t mind the big bow and that’s saying something.
Alice in Wonderland. Need I say more?
I’m getting a very Pocahontas vibe from this one. She’ll never wear something long and cumbersome just because she’s not that kind of girl. And there’s just an organic feeling from this dress. Like the whole thing could have been inspired by bark and moss.
This is Ariel’s dress. No doubt about it. Just the fluid feeling of the chiffon reminds me of water, plus there’s the bluish tones which is a fabulous contrast to the brown. The only thing that bothers me is the overly puffed sleeve which looks a little like a big lump! hahas. Well, I like to just ignore that part. Selective vision, see?
I don’t which princess this would be, but I see a goth princess look for this one. Like if disney ever created a beautiful dark princess, she would wear this.
Unfortunately I can’t find one for Belle in this collection but at least most of the princesses got their 21st century interpretation! ;)
Ok, I may be a little late, but the couture shows are here! I always get super excited cos looking at the couture shows just makes me feel special all over. Hahas.
Anyways, now I’ve got to go look at all of the collections. but do listen to this if you’re a jason mraz fan or a fan of people like ingrid michealson, maria taylor, paolo nutini, tristan prettyman. (Btw, I’m just so glad that I’ve finally found my genre of music. It’s somewhat comforting and settling.) I believe this is an unreleased song but i find it amazing how this is the second song he wrote and it’s one of my favourites. > Jason Mraz - Halfway Home
Yes, I know that’s like the movie. well, no pun intended! hahas. Anyways, for quite a few days already, I’ve been getting these newsletter emails from the Men’s Style.com and was really getting quite annoyed. The thing about me is that I haven’t at all looked into menswear, both in fashion or photography, because I felt that it was a totally different area of fashion and I didn’t think I could appreciate it.
But, obviously this is totally cliche, something caught my eye in one of the emails. And so I decided to check out Versace’s Men’s Collection for Spring 09. And I was blown away. I must admit that I couldn’t understand some outfits but my goodness, some of the suits and jacket outfits were so stylish and looked so good. I just looked through about three or four collections and I already had so many looks that I liked!
*warning: there’s a lot to be a-scrollin’! [hahas! yes I'm laughing at my own whatever-ness. so sue me ;)]
Roberto Cavalli :
How can anyone not love the winged sleeve?!
I loved what Versace came up with. Donatella is producing lovely work!
Such a lovely faded print on the trousers.
I always felt cardigans for men just wasn’t appropriate, but this really works. There’s the balance of masculinity and a softer side as well. I love the cuffs that come out under the cardigan sleeves.
For some reason, this outfit makes me want to go and buy it for my boyfriend now and force him to wear it. Hahas.
I only got one from Fendi, but i think i didn’t go through the whole thing. Oh wells.
And lastly, Alexander Mcqueen’s collection. I really love what he’s doing now (Fall 08 + this).
Gorgeous. I love the structured jacket paired with the white striped pants. And I love how the shoes are like semi-chucks!
When I’m up at a more earthly hour, I shall go and look at more. The resort collections were wearing me out a little, so this is a great refreshing change! My only grouse about this whole thing is that I absolutely cannot appreciate the look of the male models. Does the criteria for “weirdness” and a unique look apply here? Hahas, I’m going to be in such deep trouble when the assignment to shoot male models is given out!
Ok, so the past couple of days have been extremely stressful and hence, there is an influx of baking! I baked some chocolate chip cookies a while back and I fell in love with cookies again, so I borrowed this book, actually a few books, but anyways, it’s called the complete cookie, and I decided it’s time to make another batch, and so I am now a proud baker with a box of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I never really favoured peanut butter as an ingredient, but it’s actually not turning out that bad! And of course I got out my lights and took a photo of the fruit of my work. (pls pardon my rambling! I told you it’s stressful! hahas)
Then I was fooled by a delicious sounding recipe into making these. They’re not bad, they’re just not very appetizing at all. I present to you the non-edible raspberry swirls!
They look good at least! maybe they’re also just not my taste.
Anyways, I’m still working on retouching those beauty shots from the photoshoot last week, which went quite well in my opinion. I’m having another with Eva this weekend, YAY.
PSST: If you’re bored, go to youtube and listen to Paolo Nutini (Million Faces, Still Crazy, New Shoes, Rewind), his songs are really good! If you’re into that kind of music, I’m not sure what to call it, but it’s very guitar based. Think Adam Levine + James Blunt, but better!
Note: I put these links for my own reference cos i can't fit these in my bookmarks bar. If you would like me to remove your link, kindly email me and it's done. :)
