NOVEMBER 2010

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3CommonCr ativCOMMONCREATIVATLANTA.COM NOVEMBER 2010COMMON GROUND FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS IN ATLANTAAND GROWING!

COVER PHOTO BYCORY MCBURNETT

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FEATURING +ELIZABETH JOHNSON +CHRISTOPHER WONG +LAUREN ANDERSON +JEREMY MOON +GARRIN HIRSCHHORN +MATTHEW NICHOLSON +CORY MCBURNETT +MORE

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HIRINGNOW

CommonCreativ ATL is now hiring managers, writers and photographers.Join in our cause as we make creativity common again ;) HIRING IN BOTH LOCATIONS: NYC AND ATL

Find us on Twitter @CommonCreativ and Facebook (CommonCreativ ATL).To get information on the magazine, contests and other fun stuff, visit commoncreativatlanta.com. (Also, check out commoncreativnyc.com!!)Send us an e-mail at [email protected] are a group of talented folks, from professional editors and publishing veterans to local artists and students. Join us!Contact us at [email protected].

WWW.COMMONCREATIVATLANTA.COM

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3CommonCr ativTHE PHOTO ISSUE

MASTER FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY (UNDER $30)WHERE TO GET YOUR FILM FIXPHOTOG BLOG: BULEH, BULEHOUR CONTEST WINNER! LAUREN ANDERSONPHOTO DRAMA JACK OF ALL TRADESTHINKIN’ ABOUT THE DARKROOM DAZEPAST TRENDS SHAPE THE FUTURE OF PHOTOGRAPHYTHE CUTTING EDGEELABORATE IMAGES AND A FANTASY WORLD

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MANAGING EDITOR

EDITOR AT LARGEREGIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

CREATIVE MARKETING ADVISOR

MULTIMEDIA EDITORFASHION EDITOR

TECH ADVISOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Maria Yanovsky

Kristina Dutton

Kathryn Jonell

Meredith PrudenLauren Stiles

Kenneth J. Hughes

Lindsay OberstBrittany HeatonNoel Madali

Jennifer BrownJohnny GramRobert HancockKevin PerriRyan SchillHelen StaffardRachel StevensJason ConradKristina DuttonBrittany HeatonKathryn JonellElaina LonidierJeremy MoonKevin PerriRyan SchillLauren Stiles

Contact: [email protected]. We are a group of talented folks, from students to professional editors and artists to publishing veterans. CommonCreativ is an Atlanta-based forum for local professionals. Our media group has many con-tributors from all over Atlanta, and the Southeast. In addition to the writing staff, some of the content is blogger-driven.

To join our staff of professional writers, artists and publishers, please visit our site. Help us build a virtual cultural district. Want to get the news on commoncreativ as we expand to other cities? send your name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Thanks!

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MARIA YANOVSKY

KATHRYN JONELL TIARA HINESExecutive Editor

President Vice President of Editorial

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Editor’s Note

Working on-the-goAirships & AestheticsHot WheelsShopping in Canton

War of the Write

International Appeal

Hell Yeah, Helvetica

The Photo Issue

Street FashionRunway Looks

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n behalf of the entire Com-monCreativ team, welcome to our new web site! Atlanta is rife

with talented creatives, and a media outlet that celebrates the artistic lifestyle has been too long in coming. From painters and photographers to writers and graphic designers (and everything in between), CommonCreativ is dedi-cated to you. Even in our infancy, CommonCreativ is already squashing the longstanding myth that successful innovators must relocate to the coasts, proving there's a vibrant and dynamic landscape for creatives right here in the nation's south-ern capital. Whether you're a student or expert, we've got something sure to satisfy your thirst for ingenuity. In addi-tion to our substantive trade and lifestyle focused editorial, we also function as a community forum where craftspeople and artists can peddle their wares or post and reply to industry job listings.Our web site is a glimpse at what to expect in the upcoming quarterly print edition of CommonCreativ. It includes sneak peeks at upcoming print articles,

as well as regularly updated web site only content to tide you over between issues. Ultimately, the two outlets will co-exist as an interactive multimedia look at the creative pulse of our great austral metropolis. As a 20-year veteran of the Atlanta cre-ative scene - as a writer, editor, fashion stylist and blogger - I am thrilled to be a part of the city's first comprehensive look into the creative lifestyle. When Maria (our talented - and fearless - leader) first pitched me the idea for CommonCreativ, it took root in my subconscious as more than just a trade and lifestyle publication though I wasn't sure why. As I stewed over the concept in the following days (even conjuring it in dreams on a handful of occasions), it slowly became apparent why I was so sidetracked with the project. CommonCreativ is a magazine, a web site and a community forum, yes, but it's also the beginning of a grassroots social movement to support a community of thinkers, dreamers, creators. And, it's about time! So, welcome to the move-ment, folks, and happy creating!

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Even in our infancy, CommonCreativ is already squashing the longstanding myth that successful innovators must relocate to the coasts, proving there's a vibrant and dynamic landscape for creatives right here in the nation's southern capital.

WELCOME TOTHE REVOLUTION

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o be a good artist, you should be your harshest critic. The word “harsh” may have a negative con-

notation, but in this case it is the essence of the engine that drives you on to better work. Never settle for the first idea or the first sketch, even though you might ultimately return to it. Look at your work in context. Consider how it compares with other work being done in the profession. Push yourself. Avoid medioc-rity. Accept compliments from your friends and family, but don’t believe them. They are biased. Think like a politician. Imagine that every aspect of your design will be picked apart and used as ammunition against you. In other words, look for weak-nesses. Look for flaws. Correct

them. Polish them. Be proud of your accomplishments, but don’t let your guard down. Maintain the highest possible standards for yourself, but also maintain reason (there will always be those who are “better” or “not as good” as you). Remember the old adage that every journey begins with a first step. It is the accumulated steps that define the journey, that give it meaning and richness. Find joy in the process and the results will ring true.Dan Henderson is a full-time pro-fessor at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Art Foundations and Illustration.

BE YOUR OWN BEST CRITIC

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AND SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE WITH ATLANTA’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

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PHOTO OF ZEN TEA BY MARIA YANOVSKY.

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t's Saturday afternoon and you've just got to get out of the house. Of course, your work always goes with you, so where can

you get the most amount of work done on-the-go? Atlanta is a bustling city with many coffee shops, parks, etc. But what're the best places to actually get things done? We've got a few to tell you about!Octane Coffee (West Side Arts District)- This little creative space is perfect for getting things done on the weekends, or even on late nights. Enjoy some loose-leaf tea or a cup of the famous cappuchino as you set up your Mac (It's gotta be a Mac, otherwise you'll stick out like a sore thumb in this place). There are intimate, small tables all around the large interior, and large tables along the walls perfectly sized to hold a computer, sketchbook, binder, book and your drink. And if you're not having much luck getting things done, they serve alcohol, too. Perfect for a computer and a small sketchbook.Zen Tea (Downtown Chamblee)- Sit by the win-dow sipping on some green tea (or any tea, since they probably brew everything under the sun) and sketching away. You're sure to be inspired by this cozy little spot. There's big, comfortable seating

where you can stretch out with a large sketchbook in your lap.The Majestic Diner (Poncey-Highland)- This might not be the perfect spot for creative day-dreaming on a weekend night, but you're sure to get things done any other time of the week at this 24-hour diner. It's clean, comfy and the food ain't bad either. Enjoy the large windows and get inspired by the wacky folks that come in and out. Great place for writing or surfing the web. Yes, there's free Wi-Fi!Joe's Coffee Shop (East Atlanta)- Our favorite place around town to be productive. This truly inspi-rational study space will cure any writer's block you've got. You'll feel at home with the friendly atmosphere, and you'll get plenty of ideas after spending a few minutes scanning the art all over the walls of this eclectic spot.Tea Fuse (Downtown Vinings)- This newly opened tea house is in one of our favorite neighborhoods around Atlanta. Just 10 minutes north of down-town, you will escape all the hustle and bustle in Vinings Square, and Tea Fuse has a serene atmo-sphere that will give you all of the courage you need to finish your current project.

ART ON-THE-GO:FINDING CREATIVEWORKING SPACESI

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PHOTO OF ZEN TEA BY MARIA YANOVSKY.

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PHOTO BY DIM HORIZONS STUDIOS.

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ny trip to the local bookstore’s fantasy/ science fiction section will display a prolific number of examples of the

anachronistic speculative literature classified as steampunk. This genre has been around for a while, in the form of stories reminiscent of Jules Verne’s combination of technology and adventure in the Victorian, industrial age, and inspiring people to wonder what would have happened if Babbage actually had been able to create a computer in the nineteenth century. Recently this genre has become more and more popular, and the covers of novels are overflow-ing with airships and gears, top hats and cor-sets, all promising a strong dose of adventure from a more refined age. But this category has not just restricted itself to literature; it is, at its heart, an aesthetic and artistic movement, marrying the themes of modern values with antique conventionalities. As such, it has expanded beyond the printed page into a social community, and in Atlanta, people put on their bodices and bustles, spy-glasses and steam-powered jetpacks, and hold

events like the Mechanical Masquerade earlier this year, or the Steampunk Picnic in Piedmont Park this summer. It’s a bit of a change from the ordinary, and a chance to engage in whimsy and dressing up, something not many adults get a chance to do very often. In the steampunk community, several fig-ures stand out for their creativity, such as G.D. Falkson or Anachronaut (examples of their design can quickly be found online); in Atlanta, one man in particular, who goes by the nom de guerre of Steampunk Boba Fett, a tribute to the bounty hunter in Star Wars. Another well-known name and purveyor of steampunk gear based in Atlanta is OutlandArmor, a stage production and fabrication company especially skilled at producing the evocative aesthetic of anachronistic Victorian technology. This tiny subculture is interesting for the fact that it is not simply a set of teen-agers buying fashion from Hot Topic, but a shared vision for wearing art and using themselves as a gallery for that art in their everyday lives.

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o brakes is a way of life. The confidence you acquire while riding your fixie down Moreland is the kind of confidence that

stays with you even after you hop off," says Niles Harper, an avid biker, East Atlanta resi-dent and employee at a local bike shop. The recent explosion of the bike culture in Atlanta has its critics and fans, but if you're lucky enough to catch a critical mass ride, it's like watching a moving art gallery. Cycle shops such as Outback Bike in Little Five Points, Bicycle South in Decatur and Intown Bikes in Virginia Highlands cater to the avid cycler by supplying wide arrays of performance road bikes and BMX bikes. But to really dive deep into the young cycle culture that is taking the city by storm, you will have to venture to the smaller shops like Grant Park's own No Brakes. These little custom shops are where the incrowd can be seen buying the latest track frames fresh in from Japan, or the bright purple velocity deep v rims that they need to com-

plete their psychadelic color scheme."I painted my bike myself. You can find some pretty great spray paints at hardware stores in a pretty wide selection of colors," says Robert Allen, a bike decorator. The feeling that I get from taking a peek at Bob's baby blue Mer-cier frame with electric blue deep v rims and metallic blue hubs is hard to describe. I can sense that the DIY mentality is alive and well within the biking community. If you look closely you might be able to spot the lesser known bike workshops. The two that really stick out in my mind for their great design work are East Atlanta's So Po Bike Shop that caters to the DIYer that doesn't necessarily have the funds or resources to complete their own bike art. kirkwood is also lucky enought to be able to call the Kirkwood Recycler one of its popular residents. The re-cycler was a bit of a mystery to me at first, but after a friend was built a lovely bike by them, i can confidently say that they are an asset to this growing cult.

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ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTINA DUTTON.

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PHOTOS BY KRISTINA DUTTON.

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f you’re looking for a wallet friendly, fashion-forward place to kill

some time OTP, Bleu Dame is a must! Bleu Dame is a teeny tiny boutique that has more to look at than you’d think from first glance, from sunglasses, headbands and hats, to afford-able (some hand-crafted, because they love supporting our local artists!) jewelry and gifts for the young at heart. Bleu Dame is a family-owned and operated busi-ness, ran by two business-savvy women, mother and daughter duo, Cindy and Sheena Lutes. It’s a truly inspiring story of entrepreneurship! They started

out selling accessories on eBay, then went on to create a success-ful website and finally opened a boutique in the heart of down-town Canton, Ga. If you ever find yourself around the town, I highly recommend dropping by this guilt-free boutique! If it’s your first time in, you can ask nicely and I’m sure they’d be glad to give you a nice little discount too! If it’s too far of a trek, you can always catch some of the goodies on their website. (Did I mention they offer $2.95 flat rate shipping!?) www.bleudame.com, 678-880-7658.Kristina Dutton works at Bleu Dame in Canton, Ga.

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GRANT STOREW hile you’re here visiting Bleu Dame (and

the awesome hot dog diner next door), you should stop by the Grant Store! The

store opened as a result of the employees of Grant Collaborative doing what creative people do best, making things. The store is full of all kinds of goodies from greeting cards and pa-per masks, to old-fashioned games of jacks and screen printed canvas bags. A lot of their products/ projects are created from up-cycled goodies or re-used/ leftover paper. They’ve done

what all great designers do, found a creative outlet from all that digital media! Rather you’re a graphic designer, a shopper, or a local, The Store is worth checkin’ out. If you’re a design nerd like me, you’d really appreciate that most of the people working at the shop are not only super friendly, but they are the people who work in the design studio! It’s a great time to chat about typography jokes and discuss the lat-est projects you’re working on. www.grantcol-laborative.com, 770.479.8280.

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WAR OF THE WRITET

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his is probably the fifth or sixth draft of this article. I come by finished pieces the hard way.

Each story is a war, each paragraph a battle, and each sentence a skirmish. I write, delete, re-write, trash the whole thing, start over, walk away and then come back and write a little more. Eventually, battered and bloody, I find I have a finished story. I love it. I have read many, many books about writing and it seems the majority advo-cate a certain loose freedom in writing first drafts. Find a blank page and just write for 30 minutes without worrying about typos, grammar or aesthetics. Maybe this works for some people, but not for me. I agonize over every word of the first sentence. I may re-write it a dozen times before I am happy and can move on. The second sentence is

no different, and the third after that. But each sentence leads me to the next. Each paragraph suggests where the next will travel. I find the story through the act of writing it. I can-not understand something until I have tried to write about it. While I certainly write because I love the act of writing, even if I were to loathe it I would still write; it is how I understand the world. When I began this piece, six drafts ago, it was about something completely different. The process lead me here. Perhaps one day I will write about what I had intended to initially. Maybe not. I do follow one piece of writing advice, however: “Write what you know.” This is not a conscious deci-sion. I cannot help it. In fact, I may not fully understand it until I am finished writing about.

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TOP RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF MDESIGNS.

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INTERNATIONAL APPEALI

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nternational—it’s in both the name and the style of MDesigns International, the creative and innovative interior design

firm of Monica K. Alarcon. Her firm is client-centered, taking their dreams and practical needs and creating something fit for a resort, and in fact, many of her previous projects have been with discerning clients interested in creat-ing a luxurious ambience in their restaurants and resorts. MDesigns International focuses on fostering balance in the lives of the individ-uals who live and work in the spaces they cre-ate and works with both homes and businesses to design an entire lifestyle experience—up to and including beautiful pianos and uniquely designed saltwater tanks. Project inspiration is taken from around the world and from the natural beauty found there. Alarcon’s love of floral and geographic sights translates into a use of lots of curved lines in her use of accessories, as well as bringing the outside indoors with flowers, terrariums and art that hints that the world inside the home

is just a continuation of the beauty beyond the doors. Her work extends there as well—her portfolio features a project from Cartagena, Columbia, with a swimming pool and land-scape designed with just as much attention paid to classic beauty and the sturdy elegance of a South American home. A philosophy Alarcon espouses at MDI is that “Each home has its own unique ‘soul’—spatial energy that brings to life the balance of the client’s lifestyle needs and desires.” This principle guides her hand as she brings togeth-er the colors and themes to turn each room and living space into an individualized work of art. In addition, there is a boutique of home décor assembled by the firm in the works. The design team at MDI is no less interna-tional than the creativity they employ, bringing their experiences and contacts from all over the world, and opportunities in Atlanta, California, Mexico, Canada, Colombia and Argentina. The firm can be found online at www.mdesignsin-ternational.com.

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TOP RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF MDESIGNS.

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NOTEBOOK MADE AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KRISTINA DUTTON.

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ny graphic designer would love to talk about their favorite typefaces with anyone interested in hearing,

I know I’m very guilty of spilling my guts about the latest gem I found on those free font websites to my friends who really don’t care. However, my relationship with Helvetica has changed over time. When I first started diving into the world of typography the Helvetica film had just been released and was being screened at my school, it was love at first sight. It was my go-to typeface for a lot of my projects over the next year. It’s sort of like that band that you find out about when they have their first CD release show, and you love them and go to all of their shows when they play anywhere within the surrounding states, and then four

years later everyone and their 14 year old sister is listening to them. It’s one of those feelings that you can really only get from something like that. For me, it’s a knot in my stomach and a guilty conscious if I dive back into that nostalgia, im-mediately (and without wanting to) my brain scans through all the times my best friends little sister posted lyrics to her Facebook. That is my Helvetica. I’ve seen it used in so many places, on so many portfolios, and by so many students and new designers, I just can’t love it the way I used to. I’ll reminisce about the good ol’ days… when I still used CS3 and had that assignment about using the word to define the word, but it will never be the same. It’s well past time to move on to a bigger, bolder Futura! (Get it?!)

HELL YEAH,HELVETICAA

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THE PHOTO ISSUEWE’VE FOUND SOME OF THE BEST EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO FEATURE IN OUR 2010 PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE OF COMMONCREATIV.

AND WE’VE GOT SOME COLUMNS EVERY ATLANTA PHOTOG SHOULD READ!

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER WONG.

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ow do they do it? You know, the professional photographers who

always achieve the impossible lighting? Indoors!? I’ve never seen a professional photog-rapher struggle with those hideous shadows that you get with the typical flash. and natural lighting can’t possibly work in every environment, so what’s the secret? In order to get that soft lighting, you need to bounce your flash. And the cheapest way to do that (avoiding the $400 flash, umbrella, etc.) you need to get a lightscoop! Pos-sibly the greatest invention to

aspiring photogs, Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop does the job of a fancy flash for you. Yes, it’s totally true-- We’ve tested it out and it works wonders! Next time you’re at home, trying to get a cute photo of your baby in the dim living room, just snap on the Lightscoop and BAM! Avoid getting any shadows, avoid that bright shiny-face effect, basically everything you hate about flash. Poof ! Magically gone. And in place, a per-fectly lit, natural photo that truly captures a real life mo-ment. Under $30.

MASTER FLASHPHOTOGRAPHYUNDER $30H

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER WONG.

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o a film photographer, using different cameras could be compared to

any other kind of visual artist using different types of materi-als to get their desired effect. Each camera has its own unique personality all leaving their one of a kind fingerprint upon the film it touches. Depending on the type of camera you’ll be us-ing, the first element that needs to be considered is the type of film it takes. There’s a range of film cameras out there but only a few that can still be consid-ered relevant because more

and more formats have become obsolete. Even the most well-known 35mm format has be-come fazed out in recent years with most retail establishments have ceased to offer one-hour developing services. Atlantans are lucky in that we have two great establishments that ac-commodate to the film pho-tography enthusiast: E-6 lab on 10th Street and Camera Doctor on N. Decatur Road both cater to developing and printing most film formats (even ones that have become obsolete like the 126 and 110 cartridge

WEAPON OF CHOICE: GETTING MY FILM FIXT

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film). Each format itself lays the can-vas for which your camera will paint its photograph upon. I myself have a few different cameras in my arsenal that I love to use with varying formats of film. One that I just recently used is a box camera, manufactured right about 1930 from a company named Ansco. The model is the ‘Shur Shot,’ and is unique in the fact that it’s made up of a mostly wood inside with only the outside and cranks being composed of metal. It uses 120 film and produces a nice big negative, each frame being about 2 ½ inches wide and 3 ½ inches long. The only real downside to using this camera is that shots need to be tak-en in plenty of sunlight. The camera doesn’t use any kind of flash at all, so any overdraft could potentially ruin a shot. This style of camera is still pretty readily available. You can find them at places online like eBay and even vintage and antique shops. They’re fairly priced too, ranging from $15 to $30. Another camera I like to use is the Kodak Instamatic. I have two different variations of this one: the original Instamatic 100, that made its debut in 1963 and the Instamatic X-15f from 1974. This camera revo-lutionized home photography mak-ing it cheap and accessible in most every household at the time. The photos come out looking very warm and soft and take anything you’re shooting back in time about 30 years. The biggest problem that you come across with this type of camera is the film. It uses 126 cartridge film, which is a dying format. The last

companies stopped manufacturing this film in 2009, but some places online still sell it. The other problem that comes along with using this type of camera is that most of them use one-time flash bulbs or cubes, which themselves are becoming harder to find. The cameras are relatively easy to come across, both of mine were my moms when she was growing up but I’ve seen them online anywhere between $10 and $30. All trouble aside this is one of my favorites to use. The pictures are nostalgic. The other camera that I’ve en-joyed using is a 35mm viewfinder manufactured in 1964 by a Japa-nese company named Ricoh. Its different from most other 35mm cameras I’ve used in that the film advance and rewind crank are on the bottom of the camera instead of the top. This has become my go-to camera lately, in most part because the format is easier and cheaper to come across. The pic-tures have an almost aged feel to them, partly due to the cameras being older. It has developed a few small light leaks, which is another aspect that gives the pictures some more character. This camera I bought at the Camera Doctor in Decatur, which is a good spot to go camera hunting as well as getting all of your film formats developed. All in all there are ups and downs that come along with film photog-raphy. I think that there’s still a place for it in this world. In the age of digital photography the art of film has taken on new challenges but I think the final product is worth the entire price.

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ne of Atlanta’s most creative citizens, Liz Johnson, doesn’t spend all of her time in the city. She’s busy traveling the world

(and thankfully, leaving us with so much detail through her writing and photography that it’s as if we’re on these journeys with her). To chronicle one of her recent trips, she started a photojour-nalism blog, and we’re here to spread the word! She tells you up front what she is—a buleh (pronounced boo-lay). A buleh is a word native of Indonesia meaning an unsuspecting person, Caucasian, easily manipulated into overpaying, constantly confused, unable to effectively bargain and always lost. >>

PHOTOG BLOG:BULEH, BULEHO

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PHOTO BY ELIZABETH JOHNSON.

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Johnson, the buleh in question, shows that cul-tural connection isn’t as painful as pulling teeth–by traveling with a humanitar-ian aid organization and teaching English, she can connect with the locals and get the shots not seen in a tourist stop. In the faraway island of Timor, there are gorgeous waterfalls, aban-doned palaces, an alien geography of beaches and priests that look “straight out of a kung fu movie.” While submerged in the local culture, Johnson and others do as the Romans (or in this case, Indonesians) do. They are up early in the morning (bright-eyed and bushy-tailed from their cold showers) and partake in na-tive and local foods which may involve eating off of a leaf from time to time. This is travel photojour-nalism done right: eat the food and use the amenities that are available without complaint, and learn to see it as an experience rather than an inconvenience. Liz Johnson’s accounts and photography are online at her blog.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH JOHNSON.

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THE PORTFOLIO CONTEST WINNERLAUREN ANDERSONSUNFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN ANDERSON.

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e were lucky to find Lauren Anderson in the emerging artist stage of

her career. And her portfolio is one of the more versatile and di-verse we’ve seen. In her short life as a photographer, she has mas-tered everything we consider cre-ative. Her work exhibits mastery of lighting, color and composition. She’s not overly concerned with acting the role of a moody photog. Her images are pure, from-the-heart and honest.

We love finding artists that are more interested in their work than the art scene. That’s rare among today’s trends. But discovering a body of work like this, a gem, really, makes you forget about the lifestyle. It brings you back down to Earth. And we love that. We’re pleased to display her work in the upcoming issue of Common-Creativ, and look forward to seeing more from this blonde bombshell. Keep up with Lauren’s work at her site, sunflowerphotodesign.com.

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rama is the theme of 28-year-old Chris-topher Michael Wong’s photography, and in his portfolio, he uses several different

techniques, such as multiple exposures, blur and computer manipulation in order to enhance the drama represented in each frame. Experimenting with the borders of reality, Wong uses a Canon Rebel XTI to play with colors, shadows and hazi-ness in order to capture the transitory nature of life, with landscapes that focus on the setting sun and subjects who are constantly in motion and seem about to step beyond the field of vision. The reality of the image, too, is sometimes seemingly flexible, when pictures focus on shadows or reflec-tions rather than the objects or people themselves. Wong also spotlights traditional photographic avenues, such as wedding photography and por-traiture. More of Wong’s art can be found online at digital-drama.net.

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER WONG.

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IMAGE BY CORY M

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s an aspiring photography major many moons ago, I had pinpointed a style that I vowed I would never stray from: sur-

real and haunting. But, alas, things change and I found myself as an English major—which was also surreal and haunting. I miss my darkroom and my media of choice. I miss the science behind it all. But I find that I have come to respect it much more over the years and more importantly the art-ists themselves. I know the creative process and it gives me pleasure to give a nod of approval to art-ists that like to dabble. Self-proclaimed conceptu-al photographer, Cory McBurnett, can be viewed as a jack of all trades in the realm of the lens. In addition to his main focus of portraiture, he is also proficient in representing nature, the feminine form and dreamscapes. McBurnett can do this in both color and black and white–a great marker of his showmanship and versatility as an artist. >>

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His portraits incorporate vivid colors and play with depth of field that yields an artistic balance in uncommon ways whether the subject is sitting, standing or lying down. I find that he has a mastery of lighting in his art, which really shows in his portraiture work where the light may be diffused or not at all, but in each case it’s flawless. In some of his works, he also pays homage to the classic feminine physique in which his models are bath-ing or grooming, something that gives them a very Degas feel, as he was known to paint not just ballerinas but bathing women as well. In fact, recreations are among some of his interests. One piece in particular, Athena, is a recreation of a Hopper painting. His works inspired by nature are plentiful in color and move-ment but also in stillness. An image of a rock is juxtaposed next to a vast blue sky. A tree’s form appears in a ripple-less puddle. Images like these force emotion and connection no matter what your art preference may be—even if you aren’t a nature lover. Reviewing this artist’s work, I see one with a keen eye for art in the world at every turn. Many methods are used along with uncommon angles and a plethora of striking colors. No environ-ment is avoided. There are urban, rural, hallways and even bathtubs. McBurnett has also been involved with other aspects of the camera. He ran a darkroom for a number of years as well as working as a photojournalist for a lo-cal paper. He is versatile in his craft and its presentation. Though it is difficult to sum up his work, his site says it best: “Artist, musician, human being…Here to prove I exist.”

PHOTO BY CORY MCBURNETT.

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ifteen years ago, before digital cameras and the saturation of Photoshop, I de-veloped film in a darkroom. I would

spend hours wrist-deep in chemicals that stunk and liquids that stung, staring at negatives and perfecting prints through the mysterious art of dodging and burning. I had a standing pass from my high school photography teacher that allowed me to use the school darkroom whenever I wanted. Inside was a small clock radio, the fake-wood paneled kind with numbers printed on tiles that flipped over as the minutes passed. The radio was tuned to a jazz station and no one ever thought to change it. I already enjoyed jazz but the darkroom radio affected a significant change

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on the way that I understood jazz and the way I approached photography. The rhythm of jazz is unique. It doesn’t enjoy the head-bobbing thump of rock or hip-hop, it is missing the knee-slapping 1-2 beat of country. Jazz swings and swing is something else entirely. It is not a swagger, per se; swing is a loose and relaxed yet confident rhythm. Swing is all about truly feeling the music and letting that feeling guide you through the music. With the radio in the darkroom playing jazz, I soon developed a style in the darkroom that was, if not the photographic equivalent of jazz, at least the child of its inspiration. I began to play with my photographs and experiment. I impro-vised. I worked exclusively in black and white. I allowed myself to go places in the moment. I thought deeply but quickly about the style and meaning of my work. I wanted so badly to cap-ture the essence of jazz in my photography. Today, I still listen to jazz when I am editing my photographs, but it is not the same. Digital editing, while miraculous, is less personal. I am not touching my photographs. I am not birthing them, pulling them from the chemicals, dripping and new. I have lost the swing. Perhaps I have discovered refinement or matured, but I miss the freewheeling improvisation and carefree mis-takes that I used to make. There was beauty in those errors and, yes, a bit of swagger.

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elcome to the future. We may not yet have flying cars and jetpacks, but we do have a

dizzying array of gadgetry becom-ing new and then obsolete at every second. Perhaps it is this pace of life that has given rise to a very distinct trend in photography lately: vintage-style photography displaying the (often anachronistic) nostalgia for an age gone by. It isn’t necessary for the modern vintage photographer to hunt down a working antique camera and invest in darkroom supplies. We are, as previ-ously mentioned, living in the future, where there’s “always an app for that.” Such as the iPhone app Hipsta-matic. This app allows users to play with a variety of color settings, lenses, flashes and film, all without ever having to touch a roll of Kodak. The result is a quirky and charming composition with all the marks of a picture taken half a century ago on a toy camera—the unexpectedly bright colors, the evocative lens flares and the rough borders. For those without the iPhone, there are still options for vintagizing photo-

graphs. Though Polaroid announced in 2008 that they were discontinuing production of their well-known in-stant film (and subsequently brought it back in limited quantities the next year), programs such as Poladroid have sprung up to fill the empty space left in our hearts by the slow disap-pearance of the old instant photogra-phy medium. It’s a simple download-able application that takes image files and morphs them into developing Polaroids as you watch. You can even shake them on your computer screen, and depending on how long you let them develop, they each have unique color casts. Digital photoediting aside (because the details of creating vintage pho-tography in Photoshop or on Pixlr deserve an entire article of their own), there are options for those that really like their photography hands-on. Urban Outfitters, for example, has a large stock of classic cameras and film; they feature lomography snap-shot cameras with colorful results, fisheye lenses for skewed views and Holga cameras that produce a soft, dreamy focus.

PAST TRENDS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE FOR PHOTOGS

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ARTISTSPOTLIGHT:

GARRINHIRSCHHORN

ATLANTA’SIN-DEMAND,“SPICY HOT”

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lways attracted to the arts, Garrin Hirschhorn, a 38-year-old Atlanta pho-

tographer, is inspired not only by his own past as an illustrator, painter, and guitarist, but also by fashion photographers, such as Camilla Akrans and Yu Tsai (BeBe), Sebastian Kim (Calvin Klein) and Jaques Dequeker. “I find myself drawn to images of modern urban women….con-fident, cutting edge, stylish and sexy,” says Hirschhorn. While he was always the “fam-ily photographer,” his passion for photography has evolved in recent years and he now shoots with a Nikon DSLR. His photography has evolved through wondering, “After every shoot, I look at my photo-

graphs and ask myself, what could I have done differently? The pursuit of images that truly communicate is a life-long process.” Now specializing in fashion, lifestyle, portrait and boudoir genres, he says of his subjects that, “The medium itself is irrel-evant: a well-constructed image will resonate with the viewer due to a number of factors, includ-ing strong composition, contrast, repetition, color choices based on sound color theory and the ability of the image to commu-nicate a story. So whether the image is a photograph, painting or drawing, many of the same principles apply.” Garrin’s work can be viewed at www.spicyhotcreations.com.

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PHOTO BY GARRIN HIRSCHHORN.

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he brains behind Dim Horizon Studio, Matthew R. Nicholson, 28, has no shortage of inspiration—just a shortage of the hours

to fill with it. His work in photography takes him from the Georgia wilderness to the heart of urban Atlanta, and his subjects are varied—striking models, decaying architecture and all the details of nature. During the day he works as an IT pro-fessional, but photography has been his real pas-sion for years. When he takes a picture, however, his creative process has only just begun; his art focuses on not just composition, but on the capa-bilities of artistic editing to bring out the unique features of his photography. He has worked exten-sively with high dynamic range imaging to create elaborate pictures that have startlingly intense colors and defined lines. >>

ELABORATE IMAGES AND A FANTASY WORLDT

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIM HORIZON STUDIOS.

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Matt is also deeply involved with the artistic and performance community in Atlanta, and is one of the official photographers for the performance group Big City Burlesque, as well as for Penny Dreadful Productions, a Georgia-based fabrication and production company that creates steampunk and science fiction costumes and accessories. In addition to these roles, he achieved worldwide notoriety last year for his photographic tribute to the video game Bioshock, in which he recreated the game’s undersea world and its main characters at the Georgia Aquarium. The set of photos was highlighted by the sci-fi news website io9, as well as the magazine Playstation UK . His art can often be found for sale at the art events he is a frequent par-ticipant in around metro Atlanta, as well as at fan conventions in the area, such as Dragon*Con and Anime Weekend Atlanta. His work has also been displayed at several local galleries. His camera of choice is the Canon 5D Mark II, which gives him the options he needs to create the HDR images for which he is known, as well as the quality necessary for his highly detailed photographs. He curren tly lives in Woodstock with his wife and dogs.

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FASHION FWD

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THE BEST DRESSED IN VININGS, MORNINGSIDE AND LITTLE FIVE POINTS

+COORDINATED BY BRITTANY HEATONPHOTOGRAPHED FOR COMMONCREATIV

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here to wear those high fashion styles! We pulled our favorite runway

looks from the past few years and placed them around ATL, where we'd most likely see them AND WHERE YOU'D FIT RIGHT IN WEARING THEM!

WHERE TO WEAR THE RUNWAY LOOKS YOU LOVE

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OSCAR DE LA RENTA FALL 2008

MARC BY MARC JACOBS FALL 2003

This piece from de la Renta's fall '08 line is exquisite. It's a little hard to place though when considering which neighborhood you might see this in. Off the top of my head I would say a more upscale neighborhood like Buck-head, but it's almost edgy enough to be spotted in an artsy district such as Little Five Points.

Heres a double whammy for you. This leopard print trench coat, on my personal wish list, is fantastic. This coat looks like something you would see on a midtown fashionista on her way to a lunch meeting on Peachtree. The orange and yellow zebra print t-shirt dress underneath, if not paired, could be seen rummaging through the pre-owned record bins in Little Five Points.

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BURBERRY PRORSUM FALL 2007

RALPH LAUREN SPRING 2010

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN FALL 2007

CHRISTIAN LACROIX FALL 2006

Hello my love. Wearing all of one shade can be hit or miss, but this outfit is perfect for those days spent thrift shopping in Little Five Points or going to your creative design job high up in the clouds in Midtown. See guys, these pants-button up jacket-type combo should replace all those those deep v-neck tees and slouchy jeans in your wardrobe.

Look at you strutting your stuff, aren't you an Inman Park cutie? The carefree frilly blouse pairs perfectly with the distressed denim for those sunny days at the park with Fido.

2010 saw the passing of one of the world's great visionaries and the best way to honor him is to wear his creations. Alex-ander McQueen's style speaks for itself. This statuesque suite reminds me of downtown's classic architecture with a geometric twist. The shapes created as light bounces off the fabric is awe-inspiring. Thank you, Mr. McQueen.

Where have all the goths gone? I am in love with the shorter skirt paired with the long sleeves as seen on this lovely lady. The burgundy tights with the embellishments are in a league all of their own, you could pull those off anywhere in the A. This lovely number screams North Ave. to me. Couldn't you see this beauty standing in front of the Masquerade? Or standing in line at The Majestic Diner after a night out on Ponce or even in East Atlanta. The dark and eerie factory setting behind this stun-ner would sent a chill up the most fearce fashionista's spine.

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Documents

NOVEMBER 2010