Life Through a Lens

Tatyana Ali

2011-02-03T21:19:00.001-08:00

New images of Tatyana Ali are on the way...till then, Check out the polaroid!!!!!! and keep checking back for who's next!! YOU WONT BELIEVE IT!!!

The Beautiful Brandy

2011-01-29T07:12:00.001-08:00

Shots of the beautiful Brandy taken by yours truly :-)

The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Cynthia Bailey's Sneak Peak

2011-01-17T15:36:00.000-08:00

This months Essence Magazine gives a sneak peak of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Cynthia Bailey wedding. Shot by yours truly, Allen Cooley Photography :-) More details will be coming soon......

Brandy and Ray J

2011-01-14T20:11:00.001-08:00

Check out the Teasers www.kontrolmag.com just posted from a shoot I did at the end of 2010. It should be coming out next week, but of course I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on specifics.

Workshop WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!

2010-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

Brandy Norwood Photoshoot

2010-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

So I went to NY December 7th 2010 to shoot the beautiful Brandy Norwood for the January issue of Kontrol Magazine

Not only was she amazing, sh was simply beautiful!!!!! Flawless in every definable way...and her singing was amazing!!!!!

She was a big Nikki Minaj fan, as that was what we played throughout the shoot....I took a bunch of polaroids....check a few of them out...and I've got some behind the scenes video footage I'll be tossing up soon enough...so be on the look out

till then
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

Shout out the Esquire for doing her interview :)

Raven Symone

2010-11-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

The beautiful and talented Raven Symone was on set for the cover of Kontrol Magazine. Stay tuned for more........

Pooch Hall

2010-11-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peak of the Pooch Hall shoot for the Kontrol Magazine cover shot by me, coming out THIS MONTH!

Exclusive Behind the Scenes with Ray J

2010-11-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

Ray-J was very dope to work with. I guess I was expecting something completely different. He was a true comedian, in a good way. The thing most interesting about Ray-J was that when we gave him his iPod to play some music, he chose to play a song by John Mayer. This completely caught everyone on set off guard. Overall, Ray-J was very laid back and we are definitely looking forward to getting some more projects through the pipe. Stay tuned………

Beauty Series Preview

2010-11-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Teyana Taylor

2010-11-01T04:13:00.001-07:00

Be the first to check out an exclusive photo of Teyana Taylor from LA........more to come so stay tuned!!!

Headshot Special

2010-10-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

For more information, hit me up at info@allencooley.com

All ages welcome!!!

Hosea Chanchez

2010-10-27T15:12:00.001-07:00

HOSEA CHANCHEZ shoot was for RollingOut magazine... issue should be coming out the first week of Nov.......here's a polaroid

There is more to come.....stay tuned!!!!

Beauty Series Beginning Entitled......"Emotion"

2010-10-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

BIANCA GOLDEN of America Next Top Model came into town to host Morehouse's homecoming fashion show...and she stopped by the studio to be the first person to begin a new beauty Series Allen Cooley's beginning entitled 'Emotion' ...Unveiling of the series will be at the end of January, so stay tuned!!!!!

Beauty series

2010-08-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

So much of my effort as of late has been to shift the focus of my work...putting more emphasis on my beauty and hair work...here are a few images from a beauty series I'll be posting in a few weeks...

also....I've got a new favorite photographer

His name is www.Gavinoneill.com

please check him out!!!!!!

that is all :) for now at least

It has released...Kontrol Magazine... The Fantasy Issue

2010-07-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

So we did a Cover story on Both Vivica Fox and Chilli

Vivica Fox's story was her being portrayed as Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians

Really, what I got from the story when shooting it was this amazing fashion story about different ways to see black and white. The stylist (Julian Lark) did an amazing job at finding accessories to compliment the black and whites and give a fresh pair of eyes to a classic color combination. Cruella De Vil was a catalyst for the story to be told, so some of it stems from a specific vision and others are just our own interpretation.

So here is the story, tell me what you think

I'll post some of the other fashion stories I shot for the magazine later on in the week....Hope you like this one tho!

I suck at Blogging :/

2010-07-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

As always just want to keep you all updated....I've got 4 Covers this summer.... So here are 3 out of the 4

Toni Braxton For Upscale Magazine

Here are other images from the spread in UPSCALE MAGAZINE

Vivica Fox for Kontrol Magazine

Here is the full body of the cover shot

and the super singing group TLC's own Chilli

I've got one more cover coming out soon, and I'll post that as well!

Also check this out

Also check out a few outtake shots from a recent Rolling Out Magazine shoot with Rap Sensation Trina

I did something similar with an artist by the name of Tierra Marie

It helps loosen everyone up before shoots, and allows them to get familiar with my shooting style etc

I've done something similar with Polaroids before
with both

Teyana Taylor

and Kevin Hart

Now, I have shot a few things I'm really happy about that aren't in any magazines
but I'm waiting for those to be cleared first, but here's my personal favorite image at the moment

Something about this image really makes me happy!

Shot with all natural light, no reflectors, or additional equipment, just me, the camera, and the model!

TONI BRAXTON COVER

2010-06-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

So as I've stated I shot Toni Braxton for the cover of Upscale Magazine, and it comes out tomorrow....go get two :) unreleased photos from the shoot will be up, after the magazine hits stands :) Till then!!!

Hope you like it!

Just stopping through for a second

2010-05-02T15:09:00.001-07:00

So one of my clients sent me an e-mail and told me that a photo i took of her was featured in Jet magazine....check it out

Click on the image to see it bigger.... and no I did not shoot Idris Elba :/

and also I did a test shoot with a Manicurist here in Atlanta and he submitted it to some nail magazines and this is an ad that they took out using one of our images together.

more images from that shoot will be published in a few other magazines so be on the look out for that as well...

OK...I'll get back with you all soon....

Still waiting to tell you about what happened in LA a million months ago, but the issue comes out in June, so then I can tell you all about it, and show you some images that no one else has seen of this secret person!

next lighting workshop is May 22nd

2010-05-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Next lighting workshop is May 22nd

for more info contact: Info@allencooley.com

If you are a photographer you should come to this lighting workshop

I'll show you how i did this

\/ \/

Random

2010-04-20T22:27:00.001-07:00

I've often wondered what my song will be? What my story will be from the lips of those telling it?

I see such amazing talent around me, either too out of the box for mainstream society to accept them or to much like whats already in rotation and truthfully i become even more lost within myself. See, I've realized you've got to "Play the game", that is mantra of sorts.

What does that mean? Well i look at it like this....

You ever have a friend that was a great singer, but they sang in a manner that was different? Different as in, not Usher, or Just Beiber, or whoever else is out right now? They've got a great sound and an amazing talent but its just not whats hot right now? Well, when you ask that person why don't they change to fit in, that's like a slap in the face right? The discussion for me always takes an interesting turn. I often ask so what do you want to be known as? Some may say great, or this or that? Then the next question is, who is it that will be calling you these things (ie. great, etc) ? If he/she refers to society in any shape or form as being the group of people to validate them as great, then they've got to "Play the game".

The reality is that i want to effect my culture! I want to believe that I'm assisting in the growth of a people, not just a black people, not just a photographer culture, not just any one specific person place or thing, but universal culture. Photography is that to me! You show me a person that either does not own a camera or does not have a picture of themselves somewhere and I'll show you a mini leprechaun in your back pocket cause you are the luckiest person in the world, to have found someone without one of those two things!

Although there are exceptions to the rule, I believe there are very few people on the face of the earth that don't have something to do with photographs either being taken of them or taking them of someone else. Furthermore, if that is the case, and I am creating images, then I'm left with the notion that I participate in the understanding of that cultural phenom.

Yes its 1:50am in the am and I'm slightly delusional, so I'll probably read this in the morning and wonder what the heck was I thinking....but to those that are curious, I don't drink so this isn't drunk blogging lol :)

and no I'm not going to proof read this because I'm going to bed....good night!

o yea, because I'm a photographer I've got to post a picture so...

Kevin Hart, they guy is hilarious!

Keeping you Updated! Kevin Hart

2010-04-17T05:17:00.001-07:00

So I got the opportunity to shoot Kevin Hart for Be-entertained magazine on Thursday 4/15 and the shoot went well, he was making everyone cry laughing so hard, which was a first at a shoot I was having a hard time staying serious.

Whatever the case, me personally i've always wanted to understand comedy more. How it works, how do you put a set together, what are you thinking as a comedian, more over as a human being etc...but never could get an "insiders" perspective on it, so beyond the jokes that Kevin would throw out I was listening for more.

After we did our shoot, he sat down with the magazine and had an interview and i can't exactly remember the line of questions but Kevin responds by saying something to the effect of:

I was a jerk when I use to get on stage, I'd get up there not really knowing what i

was doing at all etc... but eventually I realized that i was responsible for everyones

night.

Ok so everyone that reads this may think I'm just trying to be deep when the situation isn't! But that meant something to me. I never considered what a comedian did in that light, but its true. You know why you would go see a comedian or a music artist or whoever/whatever and that individual, that production is responsible for the caliber of your night.

Ok fast forward, I showed him the pictures, he was digging them and asked if i'd be interested in coming to his show he had that night at Uptown Comedy Corner and getting some action shots. I thought free show + free laughs+ picture taking= Fun, so I said sure.

So, get through the show and let me tell you it was just pure funny!

But another one of those moments happened. After he got off stage I went to the back to just catch some documentary style shots of him with all his friends or greeters

and when most of them leave, Kevin stops and begins discussing his set with a fellow comedian asking the gentleman what he thought of the show, should he have dug deeper etc, based off of the content that Kevin was speaking about. What blew me away was just how intellectual the discourse was about what seemed like an easy task to just get up and make people laugh.

Now, without saying too much, Kevin Harts stand up is very personal, he speaks about his family and turns his actual life occurrences into laughs. So when Kevin and the other gentleman had there discussion and the man tells Kevin to pull out more of the redeeming qualities of a family member, it was another one of those moments where I'm like, Man! Didn't even think about it like that, but again its true.

Guess all I'm really saying is, its always interesting to see a deeper side of something you admire from a distance.

Studio Lighting Workshop is in full effect!

2010-04-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE for larger picture of flyer

If you are interested in participating please send an e-mail to INFO@ALLENCOOLEY.COM

Food Photography 101

2010-04-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

So I had to do a shoot at a restaurant called Kozmo in Alpharetta, GA the other day.

Amazing food, tell them Allen sent you :) wont get you anything free...but they'll take care of you.

Everything went really smooth.

I brought all my equipment but only used a softbox and a reflector....let me know what you think...

These are just a few

Cheers!!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!!

More updates coming soon, once this magazine cover drops....

BOY OH BOY

2010-03-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

I've got the most amazingly crazy story to tell you, but i can't tell you until the magazine comes out....just know it'll be well worth it!

I shot the cover of a magazine in LA on March 11th... full details will be coming really soon!!

Random shot

Speak to you soon!!

What im working on!?

2010-03-06T07:22:00.001-08:00

Hello there folks!

As usual, I'm trying to keep you all up to speed on whats going on over here.

So, just the other day Kontrol Magazine and I did a shoot with an Atlanta bred Artist by the name of Diamond. Diamond enjoyed the images so much, that she wanted to use an outtake for her mixtape cover.

check it out

Its always funny to see what the graphic designers come up with, i have to rummage through my files and show you the original image i sent over!

Several months ago i did a project with a music artist that a lot of you may know, but I will choose not to use his name, because I'm very disappointed in the manner in which he conducted business...but eventually everything comes to light...so just hold on for that one!! Anyway, I did a shoot at his facility, which was a beautiful spot, here's an image from the shoot

(shooting tip: One light source, 30 degree grid spot, on a boom arm slightly in front of me overhead)

I'm giving it another month or two, and then i'll begin using all the images!!

Of course, if you follow any of my work, you'll notice I shoot one Model by the name of Dawn Montgomery fairly often. Well the interesting thing is it started off as us both wanting to work with each other, then slowly grew into other people wanting us individually for our services(her modeling, me photographer) but we'd still end up working together. So maybe a client would hire her, and then go hire a photographer to shoot her, and look who it would be >>me<<. Well whatever the case, i don't have any problem with that, Dawn is like a sister to me at this point and its always a pleasure to work with her.

Anyway, here is an image from our most recent shoot together

(shooting tip: Octabox above my head somewhat pointed down towards her chest, with a reflector right at her bust line bouncing the light back into her face)

LONG HAIR, DON'T CARE- I think that's how the expression goes!

OK digress, So I felt bad because i haven't had any new beauty images in a while for my website, and I feel like that's what i enjoy doing the most, so i decided to put a shoot together.

I had a shoot booked with Kontrol Magazine booked for March 1st but it was all canceled! Whatever the case, i wasn't feeling really well that day either, so i ended up going to the doctor, got some great medicine, and threw shoot together and put a team together fairly last minute.

The Model came from HOP and they've yet to let me down.

On hair was ZaraHair
On make up was Chelsea
On nails was Terrance Terry <-- his website is down right now, but google him, he's amazing

and of course myself on the photos

here's one of the images

OK so from a technical standpoint the shadow side is pretty darn dark! Me personally, I'm OK with that, but i know some magazines, and certainly client representation may have liked that to be a little less dark. Its encouraged to have like a 2 to 1 ratio from lights to darks. Meaning one side is two times brighter than the shadow side, or if you use a meter reading a two stop difference from highlight to shadow side. To eliminate that situation( to lighten up the darker side) I could have positioned a fill card to the left of the frame, and just slid it back and forth until i got the desired amount of light bouncing back onto the side of her face. If you need me to draw a diagram let me know, and I'll do that and pop it up on here.

OK enough talking! Later gator!

Join my Mailing List

2010-02-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Join Our Mailing List

For Email Marketing you can trust

Inspiraton

2010-02-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

So much inspires me, when i think about photography

Whats even more interesting to me is... a lot of the work i love, i'll never actually try to photograph myself.

I think its amazing that i love so many different forms of photography, but don't want those to be my own style....the difficult part is when i work with people that say they enjoy my work, but then request that i shoot in a style that looks nothing like my work (smh) guess its just one of those things

anyway....I want to show you some photos that i just saw that just make me smile...and inspire me to try and harder!!!!

oh yea

My favorite photographer...or at least one of my favorites is Sarah Silver her work is flawless...and soooo clean...its just everything i want my work to be.....but of course i have to shoot past her...right? RIGHT!

She's already done it, so i've got to reach an even higher level :/ i'll certainly try

I also love Kwaku Alston he has an amazing classic style to his photographs

Matthew Jordan Smith <--he's certainly one of the greats!!

Drexina Nelson <--Another amazing approach to fashion and beauty portraiture, and she's here in Atlanta ::pow::

ANYWAY.... enough talking here are some photos...not all hers...but maybe one or two of hers.

more to come on a later date....

well ok...here are a few more

now im gone

Whats going on?

2010-02-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

And so my blog post begins with a hey how are you?

LIGHTING WORKSHOP

As most of you probably know i had a lighting workshop on Feb 6th that went extremely well.

We got a chance to really just discuss different light modifiers and what to expect. Also how to manipulate one light source to create a more dynamic effect than having 2 or 3 lights.

Of course we went into a bunch of different areas beyond that, but don't take my word for it

NEXT STUDIO LIGHTING WORKSHOP IS >>>>MARCH 20TH 2010<<<<< SAVE THE DATE

Registration is the Last week of February

Of course for more information contact Info@allencooley.com

I posted a snippet of the behind the scenes video and you can check it out by clicking on HERE
Don't judge me by more poor camera editing skills but the video was done by a good friend named Marlene, whose website is given at the end of the video, so check out her work as well.

New Project w/ HOP male Models

If you pay attention to my work, you'll notice that i don't take very many pictures of male models. I'm not biased, if that's what you were thinking, its just that when people request to see my portfolio, very rarely have they said, what about the men? No one has ever declined working with me because i didn't have enough men in my book. So I've never really pressed the issue.

I have shot a few male models, they just haven't made it to my website or my book, but if the climate changes in the industry, they're waiting in the wings :).

Till then...

On the 10Th of this month, i did some work with some male Models from HOP Models for a potential new client (details to come later after everything is official). I can't give you to many details on the project, or show the final results just yet. But I'll give you a screen shot or two.

what do you think?

Another day, Another shoot!

An old friend of mine stopped by the studio to get a few updated shots for her trip out of town to meet with some agencies......

earlier that day we had a visitor that was inspecting the studio

Click on the image, to find out who that young man belongs too!

That's it for now....

Much more to tell you about...but I figured I'd space it out a bit!

Cheers! Go take some pics!

Lighting Workshop

2010-02-09T22:24:00.001-08:00

Lighting Video Check it out, i'll talk about it more tomorrow!!!

Recent shoot

2010-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

So once a month i do a test shoot with a different team, different models, always looking for a new amazing combination of people to work with on different projects. Also i want to try and keep my work looking fresh and current, and having different perspectives adding to creativity seems to work well for me....ok enough talking...check them out

New Pics coming soon

2010-01-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

JUST DID AN AMAZING SHOOT THIS PAST WEEKEND WITH AN AMAZING TEAM.

I think they might be some of my favorite images of the year so far, good thing its only January.

here is a sneak peak!!!

Updates!

2010-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

So i've got some new work, that will officially be released on January 22nd....and i will be posting all the content on here as well, so get ready, cause its going to be really nice (at least i think so) :)

cheers

oh here is a pic or two while you wait

Lighting workshop!!!!!! PT 2

2010-01-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Lighting Workshop! Please Read!

When I first started taking pictures in studio, I was lost. The majority of my knowledge about lighting was going outside when the sun was up. I never really had one person that could explain the differences in light modifiers, (ie umbrella, softbox, beauty dish, etc) so I wasn’t really aware of what to use, and the situation in which to use it.

My studio lighting workshop is something I feel I needed when I decided to take photography seriously, but never new where to start. Like most, when I started I didn’t have a ton of money to make mistakes in purchasing the incorrect equipment, but I didn’t know what equipment I needed. WE COVER THAT! I’ll hand you a best bang for your buck list of equipment I’ve been exposed to that ranges from $100 to well over $3,000. You decide where you fall in that range, and you go from there.

I never knew what I should be using to get the results that I saw in magazines, or even on billboards. WE COVER THAT! We will go through the major light modifiers, what those modifiers are known for, and what to look for on your subject to determine which modifier is the best for the job.

This workshop isn’t to show you how to use your camera. I wont be instructing you individually on what buttons to press to get your shutter speed faster, or even to stop down on the aperture side. I’ll show you how to paint a picture with light. You should come in knowing how to use your camera, and go out knowing how to produce professional quality imagery.

What you need:

This will be a digital SLR lighting workshop. So bring your camera. This workshop will take place in my studio, with a model, and you WILL be taking pictures. Also bring something to write with and something to write on. We’ll supply some pizza and soda for lunch.

The workshop is scheduled to last 3 hours from 10am-1pm but may go longer depending on YOU!

Lighting workshop!!!!!!

2010-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

See it bigger CLICK HERE

Get it in before the New Year Begins {{Dump #1}}

2009-12-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well the New Year is Rapidly approaching, in about 20 mins. So i figured i'd dump a bunch of recent and older work i've got lying around.

Just so you know, i'm going to try and blog a lot more this year, and also once a month im going to do this Dumping thing, where i just Dump work thats not going to make it on my site, but stuff I still like that i've taken, also i plan on spot lighting some other local (Atlanta) photographers whose work I think is amazing, or insightful in some shape or form, so without further ado

The Watcher!

2009-12-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

"I always feel like...Somebodies watching me"

A few months ago, I was flown to NY to do a project with an Artist. During my time there, we went from one concept to another, hunting for something to really capture a specific emotion. In our quest to accomplish that, i found myself walking too slow. I was absorbing my surroundings and making sure I didn't miss an angle we could take. Whatever my reason, I always found myself trailing behind, and it hit me.

When you're a Leader, you're always being followed or even watched. You may not know by who, or even when or where you're being followed, but there is always someone there.

I would absolutely love some feedback!!

12/17/09 Do I Do Commerical work?

2009-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

So often am i asked about this illusive 'commercial work', if i do it and if I can show some of it. I absolutely love photography! I believe in its 'powers' <--yes powers! Call me crazy if you must...whatever the case, i love every facet of it. Here's a shot of a friend of mine named Dawn Montgomery She is an amazing person/model/mom/writer/what have you!

She and I have worked together on numerous projects but most have been focused around some type of fashion work, and this was the first 'commercial' shoot we did together.

It was certainly fun...as far as the set up goes...I used one light on the subject (softbox) with a reflector(silver reflector) right above her bust line....and i had a bare bulb on the background, just to make sure that the paper was clean white, with no gradation in tone.

There was make up involved in both shots...which was done by an amazing make up artist located in Atlanta named Parra! If you'd like more information on her, let me know and i'll post it up!

The image on the left: The soap was actually dish detergent, we used hand soap and face soap but none gave us a large enough amount of bubbles to really have a good effect. Then we placed it where we wanted it on her face, then went to town!

Image on the right: Just poured water down her face!

I've done some work for some restaurant PR firms and been blessed with some amazing free food! One place i went was Kozmo Gastropub in Alpharetta, GA

I don't drink at all <--personal choice, but im told they had some amazing drinks! If you check it out, tell them Allen sent you :) Cheers!

-------------------------------------------

An ongoing client i've had for about 2 years now is flyjane.net

Flyjane is a website that sells women's shoes, handbags, and other accessories for affordable prices but strives to retain a certain level of quality and bosts a pretty good price point also.

Whatever the case.....as of lately both flyjane( or Donna (CEO of Flyjane.net)) and I have decided to do was push the envelop just slightly with the website at first. We both feel that it will be more appealing to the patrons that casually go by the website on a regular to see a slight breath of fresh air

so when they may be getting use to

this

or even

and no i didn't take either of these pictures....

We'd like them to begin to expect things like this

All of which have already been put in advertising rotation.

So be on the look out for what Flyjane.net has to offer....and just like Kozmo's, tell her Allen sent you!

---------------------------------------------------------

So the most amazing job all Year, and it came at the end of the year (kind of Nov 28th)

I had to take a flight to Chicago! I was referred for a job that involved both Preston Bailey and the most amazing Jennifer Hudson

Here is one pic from the job :)

Just know that it was amazing! She is amazing, and if you click on Preston Bailey's name, you will soon see that he is also AMAZING!!!!!

OK THATS IT FOR TONIGHT

AND NEXT POST BE READY TO SEE SOME

<- CUTE KIDS!!

Talk to you later!
charla a usted más adelante
对以后您的谈话
entretien à vous plus tard
беседа к вам более поздно

Reco Chapple

2009-12-12T06:05:00.001-08:00

In earlier posts I’ve expressed who Reco Chapple is. Some of you may remember him from Bravo televisions “The Fashion Show”. Whatever the case may be, I’ve worked with him a million times now, and every time I do, he consistently brings me something to shoot that excites me all over again. Recently we shot a collection of his that he had on the runway about two weeks prior. Needless to say in “House of Chapple” fashion the work was beautiful and the craftsman ship was what you’d expect from a meticulous mastermind such as Mr. Chapple. Whatever the case here are a few shots from the collection.

on to the next....

Kontrol Magazine!!

2009-12-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

So today, I begin another blog post with me apologizing for a long over due update. I then go in on how busy I’ve been, and how im going to try harder to stay on top of it. So if you would just please apply all of that now, then I can move straight into the new info.

::WHATS NEW::

Recently I shot the cover of a new and upcoming magazine called Kontrol Magazine.
It’s a web based magazine, and is garnering some pretty decent exposure in a relatively short period of time.

For the issue that I shot I was blessed with the opportunity to shoot
Kandi who is one of the former members of a female singing group called Xscape and also one of the current ladies featured on Bravo’s television show “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”

Here’s The Cover ::pow::

also here’s another

The shoot went really well, Kandi is an amazing person. She has an equally amazing spirit, it was a pleasure and an honor working with her. From the looks of it, I believe we’ll be working together again.

What Kontrol is known for doing, is having two covers, one generally being a fashion cover and the other being a celebrity cover. I was actually contacted initially to just do the fashion spread, and the fashion cover, but something happened with the celebrity cover photographer. That situation led me into having to fill both positions, which I was delighted to do!

Here’s one of the shots from the fashion spread

But you can always go onto the website and check it out for all the photos used in the issue

Kontrol Magazine Website

OK on to the next…

Donald Allen Cooley Sr. 1/13/1962-10/25/2002

2009-10-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Dad,

Didn't know where to start, so i figured I'd just say hey. It's certainly been a whiled since we've talked and even longer since we've seen each other but a lot of people tell me you're watching over me, and for the most part i believe it. So just in case you don't know, Nikki is doing well, I'm sure she could argue that she would be doing much better if you were still here and i wouldn't blame her. Mom is doing well, she's really strong dad. She fights through every situation like a soldier, she finds a way to make it all work, and i know she didn't think she'd make it this far when you passed. We were all so lost as to how we went on from that moment, and although i was ripped apart inside, I've been trying harder and harder to stay focused, and mom has really held it down so well since you've been gone. You'd really be proud of her. The doctors diagnosed her with Multiple sclerosis and i can't lie dad i really thought the Lord was playing a cruel joke and he was going to take her from me to, and i couldn't even think straight for days, so i just buried myself deeper and deeper into my work, i think i got that from you. But it looks like she'll be OK, and I thank God for that.

There's been so much to happen, and i want to tell you all of it but i wont talk your ear off, cause i know you're probably up there working! hehe :) I get it now, really i do. When you were hear i never understood why you worked so hard, i mean i knew we needed the money, but that didn't seem like it was your focus. You'd work on cars all day and all night if you could, then come home with oil and grease under your fingernails, in your nose and ears, it was crazy! But i honestly get it now. I'm a photographer now and I think i love that as much as you loved fixing cars. Its almost my escape from any and everything, as well as where I go when I'm already happy. I remember when mom use to give you a hard time about working all the time, often it seemed like you didn't have time for much else, because you were so focused. That is me now. Even as I type this letter to you, I'm realizing how much of me is you. You can't believe how excited I am at this very moment. I've been so sad that unlike most other fathers you WERE there dad but taken away to soon. Yes you were there to help raise, instill morals and values, teach respect, but you were taken away before you could really teach me all the lessons i felt that i needed to become a man. But now things are becoming more clear, maybe a lot of those things you instilled in me, before you passed i just didn't know how to use them, so they've laid dormant until I was smart enough to apply them! I'm glad to know that your listening because you've been gone for over five years and I think that's the first time that's ever clicked to me. I wanted to take credit for the life lessons I've learned, and understanding how to deal with those things, but both you and mom have instilled so much in me, i can't wait until tomorrow, to see whats next.

We'll I've got so much more to tell you but I'll tell you later today...i think this is good for right now...hope when you read this you smile! You were a great man dad, and you left behind a young man that refuses to let you down!

Love
Allen

So much is going on

2009-07-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Where do i begin>>>

In the past, it was always hard to get the opportunity to work with fashion designers and stylist that had quality work, and this gentleman Reco Chapple

was one of the first ones to give me a chance.... his work is all over my site, and he's got new work still being created that i hope to shoot....

I say all of this because recently Reco was/is a contestant on 'The Fashion Show' which airs on Bravo television, so wish him luck cause he's still on it holding strong.

I will also have a brief stint on Bravo television's show The Real Houswives of Atlanta shooting the lovely Lisa Wu-Hartwell's clothing line called "Closet Freak"

Here is one of her pieces

I got the opportunity to do a little traveling

I don't know how many people are following Mario's career. He's a great singer, but i don't want to go into detail. He just recently did a video with Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane that I was fortunate enough to attend in Baltimore

Here is the video

It was shot by a famous director by the name of Chris Robinson

Whos work speaks for itself.....

aside from that I took a trip to LA with Dblanks to assist him with his ongoing Alter ego coffee table book he's putting together....

While there we had some down time and i got the opportunity to do some testing with some models out there from Next Modeling agency

check out a few

What do you think?

and no i did not spell check :( sorry, just wanted to keep you updated.

IM COMING IM COMING

2009-02-28T13:31:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the wait....Got a ton of work being thrown my way...and trying to keep up with all of it....till i get a chance to fully update you...here is a video from a shoot....that was one of my most fun shoots of the year so far...hope you enjoy it!!!

Behind The Scenes <----click it

Inauguration of President Barack Obama...WOW!!

2009-01-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

SKIP ALL OF THIS AND JUST SEE PICTURES? CLICK HERE

Inauguration of President Barack Obama...WOW!!

So where do I begin….

I was working with a few options on how I was going to get to DC. I just had to figure out which would produce the best experience. Not going wasn’t an option, EVER! I felt that this occurrence was the equivalent of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Speech, and history like that refuses to be missed by these eyes!

I decided to go to DC with my undergraduate school, Albany State University, which was a great choice. I was given the opportunity to take a trip with some old colleagues and some students I hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing before this trip and it all paid off.

Of course taking a trip like this, on a bus, with a bunch of different taste pallets, everyone wants to stop for something to eat, but everyone wants something different. So our bus driver, who by the way did his thing, by pressing the heck out of the gas peddle, made the decision unbenounced to the majority of the bus to make a right off the exit to Wendy’s when in fact there was an overwhelming group of McDonalds fans that saw there fast food establishment to the left. Our bus driver, being the kind man that he was realized his mistake and tried to bust the illest U-turn and….

Needless to say…we got stuck, had to all get off the bus, and wait for a tow truck to come pull us out.

So what did we end up doing?

You got it…walking back to Wendy’s and eating, as we waited for the Bus….

TOO FUNNY!!!

OK enough about the Pre-DC experience…although there is so much more to tell.

Being a photographer at one of the biggest events of my lifetime, and certainly one of the most covered events (Television, photo-journalists, amateur photographers, etc..) I wanted to make this experience genuine for me when I looked back at it. So I wracked my brain to figure out what I didn’t think would be seen as much, by those not here that were watching through another persons eyes, and to be honest I just didn’t know! There were tons and tons and tons of people, and every time I picked my camera up I found myself shooting the oceans of people.

Along with that, at times, the crowd was so tight, I couldn’t even pick my camera up. I honestly attempted to let my body go, let my legs dangle, just to see if I could fall to the ground, but I couldn’t, I was being held up by the people around me, and it was amazing, kind of scary, but really amazing. So I ended up just taking pictures of what made me smile. Cheesy, corny, yea I know, but at the core of this entire experience it was about me, so hey, gotta make sure your star player’s happy first ☺ !

Ok ok

Here are some PHOTOS <---Click that!

SHOOTING TIPS

2009-01-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

WHITE SEAMLESS PAPER

So, let me start off by saying that these are not "My" tips, just tips that I've either found and use or found and added to, with that being said....

One of many people/resources I've looked at over time for interesting tips on in-studio setups and fairly minor but powerful post production tips is a man by the name of Zack Arias. He runs a studio called UsedFilm and is based out of Atlanta, GA. In my Opinion his work is great! He has a unique way of using light, very interesting perspectives, and uses equipment that's generally inexpensive, to produce professional quality results.

One video he has that i found extremely useful is post production on White seamless paper...

White Seamless paper is used at every level of photography, as well as in various aspects of advertisements and its crucial to know how to handle it.

Check it out...Let me know if you think this is useful....and i will gladly post more tips

After he showed me this...it really allowed me to be a bit more free when shooting on white seamless because i knew how to clean it up...

Composition in your frame is very important as well. Depending on how you shoot a subject on seamless paper you may run the risk of wasting valuable space on your sensor that will keep your image looking sharp and crisp!

Bad Composition!!!

Better Composition!!!

Then Open it Up in photoshop

Then

and you get left with this

Try it, it's fun!!

Hope this helps someone, the way it helped me :)

Some new Polaroids!!!

2009-01-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some Polaroids from over the Holidays

My ten foot nephew giving me a hard time!

My Geegee's house!

The young lady I spoke of on an early post

Also...

A few new images

SINGING::: FRIENDS, HOW MANY OF US HAVE THEM? FRIENDS!

2009-01-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

THIS ENTRY IS ABOUT SUS!!

Since my mom mailed my dads Pentax K1000 to me about 5 or 6 years ago there has been one thing consistent besides me taking pictures, and that was a great friend of mine named Sus helping me find my way into a new passion, which for the past several years has held my attention and kept me motivated.

She has acted as my muse, my photograph critic, life coach, partner in crime, relationship counselor, and my picture-taking buddy. Often I remember she and I taking random pictures of stuff trading between that Pentax k1000 and this Nikon n70 I got off eBay, because it was painful getting a roll of film developed from the k1000 and finding out I paid $7 for two in focus, correctly exposed, images of a broken bolt on the side of the road.
We were so deep back then!

I don’t know how deep this is but I’m almost positive that there are very few things guaranteed to last forever in this world.

But when you find a friend, a true friend that gives it to you straight up!

A person not afraid to tell you that you’re making no sense!
A person that will tell you that your girlfriends not talking to you because you were being a butthead, not her!
A person that inspires you by simply existing!

You’ve got something that’s worth fighting for forever!

A friendship!

This is just a shout out to one of my bestest friends in the world!

SUSAN B. ANTHONY <<< No this isn't her real name, that’s just what I call her!

Never be afraid to show your love for the ones that matter!
Maybe they need to hear it sometimes! Maybe…

CAMERA TIP: #1

2009-01-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

WHAT CAMERA SHOULD I BUY?

So often i've been asked what type of camera to purchase for general use.

The hard thing about that question is, although i know a lot about my camera, and cameras similar to mine, I don't tend to use what are called point and shoot cameras.

side note: Honestly i need one, lugging the tank I've got around all the time tends to be a bit cumbersome and slightly annoying, especially when the occasion doesn't call for such things.

With matters like these I don't mind looking to sources i feel are reliable to get a better grasp on what is being offered, and I found a top ten list that I agree with on pcworld.com

Hope this helps some get a grasp on what they might have purchased for Christmas or plan on purchasing in general, of course if you need to ask about a specific camera...leave a response and i can let you know what i find, or think!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GO TO THE SITE

by the way...

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!!!

HOLIDAY SEASON PART 2 OF 3

2008-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

KIDS AND CHRISTMAS: Can they be separated?

Right around Christmas time I get a large request for children pictures. Of course they’re used for various reasons, whether it be personal holiday mementos, gifts or even holiday cards. Whatever the case, each parent, each child, each interaction is always genuine. I guess that tends to be the case because most parents are very protective of there children, and having someone come in and attempt to capture something very honest and personal out of there often unpredictable toddler is always a task. Not a bad one at all but a task nonetheless….

Of course I can’t show you all the images but here are a few that make me smile, and hopefully they’ll do the same for you

This young man was very charming...

I can't remember exactly how his mother described him, but she said something to the effect of him being very serious, and he came across that way...

He didn't cry, didn't complain, just sat there for a whiled, which was understandable considering he didn't know who i was or what i was there for, but after a whiled of shooting, his true personality spilled out, and it was a great shoot!!

What the heck am i out here for?!?

Mental note: Should have started with the toy!

Oops!

Baby: So you mean you want me to do this?

I was at my grandmothers house, and this young lady stepped through the door attached to her aunts leg as if she'd never let go....so i went out and setup my equipment, just for the heck of it, the young lady didn't seem as though she planned on having any conversations, or interactions with anyone in the house...but much like the other gentleman above, it took a little easing into, but she warmed up as well, and we had fun!

Lets get this over with please!! :) Never ever ever seen this look in a child!!

Her favorite Christmas present! Can you tell?

Ambulance driving by made her mad!

We are now friends!

This is my nephew, He's 13yrs old 5' 10" wears a size 13 shoe

WHAT THE HECK IS IN THE WATER!!!

side not: An Amazing singer and friend, Kendria Bailey

2008-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is a video of my homie that i shot about a month back now, check her out, she's singing 'what she does best'...and this is the first snippet of many...so stay tuned

ipod version

HOLIDAY SEASON PART 1 OF 3

2008-12-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

Where oh where do I begin….

I want to try to clear out my basket of stuff I’ve been up to before the new year so I’ll begin with this…

TEENAGE MOTHERS!

I’ve stated this so many times before, but I love to take photographs. One of my mentors by the name of Derek Blanks hit me up not to long ago and let me know that he’d be going out to a church and photographing a Christmas event put together to supply presents and toys to teenage mothers, and he asked if I’d like to tag along, partially to assist him, as well as to do some ‘behind the scenes’/ documentary photographs for myself. Now I must admit, I love photo-journalism, I even take my mediocre stabs at it when the chance arises but I know its not my strong suit. Whatever the case, I really enjoyed myself, Derek is a great friend and I appreciated tagging along with him on this occasion, and meeting a group of people all coming together just to show these teenage mothers, even if just for a moment that they don’t have to go it alone.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE MORE PICS

GOTTA LOVE THE KIDS PT 2

2008-12-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

Took pictures in a friends/brothers classroom of some of his students

\/ his name is Bob...he's the teacher...

and here are some of his kids

GOTTA LOVE THE KIDS

2008-12-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

I taught my first class a few weeks ago. It was a digital photography class. One of the biggest problems with a digital photography class is having enough equipment for all the students to participate. So, I remembered this concept I learned a ways back that helped me construct a lesson for the students without having an abundance of equipment. It’s titled “Ways of Seeing”. How it works is, you go out into your neighborhood, around your home, anywhere that you have access to, and find the letters of the alphabet in the environment. Now you can’t use any real letters, so if there is a word spelled out on something, you can’t use those letters. You have to open your eyes and alter the way you see, and use your imagination to find the letters. As you do it, you realize, no matter the age group, everyone finds them self on a level playing field. No one person feels as though they’ve got the upper hand, or the inside scoop. Everyone walks around with there eyes open more intensely hoping to spot the letters, and then having to explain what they see to others.

It allows the students in the class, as well as, anyone who participates, to learn how to communicate there vision, and learn how to see someones vision. So here are a few of the images, check them out!!!

You should finish it!!!

'Q's are the hardest

RANDOM QUOTE- I'd like to know what you think...

2008-12-16T17:45:00.001-08:00

"I would rather spend my life close to the birds than waist my time wishing i had wings"-unknown

What do you think of this quote? Do you agree? why or why not?

What type of photographer are you?

2008-12-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

People often ask if i take regular head shots.

Yes

Or if i do weddings

Yes

Or do i take couples, or family portraits

Yes

Yes

What about large groups

Yes

How about kids :)

Kinda? just kidding yes

i even make up silly stuff i can't do anything with except laugh

I guess what I'm saying is even though my site is very specific in the types of photography I show, i love taking pictures of any and everything, for a bunch of reason or no reason. I do it for free, i do it to pay a bill or two, i do it as a job, i do it to get away from work, its my 360 degree love...

So when you are wondering if i take those types of photographs
The answer is yes!

Self Portrait!!!!

2008-12-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

DONT ASK!!!!

Where i began!!!

2008-12-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

I've got a series of environmental portraits that I'm doing with a working title called 'Normal' that started off completely different.

I started taking pictures of old African Americans on there porches, outside of there homes, as well as the actual neighborhoods they lived in just to examine something....

but i never really figured out what that something was...just found myself really pointing the finger at a class of people that 'looked' poor, and that's not what i wanted

I wanted a new set of imagery, but i just found myself taking new pictures of old imagery if that makes sense.....

Tell me what you think, should i continue taking these types of pictures?why?

here are a few:

Upscale Magazine Spread Nov 08 Star Gazing

2008-12-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

Really great opportunity, and i really enjoyed working with them.

A few more images from that last shoot

2008-12-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hate me if you must: BUT I'm back now

2008-12-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

So I've certainly got a ton to catch you up on but i wanted to Start with Kendria Bailey. Now this young lady i've worked with for years now, when i first began shooting, she was my muse, and both she and I have grown tremendously in life, so it was only fitting for us to get together and try and produce some new images.

I'm really interested in trying to take my style of photography into a different direction and i was even happier starting with her, seeing as though when i started with photography i believe i started with her.

new site coming soon

2008-12-02T20:55:00.001-08:00

Hey i've been working on my new site, so i've been gone...but i've got it up

http://www.allencooley.com/allensite

let me know what you think before it goes live!!!!

Los Angeles <--- My new favorite place!

2008-08-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

I went to Cali for a few days and had a blast shooting and meeting some great fokes. I'll write more about it tomorrow, but here are a few teaser images, until i can get some more time to edit.

Crazy Hot shoes

2008-08-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

These are just two shoes that are sick...nothing more, nothing less

Great Work by PHOTOGRAPHER JULIA FULLERTON-BATTEN

2008-08-16T17:56:00.001-07:00

Although i see a clear separation of my fashion work from my fine art work I'm equally passionate about both, and i don't feel I've got to make a decision as to which i want to devote all my time to, I'd rather mix it up and keep it fresh...anyway...

Julia Batten is a photographer i admire. Her images have the humerus reality to them that i enjoy.

check 'em out:

Click Here
if you want to see more work by this photographer.

Great Work by Matei Apostolescu

2008-08-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is the site

http://www.013a.com/index2.html

but here is some of the work, and the colors and the feelings it creates are just amazing.

New WOrk

2008-08-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've got some great ideas for what i want to start doing on here. I want to start showing some of my before and after work, because i think its interesting to understand some images from beginning to end. But until then, i'll post up some work i shot recently, hope you like it.

Have Houston Doctors Cracked the AIDS Virus?

2008-07-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 03:07:14 PM

Per the UPI, word is filtering out of the scientific press that a trio of pathologists led by Dr. Sudhir Paul at the University of Texas Medical School here in Houston has pinpointed the Achilles Heel of the virus that causes AIDS.

The vulnerable spot is hidden in a protein essential for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, to attach to host cells, the university said in a release.

An HIV vaccine doesn't exist because HIV is a mutating virus.

The scientists said they are focusing on a stretch of amino acids on HIV's envelope protein gp120.

"Unlike the changeable regions of its envelope, HIV needs at least one region that must remain constant to attach to cells. If this region changes, HIV cannot infect cells," said Paul, a pathology professor at the UT Medical School.

Paul's group engineered antibodies with enzymatic activity, called abzymes, that can attack the virus's weakness.

"The abzymes recognize essentially all of the diverse HIV forms found across the world. This solves the problem of HIV changeability," Paul said. "The next step is to confirm our theory in human clinical trials."

Science Daily kicks some deep, um, science about the breakthrough here. The UPI is also reporting that Dr. Paul’s theory will be presented at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City next month.

-- John Nova Lomax

BEING BLACK: Who owns the culture?

2008-05-23T08:23:00.001-07:00

So before I begin I’ve got to define culture so that I can use it as the framework of this discussion. Wikipedia defines "culture" (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate,") as patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Culture can be "understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another." Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating human activity. I’ll alter this a little by saying culture simply means that there are things that various groups of people do to make them unique, not necessarily better or worse than the next being, but different.

With that definition, I think is relatively safe to suggest that being black is a culture. The problem that exists within that notion circulates around who owns that culture or who makes up that culture. Now true, we can break culture up into various sub-groups that can exclude clusters of people. For example, if I post this article on a blog then it’s assumed that the people reading this would be those that participate in this “blogging” culture, there by excluding those that either aren’t interested in the medium or are simply unaware of its existence. My question then becomes who is black if being black removes the actual color of your skin and is defined by general patterns of a people? Very similar to the blog analogy people are given an option to participate in the culture or to exclude themselves from it intentionally or from being unaware.

African-American Cultural Marxism would lead us to believe that, the culture is owned by those that have the power to display it and I can’t say I totally disagree with that notion. Staying as far as I can away from anything religious or spiritual at the moment but if I can’t see it, how do I know its there? Television, radio and any other media outlet that connects to large amounts of people at once has a strong relationship to culture. The people that have control of those outlets have the power to filter out what they don’t want to be shown constructing whatever culture they feel best establishes their agenda, i.e. being late, red Kool-aid, collard greens and neck bones, etc.

Hip-hop culture at times seems as if its got a master lock on what is and is not black culture as if the terms Hip-hop culture and Black culture are interchangeable. There is this invisible line that many participate in where Blacks point at other Blacks that aren’t engulfed in Hip-hop culture and suggest that they’re denying there ethnicity as if the culture they’re embracing at the moment doesn’t belong to them. Does that mean that certain cultures are indicative to a certain type of people and inevitably excluding others that are the minority within that style of living? Maybe that’s why a Black person speaking correctly, being on time and being extremely educated are all traits of a culture not their own. The same notion as if a white person with baggy clothes, bad grammar and gold teeth is equally a disconnection from the culture they’re required to participate in.

When I was in undergraduate school, I remember going on a vacation to Daytona Beach with three or four of my best friends. We had a great week, chasing after girls and enjoying the nightlife. One of the nights we were there we decided to go to this upscale restaurant. I didn’t have anything but jeans and a few nice shirts, but the restaurant required a jacket. One of my friends was about my size and he had an extra jacket to loan me, so I wore it. Without thinking about it we went out to the restaurant, I held a martini in my hand, which was odd because I didn’t drink, I looked the part and I played it, but most of all we had a great time. What’s funny to me is I think of culture in that same vein. Culture is whatever I want it to be. There isn’t a specific manner of thinking, or way of dress I’ve got to limit myself to, I simply embrace what feels right, even if just for the moment. Me being black isn’t up for definition based off cultural stereotypes that in most cases I had no say in defining. I’m black. Period. And the culture I choose to adapt to stems from what I feel best reflects who I am as a person. But who knows, maybe that in itself is just another culture, and until someone contests me, I own that!

2008-03-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

ipod version

Just some new work

2008-02-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

Spoken Word

2008-01-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

Not sure if anyone knows but at one point in time i use to write and perform spoken word...This video is not of me though...It's of one of my brothers....its beautiful...watch it!

The Question of the Year! 2008 and beyond really!

2008-01-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well it's the beginning of the year and from this point on I will attempt to frequent this site enough that it leaves a true trail of where my heart and mind are during any particular moment in time.

Here is my question:

Now I could attempt to try to be deep and say every second of everyday I ask myself this question, but if I allow honesty to prevail, I tend to only ask myself this question when I get a little down or misplaced in my thoughts, which for some reason has been at least once a day but ok, ok I’m sorry here is the question: Is the road to greatness; hardship and strife, struggles and pain, hard work and discipline, or is all of that stuff just stuff and life issues those delightful treats to all its ravenous customers that approach this Super Wal-mart we call life? Greatness, failure and what lies between get divvied out all the same, each person has their opportunity to walk down aisle four and grab a few boxes of success. Life much like Wal-mart doesn’t have coupons and just as rarely has a buy one get one free anything, so if you need it, you better have the yenom (money backwards) to buy it.

Side bar: I choose to say yenom every now and again because money sometimes sounds so nasty when you say it and don’t have it.

Every Victor of success that means something to me seems to have this rags to riches story that encourages most not to give up on their dreams simply because their circumstances don’t seem favorable, but I can’t possibly believe that every person with crappy conditions becomes a Thurgood or a Martin, some folks just have to be a Pookie or a RayRay and I worry that maybe I’m a Pookie or a RayRay and not a Cornell or a Fredrick. I mean I’m sure Pookie had friends that believed in him, that encouraged him, and made him believe his dreams wouldn’t fall short of reality. He most likely had a girlfriend that said she’d never give up on him or let me him down either. I know for sure RayRay’s homeboy’s didn’t slip looking out for him every once in a whiled because they knew when that boy made it, everybody was straight, but what if they amount to nothing. Well ok, maybe not ‘nothing’ but less than what their dreams said they’d be, have they failed? Was their life not as hard as it needed to be for their story to be significant enough to know? I hear it from so many, that their struggle was worth it but I wonder how many ambitious, determined individuals that chase after their dreams end up standing outside of that store that you frequent requesting change from a person that chose to accept life just the way it came, without imbuing any of their own aspirations in it anywhere? Is that the life I should have chose, the one where I’m unhappy but I can pay the bills, take care of myself, and God Willing wake up the next morning and drag myself through it once again?

Don't Be A Pawn, Be The One They Remember Putting People In Checkmate! Life is like chess think it out before you move!

Critic of Christopher McNulty's show at the Saltworks Gallery

2007-09-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Artist: Christopher McNulty

Body of Work: 'Days'

Gallery: Saltworks

Date: Sept 8 Open till October 20

When walking into the Saltworks gallery, there’s a slightly sterile feel in the room due more to the artists monochromatic images than the actual venue. Based on the previous day’s experience & visit to the three other galleries, I assumed we’d be looking at the pieces, generally making personal observations about them, and possibly leaving with an inclined third eye, something deep and “artsy fartsy.” But we walked in, and Mr. McNulty was speaking. Initially it seemed that he was just lecturing on how deep he was in comparison to anyone in the room who didn’t understand his work. Very soon after I arrived at this conclusion the next one rang even louder and truer: I was stereotyping him.

McNulty’s work was extremely “blank” without knowing what it was at which I was actually looking. I’m sure that such a statement makes it sounds like I’m no real aficionado of art, or even understand its lack of a need for explanation. On the contrary, I didn’t ask the artist to explain his work, he knew not explaining what had been done would leave his work meaningless. He explained how he went through an entire process, using some technique to give a projected life expectancy for himself and used that number as the catalyst for this project. Essentially, he named each piece after the projected amount of days he had left to live and applied various striations, x’s, and fingerprints to matched the amount of days he had left when beginning that specific work of art. For example, one piece was called 20,468 days, which had 20,468 x’s in a circular motion.

Now I had a clear understanding of who Mr. Mcnulty is as far as his work is concerned, but I guess my main question concerning this instillation is this: if the life of the piece essentially lives in how it was created and why it was done, and if the viewer know neither of those things, do the images “matter”? Perhaps the images are not capable of standing on their own and need the artist’s constant explanation. But what happens if the artist is not present at every opening and every gallery? Furthermore, if the artist has to be present at every gallery opening or at every show, is the actual art work what we’re there to see, or are we really there to hear his story? Is he the art work? He’s being shipped around to every gallery just like the framed pieces are, so does he consider himself a piece of art?

I guess in many situations the artist statement would facilitate a happy medium between the artist and his creations. But I had the opportunity to ask the artist how he felt about having to have such a strong hand in the understanding of his work. His response was that when he sends his work to a show that he cannot physically attend, he sends another piece of writing along with the artist statement to further explain what was done in the pieces. My next question (which I didn’t ask) was who reads it or even knows that it’s supposed to be read? What if the people who install the work assume the gallery’s visitors will accept Mcnulty’s work with a “what you see is what you get” attitude, like most other galleries they may frequent? To me it seems that a large part of the art in his work exists in what was done and why it was done, but not actually the end result. The end result is basically a summation of what was done and what happened, but to me not the art in its entirety.

Considering McNulty’s installation reminded me of my reaction to the work of Jackson Pollock because although to most his art work breathes a life of its own, I am personally attracted to his paintings because I knew how they were birthed. I am intrigued by stories of how he’d lay the canvas on the floor and walk over it with a cigarette in mouth, drizzling paint in patterns the coordinates of which only his subconscious mind knew until the end result was that of which he was pleased to call his own. McNulty’s piece titled 20,045 days, made up of his own finger prints applied to a 71"x71" canvas was overwhelming in size and precision. To believe that this man sat there with an ink pad, and in a circular motion pressed his thumb continually over twenty thousand times both on that ink pad then on the canvas shows me a great deal of commitment to what was, probably much like Pollock, only known in the deepest recesses of his being. I don’t know about you but after about 50 applications of the whole thumb-ink-canvas thing, I would have had to rethink my strategy.

So again I am not saying that McNulty’s work in its totality was anything short of impressive and creative, but I don’t feel the actual work on the walls alone is enough – and apparently neither does the artist - to validate such a powerful body of work. More thought should be put into finding a mainstream approach to solidifying the meaning and the work in a more cohesive manner that doesn’t fluctuate depending on the artist’s presence at the show. I mean, what if I suggest some friends stop through tomorrow and he’s not there, then what?

Is Mindless Creation Allowed in Music? Guess not!

2007-09-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mindless Creation Inspired by Prof. Aishman

In the early 1900’s, circa 1916-1920 during World War 1 lived an art movement called ‘Dada or Dadaism’. This movement at its time, and even now looking back at it was powerful because of its lack of a message and of course inadvertently having one. The Dada movement existed in various forms such as visual arts, literature, theatre, and graphic design, but the intent behind the movement was to go against the grain of what was considered acceptable forms of art, creating what was called anti-art. The movement was displaying its disapproval with the war, and the manipulation of the ruling classes to make this war exist.

Before this movements manifestation it was as if arts only purpose was to appease those looking by giving them something they could connect with or understand. Knowing that art could not exist without a purpose unconsciously limits its diversity. So to have a movement that says were going to make art and be aware of all the rules and intentionally not abide by any was unheard of.

So a few days ago I was reading the blog of one of my professors and the first line of his blog posed the question, “Whatever happened to mindless creation?” What was even more ironic was early that day before I began to read his blog, I was speaking to a few peers and they were all enthralled about the hip-hop culture but disenchanted by its current state. NO ONE wants to hear another lean with it rock with it, do the heizman on that Ooo, Crank that soldier boy, or anything about doing the cupid shuffle song. But honestly that’s the problem with current hip-hop, it parallels the issues of art during the early 1900’s, people were forced into believing that arts only function had to pertain to aesthetics, or some type of implied or covert message, but how about Not! What if hip-hop doesn’t always have to be saturated with a fight the power message, or the need of one voice, one person, and one mic to make a change? What if you just make music to make it? Allowing the listener to interpret what he or she wants from the music, or not even interpret anything at all just listen, and accept what is heard at face value and it be ok. Don’t get me wrong, I’d choose Naz’s first LP over some of this pop music any day but that’s not the point I'm trying to make. My gripe does with us not understand this current form of music’s importance to the movement as a whole, you can still have fun making music, and you don’t have to instill some profound message in your song for it to be worth listening to. You can make music simply because you love it and you’ll still be accepted as an artist in your own right. Your mindless creation is what makes you an artist and because you’re not doing what some, maybe even most feel you should be doing with your music, it doesn’t lessen your caliber as an artist it simply makes you an individual, and what’s so bad about that?

Credits: wikipedia<---- quick research of factual info Steve aishman <---where the inspiration derived from photoawesome <---a website worth going to!

Dada Movement

2007-05-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is my personal era of nothingness...just for pure enjoyment...after learning the 4x5...which I'm dumb happy about...I've decided to put some serious time into shooting with the 4x5 but first here is some pure, down home fun! with some large format pola's

Oh yea here is some of my commissioned work....not much