GUCCI + Curated/ Fine-Artist Paulette Tavormina
When Paulette Tavormina, fine artist, called ASMP to tell the board she had been contacted by a very big fragrance brand and needed an agent to help her negotiate the details, the organization turned her onto me and we got straight to work! Pleased to announce we not only got to shoot this campaign together, but he’s also been maintaining the relationship with Gucci and continues to shoot for the Alchemist’s Garden brand. Have a look!
Creator Sequoia Emmanuelle - director’s reel for REAL!
Photographer/Director Sequoia Emmanuelle invites you into her colorful world of the fantastic as she releases her debut director’s reel - filled with narrative music video work, the likes of which, I’m sure you’ve never seen. Enjoy!
Sequoia Emmanuelle - director’s sizzle-reel.
Sundial: Art Director Maurizio Grammatico makes it to the other side
During the Covid epidemic, I started a consulting business helping artists to dial into their unique messaging and marketing skills. Maurizio Grammatico, an art director that I met years earlier at Grey Advertising, hit me up on Instagram and said he might be thinking of a career as a fine artist/commercial photographer. Several ideations of his portfolio edit later, we decided to also produce his first motion piece reflecting a bit of the times we were in, and Sundial was the end result. This is an edited version of the film that took us on an adventure into the streets of NYC to capture moments where the light just hit right. SUNDIAL at its core is about pushing us to reimagine our relationship with time. The time spent nurturing ourselves isn’t about indulgence but rather a transformative practice of self-love. It’s about carving out and honoring the time we set aside each day to nurture our mind, body, and spirit. Whether it’s going for a walk, listening to music, meditating, creating art, journaling, exercising or just giving your thoughts time to wander, that time is helping to restore the energy we need to show up fully in our lives.
For more of Maurizio’s work, come find him at: https://www.mauriziogphoto.com/sundial
Urban League Of Essex County - Creative Agency Directorial Debut
At the Urban League of Essex County, it’s why flows from the belief that every person deserves equal access to the resources they need to achieve their potential. I am so pleased to announce my personal directorial debut for this organization. When I was approached by program director, Kevin Jones to help create a film that was not the traditional capabilities piece that would show at their annual Red Gala to help raise funds as a donation/inspiration film, I said as Curated’s agency director - “this is right up my alley.” I tend to not follow traditional paths in almost everything I do. Sometimes it gets me into trouble, but the payoff and the impact is often better than I could dream of. A little angel sat on my shoulder that day and said, “well kid, you’re now a director - figure it out.”
From there, we chose to dig into the human lived experience in each of our subject’s stories. We didn’t create a film that was a traditional deck of dreamy music and long pans over locations and testimonials by the senior officers of the organization. We didn’t create poverty-porn. We knew that If the goal was to raise money for the underserved communities of Newark, NJ, from both individuals and corporations, we had to aim for the heart and showcase the efforts produced by the servants of the organization and then feature the impact and gratitude of those they serve.
From creative concept and art direction to the pre-production interviews of these very special case studies and the heartfelt execution at the homes and community spaces of these incredible humans, we got it done. The Urban League https://nul.org and https://ulec.org reached their fund-raising goal and I got to - for the first time in my life, call myself a creator.
Curated Artist's: Clayton Boyd for Hugo Boss X Spencer Phipps
German fashion house Hugo Boss is getting environmentally friendly with US designer Spencer Phipps on a new gender-less campaign and capsule collection shot by Curated’s Clayton Boyd and we couldn't be more excited for this work. Clayton spent a day hiking on the mountaintops of California’s Roof Crack in Box Spring’s Mountain Reserve Park with Spencer to test his endurance on these cliffs and held up pretty well from what we can see. Thanks to Studio Lou for the tireless production efforts to see this up-cycled, sustainable and culturally diverse campaign brought to life. Here is a little link to the fashion film.
From the pages of Vogue
The diversely cast, desert-shot, and digital hit fashion show—with over 30 million YouTube views and counting—that was Boss’s recent Dubai activation featured one especially surprising model: Spencer Phipps.
Now menswear’s most progressive peak-climbing pogonophile has partnered with the German giant once again, this time on a two-drop collaborative collection that launches today. According to Boss, it marks the first time the company has partnered with another fashion brand. True to the smaller brand’s practice, the collection is chiefly upcycled from existing garments and deadstock fabrics and where not—as in the pineapple leather retro climbing sneakers—uses sustainable materials.
Boss-wise, the chief architect of the collection was Marco Falcioni, who recently assumed the mantle as Senior Vice President Creative Direction at the brand. Falcioni, whose beard is every bit as big as Phipps’s, said: “I love what we’ve managed to create. Our clashing aesthetics create a beautiful contradiction—one that has environmental responsibility at its heart.”
Photographer/Director Clayton Boyd for "One Plus" High-Desert Handset Campaign
Recently, photographer/director @_claytonboyd_ was contracted by @oneplus to produce a two-week loop through the Mojave desert in California and Nevada for their latest handset to demonstrate the beautiful images it can capture! Clayton being a formidable rock-climber and nature enthusiast was jazzed by the idea of creating a high-desert narrative that took us all on a journey of incredible sights to be found in our nation’s west coast! #ad #shotoneoneplus @oneplus #naturephotography #desertphotography #highdesert #mojavedesert #oneplus10pro
Pete Muller Makes It To The Finals At London's Prestigious AOP Awards
The Category is: Sports Personal Work (said in his best Pose Voguing Voice) We are so proud of Pete Muller for becoming a recent finalist in one of 9 categories of the 2021 AOP Photography Awards. The Panel of Judges were blown away by this year’s submissions and will hold a live showcase Wednesday, April 20th where gold and silver winners will be announced on the night of the event at what will be an exciting and long-overdue opportunity to meet in person again! The nine categories include; lifestyle, documentary. portrait, environment, still life and object, food and drink, sport and project. To those of you who don’t know, the AOP awards are like the Oscars of Photography. The Association of Photographers was first formed in 1968 as the Association of Fashion and Advertising Photographers and is one of the most prestigious professional photographers' associations in the world. The Association's aims are: to promote and protect the worth and standing of its members, to vigorously defend, educate and lobby for the interests and rights of all photographers, especially in the commercial photographic industry.
Pete Muller for THE AOP AWARDS
Tom Kubik - More From The Visit Florida #lovefla Campaign
“Whatever you're imagining, you can make it real here.” That is the tag line from the new Visit Florida campaign urging people from across the country and the globe to come visit and indulge their wanderlust within the cultural riches of this wonderful state. Explore the wide-open beauty of Florida with the exceptional cinematography of Tom Kubik in his #visitflorida #lovefla campaign. Tom spent about a week in the Florida panhandle photographing everything from wolf preservation parks to lakes, rivers and streams. We couldn’t be more excited for him as he got to take out his drone for a spin and the results are fantastic!
Photographer/Director Tom Kubik for Visit Florida
“Whatever you're imagining, you can make it real here.” That is the tag line from the new Visit Florida campaign urging people from across the country and the globe to come visit and indulge their wanderlust within the cultural riches of this wonderful state. Explore the wide-open beauty of Florida with the exceptional cinematography of Tom Kubik in his #visitflorida #lovefla campaign. Tom spent about a week in the Florida panhandle photographing everything from wolf preservation parks to lakes, rivers and streams. We couldn’t be more excited for him as he got to take out his drone for a spin and the results are fantastic!
Welcoming Photographer Clayton Boyd to the Roster
There comes a time in a rep’s life when the universe aligns and you joyfully meet a person who just gels with everything you love about photography as it intersects his personality, commitment, and attitude. Such was the case with photographer/director Clayton Boyd. Clayton was camped out over at @thenorthface for a few years and we were so lucky when he decided to take his professional career to the next level with us. Based in Los Angeles and NYC his travel, active outdoor lifestyle and portrait work are sought out nationally and internationally by some of the world’s most respected athletic brands because of Clayton’s ability to work with the environment, beautiful architectural lighting and a real human connection. He’s a rock-climber, humanitarian and environmental enthusiast and he digs dogs, so he’s a triple win for us! #losangelesphotographer#rockclimbing #outdoorphotography#naturephotography#landscapephotography #portraits#athletics #carphotography#automobilephotography#thenorthface #arcteryx #athleta#asics
Parallax by Philip Edsel - A New Sony RX0 Film
Photographer and director Philip Edsel was commissioned by Sony to create a motion piece that put their all-new RX0 camera through it’s paces. The result is Parallax, a reference to both the physical perspectives with which the camera was used and the frenetic nature of relationships between two people.
This film was shot entirely on the new Sony RX0 camera to demonstrate it's ultra-compact form factor. The camera was used handheld, on a gimbal, in its underwater housing, crammed into tight corners, and in a group of 8 cameras on a bullet time rig.
We also created a BTS "Making of Parallax" video here: vimeo.com/245035785
CREDITS:
Concept & Direction - Philip Edsel / edselphoto.com
Director of Photography - Peter Longno / peterl.tv
Producer & BTS - Moyo Oyelola / melements.me
Choreography - Jacob Jonas
Talent - Nic Walton & Joy Isabella Brown of Jacob Jonas the Company
Song - “Into” by Aten Rays
Kate Woodman: Gender Equality and All Things "Woman-World"
When I first met Kate at a restaurant in midtown Manhattan determining whether I would like to represent her, I thought to myself; quiet, un-assuming, deceptively fragile in a very lovable shy exterior. I couldn't believe the power in the visual content and that it was juxtaposed against this otherwise soft-spoken artist. After some discussion about her career in Portland (where she hails from) and a discussion about her commitment to showcasing a fantastic version of reality, I was pretty hooked. I knew the work I saw printed in the book was only half-representative of the woman that stood before me, and I must say that a few months later, I'm happy that my intuition was correct. In her latest series, "This Is A Woman's World", we get to see this creator bring forth her vision of a better world using sets and props (probably all sourced for under 50$ as is her usual ethos of creativity meets ingenuity/thriftiness model) and characters she cast herself. She makes a statement to the workforce that women for far too long have been doing the work of men and have endured the unconscious behaviors of sexual harassment, pay inequality and a host of other shadows that, left un-addressed, will surely mean the death of a compassionate, sensible workforce with a vision toward a better future for all. Kudos to you Kate for your boldness and commitment to support womenfolk everywhere.
Artist Statement
This Is A Woman’s World is a conceptual photographic essay which focuses on women working in traditionally male dominated fields. The series aims to both celebrate and empower women by defying the gendered stereotypes of labor. I believe this message is more powerful than ever in today’s climate where, despite overwhelming displays of solidarity amongst women, challenges in the working world continue to manifest. These challenges include gender pay gap, sexual harassment and abuse within the workplace, exploitation of women of color, the perpetuation of unpaid domestic work solely being female as well as a myriad of other oppressive forces working against women.
The series also seeks to challenge the societal expectation of what a “working woman” looks like. Though models have always been used for creating idealized realities, by deliberately utilizing stereotypically attractive women, we draw attention to their femininity as well as create a strong juxtaposition against their perceived masculine roles. We thereby challenge the notion that a woman has to be plain to be strong; moreover, we acknowledge and celebrate the beauty of women in these industries—an attribute which is often perceived as detrimental to a woman in a male dominated field.
HANA WEARS NIKE
Fun new motion spot by Philip Edsel inspired by Nike and the joy of movement. Enjoy!
Philip Edsel Creates Dynamic Content For Kate Spade
To celebrate the launch of their new summer line, Kate Spade commissioned Philip Edsel to create a series of short motion loops for their Instagram feed. Enjoy!
#Summerfeels: Philip Edsel for CB2
Recently, CB2 asked photographer and writer Philip Edsel to help them usher in the First Day of Summer with his series #captionsbywriters for their Instagram feed. Philip wrote pieces to accompany images he shot in Los Angeles that encapsulated the idea of #summerfeels by documenting not people, but light.
Read the posts below.
"The sun rose, a sweet light, and took its time to fill in the nooks left hollow by the night, vibrant and angular across concrete, as hard and soft intersected to signal the break of summer day."
"On summer days like these, designs of graphic shapes — the golden mathematics of the sun — write the solstice on the surface of the earth."
"We stood there watching surfers oscillate amongst the waves and bathers line the sand like rays from the sun, unconcerned but grateful for a season of slowness, of basking, of skin tinged with salt. "
"In the evening we swayed along the pier to the summer soundtrack of distant children laughing. And as the ferris wheel churned slowly overhead, I made sure to remember the wind and the wave, the seasons in cycles, and the warmth of your hand clasped gently in mine."
"The Light shifted and shattered at the shut of day as you and I lay counting the colors multitudinous on our skin like mirrors. And for just a second I was tricked into thinking the world was perfection, a beautiful reflection, a moment of timeless, weightless, stillness."
Fitness, Designed and Conceptualized.
Combine Curated Artist Philip Edsel's strong eye for design and knack for dynamic, conceptual imagery with fitness product and the results are stunning. Inspired by the designs of Nike and Beats by Dre, Edsel creates a powerful statement against some stunning backdrops in Austin, Texas. Check out the stills and animations below.
Curated's Philip Edsel Shoots Live for MTV @ SXSW
Recently, MTV reached out to us to source Influencer Philip Edsel to shoot along-side their directors at SXSW to capture some stunning imagery of some popular music celebrities. And celebrities there were. Captured in brief here are Rick Ross, rap mogul and entrepreneur, and artist, Life of A Desiigner.
Philip Edsel captures portraits during the chaos of New York Fashion week.
This month Philip Edsel was chosen by Tumblr to be one of their creators during New York Fashion Week Men's. They gave him an all-access pass and the freedom to create, so while most of the other photographers were trying to capture the insanity and action of the runway, Philip was looking for quieter, more personal portrait moments amidst the chaos.
It was truly a photographers dream. With dozens of models, designers, and even their celebrity friends milling around backstage, he was able to steal them for a quick second to grab a portrait, usually ducking behind a rack of clothes for some privacy, or up against a window for some beautiful natural light. Here are a few of the images from his experience.
Herieth Paul, the new face of Maybelline.
Bill Nye
Model Madisin Rian before walking the runway.
Steve Aoki
A Look at Influencer Philip Edsel's Groundbreaking Instagram Novel
In 2013, I combined my love for photography and writing into a project aimed at creating a community of writers on Instagram, called #captionsbywriters. I wrote a series of short prose entries inspired by the images I would post.
Then in 2014, in honor of National Novel Writing Month (November), I decided to be a little more ambitious and write the first ever Instagram novel. It was a photographic novel consisting of 30 original images and chapters, written and post each day. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but luckily, it ended up being a project I'm super proud of, and one that gained a lot of attention. To read the novel, entitled #TheValleyOfAshes, you can either search the hashtag or the hashtag #myinstagramnovel, or just follow me @edsel and scroll down to my first title post which you can see below.
Here are a few of the posts! (And here is Instagram's feature on me.)
