Dream On

I am currently really obsessed with this video clip 'Fall' by The Presets. The video is done by the guys over at Collider and it features the Kim and Julian-masked French champion free-dive team doing their thing over Costa Brava in Spain. That moment when they jump out of the plane...beautiful and euphoric...



In other news, this is my wish list. More of a reminder to me...let me indulge.

1. Daniel Wellington wristwatch (gold & silver - I can't decide!)
I need an everyday watch. I have one with two clock faces that I adore from Antwerp in Belgium, but it is a bit too fragile for my everyday life.

2. R.M. Williams Boots
I think these would be the best investment. Durable, look great and can wear with anything. I really want a pair to travel in and to replace my old boots that are pretty shabby. They are extremely steep in price if you ask me, but I think they will last forever and won't really go out of style. The Craftsman or Yearling, Black of Brown? I don't know.

3. Film Camera.
Now that I got my DSLR purchase of the way I want a film camera - thankfully a lot cheap! I need to do more research over what one I want but maybe a Pentax Spotmatic, Olympus Trip or Canon Program AE1.

4. Britta Sandal
I have to admit I hated clogs when they were the rage. Chunky, clunky, bulky and just obstructive. I don't know why but I've really warmed to these shoes and they'd go great with 'my' cigarette pants seen below. Navy or Natural coloured, I'm not sure. Probably Navy. You can purchase these from Nordic Fusion.

5. Philosykos Diptique Roll-on Perfume Oil
I'm allergic to synthetic fragrances so finding a perfume that I like is hard, lucky for me Diptique uses essential oils. I've come to love roll-on perfumes because I always forget to apply perfume at home. Roll-on perfumes are small and fit easily into any handbag or clutch, roll it on and you're good to go!

6. Cigarette Pants
These ones are nice by Thomsen Paris on My Chameleon.

Images via Daniel Wellington, My Chameleon, Nordic Fusion, R.M.Williams, and Wikipedia.

Born Free

I have been to a number of exhibitions lately to make up for all the ones I have missed during university semester. Yesterday I went to the World Press Photo exhibition at the State Library. As per each exhibition the images are powerful, brutal and sad. I am a bit of a wimp but I really find these shows very eye-opening, so I suggest you see it!

Taken after the Japanese Tsunami by Daniel Berehulak

I also went and saw Jeff Wall at the MCA. I mainly went to see this image in the flesh, and by gosh it is even more entrancing in real life. He displays his work printed on transparency placed over light boxes which make these static images look almost surreal vivid colour.

I watched another great Australian film over the weekend called 'Wish You Were Here'. I have kept my eye open for this one and was so glad when it came on Foxtel. I am really surprised by some bad reviews of this film! Great acting, cinematography and eerie suspense! If you like other Australian films and TV like Animal Kingdom, Love My Way or Noise, you will like this film!

And a bit of images gathered from the Internet, because why not?

Images via Jak & Jil, We The People and Google.

Adapt

I've finally got around to updating my online portfolio a bit. I've added two new projects: DIGITALUSH and Adapt. DIGITALUSH still has more images coming. Oh and I promise I'll get some Japan images up ASAP.

All images by Alyssa Anaimugan.

April IMN

Belated, but not by much. 

1. Lore

A German/Australian film set during and after WWII. I watched this on the plane home from Japan. I don't think the airplane screen did it justice - I might watch it again in a HD. This film was extraordinarly beautiful - shot in lush German countryside. It tells the story of young Lore and her siblings who must trek across Germany to their grandmother's house for refuge. The heavy subject matter, which I would normally find extremely grim, was made vivid by great cinematography and acting from the young Saskia Rosendahl (Lore).  I could feel the Australian drama influence from the honest and heartbreaking depictions of life that I love so much from things like Love My Way and Candy.

2. Jen Mann

Originally thinking these images were the result of Photoshop filters and photography -  I was surprised to find out they are all painted portraits. Love it!

3. Kim Boske

I deliberated in my mind for ages whether I should or should not of bought a book featuring Kim Boske's photography in Harajuku, Tokyo. I ended up going back to the store and buying it. I am really glad - it is so beautiful and exactly the type of photography I love. Weird, weird nature. All photographs in my book are printed in large format on great paper stock!

I returned from Japan a couple of days ago - when I have time to edit, I will post some photos from my travels. Enjoy your weekend :)

The Lush of Suburbia.

Oh you know - just wondering why the HELL I have not discovered this photographer sooner? He is also apparently quite well known. The lighting, scenes of suburbia and deep forest lush is exactly what I like in photography... better late than never.

Some of you may have felt those moments, I know I have. Where you are staring into space, during twilight or under moon light.  Whether it be sitting on the bed, on the front balcony, in the street etc. There is something about these photographs that communicates these immersions. The surrealism of feeling such transcendence in suburbia and the juxtaposition of it all.

Upon reading about him a bit more - these photographs are extremely stylised. The interior ones are on entirely constructed sets with huge staff teams. Perhaps that is why I never feature humans in my own work - there is something very staged when you do that. 

I discovered Gregory Crewdson when reading an interview with Lars Von Trier about Melancholia. The interviewer compares stills from the film to some of Crewdson's photography - and I see the resemblance. However to be perfectly honest - I much MUCH prefer stills from Melancholia, I basically worship that film.

Images from all over google, interview with Von Trier here.

Talk to God on the Phone

Images via Lyla & Blu and Lady Moustache

We Have Decided Not To Die

At university they had spoken a lot about a company Collider, which I guess made me not take any interest in looking them up. Maybe one day it just sunk in and I decided to look at their website. I wasn't ready for my complete immersion into dreamy imagery, excellent editing and all round inspire-inducing matter. All of these films I had loved and liked had all along been created by Collider. In the end I lurked their website like I lurked a crush's Myspace back in 2005 until I came across We Have Decided Not To Die - a short film by Daniel Askill that is the summation of everything I want to feel and think and explore in anything creative I've ever made or seen. The indulgence, the transcendence and the unexplainable. You can watch a preview of the short film here. I also read the interview with Daniel Askill on the website which I found really interesting.

Here are some stills from Collider's work including films for Dion Lee, Ksubi, Something Else, ACNE, WIM etc

Images via Collider.com.au and Wehavedecidednottodie.com