loseyoursoultorocknroll
bitchin' blog of Dani Diamond (CT, SA)
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“We are living in an environment that is hostile to dreamers” – Frank Zappa
Wise words: Kurt Cobain
Iconic imagary
Rocking Out Live!
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Ladies and gentlemen, this is iggy pop
Young Professionals to Watch: Gavin Collins, Photographer
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privellage to present another talented photographer from the streets of the cultural capital city that is Cape Town! May I introduce Mr Gavin Collins:
The extraordinarily gifted creator of his Pretty Trendy blog, Gavin Collins, began his photographic and creative journey as a simple means of self expression. However, his natural talent and eye for style have captured the interest of many of Cape Town’s creatives. He is a remarkably dynamic individual and definitely one to look out for in the future.
Dani: In a few words, sum up the essence of you:
Gavin: I’m a funny-looking, care-free kid with big dreams and creative thoughts.
Dani: Where are you from and how did you become involved in photography?
Gavin: I’ve lived in Cape Town my whole life and for as long as I can remember I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures. I was into creative things like drawing and painting at school, and photography was just the next step for me. My friends and I used to spontaneously get dressed up (okay we still do) and mission around town to try get cool shots. I guess it’s just progressed from there.
Dani: If you had to classify your work in one or two sentences it would be…?
Gavin: I am fascinated by contemporary South African pop culture. I photograph things that appeal to me, exploring the aesthetic of simple, everyday things; finding beauty that others may overlook.
I am also interested in fashion and aspire to one day shoot for international fashion magazines.
Dani: Which have been your favourite shoots and why?
Gavin: My favourite shoot would have to be one of my very first ones. It was a very informal shoot with my friend Daisy on Longbeach in Noordhoek. She had this really cool, old red umbrella and together with stormy clouds and perfect light I really loved the photographs that I was able to make.
Oh and I also had a really fun day shooting some spoof shots of See You Next Wednesday with my friends for the Crazy White Bitches summer sale. It was hilarious because we were trying to be as outrageous as possible, and I think the end product was pretty successful.
Dani: What or whom would you love to photograph if you could choose anything or anyone in the world? Why?
Gavin: I would love to shoot someone like Charlotte Free for a magazine like Dazed & Confused or Wonderland. She is a total bad ass and has such an amazing sense of style (and she’s like stunningly beautiful) and Dazed is such an iconic magazine.
Dani: Where can one find your work?
Gavin: On my blog www.prettytrendy.tumblr.com
Dani: What he failed to mention is that his work has been regularly featured in popular arts magazine One Small Seed (an online and print magazine reknowned for recognising and promoting the work of notable creatives), exhibitions such as the Bodyblocks exhibition (a playful collection of body photography by upcoming and established photographers hosted by Exposure Gallery at The Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock in 2011) and he has a consistantly strong online following.
Dani: What is the greatest lesson life has taught you thus far?
Gavin: I’ve learnt that if you want to be happy in life you need to embrace the challenges you experience with a positive attitude. A positive mentality is one of the greatest tools you can use when trying to achieve your goals. You should never underestimate the power of your mind.
Dani: If you could work with or for any photographer who would it be? And why?
Gavin: I’d have to say Rankin. He is really just a phenomenal photographer. He co-founded one of my favourite magazines, Dazed and he has recently launched a new magazine, called The Hunger, that consists of entirely his photographs (well, minus one or two). It’s incredible, I can’t think of any other photographer in the world attempting (or even thinking) of doing the same thing.
Gavin has this untamed honesty to his art. He has this gift and curse that he can’t hold anything back. That’s real art. In his pictures, in his write-ups; its all him. It comes across in the emotion of his photographs. He is telling stories with his camera.
Dani: If someone made a movie of your life, who would play the lead?
Gavin: Sheesh I have no idea. Well it would have to be a skinny white boy with a bad haircut playing me and it would definitely be a comedy.
Dani: Would you watch it?
Gavin: No. There’s no chance I would watch it because my life is awkward enough already, I don’t need to watch it being screened to an audience.
Dani: When you die you want the world to remember this:
Live hard, have fun and always make sure you wear clean underwear.
Find out more about Gavin Collins by checking out his blog www.prettytrendy.tumblr.com or stalk him on facebook.
Young Proffessionals to Watch: Laura McCullagh, photographer.
Photographer Laura McCullagh, CT
Young Cape Tonian professionals are making names for themselves in the arts.
One such dynamic individual is the inspiring and humble photographer,
Laura McCullagh.
Best known for her band photography as seen in Your LMG (local free music magazine and gig guide), Laura is a young lady that exudes passion and professionalism. She is a hardworking, dedicated fan of both live music and photography. If there is a decent gig in town Laura McCullagh will be there. She really does seem to be everywhere, all the time, camera in hand.
The Laura McCullagh Interview:
DANI: In a few words, sum up the essence of you
LAURA: I’m a creative person who loves all things art and music-related…and stuff like cats and flowers too…
DANI: Where are you from and how did you become involved in Photography?
LAURA: I’m from Cape Town and a creative family – I started hijacking my parents’ digital camera in my early teens and became serious about photography (ie. got my own camera) at around 14.
DANI: If you had to classify your work in one or two sentences it would be:
LAURA: For the most part, I try to focus on aesthetics and mood first and foremost, so I’d like to be able to describe most of my work as pretty and/or emotionally interesting.
Chris Steampunk
Laura’s ability to bring emotion through her images is uncanny. She has this extraordinary ability to capture the theatrical qualities in the mundane things of life.
DANI: Which have been your favourite shoots and why?
LAURA: Synergy 2011 was amazing, mainly because I had media accreditation and was allowed to go all over the place. That kind of freedom was incredible!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Synergy 2011
DANI: What or whom would you love to photograph if you could choose anything or anyone in the world? Why?
LAURA: Iceland – it’s just ridiculously beautiful, all of it. I would love to wander around that country with a camera. Also, the Northern Lights – though I think my heart might explode if I saw them in real life.
Laura is not limited to band photography
DANI: Where can one find your work?
LAURA: On my website and blog (www.lauramccullagh.com/blog/), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Laura.McCullagh.Art) and often in Your LMG magazine.
DANI: What is the greatest lesson life has taught you thus far?
LAURA: Not everyone can follow their passion full-time but that’s okay, as long as you keep doing what you love and what makes you happy as much as you can…at least, that’s what I try to do.
Tulips
DANI: If you could work with or for another Photographer, who would it be? And why?
LAURA: I dunno if I’d be able to handle working with/for him (the pressure, aaah), but I’d love to meet someone like Anton Corbijn…his photographic work is iconic, as are the artists he’s worked with, but aside from that he also makes music videos and films. It’s my big dream to be doing that combination too someday…
DANI: If someone made a movie of your life; Who would play the lead? What would the theme be? Would you watch it?
LAURA: Hahaha honestly, if someone wanted to make a movie of my life I’d find a way to talk them out of it.
DANI: When I die I want the world to remember this:
LAURA: Erm well it has no bearing on my death but in general I think we forget too easily that there is actually beauty all around us, even if it gets obscured by all the bad stuff. I feel a bit like a hypocrite saying that because I’m a total cynic but deep down (and in some cases, deeper than that) I think we’re all optimists and want to be happy. You don’t have to try to always look on the bright side, but it’s good to remember that not everything sucks…making or looking at beautiful things helps with this I think.
Aesthetically and emotionally appealling shots: The Great Apes
Women in the Music Industry
There is a lot of negative stigma attached to the concept “Women in music.”
Groupies and girlfriends and other sorts of latchers on are now making money out of the musicians apart from bribing them and selling their secrets, through the likes of their own books and reality t.v. shows. This type of involvement of women in the music industry is destructive for those who actually ARE musicians themselves. It is very difficult for women to be taken seriously as musicians and it seems to me that it is a male dominated industry as far as instrumentation is concerned even today.
This rant was birthed from a friend’s facebook status about the lack of pants worn by Rihanna and Beyonce and Lady Gaga. It made me think about the female role in the music scene. I am very much of the opinion that women have pretty much branded themselves as sex on purpose with sales and marketing in mind. Lets face it, nobody wakes up the morning of their gig and goes
“I think ill just wear this leotard on stage because all my other clothes are in the wash.” Unlikely.
So my first point is that the lack of clothes is always a premeditated course of action. The ladies weren’t tricked into being half naked. They want to wear no clothes. Its an easy cop-out option to attract people without the talent doing the talking.
Number two: If sexy people want to wear no clothes, go for it. Its their thing. There are millions of ways to look horrendous in outfits that do include pants so I guess its just a case of people pulling off the look they’re going for. Sometimes going for “outrageous freak” works for people ala Lady Gaga and David Bowie. It should be noted though that to dress outlandishly obviously increases the chances of getting it horribly wrong ala Rihana. (I have to include that I am well bias when it comes to Rihana because I really detest her music and Nuno Bettencourt is her guitarist. Well jealous. How terrible is it that amazing musicians are making horrible music because there is more money in bad taste than good taste?! But that’s for another time.)
And That’s the thing about bizarre experimentation: sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
So the other side of the coin is that society clearly has some blame in this scenario too. Ladies with minimum talent are doing extremely well while basing their carreers on sexiness. Examples of this are endless. Credit to them for actually making money off their rubbish songs though. (Grumble. Grumble.) You would have to be really stupid not to notice that sex sells. Sad fact. Passing sexiness off as “talent” is a lucritive business strategy.
What is far, far worse than talentless ladies making money off of a sexy image is extraordinarily talented ladies doing the same thing.
Voices like Madonna and Cher really did not have to strip down to make it! But they did (And then some). That bleaks me out more than anything. Say what you will about them, those are two of the most phenominal and dynamic performers in the world. They sing, they act and they are legendary icons. 
When is it time to stand back and let your talent do the work and not the botox? I believe in these women. I believe in their ability and clearly they don’t have as much faith in their talent as I do. Nobody wants to see Elton John in spandex or a thong. These women are just as accomplished (and just as old).
That is not to say that men don’t also exploit their sexiness to sell their music. Think of Sebastian Bach (Skidrow) and Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Billy Idol, Mick Jagger, Steve Vai… I can’t recall many iconic images of Iggy Pop in a shirt. In the music industry you are selling your image, your lifestyle, your music, your person. You are the brand. I actually enjoy the multifaceted nature of it all.
Sexiness is a whole lot more than no clothes though. It’s the way people speak. It’s in the way people move. It is also a clever tool to make oneself more appealing. Ultimately that’s what you’re aiming for I guess, to use whatever you can to get those people in that room to get into your music.
I have this idea though that all the pimping and promoting can actually undermine the music. Isn’t the real magic of music the fact that it is the music that makes you feel?
Music can make you cry, make you dance, mourn the loss, share the joy, feel the love, relate, remember, forget, call you to arms, inspire, give hope, bring destruction. It’s the music that causes you to really and truly feel. It amazes me, knocks-me-over every single time musicians do that. Every time a song stirrs up a whirlpool inside you, you are feeling what some musician has created. New artists, old forgotten songs, live bands or tapes; THAT is the beauty of music.
I seldom put on a record and lie on my bed thinking “if only Led Zeppelin had released a frangrance” or listen to Marlene Dietrich thinking “I’m sure her outfit was so 1940s.”
The branding, the image, the sexiness and the facades all fade with time. The only thing left is the music; The songs we write, the light or darkness that we speak and sing into the world. I don’t see much appeal in leaving your legacy as “that umbrella chick with no pants.”
Some points to consider:
a) Performers have been rocking that leotard look for CENTURIES! Literally. And theres a reason ballet dancers are all super scarily skinny… Its not a flattering look.
b) Using sex to sell your music is only a good idea if you know your music is too horrible to s
ell otherwise or if you are lazy.
c) Umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh is not a real sentence.
Lastly, it is an unforgivable thing to lump the likes of Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Ella, Janis Joplin, Tracy Chapman and hundreds of brilliant female musicians who have revolutionised the world with their amazing gifts in the same basket as Joe from the Real Housewives of Orange County or Jessica Simpson.
Gavin Collins, CTs trendiest Photographer
Cape Town’s trendiest photographer Gavin Collins of prettytrendy was recently featured for his fashion portraiture on liebenpix
A link to the article: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liebenpix.com%2Fwp%2Fgavincollins%2F&h=6AQHFtFu1
“Gavin Collins is a Cape Town based Fashion and Portrait photographer whose style is reflective of a truly South African Pop-Culture interest. This style has a different appeal to it, very interesting.” – LiebenPix
Also one can find out more about him by checking out his blog on tumblr:
http://prettytrendyportfolio.tumblr.com/
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