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Not a tint of delight unearthed Black Hue came uninvited
JOSIE CUIZON
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Editor-in-Chief // Founder JOSEICUIZON Creative Director // Founder MAT T P I N G K I A N Art-Direction // Web N I E L S G E R S ON LOH M AN / B K D S W HOW ABOUT YOU SEND US YOUR WORK ? S U B M I T @ B L N C - M A G. C O M
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TEENAGE ANGST JIRA PHO N G BA N K S R I J U N YA N O N T B ang kok , T hai l and 7 blnc-mag.com
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TEENAGE ANGST IS THE EDITORIAL THAT PORTRAYS THE EMOTIONS OF A TEENAGER. THAT AGE WHERE HORMONES ARE GOING CRAZY AND EMOTIONS SOMETIMES CANNOT BE EXPLAINED AND REPRESSED. IN THE EDITORIAL THE FACIAL EXPRESSION CAN BE SEEN AS “ANGRY” BUT YET, NOT ALL THE WAY, BOTTLED UP INSIDE, READY TO EXPLODE.
Others may see my work as “dark.” Meaning both the tone and the concept. I agree to what they say to a certain extent. My work has a hint of violence and sadness mixed with bottled up anger, which comes across in most of the photo sets I create. Believe it or not, in Bangkok there is so much young talent. Very young photographers make their way up to photographing covers and editorials of international magazines both inside and outside the country. It is difficult to enter the industry. It is sort of like a clique, a prestigious group that not all photographers can join...
I’ve learned the importance of the “ambient” and the importance of the location. Normally I would work in a studio, this worked challenged me to work with the natural light, which is different from the fixed and controlled lighting of a studio. Also, in this editorial I had a chance to work with a different team of stylists, which changed my art direction into something that is “new” and “fresh.”
...But once you are in you sort of belong to the “popular” group. In this group everybody knows each other in a “friend-enemy” way. The competition is high. But for me, that could be seen as the good side because it will always make me want to develop myself and to not stop working and doing more test shoots to keep my name in the industry. It’s a very fast industry. I find that most of my inspiration comes from cinema, and listening to music. Sometimes, one second in a movie scene can inspire a whole editorial idea or even one sentence from a song lyric. You can see that most of the title of my editorial comes from song lyrics or names of songs that I listen too.
My name is Jiraphong “Bank” Srijunyanont. My friends call me Gascyl. I’m 24 and I am a photographer based in Bangkok. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication Design at Suansunandha Rajabhat University. Getting into photography was an accident. I borrowed my friend’s camera and my friend from the fashion department saw that I had skill and thought I can take decent photographs so she asked me to take photos for her collection. And of course, it wasn’t the best editorial, but it was the first start. Then, I bought my first camera since one year ago and started on this career.
All the works you see were not taken by a full-frame camera or even a high-end expensive camera because honestly I cannot afford it. But a senior photographer told me not to despair and keep on creating with what I have. This gave me the drive to keep on fighting with what I have.
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“The value of your work, is not measured by the price of your instrument, but rather the impact of your work to others” 11 blnc-mag.com
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Photography: JIRAPHONG SRIJUNYANONT Design: PAWEEN NUMNAREE Models: RAMUNUS BINGELIS & KONSTANTIN VASILIEV / BASS MODEL MGT. Styling: KARN PUNBUA Make up: THUNYARUT BAROMMAWONGPAISAN Hair: THERAWAT KIETTIMONGKOL 15
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H O LO GRAM
M A D IS O N N U N E S Ne w York 17 blnc-mag.com
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NEXT
THIS STORY WAS SPECIFICALLY AIMING TO BRING LIGHT TO ANDROGYNOUS, NON-BINARY INDIVIDUALS BY GIVING THEM A SAFE PLACE TO BE INSPIRING.
Currently I am putting together several shoots that stretch boundaries around topics that are traditionally “female” such as lingerie or wedding dresses. Fashion photography is going to give me the opportunity to work for myself, travel, and have a family while still changing an industry and the way it affects people. That’s just the nature of a fashion image.
The representation of marginalized people in fashion is something that we need to see more of in the industry and so through my work I hope to start that revolutionary process.
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Through this shoot I ended up meeting a ton of new people and each person taught me something new about self-acceptance, personality, and friendship. I feel really lucky to have worked with the people I did.
I love that images created through photography have the ability to affect change on a person’s perception of themselves, of history, or a singular moment? My goal as a photographer is just to make sure that that change is a positive one.
INFINITE UNBOUND The editorial is called Infinite Unbound and came about through the idea that if I could use individuals who were already androgynous and make them into genderless and non-race-specific “aliens,” so to speak, then I could also remove the details society tends to turn into stigmas. I wanted to create an elevated being who was beyond being touched politically, who was somehow an example for what we should all be.
What would you say is your signature style? I do not think that I have one yet, necessarily, although I can say my images will always be focused around subjects that aren’t commonly represented in the fashion industry. I want my ‘style’ to be one that gives people a place to be true to who they are. “There will be time to murder and create, and time for all the works and days of hands that lift and drop a question on your plate; Time for you and time for me,” — T.S. ELIOT
Through my inability to see and love myself clearly I have learned how to give unconditional, open-hearted love. As an artist I would still say that being unconditionally open-hearted is my most important, biggest strength.
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The representation of marginalized people in fashion is something that we need to see more of in the industry
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Photography: MADISON NUNES
Models: MADGE MARIL, SHANA HODOSH, JOE VIOLA, JIMI LUCID, ARDEN DOLL, SAMMY LOZADA, CHELSEA RUST AND CACIA ZOO Clothes: HAIRYGUPPY
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All You Need Is The Sun K RE S H NA R I Z KA U TAM A Jakar ta
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Photography: KRESHNA RIZKA UTAMA Stylist & MUA: INTAN FATHIYAH Model :Tainah Holand of DAMN!INC
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MANY FACES I WEAR SH EVON M IL L E R Ne w York
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This editorial represent a new direction in my work. It is the fresh and new version of what I have been trying to accomplish since I first started shooting. It shows my true creative side. It lets me showcase my talent in creating sets and imagery that is unconventional. The idea came from a dream. I had no idea if it would actually come together, however I took a leap a faith and it came together. The editoral was created to showcase a clash between art and fashion. The art being the paintings on the hat and the set itself. The less is more fashion helps bring it all to life. I think my biggest strengths are lighting and retouching. Both are things that I have studied extensively. I am currently working on rebuilding my book, starting with some new beauty and swimwear shoot. I love to capture women in the most regal and beautiful way possible. “Prevention is better than cure” -that is what I live by.
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The less is more fashion helps bring it all to life.
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Photography: SHEVON MILLER Model: RENALD HERMANTIN SEME Stylist: VERLEEN ARMSTRONG
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birds & bees
JA N S U N DAY C ebu
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I’m 28. I do Graphic Design and I love corporate branding. I live in Busay and that’s part of the main reason why I don’t get out much. I think I’ve always been artistically inclined as a child and experimented on different media. I loved drawing tall houses and life lines and making dolls with names like Butchcon and making all kinds of traps. I still don’t really know what to call what i do. Contemporary? All I know is that I just make things from that dark room with a flashlight on. If there’s one word I can call my works (illustrations, photography and paintings), it’s honesty. It takes a lot of practice, it takes a lot of swallowing. ON ‘THE BIRDS AND BEES’ We are all sexual beings. It’s just a matter of honesty and I thought I was an honest person until I was faced with myself and that’s when all these came out of me. I was told to tone it down but I look at them and I think art without a cause is what’s offensive and even more with the lack of open-mindedness. We need more networking here. Please! DIRTY All art is quite useless, said Oscar Wilde. Yes and No. Art is not for everyone to appreciate or understand. Art just hopes to be and that takes a lot of work. The future belongs to those willing to get their hands dirty and not just with paint but with handshakes. Cebu is growing and I think i’m growing with it. My hands are quite dirty now. My personal motto? “always be the better person” Not a better artist or better friend or better son or daughter or partner but a better person with kindness for even the unlikely of people. Kindness is harder than you think.
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The Verge
AA RT VE R R I P S C ape Tow n
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We came across Aart Verrips first through instagram and thought his works go parallel with the image of BLNC – young, fresh, creative and risky. Through his own words, he would describe his style as different, edgy and super editorial – and we can’t agree more.
young and talented Russian illustrator, Adam Abel on social media and wanted to work with him. This was the outcome of our collaboration. The one thing that I would never forget about this shoot is what we did with the hair and makeup. We created an old school feel with painting the hairlines with black paint and also made the faces look as if they just got out a fight hence the black and blue makeup on the cheeks and lips. It is very subtle but yet amazing. Also the one boy we covered in complete glitter was actually filled with rainbows of color.
Pastry chef turned photographer/videographer Aart Verrips, had major life dilemma on career change before carving a name in fashion photography and videography. Growing up in Durban, Aart moved to France to develop and pursue a successful career in culinary. Along the way, he met a young girl named Sylvia Ponce who first introduced him to photography. He then moved back to Cape Town, with his first DSLR, working, as a pastry chef for 3 years - only to find out cooking wasn’t his passion after all. Living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, his introduction to photography started with capturing landscapes and everyday life happenings. Finally, he moved to Johannesburg where he marks his spot as one of the most promising fashion photographers of the city.
I prefer photography more as its more controlled and I’m very OCD when it comes to work, which I probably developed while working as a chef as I’ve learned how to work with time and how to handle pressure. Don’t confine yourself to just jobs that pay. All of my extraordinary shoots are from the shoots I’ve done without payment. You can create amazing images and work with an amazing team of creative minds as one is not confined to keeping it clean and safe but creating something different that sets you apart from other photographers. “Shoot at every opportunity you get”.
ON ‘THE VERGE’ I did a shoot for one of my designer friend’s lookbook Nao Serati. The photos turned out great I just had to do a portrait series but also I wanted to do something different - something not a lot of people have seen before. I found
Aart Verrips is currently working on his own book.
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Shoot at every opportunity you get
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Photographer: AART VERRIPS Illustrator: ADAM ABEL Models: SAMUEL AND SEAN // 20 MODEL MANAGEMENT Grooming: OLRI MEIRI Styling: RICH MNISI Clothing:NAO SERATI
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Style & Subtleties IRV IN RIVE RA L o s Ang el e s
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GRAPHICS METROPOLIS
FOOD
Photography has been part of life for years but the whole process of image-making inspires me a lot. From research, to conceptualisation, to pre-production and planning, collaborating with your team, to execution and post-production- I am highly involved. These processes of image creation provide a burning passion for me to create a myriad of works that tell stories. My stories are based from my dreams, from the films I watch, from the books I read and from other stories that I hear.
Literature, films, dreams, books, and life experiences are my wells of inspirations.
STYLE Colourful, Dark and Magical.
STYLE & SUBTLETIES This shoot with Kelly is one of my test shoots a few months back. My team decided to do a sort of minimal, color story that’s calm and comfortable and the same time.
GENDER For me, a subject’s gender is irrelevant in the image-making process. I could be shooting a guy who looks like a girl or a girl who can portray a menswear story. As long as they can deliver the message, and as long as the intention is clear, the gender of my subject isn’t really any issue at all.
SHOOT My Shoot with Kobe Bryant is probably one of my most unforgettable shoots. He was intimidating but I was able to direct him. Also, it was one of my quickest shoots ever.
NOW I spend most of my time conceptualizing shoots and shooting. I am currently working on several personal projects that I intend to showcase and exhibit soon.
PRIDE There’s a photo that I took for a personal project of mine that I haven’t released yet. I am proud of that image because I let go of a lot of layers of myself (even getting naked) just to get the shot.
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My stories are based from my dreams, from the films I watch, from the books I read and from other stories that I hear.
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Photographer: IRVIN RIVERA MODEL: KELLY KIRCH STYLING: ADRIAN AUSTIEN HAIR&MAKE-UP: JOSEPH ADIVIRA
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H I G H STREET
KA R E N C H U N G Hong Kong
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I’m a student who are studying Fashion Photography and styling in Hong Kong Design Institute. I live in Hong Kong - the busiest city in the world. This editorial is a project I produced for school. I choose this colorful background for my editorial as color means meaningful life / passion of life. As for the styling, I choose the black and white to symbolize boring life. I want to show contrast in my editorial in a unique and interesting way – the big difference between boring life and colorful life. The art direction or mood for the model is to pose tired and powerlessness. It means that the boring life always put you in low spirits. I think I have a good way of showing how I play with colors and develop distinctive ideas for editorial shoots. I always check the fashion photography on pinterest, behance, even Instagram for inspiration – its everywhere; its online.
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Color means meaningful life / passion of life.
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JOELLE ASEKA + BLNC pay tribute to one of its contributors for this issue, Joelle Aseka, a fashion and beauty photographer based in Switzerland who passed away while the production of this issue was on going. We sat down with Christine, her mother, to know more about the amazing life that Joelle lived.
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She was a nerd, always connected to the internet and working on layouts or editing sites. An other passion was music and dance. During the last years she became a huge kpop fan and was interested in everything korean. She started to learn the language and prepared for a longer stay in South Korea.
I feel that she is doing the same things in the other dimension now, preparing a new time and encouraging everyone who is following his dreams to finally make this world a better place with more beauty, joy and love. -Christine Aseka, april 2016
Another passion I should not forget is food. Food was a main theme in her daily life and she was a real gourmet with a very refined sensation of taste.
I love this very early photo of Joëlle. She took it at a beautiful place at the river with a friend posing as a model. I’m a nature lover, so I love very much how she captured the atmosphere of this special place.
As a little child, Joëlle was very radiant and outgoing, but later things changed and she became more shy and introverted. Joëlle was a very sensitive person and at the same time a person who knew exactly what she wanted. She was more the leader type, with many people admiring her, but only a few real friends. Life wasn’t always gentle with her, she had to fight a lot to follow her passion and often times start things over and over again. Many times she was desperate and felt very much alone.
She was a photographer at the beginning of her career. As she hadn’t been able to find a place to learn photography, (we have only very limited possibilities here), she started to learn by herself. She found her knowledge on the internet, especially by watching workshops on creativelive.com. It was beautiful for me to see her do what she loved. Sometimes her perfectionism made things difficult for her. And at times it was not easy to stay around her before a shooting, as she was often in a bad mood before leaving the house.
I was there by her side to protect her light and not allow her flame to go out. And she did the same for me. We were a team, different as personalities, but with the same perception of life, encouraging each other to move forward living our dreams.
She started to have interest in the field at the age of maybe 13. Then she took her camera to school and made pictures of her collegues. She also started to use photoshop and try things out.
I would love her to be remembered as a person who did everything to follow her passion. It was so normal for her that we have to do the work we love to be happy.
But her interest in fashion started at a very early age, maybe around the age of 3. It’s difficult for me to describe her style. What I see or feel, when I look at her pictures is beauty, light, warmth, sensibility, rafinesse, perfection and a female touch. What touches me most about her pictures is the love I feel shining through.
I THINK SHE WAS AHEAD OF HER TIME, A PERSON ROOTED IN THE FUTURE.
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Photographer: JOÃ&#x2039;LLE ASEKA Graphics: 92STREET Model: LISA NG @OPTION Styling: VANESSA PEDROSA Hair & MUA: NINA TATAVITTO
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Photography: DAN MARQUEZ Creative Direction: JORGE DANIEL Styling: LOS VIRGINIA, GABRIELA ARMENTA Make up Artist: HECTOR MANUEL PEREZ ROMERO Hair: GABRIELA ARMENTA Models: HUSSEIN MARTINEZ Y DIEGO PEREZ @HARD INTERNATIONAL Clothes: VENAMORIS & H&M 102 blnc-mag.com
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COLOR P L AY
O L IV IE R ROU BI E U L ond on
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The work that we do can be amazing to some and basic to others and the judgment of a jury can be more negative than positive in a creative person’s career.
same time there is such a fine line between an artistic shot and a pornographic one. I also really like some tasteful pornographic work from other photographers, but personally I like to keep it artistic as though I was sculpting the model with clay by directing her in certain positions and shooting from the right angles, using natural or artificial light(s) as a tool. I don’t shoot a lot of male nudes because I find the female form more interesting, but it’s good to do both.
I’ve always been interested in photography though I was focusing on my artistic career at first. When I started to do body painting, I had to constantly rely on photographers to take pictures of my work. I realized that for every shot I had to explain what i wanted to the hired photographer then to the model and it was slow and not fun so I bought a camera (Nikon D3100) and I watched a 1 hour Youtube tutorial to learn about manual settings, then I started to do some photo shoots straight away.
I wanted to create something with colors, I wasn’t too sure what. I thought with Lydia it would be nice to have a sleek and strong look using reflections lights and shadows because she’s such a verSAtile model, she can go from very sweet and innocent to powerful and strong. And because I already explored the sweet look with her, we did something different. This one was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated.
I like the pressure. I like to create, without boundaries. My favorite tool is my camera. But I like to use anything available, from spray cans and brushes top paint in the streets to liquid latex, body paints and foam for body art and building props and sets.
First I set up the 2 flashes with 8 different color gels but the light kept leaking so I had a lot of white light on the walls that needed adjusting. Once the set up was done Lydia was covered in baby oil to maximize the reflections and bounce the colors. The final images are pretty much-unedited jpegs. After that it was all about getting Lydia to pose comfortably while being nude yet not revealing her nudity.
I like to build a set for my shoot, then paint or do some type of prop on the model then take the pictures. If I could be known for something, it would be that: “the man that creates with anything” I love to learn and find out how things work. I will learn everything I can about a tool or technique, all the rules and what your are supposed to do, then learn how to break those rules to create outside the box and hopefully produce work that is different to others. I LOVE Art nude, it’s by far one of my favorite styles. It is so complex yet so simple. Your model isn’t wearing anything so there isn’t anything distracting, but at the
I’m going to paint 2 murals in the Philippines, meet my (new found) cousin in America, do a fashion shoot in Paris and do an Alice in wonderland shoot in London, as well as doing more acting. My current clients keep re-hiring me because they know that whatever the brief, problems and difficulties, I will find a way to make it work.
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Photographer: OLIVIER ROUBIEU Model: LYDIA RAFFERTY FLYNN
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WAY OF SORROW G I N O E O J OY B acol od
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I don’t necessarily think I have a certain style, or I classify my art within a certain movement. Most of the time I draw/paint whats happening around me, my reaction to external stimuli, and, for most cases, subliminal things that I can only understand after I finish a picture. I dabble in all media, especially in traditional and in print. My main media are in oils, graphite and inks. I don’t really believe in art beauty contests, so I don’t strive to actually win any art awards. I never had the plan to go into arts. Sometimes, having no plan is the best plan. But after I decided to pursue a creative career in visual arts, I had to make sure my moves were strategic and calculated. It’s hard to go into an industry that is subjective but at the same time partially dependent on who you know Where do you look for inspiration? Not to sound like an arrogant prick but I don’t actually ‘look’ for inspiration, especially with my painting/drawings. Most of the visual cues I use are passing things in front of me that I somehow manage to catch. For example, I’m hanging out at the central market, drinking native coffee, and I happen to see a salt vendor with interesting features and angles, so I draw him. You don’t actually have to look for inspiration when you realize the whole world is a clusterfuck of creative source material. “Waiting for inspiration” is lazy. I might get flak for this but if you want to create shit you don’t need to wait for an angel to go down from heaven give you a fucking cue. The world is awesome and everything in this world can be a source material, if you’re not too busy thinking about yourself. Well actually, even yourself can become a great source of inspiration. Draw 100 self portraits, get some rest, draw your face some more. Just.fucking.draw.
I know it’s cliche but there’s nothing worse than creating an artwork that doesn’t even resonate with yourself. It’s different cause it’s hard to find honesty and sincerity in art, especially that we have access to the internet. A lot of artists have “moodboards” and “pegs” so that they meld into the style of the moment, forgetting that it’s not mostly the style that matters, it’s the emotion/story/reaction/commentary behind the art. The strokes reveal themselves if you let your emotions loose on the canvas. Just fuvk shit up and draw, it’s that easy. You don’t have to force anything out if it’s not there. ART ONLY BECOMES HARD WHEN YOU TRY TO GIVE WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE. I usually carry a journal with me anywhere I go. My mentor, Jason Moss, taught me a lot of lessons in art, and one of them is the importance of journaling. Usually, an idea pops up in the most random places. In the jeepney, in the comfort room in SM, while eating sa carenderia. or right before I go to sleep; then a thing I notice strikes me. I usually jot keywords down in my journal so I don’t forget the impression I got, then I impregnate the words with some resource materials like books, music, the news, my own experiences, etc. Then, the copulation of the word and source material makes art babies. Apart from scribbles and drawings, you’ll see a lot of words, phrases and analogies are inside my sketchbook. Most of the time, some of the strong words that struck me seep into the actual painting/artwork. By strong I mean it with context. The word “kill” and “flower” have the same value to me but one can be stronger
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Honesty, It’s a breeze to paint a picture if it comes from within.
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than the other with context. Well, what you immerse yourself into will reveal themselves in your art/design. I cannot say that I have not been influenced because that would be just plain arrogant. However, I am limiting myself when it comes to consuming resources and use that time to actually work on something. No matter how many Pinterest boards you put up, if you won’t do the work, the pieces wouldn’t happen. We shouldn’t let the online design sources dictate what stories we should tell, though. No one in the entire world is experiencing the world like you do, so record that shit and create stuff.
of something that interests me but at the same time something new and something relatable to my course description. I was walking with my Ice Bear in my city when he brought up the idea that I can actually do partially animated religious imagery, since iconography was one of my earlier style foundations, and I loved the idea. It was plausible and I could pull it off in the short amount of time I have left (3 weeks away from my deliberation). This is actually the third revision of my initial idea, so I had to make a third thesis book from scratch. I ended up winning Best in Thesis Defense out of 13 thesis proposals.
Who are the artists you look up to? Jason Moss, my fairy god mother, no doubt. Work ethic, how he thinks and digests art, how he pushes himself to improve every single day (even though his work is superb and way ahead of our time), and how he tackles challenges and how he experiments with his mediums, techniques. Takato Yamamoto, my first art hero. The anonymity + the dedication and his immersion with his craft is astounding. He has zero online presence but still manages to acquire a cult following. Akira Beard, an artist friend/soul brother from the Grass Valley. Basquiat, the radiant child. MIA, the controversial musician, visual-artist, programmer and producer. Finally, *drum rolls* Azealia Banks.
Its interesting you’ve chosen to interpret the way of the cross – did you have any goals or particular objectives with this project?
THE WAY OF SORROWS It’s my senior thesis. I was studying Digital Media Arts in La Consolacion College and I was required an output with some sort of animation. I’m not a gaming buff, not an avid animation fan, well in fact I don’t even know why I ended up taking DMA, all I knew was I wanted to learn new shit to add to my arsenal. I had to think
Anything that has changed your views on art and designs recently?
During my defense, one of the main goals that I had was intermarry old, liturgical art with the 21st Century screens. My proposals we’re centered with an interactive app that showed my GIFs while the people are treading the Stations of the Cross. It was the only thing I knew I could do good in, especially because my peers are so adept in those gaming and film extravaganza that I knew I had to divert my path to give the jury some variation. My thesis was the oddest one out.
Money and connections alone can be kingmakers. But we can always shoot down a tyrant, right? Best piece of advice you’ve ever heard
TAKE CARE OF YOUR ART AND YOUR ART WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. -Dr. Antonio Tejado 120 blnc-mag.com
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CON CHITA DOLO RES ALEJANDRO CA B E Z U T L o s Angel e s
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This is one of my first times shooting men in womenswear which is always pretty interesting, I also tried experimenting with some fun new angles and post-production. I originally found out about Sloane (the stylist of the shoot) during her debut show at FashionXAustin. I really like her aesthetic and thought it’d be great to collaborate again after our first shoot. I’ve been experimenting a lot with men in womenswear and this shoot consists of mostly that. Plus, a bit of whimsicality which is something I haven’t explored much in my photography just yet. I originally started by taking pictures for my middle school then started having impromptu photoshoots with friends, trying to replicate the type of work I saw in fashion magazines. I also really liked America’s Next Top Model, although now I see it as a total gimmick. I think that unlike many other photographers who shoot a very distinct look, may it be minimalist clothing in studio black and white or other things as a staple, I try to have a distinct feel for each one of my sessions. I’ve never felt the urge to fall back on a ‘look’ that is characteristic or preferential for me. I’d rather have an array of style and definition by breadth. Many photographers shoot a singular concept, I try to diversify myself as much as possible. So, in a sense, my style is whatever the viewer of my work ascribes it to be. Listen to yourself more and don’t rely on what the adults think is best for you. Apply to art school and not business school because the adults told you. Send out more emails, because eventually someone will write back. I try to keep the pulse of culture, and not only do I think commercialism and art aren’t mutually exclusive, but they thrive in harmony.
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Listen to yourself more and don’t rely on what the adults think is best for you
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Photography & Creative Direction ALEJANDRO CABEZUT Styling SLOANE LENZ Hair JOHNNY SERAFIN Makeup NICOLETTE CHAVEZ Models SEAN GRACE @ TWO MGMT & FELIX LENZ
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C E B U â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S P R I M A RY C O L O R S
A S M G C T L
P R I E L M I T H A R I A I G A N T E Y N T H I A H O M A L A
Photographed by: MATT PINGKIAN Hair & Make-up by: CHADDY PANTALEON Styling by: JM JUSAY
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I THINK THAT BEAUTY COMES FROM WITHIN. IF YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HEART, A MIND AND HAND THAT KNOWS HOW TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THEN YOU ARE TRULY BEAUTY - ESPECIALLY TO GOD.
APRIEL: People may see me as a celebrity that is living a life of a princess but at home I am my mother’s daughter and a sister to my siblings. I am also not excused for doing house chores such as sweeping the floor, watering the plants, washing dishes and cleaning the house. MARIA: One of my closest friends loves telling me about the reaction on people’s faces when they find out I ride the jeepney. And even more, when they find out I ride it the most out of all my friends. I don’t know what’s so surprising about it, but it happens very often. I’ve always been satisfied with 7 pesos getting me anywhere I want to be. MARIA: I’m stubborn, but at the same time a fast learner. I take no shame in admitting mistakes because they only legitimize my experiences. They are the best teachers of the right way of doing things. cynthia: My smile always comes from true happiness. I can never really fake it. I don’t like sleeping with pillows and I have weird sleeping positions. CYNTHIA: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I may have make up or not but if I’m not beautiful for them I wouldn’t mind because I’m beautiful in my own different ways. And I think that beauty comes from within. If you have a beautiful heart, a mind and hand that knows how to give back to the community then you are truly beauty - especially to God. APRIEL: Cebu Is blessed to have awesome nearby beaches because my favorite place is with the sun, shells, sand and sea water... I love to be at the beach. maria: I love home! But outside of my house, and within the city, Kukuk’s is my second home. Handuraw Gorordo is my third. I love them because they have the tendency to attract people with very diverse backgrounds and interests but equally moving amounts of passion and dedication to their chosen craft. Whether it be music, film, art or the mere appreciation of all things local, these are the places young people need to discover if they wanted to see the side of the city that never really sleeps because they are kept awake and alive by the imaginations of Cebu’s creative souls. The best part is that they are hiding in plain sight. cynthia: The place where I can give all my doubts and worries away and get back the feeling of hope and love: SR. STO. NIÑO.
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YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GIVE IT EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU’RE WORKING FOR A DREAM, AND SPECIALLY IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT BIG, YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY LIKE IT’S THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE.
MARIA: You always have to give it everything. When you’re working for a dream, and specially if it’s something that big, you have to wake up every day like it’s the last day of your life. Train everyday like tomorrow is judgment day, and always put your best foot forward. So that no matter how it turns out after, you’ll know you gave everything that you had to give and served it on the prettiest platter you had. If it still isn’t yours, then it will no longer have anything to do with you, but it will have everything to do with perfect timing. MARIA: I endured a lot of teasing for it as I did for my skin color, height and inability to cope up with the latest play station games in my younger years at school. Growing up, I always wondered how I would turn out, and now that I know, I find myself very fortunate to be in a position of at-least-little influence to people my age (or older) and the youth alike. And, for that, I am grateful to the universe. CHILDHOOD APRIEL: My childhood was a bit challenging, I experienced being bullied because of my skin color. It was depressing but good thing I am surrounded with people that never failed in inspiring me and letting me know how much they love me. CYNTHIA: I was born in Germany. During my stay there, I was more into sports. When I came here in the Philippines, my mom pushed me into pageants. I won my first pageant and since then, I realised the fun and confidence it brings! If it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be where I am now. MARIA: Growing closer to twenty-five everyday, and every day wanting to get married less and less because there is just so much to do. My life completely turned around in college. I said I would never join pageants or study philosophy, and boy was I wrong. When I studied philosophy, it turned my world around and inside out, shook it up a little and still hasn’t stopped messing with me since, but I love it. I still love, and I always have loved, being alone with nature, especially the ocean. It’s like my sanity, if I can’t have it, I’ll probably lose my mind. I’ve always had a nomadic soul, and I feel like, from time to time, I need to remind my brain what the rest of the world looks like and how beautiful it is so that I can get back to thinking of what I can do to make it better.
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HARD WORK APRIEL: Every training comes with pressure and stress. Knowing its purpose removes it all. MARIA: If intense was measured on a scale of 1-10, training was an 11. Theoretically, it’s basically the every-day practice of submitting yourself wholly and fully to a dream, but that’s what dreams do. They require all of you, because even you know that all of you will never be enough. All of you is 10, the eleventh is luck. CYNTHIA: Without hard work you don’t get anywhere. I did my best in all training and preparations. I listened to what my mentors taught me. We had a hectic schedule the whole month of our preparations but we were able to manage through it. PAGEANT MOMENT APRIEL: It was the time when we meet Ms. Universe 2016 Pia. I had the chance to personally talk to her, she’s so down to earth and inspiring. CYNTHIA: It was the day before the pageant night, when we all went to Star City and had free rides everywhere! I’m glad I had co-candidates that were excited as I was when we heard we were able to go to Star City. That day, we forgot about competition 101% and focused on friendship. LESSONS LEARNED MARIA That the lifestyle and mentality of the youth is what determines everything. It challenges and breaks norms and, at the same time, establishes new ones, and the sad truth is that it depends on what is popular. It is hard to make something popular. In fact, it is totally random. Like viral phenomenon, you never know what’s going to tick or explode, and it doesn’t even depend on what’s new. Sometimes it doesn’t have meaning, and other times it varies. The point is, when you’re trying to speak to someone, you have to make sure they are looking at you and paying attention to you first. I figured that the best way to draw attention to things that matter is to stick it in front of them, to place it in their line of sight, show them what they need to see in the direction where they’re already looking. With the Philippines being a country that is very fond of pageants, BBP seemed -and still is- the most promising strategy for me for someone to capture the mind and heart of the Filipino, shake him and tell him to do something about everything, before it’s too late. 145
THAT THE LIFESTYLE AND MENTALITY OF THE YOUTH IS WHAT DETERMINES EVERYTHING. IT CHALLENGES AND BREAKS NORMS AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ESTABLISHES NEW ONES, AND THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT IS POPULAR.
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GA M E ON! JE RE M Y HOL D E N Sing apore
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The theme we were going for this particular editorial was related to sports, with a mixture of casual apparel and appeal. Paul dela Merced, the stylist I was collaborating with, actually came up with the concept. While we were shooting, we decided to go for a more pop of colour, which included the usage of vibrant backgrounds and painted walls. We actually headed to an industrial area for this photoshoot, however we decided to base the looks on a backdrop of different coloured walls as the location had a bit too many things going on. The images ended up being pretty awesome, though I did find it ironic that you would not be able to tell that it was shot at an industrial area at all. One memorable thing about the shoot was that we got chased off one of the locations because it was a private building, but we quickly did a shoot there nonetheless - those shots are the ones with the blue metal sheet panels. I’m currently studying for my Bachelor Degree in Design Communication over at LASALLE College of the Arts, which also happens to be where I started getting into photography. It was only during my final assignment for my photography classes last 2014 at LASALLE for my basic photography class that I decided to take a leap into doing something more towards fashion, and this was where I shot with my first ever male model and basically where my passion for fashion photography started. I considered myself to be more of the creative sort - I actually studied interior design prior to design communication and I’ve been searching for a passion that could be turned into a career for a long time, hence when I found photography, it actually took me by surprise. I instantly fell in love with photography after that, and I’ve been shooting ever since. It’s been a pretty crazy yet awesome journey so far for me as
a fashion photographer, but I’m definitely just getting started. I’ve just only started being a fashion photographer for about a year, I’m still trying to find my signature style and whatnot, though of course I feel that I shouldn’t be limited to a certain style and it’ll be better to be fluid in order to be really creative. Being a fashion photographer in Singapore is actually a pretty interesting experience. The fashion scene over here is still pretty small and tamed; hence there are times when it can get quite quiet over here. I do also like to explore the variety of locations around Singapore as well. I love to create this sense of mystery when it comes to the location and surprise people when they realize it was taken in Singapore. Before I got into fashion photography, I started with food photography and food blogging. It actually became a hobby of mine to go into cafehopping and I even started a hashtag on Instagram for my food antics #SuchAFatty. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I decided to start a food blog to document my experiences of the cafe scene in Singapore with that same name. Unfortunately, I’ve recently shelved my blog as I’ve decided to focus more on my fashion photography, though I do still continue my food reviews on my second Instagram account instead @SuchAFattyy. One quote by Confucius has always been stuck in my mind and I tend to follow it religiously “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I’m not sure if that’s considered as advice but I find it extremely important when it comes to fashion photography or pretty much whatever I choose to do.
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Photography: JEREMY HOLDEN Concept/Stylist: PAUL DELA MERCED Model: DALIUS RYBKO, AVE-MGT SINGAPORE
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not to blame
PE E JAYJO S O L C ebu 161 blnc-mag.com
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I actually got obsessed with editing photos before I got into Photography. I started practicing when my grandpa got me a camera in college. CEBU It’s definitely growing.. everybody has a lot to give and that just shows how much potential our industry can make. THE SHOOT It was so spontaneous! We were just planning to chill and we ended up having a fun shoot. It was so fun and chill. WHAT NEXT I really don’t know.. i’m just really chill about life and everything but I’m planning to take up Culinary arts next semester. ratedpeejay.tumblr.com | IG: @peejayjosol
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I’m just really chill about life
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Photograpy:PEEJAY JOSOL Styling: RESBON DESPI Model: STEPHANIE FONTANEL @STACYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MODEL MGMT
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AMERICAN TWIST JO HERRERA Bu e no s Aire s
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AMERICAN TWIST, with model Daniel Calderon, is an editorial inspired by tennis and fashion. It was an exchange of ideas by Jo Herrera and Ramon Benitez. Originally, the plan was to shoot outdoors but weather wasn’t cooperating. They returned back to the studio and opted for a more minimal concept Getting into the fashion industry, Jo Herrera (42) started as a make-up artist studying make-up and theatrical characterisation in Tanzola Art Institute at the Teatro General San Martin. His interest in photography all started when he did the makeup for an actress - who at that time was starring for a play with her husband as the photographer. The amazement of witnessing a shoot, where you see the magic happen and the outcome, made him curious about photography. Herrera then solidified his interest and took a photography course at the Faculty of Fine Arts, and later on in Oquio – both located in Buenos Aires. He assisted and observed the techniques and personal approaches of several fashion photographers who, later on, helped him develop his own unique style in photography. Working with photographers, make-up artist and stylists from different countries such as Colombia, Chile and France, has helped him become more passionate and driven in improving his craft. “Im lucky to have worked with different people with different tastes – I see that as an advantage to everyone in the team.” SENSUAL INNUENDO BODY Sensual Innuendo Body, with model Severiano ofUniverse Management, is Jo’s favorite photo he made so far in his career. It is a display of an intense view of the model and a product. He explains:
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Photography & Styling: JO HERRERA Model: DANIEL CALDERON Production: RAMON BENITEZ
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HEIRLOOM D REW B L AC K W E L L L o s Ang el e s
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I love photography because it condenses so many different mediums into one frame. You have one shot to work with and if it doesn’t impress then you haven’t succeeded. That challenge is the best part of it all. If the final image isn’t bold, gripping, or dynamic I’m never going to be satisfied with it. It has to say something because there are plenty of beautiful pictures in the world that are just boring.
boards we gave her and expertly improvised on the spot. A lot of it was just trial and error. I like planning ahead of time but it’s important to leave room for spontaneous surprises and this shoot gave that to us in spades. Half of it was done in our garage and our backyard. It took three different days of shooting over the course of a month to complete. Alyssa, our model, was the one who proposed going topless. I had considered it because her hair was long enough to cover her breasts but I felt uneasy asking her to do it.. While changing into one of the outfits she saw herself in the mirror and said, “What if we did it like this?”. I was thrilled. That picture has gotten the most compliments thus far. I also think it is worth noting that Alyssa had never modeled before this experience. My husband found her and sure enough, from the very first setup, she absolutely blew us away. This last month was the first time I was able to fully support myself with my photography so that is pretty awesome. It’s still early in the game but I’m very excited for what the future holds. I’m starting to feel like I can do anything as long as I work hard enough, which is as terrifying as it is exciting. I had an art teacher in high school (who wasn’t terribly kind or gifted) but she did say one thing that I’ve never forgotten.
I think my #1 concern is always the model’s face. They really have to be giving me something or else I’m uninspired. There has to be something in their eyes that says “Look at me!”. HEIRLOOM An heirloom is a valuable item that has been passed down from one generation to another. We liked the idea of using the current trend of 70’s prints and silhouettes to tell a story about a girl who was putting her parents’ old clothes back to work. Mixing her father’s old button-down shirt with her own jeans or her mother’s dress with her favorite ear cuff. I think we throw away old clothes far too often when they can almost always be reworked in the future. The irony here is that the only things in the shoot from the 1970s are the trailer and the car that we shot with. Everything else is available at ZARA, H&M or TopShop.
To this day, my husband has to remind me to eat whenever we’re working. I feel very lucky to have found something that makes me feel alive after languishing for the last 10 years in jobs that did nothing to feed my soul.
This shoot was a collaboration in every sense. My husband styled everything using Gucci’s S/S 2016 collection as inspiration. Our makeup artist took the mood
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“Find what you love to do so much that you forget to eat”.
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PHOTOGRAPHY DREW BLACKWELL STYLING JERROLD BLACKWELL MODEL ALYSSA SABO MUA SARAH JACKSON
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BAD RE PU TATION AS H L E Y A L L E Y N E Ne w Yor k
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This editorial represents a part of who I am. I was going for a rocker/ grunge effect, and that’s how I identify myself as a person. I wanted to bring a huge part of who I am into this shoot, which helped me style and pose the models I photographed. THEN AND NOW I think watching myself grow as a photographer over the past 8 years. I recently looked back at the photos I produced in middle school, and it was amazing to see how I progressed since then. I used to photograph my friends in abandoned houses and now I am photographing agency models in beautiful studios. STRENGTH I am extremely outgoing, friendly, funny and creative. I think outside the box and that helps a lot with coming up with ideas for shoots. I like doing things that other people haven’t done before. I like standing outnot just with photography, but also in society. ARTISTIC VISION I love that 500 people can shoot the same picture but one person’s might look different from another’s because everyone has different artistic visions. I also enjoy that photography has countless possibilities when it comes to shooting. Also the freedom you have- you can be as creative as you want to be. SHOOT EVERYTHING When you start out as a photographer- shoot everything. A lot of photographers will tell you the opposite. However, I believe this is the most effective way to learn and grow. If you photograph all genres of photography (i.e commercial, landscapes, fashion, headshots, fine art) you become well rounded, which comes in handy if you become a freelance photographer or if you are on a job interview. It looks better and I believe brings in more money and customers if you can photograph multiple genres of photography vs someone who only shoots one area. Also once you have been photographing multiple areas of photography for a while, you will discover which genre you enjoy the most.
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I like standing out- not just with photography, but also in society.
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SONG for EVANGELINE LOLLI CHEN Hong Kong
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21 years old student of Zhejiang Sci-Tech university, Lolli Chen, is a fashion design major. Last year, he went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York as an exchange student. He’s the photographer of One More Animal was top 4 competitor of the competition “Lets Shooting” at the age of 19, worked with clothing brands like CHRIS, HOOSTYLE HS&TOP BEST ONE Masking Jocker and online fashion brand HooSunDry. Lolli Chen is starting his own clothing brand “Illusory FIlli ”with partner Fiki These photos were the lookbook for the brand HS&top and the clothes designer was Fiki. The model Anna) is Russian. I remember the silk waving one, we had three girls to wave that silk on the asphalt. The weather was really good that day but too hot especially on the asphalt and Anna had to walk forward and face to the camera at the same time play herself with the silk. The moment the wind blow up it was just amazing. I couldn’t catch the amazing scene by the camera I just couldn’t because what you really saw was much more beautiful than the picture. I totally fell in love with fashion photography because of America’s Next Top Model when I was 16 years old, then i started shooting. In the beginning my models were my friends. I didn’t have a camera then all photos taken by phones. In my first year of university I had my first camera I bought that from a second-hand market in Hong-Kong and my works started to get recognised online. MY MOTHER ONCE TOLD ME ”show the peoples feelings through your pictures.” My photography style is more like “story telling”. My favorite thing to shoot was my ex boyfriend. We fell in love with each other in New York last year. He was a super shy Italian - my first love but his friends didn’t even know he had a boyfriend cause he was straight with his friends. We broke up and I went back to China. After that, I did not pick up the camera taking pictures for several months.
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”show the peoples feelings through your pictures.”
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Photophraphy LOLLI CHEN Cloth provider HS&TOPWEIBO | HOOSTYLE Model ANNA EFREMENKO
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IG NACI O T RIAS Mil an 217 blnc-mag.com
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Photogrpahy IGNACIO TRIAS Stylist LYAN KAPLUN AND ANDREA FRANCESCA
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H O M E V INICIUS C O S TA Braz i l
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Photography VINICIUS COSTA Beauty / Producion RELBERT RODRIGUEZ Models STHEPHANNY SAYS & CARZ FIL
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