2 TWISTED
2014
ISSUE #2 TWISTED Cover by: Bastian Kalous
In this Twisted Issue we had the pleasure of collaborating with the following talented people: Amando Mason (Truth and Dare Affair) Suji Park Photography (Whattatheater) Mish-a-Mash (MetArtmorphosis) Pedro y el Lobo (A la Mode) Vincent Urbani (A la Mode) Amelia Escriche (A la Mode) Rosana Galián (A la Mode) Races (Face the Music) Kristina Petrošiutė (Interview) Ute Kranz (Wanderlust)
And this is who we are! Marta Huguet Cuadrado Adrian Norbert Cuper Marko Slavkovic Jelena Pajic Milos Cubrilo Kam Top Yip Michelle Rae Harun Osmanovic Alessandro Panelli
EDITOR’S WORD Twisted. What does it mean? Everything! It means everything that it does mean and anything that it could mean. What does the dictionary say about the word “twisted”? Does it really matter? It all depends on the type of logic we assume. Everything that differs from this logic will also be twisted. It will have a different special meaning depending on the individual. Thanks to film photography, one can climb to the tops of improbability yet still remain true to reality. Analogue photography does not invent artificial worlds. It faithfully shows how our own worlds can be twisted. What you have not seen before now stands right in front of you, within your grasp. Double exposures? Blending different techniques? Do you know how many ways there are to show how crazy the reality is? If not, just take a look at what awaits you in this issue. During the last two months we have constantly focused on delivering you this issue on time. Scouting for great talent, interviewing, writing, designing, day after day just to show you how magical and how twisted is the analogue world. Here, you’ll not only find amazing work, but also inspiration, which we hope will lead you to create your own amazing work. Welcome to our Twisted world!
TRUTH AND DARE AFFAIR
page 03
TWISTED WORLD
page 15
WHATTATHEATER page 07
METARTMORPHOSIS page 43
A LA MODE
FACE THE MUSIC
INTERVIEW
MAD MECHANICS
WHATTATIP
WANDERLUST
page 47
page 61
page 71
WORDOGRAPHY
page 75
page 57
page 67
page 73
WAGGING TONGUES page 79
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AND
AFFAIR
Amanda Mason’s wonderfully fantastical and dreamlike images have been featured in a number of exhibitions and magazines and have already garnered her a great deal of attention and admiration from the analogue community. Now, it’s time to get to know the photographer (and her quirks) behind the images.
AMANDA MASON Amanda: Best habits. Crikey… Best. Habits. Hmmm, best habit maybe that I edit work harshly. Won’t often put up lots of different versions of the same photograph to my site or Flickr, etc. I find it makes everything weaker when you have loads of different shots from the same shoot. I mean I don’t want to see the variations right, just choose one!!! I say that to others silently all the time. Just pick one that’s the best, I have stores of shots that will never see the light of day because of this. I think you end up with stronger body of work through editing as much as shooting it. Of course, this is my habit. Everyone else can do whatever they like lol...
Truth: What’s the most random thing you like to photograph? Amanda: Ha... random... I think most things that I use are random; but random with reason if that makes sense. I’m always using various props, creating scenarios... but I guess the most random object I have that features sometimes is my taxidermied alligator’s head… I love its beady eyes! Truth: What's one pre-shooting ritual you absolutely must do before a shoot? Amanda: Oooh, rituals!! Hmmm… I think that because my shots are usually models (dioramas) or propped or created scenarios, I spend hours sometimes making these, so the ritual to me is that I plan! I always sketch the shot first, just draw out what I want. I think it’s my design training, always drawing out the ideas, so for me it’s the initial drawing, working out what I want it to say, then it’s about composing, checking composition, then checking again. I’m often in my shots, so I need to mark out the frame, to know exactly where everything and myself needs to be.
Amanda: Worst habit. Oh god! Worst habit might actually shooting after drinking wine. Sometimes I just get into the mood, then have some wine, then decide to shoot late at night; and well this is either downright genius or a complete disaster. Truth: If you could only see the world in only one color, what color would that be and why? Amanda: Oooh, what a lovely question! That is a lovely thought. If I could see the world in one colour, it would be in blue, as I have this overwhelming desire to live under the sea, but without all the predators. If I could see it in blues, then it would feel like that peaceful magical place I want it to be without me looking over my shoulder hoping nothing is coming for me…
Amanda: Then a glass of wine doesn’t hurt lol... I know that’s no crazy throw salt over the shoulder kind of ritual, but sometimes I think photography is about the preparation, and that’s where your ritual needs to be. The shot after all is a second. Truth: Name one of your best AND one of your worst habits as a photographer.
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Truth: If there's one famous person, dead or alive, whom you'd like to photograph, who would it be and why?
Truth: Which movie or book would you love to be in to photograph from the inside and why?
Amanda: Now whilst I would totally love to say someone really highbrow, powerful and intellectual, it would have to be Karen O from the band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I’m not really one to shoot portraits, but if I could, it would be her because I have this huge girl crush on her, and think she's fabulously rock and roll! And if I photographed her then I would get to meet her… lol And I think she'd be up for posing with bugs and snakes and alligator heads!
Amanda: I would love to be inside Une Semaine de Bonte by Max Ernst. It’s a series of collages, A Week of Kindness. It actually was a series of initially 5 books with 7 sections, one for every day of the week, and each day dedicated to a different theme like Mud, Water, Fire, Blood, etc. He has collaged engravings seamlessly and they are so fabulously surreal and full of meaning, romance, and terror. Hugely surreal and beautiful and I would love to be in that world to photograph it. It’s one of those works that you just wish you had done!
Truth: If you could go back in time, what single moment from your own childhood would you want to capture? Amanda: Hehe fun!! When I was four, my older brother snuck into my room at night, and hid under the bed. When I got out of bed in the morning, he jumped out of there and growled like a rabid dog; and I remember the next chain of events in slow motion in my mind. I remember seeing him, but not seeing him for the rise of terror in my throat, and thinking that some monster had indeed come out from under my bed, and then tearing into my parents room in hysterics and seeing their legs shoot up from under the blankets as they thought I was being murdered. I still remember this as stills. I want to capture that moment of terror as I am still scarred from it. In a storyboard, monsters under the bed exist!
Truth: If you weren't a film photographer, what would you be doing instead? Amanda: Easy! I’d be an anaesthetist. There is so much amazing magic and art in the science of an anaesthetic. I think they are amazing. Seriously, I can’t believe there is a chemical that can render you into so many states of sleep, unconsciousness, etc. so that they can do all these things to your body like open it up and perform surgery, block nerves in different parts of the body, render you only slightly sedated so you are in a sleep state but awake... Just the power and responsibility in this medical science. I’ve had numerous different types of anaesthetics, and every time come out of thinking, “Wow, how trippy was that!” Even though I never had the pure academic grades to achieve it, I would love to be working with them, and learning all the advancements as they are made.
Now for your dare, you said that the one book you'd love to be in to photograph from the inside is Une Semaine de Bonte. We dare you to create a photo collage that best describes how you feel every time you look through the book.
Amanda: I created a collage, using Victorian engravings from the public domain in a manner which Max would have created his original collages. Then I photographed this collage on Polaroid Fade to Black, peeled to transparency. This transparency was then overlayed a base PX70 ColourProtection image. All taken with an SX70 Sonar.
Amanda Mason is a freelance designer and analogue photographer based in Sydney. Check out her amazing evocative and dreamy photographs at www.amandamason.com.au and www.flickr.com/amamason.
Interview by Michelle Rae
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WHATTATHEATER Analogue photographs sometimes become a vehicle for storytelling. Here, in this issue, it’s Suji Park’s delicate and poetic images that are the guiding thread for a story that she herself has crafted. Softly step into this small world she’s created and observe from a quiet corner the magic that’s about to happen.
THE HOURS OF RABBIT Photos by Suji Park
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An analogue photographer whose passion for film came out of curiosity, Suji Park has dedicated herself to the magic of film photography to create what she calls “visual poems.� Her images are rooted from her dreams and from the different worlds she creates in her mind.
See her dreamy photographs at https://www.facebook.com/sujiparkphotography.
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TWISTED WORLD "What would you do if you could do anything?" As creatives, we are the freethinkers of our generation. We search for new ideas, new techniques, new challenges; and they all take guts and elements of disregard. We strive, we fight to push our craft in ways people cannot or won’t allow themselves to understand. We find comfort in the discomfort. Society and cultural norms have us questioning our morals and ethics, but an idea born in the mind will always eat at us, because it doesn't belong there as a thought. Overtime, it becomes a crazy insatiable itch in the recesses of our subconscious, haunting us day and night - a mysterious devil figure on our shoulder whispering, "Why not?" So why not join us as we journey through our hopes and fears, dancing cautiously amongst dreams and nightmares with a smirk on our faces‌ just because we can.
Greg Ponthus
Untitled Olympus OM20 Kodak Portra 160
http://cargocollective.com/gregponthus
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Brandon C. Long http://brandonclong.net
Untitled Polaroid SX-70 TZ Artistic Polaroid Film
Aurelien Heilbronn
“Swallow Me, NYC” Yashica T4 Fuji 400 Pro
http://aurelienheilbronn.com
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Emilie AhBahBravo http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahbahbravo
“Mysterious Way” Polaroid Sx70 Impossible Project PX70 Color Protection
Andrea Torres Balaguer
“The Road, Hypnagogia” Pentax K1000 Fujifilm Superia ISO 200
http://www.andreatorresbalaguer.com
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Carmen de Vos https://www.facebook.com/carmendevos.photography
“Dutch --05” Polaroid 600SE Polaroid 108
Carmen Marchena
“The Sound of Time” Leica M6 Fuji Velvia 100
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17666600@N02/
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Marie H Lagabbe http://www.36poses.eu
“Chimère” Lomo Lubitel 2 Lomography Lady Grey 400 ISO
Toby "fotobes" Mason
“The Nemesis” Lomography LC-A+ Kodak Elitechrome EBX 100
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobesandjess
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Hussein Nabhan http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoseun/
“Vines” Lubitel 166+ Fuji Pro 400H
Bastian Kalous
“In The Firing Line” 4x5 Wooden Wista Field 4x5 Polaroid 72
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastiank/
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Sleep, Dream https://www.facebook.com/thesleepdream
“Bound” Polaroid SX-70 Polaroid Artistic Time Zero
Maria Kazvan
Untitled Minolta XD-11 Fuji Film 200
http://www.mariakazvan.com
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Elisabeth Dare http://www.elisabethdare.com
“Sorcellerie” Canon TL Kodak Tri-X 400
Anna Marcell
“Statue” Diana F+ Instant Back Fuji Instax Mini Film
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annamarcell
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Martha Kubica http://www.flickr.com/photos/martakayphoto/
“Death in the Cosmos” Promaster 2500PL SLR Kodak 400
Polina Washington
Untitled Nikon FM2 Lomography Color 400
http://www.flickr.com/photos/polina_washington
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Mery Adrian http://www.flickr.com/photos/mers007/
“Beauty by Nature” Holga 120 CFN Kodak Aerochrome EIR
Renee Ackerman
“Bed of Eternal Blue” Pentax K100 Fujifilm Superia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gandalfthewhite
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Martiza de la Vega http://maritzadelavega.com
“Stranger in a Strange Land� Polaroid SX-70 Impossible Project PX 100 Cool
Nick Duke Woods
“Emily” Canon AE1 Manual Kodak Tri-X 400
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47558599@N06/
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Matthew Davidson http://www.flickr.com/photos/megalithicmatt
“John Lewis” Zeiss Ikon Nettar 517/16 Ilford XP2 Super 400
Maria Louceiro
Untitled Canon Rebel 2000 Expired film
https://www.facebook.com/marialouceiro
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Owen Patrick https://www.facebook.com/Owenpatrickphotography
Untitled Hasselblad 500cm Kodak Tri-X
Yoshitaka Goto
“Revelation” Lomography LC-A+ Lomography BW Lady Grey 400
http://www.photobox.jp/
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Riccardo Parenti (Kokeshi Design) http://www.kokeshidesign.com/photography/
“Furin Hotel” Mamiya 7 Kodak Ektar 100
Sarah Seené
“La Dance Céleste” Polaroid 680 Close-Up Impossible Project PX 680 Cool
https://www.facebook.com/WelcomeToSarahland
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METARTMORPHOSIS Love of traditional techniques of creation is not only common with photographers. Artist Michał Zesławski cannot imagine living and creating without glass and paper! His stunning collages and glass sculptures are proof that having skills is necessary for an artist. Marvel with us at his amazing work.
THE VISUAL IMPRESSIONS OF
Mish-a-Mash Poland-based artist Michał Zesławski, who better identifies himself with his alter ego or persona mish-A-mash, is not one to shy away from a new challenge. A visual artist by trade, he has already taken a crack at different forms of art, including sculpting, graphic design, and photography. He loves to uncover new mediums and experiment with them, which most likely stems from his intense natural curiosity and his dislike of routines. His heart belongs to collages, however. While he has been painting since he can remember, he’s soon realized that he needed a new technique where he could express himself in more ways than one. And this is exactly what collages give him. As he puts it, “A collage is a combination of images and images have meanings, so it is something like a puzzle with each piece a different composition, and I like to set them together to show my thoughts.” By blending together image cutouts and newspaper clippings with acrylic paint, he creates beautiful images on canvas that not only represent his thoughts but also make for influential statements. Not one to be held back by a single technique, though, mish-A-mash (a name, by the way, that best describes chaos he sees in and around himself) also uses glass and fashion as mediums for his art. He has employed the use to different glasswork techniques like lampwork and glassblowing to create amazing installations as well as the art of screen-printing to design a line of dresses for women.
Like many visual artists, mish-A-mash takes inspiration from pop culture. But mostly he takes inspiration from life itself: “Life inspires me. I am an observer, I see and I think. Some impressions are stronger than others. It can be color, emotion, composition, stuff, or even an overheard sentence. It depends on what catches and keeps my attention.” But really, while he’s found his most effective source of inspiration as well as the techniques he can most express himself, to him it’s the goal and not the way it was achieve that matters most. “What’s important is to know a reason and to know the answer to the question, ‘Why am I doing it?’ To know it, you need first the technical skills. And then you can choose what you want to do in your art.”
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To novice artists who are still fumbling their way through their art, he strongly advises to “Just do it!” “If you feel that your work is good, fight! And be yourself. Of course remember about reviews, and sometimes think about them. But in changing your way, you have to be sure it is your decision, not reviewers’. So try to find opportunities to show your stuff, not for fame but for your satisfaction. You never know, maybe someday your work can affect someone's life.”
Interview by Adrian Norbert Cuper Written by Michelle Rae
Michał Zesławski is a visual artist based in Kielce. To see more of his work, please visit http://michalzeslawski.carbonmade.com
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A LA MODE Fashion might be one of the dreamiest disciplines we have. And in this issue, we want you to explore with us the original and personal atmosphere that Pedro y el Lobo has created with the help of the unconventional eye of photographer Vincent Urbani. The exquisite pieces of clothing you will see have been carefully designed with handcrafted materials and strong structural patterns. And to spice things up, we have added some pieces from MadRubb’s fantastic latex collection. Come and enjoy the show from this dream team that we’ve reunited just for you.
T H E
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O F
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Interview by Marta Huguet Cuadrado Photography by Vincent Urbani Model: Rosana Galián Hair and Makeup Stylist: Amelia Escriche http://ameliaescriche.tumblr.com Showroom: L’Showroom http://www.lshowroom.com/index.htm
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THE CREATIONS OF PEDRO LOBO
Whattaroll: What’s your personal vision of fashion?
Pedro: To me, since it’s both my profession and lifestyle, fashion is my most important way of expression W: What’s the story behind your name, Pedro y el Lobo (Peter and the Wolf)?
Pedro: A duality game and a fusion of terms that are opposites and they both reflect my personality by silhouettes, colors, patterns, and textures… W: What’s the most fun part to do in your creative process? And the most difficult one?
Pedro: Doing research about any kind of information related to the concept I want to work on really amuses me, but I guess the most exciting moment is when something I’ve designed becomes real! And the worst part… I’d say it’s trying to make my days last 28h! W: What are your sources of inspiration when you’re creating your pieces?
Pedro: I’m passionate about textures. I like to touch every surface that gets my attention for a second. It can be walls, fruits, fabrics, or plants… Also, my work is pretty autobiographic. One of the greatest things in this profession is that you have the opportunity to show how you feel at the moment or about something that happened in the past. You can translate those into patterns, colours, and volumes… W: How do you normally find and manage the collaborations you do with other people or companies?
Pedro: Most of them just came in the most natural way possible. Maybe because of a mutual fascination that I share with the person I’m gonna work with, or maybe because when discussing a project to somebody, we think “Why don´t we just make it together?” I always try to push for these situations when I find someone or something I am passionate about, you know.
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W: Our magazine aims to not only promote film photography but also celebrate going back to the roots of photography and being more hands-on and analogue. How hands-on are you with your creations?
Pedro: I’d say quite a lot. From fabric manipulation that I do by myself to creating new textures to choosing the craft people that I work with to create my pieces.
W: If you were to choose some other profession besides a designer, what would you be doing?
Pedro: All these years, I’ve wanted to be a veterinary surgeon and a marine biologist even though I sometimes see sharks under my bed… and I was about to become a podiatrist! But right now, I think I’d do something related to gardening. I kinda think plants like me.
W: When you create something, are you influenced by your surroundings, or are your creations a product of a more intimate and independent work?
W: Pedrolobo is your next exciting project. Tell our readers more about it.
Pedro: I think it’s inevitable that you get influenced by any tendencies around you. But at the same time, I think that you also make a personal translation of it to make it mold with your own ideas. I’m also working for another brand, so I try to keep it updated with all the news arriving from the fashion world. On the other hand, my personal brand is much more of an introspected work.
Pedro: It’s the natural evolution of Pedro y el Lobo (name that I have been using since I started my projects in 2007). Having some experience on the field already, and after experimenting as a designer, Pedrolobo will have a more mature and commercial approach, without losing the style line I’ve been following. It will have small, limited collections, focused on online business and a new atelier. It will be all spiced up with a brand new image and a lot of passion to make things happen.
Pedro García is a Spanish fashion designer who has had an exciting and intense creative path. He founded Pedro y el Lobo in 2007, after winning the Mustang Fashion Week newcomer designer. See his work at http://www.pedrolobo.es.
Vincent Urbani is an Italian photographer based in Madrid. With a very diverse portfolio and a unique, original style, he has had his work featured in big magazines such as Schön Magazine, NEO2, and Vogue. Visit his site at http://www.vincenturbani.com.
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Coat by Pedro y el Lobo
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Top by MadRubb Coat by Pedro y el Lobo
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Jumpsuit by Pedro y el Lobo
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Dress by MadRubb
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Dress by MadRubb
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Trousers by MadRubb Top by MadRubb Dress Coat by Pedro y el Lobo
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Dress by Pedro y el Lobo
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Top by MadRubb Jacket by Pedro y el Lobo
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FACE THE MUSIC Evocative sounds underneath a complex but delicate composition are the main ingredients in Los Angeles-based indie band Races’ sound. Turning personal experiences into creative workflow, main man Wade Ryff composed a sophisticated first album, Year of the Witch, which provided a powerful starting point for the promising project. Today, they are ready to move forward with their next album with a refreshing new façade. Whattaroll caught up with Wade recently to chat about the juicy details, from their image to their approach and creative process.
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How would you define the music style of Races?
I prefer not to. I have heard so many different descriptions of our music, most of which don't make sense to me. I'd rather stay out of it and let the listener come up with whatever labels make sense to them. That being said, I think that the new music I'm writing is a bit of a departure from our first record.
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C Races is formed by six talended musicians but tell us, how is everyone involved in the creative process? Does each of you have a concrete role in creating a new song?
Races is not the same band that it was 2 years ago. Of the 6 original members, only 3 of us still remain. The 2 members in the past who were the most involved with me in the creative process are no longer in the band. The creative process has become much more solitary. At this point, I bring most of my ideas to Lucas (drums) first. Lucas helps get the songs off the ground but when it comes to creating a song, it's pretty much just me.
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Does the band have strong roots in LA? Do your surroundings “feed� your songs during your song-making process or is it more isolated?
You can't help but be influenced by your surroundings. I'm born and raised in Los Angeles so it's in my blood...for better or for worse. These days I find myself writing about Los Angeles. That's a recent thing for me. I never really wrote songs about Los Angeles before. I love Los Angeles but I've become disillusioned with they lifestyle. I'd rather be alone in the woods, far from Babylon. New songs like "Big City Lights", "Fugitives", and "Koreatown" are pretty clearly about that struggle.
In Big Broom, you say “All my debts and all my dreams / Will one day be swept clean." Where is Races at this very moment? Are you trying to finish one dream or are you about to start a new one? Tell us about your future plans. Nowadays, it seems there are many artistic movements that go back the more romantic, less post-produced, and more analogue vision. Do you think that music is evolving and moving into that direction or is it the other way around?
How involved is the band in creating the image they project, not only on stage but also in your videos and in your CD and poster art? Do you have an art director or are you pretty much hands-on and DIY?
It's a bit of both. It's usually me working with an outside person. My involvement is usually just saying what I like or what I don't like, but the original idea, usually comes from an outside person. We have been blessed to have some really talented artists and photographers involved in the visual element of the band. Edward Chase Masterson directed 2 of our music videos, one being the "Big Broom" video, which had a huge influence on the visual aspect of the band. Ever since that video came out, balloons became this re-occurring presence in photo-shoots, posters, art, and shows. That was never planned. I think that for a lot of people when you think about Races on a visual level, balloons come to mind. That is all Chase's doing.
It seems to be the other way around in music. Computers have had such a big influence on music. Nowadays, you don't even need to know how to play an instrument to make music and anybody can make a record in their bedroom. Because of this you get a lot of artists that are almost entirely reliant on technology and studio tricks. At the same time, it's opened so many doors. When it comes to choosing analogue or digital, I think it really comes down to whichever process the artist prefers. There are certain challenges with analogue... malfunctioning equipment, not being able to track down parts you need, the cost of tape, the challenge in finding good tape, the time and precision required to edit tape, having to actually execute your parts instead of fixing them in the computer... you really have to be dedicated to the process. I think the speed and efficiency of digital tends to take precedence for most people and I understand why; especially if you are working with a small budget and time constraints. I believe that there are great benefits in utilizing new technologies in music but I don't think anyone should be dependent on it. I'm a purist at heart but at the same time I don't want to just rehash old traditions, sounds, and styles of music. My preference for my own music is combining the best of both worlds.
I feel like it's a new chapter for me. Last year came with so many sudden changes and challenges with the band. It left me in a pretty uninspired state of mind. I've finally reached a point where I feel liberated by all that has happened and I'm excited to making new music. I'm currently working on writing a new record. I've also really been enjoying collaborating with other people. Essentially I just want to stay busy, focused and inspired and continue to make more art.
Races is an indie band based in Los Angeles, CA spearheaded by guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter Wade Ryff. They are currently working on their next album.
See what they’ve been up to at:
https://www.facebook.com/racestheband
and check out their music on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/year-of- the-witch/id506948761
or on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/races.
by Marta Huguet Cuadrado Photographs by Michelle Rae
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Far in the land marked by ice and fire, where the Aurora shines brightly over her kingdom, a very special human being lives. With an open heart and an open mind as well as an extraordinary sense of beauty, Kristina Petrošiutė conjures up magnificent photographs. The lighthouse her symbol, the Icelandic landscape her home, she continually amazes us with the power of her photos that are saturated with emotions. Lighthouse Keeperss - like a beacon in the digital world, she draws our attention to the joys of analogue and shows us the beauty of Iceland with her magnificent works. And we’re lucky enough to have the chance to find out what makes her photographs so special and what inspires her most.
LIGHTHOUSES AND LANDSCAPES Which camera and film combination gives you the best feeling?
Your very original name and your recent works have one thing in common - a lighthouse. What’s the reason behind that?
I don’t have a special combination. Most of the time, I use Nikon F4 and Mamiya 645 with Ilford HP5 Plus or Fujifilm Superia. Films are very expensive here in Iceland so I can’t allow myself to be picky.
For as long as I remember, I always had a strong affection for lighthouses. There are more than one hundred lighthouses in Iceland. I have visited half of them. Every time I travel to another country, the first thing I do I visit a lighthouse there.
How do you prepare for a photo shoot? Do you research and pick a special place to shoot at before you go there with your cameras?
The name Lighthouse Keeperess was born after my husband went to a one-week trip in a fishing boat. One day, the weather got really bad and the ship went missing. I was going crazy with worry. That day, I had a tattoo of a little lighthouse done on my wrist as a symbol to keep him safe and sound and always lead him home to me.
It depends. If we are talking about work for a client, I plan almost everything. I draw sketches, check locations, think of lighting, and other stuff. When it comes to my personal work, I usually take my cameras and films and hit the road and work more intuitively. There are still several things I do before the trip – I always check weather forecast and road conditions. Iceland can be little bit rough sometimes.
When did you decide on photography as your professional path? Was there an exact moment or was it deliberate, conscious decision?
You focus a lot in capturing the beautiful landscapes around you. What do they mean to you?
It happened 2 years ago when one of my closest friends entered photography school in Sweden. That made me think and helped me realize what I really wanted out of my life. There were two choices – music or photography. Photography became my profession and piano is my hobby.
Only in nature do I feel focused, happy, and fulfilled and I try to transmit these feelings through my landscape photographs. How different are your approaches to studio photography and to landscape photography?
What was/is your biggest struggle in this profession?
Usually in studio I use digital camera, but for landscapes I use only film. I always prefer working outside with natural light. Studio lights irritate me, but some of my work needs to be done in studio with artificial lighting.
I think it’s the lack of time. I am studying full time, working in After-School Center, working on my own projects and of course, for clients. Sometimes it gets really hectic.
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Your photos are very bright and filled by light. Do you have a favorite shooting technique to achieve such results?
Iceland is famous among photographers because of its beautiful light. I guess you don’t need any special technique to capture it. The light is there and it is impossible to miss it. We find they are also very still yet full of emotions. What gives them that emotional charge? Is it coming from something inside of you or are you inspired by what’s happening around you?
Hehe… I think I answered this question already. (See question 6…)
Iceland has a very interesting cultural movement. Is your photography influenced by other art forms such as music or graphics?
I love Icelandic music. It inspires me a lot. I definitely recommend listening to bands like Samaris, Úlfur, or Yagya. Their music makes me calmer and happier. If you didn’t live in Iceland and if you were not doing photography, what would you be doing instead?
Oh dear… this is difficult… I guess I would still be living in Lithuania and working in computer services as I was doing 7 years ago. In your opinion, do you think the analogue photography will survive the digital epoch? How will it evolve?
Since the theme of this issue is the concept of Twisted, could you share with us the most fantastical or surreal photo shoot you’ve ever had?
I think the most surreal moments happened while I was working on Fisherman’s Wife. I got pneumonia because of the cold while shooting the first images of this mini-series. The deadline was short so I had to shoot the rest while I was really sick and had a high temperature. I was missing the last photo with a lighthouse, so we walked for an hour through lava fields until we reached it. I think it was the longest trip I’ve ever had. After all the photoshoots, I still had to work in the darkroom and enlarge the pictures. Being alone for 14 hours in the dark with high temperature was quite a challenge. It took me a month to recover. I am happy with the results; but process, which included moving lava fields, monsters in the dark and time holes, is still quite mysterious to me. Tell us a bit about your future plans. Any upcoming project or exhibition?
Now I am working on a project called “Solaris”, which was inspired by my favorite USSR film “Solaris” (directed by Andrej Tarkovsky) and the magnificent landscapes of Iceland. I am planning on having a show in the end of spring. Also, I am doing some work for designer Særós Mist and Reykjavik City. The project commissioned by the city of Reykjavik is going to be exhibited in April. One of my photographs from series “Biography” won the Life Framer’s Competition and it is going to be exhibited in London and Switzerland this spring.
Of course it will. At least black and white. No one is asking if oil painting or hot air balloons are going to survive. In my opinion, digital can’t replace analogue. They are too different. We need them both.
Kristina Petrošiute is a portrait and landscape film photographer based in Reykjavik, Iceland. See her dreamy work at http://www.kristinapetrosiute.com.
We’ve realised you are a nomadic soul, as many of us here at Whattaroll. Do you think that aspect of your personality helps define your personal style as photographer? Do you approach photography in a different way when you are away?
I spend 3 months out of 12 abroad, but don’t feel like taking photos while traveling at all. I mean I do take them, but it isn’t as exciting as working in Iceland. I hope one day I’ll find the way to change it.
by Adrian Norbert Cuper and Marta Huguet Cuadrado
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MAD MECHANICS Leaf shutters are not like any of the other kinds of shutters you know. That’s the first lesson you should bring home with you today. The second? Having a leaf shutter camera makes the difference. It makes a HUGE difference.
WHY
First of all, let’s talk about the huger. A huger is a mechanical device for exposing film. It was designed when photography was evolving, when the necessity to improve the maximum shutter speed in cameras (before, it existed manual shutter speed, counting the seconds of exposure and manually opening/closing the shutter) arose. Due to the evolution of film, it became necessary to reduce the time of exposure since it was impossible for a human being to open and close the shutter faster, or discriminate between 1/250 and 1/400 speeds, for example. This gave birth to shutters. I will not bore you with a complete classification of the different kinds of existing shutters out there because the industry produced tons of them and many had since become obsolete. The more useful information you need to know is that we can classify them in three big groups: 1. Shutters in front of the lens, which are mostly obsolete. 2. Shutters among the lens combinations, when the lens is composed by a unique element, they’re usually behind but near the lens and far from film. In this group we have leaf shutters, aka diaphragm shutters. 3. Shutters behind the lens, which are usually near the film. One of the most famous ones is the curtain shutter. These ones are focal plane shutters; this means that they are exactly in front of film, coincident with the plane in which there is the focused virtual image you will see on film.
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Let’s discuss the two main problems about curtain shutters, which are common to all the group of focal plane shutters.
1.
Distortion of moving objects, during exposure time. This problem is related to how the curtains work. The distortion is present only when the shutter speed is high (i.e. short exposure time).
This is how the curtains work in low shutter speed (i.e. long exposure time): The frame is exposed totally at the same time.
This is completely different from what happens when we work with high shutter speeds: The frame is exposed a portion at a time when we use a high shutter speed, so we have different consequential times in which light hits the film. This phenomenon creates distortion, when objects are moving on front of the camera.
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Camera shaking. Even if you use a tripod, get used to the fact that these cameras shake when the shutter operates (i.e. your picture will be blurred). The shaking is particularly strong when the shutter speed is low, because the curtains move in two different steps and times.
What is the advantage of leaf shutters?
Diaphragm shutters, again aka leaf shutters, on the other hand, are made to work between the two combinations of a compound lens, operating close to the aperture, just behind it. The problem of distortion is absolutely not present when using a leaf shutter camera. As far as camera shaking is concerned, here’s a useful surprise for you…
Simple. You have three more full stops of handholding. This is not due to the “fairies of leaf shutters” but a feature that was considered when leaf shutters were initially designed. In the original project, engineers wanted to cancel those two focal plane shutter problems we spoke about.
When you use a camera with no leaf shutter (think about whatever camera you know or have), there is a specific rule that can be used to calculate the minimum shutter speed until you can handhold the camera. The rule is simply this:
To close, here’s another example: Let’s take my leaf-shutter camera Mamiya RZ67 with 110mm lens mounted on it. It has 3 more stops than 1/125s, so you can handhold it until 1/15s. With the same focal length (110mm), you can: 1. handhold a focal plane camera until 1/125s, without a tripod. 2. handhold a leaf shutter camera until 1/15s.
The minimum shutter speed possible to handhold the camera is the reciprocal of its focal length. Obviously if you have a fixed lens camera, this parameter is always the same; if you have a interchangeable lens camera, you have to update this parameter, according to the lens you’re mounting.
In conclusion, after looking at the pros and cons of both types of shutters, I propose that while both may be ideal for a studio shoot, leaf shutters are the best choice for street photography or any other type of photography that requires more handholding.
Let’s use this as an example: You have a focal plane camera with a 110 mm lens. You can handhold it until 1/110s shutter speed (more or less 1/125s). If you handhold it with a slower shutter speed, your camera will shake enough to produce a blurred image.
by Alessandro Panelli
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WHATTATIP SMOKE AND MIRRORS
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Technical details: Camera: Nikon F4 with 105mm lens Film: Ilford HP5+ 400 Aperture: f/16 Exposure: 1/250 with flash sync Lightning: Visico strobe VC 400HLR, Collapsible reflector Developer: Kodak D76 @ 7:30 mins
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Main light. The main light is set at a 45-degree angle from the subject's point of view. The main light is directed and sharp, which provides us with an image that is contrasted and has deep shadows. Using this kind of light may result in deep "empty" shadows with no details, and is commonly used in low key photography.
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Collapsible reflector. The deep “empty� shadows caused by the main light, can be remedied by using a few handy tools. In this photo, a collapsible reflector is placed on the subject's right side, opposite from the main light. The light (from the main light) that reflects off that reflector will give you a soft, diffused look.
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Just like a painter standing in front of an empty canvas, visualizing his next masterpiece, so do we, as photographers, trying to make a mental vision of our next shot. That vision, at first pale and blurred, eventually starts to materialize as we start to realize it. The "tools" that we use in this very process must be known and applied correctly for them to be effective on our final vision, so that what started as a doodle of our imagination could become a reality.
Smoke. Have you ever wanted to capture a portrait of someone interesting with a cigar and could not capture the smoke well enough? Well, it’s not you, it’s the light so don’t torture yourself. When dealing with this kind of situation, you need to have a counter light that will give you that effect. Counter lights are (usually) placed opposite the main light and behind the subject. In this photo, the counter light is in fact that same collapsible reflector. It may be tricky to get the right position of the reflector to express the smoke, but you will eventually get the feel for it. If you like, you can also use another light to express the smoke.
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Additional tips & tricks: Composition: Composing a multiple exposure shot is all about your own perception, so don't be afraid to experiment. This will get you a long way. Lightning: You can use a directed flashlight if you do not have a strobe. Also, a collapsible reflector could be anything that can bounce light waves (aluminum foil, white paper, mirror etc.).
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Text and Photo by Milos Cubrilo
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WANDERLUST To the travellers, wandering souls, and free spirits; to the girl who lets the wind sweep her off her feet and take her to lands different from her own; to the man with the heavy pack on his back and weary shoes on his feet; to tourists, drifters, perpetual nomads; and you who just want to experience the world... this is Wanderlust.
While originally open to Hindu-born visitors only, the Pashupatinath Temple, the oldest and one of the most important temples of Hindu god Shiva, now receives pilgrims in the thousands each year. The temple, shown above with the Bagmati River, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a main attraction in the capital city of Kathmandu. Michelle Rae / Photo by Ute Kranz
Ute Kranz is a wanderer, travel photographer, and blogger from Cologne, GE. She documents her amazing adventures in her famous blog, http://www.bravebird.de/.
by Michelle Rae
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WORDOGRAPHY August 2013: J. , a 33-year-old father, was lynched to death for taking a picture of a bike during the Feria of B.
LA FERIA
Fact: there are God-forsaken towns, towns in which good will and hard work are not enough, where weeds grow on freshly laid tarmac. Milkless-breast-like towns; they will suck the blood of every child they bear. That’s right, IT does the sucking! Finding yourself in one is like dying of thirst on a lifesaving boat in the middle of the ocean, happy because you survived, you see the mirage of salvation real close but instead… the wrath of God, of the Devil, of your mother and the unemployment office.
PARANO
It is in such a town that our story takes place. The citizens of B. are your typical resigned beasts – their eyes are full of that irrational last minute hope, a life-preserving mechanism really, which appears just before an execution; the condemned has known for a long time that his is coming to an end, he’s at peace with it; but in the last seconds, there’s that hope for a mercy that will never be pronounced… that’s worse than death, almost. As for our main man, he loved B. as his home. He didn’t respect it though; even next to a trash can, he’d chuck garbage on the floor, for the sake of it, out of principle. He loved B.like an ungrateful son his mother; like a mother her ungrateful son. It’s blood; period. Every homecoming brought this big fellow to tears; close to 2 meters high and all lachrymose he’d get. It made him laugh, the silliness of it all, but he couldn’t help it. By train, entering B. from the east, you first see the stadium; proud as peacock, as Mediterranea. If you’re oming from the West, it’s the Cathedral that welcomes you, up on a hill, as if anchored to earth by day, as if it’s about to fly away illuminated by night. By car, there is the cemetery in the north; the canal and its tall platanus trees in the South where, right before driving in, a giant bull awaits you. There is something reassuring about those certitudes – like the words “Feria 15 aout” written in red on the Bull, always. You know that’s what it’ll say, and this consistency of character is what he loved in B. and what made him cry, each time. Today is that day, August 15th, the Feria, five days of full-on alcohol ingestion- usually sangria, Ricard, beer, and other French Midi classics. The city center becomes one giant club, every street is full, people drinking, puking, pissing, singing, and passing out, all in the open, on the sidewalk.
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Our hero is coming back from Thailand. This is big deal, the first time he went on vacation! Of course, every year, he’d go to his hometown in Morocco, catch up with family; but that’s different, “That’s not traveling,” he thought, “that’s like staying home!” He hated that trip; even though he’d tell his friends how great it is each time, he really didn’t like going there…whereas Thailand, that was something new. He was on his own, away from those who are close, outside of himself, he saw what life could be. He’s jetlagged. Well, of course he is, what’d you expect! However, money doesn’t wait, it doesn’t mind time zones either. As soon as he stepped out of the train, his brother in crime – precise haircut close to the scalp, a gradient of 0.2 and 1.5 millimeters, steel-toe boots, black denim pants, black shirt, MA-1 bomber jacket, black too of course – picked him up riding the bike our main character bought a few months ago. A red Honda CBR600RR. The both of them, they’re bouncers. They work for all kinds of clubs and their job isbasically to bounce heads at will, of those in the crowd who have taken a drink too many, those whose testosterone is acting too much, or in a general sense those who don’t bow to their authority. And sometimes they bully, and sometimes they beat up poor fellows badly… but it’s all doing grace to nature, that’s how they feel. “I work out, I train mix martial arts, I don’t drink… it would be an offense to Mother Nature if I did not honor my strength,” thinks our hero. And there they are, arriving to their workplace, quarter to seven, on the main alley in the city, the music is blasting from all sides already, they climb down from the bike, take their helmets off. The Feria; it’s on.
“Yo, Check it out bro, I swear to god.” “Tell me about it!” “I mean, seriously. Come by anytime of the year, and this… this place be empty. I mean, well empty, right? You could take a dump in the middle of the street. Now though? Look at that guy, it’s not even dark yet, but seriously look at him. The man is pissed. Such a larva. A leech. A flee. And those two dick heads – Hey, what? You’re trying to hide Wally or something? Look at them hugging. Listen man, alcohol… Tfou! It’s disgusting. “ “Don’t be like that, I was in Thailand just hours ago, I’m already depressed about this place; don’t want you to give me the sum of it even more. Let’s just get to the bodega… At least there I won’t hear you, haha. And we’re late by the way, the asshole is gonna be all over us… Hey you! Wally fella; better stay away from that bike! Hear me? I’ll break your skull… we good? Good then. What is this? What? A Camera? Seriously? Looks like a toy. It takes pictures and shit and all that? Back up, let me take one… Come on man, give me it, let me take a shot, you and your other Wally fella, right there… be silly, do something man… Wait, where’s the button? What, this? Haha! Alright, I got it… And here we go… that’s it? Picture taken? Wow, that’s some ridiculous shit, can’t even see it, right? Haha… anyways man, listen, I’m not kidding about the bike, keep off!”
“And they’re happy, they paid for this even, that one’s shoeless… oh mother, look at them shoeless, then you’ll pest me about slippers haha. Where you think you going, wop, back where you came, is this all that’s left getting drunk and dancing to poor music, how can they bear really… That’s why I never understood racists, why choose, I don’t discriminate, hate all these morons equally. They need to be? ridz of… Let me just warm up you bastards, and you’ll see...”
“Seriously, I just got back, and ‘soon I stepped in, as if time stood still, none changed, and this bastard’s already pissing me off, like I can’t see the drunkards, like I… fhou, nothing changed in me, fuck sake! It’s like I never left, life, pffff, it’s scary, how feelings just copy-paste from the past, and now what, five days of this now, ai se eu te pego,the chicken dance, Ricard drinking inebriated suckers as cadaverous as used condoms, lifting them from the ground, throwing out throw-upers… Alright, ohhh, now I’ll start hoping they play good songs too. How do you get rid of a thought? Look at these stupids, don’t they realize there’s a pool of urine-slash-vomit-slash-alcohol-slash-aids right there, and they’re lying right on it?”
“Huh, where my gloves, where… for fu… ahuh, there, now, just try to play smart anybody, a body, that’s all you’ll be, ha… there’s Wally again, ‘t’s he doing near my bike, playing smart huh? Oh you’re doing it just for spite, is that it? I like me a work out, I was slacking off anyway, now come ‘ere, you son of a…”
by Harun Osmanovic
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WAGGING TONGUES We have been witnessing the revival of film photography for a few years now. To those of us who have stumbled upon and discovered the joys of film, it has been a wonderful, magical ride.
But the road has been long and it has not always been paved, as many of you might have noticed. Film photography has had its share of struggles, especially in this digital age when the notion of keeping something sacred is as rare as say, witnessing a meteor shower in the hazy, polluted skies of Los Angeles.
On the bright side, we’ve also had our share of many glorious ups. Newer wisps of light are being lit everyday, like the instant positive-negative (PN) system dubbed New55 film that, last we heard, is in the throes of its mass-production process and the re-engineered version of Imation’s Scotch Chrome 100 film that the wonderful folks over at Film Ferrania are working hard to introduce to the market. Even Kodak has made it’s own revival through Kodak Alaris, which was reborn from the burning ashes of the old company and has since professed its commitment to film. And let us not forget Indie Film Lab’s inspiring documentary aptly called “Long Live Film” – it not only captured the essence of why we have our hearts set on this almost-forgotten art, but also successfully spread the word for the cause.
From companies halting production of many of our beloved films to some film photography communities getting a bad reputation for choosing alternative ways of taking photos, we’ve definitely had a lot of downs. Even the wisps of analogue light like the Impossible Project, a major player in the revival of analogue photography in the 21st century, and Fujifilm’s Instax line are now seemingly crossing the threshold between film and digital. We can only imagine how film purists are reeling from the release of Impossible Project’s Instant Lab and Fuji’s Instax Share, two products that utilize instant films to print out photos taken by smartphones (or as IP puts it, “transform any digital image into a real, one-of-a-kind analog instant photo…”).
Everyday, more and more people are getting on the bandwagon. More are breaking free from the constraints of the digital norm and taking on that wild journey that is analogue photography. And it is, along with its dedicated followers, more so than ever steadily moving onward down its unpaved yet beautiful road, making it known to the world that film is here to stay.
by Michelle Rae
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MESSAGE BOARD Whattaroll magazine has an active life beyond our issues, and we are surrounded and supported by the best of the best. So once in a while, we try and give something back, to show our gratitude. Check out our message board to find out more about the juicy details of upcoming events, giveaways and many more!
Photograph by Mikah Manansala http://www.mikahmanansala.com
SHOUTOUTS For their uncanny ability to make precise guesses, for their superior familiarity with films and cameras, we’d like to give special shoutouts to these film photographers:
Axel Gülcher
www.flickr.com/photos/suizidekid/
Felix Quiogue (Philippines)
Ray James (UK)
Real Rampage (France)
http://intensepuppy.tumblr.com www.flickr.com/photos/theoccipitallobe http://realrampage.wix.com/portfolio
WIN A LOMOGRAPHY DIANA F+
PARTY AND EXHIBIT Join us in welcoming our Twisted Issue with a bang!
We have partnered up with Lomography to giveaway a Diana F+ with flash to one lucky winner!
Lomography New York is throwing us a party to celebrate the release of our sophomore issue. Can you believe it? It just seemed like yesterday when we launched our first!
To enter for a chance to win this adorable dreaminess, please visit http://bit.ly/LomoGiveaway
Contest Rules: No purchase necessary. One entry per user. The winner will be chosen by Lomography and will be notified by email. Odds of winning depend on the total number of entries. Unless you indicate that you wish to receive Lomography and/or Whattaroll newsletters, we will not use any of the personal information you have provided other than for general statistical and demographic background purposes. Submission of an entry will be deemed acceptance of these rules. All decisions will be final and binding with respect to any matter related to this promotion. Offer valid to addresses in the U.S. and Canada only.
There will be drinks. There will be mingling. And there will be an exhibit of some amazing Twisted photos by talented film photographers from all over the world, painstakingly handpicked by us! So what are you waiting for? Save the date and we’ll see you there!
February 20, 2014, Thursday at 6 – 8 PM Lomography Gallery Store NYC 41 West 8th Street New York City
GIVEAWAY
EVENTS 82
A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS We are moving forward more so than ever and we have you to thank for that. Without your amazing contributions, your willingness to be a part of our work, the Twisted Issue wouldn’t have been possible. There’s so much beautiful work out there and while it’s close to impossible to discover them all, you have helped us, with your submissions, to find at least a small number of that to share with the rest of the world. And so here we are, at the conclusion of our Twisted Issue, asking for your help once again. This is our next call for submissions…
ISSUE A change in position or time, that is what motion is. In everything we do, in everything we see, it is there, ever constant, always present. But the aesthetics of it, the beauty of its passage, the story of its process, that we often miss because motion happens rather quickly and it is over in seconds, gone in a blink of an eye.
As photographers, as capturers of moments quickly gone by, it is in our power to capture motion as it happens, as it progresses. At the click of our shutters, we can pause its swift movements and make those precious seconds last for a lifetime. And that is exactly what we would like to see in our next issue. Whether it be a dancer mid-flight or the light trails of a passing car in the dusk or falling of golden autumn leaves, we want to see the proofs of how you have beautifully captured this ever so evasive goddess.
Send in your best and most bewitching motion photographs to us, and you might just get featured in the next Whattaroll editorial.
Submit your images in JPEG format via our Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/whattarollmotion/
or by email at whattaroll@gmail.com.
Consider our guidelines for submissions and the disclaimer before you submit. Guidelines: Each submission must be shot on film (that means no digital shots!) Each photo must have a hi-res version, at least 300 dpi, available upon request. Include a title, a short statement, location, and the camera and film used for each photo you submit. You may submit up to 10 images.
by Michelle Rae photographs by Michelle Rae
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