Kanye West recently explained to Sway and his Shade 45 listeners and viewers that Hip-Hop and fashion are synonymous. His comments regarding fashion were overshadowed by his famous (or infamous) rant where he shouted, "You don't have the answers Sway!" repeatedly. Nonetheless, Kanye West touched on the coalescence of music and fashion impacting culture.
Anthony was a real pleasure to work with. His genuine smile was easy to evoke when necessary and his athleticism was awesome.
Professional sports also have a major impact on fashion and culture, especially in the NBA. And I would add that music is inherently intertwined within it all.
The 16-year-old up and coming rapper, Astro, was open to even my crazy ideas. It was great to work with him and to see his work ethic as he was writing songs while we traveled from location to location.
I have had the delight of working with some brands that have successfully merged basketball and fashion. Sway's interview with Kanye West reminded me of one recent shoot in particular, with k1x Brand, for two reasons. Firstly because Kanye's comments made me think of the apparent marriage between basketball and fashion. Secondly, Sway agreed to model a hoodie for k1x and I photographed him.
Sway, outside the Shade 45 studio in Manhattan, was down to earth, very easy to work with and generous with his time.
This shoot presented everything I love about photography. The challenges of creating compelling images at a plethora of locations at various times throughout the day (for several days) kept me sharp throughout. I love a good challenge.
Niels, Tith, and Bea from k1x were an absolute joy to work with. In addition to collaborating on creative ways I could help them bring their vision to life, we were able to talk basketball, fashion in general, our favorite cities around the world, and, one of my favorite topics, food.
Gio was great. He was celebrating his 21st birthday on the day of his section of the shoot and was just glowing the whole time.
This shoot also gave me the opportunity to work with some terrific models, some of whom I've known for many years and some I met for the first time.
This image of "Circus" was taken not far from one of my favorite pastry shops in NYC, Veneiro's. "Circus" is one of the funniest models I've worked with. He kept us all in good spirits with his humor throughout the shoot.
Despite the long hours and the requisite challenges that come with every shoot, I can't get enough of it all. They say if you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. That's the feeling I get with every shoot. From the planning stages to location scouts to hairy logistics to shooting, post-processing, and delivery—I love it all. I just have so much fun creating all along the way.
Prior to Tith, I never met someone who was both on the marketing side AND the modeling side of the shoot! This guy is super talented and just great to spend time with.
"Movez" and I grew up playing basketball together. It was great to connect with my former teammate in a creative context. His personality, professionalism, and creativity all made for an excellent session.
I'm including some of my favorite images from the shoot here on the blog. I hope you enjoy them.