The Brothers Haslegrave

Oliver and Evan Haslegrave, Brooklyn, March 2011

A few weeks ago I visited the home of brothers Oliver and Evan Haslegrave of hOmE for The Scout magazine.  Check out the full article and rest of the images here.  The brothers were kind and down to earth, and left me with the impression of being very hard working and capable fellas.  They are makers, which I respect.  Extra points in my book because they wore quite nice blazers and button down shirts.  Charming.

Artist's Studio

These are from an prominent artist's studio I visited to use as a photo location for a fashion shoot.  It was so colorful and charming, I couldn't help taking a few details for myself.  And the kitty is crossed-eyed and has paint on her nose!  So think of these as a mini spring infusion of color while nature sorts herself out.  Come on 60 degrees!

Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co. - Studio Visit

On a recent assignment for The Scout magazine I visited Josh Vogel and Kelly Zaneto of Blackcreek Mercantile and Trading Co. in their studio in Kingston, NY.  I got to do what I like best - shoot a mixture of portraits and reportage, letting moments happen naturally.

The sculptural, sensual wood pieces he creates from raw found wood are just stunning in person.  Definitely check them out in person if you get the chance.


Josh is the real deal - a fine artist without pretensions just making his work, using his hands everyday.  There is no separation between craft and art in my book.










A mushroom grew unexpectedly out of the crack in a large sculpture that sits in the corner of the studio!

Studio Visit: Roman and Williams

I was thrilled to visit the studio/offices of Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors for The Scout magazine. I shot portraits and stills in conjunction with a short film that The Scout was producing. The film has just been posted - the second in a series of three about craftsmanship. The film is gorgeous, so please take a look!

I was quite (pleasantly) inspired by the designers behind Roman and Williams - Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch. They were at the same time elegant and down to earth. Their beautiful studio was filled with artifacts and textures and delightful things. I stayed on for the whole interview because I truly wanted to hear what they had to say. I felt a kinship with their sensibilities.

Techy:

I had to work around the filming, which was tricky, but I got to make use of the HMI lighting that the film crew was using (yay!) For the portraits I actually used mostly available daylight and some fill flash bounced, as I had about 15min to make all portraits while the crew was setting up.

Studio Visit: Billykirk

Here are more selects from the recent studio visit to Billykirk leathermakers for The Scout magazine's series on craftsmanship.

Chris and Kirk Bray are Billykirk.

These are the boots that the brothers wore as children! Unbelievably cute.

Their studio was filled with so many lusciously worn textures of wood and iron and steel.

I think they had fun, too. Thanks guys!

Billykirk

I have started working with a great little gem of an online magazine, The Scout, and they just posted this beautiful short video of artisan-leather-making-craftsmen-brother-team of Billykirk. I shot portraits and stills of Chris and Kirk Bray's Jersey City studio to accompany the video. Once you see it, you hardly want to call it a video because it is so beautifully shot by DP Ed David, it really is a "film".

This is the first in a series of shorts about craftsmanship that is the brainchild of Tom Ran. I can't wait for the next ones! They are beautiful and inspiring, and I love meeting these talented folks. When I first started taking pictures, I never even thought it would require me to deal so closely with strangers. It really effects you - to see how people live. But I truly enjoy this for better or worse. It is the most fascinating thing.

Chris Bray was nice enough to give me a lead on my next Dandy portrait - Cator Sparks. Going up to Harlem tomorrow to meet the Dandy in Distress!