Photos of my photos

In a lovely north London studio this afternoon we got these done. Sadly these are the proofs without the new cover, but I didn't foresee that element changing when I made my plans. Still happy with these for the portfolio.

Good couple of days... various presentation materials for handing the work in arrived in the post, business cards are being made up to arrive on Fri with the final look books and managed to pick up a copy of OK featuring Michelle in my spare 5 mins. Not drunk this much Red Bull in a single week for a while (and its only Weds).

Websites ahoy...

Business Card

Just finished the business card and its caused some debate. I am considering using this front image for the look book as opposed to the previous plain gray and lavender design.

I have to decide this by tomorrow morning if I want it done and I won't get a proof unless we pay for more motorcycle couriers. Risky move since the gray looks alright, but I just think this has much more vibrancy, especially in light of the fact that we can't afford spot UV or emboss as I had wanted.

What do you think folks? Risk it or play safe? I'm consulting Susie with the same question.

Snapz Pro X Love

Having been working on website today I've been concerned with how to represent it well in the show. Animatics are clearly the way to go, rather than letting people click around the live site and having browsers crashing etc, but on top of an actual functioning website a decent animatic is quite a lot of boring leg work, as peeps involved in the D&AD digital brief will know.

The answer is here! Awesome application that turns a selection of your desktop into a Quicktime movie. 30 days trial version with no restrictions... say yes! Youtube compresses really badly but the actual MOV file is full res. It would be prudent to dress these with some control in Flash so users aren't forced in to the ugly Quicktime window... but all in all its great.

Look Book Proofs: a 'white gloves' situation

Proofs of the look book were today dashed over by motorcycle courier straight to my door, allowing me to ponder my critique over the bank holiday weekend. Overall it looks good but already I have spotted issues that I want them to change... there is some moire in places and some inconsistant areas of block colour, caused by 'barring' I'm told. By Tuesday the printers will think I hate it. Live fast, be anal.

My digital camera has died so only these shoddy mobile phone images for the time being. I have booked a professional studio and photographer for next weds (as our beloved Alex is heavilly booked it seems) to photograph the product for my portfolio, so good images available then.

Decisions Decisions

Thanks to everyone's help Susie and I have settled on images to make it to the final cut and the artwork for the look book is now complete and ready to go to press tomorrow morning (see below this post). Re. Portugal Place image... we decided for the full run that the more product based photo was best, but I am also going to print an insert with the vignetted 'alleyway' image in the copy I hand in for assessment as I am very pleased with the art direction in it and as many of you pointed out, it shows off the scene so well.

Next week I will get an uncoated proof and a matt varnished proof. Unfortunately I have had to forgo spot UV or emboss due to the £200+ set up fee quoted by all printers I approached. Photos of those to follow... exciting stuff.

Print Ready Artwork: Folder & Pocket

Print Ready Artwork: Inserts

Copy

A new avenue of the project is that I'm writing all of the copy for Susie's materials and website. Here is a sample that will be printed on the inside cover of the look book:

Bespoke, handmade & beautiful

From the tape measure around your waist to the finished article against your skin, Susie Burstein creates beautiful handmade lingerie to your specification.

Behind Susie’s design lies not just skill and precision, but a creative vision; whether for show or to be kept a secret, undergarments should make a woman feel exactly as she chooses.

It’s all about her.

Any proofreading will be appreciated. And thanks you all again for your opinions on the images below... keep them coming, really helpful and interesting for us.

Final Images: Portugual Place

Final Images: Poolside

Final Images: Cinema

FInal Images: Cake Shop

That's a Rap!

On Tuesday night we completed the fifth and final photoshoot, despite one heavy thunderstorm, a photographer with tonsilitis and an AWOL model. From left to right: Emilie Martin (make up), Aleister Kelman (art director), Sonia Leong (model), Huw Garratt (photographer), Susie Burstein (fashion designer).

Final images to follow later today... I have hundreds of photos from which to pick the finals that will make it to the look-book, so after some elimination I will be posting for some suggestions from all y'all.

Keep it lean x

Poolside shoot done!

I love this last photo... "Art Director VS Fashion Designer Deathmatch". Unusual shot as 99% of the time find eachother creatively agreeable in reality.

Despite lots going against us in the run up to this shoot, and the weather being overcast, we came out with what look so far like some great shots... maybe best yet. But will hold my tongue on that until I get them back from Huw. I think we managed to battle the weather by altering our theming slightly to reflect the weather... umbreallas, coffee thermos etc...

ONE more shoot to go tomorrow evening... its almost done!

A man with a plan...

Here in Bristol for the weekend working for Sweatdrop Studios and managed to find a wi-fi spot.

Feeling a bit manic so needed to make a plan for therapeutic value:

Sun:
Get model Sonia's Leong's shoe size and secure diamante heels
Drive back to Cambridge
Pick up flash heads
Meet Susie & Huw to preamble photo shoots
Secure make-up

Mon:
Jesus Green photo shoot 6:50AM (don't forget umbrellas, power extention and heater)
Take photos from Huw using memory card reader
Book generator with HSS Hire
Shop for tracksuit bottoms and neon t-shirt
Pre-photograph Portugal Place (final shoot location)
Articulate Frank interview with Jo K, deliver to Ana and discuss GTS interview
Select single pool photo for look-book

Tues
Arrange time to meet and make-up Sonia
Collect generator from HSS Hire
Meet and make-up Sonia
7PM Portugal Place (umbrellas and heater again)
Take photos from Huw using memory card reader
Select Portugal Place photo for look-book
Finish left over tasks from Monday

Weds
9AM coach to London
Brighter Journal shoot
Meet GTS on FMP and interview
E-mail Pressroom re. new website and PR for Susie
Work on look-book

Thurs
Finalize look-book

Fri
Deliver look-book to Ward Phillipson by upload
First draft Blacks' CD art work e-mailed

Weatherman or God

I've learned throughout this project that every photo shoot has its own unique set of details to deal with, and all the shoots share the common factor that these details are many! Of course most of the time it is all very much in one's control with enough hard work in the planning and organization... but there is one factor I can't negotiate...

Shooting swimwear poolside in pissy English conditions ought to be a challenge. I've got some powerful flash heads, a good photographer and a lot of umbrellas so lets see what we can do...

Website first signs

First signs of the website. You can sece it working here. Currently some glitches, not to mention slow loading times... to my chagrin, I have to let go of the high image quality a bit. Still, please check it out and be patient!

At the final show itself, I intend only to show an animatic of key sections, so I can chill out about these technical aspects for the time being. Susie very much needs the site live soon though, so lots of work to be done.

noscript?

Any of you other web guys know why Dreamweaver CS3 puts Flash objects inside a 'noscript' tag? As far as I can see the only purpose this serves is to stop the browser paying attention to 'object'? Now I need to manually remove them all...

Full Collection

Today I finished the process of selecting, cropping and retouching product images. Including different angles, crops and views we have around 25 images good to go!

Pray god that I become a creative director and not a photoshopper! It is hard slog.

Blue satin knickers

Swimwear

Blue waspi

Pink Satin Corset with Lace

Studio Shoot

Yesterday's studio shoot couldn't have gone much better. Susie had some great new pieces and Val took some quite breathtaking photos. Thanks Val!

Images here shortly...

Lookbook Underway

I got a manageable quote from a good printer this morning so have finally been able to begin solid work on the lookboook. My original format was not possible to do digital (according to all 10 of the printers to reply to me!) as it was too large, so I've gone for this A4 oversize folder with inserts. Paper weights etc looking very good, die cutting happening for the flap, but unfortunately not a printer on earth seems to be at all up for spot UV on such a small run (I am only having 10 or so 'prototypes' made up for now). I doubt the presence of spot UV will change the outcome of my degree, but I really wanted it!

Poolside Shoot Confirmed

Shirley Oliver, the General Manager at Jesus Green Swimming Pool has granted us an early morning slot on May 14 to shoot the swimwear. Unfortunately Susie may have to pay the going rate as my negotiation skills aren't working quite so well in this instance.

Huw Garrat will be be the photographer at this shoot. Just need to arrange the final 'Old Town' themed shoot, which hopefully Robin Mellor will be available for, then the locations will be in the can.

Bright and early tomorrow we will be in the photography studio getting all the product images done in one go. Valentine Obasuyi will photograph!