Pick of the Week: Bicycles

In honor of the miracle that is Amanda having survived a freak bicycle accident with no serious injury, it seems only fitting that our theme this week should be bicycles. Bicycles capture the spirit of summer and of being free. On every street, you will probably see someone cruising, especially on the beautiful days that summer can bring. Potential accidents aside, cycling is a great way to get around the city without all the hassle of clogged up traffic.

Be safe. Wear a helmet.

Amanda: Bicycle- Frances England

Stephen: Bicycle Race- Queen

Mike: Handlebars- Flobots

Throwback Thursday: Snow

It is hot, everybody. It is really hot. It is so hot I'm thinking of frying an egg on the sidewalk just to see if it will cook. To beat the heat, we put up some photos of a phenomenon that seems to have happened so long ago...snow! These are some scenic stills of Philly laden in white, particularly the statues lounging around the fountain at Logan Circle near the Art Museum. Like the statues, stay cool, and stay frosty. 

Philly as a winter wonderland

Japanese tree frosted with snow

Just chilling on the fountain

Snowkini

I'm ready for my close up Mr. Spielberg

Throwback Thursday

This is a new segment of our blog that we will be doing. We'll be introducing you to vintage posts and pictures. How do we do it? We hire pirates to dig through our arggghchives and bring up some buried treasure to share with you today.

This week's pictures say a lot about freedom of expression through turning the body into art. The first photo is of a marvelous tattoo spanning almost every inch of this man's back. Granted, there are some ugly tattoos in the world, but this piece of ink is a masterpiece. It has been said that art is pain, and in this case, it's safe to assume that the pain was worth it for this work of art.

From under the skin to over, we can see what Punk aficionados have been wearing. From their spiked up red hair to their stockings and combat boots, the attire of the group is a statement of rebellion and not conforming to mass popularity. Art through fashion is prevalent in all walks of life, and punks have had their niche for quite a while.

If our bodies are temples, let us paint the walls

It's all about the mohawk

Pick of the Week: Change

This is our first post of the new segment, Pick of the Week. Every week, we will be posting a song for each person on our staff. The topic this week: CHANGE!!!


Amanda: Changes- David Bowie

Stephen: Change (In the House of Flies)- Deftones

Mike: Money- Pink Floyd

Saturday in the Park

We took a trip to Rittenhouse Square a couple weeks ago to take pictures for StyleList. The theme for this was 4 Cities, 4 Looks, 4 Climates, and we did Philadelphia in the Spring! We spent the day capturing the new and upcoming fashions of the ladies of the city while enjoying the fresh Spring weather.

Jiu-Jitsu Fantastica

This was a great experience. I thought I was going in to shoot Delilah's Den girls fighting but they just turned out to be ring girls who looked pretty holding the round signs for these bad-ass professional Jiu-Jitsu fighters! These guys travel around the country kicking the snot out of each other, but don't be fooled by their bloodcurdling demeanor, these guys were sweethearts! This sport is so much different from regular boxing, whether involving roundhouse kicks or submission holds, it definitely had my adrenaline pumping. Basically, imagine wrestling your sibling, but instead of battling on your soft family carpet you are in a steel cage. Oh, and your sibling has more moves than Chuck Norris on steroids. Hiiyahh!

(Post taken from the Amanda Stevenson Photo archives)

We can tell your faking in...

Formulas for effective Lifestyle Photography

1. Great models —  choose models that you get along with and that can emote naturally.  They can be professional models or a vibrant person you meet in everyday life.
2. Good chemistry —  between models and photographer.  So you've put this shoot together to realize on set that the models have no chemistry. No emotion equals uninspiring photos.
3. Natural lighting — to emulate a spontaneous environment.
4. Props - use things that the models can hold, play with and act out a real life experience.
5. Great assistants — on set helps the shoot flow without a hitch. 
Four eyes are better than two.
6. Don't fake it — genuine natural expressions make us think and feel the reality of the lifestyle.  Or, if the model fakes it, make sure it is orgasmic.
7. Be in it — in the moment. Again, genuine emotion is believable.
8. Know your audience — what do you want to illustrate?  Joy of life, excitement, anger, frustration, etc.  Use emotions to get the models in the mood and the point across.
9. Never lose sight that we create the lifestyle — we show people how to live well, be happy, be sad, be anger, be joyous, and just be.
10. Editing for critical story telling — use multiple images, enhanced colors to help evoke the desired response.  Try it!

Special thanks to our Renee Lauren @ Click and our model Megan Zalonka, Robin Watson, the best makeup and hair artist on the planet and our interns Mio Kobayashi and Matt Mangigian from Drexel.