APRIL 2015
MAGAZINE
WHAT THE FUNK’S INSIDE 5..................THE RUNDOWN
6.................. EDITOR’S NOTE 7................. OUTSPOKEN: marc4real 9 ................. MAKING IT UP: Juan Sánchez Castillo
15................. WORTH A SHOT: 9 Photogs You Should Know
27............... MOMENTS LIKE THESE: Harry McNally 39................. COSPLAY ZONE: Interview w/ Kheetah
www.ldiphotos.com
E EDITOR-IN-CHIEF C.E. LAWTON SENIOR EDITOR GENESE NICOLE CREATIVE DIRECTORS C.E. LAWTON & GENESE NICOLE APRIL CONTRIBUTORS David A. Ochs, Eve Garcia, Ocie Clelland, Erica F. Mounsey, Marc Christmas, Davence Young, Erica Simone ADVERTISING info@funktheformulamag.com FUNKTHEFORMULAMAG.COM It’s the commentary of your life ... but better. Art. Culture. And Then some.
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COVER: The 9 feature photographers for our “Worth a Shot” Photography Edition of FunktheFormula Mag. LEFT: NYC-based Photographer, Gianna Leo Falcon
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EDITOR’S NOTE It’ll Last Longer ... There’s something incredibly spectacular about the ability to freeze time and solidify a moment. A memory. An expression, a feeling. I believe it’s this realization that really sparked my interest in the world of photography. That along with the inspiring vote of confidence from my photography teacher back in college, Peter Kayafas. He created a space of thought for me to really see my eye behind a lens. I didn’t think too much about my subjects when shooting for class projects, but his second set of eyes allowed me to look deeper. 9 years later (whoa…) and my portfolio runs a gamut of styles and concepts that I can look back on and be proud of. It’s through that portfolio build that allowed me to fluidly step into the creation of this magazine (along with 8 years of a design background, as well). So, as far as inspiration goes, I can thank Peter, as well as Bill Kontzias, another one of my photography professors from college, being the catalysts of change in my thoughts around delving into the world of still images. I say this all to say that an issue highlighting only a tidbit of the amazing photographers in the world is long overdue. Expect April to be an annual celebration and a “Get To Know” situation of artists that I and my staff feel are “worth a shot” (see what I did there?) to be seen by our viewership and ultimately the entire world. We urge you to definitely look into these artists, check out their portfolios, show them some love and even reach out so they can capture your moments and dreams that you wish to last forever. It was a pleasure working with these artists and we hope our FTF audience finds they feel the same. LIVE. -C.E. Have questions, suggests, comments? Feel free to contact us: info@funktheformulamag.com
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OUTSPOKEN Your words. Your thoughts. Out loud.
How Many Girls? by
T
hinking of You
How pretty you look Where you are in your Kindle book? How many girls want to be like you? Look good, love life, and touch lives, too Will they know a special love one day? Live the words of the Debarge’s, “In a Special Way” Can they say the highest mountain they climbed? Do they know a rainbow needs rain and sunshine?
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marc4real
Will they feel the energy of a Full Moon at night? Will they fearlessly face the world alone and put aside fright? Possibly travel here and there and see distant shores Run a race and believe there is more Laugh hard, scream aloud and smile despite Others hearing and wondering “is she all right?� How many girls one day women will be? Able to say I know love, and love knows me.
marc 4real
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MAKING IT UP Murcia-based Juan Sรกnchez Castillo is a Photographer who is well known for his latest photo series where the artist creates miniature scenes and landscapes directly on the face of a model. Check out more from Juan at http://www.juansanchezcastillo.com
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t u o k c e h C n o s e u s ! s i m t s o a c . p g a m a l u m r o f the
funk
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It takes a certain eye and creative spark to capture the moments and memories that last forever in our hearts and minds. For this issue, FunktheFormula felt it necessary to highlight 9 special photographers that we felt the world should get to know and are most definitely...
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Jose Pagan
42 Washington Heights, NY www.paganphotography.org Instagram: josepaganphotography Twitter: @paganphoto facebook.com/PaganPhotography youtube.com/c/JosePaganPhotography www.blacklightphotoexperiment.com What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? I remember how that started. Back from 2005 till 2010, I was filming around three short films. I remember the long days on production, script revising and early call times. It is until you realize how many people show up late and don't see your ultimate vision did I realized that I needed more control of my artistic concepts. It didn't help that my day job was also a thorn on my side. So at this point I decided to concentrate on photography. Photography is like painting, you don't need to have other people painting your story with you. You can conceive a projectt and follow through all by yourself. This way my story was untainted by other's agendas and styles. I told my wife one day, "babe, I'm going to buy a new camera. I'm going to start a new art project". The first few days I started by shooting my wife with a simple black light bulb and from there a new project was born. It was an nude art series called the Blacklight Photo Experiment. That was back in March of 2010. The results of this project brought on interest by art lovers and fashionistas. However, it was the fashion editors that wanted to harness my style and eye of capturing the world and it's inhabitants. It was an inner desire to share my vision, my voice and my dreams with the world that led me to photography. I was able to show the world how I interpret what I see and feel about man and it's journey. Some view photography as a science of light capture. I view it as an organic reflection of our lives as translated by one person with a viewfinder. It is an art that if done correctly can leave a permanent impression on all who lay eyes upon it. Like painting, photography makes me delve into the human psyche and bring about conversation and analysis of my pieces. I want to people to have their own journey when they view my work. How do you know when you've gotten that perfect/money shot? If you ask anyone that has worked for me on set. They would most likely say that I get vulgar. I call it Positive Vulgarity. I've always believed that creation is love and love is creation. I get a virtual hard-on when I see a position or facial emotion from my subject that looks beautiful to my eye and soul. At this point I know the shot is striking and memorable. I know it is a one of a kind capture that cannot be duplicated. I start cursing just to let this immense positive energy flow. It even lets my crew know we are on the right path. But at the end of it all, you'll know when I've achieved the perfect shot. Because, when I yell "it's a wrap", you know the mission was a success.
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Gianna Leo Falcon 30 New York City http://www.giannaleofalcon.com/ http://sunshinerobinson.tumblr.com/
What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? Everything; capturing a moment in time and eternalizing it, soul siphoning . Visual diaries ... How do you know when you’ve gotten that perfect/money shot? I don’t always know; sometimes it comes years later stumbling upon an old shot and realizing i love it ... Also letting go of what’s perfect allows for the creativity to flow... If i get to caught up in that i get turned off.
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Mario "Thre3" Rivera III 33 Gainesville, FL Facebook.com/photosbythre3
What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? I enjoyed the thought of me being the one to capture a moment in time that will never happen again. How do you know when you've gotten that perfect/money shot? Sometimes you can't even explain what is that let's you know you have the shot. There's just something special about it that grabs your attention and won't let go.
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Ocie Clelland 43 Queens, new York www.ldiphotos.com Instagram: @oc_in_nyc FB: Ocie Clelland
What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? It's something I've always wanted to tackle. Landscape photography in particular has always fascinated me. I like being able to take these large scenes and views and present them in a way that makes the viewer just say, "WOW". It's a thrill! How do you know when you've gotten that perfect/money shot? That "money shot" is something I can just feel...literally. I get a chill. The minute I take a shot, it's like my mind just knows and says, " yeah, that was good."
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Erica Simone
29 New York City www.EricaSimone.com Facebook.com/ericasimonephotography Instagram.com/ericasimone Twitter.com/ericasimone What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? I used to take pictures on my family vacations and my mother would tell me that I had a good eye. The more I did it, the better I got and when I realized how much I loved doing it, I decided to buy a DSLR for my birthday and go for it professionally. I haven't looked back since! How do you know when you’ve gotten that perfect/money shot? This is a difficult question to answer, it all depends on what I'm shooting. For the most part, I just know what I'm looking for and when that perfect shot comes, it's that gut feeling... Many times, the money shot is the one you actually don't expect— it's magically capturing that authentic, unscripted moment.
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Christine Hamblin aka Cee The Photographer 29 Queens, NY Instagram @ceethephotog www.ceethephotographer.com
What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? Life inspired me to get into photography. It allowed me to capture things that I saw and places I've been wether it be l ocal or during travel. It became an escape for me. A way to turn what I saw into a non intentional storyline How do you know when you've gotten that perfect/money shot? I know when I have captured the perfect shot when I do a double take of what I'm shooting and what was captured on my screen and realized I've just impressed myself, haha!
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David A. Ochs
32 Westchester NY 914-318-8959 www.ochsphotography.com Twitter: @ochsphotography Instagram: @ochsphotography What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography?
I got into photography in the days of film cameras. (Yes…I said film.) I was always into cameras growing up and my parents were very supportive of me, pushing me to follow my passion. They always bought me art books to feed my curiosity of the different types of arts. I really got into it when I went to the Pratt Institute. Pratt opened up so many talents and ideas that I never knew I had. It really pushed me to grow as a photographer and artist. To this day, when I’m behind my camera I still get such a rush when I click and hear that sound of the shutter. It’s the excitement in knowing that in a split second, one single moment, you can capture anything you want. How do you know when you’ve gotten that perfect/ money shot?
I guess what works for me is, once the photo session is complete; I download all the content to my computer and skim through the photos quickly for the first time. Doing it this way helps me to see if any photos stand out. Whichever photos stand out to me, I tag as favorites. Once I go through this process, I then go back over the photos more slowly to refine my selection. This whole process is done through Adobe Lightroom.
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Erica L’ Etrange (Erica Mounsey) 25 www.ericaLetrange.com facebook.com/Ericafm1990
What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? Ok well, this is going to sound extremely corny. I originally got into photography because someone I was in love at the time suggested it. He commented on a selfie I had on myspace (yes it was a long ass time ago) and told me maybe I should pursue a career in it. This is what initially what got me to start developing my skill. I started off shooting landscapes because I was absolutely terrified of shooting people. I had no idea how to pose them, and I still have trouble with it now. I bring “cheat sheets” with me on shoots-they are pictures of different poses that I’ve taken on off the Internet to help me pose the models. After a trip back from Yellowstone (While I was still shooting landscapes at the time) I realized that even though these pictures were beautiful, many other photographers had the same exact shot as me. I started to pursue fine arts photography, where I could create instead of shooting something that was already there. I remember for my final project titled Schizophrenia for Community College, I had one model hold down another in a water filled bathtub. I have been pushing boundaries from the beginning. Fashion attracted me because of its beauty and how it completely mind-fucks society. Fashion through untrained eyes looks real and I’ll admit that it has had some negative effects on people’s idea of beauty, myself included, but the idea of having infinite possibilities has lead me here to stay. How do you know when you've gotten that perfect/money shot? I always shoot within a collective. Even though most of the time I come up with the ideas for my shoots, I don’t consider myself as a “boss” figure. Everyone I work with I look to as an equal, because everyone has their own individual jobs. For example I can’t do makeup as well as a makeup artist and vice versa. And I make sure I’m not the only one who’s creativity shines. I often give some guidelines of what I want the shoot to look like, and have them creative with their own personal twist. The money shot happens when everyone comes together (egos aside) to simply just create a beautiful piece of art.
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Ace Murray
39 Brooklyn, NY www.BrooklynJuicePhotography.com What inspired you to jump into the world of Photography? The Camera inspired me to shoot . When i was younger I knew if I learned her secrets she would give me anything I wanted . From the first time i laid eyes on a camera I knew it was something I had to have . When i was 12 I bought my first film camera . At the time, I was packing bags in a local meat market so I had earned enough money to buy a plastic SLR but didn’t have money for film but I didn’t care I learned from pretending. How do you know when you’ve gotten that perfect/ money shot? My background is film so I never have a high shutter count this is why I plan and plan and plan . When the moment comes that the light is perfect and you become completely invisible to your subject allowing them to become free ... That’s when you know you’ve got it .
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www.ochsphotography.com
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Moments Like In this visual series, NY-based photographer, Harry McNally, captures a variety of images that reveal the grittiness of New York City and merges them with whimsical cartoons.
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These...
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Hi folks! Today we have a treAT! We are going to delve into the mysterious subculture of what it is to be a Furry! Our guest I have the pleasure of chatting with is Kheetah. He is a hard working fellow artist that also enjoys doing up his cosplays as a Furry. Welcome to the Cosplay Zone, Kheetah! Hello and *squeaks* back at you! *Smiles* Kheetah can you explain for us a bit of what it is to be a Furry, for my readers that do not know? Furry means a whole lot of things depending on who you talk to. For me it’s simply an appreciation for anthropomorphic characters (ie: Bugs Bunny, Animaniacs, etc.). It also is a great avenue for me to jump in my “Kheetah” costume and bounce around while squeaking at people just for fun. Awesome. What would you say inspired you to cosplay this very unique subculture? It stemmed firstly from my artistic background. I drew like a maniac in my teens and I soon discovered that drawing animals and characters with a likeness of any type of creature to me was far more interesting. I then became heavily into life drawing animals at the zoo. After some time after animation training in college, I discovered that creating a version of my own cheetah character as a full fursuit would be a very unique way to explore what I can do (and get away with) in costume. Awesome. How long did it take you to build your very first furry suit? I only designed it. I knew my limits, but I created a 21 page document with pictures showing the professional fursuit maker how I wanted my fursuit to look. It was made in California by Arend Studios. Oh nice, you went high end for it then. Were there any special features added to the fursuit? The suit has 3 fans in the head, 2 blowing outwards at the back, and one sucking air into the mouth, inside the nose and blowing directly on my glasses so the lens doesn’t fog up. Kheetah also has LED ears that light up, and a RF radio inside so I can talk to my spotter (both hear and talk back). Also I added an RFID protected tail pocket so Kheetah can run around with his VISA card! That is definitely a high end suit! Kudos to you, sir. *bows* Oops, forgot to mention, Kheetah has a sticky tongue (magnetic) so he can lick anything he sees. 40
Wow, nice feature! What are some of the reactions you get while in Kheetah mode from kids and adults alike? It’s all over the place actually. Mostly, its smile, many times laughter, sometimes crying (from kids) and the odd time fear... Although I still can’t figure out how a cheetah with “Derpie’s” can cause any fear?! Ha, I agree! I find it very cool and I always try to snap a shot with one if I see them. I’ve had people of all cultures and backgrounds desperately want a picture... Even taking several because they have never seen a cheetah, like that, before. I am sure my readers will be amazed looking at these pics of you as well. Just don’t show Kheetah the pics, or he’ll never stop commenting how nice he looks. Nice! Did you come up with a unique personality for kheetah? Yes... Basically he’s a huge derp... The mind of a 3 year old; kind, clumsy, and always wants to interact. His tongue usually gets him in trouble. Oh and his run is... Let’s just say a bit slower than a normal persons walk - just don’t tell him that. In his mind he’s the fastest cheetah in the whoooooole world. Heh heh, nice. You definitely put a lot of thought and work into him. How many years have you been cosplaying as Kheetah? Since July 2011. I unpacked him from a shipping box (direct from California) in the hotel of the largest furry convention: Anthrocon. I ordered a limo and packed in a handful of my most inspired fursuiters to tell them “You inspired me to create ‘Kheetah’ and this is my way to thank you.” But we didn’t just travel around Pittsburg, we went to a kids park, and played with some random kids. You would not believe the impression it had on them. Now that is awesome, how has playing such a loveable unique and very fun character changed your life? That’s a loaded question. This fusrsuit means so much more to me than just being silly and making people smile. Kheetah has directly given me an ability to affect people in ways that I could not do as a normal human being. Shortly after birth I was diagnosed with Retina Blastoma in my eyes. With years of treatment the results had me losing one eye and through radiation treatment, severe damage in my one good eye. With quite thick glasses and facial growth issues it has given me a less than admirable appearance - especially in my adult life. Unfortunately most people do not give me positive feedback in conversation, and especially when judging my abilities as a person and as a professional artist. Relationships are also very difficult because first impressions are very important and that is something I cannot “impress” in most cases. Kheetah has given me an automatic power to not only feel accepted but also become the center of attention in a positive way. The tables completely turn and I get to be the one that people approach and want to interact with. This has given me confidence in my own life and happiness knowing I can feel how fun it is being the center of attention. Awesome. So cosplaying as Kheetah not only brings other folks joy but it also has brought you joy as well and affected your life for the better. Yes, and I have become more confident outside of Kheetah, too. It’s not just a “security blanket.” Very good. It is always amazing to hear how cosplay has helped folks lives for the better. And to think as a child, I didn’t like mascots, Mickey Mouse (In Disney World) or anything like that. That’s another 180 degree turn now. I hear you. What is some advice you would give to a person wanting to get into this subculture? Do it for your own self-fulfillment, not for popularity, or fun, or anything casual. It must 41 41
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be from the heart, or it will end up in the closet forever. Wise words. Do you recommend they build their own furry cosplay or if they have the funds go the route you did and have one commissioned? Building a fursuit yourself would be very difficult - especially making one that lasts and allows you to roll around and do cartwheels in it. I would highly recommend going with an experienced fursuit builder. You will be looking at minimum $2000+ for a full suit. But you can go the “partial” route and just get feet paws, paws, tail and head for much less. Gotcha. So if you are on a budget, get the head feet and paws first then save towards an entire full suit. How hard it is maintain a fursuit? Yes. The other “shocker” is how hot you get in a full fursuit. You will literally be soaked in sweat within a half hour. Just think how much more sweaty you’ll get when you are running around acting like a silly animal. Maintaining a suit involves washing it often. As well as combing the fur. It’s just plastic, but when you comb it, it settles and looks much better than leaving it alone. Good tips there. I know from wearing my eva armor creations it can get quite warm inside, hence I always try to install fans and good venting inside. Yes, also some suitors wear a diver’s suit so the sweat doesn’t escape their body and “soak” the fursuit. Smart, I always make sure to wear an under suit as well under my armors. Your costume will thank you for it… And it will smell much better! Ha ha. Most definitely. Is Kheetah the only fursuit you have or is it the first in a nice collection? It’s the only one.... But there are rumors that Kheetah may have a version 2.0 in the works... Oh nice! if it does I would love to see pics of it in the future. You’ll have to ask Kheetah about that. *smiles* I definitely will. What is the most profound thing you have done as Kheetah? I made an autistic child react and smile in a way that his parents had never seen before. Magic. Oh, damn nice man! It is always great to make a child smile. Yes, especially ones that have mountains of issues to deal with every minute of their life. Yeah definitely. What is the next convention Kheetah will be at? Further Confusion in California. It’s another Biggy, but its Kheetah’s first time for that one. Oh nice. Well folks you now know where Kheetah’s next appearance will be if you go to that convention make sure to take a pic with him and show him some love. He definitely gives it out freely to so many deserving folks. It helps to enrich their lives as such. Thank you so much Kheetah for taking out some of your precious time for this interview. It has been a true pleasure giving my readers some insight into the world of the Furry! Thank you for doing this! It was definitely an honor. For more of Kheetah, visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBAZEawJBpv3Vo_zyBRx6aQ 44
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FunktheFormula, Inc. 2015