fresh eye
Sony Alpha l Music l Politics l Swatch l Glamour l
Magazine
Issue 9. September 2016 Photography Lifestyle Culture
fresheyecourses.com
3
4 20
22 18
40
fresh eye
42 l The Human Family Shot on i-phone
Contents
10
4 10 18 20 22 40
l How to be...
Pop icon Taylor Swift. l Muhammad Ali
The Greatest.
l Swatch and beyond
Pop art revolution.
l Brand Celebrity
A Royal Polo match. l Glamour
Through the lens. l Trump card
Taking a stand.
Sponsored by
Cover photography: Dennis Sterne Shot with Canon 5D MK3
4
A modern pop icon - Taylor made
How to
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Music
fresheyecourses.com
be a Popstar.....
T
aylor Alison Swift, raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. She was named after singer James Taylor. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. Influences One of Swift’s earliest musical memories is listening to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing at church. In her youth, Finlay was a television host in Puerto Rico, and performed in operas in Thailand and Singapore. As a very young child, Swift enjoyed Disney movie soundtracks: Her parents noticed that, once she had run out of words, she would just make up my own. Later, her parents exposed her to artists such as James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel and Def Leppard.Swift has said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child. She also attributes her “fascination with writing and storytelling” to her mother. Songwriting Thematically, The Guardian noted that Swift was “fantastically good at regarding teenage life with a kind of wistful, sepia-
toned nostalgia” over the course of her first two albums ‘Taylor Swift’ and ‘Fearless’. New York Magazine remarked that many singersongwriters have made great records as teens, but “none made great records so explicitly about their teens... Her nearest antecedent might be sixties-era Brian Wilson, the one true adolescent auteur before she came along.” Comparisons have also been drawn with Janis Ian. Fairytale imagery featured on Swift’s second album, Fearless. She explored the disconnect “between fairy tales and the reality of love”. Her later albums address more adult relationships. In addition to romance and love, Swift’s songs have discussed parent-child relationships (“The Best Day”, “Never Grow Up”, “Ronan”), friendships (“Fifteen”, “Breathe”, “22”, “Bad Blood”), alienation (“The Outside”, “A Place in This World”, “Tied Together with a Smile”, “Mean”, “Shake It Off ”), fame (“The Lucky One”, “I Know Places”), and career ambitions (“Change”, “Long Live”). It has been said that Swift’s defining quality as a songwriter is a determination to register and hang onto fleeting feelings and impressions, a pre-emptive nostalgia for a present (and sometimes even a future) that she knows will some day be in the past. Swift frequently includes “a tossed-off phrase to suggest large and serious things that won’t fit in the song, things that enhance or subvert the surface narrative. Take these ingredients and sprinkle liberally over one thriving pop career.
Received 270 awards from 565 nominations. She is the recipient of 10 Grammy Awards
5
6
Sony Alpha 7RII
T
Mirrorless wonder continued.
he Sony a7R II is a 42MP full frame mirrorless camera with 5-axis image stabilization, featuring the world’s first (and currently only) 35mm BSI CMOS sensor, and including a hybrid autofocus system and 4K video capabilities. It’s the fifth in the company’s a7 range of full frame cameras and the second high-resolution ‘R’ model. However, although its name and appearance are very similar to the first round of a7s, the R II arguably represents just as significant a step forward as those first full frame mirrorless models did. The reasons for suggesting this are two-fold. Although the a7R II’s body is essentially the same as that of the 24MP a7 II (albeit with more substantial magnesium alloy construction), the camera includes two significant changes: The first is that this is the first full frame camera to feature a sensor based on BSI CMOS technology. Although Sony always stressed that the benefits of BSI designs are most valuable in small sensors, its application
on larger scales should reduce the pixel-level disadvantages of moving to higher pixel counts (which means an improvement in quality when viewed at a standard output size). Secondly, and perhaps, most unexpectedly: the camera’s phase-detection autofocus capabilities have been increased to the point that it not only focuses quickly and effectively with its own lenses but can also do so with lenses designed for other systems. This may not sound like a big deal until you think about what Sony needs to do to make the camera a success: win-over dedicated photographers, many of whom are already committed to other systems. Sony a7R II Highlight specifications: l 42MP Full Frame BSI CMOS sensor. l 399 on-sensor Phase Detection points. l 5-axis image stabilization. l Internal 4K recording from full sensor width or ‘Super’ 35 crop. l Picture Profile system including ITU-709 and S-Log2 gamma. l Full magnesium alloy construction. l 2.36m dot OLED viewfinder with 0.7x. magnification. l High speed AF with non-native lenses.
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Product
fresheyecourses.com
Aiming to prove that medium format doesn’t have to be big.
7
www.buckitt.co.uk
10
Ali - Legend Sport’s greatest athlete, mind and soul...
W
hen, at the turn of the millennium, the BBC awarded Muhammad Ali the prize of Sports Personality of the Century, his mind had by then been subjected to nearly two decades of Parkinson’s disease, but had lost none of its mischief. “I had a good time boxing...” he stammered, “... and I may come back.” The truth is, he never went away. From the minute Cassius Clay, the fast-talking, irresistibly attractive son of Louisiana, was let loose upon the world, he was the most inspirational, galvanising and eloquent icon sport has produced. Legend Has any one man in our time inspired so many people to fulfil their potential? Several generations of children have tried to think like him, move like him, talk like him and look like him. His confidence and sheer charisma had a singular quality, but so powerful was its effect that countless would-be heroes have tried to ape his achievements. None did and none will. In method and philosophy, Ali the boxer was that special thing: an original. He had the fastest feet and sharpest jab of any
man to enter the ring, as well as a better understanding of the space around and available to him than any who came before or after. By the time he defeated George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle – perhaps the most hyped match in the history of sport, and one that lived up to that hype – he had given memorable linguistic shape to his approach: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” When he said he would not fight in Vietnam, he became a conquering hero to all those who felt, rightly, that America’s misadventure in Asia was being driven by morally bankrupt foreign policy. The timing of his conversion to Islam, and objection to military action, which came just as America’s culture wars were boiling over, ensured that even those who cared not a jot for boxing would have reason to look to him as an example. Of Muhammad Ali, there is little that can be said that he didn’t say himself. He was right about the power of sport, he was right about racial equality, he was right about Vietnam and he was right about himself. He was, as he so often reminded us, the greatest.
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Hero
fresheyecourses.com
“I wanted to use my fame and this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around the world.�
11
12
“I should be a postage stamp, because that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked. I’m beautiful. I’m fast. I’m so mean I make medicine sick. I can’t possibly be beat.” On October 30, 1974, 32-year-old Muhammad Ali becomes the heavyweight champion of the world for the second time when he knocks out 25-year-old champ George Foreman in the eighth round of the “Rumble in the Jungle,”
fresheyecourses.com
“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.”
13
14
“It will be a killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila.� Avove: Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazer Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, 1971.
fresheyecourses.com
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.� Left: Muhammad Ali Rumble in the Jungle 1974. Avove: Muhammad Ali with Joe Frazer. Right: Ali lit the torch at the 1996 Olympic in Atlanta.
15
16
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Photography
fresheyecourses.com
17
Iconic When photographer Alfred Wertheimer took on an assignment to follow a young Elvis Presley around for eight days in 1956, neither Wertheimer nor Presley could have imagined the enormity of The King’s impending fame. Of that thousands-photos session, this “Kiss Me Quick” scene that Werthemier stumbled into on his way back from the men’s room, remains one of the most iconic and sexiest of the era.
- Alfred Wertheimer -
12
Time please The winner of ‘wrist time keeping revolution’ is... Swatch!
T
he story of Swatch is the story of a revolution. In 1983, the unexpected appearance of an affordable, Swiss made, plastic watch turned the watch world upside down. Suddenly, a watch was much more than a way to measure time. It was a new language, a way to speak from the heart without words. A Swatch watch was an expression of joy, a provocative statement, a warm smile delivered with a flick of the wrist. More than 30 years later, the revolution continues: Swatch talks, and everyone understands. The brand Everyone knows a Swatch when they see one. There’s clearly something that makes Swatch different from every other watch brand. What is it? The look, the colors, the plastic? The design, perhaps, or the fact that it’s Swiss made and versatile enough to be worn with almost anything. There are Swatch watches for people of all ages, and a Swatch for every occasion. But there’s more to Swatch than market
coverage. Swatch is an attitude, an approach to life, a way of seeing. The sight of a Swatch excites emotion. Wearing one is a way to communicate, to speak without speaking. The effect of history In the late 1970s, a Swiss watch was a work of careful craftsmanship, a uniquely valuable timepiece handed down from one generation to the next, to be cherished for a lifetime. Fitted with a complicated, hand-crafted mechanical movement, it was the expression of a culture in which changes took place (if they took place at all) only after much deliberation, and even then at the speed of glaciers. And then? Then came the crisis—not entirely unexpected, but serenely ignored for much too long. Overnight the market was flooded with watches from Asia equipped with quartz movements. You didn’t have to save for months or years to afford one. Worst of all, people were buying them! Even the Swiss were buying ‘cheap watches’.
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Art Culture
fresheyecourses.com
13
Swatch Creative Director Carlo Giordanetti
Ever since the launch in 1983 Swatch has continued to push the limits of technology and introduce an astonishing range of materials
20
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Brand Celebrity
21
Embrace Celebrity culture and brand revolution drive.
I
vy Park is here – the new activewear label co-founded by Beyoncé and changing the game in sportswear. Mixing high performance technical styles with fashion-led casualwear, it’s a brand inspiring us to stay strong, healthy and happy – no matter what your sporting ability or body shape. A message of female empowerment is at the core of Ivy Park - “It’s really the essence: to celebrate every woman and the body she’s in while always striving to be better,” says the singer. Exploitation? The cost of production is at the centre of any business. Trading ethically now goes in hand with sustaining profit. The appearance at least for ethical standards are a modern day consideration else you alienate your new ethically aware consumer. A report by British tabloid The Sun says the line is being made at least in part by young women who earn barely enough to survive and work in sweatshop conditions. Ivy Park has not outright denied the allegations, though it says it has a “rigorous ethical trading programme.” But the clothes are reportedly being made at a factory in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, a country with
notoriously poor labor conditions for garment workers that has recently been at the center of other abuse claims. It’s unclear whether Beyoncé herself had any knowledge of how her clothes were being made. To produce Ivy Park, she partnered with Philip Green, whose investment company owns Arcadia Group and several fashion retail chains, including Topshop. Arcadia’s website describes it as “the UK’s largest privately owned retail group.” Arcadia told The Sun it enforces a supplier code of conduct. “When customers buy our goods they have to be sure they have been made under acceptable conditions. That means without exploiting the people who make them,” it said. Inspiration However - View the promotion video and be immersesed into a story of female empowerment. A story about becoming a mother (daughter’s name - Ivy) and entering a park as a place of exercise and descipline. A place for inspiration and the observation of beauty. Classic slow motion visual narrative and Beyonce’s dulcet tones both combined to create art directive technique to seduce would be eager fashion consumers.
22
Glamour Noun - an attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing. Fresheye explores the nature of allure through some enchanting images. Bring on the magic.
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Photography
fresheyecourses.com
23
Solve Sundsbo - Norwegian born photographer based in London. Sundsbo is a regular contributor to magazines including Pop, i-D, Dazed and Confused, NumĂŠro.
24
SIgne Vilstrup
fresheyecourses.com
Signe Vilstrup - is not bound by rules, while she often uses inspiring unorthodox and intuitive methods in her work. One could be tempted to call her an autodidact photographer.
25
26
- Signe Vilstrup -
fresheyecourses.com
- is one of the leading Scandinavian fashion photographers, and her work has contributed to the acknowledgment of Danish photographers in the fashion industry.
27
28
.
Tom Ford
fresheyecourses.com
Tom Ford - Renowned fashion designer who occasionally shoots his own campaigns. Eat your heart out Karl Lagerfeld.
29
30
Tom Munroe
fresheyecourses.com
31
Tom Munroe - English by birth, Tom moved to New York in 1990, majoring in photography at Parsons School of Design. He then went on to serve a 3 year apprenticeship with arguably the world’s most respected fashion photographer, Steven Meisel.
32
- Tom Munroe -
fresheyecourses.com
33
Over the years Tom has photographed for movie studios Warner Brother’s and 20th Century Fox and some of the music industries most iconic figures, such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake.
34
- Tom Munroe -
fresheyecourses.com
In 1997 Tom embarked on his own career as a photographer, immediately in demand and achieving overnight success and recognition from his early editorial shoots for British Vogue and Harpers Bazaar US.
35
36
Mario Testino
fresheyecourses.com
Mario Testino - OBE is widely regarded as one of the most influential fashion and portrait photographers of our times. His photographs have been published internationally in magazines such as Vogue, V Magazine and Vanity Fair.
37
40
Trump card Will the real Donald Trump please stand up.
T
rump’s disdain for what he considers to be political correctness has been a staple theme of his campaign and has proved to be popular among his supporters, although mainstream commentators and some prominent Republicans have viewed him as appealing explicitly to racism. Trump’s most polarizing and widely reported statements have been about issues of immigration and border security, especially his proposed deportation of all illegal immigrants, the proposed construction of a substantial wall on the Mexico–United States border at Mexican expense, and a temporary ban on alien Muslims entering the U.S. Contoversy At an Iowa forum last year, Trump said he didn’t think he’d ever asked God for forgiveness; but after meeting with Trump in June, social conservative leader James Dobson said he believed that Trump had found Christ and become a born-again Christian. Similarly, after months of calling for a highly controversial travel ban on Muslims entering
the U.S., Trump softened his position to say it should apply to “people coming from terror states.” He has campaigned as a social conservative but calls himself a champion of the LGBT community. And he’s taken a strong line on Israel only to spend the past week embroiled in controversy over whether a tweet posted under his name was anti-Semitic. Authenticity “When you’re a populist, you don’t really have an ideology: there is no philosophical basis for what Trump believes in,” said Saul Anuzis, a Michigan delegate. Trump rejects that kind of criticism and explains his ideological shifts by citing the example of Reagan, who he has noted was a “somewhat liberal Democrat” who became “a fairly conservative Republican.” Still, Trump’s supporters view his willingness to change his mind as a strength -- a sign of his authenticity and the notion that he is not beholden to anyone. That is a particularly powerful sentiment in a year when there is so much anger at the political establishment. What card will be played next?
Sponsored by
fresh eye
Politics
fresheyecourses.com
“I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.” “Anyone who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly mistaken.”
41
42
C
Sponsored by
fresh eye
i-phone 6
fresheyecourses.com
The Human Family Smart photography revolution.
A
pple has a new Shot on iPhone ad highlighting the diversity of ‘The Human Family’. The latest ad in the long-running campaign features a series of photos, showing humans from all across the world, with narration from poet and memoirist, Maya Angelou, reading from her poem featuring the same title. There are videos interspersed throughout the ad and, as usual the photos and videos were all shot on iPhones by real owners. The big picture One of the worst things you can say to professional photographers is that, thanks to smartphones, we are all photographers today. They will argue that real photographic talent comes from experience and that amateurs will never replace professional when it comes to crafting meaningful visual stories. They are right, but they’re also missing the point.
What smartphones have done is democratise photography - for the first time since its inception in 1839, anyone can not only experience photography, but can also create and distribute on a massive scale their own images. Photography has experienced massive changes in the last 174 years. There was the launch of the first compact rangefinder camera in the 1930s, which made it easier for people to carry a camera around. There was also the introduction of colour photography a few years later, and the popularisation of digital cameras in the late 1990s. Yet, what the smartphone is doing for photography today doesn’t compare to these revolutions. Since 2007 and the launch of the first iPhone, large-screen, smartphones that include a camera have become a commodity. Always-on, always-connected devices, coupled with the exponential rise of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it. Maya Angelou
43
iPhone 6 Campaign. Photographer - Andrew P in Phoenix, Arizona