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Travel

Few thoughts before my birthday

June 5, 2012

One of my closest friends tends to measure her Birthday and the year that passed by the number of places she has visited and the number of people she fell in love with. In other words, a good year for her will be a year well travelled (to some new destinations) and a year she has experienced love or fell in love at least once. When she shared with me this information, I smiled and paused for a second but just because I had to think about her great idea and evaluate my past year according to her standards; Love and new destinations.

Looking back at where I was and what I did and how I celebrated my previous Birthday and having a check point to where I am at now (few days before my birthday) I must admit I have covered quite much of the plan. Yes, I’ve been traveling quite a lot for work or to catch up with family and friends and I met some interesting people.

Last year on my Birthday I packed my camera bag and another Gemini friend (Sharyn) and we went to Nassau, the Bahamas. We both wanted to escape New York for a while. We didn’t want to deal with velvet ropes or high priced drinks as we did in previous years on our Birthdays. Obviously the Bahamas was a great escape, even though I experienced a semi-Tornado storm on the day of my Birthday for the first time in my life.

On the day of our Birthdays we both wrote our goals for the next coming year (sort of a habit we keep). I think Sharyn wrote hers on a piece of paper and shoved it in a beer bottle and then she threw it to the water. I wrote mine on the back of a Murakami’s book I was reading back then. Whereas I am not sure how much did Sharyn complete her list, I think I covered almost 60% of mine.

*sigh*

It has been an exciting year for sure, and even though 60% of my goals were covered, I’ve managed to achieve some extra new ones I didn’t plan before;

I have traveled to some new destinations and came across different and various cultures. I made some new friends. I might even lost some. I tasted new kinds of food I would never imagine I try, not to mention where I found it. I learned how to translate my thoughts and ideas into pictures and words. I struggled with lighting equipment. I started to like negative space. I met and photographed famous people. I got nervous before doing that. I tried to decide what should be in focus. I took blurry pictures. I probably bad worded something up. I got confused more than once because of a guy. I considered getting off facebook few times. I finally gave in to Twitter. I found my name printed in some global websites and magazines. That was exciting! I got impatient so many times. I fell few times while running. I tried to be courageous. I talked to myself while taking the Subway. I took a 24 hour flight (almost non stop). I took a night train all the way from Hanoi to Sapa just to realize there was too much fog for a shoot. I took the midnight train back at the same day. I left my camera bag in the middle of a Starbucks in Tokyo. I watched a lot of French movies. I searched mostly for natural light. I took pictures of the interiors of other peoples homes and actually kind of liked it. I had some second thoughts regarding my unconventional life. I tried to forgive and forget. I had days based on coffee and dark chocolate. I tend to say YES to opportunities that came across and I freaked out when time was moving too fast.

And even though I feel I was quite slow paced the last couple of months, I can’t wait for the new ones to come.

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Design & Lifestyle Editorials

Dabble Magazine: June/July Issue

May 31, 2012

I love how things turn out!

I’ve contacted Victoria Drainville, the Executive Editor of Dabble Magazine few weeks ago and told her a bit about my ‘Intimacy under the Wires’ photography project. In return, I got an email from her asking me to be featured in the ongoing feature ‘I dabble in…’. Of course I said YES.

So this morning I got few tweets from my friends who informed me the feature is now on-line. Here is the link to the 8th issue of the magazine. I love how it came out, with the background of Paris rooftops.

Thanks Victoria for having me!

Stay tuned for more collaborations in the near future.

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Design & Lifestyle Editorials

Shamenet Magazine May issue

May 23, 2012

When I visited Paris few months ago on March, I got into a launch party of a new perfume store, Jovoy. I took some pictures and briefly interviewed François Henin, the owner. You can read about it more in my post. The brief article about Jovoy is now featured in the lifestyle and cosmetic section of Shamenet Magazine in Israel, May Issue.

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Design & Lifestyle Editorials Travel

At Magazine April Design Issue

April 24, 2012

My photographed article about the Design scene in Paris and the less travelled areas, featured in At magazine, May issue

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Design & Lifestyle Travel

H.P France; The Fashion Trend-setters of Tokyo

March 29, 2012

There are those who associate the words ‘Japanese Fashion’ with a Kimono. There are those who would associate the words with Issey Miyake or Yohji Yamamoto, the two well known Japanese fashion designers, and there are those who would come up with the Harajuku Girls phenomena. All associations are true and valid

The Japanese women might be the only ones for whom the world’s most prestigious fashion designers have opened stores in Japan and designed special collections to fit their slim figures and their exquisite taste in Fashion. In the last decade, the number of working women in the age group of 35-45 is only growing stronger, due to the increase in employment opportunities for women and the changes in gender perception. These women are working longer hours, earn more and they want to promote and develop not only their career, but also themselves. They worship everything that has to do with luxury brands and their quality, and they invest a lot of effort, time and money in their appearance. A so-called consumer society.

One of the most influential Fashion companies in Japan, which has a great impact on how the Japanese woman will look, is H.P France. Don’t let the French name fool you; The company was originated in Japan and is now one of the major corporations that imports clothing, shoes, jewelry and fashion accessories of designers from Europe, North and Latin America as well as representing some local Japanese designers.

A brief History: The company was founded in Tokyo in 1984 and opened its first boutique, Lamp in Harajuku. Lamp was a combination of a clothing store and a gallery, showing Art works of young Japanese artists. (This combination was actually the beginning of a concept that combines Art and Fashion together and supports Art projects in various galleries. including the Art gallery in New York and Tokyo under the name HPgrp Gallery). In 1989 the company started working with buyers and fashion designers in France and right after opened an office in Paris, dealing mainly with importing clothes by young designers from France to Japan. A few years later, the company expanded its areas of operations to sell fashion accessories and jewelry and was able to create a buzz among Japanese women.

In 2001 a representative office was opened in New York and the company opened a special department of imported jeans. Among other things, the company began to import brands and young designers clothing from Argentina and Brazil and opened a public relations department to manage its own marketing, which focuses on marketing planning, graphic design, store and window design and maintenance of the company’s Web sites.

H.P France is currently employing approximately 600 employees and represents approximately 40 brands from around the world. It has 54 clothing stores only in Tokyo and additional 34 stores in other areas of Japan, Paris and New York

In addition, H.P. France is responsible for the establishment of a professional guide for manufacturers of fashion and exhibition. It is a great supporter of the Arts and has two galleries (New York and Tokyo) and for the last two years has launched and stood behind Shibuya Fashion Festival, which is the equivalent of Fashion Week in New York, Paris and Milan.

There is a big chance that in one of your subsequent visits to Tokyo, you will come across at least once, one of the 54 stores of H.P France, which are spectacular and inviting. Each boutique has its own unique identity and design. Only the words H.P France below the logo of the store, divulge the origin of the store. Beside the clothing, H.P France has a very popular line of accessories and accessories stores spread across the city. There is also a designated store for the Home, called H.P. Deco, which includes furniture, table ware, pillows, lamps, rugs, you name it.

Fashion Trends: While I was having a guided tour at the company’s headquarters and showroom in Harajuku, where I was walking among countless clothing racks, hangers, and shoes, it felt as discovering a magical treasure of the upcoming Spring-Summer collection, and I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the upcoming Fashion trends: There is no doubt. It is going to be a quite colorful season or as described by one of the staff, ‘there will be many surprises in terms of combinations of colors, and it will not be boring, for sure’

Bold Pastels: There will be a great use of pink, yellow and turquoise blue colors, as well as lilac purple, mandarine orange, light peach and mint green.

Romantic- Modern style: A combination of classic elements such as floral lace, floral prints, fabrics with rounded trims with waves and geometric patterns together. The trend is to wear only one item or one print of bright color or floral print to create maximum performance.

Retro prints: Such as large flowers, geometric shapes, bright colors and airy patterns. Relaxed and fit

Pleats and pleated fabrics: Mostly skirts and dresses and the use of airy fabrics like chiffon or silk

High Waist: Pants or skirts will be waist high or above the waist, causing the small Japanese women to look taller

Gloss and shiny: A combination of one shiny color item to upgrade and complete the look

It is definitely going to be an interesting Spring and Summer season in Tokyo and I can’t wait to take more pictures.

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My Life in Polaroids

Vietnam, Oriental Express

February 9, 2012

Drinking so many Vietnamese sweet coffees with condense milk I can even count on one hand, trying to cross to the other side of the street when so many motor bikes are zooming around, Overlooking Ho Chi Minn city at night from the Rex hotel’s rooftop, helium balloons, street food vendors, walking to Ben Thanh Market and having Pho noodle soup for breakfast, squeezing lime into the soup, adding red hot chili peppers, The Notre Damn Church outside of Paris, Cu Chi Tunnels, walking barefoot into the Cao Dai Temple exactly at noon time, Spring rolls and Shrimps at the night market. Sitting on a stool among the locals while having dinner and experiencing all the cheers and celebrations of the Tet Holiday. Staying at the old French Quarter in Hanoi, right next to the St. Joseph Cathedral. Waking up every morning to the sound of bells of the Cathedral and heading for a run along the Hoan Kiem lake, Tai Chi in front of the red Tortoise Tower, walking around the ’36 streets’, looking all day long for a steam Bao and finding it at the bakery next door. Sofitel Metropole Hotel almost every night to get a fast internet connection, passing through the Opera house on my way back. Mango and Pineapple on a stick covered with sweet chili, Halong Bay in the fog, Taking the night train to Sapa and walking almost half day inside a foggy cloud, Baguette and chocolate for breakfast at the Austrian coffee shop, Kit Kat Village, taking the night train back to Hanoi at the same day. Hoa Lo Prison, Tran Quac Pagoda, and giving some fake money to the Gods. Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minn Mausoleum and walking back through the Ba Dinh Square. Drinking lemon tea and eating sunflowers seeds like the locals do. Getting to Hoian just on time for the Full Moon Lantern Festival, floating a paper lantern on the Thu Bon River on that very special night and praying for some good luck. Sweet potato and coconut green bean cake almost every day. Condense Milk out of the can almost every morning, Grilled corn with chili lime sauce. Waking up at 4 am in the morning just to see the sunrise in a fishermen market. Speaking in English but have no one actually understands you, but still making your way around in a smooth way….Priceless!

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Picture is worth a 1000 Words

A picture is worth a 1000 words

June 17, 2011

“To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform”

Nassau, the Bahamas, June 2011

This picture always reminds me the Brazilian movie ‘City of God’. Not that I can compare between the two situations (as probably there is no room for comparison) but there was something in the teenagers fast energy, that reminds me the fast-moving energy in the movie I watched so many years ago, but still echos in my mind. The movie tells the story of two childhood friends who grew up in the same violent neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, but each of them took a different path; one became a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

I was watching these teenager boys goofing and playing around, throwing each other to the water time after time. I followed them with my camera as I wanted to grab their energy, not their attention. This image grabbed me immediately; the way they straighten their backs, they way they walk tall and the confident way they carrying themselves. They were walking like that till they got to the edge of the pier and then they jumped.

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My Life in Polaroids

On the Table: Café pour deux

May 17, 2011

My on going project ‘On the Table’ started with a random shot, while visiting Israel and meeting friends for lunch in one of the most colorful neighborhood in Tel Aviv. I always try that the shot will tell something about the place I am in, location wise and cultural wise but also reflect my state of mind at that moment. I am starting a series of posts and will be a guest blogger for ‘Spotted by Locals’ for the next few months. Hopefully, this project will make it one day to all 41 cities ‘Spotted by Locals’ is covering.

Sit back and relax. Here comes my first one;

I love coffee! In fact, I’m quite addicted to caffeine.

People who know me, will know not to call me in the morning, only after I drink my first cup of coffee (or second). I’m also very specific and quite picky about the way it is made. (Sorry!) This shot was taken in Paris few days ago. I was staying in a friend’s place for six days and tried to live it as Parisians do! My friend, who is also a photographer, made us these two cups of coffees, as a good start for the day. I love the shape of the coffee plate, the way they almost touch each other and the reflection of his living room rug, through the glass table.

Bonjour Paris!

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Window or Aisle?

Giverny; Living in a Claude Monet’s Impressionistic Picture

May 15, 2011

As a travel photographer, I am always inspired to take candid shots of the places and the locations I visit. In contrast with the Fashion Photography arena, where usually everything should be just perfect and beautiful, and in contrast with the Documentary Photography arena, where everything is so honest, bold and sometimes ‘in your face’, I juggle between the desire to show the reality around me while also making it pretty and aesthetic. I’m driven by the wish to create ‘A Portrait of a City’ and its’ various layers. (with a tendency for aesthetic and interesting)

Ask any artist, and he/she will tell you that one of the things they are always looking for is inspiration; the inspiration to create. And inspiration can come in so many different ways. In my latest visit to Paris, I was quite inspired by the permanent collection of various Impressionist Painters in Musee d’Orsay, also known as the ‘Temple of Impressionism’. I always had a great admiration for the European Impressionist painters, and among my favorite are Edgar Degas, Camille Pissaro and Claude Monet.

After paying a visit to Musee d’Orsay, it was very natural for me to continue and visit the Claude Monet foundation in Giverny (where he lived from 1886 till his death in 1926) and see with my own eyes the water lilies, the garden, and the Japanese bridge which all played an important role in his later paintings. Since I was inspired by the exhibit I saw and the beautiful brushstrokes techniques, and although I don’t usually photograph flowers or plants, (hardly ever do I photograph flowers just like that) it was quite obvious for me that I was going to shoot Monet’s garden in an unconventional way. I wanted to photograph the garden in such a way that will relate to Monet and his art, a way that will ‘talk’ in the language of impressionism, in brushstrokes. Therefore, I chose to use the lensbaby SLR lens with a pre cut star-shape aperture disk, to create a sort of brushstroke affect in the photos.

The lensbaby is a creative effects SLR lens that creates a Sweet Spot of focus surrounded by a graduated blur. A swivel ball allows tilting the lens depending on the effect you want to create. (Blur, lesser blur, circles, etc’) The aperture is controlled by a set of disks that come with the optics and they are held in place by shielded magnets and can be easily changed. The wider the aperture in the lensbaby, the more blur it gets and a smaller sweet spot, where the photo is sharpest. The exposure is easily controlled with shutter speed and ISO adjustments in the camera. It can also be balanced by swapping out aperture disks.

As pictures might often be ‘too honest’, using the lensbaby allowed me to deconstruct the image, to shape it in order to create a new truth, a new reality, an Impressionistic photo.

If you visit Giverny, I highly recommend (beside visiting Claude Monet’s house and gardens) to spend some time walking around the village, see some old Churches from Middle Ages time, visit Mills that some of them can be found in Monet’s paintings or spend the night at one of the Castles (Chateau) and feel like you are living in one of Claude Monet’s Impressionistic picture.

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Window or Aisle?

Buenos Aires Graffiti Joint

May 14, 2011

Drinking ice cold Havana’s coffee with dulce de leche alfajores 2 times a day, taking the subte instead of the subway, walking the streets of Palermo SoHo and not the streets of SoHo New York, Evita Peron museum, Colon Theater, Muma’s sugary cupcakes, Casa Rosada, walking the streets of palermo Hollywood and hoping to see a famous movie star, Antique market in San Telmo, Brunch in San Telmo and cold beer in Caminito, La Boca. Witnessing the wild crowds coming out of a Futball game after their team won, Bar 6 at Armenia street, stopping at every coffee place or a store in Nicaragua street, streets with names of countries in Latin America. Over looking the city from Palacio Barolo just before the sun goes down, convincing the concierge at the Moreno Hotel to let me take pictures from the private rooftop.
Recoleta. Recoleta cemetery. and Recoleta again the next day. Walking in the area of San Martin and San Nicolas and feels like in Paris, Plaza de Mayo, Libros del Pasaje, best book store in Palermo. Fresh squeeze orange juice almost every day, watching the locals dance Tango and Milonga along the river, hoping there will be a beach, and not just a river, yummy cheese and chocolate at Cucina Paradiso, Helena trendy Bar Resto, crossing the bridge of Puente de la Mujer toward Puerto Madero, 7pm drinks at Faina Hotel (is a must) candle light dinner at Artemisia, kissing a last kiss at the cutest cafe El Ultimo Beso, joining the tour of Graffiti Mundo and see the most beautiful Graffiti wall after I thought I have seen it all. Taking a boat around Tigre, buying a floral summer dress and getting the kick of walking in shorts on February…priceless!

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